met free Chapter 107 Green Eyes
Chapter 107 Green Eyes
Chapter 107 Green Eyes
The rain in June is neither chilling nor damp.
Tuscarola sat in her hotel room, gazing out the window with her green eyes.
The sky was dark and the sound of rain was suffocating.
Raindrops hit the roof, blooming into mist, then condensing into dewdrops, and finally flowing down the eaves.
This coastal town seems to have had its air washed clean, leaving only a hazy gray color, like a world in an oil painting.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew, splashing rainwater on her face.
She felt a chill and eventually shivered.
As expected, it was too far north, and the weather wasn't as warm as she had anticipated.
But she was about to embark on a boat journey across the Weeping Gorge to a region further north.
Heading to that frigid land known as the Eternal Frozen Continent,
Tuscarola was going to the wizarding school there to study witchcraft, but she didn't actually have any particular desire to learn witchcraft.
However, Aaron suggested that she give it a try, so she decided to set off.
Aaron was a librarian who took her in before the Tuscarola disaster.
Of course, Tuscarola understood that Aaron might have done this because of a letter from that pirate named Henry.
But Tuscarola didn't care about Aaron's motives; all she knew was that Aaron hadn't done anything to wrong her and had even helped her.
Therefore, Laura trusted Aaron, or at least believed that Aaron wouldn't harm her.
Aaron also gave her a name that would make it easier for her to live in this world—Lola Booker.
Now that I am here, Tuscalola thought, then I am Lola.
Lola loves her new name, Lola Booker, which shares the same surname as Anne, symbolizing her close connection with Anne.
Aaron also lent her a book called "The Knot of the Cloud Realm," and she learned extraordinary powers from it that she had never dared to imagine before.
Under Aaron's careful tutelage, Lola has grasped some of the contents of the book and is able to use some of the abilities recorded within.
However, Aaron said that any power carries danger, and that Lola must be careful when using it.
Lola kept Aaron's teachings in mind, and she also knew that she was not yet able to fully control this power.
She only has a general understanding of the text in the book, and there is still a long way to go before she has truly "mastered" it.
So until just now, she was still diligently studying "The Knot of the Cloud Realm".
Aaron said that no matter what new skills she learns in the future, she should not neglect or slack off in learning the abilities in this book.
Perhaps in Aaron's view, the power he learned from outside was hard to match.
But even if Aaron had other, more selfish motives for saying those words to her, Lola didn't care.
Laura received so much care from Aaron, but she never had the chance to repay him.
She willingly allowed herself to be used.
At that moment, Lola saw three sailboats simultaneously enter the dock.
So she closed the window, picked up the glasses Aaron had prepared for her, put them on, and planned to go and ask what was going on.
Upon arriving at the hotel reception, Lola borrowed a raincoat.
The shopkeeper asked with a smile, "Young lady, going to the port again?"
"Um,"
Lola nodded slightly in response.
He then stood at the shop entrance, put on a raincoat, and walked towards the dock.
Lola had arrived in the town two weeks ago.
She should have taken a longship, crossed the Weeping Canyon, and reached the frozen continent on the other side within the first two days of her arrival.
However, for some reason, all the ships refused to cross the Weeping Strait.
To reach her destination, Lola would have to sail a long distance across the sea.
However, she chose to take a carriage to get here first, and then take a boat across the river, in order to reduce the time spent on the boat.
If she really wanted to do this, why bother coming all the way here instead of just boarding a boat in the first place?
Therefore, Lola chose to stay in the town, waiting for the Crying Fjord shipping route to resume.
Whenever she saw a ship enter the harbor, she would invariably ask if anyone was willing to cross the Weeping Strait.
Lola hates traveling by boat.
More than four years ago, several boats docked in her hometown.
A group of people carrying sharp weapons stormed into her tribe.
Those men killed all the rebels and enslaved all the compliant ones, taking them into the longship.
Lola tried to resist, but she was too young and her resistance was too weak, so she was also taken on the longship as a submissive.
In her eyes, the ships brought disaster to her hometown, and she herself was stranded in a foreign land because of the longship.
