Book 18, Highgod – Chapter 17, Abyssal Fruit
Linley and Bebe both couldn’t help but feel stunned.
“If I truly were to fly through, I probably would have died!” Linley felt seized by terror. He hadn’t been in Dragonform, and had been planning to Dragonform upon entering the Abyssal Mountain. But who would have imagined that the safe ‘cracks’ between the chains of lightning would be so dangerous as well? If he wasn’t in Dragonform, he definitely wouldn’t be able to take it. Still...
Since Bebe was flying in front of him, once Bebe drew near and was struck by the sparks of lightning, Linley would’ve been able to react in time.
Linley turned to look towards the green-robed youth, saying gratefully, “Thank you, truly. Right. If I may ask, why are you in the Abyssal Mountain region?”
Linley couldn’t be blamed for feeling puzzled, because this green-robed youth was just a God.
The danger level of the Netherworld was no less than that of the Infernal Realm. For Gods to roam about in the outside world was as good as courting death.
“I live right over there.” The green-robed youth pointed with a laugh to a nearby location.
Linley followed the pointing finger, only to see that a few thousand meters away, there were a number of constructed courtyards, in front of which was a three-story building. The three-story building had some words in front of it: ‘Abyssal Inn’!
“Someone opened an inn here?” Linley was rather astonished.
“Abyssal Inn?” Bebe said, puzzled. “Who opened this inn of yours? Someone is capable of opening an inn here in the wilderness...how formidable.” In such a desolate area, opening an inn was the equivalent of giving bandits a place to be robbed. Only a supremely powerful being would dare to open an inn in such a desolate area.
The green-robed youth said proudly, “Our inn belongs to Greenleaf Castle. Who would dare cause trouble here?”
“What’s Greenleaf Castle?” Bebe asked, and Linley looked at the green-robed youth in puzzlement as well.
The youth was startled, and looked towards Linley and Bebe as though he was looking at a pair of strange creatures. “Can it be that you haven’t even heard of Greenleaf Castle? You are both Highgods. You’ve spent so many years in the Netherworld; can it be that you’ve never interacted in the outside world?” The green-robed youth didn’t dare believe that these two had never heard of Greenleaf Castle.
“We came from the Infernal Realm.” Linley said.
“Oh, so that’s the case. I didn’t expect you two came from the Infernal Realm.” The green-robed youth said, now understanding.
“Let me tell you, then!” The green-robed youth said with a laugh. “Our inn is owned by Greenleaf Castle. Greenleaf Castle, in our Netherworld, is extremely famous! Our Greenleaf Castle has a total of three castle lords, and these three castle lords...are all powerful Sovereign’s Emissaries!”
Linley and Bebe, hearing this, couldn’t help but feel startled.
The three castle lords were all Sovereign’s Emissaries? No wonder Greenleaf Castle was so mighty.
“Where is your Greenleaf Castle located?” Linley asked. He had read that book, which had some rough geographical information regarding the Netherworld, and which included descriptions of some of the more famous areas of the Netherworld. If Greenleaf Castle truly was so famous, why hadn’t the book described it?
“I don’t know.”
The green-robed youth shook his head. “The exact location of Greenleaf Castle is one of the secrets of the Netherworld.”
Linley laughed, then no longer discussed this subject, going to the main point. “Might I ask, do you know...how one would enter the Abyssal Mountain?”
“Enter the Abyssal Mountain? Oh...at the base of the Abyssal Mountain, roughly a thousand kilometers from here, there is a mountain entrance. All who enter the Abyssal Mountain must pass through this entrance.” The green-robed youth laughed. As he lived here, he understood everything clearly.
“Oh. Thank you.” Linley laughed, then prepared to leave with Bebe.
“Hey, wait a moment.” The green-robed youth saw Linley was preparing to leave, and hurriedly called after him.
“Eh?” Linley and Bebe turned to look at him.
The green-robed youth said, “The two of you are in such a hurry. It seems as though you really don’t know anything about the Abyssal Mountain at all! The Abyssal Mountain is very dangerous...”
“We know it is dangerous.” Bebe snickered. “Danger is nothing to be afraid of.”
The green-robed youth said resignedly, “I know the two of you are powerful, milords, but...the layer of fog clouds covering the Abyssal Mountain are extremely bizarre. However...on the night of each full moon, the fog of the Abyssal Mountain will grow sparse and the danger will dramatically decrease as well. Generally speaking, those who enter the Abyssal Mountain will enter at that time!”
“The night of each full moon?” Linley did some mental calculations. “Five more days!”
“Milords, if you truly insist on entering, I advise you to do so after waiting five days. By then, the danger level will lessen as well. You can enter then.” The green-robed youth said.
Linley and Bebe looked at each other, coming to a decision.
“Fine then. We’ll wait five days. Then for now, we’ll stay at your Abyssal Inn.” Linley said with a laugh.
“Wonderful. I’ll lead the two of you there.” The green-robed youth said with a laugh. Actually, as soon as he had seen Linley and Bebe fly towards the Abyssal Mountain, he had immediately hurried over towards them...he had already used this sort of method to pull in customers on many occasions.
The Abyssal Inn was right next to the Abyssal Mountain.
The main door of the inn was situated on a grassy area, at the center of which was a pool of water. Once Linley and Bebe flew over, under the guidance of the green-robed youth, the first thing which drew Linley’s attention was the young, pretty, red-haired girl who was fishing by the side of the pool. The pretty young lady even gave Linley and Bebe a glance, then continued fishing as though completely uninterested.
