1131-1136

Chapter 1131: The Fifth Ruin

Thomas Geller was in a complicated mood. His work clothes were covered in dust and filth. He strode forward with a long face, and a fat man panted as he scuttled and followed behind him.

"Hey, Thomas! Thomas!"

"What do you want, Andy? I'm in a bad mood now."

"Bad mood? Why, Thomas?"

Upon hearing Thomas's response, the man following him like a lackey widened his eyes in suspicion.

"Isn't that a good thing? The excavation that was stopped has finally begun again. Besides, we have also received the large sum of money we wanted and you have been appointed as the leader of the site excavation team thanks to the excavation works of the previous sites. I don't understand what you're unhappy about."

"I would rather work unrestrained than being forced to, like now!"

Thomas stomped his foot and glared at the fat man behind him. Upon realizing his rage, the fat man took down his glasses, wiped the lenses, and continued speaking.

"No-no-no, it isn't worse off than before. We know this excavation job is extraordinary and relatively important. I know you hate the soldiers, but it is necessary for them to be here. Besides, don't we also have some important figures in our team this time? Dr. Sean is a geological expert, Dr. Miller is a chemical engineer, and Dr. Alicia... oh, you don't know, but gathering these people wasn't easy at all."

"Yea, we could have gotten a few more people..."

Thomas snorted and pointed outside the window.

"... so can you explain to me who those young ladies are?! Damn it. This is an excavation site, not some museum, idol stage, or karaoke hall. So why are they here? Darn it. They are nothing more than some brats!"

"This..."

The fat man forced a helpless smile.

"I'm not sure either, Thomas. I only know that they are representatives of B&M Company. We have many facilities provided by them and their request is to allow the young ladies to follow and record the happenings in the ruins. I don't know the exact situation, but they have indeed negotiated with the higher-ups, obtained official documents, and followed the right procedures."

"Alright then, damn those capitalists. I don't know what they are up to. But I hope those young ladies don't cause any troubles!"

Frankly, Rhode didn't expect to join the investigation team with this identity. But it wasn't too surprising. Even though B&M Company seemed like a virtual-reality gaming company, their technologies were also used outside of games. The Creator Dragons were smart. All this while, they worked closely with the military and governments of various countries. After all, there was no doubt that such virtual-reality technologies were crucial for military affairs. It would be strange if one were to think that B&M Company sold games for a living. It was definitely no joke that the company was able to develop into a global multinational corporation today.

But Rhode didn't expect Arthur and the rest to intervene with this matter. Even though B&M Company made such a request and had indeed put Rhode's group in a better position, the company was therefore involved in this excavation. However, Rhode didn't feel guilty. As Creator Dragons who were the root of everything that happened, it went without saying for them to assume responsibility. If not, Rhode wouldn't have taken upon himself all the terrible stuff while they benefited from the good. But...

"I think we may be too conspicuous..."

Rhode gazed at the messy surroundings and couldn't help but let out a sigh. Compared to the stern, fully-armored soldiers and 'talented and influential figures' communicating using incomprehensible phrases, Rhode's group seemed more like scouts on an outing. The two Canaries listened to music and read novels, while the two Mini Bubble Gums cheered and caused a ruckus at the side like typical representatives of a group of brats. On the other hand, Erin and Lydia stood at the side, smiling and exchanging words in lowered voices. It was apparent that they were satisfied with this 'outer world tour' over the past few days.

But compared to the appropriately-dressed professionals, Rhode's group was clad in uniforms printed with the words 'B&M'. Rhode wore a black collared shirt like a highly-capable superior. The rest were wearing contemporary clothes that were convenient and safe for them to move about in.

According to Mini Bubble Gum, they looked like manipulators behind the scenes who sent these innocent researchers and crew members to their death in the movie 'Alien'. Then, after the truth was exposed, they sneered as the protagonists struggled while being chased by monsters. This little fella was really satisfied with this role. Of course, it seemed to Rhode that the young ladies wouldn't mind making a cameo appearance along the way.

As of now, Rhode's group was situated deep inside the rolling hills. The terrain was steep and close to the polar circle where vehicles couldn't enter easily. They could only rely on helicopters to deliver supplies, which was somewhat of a hassle. Due to this reason, the excavation job wasn't smooth. The snowstorm from time to time also frequently disrupted traffic, which was why there weren't as many people here as the other excavation sites. As for the soldiers who served as guards, there were only two teams. Of course, they claimed that they couldn't transport too many soldiers due to the tough terrain and climate. But as a matter of fact, it was Rhode's idea to make Orchid Heart use an underhanded method. After all, Orchid Heart had witnessed the scene of Chaos eroding the place through the surveillance videos. As of now, there weren't any strange discoveries in the other ruins. If not, things should have happened after they were excavated for so many years. This went to show that the risks of this fifth ruin might turn out to be really high. Sending fewer people meant decreasing the dangers of being contaminated by Chaos and at least it would be easier for Rhode's group to kill any hostile creatures if they were to appear, wasn't it?

Due to this reason, under Orchid Heart's control, this ruin had the least people. Excluding Rhode's group, there were less than 50 soldiers. Not only that, but also after sending in the last batch of soldiers, all external communications were interrupted and no helicopters could arrive here anymore. Unless Rhode contacted Orchid Heart personally, this group of people was entirely within his control!

Judging from this point, it wasn't wrong to say that they were the BOSS behind the scenes...

"Everyone, I suppose you're aware of it by now."

Standing in the brightly-lit hall and gazing at everyone, Thomas spoke sternly.

"This time our mission is to excavate an ancient ruin situated deep inside this mountain. There aren't many dangers because we have been examining the place for a few years. However, we were unable to embark on this journey due to financial difficulties and now with your help, we're able to begin excavating the first floor at the fastest speed possible. Although the terrain is higher here, we're certain there aren't any wild animals after our examination. But I hope everyone will remain vigilant as there may be traps in the ruins. So, please refrain from roaming as you wish..." Thomas said, turning to Rhode's group on purpose. The others also shifted their gaze dubiously toward them. They were also curious as to why Rhode's group was here. After all, judging from their appearance, the young ladies seemed to only be in their youth and the young man was only slightly over 20 years old. It didn't make too much sense to say that they were sent by B&M Company. After all, Rhode's group possessed no significant background or experience and was too immature to handle excavation matters. No wonder the soldiers and researchers weren't able to set their minds at rest. But no one felt like they were any threat to them since they were just some 'young children'.

Thomas didn't continue speaking, but continued to stare at Rhode's group in discontentment instead. Facing their uncertain gazes, Rhode's group didn't feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, they continued on with their business and even the two bad-tempered Mini Bubble Gums didn't take his words to heart. After witnessing their reaction, Thomas let out a snort to express his dissatisfaction. After all, he was only a researcher who wasn't comprehensive in worldly wisdom. Then, he continued. "... especially for those without any experience. Even though there shouldn't be any venomous snakes or wild animals in the ruins, if you break away from your team out of curiosity, no one can predict what will happen. So I hope everyone will work accordingly to orders! If any of you are to disobey the orders, I will need to ask you to leave!"

Thomas said and waved his arm.

"Alright then, ladies and gents. Let's move out!"

After hearing his remarks, the readied crowd stood up instantly and headed to their destination under the escort of the soldiers. Rhode gazed curiously at the two Bubbles who chuckled beside him. Then, he commented.

"You two sure can tolerate his insults."

He was truly surprised because based on his impression of Bubble, whenever anyone looked down upon her, she would never be so kind as to remain silent. She wasn't a reasonable person, so it wasn't possible for her to not talk back and enrage that person. Moreover, there were two of them now so the danger was doubled. In this situation, they actually didn't fight back and this piqued his curiosity.

Facing Rhode's remarks, the two Bubbles revealed insidious smiles.

"Of course, Leader. During such times in the movies, those who talk back to the protagonist are only seeking death. A so-called BOSS behind the scene is one who maintains one's composure, follow the protagonist, and torture them to death at the end. I'll put aside that idiot's words for now and give him a hard time later!"

"That's right. When the time arrives, we will show that fool how powerful we are!"

Chapter 1132: Enter the Ruins

It might possibly take a long time if it were just an excavation. But after so many years, the surroundings had been completely unearthed despite the lack of financial support. The most important task now was the internal investigation, which explained why everyone got to work immediately after getting ready, entering a cave in the mountains ahead. Apart from archaeologists and 'bystanders' like Rhode's group, there was also a ten-men excavation team and more than 20 well-trained soldiers, which wasn't considered a small number.

The cave seemed spacious enough for five to six people to go shoulder to shoulder. But as it was situated deep inside the mountains, the climate was extremely cold. At a glance, one could see the stalactites hanging down from the top of the cave. Although the cave was pitch-black, bright lights were set up on both sides of its path due to the excavation, which made it seem like a beautiful view. Thomas, who was leading the huge group, was enthusiastic as he strolled and narrated matters regarding this ruin to everyone.