If it weren't for Henry's special care, Lola would either be a slave or already dead.
Her feelings for Henry were also complex.
Henry was a sinner in her hometown, and Lola's misfortune was, to some extent, due to him.
But she herself did indeed find shelter under the clouds, thanks to Henry.
In her most desperate moment, it was through Henry that Lola felt a glimmer of warmth.
She hated him so much that she wanted to devour him alive.
But I am also grateful to him and want to say thank you.
So another reason why Lola didn't want to take the boat was that she didn't want to see Henry again.
If they met again, she truly didn't know how to face him.
Say thank you, then kill him?
These are the reasons why Lola didn't want to take the boat.
The rain seemed to intensify the moment Lola stepped out the door.
The rain pattered against her raincoat, making Lola feel a little annoyed.
Water droplets would occasionally drip down her raincoat and onto her bare ankles, making her feel chilly all over.
Despite her physical and mental discomfort, Lola arrived at the port.
From afar, Lola saw the dock supervisor negotiating with the captains of the three newly arrived ships under a makeshift shed.
Lola stepped forward and asked in the Kingdom Language:
"Are you willing to cross the Weeping Strait?"
Upon hearing this, the three captains all looked at Lola, exchanged glances, and then laughed in unison.
It seems they find the question too ridiculous.
The supervisor looked at Laura and said, "..."
"Young lady, it's you again? Didn't I say that no ship would be willing to cross the strait anytime soon? Why are you so persistent? What's your purpose?"
Laura answered truthfully, "I'm going to study."
"Study? You mean, be recommended to go to the frozen continent to study witchcraft?"
Based on their experience, the regulators deduced more from Laura's brief response and offered advice.
"There is indeed no better place to study witchcraft than the Frozen Continent. Since you have been recommended, it means you are indeed a talented person. But young lady, since you are here to study, why not choose to take a detour? Although it will take some time and the fare may be more expensive, it will undoubtedly ensure that you reach the Frozen Continent."
I don't want to go by boat, Laura thought, and I'm not going to compromise on that.
But she didn't say a word in the end, she just shook her head.
"Sigh, young lady, you're really quiet," the supervisor shook his head helplessly. "You've been waiting here for half a month, haven't you? You should understand that I'm not lying to you. If you don't believe me, you can ask these captains next to me right now."
"Is it true?" Lola glanced at the three captains. "Why are you unwilling to cross the sea?"
Faced with Lola's gaze, the three looked bewildered and whispered among themselves:
"Was her expression a request for our advice?"
"That seems to be the idea."
"This girl doesn't seem to like talking much—"
After the discussion reached a conclusion, the captain in the overcoat cleared his throat and said to Lola:
"Young lady, listen carefully. We have no obligation to guide you. All intelligence comes at a price."
Upon hearing this, Lola immediately took out three small silver coins and handed them to the three captains.
After the three men received the money, they laughed a few times, but Lola couldn't understand the meaning behind their laughter.
"Little girl, you're quite amusing. A small silver coin? Oh well, never mind—"
Another bald captain said:
"Alright, stop teasing her, just tell her the truth."
The last captain, who had a pocket watch hanging around his neck, nodded and began to explain to Lola:
"Young lady, we also want to cross the Weeping Gorge directly, as that would save a lot of money on sailing expenses. But the current situation is that we dare not do so—"
The bald captain chimed in:
"Yes, a few months ago, a ghost ship suddenly appeared in the Weeping Gorge. Whenever night falls, the ghost ship attacks ships piloted by living people, and many longships have been lost. Therefore, ships try to avoid sailing at night."
Captain Coat also stated:
"A month ago, this sea area also became unsafe during the day. Later, I learned from intelligence that it seemed to be the work of witches from the permafrost continent."
They attacked a place called the Diving Hut, where remnants of their gang, seeking revenge, used ominous forces to disrupt the peace of the sea.
"In short, young lady, you should give up on that idea now."
Finally, the bald captain delivered his closing statement.
Lola finally understood the reason, but she did not give up.
After all, going to school a day later means going a day later.
