1100-1105

Chapter 1100: Unnamed Road Ahead

Canary sat on the sofa, gazing at the news on the screen worriedly. As expected, the entire moon was broadcasting the scene of Erin wreaking havoc in the bases. This increasingly pained Canary. Although she knew that it was impossible for the news to not report about Erin's powerful strength, she secretly prayed for it to not be broadcasted. But in the end, it seemed like the entire population on the moon was aware of it now!

Not only that, but Canary was also speechless when she found out that due to Erin's threat, many bases near the Americas Region had evacuated. She thought that they could find a place to rest, but later realized that the surrounding non-military bases had sealed off entry and sent their members back to Earth. But they couldn't be blamed since it was a terrifying and massive dragon. In order to avoid unnecessary losses, it wasn't surprising that other regions took the first step in sending their civilian members back to safety.

But even so, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Erin still had somewhere to go. Especially for the moon princess—Canary didn't expect Erin to actually grasp control of the evacuated greenhouse vegetable base using her mysterious spells and strut through it!

Isn't she a Night Wyvern? No matter how strong her spells are, she can't possibly control computer systems!

Erin responded to Canary's queries plainly.

"I feel a spiritual presence in this core area. As a Night Wyvern, manipulating spirits is my expertise. As long as one is self-conscious, I can use spells to alter one, so it isn't anything strange."

This was the first time Canary seriously considered if there was some deviation to the development of artificial intelligence by humans... But shortly after, she saw the news about her and Mini Bubble Gum being missing. She quickly threw those meaningless thoughts to the back of her head (since technological development wasn't something of her concern anyway), and started worrying about their future.

"Big Sister, what's wrong?"

Upon realizing Canary's seemingly bad mood, Mini Bubble Gum crowded over and asked curiously. Compared to Canary, who was full of anxiety, Mini Bubble Gum was more excited, especially after realizing she could cast spiritual spells; this little fella was on cloud nine. Moments ago she was practicing her spiritual spells repeatedly just like in the game and often yelled out and exclaimed, a stark difference from the worried expression on Canary. Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum's doubt, Canary forced a smile.

"I'm fine, Bubble. I'm just worried... about the future."

Meanwhile, Erin had found a room and was researching the mysterious piece of black slate. On the other hand, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had to consider their future. After all, they were born into this world and of course, they had to return to earth. Canary was sure that she and Mini Bubble Gum were included in the list of missing people, so if they didn't show up anytime soon, they would be included in the list of dead people. But was it that easy to escape? Besides, even if they returned to Earth, Canary was certain that they would be interrogated. Perhaps after detecting their mysterious strength, they might even be implicated in more bothersome matters... This left Canary in a headache. But she didn't dare to suggest bringing Erin back to Earth either, or returning behind Erin's back. Although this moon princess seemed reasonable, she had high self-esteem. As soon as the situation was out of hand, she would find trouble and this would make the situation worse.

"Bubble, aren't you worried at all? What are your plans?"

Gazing at the carefree Mini Bubble Gum, Canary couldn't understand how she could be that relaxed as though she had no care in this world.

Isn't she aware of the current situation yet?

Upon hearing Canary's question, Mini Bubble Gum shrugged boringly and replied.

"Worried? I don't think there's anything to worry about. Big Sister, I've decided to follow Her Highness Erin! You've also seen it for yourself. The situation now is bizarre, like how Her Highness Erin came to the real world from the game and it seems like there is the presence of Chaos even in our world. Perhaps Chaos may threaten the safety of our world, so shouldn't we assist her in dealing with the dangers?! Moreover, we have power now, so it would be a waste if we don't use it!"

It seemed like only the last sentence was her true intention.

"Then?"

"Then? Since Her Highness Erin is finding a way back, I'll surely help her with it. Besides, I've made up my mind! I want to return to the Dragon Soul Continent with Her Highness Erin to check it out! That's the real Dragon Soul Continent! Aren't you tempted at all, Big Sister? Besides, I heard from Her Highness Erin that Leader is there too!"

While the trio was on the escape, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary learned everything about the Dragon Soul Continent from Erin. They initially thought that Erin transmigrated from the game (back then, Mini Bubble Gum kept harping on about how Erin shouldn't involve third parties when settling disputes since it wasn't their guild who killed her). But after communicating with her, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum realized that even though Erin had indeed come from the Dragon Soul Continent, the history and development was entirely different from what they imagined. The Country of Darkness didn't defeat the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light. Instead, a fifth dragon soul territory, the Void Territory, emerged. Not only that, but the Void Territory also supported the Light Dragon in eradicating the Light Parliament and destroying Casabianca. Rhode's name was mentioned several times. Besides, his experience was also legendary. He started from a mercenary group that eventually grew to a guild, became an overlord, opened up a land of Chaos, and became one of the top four forces that shook the continent. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were astounded. The latter was fired up and eager to get into action with Rhode in the other world. They basically confirmed that the 'Rhode' was their leader. Not to mention the same name and appearance, his class was also identical. If all this was only a coincidence, it wouldn't be a coincidence anymore when he named the guild 'Starlight', right?!

Not only that, but also what left Mini Bubble Gum curious was that in that world, there were two people with the same name as her and Canary!

Those damn counterfeits! I'm the real Mini Bubble Gum! It should be me who follows Leader around!

"Do you really intend to go there?"

Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum's words, Canary was taken aback. She asked and Mini Bubble Gum nodded with force, before gnashing her teeth and saying, "Of course, Big Sister. Nothing good happens here and since we have this rare chance, I'm not going to let it go so easily! Hmph. Anyway, my dad is focusing all his attention on the wh*re and his dearest son. I'm sure he will set off firecrackers once I'm really dead!"

"..."

Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum's words, Canary fell into silence. As Mini Bubble Gum's rare, close friend in the guild, Canary knew her background well. Half a year ago, Mini Bubble Gum's father remarried. What dissatisfied Mini Bubble Gum the most was that the woman who he remarried was actually his lover whom he had a son with before he actually married Bubble's mother for the 'need of work'. After marrying Bubble's mother, her father gained a large sum from Bubble's mother to expand his business to become a huge entrepreneur. Then, Bubble was born and her mother passed away after years of illnesses.

In the beginning, the relationship between Bubble and her father wasn't favorable because her father valued males and attached less importance to females. He bore a grudge against his wife for not bearing him a son, which explained why he often neglected Bubble and always stayed in the office. Bubble despised him and they were as though strangers.

Around half a year ago, her father's ex-lover brought her son and came knocking on their door to talk about the old days. Besides, that son was also the product between that woman and her father (for this, Bubble ridiculed those idiotic men who became the scapegoat of that wh*re and raised the son of another man. In Bubble's eyes, they were ignorant fools for doing so)!

After taking the paternity test and confirming that the son was blood-related to him, Bubble's father who valued males more was elated. Within a short while, he brought his old lover and son back home and this left Bubble blowing her top completely.

As the child of the first wife, Bubble loathed any third parties. Besides, she thought that if it weren't for the vixen who seduced her father, her mother wouldn't have ended up in this pitiful state. Moreover, Bubble was a gunpowder barrel that would explode once lit, so it was common for quarrels to break out at home. Besides, she didn't hold back against that woman at all. She frequently criticized her for being 'a worn-out pair of shoes', 'an unwanted wh*re', and 'a shameless vixen'. Of course, her father couldn't remain indifferent. Bubble and her father had a falling-out and there was no father-daughter relationship between them.

Canary remembered clearly that Bubble mentioned more than once that she would hire a group of men to mess with that 'punctured slut', before drowning her son with cement and throwing him into the Huangpu River! The murderous intent from Bubble when she said that left Canary lingering in fear. She was afraid that Bubble would sink too deep into it...

That was why unlike Canary, Bubble had basically no reasons to feel reluctant to leave this world. Besides, Bubble couldn't be happier to cause more trouble for her father. If she was spotted stirring trouble with Erin and the country sent out people to investigate her father, she would be smiling in her dreams!

This pair of father and daughter had completely turned into enemies.

"... Aren't you afraid that Her Highness Erin will imprison us in future?"

It was due to this reason that Canary didn't speak a word after hearing Bubble's answer. Instead, she let out a subtle sigh and felt like Bubble was too simple-minded. After all, Erin was the princess of the Country of Darkness, while they were obviously standing on Rhode's side. Moreover, they didn't know the relationship between the Country of Darkness and Void Territory. So what would they do if they followed Erin back to the world and were captured as hostages? Perhaps they might even be used for experiments. After all, they were visitors from an alternate world to the Dragon Soul Continent.

"What's there to be afraid of? At most, we will just be dead."

Even though Bubble possessed power now, she was still her same old self and wouldn't sweat about the small matters. Facing Canary's worries, Bubble waved her hand airily. Then, her eyes suddenly glinted and she turned around.

"In any case, there is no point in staying here anymore... Yes, but I have the strength now. It isn't too late to leave after I beat up that damn wh*re and her bast*rd son!"

Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum's words, Canary's expression changed slightly. But before she stopped Mini Bubble Gum from doing anything silly, the little fella smiled and grabbed her hand.

"Big Sister, come with me. Didn't Her Highness Erin say that the Leader over there brings us around? That means we're always together! So, let's go! Nothing good comes out of staying here!"

"I..."

Canary's eyes glinted after hearing Mini Bubble Gum's persuasion. But shortly after, she lowered her head and pondered in silence. She eventually shook her head.

"No, Bubble. I can't, I still have my family..."

"Family? You call them your family? Big Sister, they are murderers! Do you really intend to be punished forever by those..."

Even though Bubble was furious, she cared for Canary's feelings and swallowed the filthy words that almost escaped her mouth. But it was obvious that she wasn't satisfied with Canary's decision.

In fact, similar to Mini Bubble Gum who had a hard time with her family, Canary wasn't faring anywhere better.

