The scene before him suddenly opened up!
The first thing to register the change was his Gel body. In stark contrast to the cold outside, the air here was as warm, humid, and comfortable as a spring marsh. The Gel, which had grown a bit stiff in the low temperatures, gradually softened in the warmth, regaining its springy bounce.
Chen Yu’s small, round eyes scanned his surroundings.
The stairway didn’t lead directly to the main castle structure. Instead, the first thing he saw was a vast, meticulously tended garden.
The garden was cleverly laid out along the natural, rolling terrain, featuring winding slate paths and clear, babbling brooks. It was dotted with white marble gazebos and archways draped in wisteria.
The garden burst with a kaleidoscope of colors. There were fields of sunflowers like a golden ocean, sweet-scented roses climbing over fences, and clusters of bluish-purple lavender. There were also many other strange, elegant flowers that Chen Yu couldn’t name, each emitting a faint, magical radiance.
Bees and vibrant butterflies flitted busily among the blossoms, while the crisp chirping of birds drifted from distant, tall oak trees and topiary shrubs.
The air was suffused with the fragrance of countless flowers. More astonishingly, the concentration of Spiritual Qi was so high it was nearly on par with the Void Profound Heaven.
Furthermore, the garden was much larger than it appeared from the outside. If he had to rely on hopping, just crossing this garden that stretched as far as the eye could see would likely take the better part of a day.
He would have to follow the winding stone path forward, through the heart of the garden, to reach the majestic castle gate.
From a distance, the main castle was built of light gray granite, its walls thick and its lines sharp. Four tall towers soared into the sky at its corners. Its massive arched windows, fitted with stained glass, cast magnificent, colorful patterns of light in the sun.
Farther out, a wide moat encircled the castle. The water was crystal clear, revealing swimming koi and swaying aquatic plants below. A heavy oak drawbridge was currently down, connecting the garden to the castle’s entrance.
Chen Yu rode his Flying Sword in a wide, slow circle around the garden’s perimeter and over the moat. He encountered no dangers, nor did he trigger any defensive Magic Arrays.
The place was as tranquil as any ordinary noble’s estate.
Chen Yu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.
’The Spiritual Qi here is as dense as in the Void Profound Heaven... Why plant all these flowers and grasses instead of some Spirit Medicine? What a waste.’
"If you ask me, this whole garden should be flattened and turned into a Spirit Field. Plant some Spirit Gathering Grass, some Moonlight Flowers..."
"That would never do. The flowers are so beautiful."
A female voice, at once stern and melodic, suddenly rang out directly in his mind, as if she had heard his mumbling from a great distance.
Chen Yu instinctively glanced toward the castle.
The heavy oak doors of the castle had swung silently inward, revealing a wide, brightly-lit foyer.
"Are you the master of this castle?" Chen Yu asked, guiding his Flying Sword to slowly drift toward the gate.
The female voice chuckled pleasantly. "How curious. So it seems that mastering this kind of Secret Technique can grant even a Slime such clear sentience."
"Unfortunately, however, I am not the master here. You can consider me a ’guest’ who is staying here for the time being."
"Before we properly introduce ourselves, why don’t you come in and have a seat for a chat? I have some lovely refreshments."
"Alright." Chen Yu didn’t hesitate. ’Besides, this is just a clone. It wouldn’t be a great loss if it were destroyed.’
He rode his sword through the open castle gates.
The foyer was spacious, with an extremely high ceiling. Sunlight streamed through the high stained-glass windows, casting a mosaic of colorful light upon the floor. The floor itself was paved with gleaming dark marble, and enormous tapestries depicting forests and starry skies adorned the walls.
What Chen Yu found even more novel was that the furniture here seemed to be alive, moving all on its own.
A long-handled bristle broom stood in a corner, swaying gently and rhythmically as it automatically swept away dust invisible to the naked eye.
Several fluffy cushions were hopping in a line from one sofa to another, as if trying to find the most comfortable spot.
POOF! The candles on a silver candelabra lit themselves, casting a soft, warm yellow glow.
The whole scene was utterly magical. Chen Yu couldn’t imagine how someone could grant life to a pile of inanimate objects.
Flying farther in, he found that the end of the foyer opened into an even larger hall. In its center stood a long oak dining table draped in a white lace tablecloth.