She never expected that she would necessarily learn exceptional witchcraft.
However, her desire not to stay on the ship for too long was a clear and strong one in her heart.
Lola finally spoke: "How long?"
"how long?"
The captains looked at Lola with suspicion, and Captain Coat spoke on their behalf.
"How long do you mean it will be before ships are willing to cross the Weeping Strait?"
Lola nodded.
"Ha, who knows? Not many people would dare to sail directly until at least one of the two incidents is resolved. Unless the captain of that ship is facing bankruptcy and can't pay his crew, he would choose to take the risk to avoid being thrown into the sea by his own crew."
Lola frowned.
He thought to himself that he was indeed incompatible with the sea, and this happened precisely when he was about to cross the sea.
However, Lola also understood that these people in front of her could not help her.
So he bowed to them to express his gratitude, and then turned to leave.
Just then, Lola suddenly saw a large group of people being driven off three ships.
Those people had similar skin color to Lola and were just as thin.
More importantly, all of them had green eyes.
Laura paused for a moment, then turned back to the captains and asked:
"Is that your ship?"
The three captains all nodded.
"Where are those people?"
"You mean those evil children? Ha, those are our commodities."
Lola unconsciously raised her voice slightly: "But they are human beings!"
"people?"
The bald captain asked in a questioning tone, then chuckled.
"You can think that way if you want, but that doesn't change the fact that they are our commodities. After all, we are slave traders, and selling slaves is the most normal thing for us."
Lola closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Sure enough, in this world, apart from Anne and Aaron, there isn't a single good person.
When Lola opened her eyes again, her gaze was filled with nothing but coldness.
She asked, "Have you been doing this for a long time?"
Before the discovery of the New World, slave traders had no way to survive.
The pocket watch captain said,
"Although I hate pirates to the core, I must thank the navigator for this. He brought a way to make money for people like us who were destined to live mediocre lives. It was after that that I got into this line of work, about ten years ago now."
The other two captains nodded in agreement, indicating that they had roughly the same length of service.
Laura then asked, "You're cooperating?"
"We did arrive in Hong Kong at the same time, but it's more accurate to say we were working for the same boss than to say we were collaborating."
Working? Lola's eyes were filled with confusion.
The supervisor seemed to sense Laura's confusion and provided the answer:
"They all worked for the slave king Varen and were at his beck and call."
"Yeah, who told that Warren to be so capable, managing to get on the good side of the gossipy Benson?" Captain Coat shook his head.
The bald captain immediately retorted:
"But you can't deny that following others also has many advantages, such as lower risk, the ability to leverage other people's resources, and the timely acquisition of intelligence to help us avoid getting into danger."
"That's right, just like this time."
The captain, with a deep understanding, nodded repeatedly.
"If we hadn't received Warren's reminder and coordination, we would still have rushed headlong to the southeastern shore of the Weeping Fjord, which is the hardest-hit area of the ghost ship and diving hut incidents, and we probably would have lost our lives."
The supervisor asked, "You mean, you came to this port because of Valen?"
The bald captain nodded: "It's not just us. All the ships under Valencia's command always operate in groups of three. You've probably seen quite a few fleets of three ships entering the harbor recently, haven't you?"
The regulator nodded, a sly smile spreading across his face.
"Yes, that's why the port has been making a lot of money in berthing fees lately, and the lord has also collected a lot of pound tax and customs duties, so he gave me a fairly large bonus!"
Captain Coat smiled and said, "You should thank him. He only told the crew not to go to the frozen continent recently, but he didn't specify that they should come here. The main reason the slave ship is here is because he has been resting in this area recently, and many captains passing by will stop to say hello to him."
The regulator looked surprised and said with an incredulous expression:
"You mean, the slave king Valen is right here near this port?!"
"That's right. I heard he originally planned to go to the Frozen Continent, but because of those two incidents, he's waiting on the other side of the gorge—."
As he spoke, the pocket watch captain suddenly looked at Lola and said, "So, young lady, we slave traders hope that the Weeping Gorge will be at peace sooner than you do."
Lola frowned: "Why?"