"... We unintentionally discovered this ruins back then. From the very start, we only knew there were five of them. I suppose you've also seen the data. There were some relationships between the four ruins and the fifth was the hardest to find. Even though we have also unearthed records of the fifth ruin from the other four, the specific location wasn't clearly stated. Fortunately, thanks to an earthquake, our satellite managed to scan a large building complex underneath the surface and that was where we found traces of a relationship among all five ruins. If not, perhaps we wouldn't have discovered this fifth ruin."

Upon hearing Thomas's narration, a man behind him knitted his brows and asked: "Professor Thomas, if I recall correctly, according to the evaluation, the date these ruins were established..."

"That would be about 65 million years ago. We've gotten this definitive answer through our evaluations and tests. Not only that, but we have also uncovered fossils and plants from the Cretaceous period. All of them are enough to prove the time of construction."

Upon hearing Thomas's comments, Rhode twitched his brows in suspicions and didn't say a word. It seemed like those guys managed to transmigrate a long way back. If they were to succeed back then, perhaps humans wouldn't have had the chance to evolve from monkeys. Even though Rhode wasn't an expert in history, he knew 65 million years ago was when dinosaurs went extinct. Could it be that those guys were so unlucky that they were crushed by a meteorite right after they built the bases? That didn't make sense... Putting aside the fact that the meteorite didn't instantly destroy the entire Earth, most dinosaurs died due to the change in climate. As elites of the Dragon Soul Continent, as long as those guys possessed similar strength as Erin and Lydia, it shouldn't be too challenging for them to travel to the moon, build palaces, and wait inside in safety. Moreover, since they buried the Akashic Slates under the moon's surface, it went to show they were indeed capable of doing it. Furthermore, there was also a Deity Warden among them. If his younger sister wasn't wrong about the Presence Deity Warden being able to deny the pass and get rid of that meteorite, how was it possible for them to perish?

"In other words, what was established here may have been the first civilization on this planet?"

The young lady behind him couldn't stifle her agitation and asked passionately. Rhode shrugged in response. Well, if it were true, the people of the Dragon Soul Continent who came to Earth would also be considered the first civilization... even though they weren't local.

"It is highly possible. But what astonished us was that the architectural style of the five ruins was largely different from existing modern human civilization. They didn't seem to rely on any mechanical facilities and the architectural style was rather strange..." Thomas said, before coming to a halt. Everyone had been walking in the cave for two hours. As they advanced deeper, the path became increasingly wider. At that moment, they reached the end of the cave under Thomas's lead. But for some unknown reason, only this place was in complete darkness, where not even torchlights could aid them in seeing anything. Everyone turned to Thomas curiously, while the latter was apparently enjoying the moment. Facing their gazes, he looked ahead and the corners of his lips perked up into a smile. "... As for how strange they are, all of you will know after looking at them."

Thomas said, extending his hand and tapping gently on the panel at the edge of the stairs. Shortly after, in the sound of 'pops', the pitch-black space was instantly illuminated. Under the bright lights, the enormous structure was displayed before them entirely. Looking at the huge building ahead, not only the normal humans, but Lydia and Erin also widened their eyes in shock.

It was a rectangular structure that was tens of meters tall like a sacred palace residing in the deep mountains. At a glance, the surroundings of this building were as dark as the abyss where one couldn't even see the dome above. If they weren't sure that they were inside the mountains, perhaps they would think that they were in another world.

Under Thomas's lead, everyone arrived at the entrance of this sacred palace. The bright illumination of the lights allowed them to witness the palace that was as white as jade. They didn't know what materials were used to build it. The middle of the entrance was carved with mysterious and elegant patterns. Rhode sized up the sacred palace ahead and his eyes glinted in several flashes. He was almost certain that this sacred palace was related to the Void Dragon because based on its appearance, it seemed just like a replica of the palace right in the middle of Grandia. Apart from the smaller size, the other parts of it were almost exactly the same.

It seems like the five ruins were constructed by those guys dispatched by the five Creator Dragons and this ruin belonged to the Void Dragon. It also seems like everything worked out well for them from the start. If not, they wouldn't have wasted time building them. But why exactly...

At this thought, Rhode felt his heart skip a beat. An indistinct sense of insecurity surfaced in his mind. He also felt his heart pounding as though he were about to touch the truth of something. But after taking a closer look, he just couldn't figure it out. It was like taking a college entrance exam. He apparently knew the answer, but just couldn't find the specific content. This bothered him to a certain degree, but he shook his head and decided not to think about it.

"How do we enter?"

Gazing at the dark abyss that was 30 to 40 meters wide, another man pushed up his glasses, turned to Thomas, and asked dubiously. Thomas put up a helpless expression before letting out a sigh.

"I'm also considering this question."

"Can't we board an anti-gravity suspension vehicle?"

Upon hearing Thomas's response, the female researcher asked with a puzzled expression. After all, as technologies advanced, excavation became much easier for humans. In the past, there would be some dangers like in the movies. But now, those dangers seldom occurred anymore. As long as preparations were done properly, there shouldn't be any risks.

However, Thomas didn't respond to her. On the contrary, he stretched out his hand and tapped on the panel gently, and an unmanned flying device took off silently and flew straight at the sacred palace. Everyone's gaze involuntarily followed it. Just as it was about to arrive at the entrance, a bright, colorful radiance flashed and the flying device exploded in a loud 'boom' instantly. Then, it vanished entirely after being disintegrated by an unknown presence, not leaving behind any fragments.

Ssss—!

Looking at this scene, everyone took in a deep breath of cold air. Meanwhile, Rhode heard his younger sister's startled voice.

"That is an imprisonment enchanted field!"

"Imprisonment enchanted field?"

Rhode's heart sank. An imprisonment enchanted field and defensive enchanted field were entirely different. He had met one more than once in the Dragon Soul Continent, especially in ancient ruins. Unless the ancient ruins were thoroughly smashed, there would more or less be some enchanted fields around them and some were pretty strange. Back then, the Order Dimension that Rhode activated in the land of Chaos and battled with the projection was also a form of enchanted field.

But 'defensive' and 'imprisonment' were entirely different. 'Defensive' was used to protect something from harm, while 'imprisonment' was used to prevent being harmed from something. If this was just a defensive enchanted field, it would only be a defense mechanism of this sacred palace. But if it was the imprisonment enchanted field...

Could it be that one of the five Creator Dragons came up with some strange ideas back then?

Rhode's expression turned grim at this thought. Then, he asked urgently.

"Can those guys you sent cast this imprisonment enchanted field?"

This time, his younger sister pondered in silence to his question for a few moments. Then, she gnashed her teeth and said, "Only Marybelle is capable of casting such an enchanted field. This is space imprisonment and only the Deity Wardens I created are capable of using such a special enchanted field."

"... Huh?"

After hearing his younger sister's answer, Rhode scratched his head in confusion. He considered the possibilities of one of the Creator Dragons' subjects receiving orders from the dark side, ambushing Marybelle, and imprisoning this sacred palace. But as a matter of fact, this imprisonment enchanted field was released by Marybelle? What was going on? Was something imprisoned within? Marybelle couldn't have made a wrong move and trapped herself inside, right? While Rhode pondered deeply, Thomas's voice sounded once again.

"This is a kind of space barrier that is hard to break. We've spent a lot of effort and time to find a way to disintegrate it but to no avail. Fortunately, we have a solution this time..." Thomas revealed a delightful expression. This space barrier wasn't seen anywhere else and its origin also wasn't discovered, which was extremely strange. No matter where they excavated, they didn't figure out where it came from. Of course, he reported this matter to his higher-ups to request for more funds and equipment. However, the higher-ups were no longer interested in the research of ruins back then and the space barrier was too challenging to break. Even though the higher-ups had the will and intention to research, they were also afraid of causing a ruckus and causing it to be discovered by outsiders, which was why they eventually gave up. But now, after Thomas gained their full support, he finally found a solution.

Thomas waved his arm and several soldiers went up to him, placing four large, sealed iron boxes on the ground solemnly. They opened the boxes and everyone witnessed four stone statues carved with dragons inside. Looking at the four dragons, Rhode's expression turned complicated... Well, this wasn't the first time he saw them.

"This is what we unearthed in the other four ruins. According to my analysis, they contain strange powers that coincide with the energy waves from this shield. We did an experiment earlier and found that as long as we trigger the powers of these four statues, we can break the shield."

Thomas said and made a hand gesture. Shortly after, an officer pressed the button on a hand-held device and a mechanical sound rang. Unsure of what methods they used, the stone dragons emanated a mysterious, white radiance instantly. Their eyes also brightened and emitted eight dazzling light beams abruptly, striking heavily on the sacred palace. Then, the colorful shield around the sacred palace appeared once again. Looking at this scene, everyone widened their eyes in surprise and due to this reason, no one discovered the bright glint flashing in Rhode's eyes. At the same time, a faint magical summoning radiance flickered on Rhode's right hand, before transforming into an odd, circular magical ritual that spun for a few seconds before vanishing entirely.

This scene lasted for less than two minutes. As Rhode stood at the back of the large group, no one realized the phenomenon. Along with his movement, the shield suddenly disappeared and loud thunderous booms were heard where large slates flew out of the abyss and formed a huge path.

