Rhodes Island does not exist.

But he saw something even greater.

Directly below that existence, in the deeper depths buried by the sea, he saw countless towering towers.

The architectural style of those towers was unlike any he had seen during his travels in Terra, and he could not find any comparable building even in Letania, a country famous for its towers.

In a daze, he seemed to see countless human figures circling, flying, swimming in and out among those towers.

Moreover, he seemed to have seen those people before.

Cardinal Iberia, Bishop Twilight, the priests he had dined with at the cathedral that night, the gray-haired woman, the Iberian priest who took him away, and he even recognized a few people who had appeared in his hallucinations.

They are all Agorians.

So, is this Agor?

The increasing water pressure crushed the doctor's skull, gradually draining his mind and causing his consciousness to fade away.

The invisible figure remained in the same spot, but no longer whispered anything to the Doctor.

Mental confusion.

Just before the blur was about to engulf all of the doctor's thoughts, he seemed to hear a voice from that strange being.

That wasn't a whisper.

It is a genuine Iberian phrase.

We will meet again someday.

-

I updated an extra chapter today, don't ask why.

Chapter 135, Chapter 134: Deep Sea Tales - Chapter 68: The Return of the Eternal Night

The silver candlelight casts a cold light on the painted screen in the autumn air; a light silk fan flutters, chasing away fireflies.

Yanyan followed the waves for thousands of miles, where is the spring river without moonlight.

The night sky was cool as water, and upon waking, I was unaware of the moon's beauty.

A crystal curtain stirs as a gentle breeze rises; I lie watching the stars Altair and Vega.

-

"Ding ding, ding ding."

The sound of bells echoed all around.

The scent of decaying wood mixed with the slightly acidic aroma of alcohol settled and stagnated in the narrow space, relentlessly trying to penetrate the doctor's nostrils.

It was a sunny day.

The sun is high in the sky, and the flowers and plants are sprouting.

The sleeping guest lay slumped over the bar counter, his eyelids heavy as lead.

"Hmph hmph hmph hmph, hmph hmph, hmph hmph~"

An unknown country tune drifted softly from the bartender's lips. In his hand was a rag washed until it was almost white, and inside the rag was a rough glass.

Glassware is not commonly used in this tavern because it is expensive and more suitable for decoration than for drinking. Even so, the bartender still has to wipe down the glassware prepared for the VIPs every day.

"hiss……"

Clutching his slightly throbbing head, the doctor braced his elbows against the bar and managed to lift his face.

"Oh, did I disturb you? I'm so sorry." Seeing the doctor's tired face, the bartender immediately and respectfully put the glass back on the shelf and then asked the doctor in a shushing tone.

"What's all the noise about?" The doctor shook his head, trying to clear his head. "Is there any water?"

"Yes, yes, wait for me to pour it for you." The bartender snatched the water glass from the table, then quickly lifted the curtain and slipped into the kitchen.

The sound of water dripping down was heard.

The doctor's mind was in complete chaos.

He opened his eyes and began to observe everything before him with blurry vision.

"This is……"

After searching his memory for evidence of what had happened, the doctor finally remembered this place.

“The tavern in Asturias… But why?” He clutched his forehead, his mind racing. “I was clearly…”

"Is it...?"

No.

My mind is completely blank right now; I can't remember anything.

The doctor felt like a student who had just finished a full triathlon and then done two sets of advanced spell theory exams in Letania; he was completely drained, both mentally and physically.

"Your order of cooled boiled water is here—"

The bartender returned to the bar with a full ironwood glass and slid it in front of the doctor with an extremely skillful motion.

"Please."

The water surface was turbulent, yet not a drop leaked out.

For someone in this line of work, a bartender is probably already a seasoned pro.

"Thank you."

The doctor picked up the cup and drank the cold water in one gulp.

The cool taste and clear liquid rushed into the doctor's nerves, instantly restoring his body to a considerable degree.

"You look much better after drinking this water." The bartender chuckled. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare? You suddenly collapsed and fell asleep on the bar, and I didn't dare wake you... although there was no need to wake you up, since nobody comes here anyway, haha."

"Had a nightmare...?" Hearing the bartender's words, the Doctor was unsure how to react. "Well, maybe?"

"It's alright, drink more water, we have plenty." The bartender took the doctor's empty glass, turned halfway to pour water, and said, "Besides, drinking more water is good for you, you know, water is the source of life, right?"

Water is the source of life.

