Where Christine walked carefully, her steps were nearly silent on the flat, smooth ground.
Then, Christine stopped.
Her eyes widened as she looked.
Before Christine stood a magnificent stone gate, towering high, adorned with carvings of mysterious symbols.
Christine swallowed. "Someone built... an ancient temple beneath this building?"
The heartbeat was coming from behind the door.
"Could there be someone alive inside?"
Christine didn't want to delay any longer. She raised her hand and knocked hard on the door several times, her voice echoing in the empty stone corridor.
"Is anyone there?"
There was no answer from behind the door, only Christine's voice echoing along the corridor. "Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you!"
Yet, there was still no response.
Christine pressed her lips together, her expression turning serious. Where she placed her palm against the cold stone door, she felt its rough texture before she exerted force with her arm.
Small cracks appeared.
With one final push, the heavy stone door slowly shifted, creating a narrow gap. From within, a pungent smell immediately assaulted her—bitter and sour, as if a mixture of pickles had rotted with something more foreign.
Christine grimaced and waved her hand in front of her face. "What is that smell? Pickles soaked in tennis balls?" Christine muttered with a mix of amusement and disgust.
The White Lantern Ring in Christine's hand flickered, casting light into the newly opened room. However, the light seemed to be swallowed by the thick darkness inside, as if the place existed in another dimension. All that could be seen was the silhouette of a collapsed structure, scattered in ruin.
Christine's heart raced faster. The room felt too silent, with no signs of life. Christine took a step back, her survival instincts screaming for her to be cautious.
Then, a hissing sound emerged—fast, sharp, slicing through the air like a knife cutting through silence.
Christine, already on alert, sensed a threat from behind. She spun around swiftly, her hand raised.
"Bakudō #8: Seki! (Repulsion)"
Particles of energy shimmered in the air, forming a glowing shield on the back of Christine's hand. However, when the fierce gust of wind arrived, Christine's spiritual defense shattered into pieces.
"Ah!" Christine screamed. Her body was forcefully pushed back, crashing to the floor with a loud thud.
From the darkness, a chilling laugh echoed. "Hohohohohoho!!"
Then, three pairs of glowing red eyes appeared.
Three skeletons emerged, wearing tattered clothing that seemed to belong to different eras. Each wielded a weapon, moving with stiff yet intimidating motions, charging toward the still-fallen Christine.
Christine groaned. Pain pierced her back, but worse—she had lost the moment to fight. Christine's legs trembled as she tried to rise, but her body was not responding as quickly as she had hoped.
However, before the skeletons could reach Christine—
A whistling sound shot through the darkness.
A shimmering whip, enveloped in bluish-white electric light, sliced through the air at high speed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The three skeletons were violently thrown back, their bodies crashing into a derelict building. Dust billowed, enveloping the area in a thin fog.
Christine gasped, her eyes widening.
Someone had just saved Christine.
...
...
...
"Lord of the White Sky?!" Christine was both shocked and delighted as she saw the figure darting through the darkness. Christine's eyes widened, her reflexes tensed before she finally exhaled in relief.
Lance looked at Christine with appreciation, his voice calm yet firm. "You did a great job, Christine."
In less than a day since Christine received the White Lantern Ring, she had saved nearly twenty lives. Although some of them could be considered coincidences, it was undeniable that Christine was an extraordinary messenger.
"Why are you here?" Christine rubbed her wrist, still numb from the previous battle, then glanced at the girl standing next to Lance. Christine's gaze hinted at suspicion and curiosity. "And this woman... could she also be a White Lantern Messenger?"
"Yes, Vivi... Ah, right." Lance nodded, but before he could continue, something crossed his mind. With a serious expression, Lance said, "When you appear in public in the future, it's best not to reveal your real names. It would be better for each of you to choose a code name."
Vivi smiled slightly and elegantly lifted her hair, her eyes radiating undeniable charm. "I've thought about it. My code name from now on is 'Miss Rose.'"
Lance glanced at Vivi and smiled faintly. "Though roses are beautiful, their thorns are everywhere. That name suits your personality."
Vivi pouted, looking pleased with the veiled compliment. Unlike usual, this time Vivi did not act spoiled or overly familiar with Lance.
This was the reason Lance created the identity of Lord of the White Sky—to do things that Lance White could not do directly. This identity had to remain separate and not be associated with Lance.
Christine smirked slightly. "If she's Miss Rose, then I will be Miss Platycodon."
Platycodon, a flower that symbolizes sincere and unchanging love. A symbol of pure, simple, and beautiful loyalty—something Christine felt perfectly reflected herself.
Lance removed his black-framed glasses and stared at the ruins of the buildings around them, his eyes filled with sharpness. "I hope the White Lantern Corps doesn't turn into a flower garden in the future," Lance murmured before refocusing. "Get ready. The trouble here has just begun."
Vivi squinted, observing her surroundings with caution. "If I'm not mistaken, this is the long-abandoned subway station No. 76, right? But how can there be an ancient temple in this old subway line?"
Lance sighed, his voice filled with patience as he pointed toward the grim temple looming in the darkness. "When you obtained the White Lantern Ring, you entered the true world. Don't equate everything with the logic of the mortal realm."
As Lance stepped closer, he gazed at the ancient temple with great attention. "In the mysterious world, the concepts of location and distance are not as rigid as in the secular world. Many hidden places are based on certain foundational points in the field of reality. Only at certain times and under the right conditions can they connect with the material world."
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