Seed of Titan-Chapter 141: The Stone Abode in the Forest

Drai rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He also pinched his cheeks, checking if he was dreaming or hallucinating, but he felt a stinging pain, so he knew what he was seeing was real.

A stone building, similar to the one that had led his venture party to the underground jungle, stood in front of him.

However, Drai noticed that there were several differences between this building and the one his party had investigated. First, the stone building in front of him was significantly larger, around three times wider and two times taller than the one near Mount Zelen. Second, this one had gaping slits throughout its walls, perhaps serving as ventilation or unusual windows. Third, there was a wooden door at its entrance, unlike the other one where visitors could easily peer through the unobstructed front arch. Lastly, the building before him was obviously inhabited—light seeped out from the wall slits and front door, and it emanated a faint warmth.

Once again, Drai hesitated. The person inside must be on a whole other level if she could play house in Siyeun Mountains. Furthermore, there’s no guarantee that she’s even by herself—Drai clearly remembered that there was an entire small town in the underground jungle, making it likely that the same mysterious group had many of their members stationed here too.

Regardless, Drai had no choice but to proceed, as Max’s life could very well be on the line here. So he took a few steps forward and knocked on the door warily.

Come in, child.

Drai slowly opened the door, which creaked a bit. The brightness blinded him, but his eyes adjusted in no time.

What greeted his sight was something he would’ve never dreamed of witnessing in this wilderness.

The large space was adorned with colorful carpets, and cute, fluffy critters which Drai had never seen before were scattered around, some were sitting or sleeping, while others were playing among themselves or with toys.

Along the walls were various racks and tables that had all sorts of items on them, among which were plants, trinkets, mechanical devices, sculptures, colorful bottles and vials, and stacks of papers. There was also a large metal cage that housed a few birds and a spiral rack holding small aquariums, each housing a school of tiny fish.

The room’s light source was a chandelier hanging in the center, along with multiple candelabras spread throughout the room. Drai didn’t know if it was because of these candles, but the room had a subtle sweet scent to it that reminded him of bakeries.

As Drai gazed ahead, he could see a kitchen area at the far right corner, along with a sleeping area at the far left corner. There was also a fireplace right in the center of the furthest wall, flanked by two bookshelves. In front of it was a coffee table and a few comfy-looking chairs.

An old woman was sitting there, smiling at Drai amicably.

"P-pardon my intrusion..." Drai said rather meekly.

The woman chuckled and waved her hand, signaling him to come over.

Drai nodded and slowly made his way to the seating area, carefully avoiding the critters. Some of these fluffy creatures looked at him curiously, a few even touched his feet, while the others ignored him and kept playing by themselves.

Avoiding the woman’s scrutinizing gaze, Drai shifted his eyes toward the paintings on the walls. Most were abstract, but a few depicted scenery that Drai assumed referenced various locations in Siyeun Mountains.

But as his eyes shifted toward the fire place, he was slightly taken aback. On the wall above it was an inscription that was very familiar to him.

It was a large cube, with each of its three visible sides displaying a different image: a traditional scale, a demon-like figure, and a group of humans. And just like the one in the abandoned stone building, it was surrounded by five smaller inscriptions, which—according to Jian—symbolized the five natural elements.

"You look rather enamored."

The abrupt comment made Drai flinch, his gaze hurriedly shifted away from the inscription, darting around the room aimlessly.

For whatever reason, the woman seemed easily amused, chuckling again.

"Please, have a seat." The woman gestured at the chair opposite to hers.

Drai nodded hesitatingly and sat down in front of her. He glanced at the smiling old woman. She looked pretty old—her hair had completely turned white and her face was covered in wrinkles. She was wearing a modest beige dress which perfectly matched her seemingly gentle demeanor.

With a wave of her hand, a teapot and a pair of teacups flew over, gently landing on the table between them.

Drai watched quietly as the woman poured a translucent light blue liquid into both cups.

"Please," the woman said as she put a cup close to Drai before lifting her own cup.

’I don’t know if I can trust her, since she’s messing with Max. But I don’t think she needs to take a roundabout way to kill me with poison if she really wants me dead. I also have my heal just in case,’ Drai deliberated before eventually grabbing his cup and taking a sip.

Surprisingly, the drink was cool and refreshing, instantly washing away his fatigue from the constant sprinting. Without further thought, Drai gulped down the entire cup.

Seeing this, the woman let out a pleased smile. She quickly refilled the empty cup that Drai had just put down.

While Drai was gulping down his newly refilled cup, the woman said, "I’m glad there’s finally someone else who appreciates this glacial spring water."

Drai raised his brows as he inspected the drink. "This is spring water? It sure doesn’t taste like it."

"The things found around here generally do not conform to those outside. Depending on how you see them, you can either thank or blame the evolutionary particles for causing such differences."

Drai looked puzzled. "Evolutionary particles?"

The woman smiled, refusing to elaborate. Instead, she said, "Welcome to my humble abode, child. My name is Madeleine."

Drai put his cup down—which of course was empty—and gave a stern look at his host.

"I’m Drai. Sorry to be rude, but before we continue with this talk, tell me what you did to Max."