Unholy Player

Chapter 442: Underground Monster

Eryndor stood straight on top of his flying white bird and said, "It appears that Elder races have some unique ways to develop their talents."

"When you reach a certain height, it’s time to look at and approach things from a different perspective," Adyr said, beating his wings as he drew alongside, his voice calm and confident, his words bearing a quiet wisdom.

Eryndor’s silver eyes seemed to light up as a look of surprise and understanding crossed his face. He understood that Adyr’s words were not casual remarks from a young man but something born of background and teaching, the kind that might come from circles full of Rank 6 or higher powerhouses.

"I see. That is why we have been stuck at this rank for so long. We lack the proper perspective."

Adyr’s words seemed to kindle something inside him. Though Eryndor looked like a man in his middle years at most, he was already hundreds of years old, and for decades he had lingered at Rank 4, unable to raise any of his talents to 6, which was one of the conditions for stepping into evolution step 5.

They had no VR rooms to simulate environments and sharpen their talents, and no researchers working to find the best methods for improvement, so it was not surprising their power had plateaued.

There was also the problem of scarce resources, yet, without talent, no matter how many resources they gathered, stepping into Rank 5 would still have been impossible.

For the rest of the flight, Eryndor fell silent. Clearly, he was turning Adyr’s words over in his mind, trying to grasp the perspective he needed to adopt.

Adyr let him be and looked ahead to the main palace they were approaching.

It was immense, larger even than Sevrak’s mansion between the two mountains, and meticulously kept. The bright marble of the colossal structure looked flawless, not a grain of dust visible across its polished planes and carved cornices.

I wonder if they have treasures hidden in their palace as well, Adyr thought, letting his gaze linger on doors, eaves, and vaults, quietly committing the layout and architecture to his memory.

Finding the treasure Heart of the Blood Palace at Sevrak’s place had been a welcome surprise. The Lunari were on equal footing with the Umbraens, so finding worthy treasures hidden here would not be surprising.

He soon realized they were descending toward a broad terrace set in the palace’s middle levels.

There, waiting for their arrival, were rows upon rows of Lunari in full-body armor, silver-colored and shaped according to their custom, hundreds of figures gleaming in the sunlight.

They were not ordinary knights. It was clear that they were Rank 2 and Rank 3 Practitioners because of the faint waves of energy coming off their bodies.

As soon as these Lunari soldiers saw them, the formation came alive. The silent, still lines of soldiers parted neatly on either side of the terrace. Bright ceremonial swords hissed as they came out of their scabbards and rose to chest height, opening an aisle for the two to land in the middle.

When Adyr landed on the polished, white, and smooth stone, the sharp tips of a hundred swords dropped down in a single metallic whisper and kissed the stone with a loud clang. All knees fell at the same time. The silver armor rang out on the terrace in layers of cling and clang, and the voices of the ranks rose in time with each other.

"We greet the Ruler of the Twin Mountains, Lord Adyr."

The Twin Mountains was the old local name for the region where the Umbraens had once lived, yet ironically the Umbraen race had been destroyed, and the mountains that gave the region its name had been laid to waste with them, emptying the name of its meaning.

Adyr had no desire to correct them though. He simply let himself look impressed by the greeting.

"So this is the Lunari military. Very well developed, I must admit," he said with clear praise.

Eryndor forced a small smile, apparently not sharing the sentiment. "They are our Lord’s personal army that he established recently. I believe he has been greatly influenced by Lord Adyr’s army.’’

Adyr laughed softly. He could already see the similarities between Lunari and Human military discipline. Clearly, Zephan had attempted to instill that same discipline in his people, echoing the scene where Adyr had shown him the human-military greeting the previous time.

"Please, this way." Without delay, Eryndor guided him inside, and the two moved forward, leaving the kneeling knights behind as the ceremonial aisle folded neatly back into formation.

Adyr proceeded through a series of long corridors before descending steep, extended stairs into the underground. After some time, he raised a single brow. "I thought we were going to meet with Silverlight."

The place Eryndor was taking him did not look like a hall meant for receiving guests.

"Please excuse the lack of reception, but yes, we are going to see Lord Zephan. It’s just..." Eryndor stopped, turned, bowed his head respectfully, and continued. "It’s just that your arrival was ill-timed but at the same time on time. My Lord is currently dealing with a very difficult predicament, and if you accept our selfish request, we want you to take a look."

It was a discomforting and inconsiderate move, since they were already halfway to their destination, and only now was Eryndor revealing his true intent and waiting for Adyr’s consent.

Adyr only nodded, not showing dissatisfaction with the situation. "I will assist as long as my presence is helpful. Please show the way."

’’Thank you for understanding. Whatever the outcome, I give you my word I will not forget this." Eryndor looked genuinely moved and grateful, raised his head, and resumed the descent down the long, steep stairs.

After they went on a while longer, Adyr sensed they had reached considerable depth underground, and the quality of the air began to change.

It was not the choking lack of oxygen, but something stranger, as if he were passing underwater. With each step, a heavy pressure settled over him, weighing on his shoulders and making each breath a little harder to draw.

After a time, the sensation took on a visual edge. The corridor’s shades shifted, and Adyr’s vision seemed to lose its natural range of color, with red and black pressing forward until they became the dominant tones in front of his eyes.

What are they hiding underground, a monster, perhaps, he thought, feeling as if he were walking into the den of a wild beast, something very dangerous and old.

Even so, despite the weight in the air and the prickle at the back of his neck, he kept going, driven by a keen curiosity about the source.

When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs after a long and difficult walk, the air had grown so heavy that even Adyr, despite his very high [Physique] stat, felt as if several tons had been added to his frame. The soles of his feet seemed to press deeper into the hard earth beneath him.

Adyr started to wonder. If just the presence of this thing felt so intense, how powerful and terrifying could the source itself be?

***

A/N: Thanks to all your phenomenal support we are currently keeping our 10th place in the Golden Ticket rankings. We just need to stay there 3 more days and we can get our first honor badge for being in the top 10 of the Golden Ticket rankings. Thank you so much for the kind attention you have shown to my work so far.