Aila frantically pulled the communication stone from her pocket, desperate to verify this information with her parents immediately.
However, the communication stone had been unable to send messages normally ever since it took an impact earlier. After several fruitless attempts, it finally shattered right in her palm.
“Argh!! Damn it! Ugh... when it rains, it pours! Why did this communication stone have to go on strike right now?!” Aila grumbled, glaring at the debris in her hand.
Seeing her distress, Midir waved his hand and pulled the communication stone she had given him from his storage space. “If yours is broken, can we use this one?”
Aila shook her head with a bitter smile.
“It’s useless. The communication stone in your hand is only linked to the one I had; it can’t contact anyone else. Forget it... let’s not worry about it for now. I’ll ask Dad properly when we get back from this trip. Actually, no! I should ask Aunt Moen. She might be able to tell me more.”
“Since we can’t get in touch, why don't you tell me more about that person named Starlight? We’re just idling anyway,” Midir said after Aila had calmed down from her muttering.
“What’s with you today? You usually don’t care much about other people’s business. But... I don’t know much else. After all, he’s been gone for a hundred years. I do remember Dad saying he had rare black hair and that he was Aunt Moen’s love interest.”
Aila furrowed her brows, trying to recall her childhood memories. However, after thinking for a long while, she couldn't remember anything else, which clearly frustrated her.
“He and Moen were a couple? How interesting...” Although Aila hadn't revealed much key information, that last sentence successfully piqued Midir’s interest.
“Oh? You seem particularly interested in Aunt Moen. I’ve noticed that every time she’s mentioned, you act a bit differently. Could it be... you were an admirer of hers in the past? Haha! Want me to introduce you next time? She’s still single, you know!”
Aila laughed and teased him, her crisp laughter echoing through the long tunnel, bringing a touch of life to the silent path.
Midir didn't get angry. He simply gave a slight smile and continued walking forward.
His composure actually made Aila feel a bit awkward. Just as she was about to say something else, she noticed a sliver of light appearing above them. It meant their destination was finally within reach.
Midir also noticed the light, and an irrepressible excitement flashed in his eyes. Without hesitation, he grabbed Aila’s hand and used instant movement to rush toward the end of the tunnel.
The scenery outside the exit was completely different from what the two had imagined. They had expected the mountain peak to be even colder and more desolate than the path up, but it was actually a massive circular platform.
A semi-spherical white barrier seemed to cover the area from above, so there was no biting wind, nor was it shrouded in the gloom of the clouds.
The two landed on the vast platform. It appeared that what stood here originally was a small town used for sacrifices or other purposes, but now all that remained was a field of ruins.
Broken stone pillars and collapsed buildings were scattered across the platform, every trace seemingly telling the story of a fierce battle from the past.
Directly ahead of the tunnel’s exit, a magnificent, tightly closed gate came into view. Even from a hundred meters away, its ornate carvings exuded an indescribable, imposing presence, as if it could swallow the gaze of anyone who dared look upon it.
Aila looked up at the solemn gate, which stood dozens of meters high. “We’re finally at the top... It looks like this is the gate to the Sky City. Just like the legends say, it’s huge! The thing you sensed should be around here, right? Hurry and look for it!”
However, Midir’s brow furrowed. He looked around, his gaze deep as he asked, “Are you sure this is the peak? The thing I’m sensing seems to be even higher... What is inside that gate?”
Aila was startled for a moment before answering, “Behind that gate is the Ancient City of Gods! The legendary palace of the God of Light, Baldur! But mortals cannot open this gate; it’s sealed by some unknown power. Did I not tell you that?”
After saying that, she pulled her usual hand crossbow from the Armament Forger and casually fired a bolt forward.
The fiery red bolt traced a graceful arc through the thin air of the mountain peak toward the gate, but it suddenly exploded ten meters away from it, like a firework blooming in mid-air.
At that moment, a massive magic sigil abruptly appeared in the air. As if it were alive, it spread rapidly, tightly enveloping the entire gate.
The bolt Aila had just fired didn't even cause a ripple on the barrier. A few seconds later, the barrier’s form dissolved back into the air as if it had never existed.
Aila didn't show much surprise at this sight. She simply shrugged at Midir.
“See? That’s how it is. The last person confirmed to be able to enter or leave was the Heavenly Demon who was defeated a hundred years ago. If you’re determined to see for yourself, you’re welcome to try. But many people have come to test this gate over the last hundred years. Since there’s nothing else here and the seal can’t be broken, people gradually stopped bothering to make the trip.”
Midir listened to Aila’s explanation and pondered silently. Indeed, the materials she had given him mentioned this briefly, but since he was already here, he had to at least try.
Thinking of this, Midir reached out his hand. The surrounding air seemed to freeze as a crystal-clear ice spike, radiating a bone-chilling cold, condensed in his palm. This was the Nirvana Ice he had yet to test.
The ice spike rotated quietly in the air. The moment it appeared, everything around them seemed to come to a standstill, and even the ruins and the ground were coated in a layer of white frost.
Unlike the rudimentary way the elemental creature had used it by instinct, Midir released it after compressing the elements, making its power significantly greater.
Aila shivered as she looked at the half-person-tall white ice spike and instinctively pulled her coat tighter.
Just as she was about to speak, Midir flicked his hand forward, and the ice spike flew toward the gate like a cannonball.
Midir was confident that this move had the power to freeze the entire ruins before him, but the result caught him completely off guard.
Just like Aila’s bolt, the ice spike triggered the protective barrier dozens of meters from the gate. It instantly shattered into countless tiny ice crystals, turning into a cloud of shimmering white mist. Even the extreme cold brought by the Ultimate Power vanished into the air without spreading.
The barrier remained as steady as a mountain, showing no difference in its reaction despite Midir’s Saint Rank strength and Ultimate Power.
A moment later, the barrier quietly faded away again, as if it had never appeared, leaving Midir and Aila staring at each other in total shock and confusion.
Rate on N.U.
