After deciding to advance by rock climbing, Xia Yu first secured one end of the rope to himself and then secured the other end to Lara.
This was a simple climbing safety measure, equivalent to sharing the risk; if one of them accidentally fell, the rope would prevent them from plummeting, and the other could pull them back up.
Of course, this method also had its risks—if an accident occurred, they would both be finished and go to see the King of Hell together.
However, neither Xia Yu nor Lara would stumble here. Xia Yu went without saying, and Lara possessed incredible arm strength; combined with the boost from her magical power, she didn't fear this steep cliff at all.
Once everything was ready, the two of them took their climbing axes, gripped the crags of the cliff, and began to climb freehand.
Rock climbing is both a matter of skill and physical endurance. One must constantly watch for cracks in the cliff while ensuring their stamina; if one's hands slipped even slightly, they would fall helplessly.
Nevertheless, both of them appeared quite relaxed. Even after climbing halfway, their speed had not slowed down.
The Solarii members in the vicinity had already been sniped by them, so they weren't afraid of being discovered.
After a long while, a hand gripped a protrusion at the top of the cliff, and then the hand's owner gave a forceful pull as a figure rolled and scrambled up.
"Even though I cheated, this is still the first rock climbing experience of my two lifetimes," Xia Yu muttered to himself as he lay on the ground, looking up at the sky.
During the climb just now, his heart had almost jumped out of his chest. Even though he knew he wouldn't actually be in danger, the feeling was like standing on a transparent glass bridge looking down into a canyon; despite knowing it was safe, the fear was still unstoppable.
After lying there for a few seconds, Xia Yu finally rolled over and sat up, grabbing the rope to help Lara climb up as well.
Lara also collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. Although she had studied rock climbing, this was her first time doing it without any proper safety equipment.
Seeing this, Xia Yu simply lay back down as well. The two of them just looked at the sky in silence, feeling their hearts pounding from the tension.
"I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest just now. I can't believe I actually did it," Lara suddenly spoke.
Hearing this, Xia Yu also laughed. "Me too. Does this count as an unforgettable memory between us?"
"I feel like everything that's happened since I arrived on this island has been unforgettable," Lara said softly. "But having you in those memories isn't bad. I'll cherish them."
"We're like an old married couple, yet you're still saying such embarrassing things. It's so awkward." Xia Yu wriggled his body affectedly, squirming around like a maggot.
"...We aren't married yet," Lara said helplessly.
"What? You're not willing?"
"No, I'm easy to marry. It's just a bit early to get married now. At least wait a few more years."
"What's early about it? Once this is over, let's get married when we go back. How about it?"
Xia Yu set a flag without a care in the world. Lara thought about it carefully but still refused. "Forget it. I don't want to get married that early yet."
Hearing this answer, Xia Yu gave a somewhat dejected 'oh'. Lara smiled helplessly and explained, "Sorry, I want to clear my late father's name first. He died under a cloud of false accusations, and it's always been like a thorn in my heart."
"Once my father's matter is resolved, let's get married then."
"Yeah, I'll wait for you."
After their brief exchange, the surroundings fell silent once more.
However, Xia Yu was already considering whether he could use Necromancy Spells to resurrect Lara's parents, but after thinking about it, he realized with disappointment that it wouldn't work.
There was indeed a spell called Undead Resurrection within Necromancy Spells, but that wasn't true resurrection; it merely forced a physical body back to life and couldn't be considered a real resurrection spell.
Moreover, the resurrected undead would be under the caster's control, which made it even more unacceptable. How could a son-in-law resurrect and control his own father-in-law? That would be too macabre.
But Xia Yu believed that one day, they would be able to develop a true resurrection spell. Even if not, as the Chat Group grows, there will surely be a Xia Yu who can resurrect others joining the group.
When that time comes, he would resurrect Lara's parents. For now, he decided not to tell Lara and give her a surprise later, though he wasn't sure if the shock would outweigh the joy... After resting for a while, the two of them got up from the ground. In front of them at the top of the cliff was an entrance leading into the mountain. Without hesitation, they stepped inside.
