"Telepathy?" Karl's heart immediately went on alert.
The other party's voice was not transmitted through air vibrations, but acted directly on his conscious level.
This ability in this world is generally classified as powerful psychic energy.
Once, Hen had given him three magical items, one of which was used to protect against prying spiritual eyes and mental intrusions, and he always kept it close to his body.
The power of the magical items created by Hen was in no way comparable to the quality of items used by ordinary sorcerers.
But even so, this voice had broken through the protection of the magical item without hindrance and sounded directly in his consciousness?
What kind of being was secretly talking to him?
Thinking that it was better to have one less thing than one more, Karl decided to ignore it.
An unknown existence often meant unknown risks. He simply pretended that nothing had happened, that he hadn't heard the voice.
He cautiously squeezed the horse's belly, speeding up Night Wind, intending to leave the outskirts of Vizima as soon as possible and head towards the distant countryside.
"Wait! Envoy of the Goddess, please stay."
"I have no ill intentions. I sincerely seek your help." The soft female voice sounded again, this time with a slight, barely perceptible urgency in her tone.
She paused, as if trying to gain Karl's trust, and said more important information.
"Perhaps... you have heard the legend of the Lady of the Lake and the knight Sir Wood? I am the nymph from that story."
"The Lady of the Lake? A nymph?" Karl's heart stirred.
He knew some of the legends of this world—certain knights of noble character
would sometimes receive guidance or gifts from mysterious elves or nymphs living in lakes.
What worried him more was how the other party addressed him—as an envoy of the goddess—and she seemed to know that he had been in contact with Melitele.
This matter was extremely secret; no one except him and Nenneke should know about it.
This nymph knew too much. Karl reined in Night Wind.
He turned his head to look ahead by the roadside, towards a faint water vapor, vaguely hidden by a dense forest.
His clairvoyance ability activated instantly, and the scene before him began to fade and become transparent layer by layer.
His vision pierced through the material obstacles and quickly spread into the distance.
Soon, his vision fixed on a quiet lake a kilometer away.
In the middle of the lake was a lush island, and in the clear water at the edge of the island, he saw a slender and graceful female figure.
Most of her body was floating on the water, her skin taking on an unusual pale green hue, as were her long, soft hair.
Her attire... was very revealing, barely covering the key intimate areas with her long hair, with proud curves.
However, when Karl tried to see her face clearly, he encountered an invisible obstacle.
A soft but extremely persistent force enveloped her figure, preventing his clairvoyance from penetrating.
He could only see a vague silhouette, radiating an aura of nature and purity, but could not see her true face.
"Can't see through with clairvoyance?" Karl was intrigued.
He had even tried this at Ban Ard Academy; although the academy's protective magic circles were strong,
they couldn't completely block his vision, and he could still see the figures of other students.
But at this moment, he couldn't clearly see the nymph's face at all.
This was enough to prove that the other party was by no means an ordinary creature; it was most likely that the Lady of the Lake truly possessed some kind of high-level power from this world to protect her.
Since the other party had a request, her attitude seemed sincere, and it seemed related to the goddess Melitele...
Karl thought for a moment and decided to go and investigate.
Avoidance wouldn't solve the problem; only by clarifying the other party's intentions and details could he better handle the situation.
Karl reined in Night Wind and ordered: "Dalton, turn around. We're going to that lake."
"Yes, my lord!" Dalton had no questions and immediately obeyed the order.
The knights neatly turned, left the road, and followed the path trodden through the forest towards the lake.
After passing through the not-too-dense suburban forest, the lake, embedded in the green field like a sapphire, gradually came into everyone's view.
The lake water was clear and rippling, and the small island in the center seemed quiet and mysterious in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Karl stopped his horse at a certain distance from the lake and raised his hand to signal the team to halt their advance.
"You are on duty here, stay alert. No one is to approach the lake without my order." Karl ordered Dalton.
"Understood, my lord! Please be careful!" Dalton replied in a deep voice.
He immediately ordered the Holy Blood Angels to disperse, forming a loose defensive circle, vigilantly watching the surrounding movements.
Karl dismounted, handed Night Wind's reins to a knight, and walked alone towards the silent lake.
As he stepped onto the soft grass by the lake, the pale green, slender figure
walked lightly across the shimmering lake as if weightless, slowly approaching him.
She stood on the water, the lake only reaching her ankles, as if the water's surface were solid ground.
From such close range, Karl could more clearly feel the other party's pure, ancient, natural aura.
Looking at her bold attire, almost completely naked, only covered by her long hair, Karl subconsciously wanted to turn his head away.
However, the nymph didn't seem to mind.
She stopped on the water a few meters from the shore and smiled warmly at Karl.
She slightly inclined her head and bowed in a strange gesture, full of natural charm.
"Don't be shy, noble envoy." Her voice carried an otherworldly smile.
"In the eyes of us nature spirits, the body is part of nature, a gift from the goddess of nature. There is no need to hide it too much behind worldly clothes."
"It is an honor to meet you, envoy who carries the goddess's favor."
Seeing that the other party didn't care, Karl simply let go of this unnecessary restraint.
He looked at her again and, with an expression of pure appreciation for the view, calmly passed over her proud figure.
Finally, his gaze lingered on the soft, blurred outlines of her face.
"You call me an envoy? Why do you address me that way?" Karl directly asked the doubt in his heart.
The nymph explained softly, her voice like babbling water: "Anyone who has been in direct contact with an ancient god and received its response or imprint."
"In the eyes of those of us who are connected to nature and have received divine grace, can all be called envoys."
"The faint breath remaining on your body belongs to the Mother of the Trinity. Though faint, it is pure and sacred. I would never mistake it."
╔══════════════════════╗
📘 Want more?
Join me on Patreon for bonus chapters
and early access!
🔗 https://www.patreon.com/cw/OverlordD
╚══════════════════════╝