Gazing at this scene, Thomas became incomparably thrilled. He ascended the flight of stairs in excitement without beckoning to the rest, but they hurried to follow him closely. Meanwhile, the soldiers also raised their weapons quickly and went up the stairs, leaving behind Rhode's group in the back.

"Your Majesty Rhode, is anything the matter?"

Looking at this majestic palace, Lydia and Erin were curious to check it out. However, Rhode had given them a signal earlier and made them stay in the back. At this moment, they looked at him in confusion, while Rhode observed their expressions and nodded.

"That's right, something strange may be going on. I suppose both of you have already witnessed it. That is an imprisonment enchanted field, so perhaps something odd is inside. Everyone, be careful, especially of those guys at the front. Don't let them touch anything they shouldn't. If not, there will be trouble."

Rhode said and turned to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.

"Of course, attack if anything is to happen."

It went without saying that Thomas wasn't aware that he had gotten in too deep. After Rhode's group entered the sacred palace, Thomas and the rest were observing the surroundings in excitement. The walls of this sacred palace were engraved with all sorts of mystical wording that was unknown to most people—even Erin and Lydia only had slight knowledge of it. But with Rhode's younger sister, who was the original Void Dragon, around, it went without saying that she understood the words. As the group advanced, Rhode's younger sister explained the content to him.

Indeed, what was recorded on the walls of this sacred palace was the pioneering history of Marybelle and the representative sent by the Creator Dragons. According to the records, even though the five Creator Dragons' representatives had transmigrated, they were separated and not sent to the same place. They didn't gather immediately, but chose to build camps individually instead (It seemed like the representatives also understood what demarcation was, where they had thought of separating territories before transmigrating). Back then, Earth was naturally abnormally dangerous to ordinary people. But in the eyes of the representatives, the dinosaurs were nothing more than ordinary 'creatures'. After all, compared to the beasts and wild animals in the Dragon Soul Continent, even though the dinosaurs were massive, they didn't possess similar abilities, so they were no threat at all.

On the other hand, Marybelle had also successfully constructed this sacred palace. Then, as long as they gathered, activated the Door of Akasha, and opened up the teleportation channel... But...

"How is this possible?!"

After reading the text on the wall, Rhode's younger sister shrieked. Rhode gazed at the unknown text, as well as the drawn twisted monsters. After a few moments, his younger sister explained.

"... Big Brother, if the records aren't wrong... we may have some troubles ahead..."

Chapter 1133: Weak Fetal Movement

Tens of thousands of undead creatures swarmed the enemy ahead like a rushing tide. They scattered from their formation cleanly like a mysterious, dense, dark mist of death surging forward at the fully-armored soldiers who raised their long shields. Meanwhile, the clerics stood in the back and chanted in unison. As both sides were about to clash at close quarters, the clerics raised their hands high and a dazzling, sacred radiance glittered, enveloping the soldiers in the blink of an eye. At the next moment, both sides collided. Then, the Holy Maiden Statue emanated a crystal-clear brilliance, sending several light columns that descended from above to disperse the dense, dark mist entirely.

The undead creatures charged fearlessly, but their enemies weren't ordinary humans either. The well-trained soldiers flourished swords that were enhanced by holy blessings, hacking the undead creatures into halves effortlessly—a feat ordinary weapons couldn't achieve. Magical radiance flickered from time to time. The lichs positioned behind the undead creatures raised their staff and launched a mix of lightning and fireballs forward. However, the other side cast a colorful barrier that resisted and devoured them entirely. On the other hand, the death knights riding the incubi spiraled in midair, clashing with the battle angels who brandished their swords at them.

At that moment, some changes happened to the formations of both sides. The undead creatures pressed forward, while the humans seemingly failed to resist their aggression and retreated. Shortly after, the formation in the middle began to show signs of crumbling. The undead creatures seized this opportunity and swarmed toward them like a massive tsunami, striving to break through the defensive lines in the shortest time possible. They were as though a battering ram, pounding on a crack repeatedly. Under this ferocious attack, the humans' front was in a precarious state, twisting and struggling like city doors under heavy impact where just a little more and they would collapse completely.

Boom!

The humans' dense formation finally crumbled, revealing a crack, and the massive assault troops of the undead creatures instantly rushed through it quickly. As soon they marched forward, the human army would be completely annihilated... Well, that should have been the case.

But the truth was otherwise.

As the undead creatures rushed through the crack, both sides of the humans' formation surged abruptly. The powerless sheep scrambling to provide support had turned into ferocious wolves, snapping their jaws open and dispersing to both sides while the undead creatures' formation was unstable. The humans penetrated the undead creatures' formation like two flying daggers. At the same time, some uncharacteristic changes occurred to the center of the humans' formation like a vortex engulfing the undead creatures that rushed into it. Shortly after, a series of magical radiances erupted, but it wasn't able to stop the humans. Meanwhile, the battle angels soaring in the air coordinated with their movements and pushed forward to repel the death knights. On the other side, the Holy Maiden Statue emanated a brilliance that swept across the land horizontally, blazing the dense masses of soul griffins in a sea of blue flames as they vanished into nothingness.

The undead creatures were in a turmoil as they witnessed countless strings of magical radiance erupting like a violent storm bombarding the battlefield. The clerics yelled and gestured with their hands. Along with this movement, golden threads flew out of their hands and turned into a huge, golden pyramid-shaped crystal barrier in midair to stop the magic attacks. In the continuous explosions, the dazzling radiance appeared in sequence on the periphery of the barrier. Even though the attacks were resisted, the golden barrier also dimmed from the impact.

At this moment, the young lady riding silently on the horse finally made her move.

She opened her eyes and scanned the battlefield. Extending her hand and flipping through the tome in front of her, she slid her finger across the pages. In this action, unfathomable symbols and texts began 'drifting' from the pages on their own before flashing across the sky.

At the next moment, thousands of magic spells recorded in the tome were instantly activated.

As the human army retreated swiftly, the battlefield was enveloped by all sorts of magic spells. The blinding white radiance forced the undead creatures shrinking back and growling. The lichs couldn't gaze straight at the strong brilliance and even those that stood far away felt burning pain as they were enveloped by the light. What the young lady had done was record all the offensive magic spells used from the start of the battle and released them all at once. This mighty strike was no weaker than Lydia's utmost attack. Not only that, but the magic spells also lasted for a long time. As the rumbling and thunderous explosions resonated in the clouds, the earth rumbled and only stopped after a few moments.

When everyone managed to return to their senses from the glaring light and looked ahead, the belligerent undead army had already vanished in a puff of smoke. The battlefield was also completely scorched. The death knights tangling with the battle angels and lichs at the back were saved by the bell. Looking at this scene, the undead creatures stopped attacking and chose to retreat quickly.

Until they had all retreated, the young lady yawned, turned to her subordinates, and waved her hand.

"Alright, pack it up. Revive and heal those who need it and get ready to move out."

Orchid Heart said and extended her right hand, where a scarlet light sphere flew into the sky. Christie, who sat a distance away, witnessed the light sphere and stood to her feet. Shortly after, a pure white scroll unrolled in front of her. She reached her hand out, held the pen that appeared out of thin air, and waved it gently. Immediately after, the night sky that was as dark as ink quietly disappeared like some kind of fuel that was saturated, only to be replaced by a sky full of stars. The huge, fiery sun emerged from the horizon, illuminating the pitch-black land with its warm, dazzling light and rescuing it from the eternal darkness.

"It seems like the Dark Dragon has made up his mind to not stop until Rhode is back."

Marlene, who stood beside Christie, knitted her brows. She gazed at the boundless night sky in the distance and said in a lowered voice.

"Hmph, just a mere Creator Dragon and he is trying to find trouble with us. This is simply outrageous!"

On the other side, Cassidy grumbled. Upon hearing her remarks, Alice who stood on the other side twitched her brow and commented briefly.

"I have no news of His Majesty yet. But I think he won't take too long to return."

"Hope so."

Marlene responded, before letting out a sigh.

Rhode wasn't aware that the Void Territory was ambushed by undead creatures soon after he left the Dragon Soul Continent. That's right, ambushed by the undead creatures and not the Dark Dragon. In the beginning, this worried Marlene and the others deeply. They thought Ion had decided to shed all pretense of cordiality and launch an all-out attack which was why they didn't retaliate immediately. But later, they realized that even though the undead creatures were aggressive, there were basically no powerful troops leading them. Great lichs were nowhere in sight, not to mention the legendary generals. That was when everyone discovered that this ambush was perhaps arranged by the Dark Dragon to sound out the strength of the Void Territory. Such occurrences weren't rare. After all, to the Country of Darkness, sacrificing low-level undead creatures wasn't considered a huge loss to them. On the other hand, if the Void Territory collapsed to this level of probing, it just went to show how weak they were.

