Chapter 704 - 494: The Function of the Illusory Light Butterfly and the Rift to the Skeletal World
Chapter 704: Chapter 494: The Function of the Illusory Light Butterfly and the Rift to the Skeletal World
He had to immediately arrange to incubate the insect eggs. Then, he would assemble his Knights and embark on another campaign.
’This time, I’m going to turn that valley upside down!’
...
「The next day, at noon.」
The Black Stone City square.
Ed’s figure was as straight and tall as a pine tree.
Before him stood fifty Griffin Knights and two hundred Pegasus Knights, geared up and ready to depart.
The Knights’ armor reflected a chilling light under the sun. The Griffins and Pegasi periodically pawed the ground, letting out a series of low neighs and screeches.
"Move out!"
At Ed’s command, he led the way, mounting his steed—the Thunderboltous Griffin King.
"SKREEE!"
With a piercing cry, the enormous Griffin powerfully beat its wings, kicking up a furious gust of wind as it soared into the sky.
Immediately after, the fifty Griffin Knights and two hundred Pegasus Knights followed, flying in a great, imposing host toward the northwestern sky.
"ROAR!"
A clear, resonant dragon’s roar echoed throughout all of Black Stone City.
A massive streak of golden light shot up from the roof of the Lord’s Mansion, pursuing the Knight Order.
It was Sun.
Its golden scales shone like burning flames, and the Dragon Mighty it exuded filled everyone on the ground with awe.
With the Golden Dragon Sun guarding them, Ed’s journey would be foolproof.
Raylo stood on the castle terrace, watching them fly away until the golden glimmer vanished completely over the horizon.
’It’s time for me to leave, too.’
He patted Lightning’s small rump beside him and tossed it into the sky.
A Thunder Dragon materialized in a flash of lightning. Purple arcs of electricity danced across its jet-black scales, making soft CRACKLE sounds.
Raylo leaped up, landing steadily on Lightning’s broad back.
Behind him, two figures, one black and one white, appeared and leaped in front of Raylo.
"Let’s go, Lightning."
"ROAR!"
The Thunder Dragon let out a low roar in response. With a single beat of its wings, its massive body transformed into a streak of lightning, tearing through the sky as it flew toward the depths of the Black Stone Mountain Range.
His destination was the Valley of the Giant’s Sleep, located in the center of the mountain range.
「Several hours later.」
Lightning’s speed was incredible. The mountains and rivers below were like a painted scroll, rapidly unfurling in reverse.
Just then, a peculiar sight up ahead caught Raylo’s attention.
It was a vast, primordial forest.
Strangely, what grew in the forest were not towering trees, but immensely large mushrooms.
The mushroom caps were a kaleidoscope of colors. The smallest were the size of millstones, while the largest were as big as a small cottage.
And even more bizarre was the sight above this Mushroom Forest.p>
Hundreds of massive rocks of various shapes floated silently in mid-air.
The largest were over ten meters high, while the smallest were again the size of millstones. It was as if they were completely ignoring the rules of the world, having escaped the gravity of the earth below.
Reversed gravity.
A peculiar region of inverted gravity, formed by a spatial upheaval.
"Hmm?"
Raylo’s attention was soon drawn to one of the floating "rocks."
That was no rock.
It was a Giant.
A Giant, fully fifteen meters tall, was suspended hundreds of meters in the air.
He was bare-chested, with bronze skin and muscles knotted like granite, exuding a sense of explosive power.
It was Kado.
At that moment, his eyes were shut tight and his hands were held up as if supporting something. An invisible force field emanated from his body in ripples.
Under the influence of his field, the massive Floating Rocks around him were undergoing a strange transformation.
Some of the rocks were being pulled down, slowly but inexorably, as if by a giant, invisible hand, sinking toward the ground.
The rest of the rocks, however, trembled violently, as if resisting Kado’s power and struggling to rise higher into the sky.
One part sank, the other rose.
