Skadi, returning to infinity

Artoria's gaze fell on Zhao Yun'er, who was gently leaning against the rock.

This girl has been asleep since last night. If it weren't for her calm breathing, we would have been worried that something was wrong with her.

"Yes, I've been sleeping the whole time."

"But there's nothing we can do about it."

"Her soul has been traumatized, and she will lose many memories if she does not enter a long period of hibernation."

"But whether it's painful, beautiful, or something you want to forget."

"Those are all her past memories, her experiences."

Whether or not to forget depends on her future choices, not on losing it under such inexplicable circumstances.

"I protect her soul, I protect her memories, and I also protect her body."

"However, this girl has absorbed too much of my energy. By the time she finishes digesting it, she'll probably be a few years older."

"My energy is filled with too much life force, which is extremely beneficial to ordinary people, but it can also cause her to deteriorate too quickly."

grow up.

“This is something I can neither change nor stop. Forcing it will only hurt her.”

"Well, we'll see what she wants then. If she wants to go back to being ten, I'll just help her reverse it."

Skadi truly doted on Zhao Yun'er, or perhaps it could be said that because she hadn't yet become Zhao Yun'er's woman, she neither wanted nor had the right to do so on her behalf.

What Yun'er decides.

Skadi let her choose everything she wanted to do and everything she wanted to change.

"Growth?"

Artoria looked at her own body; her age was forever fixed at sixteen.

This was both a blessing and a curse for a king.

For Ding, a "person", a long lifespan may not necessarily be a good thing, because he will experience too many joys and sorrows and partings.

"Artoria, let me tell you about Miss Nian who came yesterday morning, and you'll understand..."

When Skadi saw her like that, she knew what she was thinking.

So she told Artoria the story of that year.

Of course, Medea, who was openly "eavesdropping" on the other side, was also aware of this.

"In Valhalla... it seems that time really has no meaning."

"But what if this were in the modern world?"

"It's impossible to really live alone."

"Then you will inevitably face the question of who to associate with."

"But when long-lived and short-lived people truly become friends, the biggest problem between them is often that I am still young and you are already old."

"Ms. Nian's approach is very carefree, but that may not be a truly effective way to avoid these problems."

"But after thinking it over, it seems there is no better way."

"Unless you avoid associating with people whose lifespan is shorter than your own, you're bound to face this step eventually."

After hearing her words, Artoria also began to sigh.

Some things are really hard to explain unless you experience them yourself.

"The theory of lifespan is indeed a difficult problem to overcome between different species."

"Let alone mythical species, even on the continent of Terra, there are vast differences in lifespan between Sarkaz of the same race."

Other.

"Some can live to be hundreds or even thousands of years old without any problem."

"Some only live to be ten years old, just like ordinary people."

"Most importantly, the Sarkaz people have a unique constitution; they are the most susceptible group to Oripathy on Terra."

"This also led to the severe exclusion of the Sarkaz by other races."

"There have also been wars with other countries and other races in the past."

"Perhaps this is also a curse on long-lived species."

Skadi also began to reflect on the topic of lifespan—a problem she would inevitably have to face in the future.

"In the face of war, the length of life seems to have no meaning."

"No matter how long one's lifespan may be, once one dies, one returns to dust."

"Therefore, it is a great skill for long-lived species to live for such a long time."

Medea interjected at this moment, swimming over to Skadi and reaching out to grasp Skadi's left ankle.

Soft and delicate, as if boneless.

It feels very comfortable to hold in your hand, making you want to play with it as much as you want.

After saying this, she pulled hard, dragging Skadi into the pool as well.

"Eh~"

Skadi is a "marine creature" by nature, so although this place is not seawater, it has little effect on her.

After being pulled into the pool, she perfectly embodied the phrase "like a fish in water."

Even with a dress on, she could swim freely in the water, much faster than Medea.

"Hmm? There's a cave down there?"

Skadi dived into the water and quickly swam to the bottom of the pool.

Then she noticed something was wrong: there were several stones at the bottom of the pool.

These stones are very regular round or prismatic shapes, which are extremely rare to form naturally.

If there is a piece of land in a certain place, then it can be said to have been formed naturally.

However, if a place has several different types of stones with different shapes, then it can only be man-made.

I never expected to get such a reward just by randomly choosing a clear pond. Is it because my lucky set is too good?

This is the one I chose for you, so naturally it has some special features.

The system often hides surprises in the most suitable areas it detects.

Of course, I can't give you any hints until I find it; you'll have to find it yourself.

[But once I find it, I don't need to hide it anymore; I can tell you directly.]

[Triggering events like this requires finding a specific entry point or piece of information.]

[My advice is that if you encounter tasks that take a very long time to complete, it's best to avoid accepting them for now.]

After all, you haven't finished what you need to do yet. If you're stuck with a series of tasks for a long time, you might miss out on what you want to do...

Xiao Ai offered reminders and boasted, while Skadi swam around a few times before finally finding the way to activate it.

There are five regular stones at the bottom of the pool, namely round, oval, square, trapezoidal and rectangular.

The largest circle, located in the center, still measures a full two meters in length.

The secret is clearly hidden behind it, and it requires a special method to unlock.

Skadi could certainly shatter it with a single punch, but for the sake of the mission, she patiently searched every corner of the pool to find a way to break it.

The places where different regular stones are inlaid.

The rectangles and ovals are fine, but the oval and square ones are from ancient times, and the inlays have been buried by other stones.

This meant she had to spend some time digging it open before she could put it in.

This is a very simple puzzle, with no difficulty.

However, considering that this pool is nearly twenty meters deep, the temperature at the bottom is almost zero degrees Celsius, and there is a rushing underground river nearby, one can imagine...

That explains why it doesn't need to be so complicated to set up.

It is already extremely difficult to get here and persevere in solving the mystery.

It's estimated that the builders went through a lot of hardship and expended a great deal of effort to complete it.

Perhaps it was to provide an easier path for future generations or successors to enter, or perhaps it was to ensure that those destined for it wouldn't be so...

Is this the reason it's designed this way, to cause suffering?

Skadi wasn't sure, but after watching the round stone slowly open, she put those thoughts aside and waited for it to fully open.

"Boom~"

The mechanism beneath the pool activated, and a deep sound emanated from it. Both Artoria and Medea, who were on the surface of the pool, noticed the anomaly.

They knew Skadi had nothing to worry about in the water, so they didn't find it strange that she had stayed in the water for so long.

But now there are sounds and unusual movements coming from below, so she must have triggered something.

This piqued the curiosity of Artoria and Medea, who wanted to go down.

"You all stay here for now. I'll go explore on my own."

Skadi's voice came from beside her; she seemed to have encountered something interesting.

"Okay then."

Medea didn't seem to mind; she continued swimming naked on the surface of the water, as if she really enjoyed the cool, refreshing sensation.

Beneath the pool, Skadi looked at the hidden door that appeared after the circular shape, somewhat surprised.

The entrance to the hidden door is protected by a barrier made of Originium Arts, which prevents water from entering.

When exactly did this happen?

Skadi looked at it curiously, wondering what was hidden inside.

After telling Artoria and Medea not to come down, she went through the hidden door.