Chapter 11: Exiting the Ancient Ground

A week later...

"Roarrr!" A loud uproar suddenly shook the entire Dying Land as the clear clouds become extremely dark.

The sun was covered by thick pitch-black clouds while the greeneries start to wither in an unbelievable speed as all the beasts start to absorb the essence of herbs and other life forms.

The beast enter the frenzy state as they start to kill each other just to absorb their essence. It seems that the beasts were afraid that just a moment that they don't absorb a certain essence will lead to their fall down. All the individuals that enter the ancient ground become panic as some were weaker than the beast and was ruthlessly absorbed.

"Hais... What a pity. Do they think that I create a land that is full of paradise? Hahaha! They can't get treasures for free!" The heavenly man said with regrets as the number of deaths that was placed on the screen start to numbered to hundreds.

"The Dying Land is a dangerous place just like how its name suggest. It became a Dying Land because the place itself have a strong suction force of life essence. Although some spells or tactics can counterattack it, but an individual can't maintain it for a lifetime. It is wiser to get all the treasures within those ten days and then survive the real crisis. After the place absorb a sufficient amount of life essence, the place will revert to its original form which is lively and full of greens." The heavenly man muttered as he look at the thousand number of death in the screen.

"I shouldn't feel regretful for their deaths since it's their fault." The heavenly man comfort himself as he continue to watch the events beneath him.

"What the?! Wha.. what is this place?!" Robin, who were about to kill an Immortal state blue winged bird, become surprised by the sudden changes in his surroundings.

The beast in front of him become even more aggressive as its eyes become red.

The strength of the beast become doubled while the Ivy Heaven Leaf that it guards were instantly absorb. Robin wants to cry since the item he needed were absorbed just like that. The immortal state beast suddenly jump a level and became a saint level. It look at Robin with murderous aura.

"Damn it! I better run away!" Robin didn't hesitate and run for his dear life. Being in immortal state is already a big deal to him, not to mention the beast levelling up.

The beast won't let go of Robin and instantly leap upwards while opening its beak. From its beak, a thousand small beads of light formed in a second before shooting rays toward Robin.

"Dominance Shield!" Robin yelled as a blue shield covered him and deflect the attack but unfortunately, he's strength is too weak.

"Dimensional Breakdown!" A sudden yelled echoed when Robin was about to face his death as a space dimension appeared before him.

The ray that was about to take his life vanished in an instant.

"Let's run now!" Another voice echoed as a swift light tail kidnap Robin.

Swish!

Within a second, the target of the beast escaped that makes it mad.

"I can't find a safe place." A voice echoed as Robin was drowned by the air pressure. The speed were just too fast.

"Eh, who.. who are you?" Robin asked cautiously.

"It's not time to know each other. Better find a way to escape from death." Another voice echoed.

"Brother, I'm reaching my limit. My spell will about to die and the absorption will kill us." A weak voice with panic echoed.

"Wait... I can replace you." Robin, who understand the weak voice volunteered.

When the surroundings got changed, the first thing he felt is the absorption of his life essence. That's also the reason why the beast he's trying to kill tried to level up.

Although the absorption isn't that too great, but over time it will become deadly. That's why he used a spell to protect his life essence from being snatched away.

"Life Cage!" Robin yelled as a green light covered their group that counterattack the absorption.

The energy consumption of the spell makes Robin coughed up blood, but he pushed his limit so he can be of use. Helping them will act as his repayment for them saving his life earlier.

"Thank you, Sir. It seems you have more advanced spell than me." The weak voice echoed again.

Due to the swift movement, the image become blurry so each other's face wouldn't be recognized.

"No.. I should be the one to thank you all for saving my life earlier. I use this spell to repay your kindness." Robin said as his energy become replenished by the holy Spiritual Bead. But as he covers 7 people including himself, the energy consumption was, of course, large that the replenished energy isn't enough. But Robin was sure that his spell can last for 3 days at most.

"Well, sister, have you found anything safe? My body will reach its limit and feel fatigue." A helpless voice echoed.

"Wait! I'm still searching." A woman voice echoed with a hint of annoyance.

The seven of them were now traveling almost a hundred kilometers which some of the kilometers were ran over already.

"Aha! I can feel a place where there's no suction force nor any aura." A voice said with excitement.

"Really? Then where?" Another voice echoed.

"37 km to west, 67 km to 4:00, then 75 km to north, and 21 km to 8:00." The voice answered in a breath.

Swish!

After a moment, the seven reached the place that were describe earlier. The place were the seven were standing isn't a cave but a tree. The tree were dried and was on the verge of collapsing.

"This.. this is the place you're talking about?" Eldrin asked Frank with annoyance.

"It's indeed the place. But I didn't expect it to be a tree." Frank was just as helpless as the six.

"Wait... I also sense similar to Frank. Maybe it's just a disguise." Elise said as she defend Frank.

"You can be right or wrong." Carl fell into contemplation.

"Wait, isn't Sister Sofia have someone on her back?" Icy suddenly remember everything in the cave and said.

"I'm sorry. But that someone also doesn't know what's happening. It's just says that, this suction phase will be over once the ancient ground have sufficient life essence." Sofia answered dejectedly.

"Eh? I.. Icy?" Robin, who have now a chance to see those who save him can't help but blush when he look at Icy.