The pocket watch captain explained:
"Although the Frozen Continent is not large, its demand for green-eyed people is the greatest. How so—"
"...—Hehe," the captain in the coat chimed in, "Let me put it this way, other places need green-eyed people because they need labor. But the green-eyed people of the frozen continent are more like expendable resources!"
Upon hearing the word "consumables," a surge of adrenaline seemed to rush to Laura's head.
In an instant, she felt dizzy and even breathless.
Her parents who gave her life and raised her, her brothers and sisters who grew up with her, and her fellow tribespeople who gave her love and care.
They were captured and enslaved, and now they're being used as expendable resources?
Lola clenched her jaw and her hands into fists.
Her nails dug deep into her palms, but the pain was far from enough to mask the anger in her heart.
"These inhuman bastards," Lola cursed with hatred. "What do they take us for?!"
The bald captain was the first to notice that something was wrong with Lola, and he spoke up to comfort her:
"Little girl, don't think too much. Those green-eyed people aren't human. It's said that the recent disasters around the world were caused by them. Maybe it would be a good thing for the world if we could get rid of them."
"That's right, at least for us slave traders, it's definitely beneficial."
The captain in the overcoat took over the conversation, beaming with delight, and said...
"As long as they are treated as consumables, the demand for green-eyed people on the frozen continent will never be saturated, and there will always be a market for the slaves we capture."
The captain of the pocket watch nodded: "But we also have to thank the slave king Valen. It was Valen who opened up the slave market on the frozen continent."
Lola listened to these things silently, trying her best to remain calm.
She paused for a moment before asking:
"So, you plan to sell all the slaves here?"
The three captains exchanged glances, and finally the captain in the overcoat said:
"We try to ship wherever we go, but here—as I just said—most of the slave traders are there to visit and curry favor with Valen."
Laura didn't say much. To avoid arousing suspicion, she bowed to them again and then immediately turned and left.
Before today, before hearing these words, Lola's actions had no clear purpose.
Or rather, it's because they didn't know what to do that they decided to find something to do.
However, right now, Lola has a very clear goal in her mind—
She planned to kill the slave king, Valen.
There are too many slave traders in this world. Even though she lived near the library, she had seen her fellow countrymen being enslaved.
It's unrealistic to expect her to kill all those who enslave her fellow countrymen or the slave traders; at least, she, as a woman, certainly couldn't do it alone.
However, she now knows of the existence of the slave king Valen.
This man carries the blood debt of countless Lola's compatriots, causing countless others to fall into an even darker abyss.
This is the only man Lola absolutely refuses to forgive.
Looking at her compatriots being driven off the sailboat, Lola could only turn her head away and close her eyes.
However, when she left the port, she did not go straight back to the hotel, but instead found a secluded corner and stared at the entrance and exit of the dock.
Not long after, the three captains indeed entered the town.
Yes, Laura thought, they were going to visit Warren.
Lola followed the group from a distance, trying to find Valen's residence.
After turning several street corners, Lola followed them to a house.
It was a small brick house with two floors.
The three captains went inside.
After waiting for a while, they finally came out of the house.
Laura therefore deduced that the slave king Varen lived in this house.
She came to the foot of the house, looked up, and the rain from the eaves streamed onto her face.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening rumble of thunder that reached Lola's ears.
The rain intensified, making the town even more gloomy, just like Lola's mood.
The streets were already filled with puddles, but luckily Lola was wearing sandals, so she didn't have to worry about getting her shoes wet.
Lola walked around the house and found the doors and windows tightly shut, offering no opportunity to escape.
Of course, by using "Misty Realm", she has many ways to pass through walls and enter the room.
However, the most convenient method is too difficult, and Lola has not yet fully mastered it.
The remaining options, however, could not guarantee that they wouldn't cause a disturbance or be discovered by the people inside the house beforehand.
After all, no one can guarantee that Warren is the only person in this house.
She was confident she could kill anyone who stood in her way without feeling any guilt.
On this continent, everyone except Anne and Aaron is an enemy.
But she had no power to guarantee that Valen wouldn't escape.