Surrounded by towering cliffs, that path was the only way forward.
The road was lined with statues of Himiko and various ruins. About an hour later, a cave appeared before them.
The cave's interior was slightly damp, though no puddles had formed. They spent another half hour turning left and right inside the cave before finding the exit.
Looking at the intact ruins at the exit, Lara remarked, "These ruins date back even further than the Kofun Period."
The Kofun Period was a historical era of ancient Japan, also known as the Yamato period, named after the large number of 'kofun' burial mounds built by the rulers of the time.
"Of course. The Kofun Period followed the Yayoi Period and preceded the Asuka Period. Himiko's era was the Yayoi Period, so naturally, it would be earlier than the Kofun Period."
While answering, Xia Yu scanned the surroundings. After finding no items of value, he sighed with regret.
Then, the two of them reached the cave's exit, which served as a new entrance.
A giant statue of Himiko was carved into the wall at the entrance, and a broad pilgrimage road appeared before them.
At the end of that pilgrimage road was a massive temple. At the temple's gates stood many Bodhisattva statues of various forms. Naturally, the statue standing in the very center was still Himiko herself.
"This Himiko is so narcissistic; I feel like I see her statues everywhere," Xia Yu grumbled, looking at the giant statue at the gate.
"It's a way to consolidate rule; rulers of the old era loved doing this," Lara explained casually. "Whether in the East or the West, there's the concept of the Divine Right of Kings."
As they spoke, the two of them stepped onto the pilgrimage road.
However, after only a few steps, Xia Yu suddenly pulled Lara behind a rock.
"Shh, look."
Xia Yu signaled for Lara to look toward the end of the temple. A group of Solarii members on patrol had suddenly appeared there. Lara looked at Xia Yu with some confusion; with so few people, a few shots would finish them off, so why hide?
But Xia Yu just shook his head, signaling to wait a bit longer.
The group of Solarii members who had suddenly appeared were patrolling and chatting idly, but the next moment, they all panicked, letting out blood-curdling screams of terror.
A group of 'Oni' clad in ancient armor suddenly appeared. Carrying massive maces and katanas, they launched an attack on the living without hesitation.
Although the Solarii members had bows and firearms for defense, facing the immortal 'Oni,' they could only stretch out their necks for the slaughter, being stabbed or crushed to death.
In just a few moments, the group of Solarii members lost their lives, and the 'Oni' that appeared began dragging away the corpses of the dead, preparing to leave.
Lara, having witnessed the whole ordeal, didn't even dare to breathe loudly for fear of attracting attention, but the next moment, Xia Yu suddenly leaped up!
"Grandson, your grandpa is here!"
Xia Yu let out a loud shout, attracting the attention of all the Storm Warriors. Instead of turning to run, he charged forward with a sinister grin, while a green mist emerged from his hands like fel energy.
Although this green mist looked very similar to fel energy, the two were actually different things; the green mist was merely a precursor to the use of Necromancy Spells.
In soul knight, the Necromancer's attacks are green flames. Not only that, all of the Necromancer's skills are primarily green, which manifested in reality as the precursor to using Necromancy Spells.
With green mist burning from his hands, Xia Yu leaped forward and pounced on the nearest Storm Warrior.
The Storm Warrior had just raised its blade when Xia Yu slapped it across the face, dyeing it with a healthy, natural 'forgiveness green'.
The next moment, the Storm Warrior dyed in Xia Yu's color began to tremble. The red light in its eyes flickered before finally turning into a bright green.
The Storm Warrior controlled by Xia Yu swung its blade back at its companion, and the other Storm Warrior didn't seem to react in time.
After being struck, it stumbled back several steps. The red light in its eyes flickered as if it were wailing: 'Why have you become like this? We were comrades fighting together just a moment ago. Have you forgotten our bonds? Wake up, Baka!'
But the next moment, it too was hit in the face by Xia Yu's massive slap, and the healthy color instantly filled its eyes.