Chapter2176

The eerie underworld lit up, thanks to the golden light. Although Benjamin and Shannon's divine souls drifted through the space-time chaos, to them, it was nothing more than the blink of an eye. Seeing that Shannon was unharmed, Benjamin settled into calmness. "Are you hurt?" She shook her head. "No, you?" He was naturally untouched, too. Zidane listened to their conversation and eventually chimed in. "You can talk more when you return." The underworld was no place for confiding in each other. Even the atmosphere was completely off. He didn't think it was wrong of him to interrupt the sweet couple's long-overdue reunion. After interrupting, he turned around and was ready to lead them to the chroyan branch. Shannon and Benjamin locked eyes before quietly following suit. Zidane led the way, and thanks to his Underworld Pass Token, the grim reapers gladly stepped aside. Shannon watched as he strolled past the Nostalgia Platform and down the Path to the Afterlife, lined with blooming red spider lilies, as casually as if he were walking through his own courtyard. If she hadn't been certain this was the Zidane they knew, she would've suspected he was deliberately leading them down the Path of Reincarnation to send them straight off to be reborn. Right then, she couldn't contain her curiosity regarding the relationship he shared with the underworld. He couldn't possibly have been familiar with the place because he had formed a partnership with the underworld a few centuries ago, right? Zidane didn't offer them much explanation. Soon, they had arrived at the River of Oblivion. His intention wasn't to give them a tour around the underworld, per se, but the path they had walked was a necessary one to reach the chroyan branch. In fact, he wished he could send them straight to their destination without lingering around. After all, a busybody Morvahn would come seeking him if he stayed any longer in the underworld. It appeared that Zidane had attracted what he feared this time. The group of three had just arrived at the bank of the River of Oblivion when they glimpsed a solitary boat by the shore from a distance away. At the bow of the boat was a faint, eerie green lantern, its dim light barely illuminating the river's reflection. However, what caused the trio to pause wasn't the lonely boat, but rather the tall figure standing on the shore. The familiar dark regal clothing and an overwhelming air surrounded him, his presence exuding a chilling ghastly energy. He was none other than Morvahn, whom Shannon had met in the mysterious Phantom Market. Knowing he wasn't there to admire the view of the river, she instinctively shifted her gaze to Zidane. She had a feeling that Morvahn was here for him. Without surprise, Morvahn turned around, feeling no hint of surprise at seeing the oncoming visitors. Rather, he seemed to have anticipated them. With a cold gaze, he uttered, "Hop on. I'll take you there." It wasn't likely that Zidane had asked Morvahn to lead the way either, so it was more possible that the latter had come here knowing their goal. Zidane didn't hesitate to accept his offer. He stepped forward, bypassed Morvahn, and boarded the boat. The tiny flat boat could barely hold four people, which was the limit. Zidane led Shannon and Benjamin onto the boat, then turned to Morvahn, who boarded the last. "You row the boat." Morvahn remained silent, picking up the boat pole. He inserted it into the River of Oblivion, giving it a gentle push. The tiny boat slowly drifted along the river. The group of four was far from talkative, so no one spoke. The River of Oblivion itself made not a single sound, and the atmosphere became eerily quiet. Fortunately, this strange silence was finally broken when Morvahn steered the boat to the deeper part of the river, where the chroyan branch stood. Before them, in the very center of the vast river, was a tree that seemed to connect to the underworld. Zidane stated, "That's the chroyan branch of the underworld." Shannon was astonished. As Zidane had mentioned, the underworld only had a section of the chroyan branch. If the massive tree before them was merely a branch, how enormous was the actual Chrono Banyan? Without giving her much time to ponder, Zidane stepped onto the chroyan branch and walked up the tree roots that had emerged from the river's surface. He then turned to Morvahn.