The six deity wardens were not to be trifled with. Back then, they were mighty figures who led armies under the Void Dragon in wars against Chaos Beings. So it went without saying that they wouldn't complain to the twin dragons about such a small matter. It could also be said that they totally disregarded a dragon soul heir like Ion, which was also why Rhode was assured to leave the territory in their care. Even though the six deity wardens were considered the same as the four legendary generals and three archangels in terms of level, none of the deity wardens would falter against a dragon soul heir in terms of strength. If Ion dared to charge over, he could only watch helplessly as long as Marlene and Alice went all-out. With the six deity wardens' strength, perhaps it wouldn't be easy defeating Ion, but stopping him wouldn't be too challenging either. Of course, it was merely because the six deity wardens weren't assembled. As soon as they reunited, even Siena and Nalea had to head back to where they came from. And now, four of the six deity wardens were present. There weren't any issues with the strongest Christie and Cassidy, so they weren't afraid of taking Ion on.

Since the Dark Dragon sent troops to probe their strength, the Void Territory would seem inferior if they retaliated with great fanfare. If the undead creatures were to attack again, Orchid Heart would lead the army and resist them to give them a taste of their own medicine. Although she wasn't in the Legendary Stage yet and her physical strength wasn't as powerful as the lichs, since Rhode had handed all soldiers to her care, he could only let her lead the attack.

If it were in the past, there were no good consequences from battles between humans and undead creatures. But now, it was different with revival spells. Orchid Heart used this chance to experiment with how exactly revival spells worked in reality. After all, the corpses of players who were killed would remain in perfect condition despite being slashed by axes or ground into minced meat. After a white light of healing spell shone on them, they would stand up and be considered revived. But in reality, it wasn't as harmonious as players who were chopped, smashed, and stomped to a bloody mess were clearly shown. No one knew how exactly the revival spells would work, which was why after leading the soldiers in this battle, Orchid Heart began her research.

But what exceeded her expectations was that the revival spells in reality were unlike the fast recovery of bloody flesh wounds or broken limbs in the movies. Instead, a white light would shine on the corpses and they would vanish. At the next moment, they would recover as in the game, which didn't seem as ghastly.

This fact boosted the confidence of the soldiers. In the beginning, the soldiers were more or less terrified to face the undead creatures under Orchid Heart's lead. But after several clashes and discovering how potent the revival spells were, they were no longer afraid of death. Meanwhile, Orchid Heart had gotten in the groove in commanding. She was an expert in commanding players in battle. Even though it wasn't impossible to reach her goal leading human soldiers, she would sacrifice too much manpower. But with the revival spells, she had no such concerns at all. After personally witnessing the might of the revival spells, the soldiers became dead set against the undead army. Furthermore, Orchid Heart was experienced in battles against undead creatures. With her unique abilities, she swung her arm to strike back at the Country of Darkness!

Of course, Orchid Heart acted cautiously, advanced inch by inch, and didn't penetrate deeply by herself. As the area was near the border and many humans resided nearby, she chose to recruit them so as to add some strength to her side. Facing Orchid Heart's retaliation, the Country of Darkness hadn't instantly come up with any counter solutions. Although they could choose to send out stronger troops, it would mean that both sides were tearing into each other. Besides, there wasn't an unreasonable agreement that forbade one side from retaliating when under attack. That was why the Void Territory and Country of Darkness were confronting each other during this period of time. However, Orchid Heart wasn't one to be trifled with. If they didn't mess with her, she would choose to settle camp and take over the occupied areas. If they attacked, she would lead an army to take over a piece of land after defeating them. This period of time was somewhat pleasant in a sense.

Both sides were waiting for the other party to commit a mistake.

At this moment, in the Darkness Capital, Ion was grimly listening to Balende's report.

"Is it? Our army lost again?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

At this moment, Balende felt helpless. With the emergence of revival spells, the Country of Darkness took the biggest hit. In the past, when they were in war, they gathered sacrificed corpses and replenished their battle strength almost immediately. But now that the enemy had revival spells, it was an entirely different matter. The enemies could revive their troops, while the undead creatures who were purified couldn't be used to replenish their forces. The undead army was no longer as threatening as before. Taking Orchid Heart, for instance: this time she led more than 20,000 humans into battle, while the undead army had always sent out 40,000 to 50,000 troops. As a result, apart from losing some soldiers in the first few days, other soldiers basically revived to full health for the remaining time. After all, the soldiers weren't confident of the revival spells before witnessing and experiencing it for themselves. But after being repeatedly revived, they solidified their faith. Unless some of the unfortunate ones had their bodies contaminated by the undead aura, there basically wouldn't be any deaths in war.

On the contrary, the casualties of the undead army couldn't be revived to replenish their forces. Even though they were low-level troops and weren't worthy of a mention, it wouldn't be favorable for the Country of Darkness if this continued.

Balende pondered in silence and said.

"Your Majesty, should we stop the battle? After all, based on the current situation..."

Before Balende completed his sentence, Ion waved his hand and interrupted. Balende quickly shut his mouth in silence. After a few moments, he heard Ion's reponse.

"Alright, I got it. You may leave now."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Upon hearing Ion's response, Balende was speechless. In fact, he finally understood why Erin acted so cautiously and worriedly whenever she mentioned Rhode to him. Although Ion was a great and strategic ruler, he was less outstanding in foreign affairs. The twin dragons disliked battles, while Lilian was timid and easily frightened. That was why Ion had always been spontaneous, so never did he expect Rhode to show up along the way. Not only did Rhode disrupt his plans time and time again, but he also became the Void Dragon and his subordinates were much stronger than the four legendary generals. Even until now, Rhode's subordinates were capable of taking his harassing tactics. Perhaps the Country of Light that was established for years wasn't even this tough to deal with. And now, Ion apparently had no intention of giving up, which made Balende worried. But he understood Ion's personality, which was why he didn't continue speaking and chose to leave.

It was just that... not even Balende was that confident in Ion. After all, it didn't matter even if Ion was impressive in the nation as the Dark Dragon. Unless the undead creatures were pressured into rebelling, none of them wouldn't dare to disobey orders. It would be considered true capability when one didn't falter against foreign enemies. But at least it seemed now that Ion wasn't advantageous in his clashes against Rhode.

"..."

Ion didn't respond. He grimaced and watched as Balende left. Then, he turned around and also left the palace.

The entire Darkness Capital was in silence. This was a place that didn't belong to humans at all. As the Dark Dragon, Ion disliked being interrupted by anyone, which was why the whole hall was empty. Ion took a step forward and as though sensing something, he came to an abrupt halt and shifted his gaze to a corner of the dark palace. He let out a snort, extended his right hand, and clenched his fist!

"———!"

All of a sudden, a figure that was seemingly twisted out of shape let out a screech and jumped out. It was illusory and its eyes glinted in a mystical golden radiance. Judging from its appearance, it was similar to the mysterious black-clothed figure that Erin fought earlier.

"Hmph!"

Staring at the strange figure, Ion snorted and tightened his right fist. Along with this movement, the figure let out a mourning scream before vanishing into nothingness. Ion retracted his right hand, swept a glance at his surroundings coldly, and turned around to leave.

He didn't realize that the instant he killed the dark, mysterious figure, a pitch-black ray of light flashed across his hand, before disappearing entirely.

Chapter 1134: Bizarre Transforming Object

Rhode wasn't aware of what was going on in the Dragon Soul Continent right now. He put his hands behind his back, stood quietly by the side, and gazed at the sacred palace ahead. At that moment, everyone had arrived at the central plaza of the first floor and were examining the area. This place was rather similar to the center of Rhode's Grandia with its stairs paved with white slates, encircling the entire round plaza. The verdant plants that grew on both sides hadn't decayed as though time hadn't passed at all. The stone pillars surrounding the plaza were engraved with the shapes of all sorts of mysterious creatures. But a single glance from Rhode made him recognize most of them as creatures of the Dragon Soul Continent. They also portrayed the story where the Void Dragon and other four Creator Dragons joined hands to create the Dragon Soul Continent amongst the chaos. With the person involved (his younger sister) here, Rhode wasn't interested in admiring the murals, but began to ponder on the information he had received from her instead.

In general, this wasn't considered anything serious. All the murals described and recorded was the day when the Void Dragon and her subordinates encountered monsters and had gotten into a clash. However, they couldn't defeat the monsters and had no choice but to retreat. On the other hand, Marybelle stepped up and eradicated the monsters effortlessly. After she returned, not only did she reprimand the subordinates who roamed around freely, but she also strictly prohibited them from wandering to dangerous places. But come to think of it, the murals in sacred places were meant for one to praise, so it would be ridiculous if one were to record every embarrassing detail on them.

Rhode wouldn't be surprised if this were to happen in the Dragon Soul Continent. But it was entirely different here. This was Earth and according to his younger sister, the subordinates that Marybelle led were level 70 at minimum. At this level, not even dealing with devils would require much effort, not to mention eliminating dinosaurs like Tyrannosauruses, who were nothing more than oversized chickens. Rhode felt strange no matter how he imagined Celia and Celestina fleeing desperately from the chase of a group of dinosaurs. Moreover, even though Marybelle defeated the monsters quickly, she strictly prohibited her subordinates from wandering too far away. This also astonished his younger sister because among the deity wardens, Marybelle was the most prudent, which was why the Void Dragon had chosen her to lead the team. But for this Presence Deity Warden to act so cautiously against dinosaurs that were a flock of oversized chickens, something must be wrong somewhere. Considering that situation, the latter was more possible than the former.