And this was linked to Rhode in countless ways.

A year ago, Rhode was about to graduate from university when he transmigrated to the Dragon Soul Continent.

As the day to graduation came closer, Rhode became busier. After taking his final examinations, he welcomed a bunch of classmates and friends for dinner and drinks to celebrate the end of his university journey. Of course, Canary was among them. Since Rhode was about to graduate, he went wild and got himself drunk. Then, Canary led Rhode to bed to rest and they 'lost control when drunk'... Between their relationship, Canary definitely wouldn't reject him if he asked, and both of them spent a passionate night together.

As there was school the next morning, Canary left before dawn, while Rhode woke up after half the day was over. Both parties didn't take the matter to heart. After all, that wasn't their first or second night together. However, they neglected a crucial point. The drunk Rhode surely wouldn't take safety precautions.

No, it was hard to determine if Canary did it on purpose because even if Rhode was drunk, she didn't drink any alcohol at all. In that case... Yes, perhaps only Canary knew what happened.

All in all, that night was similar to when they spent time together in the past. But after half a month, Canary realized something was wrong with her body. Her period didn't happen and her body was in a terrible condition. She went to the doctor's and... yes... just like the saying went, 'Touch pit and you will be defiled'.

Canary was pregnant.

It was previously mentioned that Canary was born into a family with a literary reputation. Her parents were strict on her and they didn't hope for her to become successful. Instead, they were determined that she 'had to' become successful. As their daughter, Canary was their perfect and most satisfactory masterpiece. They spent all efforts in putting her on the right path. All in all, they wanted everything she did to be right. If she didn't follow their intentions, she would be in the wrong.

Canary resisted but to no avail. Therefore, she lived like a puppet who did whatever her parents told her. After that incident, she decided to change her life around. Her 'friends-with-benefits' relationship with Rhode was like a form of willful resistance toward her parents. Although it was an accident, the chances of her 'officially' becoming Rhode's girlfriend as his form of responsibility were high. But Canary didn't do so. Instead, she seemed to only be obsessed with physical thrill and joy. As long as Rhode gave her a call, she would be there. Not only did she stop Rhode from buying gifts for her, but sometimes she was also the one who paid for the hotel room. Rhode felt bad at times, but Canary took pleasure in it. In fact, she knew that this 'shameless' side of her was to go against the image that her parents 'set' for her. She wasn't the educated, irreproachable, sacred, and inviolable girl that her parents were proud of. Instead, she would rather be this 'slut' who surrounded a man without seeking returns to be thrown aside after he was done playing with her!

It could also be said that a certain degree of masochism was part of the reason why she didn't 'conduct herself with dignity'.

And now, she was finally blooming.

Rhode saw through her. Even though Canary wasn't a 'defiant young lady' like Mini Bubble Gum, she was, in fact, rebellious at the deepest level. However, she wasn't 'actively' rebellious, but was 'passively' rebellious instead. Any form of 'rebellion' had a reason for her. For instance, before she met Rhode, she always acted like the obedient girl in her parent's eyes. But after giving Rhode her first time, she gained the reason to be 'rebellious' immediately. She began enjoying the thrills of physical intimacy from the bottom of her heart and gained the strength to 'secretly go against' her parents. And now, after bearing a child, she had a new 'reason' to gain the strength to resist her parents. Therefore, after learning that she was pregnant, she made a decision.

She decided to give birth to this child.

She had done all sorts of mental preparations for it. For the sake of the child, she would drop out of university and work part-time jobs to earn a living. Unlike the 'impulsive' Mini Bubble Gum, Canary had the maturity to reflect over the situation. This was also the best chance for her to break free from her parent's 'pressurizing dominance'. From that day onward, she would live for her child and herself, not as a puppet for her parents anymore!

She was able to keep it a secret in the beginning since she had a great figure. But the truth always came out eventually. After a few months, her family learned of her pregnancy.

Then, a war began.

Canary's parents didn't expect their perfect and most impressive masterpiece of a daughter to have sexual encounters with a man at this young age and even became pregnant with his child. This was completely a bolt from the blue. It went without saying that they resisted and ordered her to abort the child. But Canary vowed to die rather than obey. She couldn't care less even if her parents decided to sever their kinship and chase her out of the home. Canary didn't treat the child as a tool. The child was also her hope to live a new life. No matter what, she had decided to give birth to the child.

But she was too gullible. She didn't expect her parents to be that cruel to pretend to discuss with her about her child and put abortion drugs into her drink!

Canary could never forget her emotions back then, especially after she woke up on the hospital bed. After she couldn't feel the new life inside her any longer, that was the first time she felt despair as though her final trace of hope had disappeared with the child.

As a matter of fact, her condition was in a critical state. Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor asserted that both Canary and her child might have difficulties surviving. When the operating procedure was needed, her parents vanished without a trace and didn't have the intention to sign the surgery agreement at all. Perhaps to them, this failure and disappointment of a daughter was better off dead. Fortunately, the hospital Canary was admitted to was owned by Bubble's family. Bubble happened to be there in person and was shaken to see Canary lying on the emergency bed. Bubble strictly ordered the doctors to rescue her. As a result, Canary managed to survive after an all-out operation, but the child couldn't be saved.

Thereafter, Canary had as though become alone. The university was full of gossip about her. Even though there were other students who committed the same mistakes, Canary was always the paragon of virtue and learning. For this to happen to her was as though fans learning of their certain 'maiden idol' being a drug addict: it was extremely shocking to them.

Later on, Canary did attempt to contact Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum also tried her best searching everywhere for him. But it was a pity that he had already transmigrated and they couldn't possibly find him.

After that day, Canary never returned to that home, but rented an apartment with Mini Bubble Gum instead. Their trip this time could also be seen as licking their wounds. Be it Canary who was abandoned by her parents or Mini Bubble Gum who had a falling out with her family, neither of them were in a favorable situation.

"But I..."

If Rhode were to meet Canary now, he would surely be shaken because this steady, gentle, and smiley young lady was revealing a timid and hesitant expression. That moment she lost her final hope was as though she had lost her courage to continue living on.

"Big Sister! You can't go on like this! Nothing good comes as a result of us staying here! Isn't this the best chance for us? Let's go look for Leader! Big Sister, don't you want to see him? If Leader met with an accident and transmigrated to that side, it means that he hasn't given up on you! Big Sister, you can't go on like this!"

"But I..."

"No more buts!"

Mini Bubble Gum raised her voice and disrupted Canary's hesitation. Mini Bubble Gum clutched Canary's hands tightly and glared at her.

"Big Sister, you want to meet Leader, right? Let's leave this world and start afresh! You don't need to see those murderers anymore. I don't want to meet my annoying dad and his mistress either. Anyway, we're just unnecessary people in their lives, aren't we? What can we change even if we stay behind?"

"..."

This time, Canary didn't answer immediately. She lowered her head, pondered in silence, and eventually nodded.

"Let me consider..." Canary said.

Chapter 1101: Temporary Ending

Rhode leaned back on the sofa leisurely, gazing at the glass of red wine in his hand.

He shifted his gaze out the window, but there was nobody. Desolate Town had turned into a ghost town with the bustling streets emptied. Devils roaming in every corner were also nowhere to be seen anymore. The place became incredibly silent despite the occasional sound of wind. Rhode turned to Lesa who sat on her knees behind him. Upon detecting his gaze, she nodded firmly. Then, he shifted his gaze forward.

"Let's do it, Cassidy."

"Y-Yes, I got it, Your Majesty."

Upon hearing Rhode's voice, Cassidy, who kept a distance away from him, shrunk her shoulders instinctively and nodded as though responding to a bully's threat. She raised and extended her right hand to the void in front of her and her expression changed abruptly. The flustered expression of the timid hamster vanished entirely, only to be replaced by calmness and dignity. At this moment, Cassidy showcased her power and prestige as a Deity Warden.

At a glance, nothing seemed to have changed. The earth didn't shatter, there weren't any huge explosions, and there also weren't any strong lighting effects as though nothing had happened. But if one were to step out of this house, raise one's head to gaze at the sky, one would be stunned to realize the transformations: the messy, chaotic sky that resembled red dough was slowly turning normal. The uneven colors merged into one gradually as though someone were evening out the colors of the heavily-inked sky. Shortly after, the cloudy, vexing sky cleared up. The tempest and sand gradually subsided. Even though ordinary people couldn't see it, they could feel the chaotic world undergoing a change. Chaos dispersed under the pure radiance of the sun and was slowly replaced by omnipresent Order. One made way for the other as the world transformed inadvertently.

Seems to work great.

Sensing the conversion of the strength of Order, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Apart from his main motive, he came here to also witness if Cassidy's capability was as useful as the other Deity Wardens stated. In fact, he had a doubt for a long time: how powerful were the Deity Wardens and why were they defeated by Chaos? Actually, the answers to these questions were simple. The strength of Deity Wardens was established on the foundation of Order. Once Order was destroyed, their strength declined and in addition to Chaos's specialty, the 'human-wave attack', the Deity Wardens couldn't resist them.

All in all, the Deity Wardens were somewhat 'meek and civil in public, but tyrants at home'. They couldn't last long after getting out of the land of Order.

But this way, there was another problem. Just as Rhode thought, the Dragon Soul Continent couldn't possibly resist Chaos for too long and was eventually destroyed by it. On the contrary, if the six Deity Wardens were only 'meek and civil in public, but tyrants at home', they would be entirely doomed once Chaos arrived and the Dragon Soul Continent would perish. There were no two ways about that. However, Deity Wardens supported the continent for years and it eventually collapsed. So, how did they do that? There was only one answer: Cassidy.

