Diary of Guarding Monster Girls

"Ha, ha, cough cough..."

In the thick fog, a figure walked wearily.

The fog seemed substantial, obscuring his form as if a heavy burden was resting on his shoulders.

Each step he took was extremely difficult, his footsteps heavy and slow, as if bearing a weight several times his own.

It was as if invisible crowds were pulling at his body, unwilling to let him leave them behind.

Steven struggled to catch his breath, unscrewed his waterskin, and took a drink, trying to moisten his dry throat.

"Ha, cough cough!"

His body swayed, like a candle in the wind, threatening to topple over at any moment, stumbling from time to time.

Yet, despite his exhaustion, he did not stop walking.

He didn't know why he couldn't stop, nor did he know what it meant.

But in his heart, there was a voice constantly telling him—"You mustn't stop! You absolutely cannot stop here!"

"Once you stop, you will never be able to leave here!"

Steven didn't know whose voice it was, but he chose to believe it.

Perhaps, it was the voice of the Divine Spirit.

It was giving him guidance.

And this... gave him extra strength in his despair.

"My Lord, please bless your humble and faithful servant!"

Steven raised his still intact right hand to his chest, clutching the wooden talisman hanging around his neck tightly.

The talisman was made of ordinary material, engraved with a dove in flight, subtly altering the quality of the whole talisman.

The dove's wings were stained with scarlet, making the originally harmless dove appear demonic and dangerous.

The talisman looked unremarkable, yet it seemed to be Steven's last hope at this moment, trying to draw some strength from it.

This was a piece he had begged the Lord to carve from the holy stake and had personally engraved with this pattern for him.

Steven didn't know what the symbol originally meant, but in his heart, it was equivalent to the holy insignia of the Divine Spirit.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he seemed to feel a warmth emanating from the talisman, dispelling his fatigue and weakness.

His footsteps regained strength, stepping forward firmly.

"I will get out of here!"

"You cannot stop me!"

"No one can make me stop!"

With these thoughts, Steven's resolve became firmer, continuing to press on in the fog.

Perhaps he was lucky, as he encountered no disturbances along the way.

No demon had set their sights on him, nor had he experienced any bizarre incidents.

The entire fog-covered forest seemed like an ordinary wilderness, even safer than most.

After walking for who knows how long, he finally encountered a predicament.

In front of him, the path ended.

Pushing aside the thick mist, Steven came upon a lake, blocking his path.

The lake was dark blue and clear, exuding a chilling aura.

The lake surface was as calm as a mirror, yet it exuded an inexplicable eeriness.

When Steven's gaze fell upon the water, his eyes instantly filled with fear and struggle.

"It's here..."

He was not unfamiliar with this lake.

It had appeared in his vague and chaotic memories, swallowing one of his companions.

Steven's mind fell into an intense struggle, and his steps involuntarily halted.

"..."

He stood at the lakeside, gazing at the water, the terrifying scene of his friend being "swallowed" by the lake constantly surfacing in his mind.

Did she really jump into the water of her own will?

Was that memory really true or false?

Upon regaining consciousness, Steven grew increasingly doubtful of that memory, many areas remaining a blur, many details forgetten.

Should he stop?

Turn back now?

He stood on the bank, gazing at the water, hesitating to move.

But after a long hesitation, he once again grasped the talisman on his chest, his gaze gradually growing determined.

"I cannot stop here yet."

Finally, he cast aside all distracting thoughts and stepped forward.

Thud.

But just as he prepared to step forward to cross the river, something incredible happened!

The previously calm river suddenly seemed to receive some kind of command, parting automatically before him!

The lake parted down the middle, as if cleaved by an invisible force, or like blocked by an unseen wall, forming a peculiar sight.

Steven could even see the muddy and still moist silt at the lake bottom.

"This..."

Am I dreaming?

Attempting to touch the walls of water on either side, but when he got close, the water automatically receded, seemingly unwilling to touch him.

Was the lake water avoiding him?

He blankly watched everything before him, bit his tongue hard, and gasped at the pain.

"Hiss!"

The sharp pain made him realize that everything before him was not an illusion, but a real... miracle.

No.

"Is this divine intervention?"

He instinctively removed the talisman from around his neck, holding it in his hand.

Buzz—

In an instant, he seemed to hear an ethereal buzzing sound, as the lake's water rapidly retreated, moving further away!

As expected!

Steven's eyes shone brightly, the scene before him validating the speculation in his heart!

Indeed, the uniqueness of this was not due to his own presence, but because he represented the Divine Spirit.

That Divine Spirit truly existed.

The lake water feared It!