But it was a pity that the murals didn't provide too much information regarding this matter. It simply mentioned a few details and the latter began displaying records of how the Void Dragon's subordinates arrived here, built the sacred palace, and established territory. This was why even though Rhode and his younger sister felt suspicious, they couldn't gain much with the information and could only advance patiently.

On the other hand, Erin and Lydia were fascinated by this place. They admired the murals leisurely along the way. The two Mini Bubble Gums became uncharacteristically obedient as they stood by the side with a fake smile, apparently intending to become the final BOSS of this 'sci-fi thriller film'. Rhode observed as they whispered into each other's ears and was sure that they were up to no good. Meanwhile, the two Canaries sat by the side in the distance, appreciating the beautiful scenery of this sacred palace.

At that moment, Thomas and the rest apparently didn't care about Rhode's group. Everything would be fine as long as they didn't wander off by themselves. Even though they were moved by this magnificent palace, they weren't familiar with this place, after all. After some examinations to ensure nothing was dangerous, Thomas discussed with the people around him. Then, he waved his arm and said, "Alright then, we will stop here for today. Let's get ready to begin our exploration."

Upon hearing his order, Rhode puckered his brows. This sacred palace was a replica of Grandia, and the first floor was the size of several plazas. There were many rooms around so if this group of men were to search each and every room, perhaps it would take more than half a year to finish exploring them. Rhode had intended to sneak in after they left, but it seemed like they had the intentions to 'live and work together' with him. It was apparent that Thomas wasn't assured in leaving Rhode's group alone and definitely didn't want them to roam about freely.

It seems like...

At this thought, Rhode couldn't help but turn to the two Mini Bubble Gums ahead who were whispering into each other's ears.

Maybe we're really stepping into the plot of a sci-fi thriller film.

After this thought emerged in his mind for a second, Rhode didn't say much. He gazed at the group before him and the fingers on his right hand twitched. Along with this movement, a radiance flashed and coalesced into a mystical ritual that revolved silently before vanishing entirely into light dust.

家を建てるなら/ERABERU - [公式]アエラホーム

"Alright then, we..."

Thomas totally didn't realize that Rhode was up to something. At that moment, he was delightfully researching the murals around him while carefully storing the plants that he had gathered. Just as he was about to give an order to leave, the entire palace rumbled all of a sudden. Then, large steles appeared around the passageway and flew forward. Looking at this scene, everyone flustered and hurried ahead to leave this place. But after several loud rumbles, the exit was sealed completely by the thick, heavy steles. In an instant, everyone was trapped in the hall.

Thomas panicked. He turned to Rhode's group quickly and snarled, "I told you not to touch anything!"

Upon hearing his remarks, Rhode, Lydia, and the rest didn't respond. On the other hand, the two Mini Bubble Gums turned grim. This old fart was obviously finding trouble with them. There were so many people in the palace and several soldiers also stood guard, and yet he just had to blame them for it? But they knew that since they were the final BOSS, they had to have the self-restraint of a BOSS. They couldn't take the bait like a small role. That was why when facing Thomas's accusation, they didn't say a word, but exchanged glances with each other, lifted their heads to look at the scenery instead. After all, they were unlike a commoner like Thomas. They knew the history of this sacred palace. Meanwhile, the fact that Rhode wasn't flustered at all meant that this incident was most likely caused by him, which was why the two Mini Bubble Gums said nothing. They watched and laughed in their heads as Thomas and the rest turned ashen as they investigated the situation.

Thomas stopped focusing his attention on Rhode's group as he knew that they were only going where the crowds were. But for this to suddenly happen, Thomas was feeling unusually anxious. He didn't witness anything bizarre in this place, which was why he was assured to complete his task. But now, he was bewildered that this place was completely sealed off. Fortunately, they brought compressed food and water for emergencies so they wouldn't die of hunger anytime soon. However, if this were to continue, they would be in huge trouble.

At that moment, Thomas lost his good mood. He extended his hand and tapped his wrist lightly to activate the communications device. However, all he heard was the sound of static. This turned his already ashen expression even uglier. He looked at the surrounding soldiers and knitted his brows. After a few moments of consideration, he spoke.

"Get the explosives and blast this door open."

"Yes, Sir."

After hearing his command, the soldiers immediately ran toward the door, set the explosives, and evacuated. Shortly after, in a red flash of light and a loud explosion, explosives strong enough to blast open a mountain path instantly set off a burst of dust. But after the smoke dispersed, the stone door was still in perfect condition. Not only that, but the floor below it also wasn't scratched at all.

Witnessing this scene, Thomas's expression turned even uglier. On the other hand, Rhode stood in silence as he watched. After all, this palace was considered to be built by the deity wardens and was also protected by an imprisonment spell. It would be a joke if humans could break it apart using explosives. Even though the might of the explosion was as though the strength of one to two fireball spells, Rhode clearly knew that not even 10,000 fireball spells could do the trick unless they were part of an offensive spell cast by one in the Peak Legendary Stage. On Earth, a small nuclear warhead could blast it apart... perhaps.

"Hmm?"

While Rhode observed Thomas as he ran around in circles anxiously, he suddenly felt like something was amiss. A few seconds ago, he sensed something within the palace moving as though a presence that had been hibernating just let out a yawn. Although it was only for an instant, the aura exuding from it put Rhode on the alert. The aura was rather gloomy as though carrying a certain smell of death. Not only that, but it also left Rhode astonished... He was unfamiliar with this aura, but it somewhat startled him as though a sleeping monster that could devour them all was right beneath them. As soon as it widened its mouth, it could wipe out all humans above it.

At this thought, Rhode's heart sank. However, he wasn't afraid as he had never witnessed any enemies who could overthrow Lydia and Erin at their peak even in the Dragon Soul Continent. Even though he didn't have his dragon essence right now, he had nothing to be afraid of with Mini Bubble Gum and Canary around. On the other hand, although the real Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren't strong, Rhode had followed his younger sister's instructions to adjust their strength using the system before they left Earth. If they were in a battle, the strength of their projected selves would be copied to them as soon as Rhode used his powers. When that happened, Rhode could be considered to have formed a top-notch seven-man raid team. With this powerful team, as long as he wasn't facing a dragon soul heir, he didn't need to be afraid of anyone. Although he felt unusually odd and concerned about what was underneath, he wasn't all that alarmed yet.

But before he considered any further, Thomas ordered helplessly. It seemed like it was impossible to open this door anymore and they could only continue moving deeper to find other ways to leave this huge palace. Fortunately, Thomas used the satellite to scan the entire location once before entering, which gave them a clear image of the specific locations of the passageways. Thereafter, everyone headed toward the pitch-black passageway under the escort of the soldiers.

This time, no one was in the mood to admire the scenery along the way. The entire palace was several meters tall and had no windows, apart from the colorful sunroof on the dome above. But everyone knew not to rely upon it. Putting aside the fact that Thomas and the others couldn't climb that high, whether they could even make it out even if they succeeded was another issue. Instead of taking the risk, they might as well continue advancing and perhaps find another exit.

Meanwhile, Rhode's group felt increasingly strange the deeper they headed. Ordinary people like Thomas and the others didn't realize it, but Rhode, Lydia, Erin, and the rest sensed the growingly dangerous aura. It was like an everlasting aura of death that had existed for millions of years, rolling around them with dense murderous intent. It was so strong that even Mini Bubble Gum and Canary couldn't handle it. If it weren't for Rhode who urged them repeatedly to restrain themselves and not do anything suspicious to be discovered by Thomas and the others, perhaps Mini Bubble Gum would have already cast a defensive barrier. But even so, everyone remained on high alert.

"The aura of death here is so strong, Your Majesty."

Gazing at the surroundings, Erin lowered her voice and said vigilantly to Rhode.

"Frankly, I stayed in the Country of Darkness for a long time, but have never been to a place with such a strong presence of death. What makes it strange is that this aura of death doesn't seem to be left by humans. Instead..."

"Ahhh!"

Before Erin completed her sentence, a scream from the front interrupted her. Everyone was taken aback immediately. They lifted their heads and looked at where Thomas and the others were. Right there, a soldier who was holding up a flashlight and shining the path ahead shuddered as though he were bitten by something and quickly dragged away. Everyone merely witnessed the radiance of his flashlight flitting across the darkness and he vanished to nowhere.

Looking at this scene, the others were flabbergasted. Before Thomas was able to give a command, he heard yet another blood-curdling scream. Three to five of the soldiers who escorted the civilians were immediately dragged away by some mysterious presence from the darkness. After several screeches and gunshots, there were no more movements. At that moment, everyone tensed up instantly. The captain of the soldiers waved his arm and the soldiers quickly surrounded Thomas, Rhode, and the rest in the middle. Then, the well-trained soldiers tossed flash bangs ahead one after another upon the captain's orders. In an instant, the dark surroundings lit up like daytime, but no mysterious presences were seen. Apart from the surrounding walls, there was nothing. Rhode's group witnessed several shadows dart across the place the instant the flash bangs burst, but didn't get to witness their true identities.

