Chapter 457. Wyvern Nest (2/3)
Tyler slowly opened the heavy stone door. As it creaked ajar, a faint shimmer rippled across the frame— an iridescent bubble blocking entry like a magical membrane. Tyler reached out, and his gloved hand slipped through effortlessly.
"It’s permeable," he said via Voice transmission.
Without hesitation, both he and Lily stepped inside.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Lily deactivated the Underwater Breathing Amulet resting against her collarbone. The azure glow faded, and she exhaled slowly, brushing a strand of damp hair from her cheek.
A pale mist coalesced around Tyler, and from within his shadow, a spectral figure emerged—Mana in her adult ghost form. She appeared ethereal, draped in a flowing white yukata-like dress with long sleeves that fluttered like silk underwater. Unlike her usual look, she didn’t wear her Phantom Mask today. Instead, her long hair bangs veiled half her face, giving her an eerie, melancholic beauty. Yet, even without the mask, the enchantment it once held still clung to her aura. Anyone who looked directly at her would find their perception subtly distorted, unable to clearly recall her features.
Mana stretched both arms above her head, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "Finally... after a long sleep."
"Ghosts sleep?" Lily tilted her head, genuinely curious.
"She even eats. Why can’t she sleep?" Tyler’s eyes trailed toward Mana’s breast "Hmm... Seems like everything she eats goes there, huh..."
Mana blinked, pouting. "What was that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Tyler replied innocently, a faint grin beneath his Phantom Mask.
"Where are we?" Mana asked, glancing at the room— massive, ancient, and scaled far beyond human proportions.
"We’re in the Wyvern Nest," Tyler explained. "This chamber acts as a natural rest zone. The air is sealed tight inside, allowing people to breathe freely. We’re already deep beneath the ocean, but there’s no water pressure here. Just massive, interconnected halls."