Chapter 757: Finally! We are here!
A month later, high above the platform where travelers from across the universe descended to enter the Forsaken Land, a flying ship devoid of any emblem marking its origin emerged from a rift.
The ship descended gracefully, touching down at the heart of the platform.
Some of the guards stationed around the platform immediately sprang into action to learn from which planet the newcomers who had come to join the war hailed.
As the wooden stairs, firmly secured with handrails attached to the ship, descended, an elderly man in flowing robes, with brown hair and dark eyes, stepped down, clutching a glowing map in his hand. He was followed by a throng of individuals.
Han lifted his head to meet the eyes of the two guards approaching him and the group behind him, sighing with relief.
At last, after a month of wandering, they had finally found this place.
However, he had no regrets.
In fact, even if he could go back in time, he wouldn't mind if their journey took a month to reach this destination, as it had been free of danger and filled with countless valuable
opportunities along the way.
The greatest opportunities they encountered were in the Sacred Divine Land, which was their first stop after leaving the blue planet.
It was there that they discovered the location of the Forsaken Land after meeting some old demi-humans.
Jian poked his head out from behind Han who greeted the two guards, excitement sparkling in his crimson eyes.
"Finally! We are here! I can already sense Alec's and the others' presence in the air!"
He raked his callused fingers through his messy red hair, further disheveling the long strands that were loosely tied in a ponytail, reaching down to his shoulders.
The explosive aura surrounding his body and the well-defined muscles on his frame made it clear that he had not been slacking at all. In fact, he appeared stronger. And why wouldn't he? After all, he had reached the final stage of the transcendent rank.
Kelvin draped his arm over Jian's shoulder with a solemn expression.
"The air here isn't clean at all. There's too much dark energy."
Jian nodded in response to his childhood friend's question before pulling him closer with a serious look.
"You, don't you dare leave my side. I told you, you aren't strong enough to be here! But no, you had to follow!"
Regius stepped between the two and separated them before tapping his knuckles on Jian's head with a click of his tongue.
"Don't babysit him. Kelvin's already at the (SSS)-rank, thanks to the divine essence. He isn't weak. If he doesn't face challenges, he will never be able to advance!"
He glanced back at the people behind him and sighed. They hadn't intended to bring so many individuals with them.
However, many were determined to follow the two, and their resolve yielded positive results, all thanks to Kyle's father!
Among the crowd were several familiar faces: Elder Han's wife Serena, Yue's old friends Lumi, Faith, and Niamh, Kyle's older brother Neon, a former student of the Royal Academy Lily, and King Istalian's son Lucus, accompanied by his friend Sen, someone Kyle had entirely forgotten with time.
Sensing Regius's gaze in her direction, Lily gracefully tucked the strands of her long dark hair behind her ear before glancing at Jian with a charming and innocent smile.
"Regius is right. We are not weak. It was our decision to follow both of you, so it's our responsibility to protect ourselves."
Jian clutched his heart dramatically at the sight of the beautiful woman, but Regius swiftly slapped his head, reminding him that this lady was trouble.
She had cunningly complained to Kyle's father, who had somehow become one of the strongest individuals on the blue planet, alongside his butler, Eon.
Kyle's father, Ohan, had opened his own academy with Eon to guide the younger generation and had become the most renowned figure on the blue planet.
Jian and Regius had asked the old man how he had achieved the pseudo-divine rank so soon, and he easily told them that he and all his sons possessed a powerful ice bloodline, which they had unlocked after Kyle did something to their bodies. Once their bloodline was unlocked, Ohan, who simply consumed many of the treasures Kyle left behind because they tasted good, became stronger, even though he just wanted to remain an ordinary mortal.
Ohan remained remarkably calm as he revealed this huge secret, as if he feared nothing. When Regius and Jian asked him what he would do if people came to harm him to obtain his bloodline, Ohan laughed and confidently replied that his sons were more than strong enough to protect him.
Lily had somehow gotten close to Kyle's father and manipulated him into pressuring Jian and Regius to take her with them. To make matters worse, she convinced Ohan and Eon that the talented young individuals on the planet should all strive to become stronger and bring glory to their planet.
And those old fools had actually agreed!
Jian grimaced as he recalled the day-long scolding he received from Kyle's father. He remembered how Ohan had emphasized the importance of helping others and how much he missed his youngest son, yet they had not brought him back.