Shortly after, the blinding radiance of the flash bangs faded away. At the same time, Rhode keenly sensed the eruptions of death aura from all directions as they ambushed his group.

"Attack!"

At this moment, Rhode was no longer interested in putting up an act anymore. He didn't wish to become the protagonist who was chased by monsters in sci-fi thriller films. In fact, the reason why Rhode and his group put up a disguise was to prevent other countries from figuring out what they were up to. But now, his goal was considered achieved after entering the ruins. That was why he didn't disguise himself anymore. He dashed forward and a burst of light erupted from his hand where a dazzling sword appeared. At the same time, Lydia, Erin, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum also made their moves, launching attacks on the enemies from all directions!

First to attack were the two Mini Bubble Gums. As clerics, their first move was undeniably to set up strong defenses. They had held back for so long after abiding by Rhode's command and now, they couldn't tolerate it any longer. As soon as they heard his command, they cheered and tossed aside the self-restraint of a BOSS, attacking at the same time. A golden radiance flickered in an instant. White runes scattered in an explosion to form two barriers that protected everyone. Meanwhile, the dark aura of death arrived, pouncing on the spiritual barrier before retreating swiftly after.

At the same time, Rhode, Erin, and Lydia carried out their attacks.

Even though the aura of death was deadly to ordinary humans, Lydia wasn't afraid of it at all as an archangel. She laid out her blades in a crisscross stance where several golden blade rays flickered, slicing and shredding the dark mist effortlessly. Shortly after, in the sound of anguished wailing, the death aura rolled back, desperately fleeing from her holy brilliance.

But they didn't expect Erin to be waiting patiently at the side. She didn't release her aura, but drew in the air with a finger instead. The scattered dark shadows around her transformed into razor-sharp blades with this action of hers and clinched the death aura, devouring them entirely. As the princess of the Country of Darkness, Erin wasn't any less experienced than Lydia in dealing with undead creatures. In a few moments, a huge mass of the peculiar dark shadows disappeared.

Meanwhile, Rhode's hand flashed in a white radiance. A white card appeared out of thin air and flew toward the enemies ahead!

Chapter 1135: Shadows of the Ice City (1)

Biting cold gales blustered in the area. The little mermaid raised her arms and released a whistling snowstorm that froze the place into ice. The shadowy monsters howled in grief at this ice-cold ambush and their illusory bodies froze into ice. After a few moments, a dozen of them showed up before everyone in frost. Rhode darted ahead and his sword flickered in an ice-cold radiance, slashing an arc that split them into halves. Upon realizing how tough this human was, the shadowy monsters gave up on the thought of chasing after him. But even so, they quietly stayed away from the defensive circle and lurked on the outside.

But shortly after, another two to three huge, shadowy monsters leaped and widened their mouths to spray a dense, black mist of death aura at them. However, Mini Bubble Gum wasn't one to be trifled with. Facing this ambush, she swung her right arm abruptly and a golden radiance sparkled. A thick and massive white light column descended from above almost immediately after, smashing the shadowy monsters to the ground like an iron hammer and scattering their black mist.

After continuous failures in attacking, the shadowy monsters stopped trying. It could be seen that they were intelligent creatures. In this case, it made it even harder for Rhode's group to advance. The shadowy monsters were like a pack of dangerous wolves lurking in the darkness. As soon as one let loose, they would pounce and crunch on one. If this continued, the predicament of Rhode's group would become worse. If they were ordinary civilians, they wouldn't have a way against these monsters. But...

"Mias..."

"... iansg!"

The instant the shadowy monsters retreated to pull a distance apart from Rhode's group, the two Canaries extended their arms at the same time. At that moment, they displayed perfect rapport. Even though they attacked simultaneously, they chanted two different parts of the incantation respectively and streaked their fingers in midair. Shortly after, a huge, elegant magical ritual appeared between them. A scarlet fireball as bright as the sun appeared above them. In a rumble, a crimson halo expanded to the surroundings. Looking at this scene, the shadowy monsters sensed the dangers and shrunk back urgently. But it was too late. Everyone was blinded for a split second, while the crimson halo devoured the enemies completely. Flares flitted across the space and everything went missing in sight.

After this attack, the enemies seemed to come to a realization that Rhode's group was tough to deal with. Rhode sensed the death aura rolling around them fleeing desperately after suffering from the two Canaries' attacks and managed to escape after a while. It seemed like they didn't dare to carelessly attack anymore. But Rhode also discovered something about them. He commanded everyone to launch all-out attacks at the start because he found out that the death aura that attacked them was less than a thousandth of what he had sensed. He thought they were only attacking to probe their strength, which was why he eradicated them completely before they reacted. However, he didn't expect the death aura to fluster and continued to linger around as though it couldn't turn around and escape even if it were thrashed by his group repeatedly. This went to show that the imprisonment enchanted field on this place was useful against them. Rhode didn't grasp the entire palace yet, which was why he didn't have the intention to give chase after repelling them.

After the shadowy monsters retreated, the dimmed corridor lit up instantly. The magic crystals on both sides of the walls emanated a clear, dazzling brilliance that illuminated the corridor. At that moment, Thomas and the rest returned to their senses, gawking at Rhode's group in bewilderment. They tried and attacked the monsters earlier, but no matter what they did, the monsters weren't affected at all. On the contrary, a few random moves from Rhode's group eradicated those terrifying monsters immediately and this startled them. Thomas and the others gazed dubiously at Rhode who wielded a sword, as well as Erin and Lydia. After the battle ended, the two Canaries went to the side quietly. On the other hand, the two Mini Bubble Gums disregarded this group of 'ordinary people', let out a snort, and stopped paying attention to them—yes, that was the demeanor of an expert. Just look at those idiots like Spiderman, Superman, and whatnot. They became so powerful after their transformation and yet they had to bow down to ordinary people, leading to their wives being stolen, girlfriends being snatched, and families being killed. Not only that, but they also sat by the window in their lonesome self, listening to news about how their women broke 'unspoken rules' and got together with their best friends and wiped the tears flowing down their faces as they went on to rescue Earth... Just what was the point for such almighty superheroes to live and rescue the world?

"W-Who... exactly are you people?!"

A ghastly whiteness spread over Thomas's face. He thought Rhode's group was nothing more than an insignificant group sent here to do nothing. But after witnessing their battle, he was stumped. After all, their battle style didn't resemble any ordinary humans' at all. Upon hearing his doubt, Erin and Lydia merely smiled in response. After all, one was a night wyvern and the other was an archangel who looked at humans like they were cats and dogs. They didn't have the mentality of acknowledging them. On the other hand, the two Mini Bubble Gums seized this opportunity to sneer and gaze at the ashen Thomas proudly.

"What has that got to do with you anyway, idiot? It's none of your business what we do. You'd better follow us obediently if you want to live. If not, you can get lost for all you want! Hmph!"

Thomas had been treating them as newbies and bossing them around, which was why Rhode's group couldn't be bothered to bicker with him. But Mini Bubble Gum was a narrow-minded little fellow. Since she no longer needed to conceal her identity, she instantly used this chance to mock him back. But it was a pity that as a researcher, Thomas wasn't too affected by her. Even if Mini Bubble Gum berated his ancestors, he would treat as though he didn't hear her. On the contrary, he went up to the little mermaid and sized up the young lady curiously. The little mermaid was startled as soon as Thomas hurried toward her and quickly turned around to hide behind Rhode. At this moment, Thomas returned to his senses. He looked at Rhode and was seemingly about to speak when suddenly, Rhode shot him a cold look that made him shudder in fear and shut his mouth.

Rhode couldn't be bothered with Thomas, while the latter and the rest were speechless. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. On the other hand, the soldiers clutched weapons, but didn't know what they should do. Logically speaking, even though Rhode was naturally their companion after repelling the monsters for them, the battle style of his group was too mysterious. Although they also used swords, their speed was faster than bullets. Moreover, the spiritual and magic spells Canary and Mini Bubble Gum released were also unusually strange. Such incredible abilities were definitely beyond the so-called human limit. Furthermore, Rhode's identity was also peculiar. That was why the soldiers didn't know if they should stay or leave.

At that moment, Canary's voice sounded and broke the awkward atmosphere.

"Rhode, take a look at this."

"Oh?"

Rhode turned to the two Canaries who were standing before a monster corpse and scanning it curiously with knitted brows. Their expressions piqued Rhode's curiosity and he went up to them quickly. Rhode was taken aback after witnessing the corpse.

"What's going on?"

What presented itself before him was a mysterious creature with a long head and neck, as well as a body and tail of a lizard the size of an adult. But due to some unknown reason, its body was completely rotten. It seemed like a dinosaur in the movies, but compared to one, something just didn't seem right...

"T-This is a Rapator!"

While Rhode pondered deeply, he suddenly heard Thomas's exclamation. Rhode turned to the latter and saw him gasping in astonishment at the corpse. Upon detecting Rhode's gaze, Thomas disregarded Mini Bubble Gum's rudeness earlier and began to explain to him.