There, Chen Yu saw the owner of the voice.
She was a tall woman, seated leisurely at one end of the table, enjoying her afternoon tea.
She wore a long, silver-scaled gown of extraordinary material. It seemed to be woven from some special silk that shimmered with a soft, silvery light. Its texture was as fine and lustrous as a dragon’s scales, and it rippled like water with her every movement.
She had long, pale-gold hair that fell softly over her shoulders, the ends curling slightly. Her skin was so fair it was nearly translucent, like the finest porcelain.
Her most striking feature was her eyes—their color was as pale as liquid mercury, yet clear and profound, as if they could see into one’s very soul. And nestled within the hair on either side of her forehead was a pair of small, exquisite silver dragon horns.
She elegantly placed her bone china teacup back on its saucer, which produced a crisp CLINK, and her eyes met Chen Yu’s.
’A dragon,’ the word subconsciously surfaced in Chen Yu’s mind.
That’s right. Not a Kobold or a Dragon-man with a trace of draconic blood, but an actual dragon in human form—one of the legendary figures who were a staple in the tales of every Kingdom and Bard.
Silver Dragons, however, were typically depicted as beings of law and good in the legends of the various Kingdoms, and had a rather excellent reputation.
They often appeared in stories as kindly old men or beautiful maidens, playing the roles of sages, Guardians, or generous benefactors—nothing like the infamous, greedy, and tyrannical Black Dragons.
’At least she wouldn’t bully a mere Slime, right?’
But what made him more curious was why a Silver Dragon was a guest here. What was her relationship with the castle’s master?
Meanwhile, when the Silver Dragon saw the Stone Flying Sword hovering beneath Chen Yu, a flicker of clear surprise crossed her mercury-pale eyes.
She set down her teacup, rose gracefully, and gave Chen Yu—still on his Flying Sword—a slight nod, executing a flawless aristocratic bow.
"Olivia Silverlight," her voice, clear and melodic, resounded directly in Chen Yu’s mind. "As you can see, I am a Silver Dragon."
"A Slime, from the swamp," Chen Yu replied, guiding his Flying Sword to float before Olivia and extending a small Gel hand.
"An interesting little fellow," Olivia remarked with a light chuckle. She extended her own slender, pale hand and gently shook the springy little Gel hand.
Chen Yu stressed gravely, "Actually, I am a King. And I wouldn’t say I’m ’little.’ I can puff myself up big enough to scare you to death."
"Very well, Your Majesty." Olivia wasn’t offended in the slightest. A smile touched the corners of her lips as she clapped her hands softly.
A small, low-legged tea table that had been resting against a nearby wall immediately let out a CREAK and walked over on its own, stopping steadily beside the dining table.
Then, a thick velvet cushion hopped onto the small table, making its height perfectly level with the dining tabletop.
"Please, have a seat," Olivia gestured.
Chen Yu hopped off his Flying Sword and landed on the cushion prepared for him, facing Olivia.
No sooner had he sat down than, at a gesture from Olivia’s finger, the silver teapot and a delicate bone china teacup, which had been in the center of the table, scurried over to him as if they had grown legs.
The teapot tilted on its own, pouring amber-colored, faintly floral-scented tea into the cup as steam instantly began to rise.
’The way she commanded everything in the castle with such familiarity... she seemed less like a guest and more like its true master.’
As if sensing Chen Yu’s confusion, Olivia took an elegant sip of her tea before speaking at a leisurely pace.
"If the ’calendar clock’ in the castle—which claims to never be wrong—is running correctly, then this should be my forty-seventh year living here."
She paused, her pale silver eyes meeting Chen Yu’s. "In all that time, you are only the second guest to have entered this place."
"What about those goblins?"
With a SLURP, Chen Yu sucked the tea in front of him into his belly. It tasted quite good, suffused with a floral aroma and Spiritual Qi.
Olivia couldn’t help but break into a smile and shake her head. "I don’t care for those smelly Green Skin fellows, and neither does this castle. ’Invaders’ would be a more fitting term."
’Well, that settles that,’ Chen Yu grumbled to himself. ’It really is a world that judges you on your looks. Even a castle thinks goblins are too ugly.’