Just as Rhode expected, among the six Deity Wardens, only Christie and Cassidy could stand against Chaos by themselves. One could create Order, while the other could convert Chaos into Order. It could also be said that whenever they got into a war with Chaos, Cassidy was the first to cast her 'power of contrast' to convert all Chaos into Order to control the battle situation, before the remaining Deity Wardens joined in the fight. Based on this fact, Christie and Cassidy could be considered on the same level as the Creator Dragons. But their strength wasn't as powerful and was limited too... especially when Christie's strength came from the first Void Dragon.

And this time, the reason why Rhode brought Cassidy along was for him to personally check out if this Contrast Deity Warden was strong enough for a battle against Chaos. After all, if he wanted to transport the entire continent to a new world, Chaos surely wouldn't let him off that easily. When that happened, they would get into a brawl with Chaos. And now, Rhode was starting his preparations as the endless flow of Chaos wasn't a joke at all. If he weren't prepared and Chaos launched their attack, everything would be for naught. That was why the battle against Chaos was most certainly confirmed, so he had to get ready beforehand. It was just like how he knew the war against the Country of Darkness was inevitable and prepared much earlier.

Now it seemed like Cassidy's abilities were indeed interesting. Rhode sensed the presence of Chaos instantly disappearing. It was like two sides of a coin, flipping to one side after someone tossed it over and instantly changing the current result. With her abilities, they would have an advantage over Chaos and the war would be more relaxing. Of course, there was also a limit to the relaxation...

Screech.

But now, Rhode wasn't concerned about this problem because the tightly-locked door opened gradually all of a sudden. The view outside the door which should have been the streets was pitch-black for some unknown reason. Rhode felt a coldness that went straight into his bone marrow like the iceberg of a thousand years. At the next moment, a domineering figure walked out from the door.

"What awesome work, Your Majesty Rhode."

"I didn't expect you to come, Asmodeus."

Rhode gazed at the man and adjusted his posture on the soft sofa casually. Asmodeus smiled and revealed his white teeth in response, before glancing at the surroundings and shifting his gaze to Lesa and Cassidy, who stood around Rhode. As Asmodeus scanned them from head to toe, Lesa didn't move an inch. She continued to stand silently behind Rhode. On the other hand, Cassidy narrowed her eyes and looked at the man gloomily. In the face of Asmodeus, this Deity Warden didn't seem to have any symptoms of 'male-phobia' at all.

"It involves our agreement, so how can I possibly not come, Your Majesty? Besides, I also made a vow on the River Styx and of course, you would be in a tight spot if I'm not here, right?"

What a load of crap.

Rhode sneered at Asmodeus's words. Back then, Rhode agreed to only wipe out the devil-filled Desolate Town and wasn't responsible for its aftermath. It could also be said that he could leave right away after cleaning up Desolate Town and there would be no consequences for him. Of course, he didn't forget about the language trap: if he only cleaned up Desolate Town, he wouldn't achieve the effect of the oath. The clash between Order and Chaos was naturally calculated, which was why he had gotten Cassidy to clean up part of it, which involved converting Chaos into Order. To demons, it was definitely essential and fortunately, there was more or less some presence of Order in this highest floor of Bottomless Abyss, so it wasn't tough to clean things up. On the other hand, Asmodeus apparently realized this point, which was perhaps why he came here.

"Alright then. Since you're here, does this mean that the agreement between us has been reached?"

"Of course, Your Majesty Rhode."

Asmodeus revealed an elegant smile to Rhode's question. The former sauntered to the window, gazed amusingly at the scenery outside, and nodded in satisfaction. Then, he continued: "Frankly, I'm astonished. I thought that even with your gracious help, it wouldn't be easy occupying Desolate Town. I was even prepared to fix up the place right after, but I didn't expect you to give me such a huge surprise, Your Majesty."

Indeed, just as Asmodeus said, there weren't any traces of battle or damage in Desolate Town at all. Apart from the entrance bombarded by Lesa, everything else was in normal condition. But the only difference was that there was no one left. Be it humans who lived here, devils, or other creatures, they were nowhere to be seen. It seemed like instead of saying that Rhode cleaned up the place, it was more like an evacuation... it was impossible to say that there were no issues in this place. But it exceeded Asmodeus's expectations. He scanned Desolate Town with his dark, pitch-black eyes, before turning around to look at Rhode.

"I, in the name of Asmodeus, hereby confirm that my agreement with the Void Dragon, His Majesty Rhode, has been achieved."

Asmodeus said, elegantly bowing to Rhode.

"It is my turn to fulfill my obligations this time, Your Majesty Rhode. Don't worry, I will do it according to plan and ensure that your plan is successful until completion."

"Alright then, we shall take our leave now."

After receiving Asmodeus's answer, Rhode let out a snort and replied. Upon witnessing his response, Asmodeus displayed an odd smile and said, "Of course, Your Majesty. But if it is possible, could you stay for a while? There will be an upcoming performance and I guarantee you'll like it a lot. Yes... perhaps you're already aware, but I have to say that you've helped us a ton."

Asmodeus said and bowed respectfully to Rhode once again. Then, he turned around and left the room. The door closed shut and the deep, oppressing darkness vanished, returning everything to normal. But the atmosphere was apparently different.

"I don't like him."

Cassidy muttered under her breath, gazing in the direction where Asmodeus left from. It was apparent that she wasn't satisfied with this demon lord. On the other hand, Rhode narrowed his eyes and gazed outside the window, his eyes glinting with a mysterious smile.

"It seems like we have visitors."

***

"Right there!"

Gazing at Desolate Town ahead, Andre's eyes glinted with unprecedented excitement and vengeance. As of now, he was no longer as high-spirited. After following Rhode's group all the way into the Bottomless Abyss and Rift Plain, he was covered in dust and filthy mud from head to toe. He had also become thin like a demon-like presence in hell.

Through Cheryl's aura guidance, he followed them all day and finally arrived at this place. The thought of sinking Rhode's group into this place of eternal evil made him shiver in excitement.

This should be how it ends for that executioner! He only deserves to suffer in agony in this sinister place!

"You know what to do, right, Andre?"

At this moment, Andre heard a soothing and alluring voice that sent a shiver down his spine. The angelic voice sounded like soft, melodious music to his ears, causing him to fall into an unprecedented blissfulness. But shortly after, he returned to his senses and nodded with strength.

"Of course, as long as I create a space crack when they are about to leave, I can seal them inside the endless space crack forever and they can never leave, right?"

"Yes. That's the way, my boy."

After hearing Andre's response, the succubus chuckled and extended her fair, slender hand to caress his cheek gently, as though touching and pulling his heartstrings. But shortly after, Andre pulled a long face and struck her hand away. Then, he gazed at the smiley succubus and spoke coldly.

"I know what to do."

"Oh? I'll leave it to you in that case.

The succubus wasn't mindful of Andre's rudeness at all. She chortled, took two steps back, and turned around to leave. At this moment, Andre turned over, retrieved a whistle-like object from his pocket, and put it between his lips. Then, he gave it a hard blow. Even though there wasn't any sound, the faint magical radiance emanating from the whistle-like object proved that it was working. Shortly after, a slender figure gradually appeared.

"Andre?"

Cheryl gazed at the man speechlessly, with complicated emotions. Of course, she knew why he was here. But now, she felt like Andre had made a huge mistake. She understood his feelings, but felt like this wasn't beneficial to them. Besides, for some unknown reason, she felt like there were some hidden conspiracies involved.

"They're right ahead, right, Cheryl?"

"Yes..."

Cheryl nodded to his question. Then, she hesitated for a few moments and said, "His Majesty Rhode is currently in Desolate Town, but the situation there is... really strange. Andre, I feel like... this is too risky. Are you sure we're going to do this?"

Cheryl didn't mention what Rhode did in Desolate Town earlier. In fact, after personally witnessing the strength of Rhode's group, she felt like Andre's idea was terrible. There was an instant when Cheryl almost gave up on the plan. But in the end, after receiving Andre's signal, she sneaked away from the rest and met up with him. It wasn't because she trusted this plan, but because she was deeply in love with this man.

"Of course."

Upon hearing Cheryl's question, Andre nodded in excitement. He reached out for a piece of clear crystal from his pocket.

"Do you know what this is, Cheryl? It's a Space Crystal! I've been waiting for this moment and they're finally in the abyss! This is a land of Chaos and it is hard for the strength of space to function properly. As long as I activate this Space Crystal while they aren't paying attention, I can shatter the space, as well as the space barrier that they're in altogether! After that happens, they will plunge into the depth of Bottomless Abyss and can never climb back up! Even if he's a dragon soul heir, he shall be devoured by the countless devils!"

"But... this..."

As a spell caster, Cheryl understood the functions of a Space Crystal. Of course, she felt the strength of space from the crystal. However, she was worried because shattering space wasn't easy, especially in the face of powerful beings. If Andre wanted to shatter space, he needed more strength and despite that, it might not even succeed. If not, there would be no need for mages in the Dragon Soul Continent to learn magic spells because wouldn't they be the most powerful beings if they focused on gaining strength in destroying space? And now...

"Hurry up, this is the best time to activate the crystal while they're in Desolate Town, Cheryl! Quick, this is the time for us to strike. As long as we complete this mission, we can return to the main plane. Isn't that what you wished for?"

"I..."

Cheryl accepted the crystal from Andre hesitantly. After a few moments of hesitation, she didn't activate the crystal immediately as Andre anticipated. No matter what, this was something that the demons handed to them. Cheryl found it hard to believe that no traps were involved. Come to think of it, Rhode had a powerful demon (Celestina) around him and those demons still dared to attack Rhode? If so, why would the demons choose Andre and herself for the job? Were demons so reasonable in general?

At this thought, Cheryl spoke with a heavy heart.

"Andre, we're better off abandoning this plan and seeking help from His Majesty Rhode instead. He said that he would bring me back to the main plane and it seems to me that he isn't one who fusses over minor matters. If you're willing..."