He averted his gaze from Lily.
Although she was very beautiful, her innocence was so pronounced that it almost seemed feigned.
Jian found himself thinking that Seraphine, Nine's sister who wanted to come along but couldn't because of the sea people and the mer queen, was actually better than Lily. But he shook his head when he recalled that Nine hated his sister a lot and would have actually killed her if she had come here!
The guards talking with Han frowned when they sensed his strength and the strength of the people behind him.
Except for Regius and Jian, everyone else was in the mortal ranks below (SSS+)-rank. But they didn't look down on them.
Over the years, all types of weak and strong individuals had come to join the war, either because their planet sent them or because they simply wanted to experience the thrill.
Some had grown stronger, while others had perished. So, why would they judge anyone just for being weak? As long as this group contributed to the war, that was enough.
Silently, after recording the name of the planet that Han and the poeple with him came from, the guards provided them with armor adorned with a gray sword design on each piece. And everyone accepted it.
In that moment, a fist-sized, white-winged boar flew out of the ship docked behind the group, his expression sad, and complex as he landed on Jian's shoulder.
"Kid, I told you I didn't want to come... why did you have to bring me here?"
Haylee cursed under his breath when he sensed his master's presence nearby. He had been completely fine residing in the ancient realm on the blue planet just a few months ago when Jian and Regius had swaggered in and destroyed the entrance, converting it into public
property.
A month ago, they had even dragged out the two powerful beasts, the white boar and the chameleon, which had been left behind to guard the ancient realm, claiming they would take them back to their masters.
The chameleon managed to escape, but Haylee was captured and brought here.
Jian chuckled when he heard the boar grumbling on his shoulder.
"Be grateful I remember you, unlike your master who has forgotten you. Now that we are
here, you should break the bond you have with another. I want a companion, and you aren't bad! That was the main reason Regius and I went to that realm to retrieve you and that
chameleon who escaped."
Haylee fell silent for a while.
"You know I cannot get stronger than I already am. My potential has reached its limit. I have even consumed divine essence, but nothing worked... There's no use in you bonding with me. Also, don't you dare speak ill of my master! He is the strongest person I have ever met!"
Jian snorted as the guards led everyone toward an array, explaining they had to join the war first and foremost and earn credits before they could get the chance to meet James and the
powerful elders.
"Strongest person? At that time, James had barely reached the divine rank. How can you call him the strongest? I am at the pinnacle of the transcendent rank, and considering my luck has improved so much recently, I can just find a powerful treasure for you to become stronger! You just need to break your bond with James and come to me!"
As he bickered with Haylee, Neon could no longer hold back and tapped Regius on the shoulder to get his attention.
Regius turned around to face the black-haired man, who looked quite handsome in the fitted suit he wore. He was especially courteous, knowing that Neon was Kyle's older brother, and Kyle was someone he would never want to offend.
"Yes, big brother, how can I help you?"
Neon's eyebrow twitched. He was still not used to how effortlessly Regius and Jian began
referring to him and Ray as brothers the moment they met them, as if they were truly family. He wondered just how strong his younger brother had become to make Regius and Jian, who exuded an aura of power strong enough to destroy planets and reshape the sky, behave so
politely around him and his family.
He pushed aside his thoughts.
"When can we meet Kyle? You know I especially came to see him. It's been so many years; I
can't even remember when was the last time we talked."
Regius scratched his chin.
"That would be a bit difficult. We actually have no idea about Kyle's current location, and after separating from the others, we lost contact. But there's no need to worry; we know Alec
and the others are here, so we can meet them by joining the war and find out if Kyle is
around." Neon nodded, but in that moment, everyone suddenly fell silent. The numerous guards around them all paid respect to someone in the sky, causing everyone to look up, only to see a
handsome figure floating there.
James's eyes narrowed with many complicated emotions as he looked at Haylee, who averted his gaze as if he didn't recognize him at all. He had sensed his presence a while ago... At first, he thought he was imagining it. After all, how could his first bonded beast, whom he hadn't
seen in over a thousand years, be here? But when the presence he sensed didn't vanish even
after a long time, he arrived here.
"Haylee?"
He called out, and Haylee finally turned to him with a wistful and sad expression before
responding in a barely audible voice.
"Master..."