Moving past the previous topic, Castorice and Nimue set off once again from the residential area.
After a continuous introduction along the way, Nimue led Castorice through layers of overlapping tree shadows until, finally, an open view revealed itself without reservation.
It was a massive lake, its shape resembling a silver crescent moon fallen into the mortal realm, lying quietly in the embrace of the forest. The lake's surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the clear glow of the dual moons in the sky.
The pure moonlight seemed to be absorbed and condensed by the lake water, causing the entire surface to radiate a soft, holy silver aura from the inside out, dyeing the surrounding trees and air with a hazy, dreamlike color.
Surrounding this beautiful body of water, many exquisite and unique wooden houses were built along the shore. These dwellings cleverly blended the simplicity of wood with the flexibility of vines, integrating perfectly with the natural environment.
Among them, a wooden house of significantly larger scale was particularly eye-catching, with curls of cooking smoke carrying the aroma of food rising from its chimney.
"This is the source of life for our Moon-marked Clan, Crescent Lake," Nimue's voice carried a sense of devotion. "It possesses a miraculous power to naturally gather and store the essence of the dual moons. Because of this, our ancestors chose to build their homes by the lakeside to easily draw upon and utilize this condensed power of Moonlight."
At this point, her finger moved toward the large house with the rising smoke as she introduced it:
"That is our communal kitchen. The food inside is all cooked using the water from Crescent Lake. Because the lake water contains soft Moonlight energy, although we cannot fully absorb and utilize it directly, incorporating it into food imparts a unique nourishment and flavor."
"Drawing water from here at any time?" Hearing this, a hint of doubt surfaced in Castorice's purple eyes. "Won't drawing water from here so frequently cause the lake to dry up?"
"It won't," Nimue's answer was very certain. "For as long as I can remember, the water level of Crescent Lake has never dropped even a fraction. No matter how much we draw, it always maintains this perfect crescent shape and a full volume of water."
"However, as for why this is the case... I'm afraid only Elder Maria knows."
"I see."
Castorice nodded slightly, yet her gaze did not leave the lake water shimmering with moonlight.
At that moment, an extremely subtle sense of strangeness rose from the depths of her heart.
As a Demigod holding the authority of death, she possessed an extraordinary sensitivity toward the boundary between life and death.
Now, at the edge of this lake filled with vitality and the holy power of Moonlight, she had actually captured a trace of... an extremely thin, yet incredibly pure Aura of Death?
This was too abnormal.
Why would a lake nourished by moonlight and overflowing with life radiate such an aura?
Had she not still possessed the body of a Demigod with her keen perception of the power of death, she would have almost thought it was her own hallucination.
"I would like to... take a closer look at this Crescent Lake, if I may?"
After a moment of thought, Castorice turned to Nimue and inquired in a calm tone.
"Of course you can!" Nimue readily agreed. "I originally intended to take you to the large kitchen by the lake anyway; it's right on the way."
As she spoke, she walked along the path illuminated by moonlight toward the lakeshore, occasionally turning back to signal Castorice to follow.
Before long, the two arrived at the clear, cold edge of Crescent Lake, only a few steps away from the busy kitchen. The aroma of food mixed with the moist water vapor drifted through the air.
"You can go into the kitchen first," Castorice stopped her pace, her gaze focused intently on the lake water. "I wish to stay by the shore for a moment. This lake water... has something special about it that concerns me."
"Alright." Although Nimue was curious, she considerately refrained from prying. "I will come out to call you once dinner is ready."
With that, Nimue took the first step into the kitchen.
Once Nimue was inside, Castorice immediately concentrated her entire mind on the Crescent Lake before her. She walked to the water's edge and crouched down. The closer she got to the water, the clearer that peculiar Aura of Death became. It did not originate from any potential animal carcasses in the water, but rather... seemed to seep out from the very source that constituted this lake water.
Seeing this, she extended her fair palm, palm upward.
As her will flowed, a power saturated with death quietly diffused. Immediately, the air beside her distorted slightly, and the black-purple Styx flowed out from her side, quickly condensing into an ancient-looking water ladle.
Next, Castorice picked up the ladle and lightly dipped it into the clear lake water, scooping up a portion.
To her surprise, even after the water left the lake and was removed from the direct rays of the dual moons, it still radiated a faint silver glow within the ladle, as if moonlight itself had been liquefied and bottled.
After doing this, Castorice closed her eyes, raised the ladle to her lips, and took a very restrained sip.
The icy, clear lake water slid down her throat, carrying a sense of tranquility into her body as if it could soothe the soul.
But beneath this tranquility, that extremely refined Aura of Death, masked by the moonlight, was instantly magnified infinitely in her keen perception!
At this moment, she snapped her eyes open, a grave look flashing through those purple eyes.
Now she was certain: this "moonlight" energy permeating Crescent Lake, regarded by the elves as the source of life and a symbol of holiness, was, in its very essence, entangled with a kind of... pure power of death!