Smack!

Out of her expectations, Cheryl found herself on the ground; when she returned to her senses, her cheek was burning in pain. The young elf lady gazed speechlessly at Andre, who had a malevolent and twisted expression. Andre's complexion turned grim and was filled with anger.

"What nonsense! I will never bow down to that man! I would rather work with demons than that man! Since you're unwilling, let me do it!"

Andre snatched the crystal from Cheryl and raised it high in the air.

"Andre, no!!!"

Cheryl was distraught. She pounced on him quickly to stop him, but it was too late.

The crystal erupted a dazzling radiance of space and shortly after, golden rune threads emerged, intertwining above Desolate Town to form a massive, spinning spatial gate. Looking at this scene, Andre revealed an exhilarating smile.

"This is it! Die!"

However, the spatial collapse that he anticipated didn't happen. Instead, the radiance turned increasingly glaring. Andre sensed the crystal exploding with a powerful force of suction that began to fanatically extract and devour his spiritual power! Then, the powerful energy erupted to the surroundings. The defenseless Cheryl was struck by it and she became unconscious.

"Ahhhhh!!"

Andre let out a blood-curdling scream. His body could be seen aging and shriveling rapidly. His spiritual powers were fading away from his body as though they were devoured by some presence. At the same time, the spatial gate spun quickly and demon forces emerged one by one!

"We've met again, human. You've done a good job!"

A demon with scarlet skin appeared before Andre. He laughed heartily, lifted his head, and looked down upon this shriveled human. Andre couldn't hang on any longer. His spiritual powers were completely wiped out from the earlier teleportation. The only thing he could do now was to widen his eyes and stare at the demon unconvincingly.

"Y-You tricked us!"

"I didn't trick you, human! If this is the abyss where Chaos resides, the crystal can indeed shatter space! But this place is a land of Order! I recall clearly telling you the crystal can only work in a land of Chaos. On a land of Order, it will only unleash its rightful power!"

"How is that possible... t-this is the abyss!"

Gnashing his teeth, Andre could never imagine himself making such a mistake. He stared at the demon unwillingly. But to the demon, this human had no more purpose to him.

"I represent the army in thanking you. Without you, it wouldn't have been this easy getting through the River Styx and devil army. But it's a pity that there's no purpose in our agreement anymore! Since you can't fulfill our agreement, it means that you voided it! According to our agreement, your soul shall belong to us!"

"T-That isn't how it is. You can't do that. This is a conspiracy! A trap!"

Andre struggled, but at the next moment his body was punctured by a flaming spear.

"Your soul is filled with vengeance, Human. I will adore your soul a lot."

Gazing at the flaming spear in the totally shriveled human, the demon revealed a proud grin. Then, he turned to the side.

"And you, merchant! Our collaboration is a huge success! I'm satisfied!"

"Thanks for the compliment."

Stefania strolled out from the side with a smile and approached the unconscious Cheryl. She scanned her, before bending over and carrying the young elf lady.

"Alright then, as per agreement, I'm accepting my reward. Sir Commander, I hope to work with you again in the future."

"Done?"

Standing and waiting outside Desolate Town, Rhode asked, gazing at Stefania who carried the young elf lady in her arms. The latter said with a smile.

"Of course, Your Majesty. It is all thanks to your generosity. No matter what, I don't wish for this adorable young lady to be sacrificed to those ugly and filthy men."

"It doesn't matter to me. Since you want her as the commission for hiring the ferryman for us to get through the River Styx, you can have her."

Rhode spoke, sweeping a glance at the demons who exited the teleportation gate and were taking over Desolate Town in an orderly manner. Perhaps after some time, Desolate Town would be the front line for the demon army, but this had nothing to do with Rhode at all.

"Alright, let's head back," he said.

Chapter 1102: A New Problem Arises Before the Old One is Solved

Rhode's journey in the underworld came to an end for now. Of course, he didn't trust that Asmodeus would keep his word. In fact, demons latched onto every opportunity there was. If Rhode were that foolish to think that this was the end of his exchange with Asmodeus, he would truly be a fool. But... he had his own countermeasures.

But he didn't expect that as he finally returned to the main plane, before he had the chance to catch his breath, he heard news that made him jump up from the sofa. He was truly startled after hearing the news.

"Erin is missing?"

"Yes, Rhode."

Marlene replied with a solemn expression. But she couldn't be blamed as the disappearance of the moon princess was indeed too bothersome. It could also be said that after Marlene learned about it, she focused all her energy on that matter. But even so, she didn't receive the results she expected and this left her feeling somewhat defeated. Gazing at her grim expression, Rhode knew he should watch his words. After gnashing his teeth and pondering for a few moments, he continued to ask.

"What happened exactly? Tell me the details."

"Alright, Rhode."

Marlene seemed to be long prepared for this. After hearing his question, she reported the matter, starting from the beginning. In fact, the situation wasn't all that complicated. It happened soon after Rhode led his group to the underworld. After Rhode left, Erin stayed in the Country of Darkness for a few days and when she decided to return to the Void Territory out of boredom, she wrote two reports to Ion and Marlene (after all, she was a diplomat for the Void Territory apart from being the moon princess). After ensuring that there were no issues, Erin left the Darkness Capital and headed for the Void Territory.

The situation should have been that simple, but what left Marlene puzzled was that Erin was nowhere to be seen two days after her departure. Besides, Angelina also mentioned that she didn't see the moon princess anywhere in Grandia. That was really strange. Even though Erin often acted as she pleased, she was serious when it came to business. It was especially so for her identity that predetermined this moon princess couldn't head wherever she wanted. But Marlene felt odd that she didn't meet Erin after two days. She asked the Country of Darkness about it and the response from them was that Erin had already left the Darkness Capital two days ago!

This matter was serious. After hearing about this news, Marlene was stunned. She instinctively felt like the situation was out of hand. She looked for Alice quickly, hoping that Alice could find out about Erin's whereabouts. In the end, the results that Alice received astounded Marlene. According to Alice, Erin's history was broken off and there was only one possibility. She was no longer in this world!

"No longer in this world?"

Rhode asked with an odd expression. No matter what, this description didn't sound great at all and it also felt unimaginable to him. Frankly, if Erin was killed by someone, Rhode's first reaction would be to feel shocked because in terms of all-out strength, even he couldn't defeat Erin in a short battle, not to mention her being the moon princess.

"Was she killed in our territory?"

Rhode knitted his brows at this thought. If Erin got into trouble on his territory, he would be in for a huge trouble. But after pondering in silence, Marlene shook her head and denied. "No, Rhode. According to Alice, Erin went missing before she arrived at the Void Territory. She should have gone missing in the Country of Darkness."

"That's interesting."

Upon hearing Marlene's response, Rhode's curiosity piqued. Honestly, if Erin were to be killed, Rhode thought that the possibilities of her being killed in the Void Territory were much higher as she was the moon princess who wouldn't die as long as the moon was there. So taking a step back, it wasn't impossible for Erin to be dead during daytime in the Void Territory because she lost her immortality due to the absence of the moon—though the chances were one in ten million. According to Marlene, it seemed like Erin went missing in the Country of Darkness? Everything was too strange! The Country of Darkness had three moons hanging in the sky! Erin, killed? Rhode wouldn't believe it at all.

"Could she have headed to the outside world like us?"

Rhode raised one of the possibilities at this thought. After all, Alice only said that Erin was no longer in this world. So perhaps she met an accident and went to the elemental world, Seven Fantasy Boundaries, or whatnot. Maybe she went to the underworld like them too. It wasn't totally impossible, right?

"That isn't the case, Your Majesty."

At this moment, Alice finally spoke.

"My historical records included all history in the Dragon Soul Continent,. And now, there are no historical records of Her Highness Erin. This goes to show that she is no longer in this world."

"Mmm... hmm?"

Suddenly, Rhode was taken aback. He caught a loophole in Alice's words.

"What you meant was... Erin disappeared from this world?"

"Yes."

I see.

Upon hearing Alice's confident answer, Rhode nodded. Although the first reaction when one heard of a person being 'no longer in this world' was that the person was definitely dead, Alice's record was the 'history'. Putting it bluntly, even if Erin were truly dead, the process of the rotting and decomposing of her corpse would still be recorded because this belonged to Erin's personal 'history'. And now, Alice clearly said that she wasn't in this world and couldn't be recorded. This proved that Erin was out of the range of Alice's 'historical records', which meant that she was truly 'no longer in this world'.

"In this case, she most likely has gotten herself in an accident."

Rhode understood Erin quite well. If Anne were to go missing, he wouldn't be surprised. After all, Anne relied on senses rather than brains when doing things. On the other hand, even though Erin seemed nonchalant, she was meticulous with her work and had strong resilience. Rhode wouldn't believe that she would accidentally fall into some trap. In that case, she was most likely caught in an accident. But Rhode was also curious as to what exact accident made someone like Erin fall for. It wasn't easy at all. At this thought, Rhode didn't speak any further, but asked instead.

"By the way, what's the response from the Country of Darkness?"

"Ugh..."

This time, Marlene put up a difficult expression. She gazed cautiously at Rhode and spoke.

"This... the Country of Darkness refused to believe us. They accused our Void Territory of Her Highness Erin's disappearance. His Majesty Ion has also sent men over several times to hear an explanation from us... Perhaps there might even be a war!"

"Hmph!"

Rhode's expression changed instantly as he slammed the table.

"Hear an explanation from us? Ion, that scoundrel. Previously I tolerated him out of respect to the princess when he found trouble with me. It seems like he can't remain idle anymore, huh? Marlene, tell that scoundrel, Ion, that I will demolish his Darkness Capital if his undead army takes one step over the border! I will let him experience how Casabianca perished!"

At this moment, a deep voice sounded from outside the door.

