Chapter 11: The World Beyond
It was pitch black, yet there seemed to be a strange space with light.
Alka looked at the dark space and then at his feet stepping on the silent water.
I don't know when, my shoes disappeared, and my feet were just standing bare on the water.
There seemed to be a hint of coldness under my feet.
An inexplicable meaning lingers in my heart.
Peaceful and tranquil, gentle as the wind.
Although I have never been here before, I don't care about this place at all and I am not curious about its origins.
I just want to stay here quietly, as if time can't pass through my body.
“Ding Dong!”
A drop, like the sound of water drops falling on the water.
Ripples are flowing on the water ahead.
Circles of water waves spread out in all directions until they disappeared into the bright darkness.
With ripples.
Something is coming out of the water.
Alka watched this scene.
There was no fear or curiosity in my heart.
Only calm remains.
A female figure slowly emerged from the water, her eyes full of love and longing as she looked at him.
Her face seemed blurry, yet also very clear.
This is exactly my mother.
She opened her hands towards Alka and grasped at him, then finally dropped them helplessly.
The smile on his face carried a hint of reluctance and relief.
Want to walk over.
Want to grab her hand.
When this thought just came into my mind.
One foot has already stepped out.
Memories were emerging, some of Alka's, some of his own.
The face of the mother in front of me gradually began to become blurry.
The pace quickens.
Yet the distance did not change at all.
Run wildly.
With my feet on the water, ripples appeared in circles.
The distance has not changed at all.
A canoe appeared next to the mother at some point.
As if it had always been there.
There is a wooden oar and a small lantern hanging on the bow.
The mother gently stepped into the canoe, then sat on it, picked up the paddle and glided gently on the water.
Finally, she turned her head.
His face became clearer, and his eyes were full of reluctance.
In the end, all Alka saw was her mother's back walking away into the darkness.
She sat in the boat, holding a lantern and went into the darkness.
“Hoo, hoo…”
Only then did he kneel weakly on the water, gasping for breath.
A certain thought in my mind completely disappeared.
These were not my own tears, but they suddenly flowed out of my eyes.
Like a rising dam.
Ripples kept appearing on the water surface in front of me .
Although there is no big change, a feeling arises in my mind.
I have truly merged into this body, and my memories are no longer unfamiliar or slow.
My body feels more relaxed and my mind feels a lot clearer.
The scene changes suddenly.
The light from above shines straight down.
I suddenly opened my eyes and found myself back in reality, still maintaining the same posture with my hands crossed on my shoulders.
"What was that just now? Am I hallucinating?"
Alka couldn't help but look at the priest in front of him and asked.
The priest shook his head: "That is the river leading to the world of death. Under the protection of the Stone Mother, her relatives were able to send her off for the last time."
Then he added: "Don't worry, the Stone Mother will protect her and help her reach the other side."
Only then did Alka see that the pile of bones placed under the stone mother statue had completely disappeared.
It turned into a pile of bone meal, and a layer of cloth bag had already been placed under the pile of bones.
The priest turned and walked over, picked up the cloth bag, and the bone meal slipped into it.
Taking the cloth bag containing the ashes, Alka bowed again to express his gratitude.
Then he asked.
"Priest Pakchi, why did you conclude that my mother was dead several years ago when you had never seen her body?"
"I thought you were going to keep it to yourself."
Parker said with a smile.
Then he led Alka outside and walked to the cemetery next to him, where he found the grave of his mother in his memory.
It was only then that Alka noticed that these tombstones made of cylindrical wood were a bit strange. There was a very obvious circular pit in the middle of the cylindrical wooden pile.
In all the pits, there was a half-broken stone.
The same is on my mother’s tombstone.
"See these stones? They represent every resident on the island. When they die, the stones will split open."
As he spoke, the priest picked up a shovel and dug a hole behind the tombstone.
He turned to Alka and said, "Come and scatter your mother's ashes in there."
Alka nodded.
While doing this, he still asked, "What about my father? Was there no funeral for him because his stone didn't crack?"
"No, that's not the case. Your father is not a resident of the island. Outsiders don't have stones."
"What about me, do I have it?"
"Of course you have. Your mother was blessed by the Stone Mother and is a resident of the island. You were also born on the island, so of course you have your own stone."
Hearing this, Alka nodded.
Silently, he filled the hole and buried the ashes inside.
After a simple recollection and memorial service.
When A-Ka was about to leave, Parkchi said, “Do you really want to be a treasure hunter?”
"certainly!"
If it weren't for his own system, Alka himself would definitely have no idea about treasure hunters.
But since there is a system that can help with treasure hunting and it fits your personality, why not?
Not to mention that these treasures contain extraordinary powers, and he has already experienced them.
For someone who had been an ordinary person all his life and died due to illness of a fragile body, how could he not be tempted by the temptation of extraordinary power?
While thinking, Alka touched the ring on the little finger of his left hand.
I am only one step away.
Hearing Alka's answer, Pakchi nodded.
"You are a talented child. Your success yesterday proved yourself, but you know too little about the world."
"It's too dangerous to let you go out on the sea like this. I have some friends outside the island, one of whom is a treasure hunter. Do you want to board his ship?"
Hearing this, Alka couldn't help but frown and fell into deep thought.
Why did Parkchi help himself like this?
As soon as this thought came into my mind, my memory gave the answer.
There is no reason, helping each other is a matter of course on this island.
As the priest of the Stone Mother, Pakchi is equivalent to the owner of this island.
Of course, the island owner is elected by the people or by God.
This couldn't help but make him feel a little conflicted.
Following Parkchi's arrangements might help him understand the world faster, and might also be safer.
But it could also be more dangerous.
"You have experienced the power of that ring, right? Aren't you curious about the miraculous powers you have experienced these days?"
"This is not like you. Could it be that what you have experienced in the past few days has made you feel afraid ? Are you feeling a little hesitant?"
Pakchi looked at Alka's thoughtful face and couldn't help but tease.
It was like thunder in my heart.
He saw it, yes, after all that, it was obvious that this world had magical powers.
It is obvious that this island is hiding a magical power. It is not surprising that a priest who is not sure whether he is a real god possesses extraordinary power.
The hallucination I just entered was obviously not normal.
My own concealment is as obvious as doing something tricky right under the teacher's nose at the podium.
Even with the help of memory when he first arrived in the other world, he was too cautious and could be said to not trust anyone at all.
This is a good thing and a bad thing.
Pakchi seemed to notice Alka's trouble and spoke to himself.
"If you want to obtain this extraordinary power, you can't do it without channels.
And it just so happens that the treasure hunter I recommend to you has such a channel. As long as you show your talent, you will have a chance."
Hearing this, Alka no longer hesitated.
He nodded and said, "Sure, I do."
"Hahaha, you may be willing but others may not. But I will send them a message. They seem to be active in this sea area during this period."
After laughing a few times, Parkchi patted Alka on the shoulder and said, "Okay, boy, go back. I'll let you know when they come. Train yourself well. You can't survive on the sea without a good physique."
Alka nodded.
He folded his hands and bowed to Parkchi.
"May the Stone Mother bless you."
