The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 183: Glowing Lichen

’Great.’

Celeste sighed.

The group of warriors surrounding her remained frozen, unable to believe their eyes. Eventually, their shackles of disbelief wore off. However, as a result, their spirits fell, plunged in despair.

In the relative silence, Celeste’s ears registered a few muffled sobs.

A sense of guilt rose within her, but there was nothing she could do to help them, especially now that she had also been imprisoned.

The male warriors closest to Celeste were kind enough to give the Chosen of the Divine Sovereign her own little space.

She lowered herself gracefully to the floor and instinctively crossed her legs. In the next moment, her mind was already on the precipice of entering a meditative state, no longer focused on her surroundings.

Celeste’s thoughts flowed, yet they did not drift along a chaotic current.

Instead, they were smooth and orderly, ebbing gently akin to a peaceful stream.

Celeste basked in the quiet. She dissected her earlier interaction with Gestella and Clara.

They seemed to belong to a Shadow Organisation - a force that kept to the shadows and lived outside the Barrier. So long as an organisation or group steered clear of the Sanctuary of Everlast, it was very difficult for High Command to be aware of their existence.

That said, the organisation that Gestella and Clara belonged to did not seem that strong. At least, in terms of numbers. During their brief interaction, the former had also revealed that one of their members had recently died.

Not only that, but based on how strict they were about anyone leaving, Celeste could surmise that they were on the run.

The question was from who...?

And would their attempts at hiding endanger the Sanctuary?

Celeste discarded the last thought almost as soon as it formed.

There was no use in pondering over that when they clearly intended to remain hidden; it was only through Gestella’s foolish mistake that the high-ranking Paladins and the Keeper had learned something was wrong.

A tap on her shoulder suddenly broke Celeste out of her meditative state.

She blinked, shifting her gaze towards an older gentleman who smiled good-naturedly at her.

"It’s meal time."

The Chosen of the Divine Sovereign nodded, turning her attention towards the entrance of the cell, where Clara - the taller of the two cloaked figures - distributed wooden trays of luminescent... lichen.

Noticing the skeptical light in her eyes, the older gentleman chuckled.

"Don’t worry, it’s edible. They’ve been feeding us this stuff ever since our rations have run out. It’s actually pretty good."

Hesitantly, Celeste accepted her own wooden tray, placing it atop her lap.

Then, after a brief but intense internal struggle, she tentatively reached out and scooped some of the lichen into her hand. Not giving herself a moment to think, Celeste closed her eyes and swallowed the glowing lichen.

Immediately after, she froze.

’Huh...?’

The young healer sensed a stream of vitality suddenly travel into her system. The taste wasn’t too bad, either. It reminded her of a few of the herb-infused dishes served within the Territory of Earth.

Opening her eyes, Celeste glanced towards the older gentleman. A flicker of disbelief glimmered in her jewel-like eyes.

"You’ve been ingesting this... this whole time?"

"Yes. I used to have this really terrible ache in my shoulders, but all of a sudden, it disappeared! Can you believe it?"

The older gentleman laughed.

"It’s not just me! All of us have experienced some form of healing, one way or the other. Lucy over there is no longer haunted by the grievous wound in her stomach. Tom can walk freely without a limp, and Lilith said her scar even seems less angry."

Celeste nodded.

Absently, she realised that this Shadow Organisation did not seem like much of an enemy anymore. Why would they waste precious resources on keeping individuals who would not benefit them alive? It just didn’t make sense... unless Gestella, Clara, and the rest of the mysterious order were more benign in nature.

But then, why would they not let them leave?

A subtle frown creased Celeste’s brows.

On the one hand, the healer within her couldn’t help but marvel at the amazing effects of the lichen. Doubtless, it had grown beside an immense well of life energy. On the other, more prudent hand, though, she couldn’t hide her suspicion.

Where did they find such valuable lichen?

And where did they find such a natural and abundant supply of life energy, as well?

...Was this the reason why the [Augur of Judgment] had instructed her to take on the mission?

Celeste chewed on her bottom lip.

Eventually, she returned to meditating, finding clarity and solace in the relative peace.

Here, she did not need to worry about what was happening in the outside world.

Here, she could be alone with her thoughts.

Often, people told her that too much of that was dangerous.

...A thorny path of no return.

But, Celeste was not wallowing in self-pity or despair. That was a luxury precious few could afford in this Age. Instead, within the meditative state, she turned her attention towards her radiant core, its sparkling luminescence akin to a pristine jewel.

A drop of pure-white mana escaped it, travelling down a mana vein.

In the next moment, the Chosen of the Divine Sovereign entered her inner world.

Inside, a vibrant, fertile land stretched beneath a clear, azure sky.

The grass swayed; the leaves rustled; and a gentle, but invisible wind ruffled Celeste’s hair. In the very middle, a large hill loomed.

Atop it, a gargantuan, imposing tree perched, as if guarding something sacred.

The tree’s branches were wide and easily the length of several humans. Celeste cast her gaze to its uppermost branches, where nestled beneath its refreshing shade, a magnificent temple adorned with white jade rested.

With just a thought, the young lady materialised inside the heart of the temple.

Polished white marble gleamed underfoot, guiding her towards a mysterious altar where the inscription of a brilliant star caught her attention. Celeste had seen this sight before, but still couldn’t help but be awed every single time.

In the back of her mind, she questioned why she came to possess such a stunning inner world. Not that Celeste disliked it; she just simply wished to find out why the inside of her core resembled a beautiful sanctuary, perhaps uncover the process with which inner worlds were created, and also learn why every mage had access to their own internal expanse.

’I should stop getting ahead of myself.’

She shook her head with a faint smile, cutting her musing short.

Eventually, mirroring her physical self, Celeste crossed her legs and lowered herself to the pristine, marble floor. She continued to meditate, alternating between refining her core and pondering over several potion recipes, herbs, as well as the nature of life energy itself.

Some time later, the young healer snapped back to reality.

Just as Celeste opened her eyes, a vast, senescent presence suddenly engulfed the underground chamber.