Chapter 38: Rewards for Winning, No Penalties for Losing

Hyakusuke did not notice that his movements had been observed by Yaming.

He calculated the time and passed through the dense, white mist surrounding the lake. Across the dark, moonlit surface of the water, a small island—which should not have existed—was vaguely visible in the center.

Though called a small island, it was actually a massive rock located right in the heart of the lake, exposed like the nose of a Tengu.

"It has truly appeared."

Suppressing his excitement, he leaped with all his might. With a swish, his figure vaulted toward the lake like a great bird.

Thud.

Hyakusuke did not fall into the water; instead, he landed on a circular stone. The moment his feet touched down, he leaped again, taking another large stride toward the center of the lake to land on another stone.

'This is the "Water Moon Path," a route the Lady of the Lake occasionally uses when taking a stroll across the water...'

During the day, this path would not manifest. Only deep into the night, when the mist was thick and the moonlight sparse, could one discern this "Water Moon Path."

Hyakusuke, as if treading upon a path paved by moonlight, landed on the rocky islet at the center of the lake.

Once he alighted on the rock, the surrounding scenery shifted. The mist—no, those white mirage vapors—vanished. The lake rippled with the color of the moon, and in the distance, one could see undulating mountain ranges and the forests that encircled the area.

Hyakusuke looked up at the sky. Perhaps due to the surrounding woods and the layered peaks, he had the illusion of being at the bottom of a giant basin. Yet, the lid of this basin was adorned with brilliant, shining stars, leaving him with no sense of confinement.

Combined with the moon that never waned or waxed in the firmament, it cast a dreamlike, ethereal glow upon this world.

"That should be enough."

Hyakusuke took out the "Comb of the Snow Yaksha" and tossed it toward the lake. The wooden comb fell into the water with a splash.

After completing this task, he pressed his palms together in prayer.

"...So, Lady Snow Yaksha, I have fulfilled my promise and offer this to you. I ask that you allow me to enter the Dragon Palace beneath the lake."

Hyakusuke whispered his prayer.

As his voice faded, the comb sank to the bottom of the lake. A strange sound echoed in his ears.

Ding!

It was a crisp, clear sound, like a copper gong being struck.

Suddenly, a surge of white mist swept in with incredible momentum, silent and swift, completely engulfing his figure.

...

Ugh.

Nauseous.

"Ugh... so dizzy. Did I just roll out of a washing machine?"

Having been brought into the Dragon Palace beneath the lake by the mirage vapors, Hyakusuke felt as though the heavens and earth had inverted.

A sudden wave of vertigo struck him, and his limbs quickly lost their strength. Hyakusuke tried to stand upright, but the dizziness was so severe that he could not even muster the strength in his smallest fingertip.

"It seems I have truly arrived."

He looked around and found himself in front of a corridor. He slid open the paper screen door to reveal a heavy snowfall outside.

Beyond the door was a courtyard with a stone water basin and a well-arranged path of grass, trees, and stones—simple yet ingenious.

This path led to the next building. To Hyakusuke’s senses, this appeared to be the interior of a former samurai residence. This must be the so-called "Dragon Palace beneath the Lake," a space crafted by Princess Snow Yaksha.

"It must be a space manifested by mirage vapors. They say the scene is different every time one enters... The true form of Princess Snow Yaksha must be a Dragon God with some connection to the Mirage Dragon."

He stepped through the snow, heading toward a teahouse-like structure at the end.

"First meeting your face, green, green five-leaf pine... A turtle swims in the imperial pond, cranes gather in the thousand-year sky. Before the feathered sleeves shift, the dancing fan shines in ten colors; how many times to look back—"

Before he even approached the teahouse, he heard someone chanting poetry inside.

Hyakusuke stopped in his tracks.

"Oh my, oh my... I didn't expect a guest to arrive at this hour."

A crisp, resonant voice sounded in his ears, like the tone of a stone chime. It was the voice of the Lady of the Lake, Princess Snow Yaksha.

"Please, come in."

"Yes."

Hyakusuke replied and pushed open the lattice door at the entrance of the teahouse.

"Pardon the intrusion."

He lowered his head and knelt on the tatami mat.

"Lift your head, young man."

Hyakusuke obeyed the command and looked up. A woman was sitting in the teahouse.

She wore a kimono with a daringly open neckline, its base color a deep crimson patterned with peonies. A pale golden-patterned obi was tied around her waist, and in her hand, she held a silver, gold-inlaid pipe with a jade mouthpiece.

She was a beautiful woman, dressed like an Oiran, giving the impression of a flower in full bloom—a fruit so ripe it was almost ready to fall from the branch.

"Hoo..."

The woman parted her crimson lips, released the mouthpiece, and lazily blew a ring of smoke.

"A truly rare guest. What is your intention in coming here?"

Her magnificent kimono swayed gently as she stretched languidly.

"Greetings, Lady of the Lake."

Hyakusuke said in a low voice, "I have come to fulfill the agreement between the Fujiwara clan and yourself."

"Hoo... is it this comb?"

Sitting in the Japanese-style room, she toyed with her long black hair while producing a small comb.

However, the comb was so tiny it looked like a miniature toy. The woman held it between two fingers.