Moreover, if there are too many enemies, she herself may not be safe.
Perhaps it would be safer and more secure for Lola to take a long-term approach, thoroughly investigate the situation inside the house, and develop a plan.
But she simply couldn't bear to let Warren live any longer.
No! A fanatical flame seemed to ignite in Lola's eyes; not even for a second!
Suddenly, the dimly lit town was illuminated for a moment.
Another bolt of lightning struck from the sky.
The rain intensified, and Lola looked up, letting the rain soak her face.
The dew was icy cold, sliding down her neck, into her armpits and chest.
It was this creeping chill that brought her back to her senses and made her calm and collected.
She squinted, an idea forming in her mind.
Lola walked into the alley and, after making sure no one was around, placed her hand on the outer wall of the house.
She began constructing a magic circle and setting up the interface for the "Misty Realm".
At the same time, look up at the sky and observe the changes in the clouds.
"!"
Suddenly, a yellow light filled the gaps in the alley.
Lightning flashed again, wreaking havoc in the clouds.
But at this moment, Lola has fallen in love with Lightning's untamed spirit.
A slight smile played on her lips as she activated the magic circle the instant the lightning appeared.
Lola saw some purple, diamond-shaped crystals floating by on the top of the house.
Yes, no problem, the connection point is as Lola expected.
Lola continued to hide in the alley, keeping an eye on the movements inside and outside the houses.
After a while, Lola noticed several people rushing out of the house.
Laura knew that her plan had succeeded.
She walked out of the alley, went to the door of the house, and knocked.
After a while, someone opened the door.
He was a burly man with a fierce appearance.
With his broken teeth, he asked Lola:
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"I heard your roof was struck by lightning?"
"Hmm?" The man frowned and looked at Lola. "Why did you call a young girl over?"
"I'm here to check things out," Laura said, "to determine what tools I need to bring."
The man immediately believed Lola and let her in.
Upon entering the house, Lola saw a group of men sitting at the dining table in front of the fireplace, drinking beer and chatting loudly.
The question now is, which one is Valencia?
As soon as Lola took off her raincoat, the man behind her shoved her.
"Above, the roof was hit by the lightning."
Lola nodded and followed the man upstairs.
Going up the stairs, there is a corridor with several wooden doors on both sides.
Laura understood that this was a rest area.
If Warren really lived in this house, he would definitely have an entire room to himself.
"This way," the man said, pushing Lola toward a room.
He opened the door to the innermost room and pointed to the ceiling.
At that moment, a strangely shaped large hole appeared in the roof.
Laura observed the room; there were only a few hammocks, so it clearly couldn't be Valen's room.
The man asked, "Can it be fixed?"
Lola nodded.
"Then hurry up and call your father to fix this roof. I don't want this house to be flooded."
"What about the other rooms?" Laura asked.
"The other rooms are fine."
"But it might be affected, cracks might appear, and it could leak at any time. I want to find out the cause."
The man squinted and stared at Lola for a few seconds, but ultimately gave in.
It's probably unimaginable that Lola might have other motives.
After all, Lola was petite; although she was over fourteen, she looked like a little girl.
The man then led Lola to see all the rooms, but there was one room he refused to open.
Laura immediately guessed that this was Valen's room.
"This room,"
Laura pointed to the door lock and said briefly.
"Not here," the man shook his head.
Laura insisted, "But what if it leaks?"
The man hesitated for a moment, but finally knocked on the door.
If he didn't want to, Lola already knew about Valen's room, and all she had to do was take advantage of the lightning strike to make a big hole in the roof of that room as well.
"Come in."
A call came from inside the room.
"Boss,"
The man entered the house and called out.
"What is it?"
"There's a little girl who needs to check if the roof is leaking."
"It's alright here."
"But she said there might be hidden dangers."
Just then, Lola heard the thumping sound of raindrops hitting the wooden floor inside the house through the large hole in the roof.
After a moment of silence, an order was finally given from inside the room.
"Let her in."
Laura walked in and immediately saw a man lying on a chair.