"Oh? His Majesty Rhode sounds pretty confident. I do want to see how you demolish my Darkness Capital!"

Boom!

All of a sudden, the door swung wide and the grim-looking Ion barged into the room in large strides. He glared at Rhode with a fierce, unkind face. Facing the sudden appearance of the Dark Dragon, Rhode didn't shrink at all. Or perhaps, he knew that Ion was outside, which was why he purposely said that to agitate him.

"What? I don't mind showing it to you if you want, Your Majesty Ion. If you would like to, I can smash your Darkness Capital to mince meat. Fight me if you have the guts."

"Do you think I'm afraid to do it?"

Upon hearing Rhode's taunt, Ion responded with a grim expression. He held his sword hilt by his waist and a dark, massive dragon's prestige exploded instantly. But shortly after, the earth-shattering dragon's prestige of the Void Dragon retaliated from all directions to suppress its opposition.

"Fine, Your Majesty Ion. If you dare to do it on my territory, I guarantee that next year today will be the death anniversary for you and the Country of Darkness!"

Leaning back against the chair, Rhode didn't stand to his feet. He crossed his arms and glared coldly at the man before him. The ice-cold murderous intent from him materialized into a substantial aura that spread apart wildly and even the walls and floor shook and cracked due to the invisible clash of dragon's prestiges. In an instant, the entire study room was caught in an extremely dangerous stalemate. Be it Ion, Rhode, or the others, they had sunk into a mysterious and subtle balance like the sense of danger while walking on sharp blades. Perhaps a war that would engulf the entire continent was about to erupt at the very next moment.

In this situation, no one dared to say a word, be it Marlene, or Garcia, who came with Ion. The atmosphere was exceedingly tense because they sensed that be it Rhode or Ion, the murderous intent they exuded was completely genuine. In other words, if they broke into a fight, Rhode would do his utmost to keep Ion's corpse in this place. Even if the continent were doomed, he would drag the Country of Darkness into the grave. Facing this young junior, Ion was completely serious. He didn't care if his Country of Darkness would perish. Even if he were to break out into an all-out war with the Void Territory, he couldn't care less!

If no one stopped them, the clash between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness would erupt completely!

If no one stopped them, that was...

"Oh-no-no, Your Majesties, why the hot temper? I know everyone is anxious about Her Highness Erin's disappearance, but it doesn't have to be this way..."

Nalea entered the room with a smile and said. Following closely behind her, Siena carried the well-known and symbolic sword on her back and stared at Rhode and Ion vigilantly. Well, she couldn't be blamed because she knew clearly that both of their murderous intentions were for real and they wholeheartedly wished to kill each other. This left Siena extremely nervous because ever since she was born in the Dragon Soul Continent, she had never faced such a situation before! Fortunately this time, her elder sister was also here. If not, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Hmph!"

"Tsk."

With Nalea intervening, the clash between both sides came to an end. Ion and Rhode glared at each other before turning around and dispersing the hostile aura dramatically. Looking at this scene, everyone else heaved a long sigh of relief, especially Nalea and Siena. Although they should be the neutral party, logically speaking, if Rhode and Ion were to exchange blows, perhaps they would have a hard time staying neutral.

"His Majesty Ion is a little agitated, but you must also empathize with him, Your Majesty Rhode. No matter what, Her Highness Erin is his younger sister..."

"Tsk."

Rhode snorted to Nalea's words. He knew this was just her excuse for Ion. As a man with a 'sister complex', how would it be possible for Rhode to not recognize another guy with a 'sister complex'? So be it if Ion was one of them, but Rhode knew clearly that even though Ion was somewhat concerned about Erin's disappearance, the keyword was 'somewhat'. As a matter of fact, Ion was actually making use of this incident as a means to apply pressure on the Void Territory. This left Rhode extremely dissatisfied. So be it if Ion was applying pressure, but to use his younger sister as a reason was totally unacceptable.

Pretending to be someone with a 'sister complex' in front of my face? Count yourself lucky to be spared from punishment by me!

In this case, it wasn't surprising anymore why Rhode exuded genuine 'murderous intent'.

Even though Erin was only a princess, it wasn't strange for four Creator Dragons to gather for her. The reason was simple. Apart from her powerful strength and her mysterious disappearance, there was something that was most important: her identity.

She was the 'moon princess'.

In other words, in the Dragon Soul Continent, Erin represented the rules of the 'moon'. If Erin were dead, the rules of the moon would search for another being to be reincarnated just like the Creator Dragons. But it was entirely different since she went missing. Erin wasn't dead, so the rule of the 'moon' would continue to follow her. On the other hand, her disappearance was like a staff defecting with confidential material. It would cause changes and even chaos to the rules and Order of the continent. Moreover, it might even lead to an all-out conflict between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness. Therefore, this incident shouldn't be belittled.

Judging from the war that was on the verge of eruption, Nalea's and Siena's worries weren't for nothing.

After the hostile aura dispersed entirely, the three parties sat down for a detailed discussion (Lilian wasn't in the picture as she was busy reconstructing the Country of Light). Rhode represented the Void Territory in asserting that Erin's disappearance didn't happen in the Void Territory and he was unaware of what happened. On the other hand, Ion's statement was more vague. He claimed that Erin went missing around the border between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness. But as for the exact location, he couldn't provide a clear answer. As for how exactly Erin went missing, neither of them had a clue and this was what they were most concerned about. To be able to secretly 'kidnap' Erin without the four Creator Dragons knowing, this proved that the other party was truly capable. Even if it were an accident, it wasn't just a simple one.

What if it wasn't an accident? That would be more worrying. Although the five Creator Dragons were the strongest in the Dragon Soul Continent, there were also other representatives of rules. For instance, Erin represented the 'moon', Lydia represented the 'sun', Cassidy 'contrast', Christie 'creation', Alice 'history', and Marlene 'wisdom'. An elemental lord like Gillian was also considered a representative. Even Karin's 'skills' and Sonia's 'illusion' were also considered a lower-end representative of rules. If the other party could easily 'kidnap' Erin, perhaps the safety of these representatives of rules wasn't guaranteed either!

Therefore, no matter based on what reason, as the Creator Dragons, be it Rhode, Ion, or the twin dragons, they couldn't stand idly by. If the representatives of rules were to go missing too, loopholes would appear in the rules they represented. One or two were fine, but if they were filled with holes like cheese, it would lead to major disasters! This way, Chaos might possibly take advantage of the lapse and they had to be stopped.

After a discussion between the three parties, they decided to send out a joint investigations team to figure out what exactly happened!

Chapter 1103: Calling of a Mission or Cell Division?

"What an amazing work of art."

Gazing at the black slate floating before her in midair, Erin praised in admiration and her eyes glinted in curiosity and amusement. Even though she wasn't a historian researching ancient artifacts, her accomplishment in this field was still outstanding. The patterns of the black slate gave her endless joy and surprise because she realized that although the patterns weren't beautiful, each side of them had a specific meaning.

"Is that thing so interesting, Your Highness Erin?"

Mini Bubble Gum laid on the table, resting her cheeks on her hands and staring at the slate. Upon hearing her question, Erin chuckled, extended her finger, and slid across the slate's sleek surface. After this motion from her, the black slate flickered in a series of bright patterns that paused on the surface, before quickly vanishing without a trace like the afterimages of some flashes.

"Of course, Miss Bubble. These patterns may seem ordinary, but the meaning they represent isn't normal at all. If my interpretation is right, this slate records the history of Dragon Soul Continent ever since its existence. It describes how the five Creator Dragons opened up a world amongst Chaos and led the remaining creatures of Order in avoiding the infiltration of Chaos... Yes, this slate conceals the strength that created this world. I sense the motion echoing between Chaos and Order from it. But how strange, logically speaking, Chaos and Order can never coexist. But this slate is able to unify them perfectly. This is really odd..."

"In other words, this is something from the Dragon Soul Continent? Why is it here? What does it say?"

Mini Bubble Gum's curiosity piqued, blinking curiously at the slate. However, Canary knitted her brows in uncertainty. Logically, if the Dragon Soul Continent truly existed, it shouldn't have anything to do with earth. If what Erin said was true that the slate came from the Dragon Soul Continent, perhaps the situation was more intricate than she imagined.

"This is part of a bigger slate, so I'm only able to read a few paragraphs. The grammatical composition is neither similar to the common language used in the Dragon Soul Continent nor same as the Guyamla language. Fortunately, I've once checked the historical records about the writings at the beginning of the world in the Country of Darkness's library... yes... the content of this slate was changing constantly, but they are roughly within the same range. If I'm not wrong, the content on this slate is describing how the Creator Dragons used the dragon soul powers to isolate Chaos... between heaven and earth... hmm?"

As Erin soliloquized, she cocked her head and knitted her brows curiously. Then, she shook her head and gave up reading.

"No, I can't read it. The texts are changing too quickly. Perhaps only after assembling all the slates will I be able to read the full content."

"In that case, Your Highness Erin, your next job is to look for the other slates? Oh-oh-oh, this suddenly feels like a plot in Indiana Jones! I love watching Raiders of the Lost Ark!"

Mini Bubble Gum jumped up, rejoicing in excitement. It seemed like she had decided to cause a huge ruckus. Perhaps Mini Bubble Gum had no choice but to follow Erin as she was powerless before, for some unknown reason, she immediately revealed her 'true colors' after gaining the strength that should have belonged to the game. Upon realizing this, Canary held her forehead, sighed, and shook her head helplessly. But after pondering in silence for a few moments, she asked.

"Your Highness Erin, are you able to confirm the remaining number of slates and their location?"

"There should be a total of five slates because I can already sense the presence of the other four..." Erin said, waving her hand. Shortly after, a holographic 3D projection map appeared in front of the trio. Looking at it, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum couldn't help but put up strange expressions. They knew clearly that not anyone had access to such a base hologram. And now, this princess who didn't know what a computer was actually knew how to control it smoothly...

