Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 53: The Bell Beneath the Lake
After midnight, Silent Lake changed.
Before, it had been still. Now, the surface pulsed faintly every few minutes, as if something beneath the water was breathing. The camp’s sound lanterns answered with soft bell tones, keeping the worst of the lake’s pressure outside the barricades.
Qin Yuheng stood near the central bell post, studying the mission panel.
[Main Mission]
Defend Silent Lake Camp until dawn.
[Time until dawn: 3 hours 41 minutes]
[Camp Integrity: 76%]
[Lantern Sound Barrier: 82%]
[Mental clarity average: 81%]
The team was doing well.
Too well for the Tower to remain quiet.
Qin Mo clearly thought the same.
"This is the part where something large appears."
Qin Yuchen looked toward the lake.
"Something is already there."
Qin Lian crouched by the shore, staying safely within the lantern line.
"The water near the center is moving against the rest of the lake."
Qin Yuheng activated the Spirit-Sight Lamp Crystal and narrowed his eyes.
Deep beneath the surface, he saw a faint silver ring.
It looked like a bell.
Not a physical bell exactly.
More like a sound-shaped object formed from lake energy.
His panel flickered.
[Hidden structure detected.]
[Silent Lake Sunken Bell]
[Function: Unknown.]
[Possible relation to lake creature control and sound barrier origin.]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes sharpened.
A hidden structure.
"Qin Mo."
"I dislike that tone."
"Can the camp lanterns connect to something beneath the lake?"
Qin Mo inspected the bell post.
After a moment, his expression changed.
"Yes. The sound barrier is not generated only by the camp. It echoes with something below."
"The sunken bell?"
"You can see it?"
"Barely."
Qin Mo stared at the lake.
"I cannot see it, but the formation lines point downward. If the underwater bell is damaged or corrupted, repairing the camp only solves part of the problem."
Qin Yuchen understood.
"Hidden mission."
Qin Mo closed his eyes.
"No."
Qin Lian looked at Qin Yuheng.
"Do we need to go underwater?"
Qin Yuheng did not answer immediately.
The main mission could be completed by defending the camp. But the Sunken Bell was likely the key to a higher evaluation. It might also be connected to the final boss. If they ignored it, the Silent Lake Serpent might attack with full support from the corrupted lake.
If they repaired or activated it, the final fight could become easier.
But underwater combat was dangerous.
Qin Yuheng took out the B Grade Clear Lake Breathing Pills.
"We investigate only if conditions allow retreat."
Qin Mo looked miserable.
"I knew those water breathing pills were not decorative."
They formed a plan.
Qin Yuheng and Qin Lian would enter the water. Qin Lian was agile and perceptive, while Qin Yuheng had the strongest combat power and could resist mental interference. Qin Yuchen and Qin Mo would remain in camp, maintaining the lantern barrier and pulling them back using a rope formation if necessary.
Qin Mo tied a formation-thread rope around Qin Yuheng’s wrist and another around Qin Lian’s.
"If the thread vibrates three times, return immediately. If I pull hard, do not argue. If the thread goes cold, I will panic."
"Noted," Qin Yuheng said.
They swallowed Clear Lake Breathing Pills and activated Water Barrier Talismans.
Then they entered the Silent Lake.
The water was freezing.
But the breathing pill worked instantly. A faint layer formed around Qin Yuheng’s mouth and nose, allowing him to breathe as if through clear air. The Water Barrier Talisman kept the worst of the cold away.
Underwater, the silence was even deeper.
Qin Lian moved beside him, her eyes focused.
They descended toward the faint silver ring.
As they approached, shapes moved in the darkness.
Drowners. freёwebnovel.com
Not crawling now, but swimming with terrifying grace.
Qin Yuheng drew his sword.
Underwater, ordinary movement slowed. But Thunder Shadow Flash was not suitable here. Instead, he used controlled bursts of thunder through his limbs to adjust position.
Qin Lian’s daggers moved silently, cutting throat sacs and webbing.
Together, they killed three Drowners before more could gather.
The Sunken Bell came into view.
It was enormous, half-buried in black silt. Silver cracks ran across its surface, and dark lake weeds wrapped around it like chains. Several black shells clung to the bell, absorbing its faint sound aura.
The panel appeared.
[Silent Lake Sunken Bell]
[Status: Corrupted and muted.]
[Repair condition:]
Remove Silent Shell Parasites.
Offer Water-Silence Core x3.
Ring the bell once.
[Hidden Mission available.]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes moved.
They had enough Water-Silence Cores.
He signaled Qin Lian.
They began removing the shell parasites.
The shells reacted.
Each opened to reveal a small eye inside, releasing black sound waves through the water. Qin Yuheng felt dizziness strike his mind. His mental clarity dropped slightly.
He circulated thunder and cut the first shell apart.
Qin Lian removed two more.
Above, Qin Mo felt the formation thread tremble and shouted to Qin Yuchen, "They found something!"
Underwater, more Drowners approached.
Qin Yuheng took out three Water-Silence Cores and pressed them into the bell’s cracks.
The bell absorbed them.
Silver light spread.
A message appeared.
[Repair condition met.]
[Ring the bell.]
Qin Yuheng looked at the bell.
There was no hammer.
Then he understood.
Sound did not require a hammer.
It required force.
He gathered thunder into his palm and struck the bell.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then a deep, silent sound spread through the lake.
It was not heard.
It was felt.
The entire Silent Lake trembled.
Above the surface, all six camp lanterns rang at once.
Qin Mo nearly fell over.
"What did they do?"
The lake water erupted with silver light.
The hidden mission panel appeared.
[Hidden Mission Completed.]
[Silent Lake Sunken Bell restored.]
[Camp Lantern Sound Barrier strengthened.]
[Final boss weakened.]
Then another message appeared.
[Warning.]
[Silent Lake Serpent awakened early.]
Qin Yuheng looked into the dark water.
A massive shadow opened its eyes.
The lake itself seemed to move.
He grabbed Qin Lian’s arm and pulled the formation thread twice.
Above, Qin Mo felt the signal.
"Pull them back!"
Qin Yuchen and Qin Mo pulled with all their strength.
Qin Yuheng and Qin Lian shot upward through the dark water just as a huge serpent head lunged from below.
They broke the surface near the shore.
"Run!" Qin Yuheng shouted.
This time, his voice carried.
The restored bell had returned sound to the camp.
Behind them, the Silent Lake Serpent rose from the water, larger and darker than any lake beast they had seen. freewebnovёl.ƈom
[Silent Lake Serpent]
[Level: 18]
[Final Boss]
[Weakened by Sunken Bell restoration]
[Danger: High]
Qin Yuheng landed inside the camp.
Water streamed from his clothes.
His eyes burned with focus.
The final boss had arrived early.
But it was weakened.
That meant the real battle could begin.