The gravity of the entire area was caught in a strange stalemate, a tug-of-war between his Domain Power and the region’s natural, inverted field.
Kado was using this unique environment to hone his Gravity Domain.
Judging by his taut muscles and the beads of sweat on his forehead, this struggle was clearly not an easy one for him.
Raylo had Lightning halt at a distance, observing quietly.
Kado hadn’t slacked off in the slightest over the past half-month.
Now, it seemed the results were remarkable.
His control over his Domain Power had become more refined and more powerful.
Raylo nodded, satisfied.
Kado was one of Black Stone Territory’s top combatants. Of the territory’s three Domain Level Hill Giants, Kado was the most talented. He had also followed Raylo the longest, and their bond was the deepest.
He didn’t go forward to disturb him.
"Let’s go."
Raylo gently patted Lightning’s neck.
Lightning understood. With a flap of its wings, it silently bypassed the strange Mushroom Forest and continued toward their destination.
About fifteen minutes later, a magnificent and ancient valley appeared in Raylo’s line of sight.
Giant’s Sleep.
Not long ago, this place had been the lair of the Mountain Giants.
But ever since that Catastrophe Level being was defeated by Grand Elder Gu and forced to flee in disgrace, the place had been completely abandoned.
The vast valley was deathly silent.
Raylo had Lightning circle once above the valley.
He didn’t sense any powerful life presences lingering there.
’It seems the king of the Mountain Giants really did abandon his old lair,’ Raylo thought. ’He must be off licking his wounds in some corner of the world.’
After confirming it was safe, Raylo didn’t linger in the valley.
He changed direction, flying south of the valley.
About thirty kilometers from the Valley of the Giant’s Sleep stood a solitary mountain peak.
The summit was flat and open, offering an excellent vantage point.
"This is the place."
Raylo said softly.
Lightning gave a low growl and slowly descended. Its massive body touched down on the summit, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Raylo jumped down from the dragon’s back.
He glanced up at the sky.
The sun had already begun its descent, painting the clouds on the horizon a brilliant shade of orange-red.
There were still several hours until midnight.
According to the System’s intelligence, an extremely unstable spatial rift was due to appear nearby at midnight.
An entrance to the Otherworld known as the Skeleton Wasteland.
It was a world of the Undead and withered bones, suffused with the energy of death, but it also held unique treasures.
"ROAR!"
Lightning lay down beside him, nudging his arm with its enormous draconic head before its form began to twist and change.
A flash of lightning.
The hundred-meter-long Thunder Dragon vanished.
"AWOO!"
Lightning, now in its Blue Cat form, leaped nimbly onto Raylo’s shoulder and nuzzled his cheek with its little head.
Then it hopped down to play with Moonlight and Coal Ball.
He needed to wait here, quietly.
Waiting for night to fall.
Waiting for the gateway to another world to slowly open before him.
Time trickled by, second by second.
The sun sank completely below the horizon, and night, like spilled ink, rapidly stained the entire sky.
Countless stars began to twinkle.
The wind at the summit carried the sharp chill of winter.
A silver disk hung in the night sky.
The cool moonlight spilled like quicksilver, draping the entire mountain range in a hazy, silver veil.
On the summit.
Raylo sat cross-legged with his eyes lightly closed. His Spiritual Power spread out like the tide, sensing every subtle movement in his surroundings.
Beside him, three "cats" of various forms were playfully wrestling with each other.
Time flowed by in the silence.
Just as the moon reached the center of the sky, its light at its most brilliant...
"Awoo?"
Coal Ball, who had been rolling around on the ground, suddenly froze.
It shot to its feet, its perfectly round eyes staring warily to the west as a low, uneasy whimper rumbled in its throat.
’A spatial fluctuation.’
’Extremely faint, yet unmistakably clear.’
Raylo opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the direction Coal Ball was looking.
"You sense it?"
"Awoo!"
Coal Ball yipped softly.
As a Space Giant Dragon, it had an extraordinary sensitivity to the ripples of space.