"This is a carnivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period but... why is it so huge? A Rapator should have been the size of a dog... could this be a mutant?"

Thomas questioned, knelt down, and extracted its flesh using his hand. As soon as he did, Rhode witnessed the shadow inside the dinosaur's body trembling, before surging and pouncing on Thomas abruptly. Rhode's reaction was quick; he grabbed Thomas and threw him to the back; at the same time, the holy sword in his hand burst out a dazzling sacred radiance. In the blink of an eye, several blade rays erupted, shredding the shadows and devouring it entirely like an enormous beast.

Undead creature?

Upon detecting the mysterious aura, Rhode felt increasingly suspicious. He had witnessed this method from undead creatures many times. But frankly, he couldn't relate the dinosaurs with undead creatures at all. Well, he couldn't be blamed. It wasn't tough for him to imagine a group of death knights riding on a huge and tall incubi carrying out an assault. But it was an entirely different issue for him to imagine a group of death knights riding motorcycles or tanks and yelling attack slogans. And now, upon witnessing this group of dinosaurs who had seemingly become undead creatures, it just felt too strange for him.

At this thought, Rhode said no more. Even though he didn't know what exactly it was, it didn't seem like anything good. He flourished his sword and a blade ray flashed before him. Shortly after, the remains of dinosaurs erupted with silver-whitish, holy flames that turned them into ashes instantly. Although Thomas shrieked in pity, Rhode didn't care about his thoughts at all. After cleaning up the place, he turned around and continued heading forward. At this moment, the rest had no choice but to put up a bold face and follow him. After all, they didn't have any power to take down the monsters if they were to show up again in this place. On the contrary, Rhode's group eradicated them effortlessly. Although they didn't know what exactly the monsters were, their priority was to make it out alive. That was why they remained silent and followed him quietly.

After exposing his identity, Rhode wasn't as careful as before anymore. After all, he had sealed up the entire palace and these people couldn't contact the outside world even if they wanted to. On the other hand, although Rhode didn't kill them immediately, he had no intention of letting them walk out of here alive. After all, if they did, they definitely would reveal the secrets of his group and cause even more trouble. So he might as well find an opportunity to kill them all, since he was an expert in this aspect.

After facing such a violent ambush, Thomas and the other researchers weren't in the mood to inspect the place anymore. All they hoped for was to leave this place as soon as possible and didn't consider the fact that Rhode would slaughter them. As of now, they continued to move forward under the protection of Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and the others.

The deeper they headed into the palace, Rhode sensed the death aura becoming denser. Besides, the uncertainty in him from before the ambush also became stronger, which startled him. Even though he spoke to his younger sister about it, it was a pity that she didn't know what exactly was going on. The sacred palace was clearly abandoned and yet there seemed to be signs of life. Moreover, the deity warden who should have been here had also disappeared. This was just too strange for him.

Even though Rhode's group faced ambushes from the 'undead dinosaurs' along the way, the enemies seemingly had no intention of attacking as they retreated immediately after spotting Rhode's group as though they were sounding them out. This increased Rhode's worries because their reactions clearly belonged to those of a thinker. But the fact that they were imprisoned in this palace proved that they might be incredibly powerful. Strong and intelligent undead creatures were never easy to deal with.

However, Rhode was cautious to not let Lydia reveal her true form. Even though Lydia could basically crush the undead creatures after showing her true form, Rhode wasn't in a hurry to make his move after realizing that the enemies were sounding him out. Instead, he coordinated with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum and repelled all the monsters that probed them.

After passing through the long passageway, Rhode's group arrived at yet another stone door. This time, Rhode concealed himself no more, extending and placing his right hand on the stone door. Then, the stone door opened in loud rumbles. A chilly wind whistled from the gap and as soon as everyone witnessed the scenery behind it, they were taken aback.

"This..."

Not only Thomas, but even Rhode, Lydia, and Erin were amazed.

It was a huge plaza like a city dug by dwarves in the cave. Stone buildings on both sides extended upward along the wall. In the middle of the huge plaza stood a pyramid-like altar. Large, carved stone statues were erected around the altar and were seemingly majestic.

However, what surprised everyone wasn't the buildings. Instead, it was the scenery. At a glance, the surroundings were covered in a thick layer of ice. Not only that, but thousands of human figures were also within the ice layer as though they once lived here and were frozen overnight.

"What... is that?"

One of the soldiers shrieked and went up to touch the ice before him cautiously. Rhode and Erin exchanged glances before shaking their heads. Although they were knowledgeable, it was indeed rare to find such a crystal-like ice layer that was so thick and strange.

"This seems like the work of a legendary spell. But... according to you, Your Majesty, this place existed for tens of millions of years, right? What kind of legendary spell could last for so long?"

Erin sized up the tall ice layer, knitted her brows, and muttered under her breath. On the other hand, Canary observed the place and extended her hand. Shortly after, a sphere of fire appeared in her hand. She pointed her finger forward, launching the fireball at the crystal-clear ice, but the fireball vanished like an air bubble. Looking at this scene, Canary's expression changed slightly.

"Rhode, I can't destroy it."

This is really strange.

Rhode thought after hearing Canary's remarks. Canary was adept in the flame and wind elements. Her mastery of the flame element was at the same level as an elemental lord's and yet, she couldn't break down this ice layer?

At the same time, Lydia extended her arms suddenly, and two blades appeared out of thin air and slashed the wall mercilessly. With her strength, it should have been enough to destroy the ice layer even if she weren't in her true form.

But what stunned everyone was that after hearing two soft rasps, her incredibly powerful attack was resisted and ineffective at all!

"Me neither, Your Majesty."

Lydia gazed at her sword tips and shook her head. Upon hearing her remark, Rhode turned slightly grim. After pondering for a few moments, he gave an order.

"Let's check out the situation inside."

Chapter 1136: Shadows of the Ice City (2)

If it were any ordinary ice layer, Rhode wouldn't be this cautious. But now, the problem with the ice layer was that not even Lydia's and Erin's attack could leave a single scratch on its surface, and this put Rhode on guard. There were very few objects that could survive unscathed from the attack of an archangel in the Dragon Soul Continent. And for such an object to appear on Earth, Rhode couldn't help but feel concerned. But even so, they continued moving ahead because no matter what, the mysterious ice layer didn't seem to possess any consciousness and was just purely ice.

Although the ice layer was extremely thick, it was pure and transparent in appearance, where even the hair of those people trapped within could be seen clearly. The people weren't clad in ancient costumes made of animal skins as Thomas and the researchers had imagined, but wore gorgeous long robes and beautifully-carved armor instead. They also wielded and raised swords, shields, and staffs in their hands as though they were frozen into ice in the midst of battle. If this was all there was to it, it wouldn't be considered too strange. But the problem was that there was nothing in front of them.

One of them clad in armor widened his mouth, raised the sword high, and his other hand held a shield before him as though he were in battle with a ferocious monster. However, there was nothing apart from the empty ice crystal in front of him. That didn't only happen to him. On the other side, a woman embraced her child and looked ahead in fear, extending her right hand in despair as though she were helplessly defending her child. And similarly, there was nothing in front of her.

These guys should be the former Void Dragon's subordinates.

Rhode scanned the people sealed in the ice and pondered. Based on this, it was apparent that they were suddenly frozen into ice during a battle against some mysterious enemies. Besides, it was obvious that they weren't mentally prepared for this and didn't detect the arrival of danger. On the other hand, they were determined in fighting against the enemies. No, perhaps even until the end, they didn't know who they were up against.

What's this?

Rhode extended his hand and touched the ice surface that was permeating cold air. Then, he made a hand gesture and the little mermaid appeared before him again. She stretched out her arm and released a cold wind to the ice surface. But even with her power, she couldn't affect the thick ice layer one bit. Shortly after, the little mermaid retracted her arm, gazed at Rhode with a sorry expression, and shook her head. It seemed like this wasn't a problem with the elements. Perhaps this ice layer in front of everyone wasn't exactly ice despite it displaying properties of one. If not, it wouldn't be possible for one at the little mermaid's level to not affect it at all. As a water elemental elf, she should be more or less able to sense similar elemental presence from the ice. However, she clearly told him that she couldn't sense any presence of the water element, which explained that this thing wasn't ice at all. It would be more appropriate to treat it as a crystal instead. It was just that the cold air permeating from the surface made them misunderstand it as ice, perhaps.

"Do you know what this is?"

Rhode sauntered forward, sized up the people trapped in the ice, and asked his younger sister softly. Then, he heard her response.

"No... Big Brother, I'm not aware. But apparently, it is likely something 'used to seal up everything in this place to not be disrupted by the outside world'... I think this might be the work of Marybelle."

"Hmm?"

Rhode was taken aback.

"Didn't you say you don't know what this is? How are you sure Marybelle did it? Do you have some impression of this thing?"

"No, Big Brother. Just like what I said, this is likely something 'used to seal up everything in this place to not be disrupted by the outside world'. It doesn't have a name, but due to this reason I think this was done by Marybelle. Because she is the Presence Deity Warden. As long as she recognizes the existence of something, that something will exist no matter how miraculous it is."

