Po Kong narrowed his eyes at the news, a surge of invisible pressure erupting from him that seemed to freeze the very air. The sudden weight of his aura was so intense that tiny cracks even spiderwebbed across the edges of the young man's glasses.
“Demons? At a time like this? They really aren't going to make things easy for me, are they! Little Shadow, what do you think?” Po Kong asked Xia Duo solemnly.
Xia Duo snapped out of her thoughts and considered the situation for a moment before offering her perspective.
“I don't believe for a second that these two things are unrelated, but for now, we should start gathering our forces. Although I'm worried about Little Gold and the others, the reappearance of a Demon army is a far more critical issue.”
Po Kong felt a sense of relief seeing that his wife's thoughts aligned with his own. He then turned to the young man who had brought the message and gave his orders.
“Immediately send word to the Royal Capital that we will complete our mobilization within a day. As for Dragon Valley, investigate whether any of our members have been conscripted; if they have, tell them they must provide me with a detailed report on the situation there. Also, don't forget to suggest to my father and the others that they should hold their ground for now. There might still be room for dialogue with the Dragon Race.”
“Understood! Consider it done!” After saluting the two, the young man immediately ran out of the office.
Just then, Moen descended from the sky on a gust of wind, catching a glimpse of the young man's hurried departure. She looked at the furrowed brows of Xia Duo and Po Kong, her curiosity piqued.
“Sister, what's wrong? Did something else happen?”
Xia Duo gave a soft sigh and explained the news of the Demons' reappearance to Moen in detail, then asked for her opinion. Moen listened with a deep frown, appearing to be searching her memory.
“The Demons have appeared again? But logically, a hundred years ago, they should have already...” Moen asked hesitantly.
Po Kong cut in at the right moment to clear up Moen's confusion.
“Actually, the appearance of Demons isn't entirely impossible. About twenty years ago, we discovered that a few scattered Demons still existed on the continent. However, in this era of peace, humanity's top-tier combatants have increased significantly. Those few didn't cause much trouble, so everyone eventually stopped paying them much mind.”
“But the message you received said a large force was discovered. Does that mean a Demon King-level entity has appeared in the Death Desert again? If we consider the Void Demon named Agarechi mentioned in the report from the Azure Fortress a while back... could it be that the spell from before has failed?”
Moen's voice was laced with deep concern; she clearly realized the severity of the situation.
“Judging by the current state of things, it's almost certainly the case. I was wondering before if that creature designated as a Void Demon was an anomaly, but given the latest news and the abnormal behavior of the Dragon Race, perhaps the entire continent... wait, look at the sky!”
Xia Duo was speaking when her eyes suddenly widened, and she pointed toward the eastern sky.
A halo swept over their heads at extreme speed, vanishing beyond the horizon before their astonished eyes.
“What on earth is that?! Dammit, why is it just one strange thing after another!” Po Kong cursed as he stared at the distant sky.
Unlike the couple's reaction, Moen's gaze followed the halo's trajectory until it disappeared at the edge of the world. She then murmured thoughtfully.
“That halo seemed to originate from the heart of the continent. Was it Emerald City? Or further away, the Valley of Ice?”
Po Kong rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated by the string of unexpected events, but he quickly regained his composure and spoke to Xia Duo and Moen.
“It seems we have one more mystery to solve. Little Shadow, try to contact that kid Chris and ask if he knows the secret behind that halo. As for me, I must go gather the troops and prepare for the coming battle. Little Crescent, are you willing to accompany us to the Death Desert this time?”
Moen's lips curled into a gentle smile, her eyes flashing with unwavering determination. “Of course. Since I'm already back, I won't shrink away. Besides, this concerns the safety of the entire continent. I cannot ignore my responsibility.”
“That's great. With you around, our safety factor will be more than just a notch higher! I'll go contact Chris now; we'll talk more later! Po Kong, you come with me too.”
Xia Duo let out a sigh of relief at her sister's affirmative answer. She nodded to Moen and then pulled her husband out of the office.
In the blink of an eye, Moen was the only one left in the room.
She leaped lightly, rising slowly with the power of the wind elements. Passing through the damaged roof, she landed on the edge of the terrace.
There, the breeze brushed against her, and the open view made it feel as if she could touch the distant horizon.
She stood there silently, gazing toward the far east and tightening her grip on her short staff, lost in thought.
...
After passing through that ancient stone gate, Midir and Aila landed in a vast space, completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world.
Unlike typical teleportation experiences, they didn't feel the slightest bit of dizziness or discomfort. It was as if they had simply stepped through a light, elastic layer of jelly to arrive in this dreamlike world.
If they had to use one word to describe the space they were in, it would be beautiful—unparalleled beauty.
All around them, countless specks of light, like scattered stars, drifted leisurely through the air, draping the space in a dreamlike veil.
Beneath their feet was a strange ground flowing with the brilliance of red, blue, and gold.
Blue was the dominant hue, deep like the ocean, with soft rose streaks interspersed like the blush of early dawn. The white-gold light was like scattered stars—rare and precious—adding a sense of holiness and extraordinary character.
The whole scene was like a masterpiece where a master had used light as a brush and space as a canvas to paint a flowing sand picture. It was dazzling without being ostentatious, perfectly balancing brilliance and elegance.
As they walked, the ground beneath them felt alive—soft as fine sand yet exceptionally stable, providing a marvelous sensation unlike anything they had felt before.
Aila was deeply captivated by the exquisite scenery. She instinctively knelt down and touched the ground with her fingertips. Instantly, the previously still patterns seemed to be granted a soul, beginning to pulse slowly as if responding to her curiosity and wonder.
She looked up at Midir, her eyes sparkling with childlike excitement and surprise.
“Midir, look! It's so beautiful! Could it be that the ancient gods lived in a paradise like this? Compared to the Leon Continent we know, this is like a completely different world!”
Though she had traveled across most of the continent, she was still a twenty-year-old girl at heart. Captivated by such beauty, how could she not be delighted?
Midir, however, was examining the space from an entirely different perspective.
It had to be said that the various elements here were exceptionally active. While they didn't quite match the light elements near the Pillar of Creation, which were so dense they were almost liquid, they were far beyond anything known on the continent.
Since stepping into this space, Midir clearly felt the previously faint sense of calling suddenly intensify. It drew him like a magnet, leading him toward the depths of the space.
“Stop playing around~” Midir called out to Aila, who was having the time of her life. He pointed forward.
“Aila, we need to keep moving.”
Midir spoke softly to Aila, who was still immersed in the scenery. He pointed ahead, his tone carrying a firm, unquestionable resolve.
“I can feel it. The thing that's been calling me is waiting for us just ahead.”
Rate on N.U.
