711 The Forsaken Land
In a desolate expanse, stripped of all greenery and littered with skeletons, a colossal flying ship emerged from a rift in the sky, before gracefully descending onto one of the many floating islands hovering above the bleak landscape.
The moment the ship touched down, numerous powerful individuals residing in the magnificent residences on the floating islands emerged to see who had arrived in the area after sensing numerous unfamiliar presences within the ship, as only a select few were granted permission to land directly on the floating islands.
Under their gaze, a wooden ramp began to extend from the center of the ship to allow the passengers to disembark, but before it could even touch the ground, a young man leaped out of the ship, a curious glimmer flickering in his golden eyes.
"So, this is the place where the war is happening? But why is it so quiet...?"
Nine straightened his clothes before glancing ahead at the massive residence in front of him. He saw many floating islands around the one he had just landed on.
"Oh... these islands bear a striking resemblance to those we encountered in the ancient realm on the blue planet."
He noticed the many eyes upon him and waved at the floating figures watching from all around, flashing them a smile. After him, Sinon flew out of the ship. The demi-human didn't land on the ground; instead, he began to fly and survey his surroundings.
Alec and Carcel joined Nine as well, somewhat speechless that he had jumped out of the ship instead of disembarking normally with the others. Unlike Nine, the duo nodded politely at the many figures watching them from the sky.
Behind them, Mia, Lara, Yue, and Elli descended from the ship, followed by Ronan and Wesley, the two elves. Nox was the last to leave the ship. The lynx let out a yawn as he leaped down from the ship and then walked toward the group.
He climbed onto Nine's shoulder with a curious expression.
"This place looks kind of ordinary. I thought everyone would be fighting in here—!"
His words were abruptly cut off by a thunderous explosion in the distance. Instantly, everyone turned their gaze toward the sound, only to see dark clouds billowing up from a distant location, accompanied by crimson flames that engulfed the sky.
Carcel narrowed his eyes.
Even from such a faraway location, he could hear the haunting cries of many.
He looked over at Ronan and Wesley.
"Are we in a safe zone?"
Wesley responded to his question as all eyes turned to the old elf and Ronan.
"You can indeed consider this area a safe zone because there's a barrier protecting it, but it's not completely secure. This place does experience attacks as well; it's just that the floating islands here operate on spiritual energy, which is why even though they have been destroyed many times, they revert to their original state after some time."
Everyone nodded at him and began to survey their surroundings. The group had barely taken in the scene when two women clad in purple robes, adorned with a large gray sword intricately engraved on the chest of their garments, landed before them.
One of the women was actually Elizabeth, whose expression brightened when she saw Alec and the young people with him.
"You all are finally here? Haha!"
Her laughter echoed in the air, surprising everyone watching the newcomers who had arrived with Ronan and Wesley.
The older demi-woman next to Elizabeth raised her brow; it was quite rare to see Elizabeth laugh so heartily.
"You know them?"
Elizabeth glanced at the old woman who was the wife of Old Hal and also one of the seven supreme elders like her and flashed her a mysterious smile.
"Why don't you take a guess, Sophia? You know them well; after all, they are the ones who have been causing quite a stir lately!"
Sophia's eyes widened as she instantly grasped her words. Not just Sophia, but every single person flying in the sky was surprised, as their keen senses allowed them to easily hear Elizabeth's voice. They swiftly descended onto the floating island and began to assess the newcomers, their eyes reflecting a hint of respect.
Among the crowd gathering on the island, there were numerous elderly individuals, all of whom wielded considerable power.
However, each of them had heard that this group of youngsters had achieved what no one else had in the past: they had killed Will, the third shadow general! Instantly, faint whispers began to echo in the air.
"Are they the audacious group who destroyed the Gladiator Arena? Have they finally come to join us in the war?"
"I heard they even detained Old Hal, Elizabeth, and all the powerful people who went to oversee the Gladiator Arena with formidable chains."
"But I can't see anyone with silver hair. Wasn't the silver-haired one the one who designed the array in the Arena? I want to have a conversation with him so we can share knowledge about arrays over tea."
"Where's the nature's favorite?"
As soon as those words resonated in the air, a profound silence enveloped the crowd. Everyone shifted their gaze toward the ship, eager to see if anyone else would appear.
They had heard that the nature's favorite possessed remarkable power, and that the man was able to hide his presence with his mastery of arrays alone. Yet, even after a lengthy wait, no one else emerged.
Alec and the others, standing at the center of it all, could only manage awkward smiles as countless eyes fixated on them, eagerly awaiting an answer to their question.
Suddenly, Elizabeth cleared her throat to capture the crowd's attention. Unlike the others present, she was aware that Odiak had received information from a faraway small planet that Kyle had been spotted battling one of Ceano's fake bodies.
After Odiak learned about Ceano's fake body, he found James, and together they left immediately—first to assist Kyle and second to retrieve the piece of soul within Ceano's fake body to find his true form. It had been over a day, yet the two of them hadn't returned or contacted her.
Perhaps they were still engaged in a struggle against Ceano? This might explain why Kyle hadn't arrived with the group. In the end, she turned to Alec.
"Are you aware that Kyle is currently fighting one of Ceano's fake bodies?"
Upon hearing her words, the crowd around her gasped in astonishment. Nine was the one who responded to her.
"We know. He vanished with Ceano right before our eyes. Since he left on his own, I believe he can manage the situation. So, I don't think we need to worry about him."
Alec and the others around him nodded in agreement. They had no doubt that Kyle could handle the situation since they had witnessed how he obliterated the entire lost treasure tomb right under Azazeal's nose!
Elizabeth chuckled at Nine's words.
"Indeed, considering Kyle, I am sure we don't need to be concerned about him."
She clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and raised her voice.
"I realize I haven't adequately welcomed all of you here, have I? So, welcome. This place is known as the Forsaken Land, and here, if one lacks strength and intelligence, they will surely meet their end."
Her words were followed by a loud explosion that didn't echo in a distant place; instead, it resonated quite near them, accompanied by wicked laughter that filled the air.
Immediately, all eyes turned toward the source of the sound, only to witness a supreme-rank demon, followed by many others. They had breached the barrier surrounding the floating islands.
Elizabeth's gaze hardened, and many individuals around her disappeared to confront the demons and repair the crack in the barrier. She steadied her expression and glanced at Alec and the others.
"Don't worry; this is completely normal."
Alec and the others could only nod in response to her words. Elizabeth motioned for them to follow her as the crowd around them began to break apart. She started to speak as they walked toward the residence on the floating island.
"You won't be sent to the frontlines right away. Instead, you will have the chance to learn a variety of new skills alongside the other young individuals who come here to join the war. I know you all want to learn a lot, because simply being strong is never enough. Just look at Kyle, for example..."
Her words hadn't even settled when a startled cry from Wesley pierced the air, filled with panic. Immediately, everyone turned to gaze back at the old elf.
Ronan, who had just begun to fly to assist those battling the demons that had attacked the barrier around the floating islands, also glanced back at Wesley, only to witness the old man's pale face and a communication crystal in his hand.
Alec and Nine were the first to rush toward Wesley, catching the old man before he lost his balance. Alec furrowed his brows as he noticed the crystal in the latter's hand.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
However, instead of responding to Alec, Wesley glanced at Ronan, who had landed before him with a concerned expression. The old elf voice trembled as he spoke.
"The Tree of Fate... it has fallen into slumber."