"..."

After hearing his younger sister's answer, Rhode couldn't help but twitch the corner of his brow. According to what she just said, it meant that no matter how strange the thing was, it would exist as long as Marybelle recognized its existence? How ridiculous was that? Even though Rhode already knew that the six deity wardens were godlike figures, it was simply too insane for them to be this powerful.

"In this case, if Marybelle wished for a weapon that could instantly kill a dragon soul heir, she can create it and defeat a dragon soul heir in a second?"

"That isn't the case, Big Brother. No matter what, dragon soul heirs are beings who inherited the dragon essence of the Creator Dragons. Although she isn't as powerful as you, who reincarnated and gained even stronger powers, she more or less needs to expend some amount of power."

Hmm... more or less needs to expend some amount of power, huh...

But... what exactly were they fighting with? Could it be the monsters that we fought earlier?

At this thought, Rhode puckered his brows and pondered deeply. After a few moments, he shook his head.

No, it isn't too likely. Even though I don't know how strong these people were, it seems like they more or less possessed battle strength in the Legendary Stage and the monsters surely couldn't defeat them. Besides, since the original Void Dragon sent them over, it proved that they had the ability to overcome challenges. At least, they were neither ones who would give up at the sight of stronger enemies, nor would they be defeated by terrifying-looking dinosaurs that weren't all that powerful... So what exactly is the reason? Just who were they fighting against?

"Let's move on. Be more careful."

Rhode arranged his thoughts and said softly to Lydia and Erin, before scanning the left and right. Shortly after, Lydia and Erin intuitively moved to the left and right of the group, while gazing vigilantly at the surroundings. They weren't fools. Since even Lydia's blades failed to leave a scratch on the ice layer, it went to show that there might be even stronger monsters ahead. That was why maintaining a certain level of vigilance was essential.

Just like this, everyone followed Rhode's lead and headed toward the enormous pyramid structure in the middle of the plaza. Although Rhode wasn't sure if what he needed was there, at least it seemed like it was the most eye-catching place in the entire plaza, where perhaps he could find some clues.

Thomas had lost his right to command, but he wasn't furious at all. Meanwhile, he clenched his fists in excitement and chatted with his colleagues.

"You see, I knew it! I knew this would happen! My judgment was right!"

"What are you talking about, Thomas?"

The fat man closely following Thomas grunted, lifting his belly and barely managing to catch up with him. Then, he asked in confusion.

"Have you forgotten? Back then when we unearthed the first four ruins, we discovered a new and highly-advanced civilization that was present before humans existed. But we didn't manage to find evidence of their existence as though they only existed in that era! That was a really strange matter. Do you know what I mean?"

"What's so strange about that? Back then, it was the Late Cretaceous Period and dinosaurs went extinct after. So isn't it normal for those people to perish alongside the dinosaurs?"

"No-no-no, that isn't the case. You see, this advanced civilization is entirely different from ours. Besides, since they were able to bury the Apocalyptic Slates under the moon's surface, it means that they had already obtained the ability to leave Earth and travel to the universe. So even if the dinosaurs went extinct, it didn't mean those humans would either. I initially thought they had already left Earth, but it is apparent now that they didn't! And they have always been hidden in Earth!!!" Thomas shifted his gaze to Rhode who stood ahead as though he were a precious historical relic.

"The skills these people have are fundamentally different from our civilization. Perhaps they are the descendants of this civilization—no, not only that, but if this is the case, there will also be an explanation for the existences of Gods from the legends of every country! These so-called Gods must have been survivors of this civilization! Look at them. They can control flames and even have the ability to cast holy light. Doesn't this coincidentally link up with the outrageous stories and legends about Gods? That's right. These people must have hidden themselves among humans of the new era in their unique identities and guided us along the way! No wonder during the early days, even though humans weren't able to migrate, the myths of Gods' image appeared to be so similar. The cultures were clearly different and yet there were descriptions of humans. It must be that they have personally seen the survivors and received their blessings!"

He sure knows how to come up with some ridiculous theories.

Even though Thomas lowered his voice to the best of his ability, ordinary people like them couldn't keep any secrets in the face of a powerful legendary being like Rhode. After hearing Thomas's remarks, the corner of Rhode's brow twitched. He didn't expect such an explanation for this situation at all. He was racking his brain as to how he should conceal the identity of his group and provide a reasonable explanation to various governments. But now...

Seems like such theories may also work?

At this thought, Rhode swirled his eyes. He had decided to slaughter Thomas to keep the secret, but it seemed like things might turn to Rhode's favor if he let Thomas off instead. After all, Thomas seemed confident in his theories and it did make some sense. On the other hand, he was also an expert in this field. Perhaps in this case, Rhode could use Thomas's mouth to cover up the whole incident perfectly.

In this case, Rhode could only reluctantly let them live...

At this moment, Rhode turned around abruptly. His blade flickered in a dazzling radiance that flew toward Thomas.

Thomas who was speaking enthusiastically with this colleague didn't realize the oncoming danger at all. As soon as he realized something was wrong, the shimmering ray had arrived before him and shook him. At that moment, he felt like a fat swine in a slaughterhouse, widening his eyes as the ice-cold blade ray struck him. It only needed one second to slash his stomach open.

But at the next moment, the chilly wind brushed past him and flew toward the back. Almost at the same time, he heard a frantic scream.

"Ah...!"

Everyone turned around quickly, only to witness a soldier wrapped in snowy spiderweb collapsing to the ground. Right above him, the severed spider thread quickly retracted to the top. It was apparent that a few moments ago, the spiderweb had caught the soldier and attempted to drag it away. But Rhode wasn't slow either. Almost right after the spider web was launched, he turned around, slashed a blade ray to slash it apart, and rescued the pitiful soldier from meeting the Grim Reaper.

"Are you okay? Pull yourself together. What exactly is..."

Looking at what happened, the captain ran toward the soldier hurriedly, deftly ripping off the spiderweb from his body. Then, he raised his gun and aimed at the top, where the spiderweb was released from. But shortly after, this well-trained captain turned pale immediately.

"Damn it, what is that!"

At that moment, six enormous monsters dangled in the spiderwebs hung from above and surrounded everyone. Their lower body looked like spiders, but the two-meters-long upper body looked entirely different, like the strange evolution of a human from dinosaurs. They lifted their heads high and their two yellow eyes emanated mysterious flashes. The front claws that should have been useless became as strong as human arms. Not only that, but their bodies were also crystal-clear, where one could see the various squirming organs within. Just this scene was enough to make everyone's hair stand.

"Attack! Bubble, protect the others!"

Shortly after, Rhode gave an order as the true 'leader' and this order also hinted to Mini Bubble Gum to temporarily put an end to his plans of killing Thomas and the rest. But now, Mini Bubble Gum wasn't in the mood to find trouble with that nerdy researcher anymore. She wasn't a fool. After witnessing Lydia failing to leave a scratch on the flawless 'ice layer', she had also raised her guard. After all, all players knew that every monster who grew in a unique environment had their own unique features. Since the 'ice layer' wasn't damaged by Lydia's blades at all, things would get troublesome if any accidents were to happen!

That was why the two Mini Bubble Gums didn't hesitate at all as they extended their arms immediately. Shortly after, layers of defensive barriers expanded around the group. Upon witnessing the defensive barrier, the civilians heaved a sigh of relief. Although they didn't know what it was, they knew it was effective defensively from its earlier performance. The soldiers also became less panicky as they quickly grouped up in a circle and aimed their rifles at the monsters. Although they knew their rifles were advanced weapons, they were also aware that they were far less powerful than the swords wielded by Rhode's group. However, it would be enough for them as long as they fulfilled their duties quietly and not cause trouble for Rhode's group. One had to admit that these professionals sure were considerate.

While Mini Bubble Gum cast the defensive shield, the six strange crystal spiders widened their mouths and spurted out thick strands of silk at the defensive shield.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Silk that should have been ultra-soft struck the shield like they were powerful military weapons, sending deep and loud rumbles echoing in the place. Not only that, but the shield flickering in a golden radiance also instantly became dull. Mini Bubble Gum was surprised.

"Leader, they are in the Peak Legendary Stage at the very least!"

"I got it!"

Upon hearing her words, Rhode's heart sank slightly. He knew the monsters here were tough, but didn't expect the difficulty to rise so much at once. If only Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him were around, perhaps they would be in a flurry for a while. After all, the strength of Canary's most adept flame wind declined greatly in this ice-cold environment and Mini Bubble Gum had to focus on defense. But now...

"Your Highness Lydia, Your Highness Erin, we'll split up and defeat them!"

Rhode ordered and a black light flashed in his hand. Then, three petite figures appeared—Gracier, Madaras, and Celestina. They dashed ahead, pouncing on a crystal spider each. At the same time, Rhode clutched his sword and darted toward the remaining three spiders with Lydia and Erin. Upon detecting their assault, the crystal spiders let out a loud bellow. They shuddered, widened their mouths, and sprayed huge spiderwebs at them!