"Please display the locations I've marked earlier."

"Yes, Commander."

An electronic voice which should be an artificial-intelligence responded. It seemed like it was completely under Erin's control through her spell because it subconsciously treated her as the highest commanding officer. Come to think of it, an artificial-intelligence consisting of data could actually be influenced by spells. This wasn't great news in any way, right!

Cough, cough. We will talk about the problem of the progress of human science and technology in the future.

Shortly after Erin's command, the markings on four bases were shown clearly on the map. After looking at their location, Canary's and Mini Bubble Gum's expressions changed slightly. Even though they were only passing travelers, they knew exactly where they were. Even worldly civilians knew that forbidden areas of the military shouldn't be trespassed, not to mention one of the bases was in the core area of the Americas Region!

家を建てるなら/ERABERU - [公式]アエラホーム

"Woah... this is getting troublesome."

Even Mini Bubble Gum couldn't help but click her tongue. It was apparent that even though this little fella was reckless, she was aware of the limits. These places were in the core areas of the Americas Region. If they were to follow Erin in wreaking havoc, the entire Americas Region would perish! Would everything be fine?

"... Are these places difficult?"

"Hmm... in terms of importance, they should be around the same level as the Wisdom Tower in the Country of Darkness, I suppose."

Mini Bubble Gum answered, pulling a long face. The so-called Wisdom Tower was the building for the Magic Association. It gathered several great lichs and necromancers to research various mage equipment and undead spells. It could also be treated as the 'science and research department' of the Country of Darkness. Of course, such a venue was heavily guarded. Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum's words, Erin understood what she was trying to express and couldn't help but pucker her brows and ponder in silence. After a few moments, she suddenly blinked and the corners of her lips perked up into a strange smile.

"In that case, I have a solution."

She responded proudly.

***

Americas Region, GPX-03 Cooperative Moon Defense Base.

The pure, dazzling white lights shone on the surface of the moon. Gazing at the screen displayed by the surveillance cameras, the guard let out a lazy yawn. He shook his head, before reaching out for a bag of warm coffee and sucking the straw. Apart from the pale moon surface and starry sky on the surveillance screen, there was nothing else. The guard curled his lips and turned to his colleague.

"Damn it, the other bases have already evacuated, so why are we waiting here like idiots? All for the sake of those stupid scientists? God dang, I just can't understand what is more important than their lives. I heard the entire fifth branch has perished and even the reinforcements are doomed! I can't understand just what sort of monster is capable of doing such a thing... Damn it. That's why I said those buggers at the top will surely get into trouble for dealing with this sort of messy stuff. You've watched Alien, right? Sigh... I really do wonder if we've sunken into similar trouble..."

"You've watched too many movies, idiot. Pull yourself together. It isn't only us who haven't evacuated. We just have to do what the top tells us to. Hmm...?"

"What's wrong?"

"I thought I saw someone."

"Oh, is that so?"

After hearing his colleague's remark, the guard turned to the surveillance screen immediately and clicked on a few keys on the keyboard. The surveillance screen switched to the outdoor cameras, but there wasn't anything strange. The entrance was sealed tightly and no one had entered.

"You're being over sensitive... really, don't tell me you're hallucinating too? This reminds me of Dead Space..."

"Can't you cut the crap and think about something else other than movies?!"

The entrance opened gradually.

The steel gate made from tough alloy used to seal and block off enemies opened gradually. Shortly after, three slender and petite figures entered through the gate. The loud siren trumpeted as the gate continued to close itself, followed by red, warning lights that flickered constantly. The air pressure was being rebalanced and after ensuring that every step was completed, the next door on the inside opened. There was no one along the empty, spacious path ahead, only surveillance cameras aiming at them quietly. Even though this was a military base and three unknown visitors had shown up, there were no signs of soldiers at all.

"Woah, it worked."

Mini Bubble Gum, who led the group, gasped at their success. She took off the helmet and tossed it aside, before entering this spacious, transportation aisle located at the back of the base. Logically, without accurate passwords and legal identification, one definitely couldn't enter this premise. Moreover, the base was equipped with countless surveillance cameras and scanning devices, so it was even harder than ascending to heaven. But to the trio, it wasn't difficult at all.

"We actually made it in..."

Holding onto the laptop, Canary was amazed. If they were protagonists in a movie, they might have needed some advanced technological tools to attain the password before sneaking in. But it was a pity that be it Canary or Mini Bubble Gum, none of them possessed such skills. On the other hand, Erin's solution left her completely speechless. Looking at the base ahead, Erin extended her arm and cast a 'spiritual control' spell which manipulated the artificial-intelligence of the entire base. The Hollywood protagonists had to risk their lives, pray to the Gods, and still might not be able to succeed in controlling the artificial-intelligence. But here, it became Erin's most loyal servant in just an instant.

Erin was on a level totally above their's.

"Let's see, should we sneak in... or open it directly...?"

After effortlessly passing through the strict defenses, Mini Bubble Gum was apparently excited. Judging from her eagerness, it was apparent that the latter was her preferred choice. But Canary didn't want to invite more trouble. She thought that sneaking in and out of the bases would be the best choice to not cause any trouble!

"Alright, Bubble, we have to hurry. The screen indicates the location of the second slate. We just have to sneak in, grab it, and leave quickly. If we're spotted by them, we'll have a lot of trouble in the future."

"Okay then..."

Mini Bubble Gum was still obedient to Canary's advice. Since Canary had said that, the little fella could only nod in agreement helplessly. After all, what Canary said was the truth. The most important task now was to help Erin gather all five slates and see if she could find a way to return to the Dragon Soul Continent. Of course, if it was possible, she wanted to know why these slates had arrived on the moon and landed in the hands of the Americas Region's people. Didn't they belong to the Dragon Soul Continent?

As the artificial-intelligence controlling the base had 'defected', the trio wasn't stopped at all. This high-tech facility was full of all sorts of automation equipment, but the security devices that should be blaring didn't work after its 'master' had fallen into enemy's hands and became Erin's loyal subject. The surveillance system that should have been monitoring intruders displayed all the soldiers within the base to the trio. The tightly-sealed doors opened for them automatically as though there were no secrets at all.

"—————"

The elevator descended silently. Without anyone being aware of their existence, they arrived at the central and core area of the base, which was their destination. But it was a pity that they had used up their luck.

Ring.

The elevator doors opened. At this moment, two men in white researcher's uniforms turned the corner and headed to the elevator. Upon seeing the trio, they were taken aback. This reaction was expected since this was a confidential area of the base. For three young ladies to show up in this place, it would be fishier if they didn't gather any attention. Moreover, unlike Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who were clad in spacesuits, Erin was still donned in her elegant dress that was totally inappropriate to be worn in space. It would be ridiculous if no one noticed that!

"Who are you people?!"

Logically, even though only people with authority to get access to confidential information could be here, the young ladies before them were obviously not one of them. The two men yelled and one of them instinctively reached out to his waist. But it was a pity that even though they were quick, Erin was faster. Facing these two weak, ordinary humans, Erin merely swung her right hand forward and the two pitiful researchers were instantly lifted off the ground and thrown to the wall in the back, crashing heavily. Then, Erin clenched her right hand and they, who were dazed from the impact, were lifted off the wall and pulled toward Erin.

"W-Who are you people?!"

The frantic gaze from the researchers was filled with terror this time. Well, they couldn't be blamed. They felt a powerful force flinging toward them and before they knew it, they were as though struck by a steel hammer and flew back powerlessly against the wall. Such strength... could humans even possess such powerful strength?

"You don't need to know who we are!"

Mini Bubble Gum had completely turned into a high-spirited antagonist in some Hollywood movie. Facing the ashen researchers, she let out a mischievous laughter and said, "We came here to look for a black slate! Hand it over now, or you'll die!"

"Black slate?"

The two researchers questioned, exchanging looks with each other. But before they said anything, Erin extended her hand and placed it before their faces. Then, she emanated a gentle brilliance from her palm. Along with this action, the two men stopped struggling. Their expressions turned perplexed and their eyes lost clarity. Shortly after, they stood quietly and firmly on the ground like statues.

Gazing at them, the corners of Erin's lips perked up into a proud smile.

"Alright, I'll need to trouble you two to lead the way," she said.

Chapter 1104: Science and Magic

"Record the data right now!"

"345.126.091... recording of space waves complete. Beginning to gather data!"

Gazing at the electronic screen, Manny couldn't conceal his emotions. He rubbed his hands together and stared at the data before him. Ever since this black slate was uncovered, he had never seen such strong reactions from it. But for the past few days, it seemed to have come alive. It constantly transmitted signals to the outside world, which excited the research team led by Manny. They had worked hard for years and there were finally some results. They felt like their hard work had finally paid off. Shortly after Manny gave his orders, folks of the huge experimental lab got busy right away, returning to their seats in an orderly manner and beginning to record all data released from the black slate. Looking at this scene, Manny felt his eyes watering. When he unearthed this black slate back then, he knew instantly that it was an extremely crucial discovery! And now, everything was finally coming to fruition!

"Professor Manny, everything is going well!"

"Good! Continue!"

Stifling his agitation, Manny stroked his large beard and replied. He lowered his head and typed all over the keyboard to compare the new and old data. Ever since the black slate was dug, Manny had been constantly researching it. He was astounded to discover that it was always releasing a faint signal to a certain place in deep space as though trying to make a connection. This instantly piqued his curiosity. He detected that this black slate from outside human civilization might possibly be the bridge of contact between civilizations in outer space! Human civilization might possibly change entirely due to its existence!

