The cave was dark and moist, crawling with insects, mice, and even snakes.The trio entered with Strider leading the way. Adrian and Mya could not feel the energy inside the cave due to their protective gear. After about ten minutes of walking, they found large clusters of black rocks. The rocks covered the walls of the cave and were in piles on the floor. A skeleton sat behind one of these piles. The skeleton was in a meditative position, indicating that whoever it used to be had died a peaceful death. "Here we are," Strider said. "The rocks here look just like the ones back at Isle 416. We now know for sure these rocks are the same meteorites," Mya said after some observation. Adrian recognized the rocks too and walked toward the skeleton. "This deceased here must have been the ones to bring these rocks here. They believed they’d become a god. Yet, they died living in a fantasy," he said as he shone his flashlight on the skeleton. "This person’s situation was probably the sa
The trio left the cave.The engravings Adrian saw on the walls had been burned into his memory, which gave him a chance at entering the true Uduma Desert now that he had a complete map of the location. ***After leaving the cave, Adrian said, "Strider, I need you to come with me. I need your abilities to help me investigate this matter. This isn't about yourself anymore, but all of Novemton. Do you understand?"Strider stared at his hands. After a while, he said, "My grandmother and my sister… Who would care for themselves if I leave? We're really poor and they won’t have any source of income without me."Adrian patted his shoulder. "That's not a problem you have to worry about, neither is it a problem at all. Remember that this isn’t just for yourself but for them and everyone else. You've got a long road ahead of you."Adrian continued down the mountain.Mya nudged Strider on the shoulder and smiled. "Why didn’t you just listen to me before? You know that War Legate Draco’s a
“As you command, Your Majesty. I'll order for the villagers of Strider Village to be moved and issue the lockdown of Strider Mountain." ***Soon after, the Battle Warrior Department of Southern Swallowston received their orders, which were passed on to Candor City. The branch there personally oversaw the task. Adrian, Mya, and Jenny waited in Strider Village for three days. Finally, large buses, trucks, and hundreds of staff members arrived at the village to begin their task of moving everyone out. Jenny and Mya were excited upon seeing the vehicles’ arrival.Jenny said, “See those vehicles, Anita? They’re here to pick you up. You’ll all move to the city and live there very soon."Anita was clearly excited.The villagers came out of their houses at the sight of such a huge commotion.At that moment, a sedan drove over and a middle-aged man got out with a few subordinates. The man stood before Adrian and saluted. "Sir, my name is Angelo Lockheart. I'm the general of Candor City
Adrian could leave Strider Village now since he had done everything that needed to be done. With Strider now in their party, the group left after Adrian gave Angelo a few more instructions.Before they left, Strider looked at Anita and said, "Behave yourself in the city. I'll find you once I get back."Anita nodded. "I'll be waiting for you. Go ahead and focus on your mission with War Legate Draco."***Strider left, prepared to use his abilities to shoulder responsibilities. Adrian and the others arrived at the city in the afternoon. Adrian instructed Jenny to fly back to Swallowston as he was about to embark on to the outlands. As Adrian drove, he said, "Mya, tell the others to meet up with us at the Uduma Desert. We should be there in two days.""Are we not waiting anymore?" Mya asked."There's no time."Mya began to contact the helpers she had previously found as they left Novemton.Adrian could not get in touch with Nicholas. But as there was another month before their
"Otherwise, they'll be back for more.""Yes, sir. Wait here. I'll be right back."Strider leaped into the air as green light enveloped him. He then slammed the ground with a heavy punch. What followed was a series of explosions going off in all directions. It was as though a ball of energy had exploded from the ground. The retreating enemies sensed a threat coming from beneath their feet as more explosions erupted, sending them flying through the air as they were blown to pieces. In less than a minute, all the enemies were on the ground. Some were already dead, while others were struggling to survive. "Nicely done," Mya said with a smile.Adrian walked over to the enemies and spotted a middle-aged man who had suffered a severe hip injury among the bodies, struggling to stay alive. The man was wearing a Luposian battle suit that marked him as a Luposian general. Adrian walked over and bent over to hold up the man’s head. "What's your name?"The man trembled, unable to find the w
The journey Adrian was taking was possibly the most defining path the world had ever taken. Gostia's ruins were hidden somewhere within the Uduma Desert, and it would decide the fate of the world.The closer he got to the location, the more relief he felt.***The trio arrived at the inn twenty minutes later. However, the place had been destroyed. It was now nothing more than a shell of its former self. Despite how prosperous it was just two months ago, that luster was now long gone. "Did the outlanders do this? Why would they destroy the inn?" Mya frowned and looked around. Adrian had predicted that the inn was somehow in communication with residents within the desert, but he was not sure whether the inn had been intentionally built for this purpose. The Steedtens running the place were gone, so he would probably never find out the answer. It was getting late and daylight was quickly fading.At this moment, Adrian suddenly spotted a shadow moving inside the abandoned inn. St
Enigma City was a mysterious city that vanished one night with no records of what happened. However, one thing was for sure—no city could have vanished without a trace. Adrian said, "Enigma City didn't vanish, but probably sank. It was probably caused by the soil the city was built on and the Earth’s crustal movements. Enigma City might be just below our feet. The mirage in the desert was probably conjured by the city." The other three looked at each other upon hearing this. Mya replied, "Enigma City is a mysterious place. It’s said that its residents could summon and control the dead during a fight. We don't know how or why they vanished, nor do we know where to begin our investigation. But you might be right about the city sinking due to natural causes. There are probably many things we're still unable to understand right now."Adrian nodded and was quite confident in his theory. He got up and said, "Let's go to the passage and have a look. It should be one of the entrances in
Everyone got to their feet.An old man said smilingly, "War Legate Draco, I've always been very interested in Gostia and Partingia, but I never had the chance to conduct research on them. Thank you for fulfilling my dream.""This is Professor Steve Vargas, an archaeologist from Southeast University. He's sixty-two and has a vast knowledge of ancient ruins. He's also brought a few students with him," Mya introduced.Adrian said, "Thank you for your service despite your age."Steve replied, "I’ve studied the passage and can confirm that it was buried. It probably used to be on the surface and later sank underground.""Enigma City is probably beneath us, and I believe we'll be able to get there if we follow this passage. Everyone, please pack your things. We'll be leaving in five minutes,” Adrian instructed, "Mya, organize everyone into smaller groups so that we can handle any unforeseen circumstances. This place may crumble at any moment, so we need to be extra careful.”Mya nodded