"You know me?" Icy was surprised and look at Robin.

"Wait.. this isn't the time for this. Let's focus on what to do now." Frank interrupt the two and said.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Robin apologize but he can't deny the fact that he's been happy to see Icy.

"Let's just enter the tree." Elise said as she lead the way.

The tree have a door in its front, so they thought that it is the entrance to some place and became hesitant whether to risk entering it or not.

As Elise already walk inside, the six also entered since they don't want to be away from each other. Working as a group have more survival rate than being alone.

The seven enter the tree but instead of a dark place nor a good place, what greets them is the sky.

"Eh?! Wait.. are.. are we falling down?" Frank yelled in a panic as their bodies began to fall at an unbelievable speed.

The air pressure hit their bodies nonstop fortunately, Robin still run the spell.

"Eh? We.. we walked out of the ancient ground?!" Elise said in surprise. It seems that the tree was the exit of the ancient ground.

"What a tricky God. If we hesitate and didn't enter it, then we would die for sure. And since the exit looks unlikely, then it's almost impossible for someone to walk out of it." Carl said as he let a relief despite being in danger for falling.

"Look! Is that a comet? What a beautiful sight!" A sudden shout echoed beneath.

"That's not a comet! But a person!" Another yelled in another place.

"Eh?! Hi.. His highness?!" A certain servant said anxiously.

"What the?! Is.. is that Elise and Eldrin?" A woman who was happily strolling around the busy market look at the direction where the people where looking and was surprised in an instant.

"What is those child trying to play at?! They overestimating theirselves! I better teach her a lesson!" The woman said in an angry tone as she raised her hand.

The seven who were currently falling down like a comet suddenly paused in an instant by invisible force. The force that halt them was gentle and successfully suppressed the seven. It makes the seven feel like they're ant against the invisible force.

"Mother!!" Eldrin sighed in relief as he look at Elise who nodded at him.

"Hais... As expected of your mother. Always stepped ahead with my parents." Frank said in a helpless voice.

"You brat!! Dare to look down on me?!" An angry voice echoed the sky as Frank become scared out of his wits.

"No.. no!! I.. i wouldn't dare look down on you, Father! You're the strongest in my heart!" Frank instantly said sugarcoating words to appease the anger of his dad.

"Hmmp! You won't be able to see your siblings for two days! And since you were disappointed at us.. better sleep at Rose's house in two days." The angry voice echoed that make Frank wants to cry.

"Fortunately, you're safe. I suddenly sense a crisis and got worried about you, my lovely daughter." A voice echoed that make Sofia blushed.

"Father! Stop it! It's kinda embarrassing." Sofia said with a shy face.

"Hahaha... It's fine to let your dad show his affection towards you. He just love his daughter." Carl said in an amused tone.

"So I see! This is the girl huh. I didn't expect you would pick the daughter of my best friend." A woman voice teased Carl that make his face red.

"Damn it! It seems that being strong has its advantage!" Carl hate his mother for being strong enough to sense him despite being in another region.

"Hahaha!" Icy can't help but let a loud laugh. Sofia on the other hand was even more embarrassed.

"So I see. It seems our child is destined to be together by our friendship." The man's voice said toward the sky.

"I agree. Hahaha!" A reply came before Icy and Carl vanished in the air.

Robin, Frank and Sofia also vanished from the air, leaving only Elise and Eldrin.

"Mother!! Sav..save us!" Eldrin yelled as he was about to cry.

"Mother, we didn't do this on purpose. We just escape the ancient ground and we didn't expect the exit to be in the sky!" Elise said in a panic as the two began to fall again.

"I see." A woman voice echoed before Eldrin and Elise appeared beside Frank.

"So, how is it in the ancient ground?" Rose, the mother of the twins, asked the three.

"Well, it is fun but not until 10 days later." Elise said as she took out a beautiful flower.

The flower have thousands of petals while featuring different colors and shape. The flower was so fascinating and the aura it exudes was not weak.

"I see. So you manage to get the Thousand Colorful Dimension Flower." Rose patted Elise's head as she became happy for her daughter.

"How about you?" Rose turned her head towards Eldrin.

"Uhm... I.. I didn't get anything but I manage to become a peak divine state." Eldrin said proudly.

"I see. So you will enter the punishment room later." Rose wasn't satisfied and said to Eldrin.

"Eh?! But.. but why?" Eldrin asked indignantly.

"Why you ask?! Because you didn't get any treasure! Though levelling up is a good achievement but it's only for a moment! Unlike treasure, just like what your sister got, is for a long period of time. Elise can plant that flower in our gardening room and produce more than one of those flower which are beneficial to her since she have dimensional space! So you better know it in the future!" Rose scolded her son.

Eldrin admit defeat and just obediently obeyed his mother.

"Oh, how about you Frank? Did you get something?" Rose asked Frank with a much softer gaze.

"Yes, Auntie. I manage to get the Immortal Diamond Steel. With this, I can create unlimited amount of bullets with high quality to how many do I want to have!" Frank said proudly.

"Well, that's really a good treasure! You're lucky this time. But do not think that it is unlimited, at most if your going to use it as a bullet provider, then you can probably create a 100 with that treasure." Rose corrected Frank.

The four figure then went towards Rose's house in the west.