For some reason, these words stung the doctor.

He felt those suppressed memories from the chaos constantly surging back, trying to break free from the cage his brain had set up.

"hiss……"

Intense pain surged up the brain along the central nervous system.

Fortunately, the bartender was pouring water in the back room and didn't see the doctor's embarrassing behavior, giving him enough time to adjust his emotions and expression.

Iberia.

Agor.

Countless keywords popped into his mind, reminding him of the story of his journey.

"Ding ding, ding ding."

The doorbell continued to ring, the familiar sound pounding against his skull, forcing him to vomit up all the memories he had temporarily forgotten in his brain.

Then, amidst an unbearable feeling of nausea, past events surged back intensely in an instant.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

dizzy.

Too many memories were suddenly recalled, like a cork being violently shoved into the mouth of a wine bottle, stretching his brain circuits painfully.

The keywords are linked together.

He recalled everything that had happened to him in the past two days.

Iberia, churches, sacrifices, cardinals, Agor's conspiracy, Skadi's duties, and... Levini.

"But wait, wait."

He braced himself on the table with one hand, his thoughts becoming increasingly chaotic.

I was still sinking deeper into the deep sea, so why did I end up back in the tavern in Asturias?

And what time is it now? What happened in Iberia afterwards?

An overwhelming number of questions began to churn within him, preventing him from finding peace.

"Here comes the cooled boiled water—"

But the bartender arrived just in time and brought the doctor a glass of cold water.

"Please have some cooled boiled water... Oh dear, what's wrong with your expression now?" The bartender noticed that the doctor's expression had changed somewhat from his previous pained look and asked with some concern, "I'm just pouring you some water, you can't have had another nightmare, can you?"

"No, I'm fine, but I might have a few questions for you." The doctor took the cold water the bartender handed him and drank most of it in one gulp, then asked in a slightly hurried tone.

“You’re my benefactor, and I’m happy to answer any questions you may have,” the bartender said respectfully to the doctor. “So, what is the question?”

"Did I fall asleep here before?" the doctor asked bluntly.

"Yes," the bartender nodded, "and your complexion was terrible when you first opened your eyes. I was worried you might have had a nightmare."

"How long did I sleep, and when did I start sleeping?" The doctor was eager to know the answer, so he spoke a little faster than usual. "If possible, I would like to know a more accurate answer."

"Ding-ding, ding-ding—"

But just as the doctor finished speaking, the increasingly loud ringing of the doorbell came through again.

He was very familiar with this voice.

In his memory, he had heard this unique bell, which was full of religious connotations, countless times.

However, the bartender, who was used to such things, didn't seem to care much about the ringing and simply answered the question the doctor had just asked.

"It's only been an hour, right? Anyway, not long. Ah—speaking of which, I have a question for you."

The bartender suddenly said.

"Including sleep time, you've been here for five hours already. So who are you waiting for? It's really not proper for you to sit here alone for five hours."

-

Today is my birthday, whether you believe it or not.

So today I'm going to be doing an extra update, and as usual, I'll announce it during the last update tonight. Thank you everyone.

Chapter 136, Chapter 135: Deep Sea Tales, Part 69 (lepccadlly)

What are you going to abandon, and what are you going to pursue? If you change the meaning of your life and achieve it in the last moment before you die, does that mean that even if it's only for a few seconds, you've still lived a wonderful life?

-

The bartender's question left the PhD student speechless.

What does it mean?

Have I been here for five hours already?

No, no, no, that's not the point. The point is, wasn't that what the bartender said to him when he first arrived in Asturias?

So what exactly is going on now, and what has happened?

Is it my memory that's wrong, or is it the world that's wrong?

"……male."

"Benefactor?"

The bartender's voice pulled the doctor out of his dizziness and brought him back to reality.

"Oh, sorry... what were you asking again?" the Doctor asked, looking at the bartender. "Waiting for someone?"

"Yes, you've been sitting here for at least five hours. Did that person stand you up? Or did something happen on the way?" The bartender looked worried. "If it's the former, it might be easier to say, but if it's the latter, you should contact them."

"You might be right," the doctor forced a smile. "I really should take the initiative to check on them."

"And... although it's not my place to ask this, if that person doesn't come, are you planning to stay in town today?" the bartender asked with concern.

coming.

The doctor realized the meaning behind the question.

Although he had never heard the bartender say that, he had said something similar in meaning.

So it really is back to the very beginning... which is yesterday?