Affinity: Chaos

Chapter 2203: Dragon Mountains

"For Ninth-stage Sovereigns they seemed pretty weak," Reynolds said as they flew on.

He had fought several Ninth-stage experts over the past months, and the four assassins had clearly not been on the same level.

"They’re assassins," Grey replied after a moment of thought. "Their biggest advantage is surprise. This time they lost that from the start, so they looked worse than they are."

Reynolds still frowned. "If they knew they weren’t that strong, why still come out?"

Grey glanced at him. "There were four of them, and only one of us is a Ninth-stage Sovereign. From their side it probably looked like an easy fight."

Reynolds thought about it and gave a short nod. Four Ninth-stage Sovereigns against a Ninth-stage and an Eighth-stage did sound favorable on paper. The two of them simply shrugged and continued deeper into the forest.

Grey knew the routes well. They avoided the more dangerous areas of the Outer Region, and even when Magical Beasts noticed them, none dared to approach. With their current strength, plus Void and the bunny leader present, ordinary beasts of the Outer Region would not even consider attacking.

When they crossed into the Inner Court territory, the change was immediate.

Reynolds’s eyes widened. The elemental essence in the air thickened so sharply it almost felt physical. Every breath carried denser energy than anything he had experienced outside. Even moving a few meters forward made the difference clearer.

"No wonder the beasts here are so strong," he muttered, staring at the endless stretch of mountains and ancient forest ahead.

Grey chuckled at his friend’s expression. "I had the same reaction the first time I came here. The essence in the Inner Court is already impressive. It gets even denser once you reach the Dragon Mountains."

Reynolds clicked his tongue. "Do you think they ever allow outsiders to cultivate here?"

"Of course," Grey said. "I broke through to the Eighth stage in this place last time."

Reynolds gave him a flat look. "That’s because you’re you. I’m asking about people without the same backings."

Grey paused, then nodded in understanding. "If you put it that way, then yes. You would need a good relationship with them before they would let anyone stay and cultivate."

"What about Eisendrache?" Reynolds asked. "Will they reject him?"

"I don’t think so," Grey answered, "but we won’t know until we ask. The main reason I came is to check how the Magical Beasts are handling the war, and my father also gave me a message to deliver to Sir Astarot."

They flew on for several more hours.

Eventually the forest began to thin, and the land ahead rose sharply. What came into view made Reynolds slow without realizing it.

The Dragon Mountains stood before them like a wall of the world.

Countless peaks thrust upward in jagged ranks, so high that their upper halves disappeared into thick layers of cloud. The mountains were not simply tall. They felt ancient and heavy, as if they had been standing since the beginning of the continent. Dark rock faces caught the light and threw it back in dull gleams. Between the peaks, wide valleys and high plateaus stretched out, covered in dense forests that looked almost small against the scale of the range. Waterfalls dropped from impossible heights, turning into mist long before they reached the lower slopes. The elemental essence here was so rich it almost hummed against the skin.

Even from a distance the entire range gave off a quiet, oppressive majesty, the kind of presence that made it clear this was the territory of creatures that stood at the peak of the Magical Beast world.

Reynolds stared with his mouth open.

"Close your mouth before something flies in," Void said dryly from the side. He had seen the Dragon Mountains before and he still wasn’t impressed. Dragons, in his opinion, were overrated.

Grey smiled faintly and nudged Reynolds, pointing upward.

Reynolds followed the gesture and froze again. Among the clouds that wrapped the highest peaks, enormous dragon heads had emerged. Each head was larger than a human body, scales gleaming faintly as the creatures watched the newcomers with calm, ancient eyes.

One of the Dragons folded its wings and dropped from the clouds. It descended in a controlled glide and came to a stop in front of them, the wind from its wings washing over the two humans.

The Dragon’s gaze settled on Grey.

"It’s you."

"Thalvyr," Grey greeted him with a friendly smile. "How have you been?"

He had become friends with this Dragon back in the secret world, and the familiarity still held.

Thalvyr reduced his size until he was roughly the height of a normal human. "I’ve been well." He glanced at Reynolds, gave a short nod of acknowledgment, then looked back at Grey. "Are you here to see Sir Astarot?"

"Yes. I have a message from my father, and there’s also a favor I wanted to ask."

Thalvyr was silent for a moment. "You came at a bad time. Sir Astarot is not here."

Grey’s expression tightened slightly. "Can we wait for him?"

"I’m afraid not," Thalvyr said. "He left for the Thunderbird Clan more than six months ago. The fighting there still hasn’t ended, and no one knows when he will return."

"Gnomes?" Grey asked.

Thalvyr nodded. His tone grew heavier as he explained. The Gnomes had suddenly committed a large army to the Thunderbird Clan’s territory, pushing the Thunderbirds back with unexpected speed and force. Even with support from the Dragon Clan, the Gnomes still controlled most of the contested land.

Grey’s eyes narrowed. He had not expected the Gnomes to act so aggressively inside the Magical Beasts’ Forest. Magical Beasts were not easy opponents on their own ground, yet the Gnomes had not only attacked but continued to hold the advantage even with Sir Astarot present. Whatever they wanted in the Thunderbird territory, it was clearly important enough for them to pay a heavy price.

He exchanged a quick glance with Reynolds. Both of them understood what this meant.

"Thank you for telling me," Grey said to Thalvyr. He adjusted his direction without further delay.

Thalvyr watched him. "Where are you going?"

"The Thunderbird territory," Grey answered.

Thalvyr looked as if he wanted to speak, then stopped himself. After a moment he simply raised a claw and pointed out the correct direction through the mountains.

Grey gave him a final nod of thanks. With Reynolds at his side, he turned and flew toward the distant Thunderbird lands, leaving the majestic peaks of the Dragon Mountains behind them.