Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Familiar Place

Lana blinked in shock and turned to him.

“The first?”

“Only a handful of people ever saw it,” Axel continued. “One of them was a painter. After creating this work, he died under mysterious circumstances.”

Lana fell silent, studying the canvas more carefully.

“What if this isn’t just a painting?” she asked slowly. “What if it wasn’t… shown exactly as it appeared?”

Axel smiled faintly.

“The museum verified the background thoroughly. Survivors of the first wave confirmed that the portal looked exactly like this.”

Lana frowned slightly. ’Strange… the ghost portals I’ve seen in recordings and even in my previous life were black, not blue. Those felt ominous. This one feels… mesmerizing.’

She did not voice that thought and moved on.

The next exhibit was a portrait of a man.

Lana tilted her head toward Axel, silently asking for an explanation.

Axel laughed at her curious expression.

“This,” he said, “is the first person who entered that portal.”

Lana nodded.

“He must have been brave.”

Axel shook his head.

“He was the most foolish of them all. He believed the portal was some kind of dungeon. He claimed that if he entered first, he could monopolize the resources inside.”

Lana’s brows knitted.

“And then?”

“Half of his body was dragged back out,” Axel replied grimly.

Lana’s eyes widened.

“If that happened… why is his painting displayed here?”

Axel’s lips curved slightly.

“Why don’t you scan it with your phone?”

Curiosity piqued, Lana took out her phone and scanned the artwork.

The display changed.

A hidden image appeared, showing a portal with a half-dead body being dragged outward, torn violently at the waist.

Lana instinctively recoiled, then froze.

The mutilated figure had the exact same face as the man in the portrait.

Realization dawned on her.

“So this is… digital art?”

Axel nodded.

“There are many such pieces here. If you scan them, you’ll uncover their histories or hidden information.”

Lana’s eyes lit up with interest, and she continued exploring with renewed enthusiasm.

Eventually, she stopped before a photograph of an ancient temple.

This time, when she looked at Axel, his expression had grown unusually grim.

“This,” he said quietly, “is where humanity first witnessed a goddess.”

Lana looked at Axel curiously and motioned for him to continue.

Axel nodded slightly before speaking.

“This is the temple where the goddess was first spotted,” he said.

“A group of extremely powerful political figures witnessed her appearance. Instead of showing reverence, they foolishly tried to imprison her.”

His voice turned faintly grim.

“Who would have thought that the goddess would become enraged and turn every one of them into stone statues on the spot?”

Lana felt a chill run down her spine.

“This temple still exists… or at least, it used to,” Axel continued. “If you scan the image, you can see what the inside looked like.”

Curiosity immediately took hold of Lana. She raised her phone and scanned the photograph.

The moment the interior appeared on her screen, her eyes froze.

A strange familiarity struck her, as if she had walked those halls before.

The towering pillars, the circular altar, the faint carvings along the walls, everything tugged at something buried deep within her memory.

’Why does this feel so familiar?’ she wondered, trying desperately to recall.

The harder she tried, the more elusive the memory became, like mist slipping through her fingers.

Eventually, she turned toward Axel and murmured, “This place… feels very familiar.”

Axel frowned in confusion.

“How can it feel familiar?” he asked. “It has already vanished. No one even knows if it still exists. Many say that it is already demolished.”

Lana blinked.

“What do you mean vanished? If it was demolished, shouldn’t its location still be known?”

Axel shook his head.

“The land where the temple once stood suddenly became empty. Some claimed it was demolished overnight. Others insisted it turned invisible. No one has been able to enter or locate it ever since. This happened long before you were born.”

He paused before adding, “So the chances of you ever encountering it are almost nonexistent.”

Lana lowered her head slightly.

“I don’t know why,” she said softly, “but it feels like I’ve seen it somewhere… accidentally.

“Maybe I had some kind of connection to it before. If I ever visit it, I feel like I might uncover something.” Axel suggested in a gentle voice.

Excitement sparked within her.

“When can we go there?” she asked eagerly.

Axel immediately shook his head.

“For now, that place is far too dangerous,” he replied. “The ghost associated with it are said to be nearly a thousand years old.”

Hearing that, Lana snapped back to reality and exhaled.

“In that case,” she said, trying to sound reasonable, “I’ll wait until I’m strong enough to deal with a two-thousand-year-old ghost.”

Axel only smiled at her stubbornness.

…………………………………….

After moving through several more exhibits, Lana realized how much she had learned.

In her previous life, she had gained plenty of practical experience, yet she had never had the chance to explore knowledge in such a pure and historical context.

A quiet excitement grew inside her.

’I want to learn more,’ she thought.

Axel, noticing her bright expression, smiled softly.

Soon, he brought her to another destination.

When Lana saw the building, she stopped in her tracks.

It was one of the most luxurious restaurants in the city, so exclusive that even elite families struggled to secure reservations.

She turned to Axel in disbelief.

“This is…?”

“Your uncle’s treat,” Axel said with a warm smile. “Don’t hesitate.”

Lana could only nod.

She had dined here once in her previous life, but the restaurant had since been renovated.

Many had claimed that the earlier architecture was far superior, and now she was seeing that very version.

The moment she stepped inside, she felt as if she had entered a white palace.

Marble floors gleamed beneath crystal chandeliers, and golden accents reflected soft light across the walls.

By the time they reached their private dining room, it felt less like a restaurant and more like a royal suite.

They sat down at the table.

Mr. Crow, perched silently on Lana’s shoulder the entire day, finally spoke.

“Your uncle spoils you quite a lot,” he remarked dryly.

Lana smiled faintly.

“He really does.”

She looked toward Axel and suddenly froze.

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