Even though Manny tried searching for a pattern to the signal to decipher it, but what exceeded his expectation was that logically, the signal transmission of any civilization should be objective. However, the signal from this slate was extremely chaotic. It would occasionally send out a series of orderly waves, followed irregular ones. This left Manny in a headache. Even though he tried everything, the progress was extremely slow until recently when it suddenly had a strong response for some unknown reason. The irregular signal waves were also gradually being grasped. Next, as long as he decipher the signal, they would enter a whole new world!

Beep———!

At the same time, the ear-piercing siren blared, disrupting the old professor from his thoughts. For some unknown reason, he instinctively had a bad feeling.

"What's happening?"

"Professor! The signal waves from the black slate are becoming unstable. The speed has become faster than we predicted... no, it can't be detected. We can't record it!"

"Increase power output immediately. Also, transmit all previous data to the main computer! Activate the isolation system!"

"High energy response detected in the target, Professor! Suppressor power has reached a critical point!"

"———!"

It only took an instant.

Manny looked on helplessly at the black slate floating in midair as it suddenly exuded a mysterious and murky white ring of light that expanded to the surroundings. Standing before the massive ring of light, the specially-reinforced tempered glass and alloy walls stood no chance at all. They were as though non-existent as the ring of light passed through them, before continuing to proliferate. Shortly after, the bright, white light dimmed abruptly.

That wasn't due to an issue in electricity. Instead, there was a murky curtain concealing the dazzling brilliance. In an instant, not only did everyone's vision turn black, but the electronic screen flickering with images turned pitch-black and unresponsive. No one seemed to realize what happened. The instant the ring of light erupted, they instinctively hugged their heads and lay on the ground. And now, they cautiously crawled to their feet and exchanged terrified looks with one another. They were completely speechless. They also didn't notice that their shadows were constantly twisting and distorting.

"W-What just happened?"

"Is everyone alright? Anyone hurt?"

Shortly after, everyone got up on their feet and stared at their surroundings in uncertainty. They couldn't be blamed since what happened was too bizarre. After scanning the place, they realized the air was gradually transforming into a certain type of turbid, liquid-like presence and several strip-like objects were seen fluttering.

What exactly are those?

"Grrrr..."

While everyone was panicking, a sudden, deep growl of a monster rumbled in their ears, causing them to group together in a fluster. The soldiers in charge of security at the side raised their weapons and stared vigilantly at their surroundings. After all, they were sent here to prevent accidents like these and now, an accident had really happened!

"Leave here immediately!"

Even though Manny was unaware of what was happening, he instinctively felt like the situation was far from good. He extended his hand to push up his gold-rimmed glasses and commanded. The other researchers headed to the exit quickly under the escort of the soldiers. But it was a pity that their reactions were too slow.

"Ahhh!"

Screams filled the lab.

Blood splashed after one of the soldiers collapsed to the ground after being pounced on by a monster leaping out from the shadows. Before he got to fire his weapon, its razor-sharp fangs had torn his throat apart. At the same time, other shadowy monsters dashed across the lab swiftly and the researchers who couldn't escape in time were also forced to the ground, turning into minced meat in the blink of an eye.

"Fire! Fire!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The other soldiers finally pulled themselves together from the shock, raising their weapons and firing at the monsters that suddenly appeared, while shielding the fortunate researchers who survived and were escaping. But shortly after, they were shaken to realize that not only were their weapons ineffective on the shadowy monsters, but they had also attracted their attention. A few seconds later, many more monsters leapt out from the shadows. Not only from the surface, but also from above as they expanded their wings and pounced with bare fangs and brandishing claws.

The battlefront fell apart almost instantly.

"Arghhhh!"

Manny lay on the floor, widening his eyes in terror at this scene that was like hell on earth. Right in front of him, the researchers and soldiers were ripped apart and gobbled up by monsters jumping out from the shadows. They struggled to break free from the devil-like monsters, but were dismembered mercilessly at the very next moment. Manny had also witnessed a soldier with his leg bitten off and crawling toward the exit. However, he was instantly captured and tossed into the air, before being torn apart like a rag doll. The strong stench of blood assailed his nostrils, staining the white, spotless floor. But now, Manny could no longer care about that.

I have to get out of here. What exactly is going on? Where did the monsters come from? Damn it, why didn't the siren sound!

Logically, the siren would sound automatically as soon as the core experimental lab was attacked and other places would be sealed off. But for some reason, the siren didn't sound at all. Besides, the auto-defense mechanism used to eliminate threats was completely unresponsive. Of course, Manny didn't know that the system had 'defected'.

Ding——!

Suddenly, the experimental lab's entrance in the distance gradually opened. As soon as Manny witnessed the entrance, he couldn't help but take in a breath of cold air. Then, he widened his eyes in astonishment because it wasn't the guards as he expected. Instead, it was three young ladies!

Two of them wore normal spacesuits, but the young lady leading the way startled Manny. This was his first time witnessing someone wearing a beautiful, long dress while strolling effortlessly on a moon base. What surprised him the most was the colorful radiance circling her like a translucent shield separating her from the outside. She also didn't seem astonished by the scene at all. Instead, she knitted her brows and raised her right hand immediately.

"So many Chaos Beasts?"

Gazing at the hundreds of thousands of Chaos Beasts, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were astounded. Fortunately, they had already sensed that something was wrong earlier, unlike the researchers unaware that they were facing imminent death. Erin sharply detected the presence of Chaos Beasts beforehand, which was why they put up a defensive shield before entering the lab.

"———!"

All of a sudden, the Chaos Beasts discovered the most threatening enemies. They growled, decisively switching their focus to the three young ladies and pouncing on them furiously. But at the next moment, they were struck by a destructive attack.

A bright, silver-whitish, and moon-like radiance flashed and whistled across the lab in a powerful force, eliminating the aggressive Chaos Beasts entirely. At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary also launched their attacks. Although this was the second time they met Chaos Beasts and their first time battling them, their moves weren't rusty at all.

"Manil!"

Canary extended her right hand forward and drew a circle in midair. Along with her movement, a series of lightning bolts erupted all of a sudden, turning into a net of arcs that dispersed in all directions. The instant the Chaos Beasts pouncing on them touched the electrical net, they were struck away immediately. Canary swung her left arm downward and clenched her fist. Shortly after, blazing flames rose from the ground, engulfing the Chaos Beasts in front of her like violent waves and tides. In a series of loud wails, the Chaos Beasts swiftly retreated one by one. Apart from two to three burnt corpses on the floor, Canary's attack didn't achieve her desired results.

"Looks like I still can't do it..."

Canary sighed at this scene. If she were at her peak, she wouldn't have any difficulties taking down these Chaos Beasts alone. But now, she didn't even have half the strength she used to. Fortunately, mages were a natural-born 'maiden class'. If not, without Erin around, it would be too challenging for Canary to deal with the Chaos Beasts.

Lucky for her, she wasn't fighting alone.

"Big Sister, don't be scared. Leave it to me!"

Mini Bubble Gum said confidently, before spreading her arms apart. Along with her movement, a bright white halo descended from above, enfolding the majority of the Chaos Beasts. The Chaos Beasts began to move slowly under the effects of the halo. At the same time, Canary, who was telepathic with Mini Bubble Gum, had no hesitation at all. As soon as Mini Bubble Gum released a negative spiritual spell to imprison the Chaos Beasts, Canary raised her right hand. A dozen scarlet flaming spears appeared in midair, striking at the Chaos Beasts and penetrating them entirely. Shortly after, a string of sparks exploded. The Chaos Beasts that were imprisoned instantly howled in grief as they turned into coke, before vanishing into thin air without leaving a trace.

Although the trio's combined attack cleaned up the entire experimental lab within minutes, Chaos Beasts continued to emerge from the squirming shadows. Looking at this scene, Erin twitched her brow and locked her eyes on the black slate. She sensed an endless presence of Chaos being exuded from it. It seemed like that was where the Chaos Beasts were summoned from!

"Miss Canary, Miss Bubble, I need your help to hold back their attacks. Meanwhile, I will seal off the slate!"

"Okay, leave it to us!"

After hearing Erin's words, Mini Bubble Gum yelled in excitement. She raised her arms and shortly after, a dozen of pure, white patterns proliferated with her in the middle. The patterns twisted and turned into a huge, magnificent magical ritual that enveloped half the lab. Upon sensing the sacred power emanating from the white magical ritual, the Chaos Beasts were instantly agitated. Although they didn't know what Mini Bubble Gum was up to, their instincts told them that something bad would happen soon if they didn't eliminate this enemy!

"Niy Sler Basry soia..."

Mini Bubble Gum muttered a string of crisp, soft, and sacred chants. She extended her arms and swung them to the side. Then, golden runes appeared beside her. Clerics didn't need to chant spells all day. But this time, not only did Mini Bubble Gum chant a spell, but she also summoned runes around her. If players were to witness this scene, they would be flustered because this meant that Mini Bubble Gum might soon release a terrifying and explosive force!

Although Chaos Beasts weren't players, they sensed the sacred energy constantly coalescing around Mini Bubble Gum. Then, hundreds of Chaos Beasts once again pounced on her, snarling and revealing their razor-sharp claws to rip this young lady apart. But it was a pity that perhaps due to their extreme fright or chaotic nature, they neglected the other young lady beside Mini Bubble Gum.

"Winas!"

The calm air trembled, turning into violent gales under this crisp voice without any warning. The coalesced wind blades shredded the approaching Chaos Beasts like a meat grinder. The Chaos Beasts at the back were also struck away as they shrieked. Canary stretched out her right index finger and drew a line across the air horizontally. The surrounding temperature plummeted. White crystals appeared in midair, forming a strong shield. Canary followed the momentum and swung down her right hand. After softly chanting under her breath, raging flames erupted with two fiery dragons pouncing on the Chaos Beasts. The flames flashed continuously, dispersing the Chaos Beasts.