The man was wearing a loose black leather jacket and had short hair on top.
The middle finger of his right hand was adorned with a large, square thumb ring, but what was most striking was the man's face.
The man's left eye is covered by an eye patch.
Laura immediately realized that this person was Warren.
"What are you looking at me for? Check the roof!" Warren said in a gruff voice.
Upon hearing this, Lola immediately looked up and symbolically inspected the roof.
But in his mind, he was thinking about the opportunity to be alone with Valen.
After a moment, Lola came up with an idea:
"There is a risk."
"Um?"
The man who led Lola upstairs hurriedly pressed for answers.
"What risks?"
"Damaged," Laura said succinctly.
"Are you sure, girl?" Valen said. "Don't talk nonsense."
"Needs to be checked."
Valen stared at Laura for a few seconds, then said:
"How long will it take?"
"The hidden danger is subtle and will take a long time to repair," Laura said, "but the large hole in the other room needs to be fixed immediately."
Warren asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Lola said, "Your people should send someone to fix it; I'll stay here and check."
A moment of silence fell over the room, and Valen seemed to be lost in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, Valen gave the order:
Search her body.
Upon hearing this, the man immediately began to touch Lola from head to toe.
In the end, they found only a bag of silver coins and a book.
Valen picked up Laura's book and flipped through it:
"The Knot of the Misty Realm—"
But he didn't seem to understand anything, so he put the book back on the table.
Valen then instructed the man, "Go and find someone to fix it."
The man nodded and immediately asked for Lola's address.
Lola has been in this town for more than half a month and has a basic understanding of its layout.
She deliberately gave a remote location to buy herself as much time as possible.
The man began to move and closed the door.
"Well then," Warren said, "girl, hurry up and check."
Laura pretended to inspect the roof, but in reality, she was looking for an opportunity to assassinate Valen.
She went around to Valen's back, but Valen didn't turn around.
At this point, Laura understood Valen's motive for demanding a body search.
In this room, the only weapon that could be used as a murder weapon was the sword at Valen's waist.
Lola was just a thin girl, and without weapons, she could not pose a threat to Valen.
However, Valen had no idea what kind of power Lola possessed.
Laura will make Valen pay the price for his carelessness and underestimation of his opponent.
Suddenly, Lola heard footsteps.
Someone walked toward the room whose roof Lola had damaged.
The locals have already found the real roof repairman.
Laura understood that Valen could become suspicious at any moment.
Once he becomes suspicious, Lola's chances of survival are slim.
Therefore, Lola must act quickly.
She wasn't sure if now was the best time, but at least Valen was facing away from her.
Luo stretched out his hand, palm facing Valen.
Then, they mobilized their forces to construct a magic array.
The magic circle emitted a dazzling light, illuminating the entire room.
Valen asked, "Where is the light?"
Laura had a sudden inspiration: "Lightning, sir."
After a moment, Valen realized what was happening:
Why did the lightning last so long?
Valen turned around abruptly, but Lola had already set up the magic circle.
"What you want to do—"
Valen seemed about to shout, but Lola had already completed the magic circle.
She activated her ability, and the rosy realm immediately appeared in front of the magic array.
The real space occupied by the rosy clouds was instantly dissolved, turning into purple rhomboid crystal chips that drifted down in all directions.
Even the physical body of a living being cannot resist being divided into spaces.
Valen's mouth, abdomen, right shoulder, and left leg were all hollowed out.
He was unable to speak or stand, and then fell backward.
In that instant, Lola felt as if flowers were blooming in her heart.
A joyful feeling flowed through her veins and permeated her entire being.
However, Valen was not completely dead.
Lola dispelled the magic array, and the rosy realm instantly crumbled.
Seeing Valen struggling in pain, Lola decided not to give him a quick death.
Slave King?
Ah!
So today, Lola will make him taste the pain that he has made Lola's people suffer.
Warren wept silently, his body convulsing and spasming.
Blood also flowed out from the melted gap.
Laura could sense the confusion in Valen's eyes, and she laughed because of it.
Then, Lola took off her glasses.
She revealed her green eyes to the world.