'It... truly is, so large, so very large.'

This was Hyakusuke's first impression upon meeting the Lady of the Lake, Princess Snow Yaksha, and he meant it literally.

Princess Snow Yaksha was physically imposing; she was far taller than a normal human. Although she was a beauty, she was also a giant.

Hyakusuke deduced that if she stood up, her height would likely approach two or three meters.

'Although the game lore mentioned that her stature was immense, only through actual experience can one feel such an overwhelming presence.'

Neither the game's character portraits nor the CGs could compare to the direct sensation of this actual encounter.

Even though this Japanese-style room was not small, it felt somewhat cramped given the Lady of the Lake’s size.

"I see."

A nostalgic expression appeared on the woman's face, and she took a deep look at Hyakusuke again.

"Oh~~ I didn't look closely before, but you really are a very curious guest... Your soul, and that body, hehe, truly interesting."

Princess Snow Yaksha suddenly wore an enchanting smile.

"Young man, what cycle is this for you?"

As she spoke these words, goosebumps broke out all over Hyakusuke’s body, and the hair on his back stood on end.

"Do beings like you truly believe I wouldn't dare kill you outright?"

The woman smiled slightly, her gaze looking down upon him from above. Her eyes were of different colors—a gold and silver heterochromia.

Accompanying that hostile gaze, an intense killing intent seemed to expand through the air, and a terrifying murderous aura swept wantonly over Hyakusuke.

His scalp tingled, and he felt as if the density of the surrounding air had increased several times over. The cold permeated his heavy clothes, seeping from his skin into his very bones.

"No... you must be mistaken."

Hyakusuke, not understanding what was happening, still tried to defend himself.

"Mistaken."

Princess Snow Yaksha furrowed her brows slightly and examined him deeply again. Suddenly, she seemed to fall into a state of confusion.

"...Strange... if that’s the case."

She seemed to be thinking to herself, whispering as she pressed a finger to her brow: "Not a multi-cycle... and no distortion detected. If that's so, could it be..."

Suddenly, the Lady of the Lake heaved a deep sigh.

"It seems I was mistaken."

She exhaled, and the icy aura surrounding her gradually dissipated.

"My apologies, little one. I mistook you for one of those others, but it seems you are just an unexpected visitor."

Princess Snow Yaksha smiled.

"You are a rare guest; it is only proper to entertain you well."

With a gentle wave of her right hand, a tea tray appeared before Hyakusuke, set with tea and snacks.

"This is?"

Hyakusuke was still in a daze. In the original work, entering the "Secret Oath Scroll of the Immortal Lake" never had such strange interludes.

"Oh, you don't like these? Then let's try something else."

Snow Yaksha snapped her fingers.

The items on the tea tray before Hyakusuke changed again.

"What?"

He was completely stunned. The green tea and Japanese sweets had turned into a "fat-boy happy water" (cola) and a hamburger.

...

Gulp, gulp.

Hyakusuke sipped the cherry-flavored cola with ice, asking with great confusion, "So, Lady of the Lake, you mistook me for someone else?"

"More or less."

Snow Yaksha was inserting a straw into a large bottle of Diet Coke, taking a "slurp" of the carbonated beverage.

"In this world, there are some bad things, like vermin, that frequently scurry through timelines, causing damage and creating temporal aberrations and distortions... In short, one of the jobs of a benevolent god like me is to thoroughly eradicate them."

As she said this, she let her gaze linger on Hyakusuke for a moment.

"However, I have confirmed it... Your situation is rather unique. No wonder it caused a misunderstanding."

"Is that so?"

Hearing this, Hyakusuke felt a sense of doubt in his heart.

From her tone, "vermin" must refer to those who can traverse timelines.

Come to think of it, there are not a few people in this world who possess such power.

The European Holy See, in order to combat demons and the demon-born, developed methods to steal advanced weapon technologies from future timelines and recreate them through alchemy.

The Immortals of the Kunlun Ruins are even more detached from the mundane world, transcending the material universe as quantum observers, much like Dr. Manhattan.

The "Time-Chanting" power controlled by the eldest princess of the Kurohime Mountain house is said to allow one to leap through timelines at its highest realm, though it requires a tremendous price.

However, the game also mentioned that tampering with timelines brings significant dangers. According to the view of the Lady of the Lake, Snow Yaksha, benevolent gods like her are responsible for dealing with those who endanger the timeline, correcting the distortions of time.

'But, come to think of it, why would Princess Snow Yaksha mistake me for vermin?'

He was puzzled by this.

"By the way, Lady of the Lake... why did you think I was..."

"Oh."

Lady Snow Yaksha interrupted him.

"Come to think of it, I almost forgot the main business. You came here to exchange the comb for the promised reward, didn't you?"

She continued, "I have a proposal. The previously promised reward was to allow you to choose any two treasures from my treasury... Young man, would you like to accept my trial? If you successfully pass it, I will allow you to pick one additional treasure and grant you a gift called a 'Special Bonus'."

"A trial?"

Hyakusuke was stunned for a moment.

"Yes."

The Lady of the Lake said with a smile, "The kind where there is a reward for winning, but no penalty for losing."

—Then what am I waiting for? I'm definitely doing it!