She was clearly a long-range class and yet, she was able to take offensive and defensive stances. Besides, she was also able to protect herself perfectly. This 'maiden class' sure lived up to its reputation.

"... Has Fartiy Lan!"

After Canary and Mini Bubble Gum resisted a wave of attacks from the Chaos Beasts, Mini Bubble Gum's spiritual spell was finally completed. She yelled out the last line and raised her arms high.

In an instant, the world changed.

The runes emanated a bright, golden radiance. Then, as though reflecting like a mirror, the runes drifting around her flashed constantly. Shortly after, a mysterious and sacred magical ritual appeared before her. Then, it spun slowly and within a second, something resembling an hour hand turned to the summit.

"Glorious Sanction!"

Blinding, golden radiance like the sun enveloped the entire space. The bright, unprecedented, and massive sacred power wiped out the lab that was completely contaminated by Chaos instantly, causing the Chaos Beasts to howl in grief before turning into ashes immediately. As Mini Bubble Gum cleared up the space, Erin arrived at the black slate successfully. She raised her right arm, made a few hand gestures swiftly in midair, and grunted softly.

"Balc!"

A silver-whitish ray of light emitted from her fair, slender fingertip, quickly forming a circular pentagram that enfolded the black slate. Under her oppression, the shuddering black slate—like a time bomb—that was about to explode calmed instantly. Then, it lay quietly in Erin's hand without any signs of activity.

The radiance dispersed.

Everything returned to its original peace. The seemingly black mist that engulfed the entire lab vanished without a trace. In an instant, the place was so silent as though a violent battle didn't just happen. Manny lay on the ground in shock, widening his eyes at the uninvited young ladies. What happened just now completely subverted the knowledge and common sense he had since birth. It could also be said that he even suspected if he was dreaming in that instant!

Who exactly are they?!

Chapter 1105: Secret of the Black Slate

Everything exceeded Manny's expectations. It could also be said that all common sense he had was completely overthrown. He stared blankly at the three young ladies. The experimental lab was in total silence, apart from the painful groans from two soldiers who barely survived. As for the researchers, everyone was eradicated except for Manny. If it weren't for Manny standing closer to the entrance and getting protected by the three young ladies, perhaps he wouldn't have escaped tragedy. As for the two soldiers, they were truly fortunate. Even though they hurt themselves to protect Professor Manny from battling the monsters, fortunately for them, the arrival of the three young ladies successfully gathered the attention of the Chaos Beasts away from them right before they were slaughtered, allowing them to flee. However, judging from their ghastly wounds, perhaps they wouldn't survive for long.

"H-Help...!"

Almost instinctively, one of the soldiers reached his arm out for help. Looking at this reaction, Manny struggled to crawl to his feet, before searching for a first-aid kit frantically. But at this moment, one of the three young ladies curled her lips and waved her right hand casually. Along with her movement, two rays of warm, white light shone from above and enveloped the soldiers. Shortly after, Manny was astounded to witness the bloody, ghastly wound on them recovering before his naked eyes. In the blink of an eye, their injuries were completely healed!

Oh my lord. What exactly is happening?

Not only was Manny astonished, but the two soldiers were also stunned. They were already in utter despair and it was merely their human survival instincts that made them choose to seek help. But to their surprise, their injuries had totally healed? It was like a miracle! Could it be the three young ladies were angels sent from heaven?!

"What exactly... w-wait, what are you trying to do!"

Manny asked after returning to his senses. He was appalled that Erin took the black slate and was about to leave. The startled Manny hurried forward and stopped them.

"T-That's a very important thing. You..."

"It's none of your business. Who do you think you are? Get lost! Don't you know good dogs don't stand in the way?"

Glaring at Manny who obstructed them, Mini Bubble Gum apparently wasn't in a good mood. Or perhaps now that this little fella possessed amazing strength, she was using every chance to flaunt. If it were possible, perhaps Mini Bubble Gum might even write the words 'Stop me and be killed' on her spacesuit to display her dignity... of course, it was an entirely different matter as to whether such actions full of 'adolescent delusion' were useful.

"I'm Manny Hardenson, supervisor of the research department. This is an important asset of the Americas Region—you can't have it!"

"Tsk, important asset."

Mini Bubble Gum grunted.

"You don't even know what it is and you still dare to call it an important asset..."

"Bubble."

Before Mini Bubble Gum continued, Canary interrupted. Upon hearing Canary's word, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and eventually closed her mouth. Looking at this scene, Manny felt increasingly dubious. He gazed at the three young ladies in bewilderment, totally unaware of who they were. The only thing he felt was that they seemed to have something important to do with the black slate. But before he figured it out, Mini Bubble Gum's eyes flashed in a mysterious smile all of a sudden. In the blink of an eye, Manny realized his collar was being held and pulled up into the air!

"Fine, since you're a supervisor, you should know a lot about the black slate. How did you know about it! Where did you dig it from! Answer me! If not...!" Mini Bubble Gum yelled and brandished her right fist. Manny witnessed her tiny fist brushing past his cheek in a powerful gust. Then, a deep 'boom' exploded behind him. When he turned around, he couldn't help but widen his eyes and suck in a breath of cold air—there was a huge hole in the wall.

Are you kidding me?! That wall is made from super alloy and not even missiles are able to leave any trace of damage! But now, a punch from this young lady actually crumbled it?!

Ssss———!

Not only Manny, but the two soldiers also came to a halt immediately. They intended to rescue Professor Manny from the young lady because no matter what, Manny was a high-ranking supervisor and target of protection. But after witnessing the powerful punch from Mini Bubble Gum, they froze to the spot... not even their nanosuit could tolerate a punch like that!

"Speak the truth! Don't come up with any tricks! You can forget about anyone rescuing you because the control system of this base is in Big Sister Erin's grasp already!"

"I-I will speak!"

Researchers were not dauntless people. If the three young ladies were ferocious-looking monsters, perhaps Manny might struggle to survive. But the three young ladies were beautiful and had rescued them from monsters. Even though they seemed fiercer now, at least they could be communicated with, unlike the monsters from before! Thereafter, Manny 'came clean' to them about the 'ins and outs' of the black slate.

That was a really, really long story.

It all began half a century ago. Back then, during an archaeological excavation in the Americas Region, archaeologists uncovered a mysterious, ancient architecture. Even though the ancient architecture seemed like a product of civilization from a long time ago, it recorded extremely advanced civilization and knowledge. After research by archaeologists, they unanimously came to the conclusion that it was a product of extraterrestrial civilization and that made them ecstatic. Not only that, but also in the records of the ruins, they discovered an important detail. The buildings in the extraterrestrial civilization building hid some very important things on the moon. If they were able to find them, it would be crucial for the development of human civilization and technological progress!

But it was due to this that the information was treated as a top secret and concealed by the government. In fact, Manny's father was the main person in charge of the plan. Back then, when regions were divided on the moon, the reason why the North American government had chosen this region was for the convenience of mining the products of alien civilization. Of course, on the surface, their reason was to understand the mystery of human civilization. As for the true reason... they hoped to uncover some secret and illegal technologies to regain their position as the boss of the world... and this was, in fact, an open secret.

Thereafter, according to the information recorded on the ruins, researchers of the Americas Region successfully excavated black slates that contained strange powers in those places. That made them full of confidence as they began to research. Of course, as mentioned earlier, it wasn't easy to decipher the black slates. Up until now, they knew nothing apart from the fact that there was resonance between the black slates and it would send faint signals into deep space.

"It seems more like the story development of Alien and StarCraft. I don't like it... I pretty much prefer Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tomb Raider..."

After hearing Manny's narration, Mini Bubble Gum was apparently dissatisfied. She crossed her arms and soliloquized. After hearing her grumbles, Manny and the two soldiers didn't say a word. As of now, they had left the lab and entered the drawing room. Manny initially decided to drag time for the guards to arrive and detain the three young ladies. However, there was no sign of them or any siren even after he finished narrating the story. It seemed like it was just as the young lady said. The entire system of the base had fallen into the hands of that young lady named Erin.

But now, Canary knitted her brows. After pondering for a while, she turned to Erin who was casually sipping the red tea.

"Your Highness Erin, you said the black slates contained the power of Chaos and Order, right? But why do they keep summoning only Chaos Beasts?"

"Hmm? Come to think of it, you're right..."

Upon hearing Canary's words, Mini Bubble Gum was taken aback. When they touched the two black slates earlier, they erupted a strange energy and summoned a bunch of Chaos Beasts. Maybe ordinary people might not know where the Chaos Beasts came from, but Mini Bubble Gum clearly knew that they were monsters of the Chaos world that lived within Chaos. Even in the game, Chaos Beasts would only show up in the Order world after being summoned by people. They weren't in the Dragon Soul Continent now. Erin also told them that the rate of recovery for her strength was somewhat slow. Of course, she was the representative of the 'moon' rule, fortunately, and would replenish her strength to a certain degree as long as the moon was there. Besides, unlike the Creator Dragons who abandoned their power and transmigrated in their souls, Erin transmigrated in her true self. There were no Creator Gods like the five Creator Dragons in this world, so even if rules existed, they couldn't possibly be grasped by anyone. Perhaps after Erin stayed here for several more years, she would become the 'moon goddess' in name and reality.

But Erin also mentioned that even though there was the presence of Chaos here, the presence of Order and Chaos wasn't too obvious. This was also why Erin kept believing that this place was the nest of Chaos Beings after she transmigrated. In the Dragon Soul Continent, Order and Chaos were like water and fire; completely separated. Order was Order and Chaos was Chaos. In here, Order and Chaos had no distinct, opposing standpoint. It was no wonder Erin made such a judgment.

Even though Erin wasn't aware of it, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary knew that nothing as strange as Chaos Beasts existed in this world. So then, where did they come from? Summoned from the black slates? Did it mean that... the black slates could open channels of Chaos?