“How interesting.” Linley chuckled.
“Hey, who is that lady over there?” Bebe asked the green-robed youth.
The green-robed youth immediately responded with a laugh. “The two of you need to be careful. That lady is the boss of our inn. She was sent over by Greenleaf Castle. I don’t know much about her either...but I hear that she, our boss, has an extremely close relationship with one of the three castle lords of Greenleaf Castle. The Boss is extremely powerful as well.”
“Quin [Ke’win], don’t be a blabbermouth!” A cold, sharp rebuke rang out.
“Ahhh! Sorry, Boss!” The youth bowed, then said with a laugh to Linley and Bebe, “Our boss is very cold towards outsiders, but she’s very good to us.”
While speaking, the green-robed youth led Linley and Bebe into the inn.
The main hall of the inn was extremely large, and it was divided into two parts. The first part was for welcoming guests, while the other part was the restaurant. The restaurant had tens of tables within it, and there were roughly ten or so people in the restaurant right now, drinking and chatting.
“Gentlemen, how long will you be here for?” A green-robed woman seated behind the counter.
“Five days.” Bebe said.
“Ten thousand netherstones each day! Five days, fifty thousand netherstones.” The green-robed woman said.
Hearing this, Linley couldn’t help but to turn his head and look at her. Ten thousand netherstones a day? The netherstones of the Netherworld were comparable to the inkstones of the Infernal Realm. In the Infernal Realm, even the inns and hotels within the city would usually only charge a few hundred inkstones for an entire year. But this Abyssal Inn actually had a much higher price that was more than ten thousand times greater!
“This is robbery.” Bebe said rather angrily.
The green-robed woman just laughed calmly. “That’s the price of our inn. We can guarantee the safety of anyone who stays within our inn. Every year, quite a few experts will stay here...ordinary inns wouldn’t dare entertain such experts.”
“Experts?” Linley lifted an eyebrow.
He noticed that the people chatting within the hotel were all Highgods. As for what level of power they were at, without fighting, it was hard to judge within a short period of time. But from what the green-robed woman was saying, these people should all be quite powerful.
“We only have inkstones.” Linley said. Immediately, quite a few people drinking wine in the restaurant turned to look at them. Someone who only had inkstones had to have come from the Infernal Realm. To travel from the Infernal Realm to the Netherworld...this was enough to draw quite a bit of attention.
“Our Abyssal Inn welcomes guests from all planes.” The green-haired woman wasn’t surprised in the slightest. “The same price. Ten thousand inkstones a day...fifty thousand inkstones in total. Right. If you want to eat and drink, you have to pay extra.”
Laughing Linley waved his hand, paying the fee.
“How is it that this place of yours has so many customers?” Bebe looked towards the woman, asking in puzzlement. “The Abyssal Mountain is in such a desolate location. Can it be that so many people have come here to enter the Abyssal Mountain and throw their lives away?” These words caused quite a few people in the restaurant to look at Bebe, with quite a few unkindly looks.
“Hmph, throwing our lives away? Aren’t the two of you coming to ‘throw your lives away’ as well?” A cold voice rang from nearby, within the restaurant.
Linley glanced calmly at the speaker as well.
“Bebe, stop causing trouble.” Linley said with a calm laugh.
Although he didn’t fear them, Linley didn’t want to cause trouble either.
“You had all best remember that here in our Abyssal Inn, you are not to fight.” The green-robed woman said.
“Don’t worry.” Linley laughed as he spoke.
And then, Linley led Bebe into a corner of the restaurant and sat down. Immediately, a waiter came to greet him and brought over a menu. “These prices are extraordinarily high.” Bebe muttered. Still, Linley and Bebe were mentally prepared. They casually ordered a few dishes and two bottles of fine wine, with the cost being near ten thousand inkstones.
“Boss, why do you think these people are here? Can it be that they are like us, here to meet the Sovereign?” Bebe sent mentally. He didn’t understand why these experts had come.
“Sovereign? There’s not many who know that the Abyssal Mountain has a Sovereign here.” Linley sent back.
He had met with three Lord Prefects after coming to the Infernal Realm, one of whom hadn’t known at all that the Abyssal Mountain held a Sovereign. And Sayant had said...that he head only learned it from his own Sovereign. Clearly, the fact that Abyssal Mountain held a Sovereign was a secret.
“Don’t worry about other people’s business.” Linley laughed calmly.
Linley was in quite a good mood after arriving here. Linley and Bebe began to drink the fine wine and eating while chatting leisurely.
“Motherf*cker, even people from the Infernal Realm have come over here to fight over the Abyssal Fruit!” A grumbling, unhappy voice rang out from another side of the restaurant, and the words attracted the attention of Linley and Bebe.
“Abyssal Fruit?” Bebe looked towards Linley. “Boss, do you know what the Abyssal Fruit is?”
“No idea. Never heard of it.” Linley shook his head, puzzled.
Because this wasn’t a secret, Linley and Bebe continued to chat.
“Friends from the Infernal Realm, you’ve come for the sake of the Abyssal Fruit, and yet you won’t admit to it? This is a bit too laughable. You’ve come all the way from the Infernal Realm to our Netherworld and now are at the Abyssal Mountain. If it isn’t for the sake of the Abyssal Fruit, what is it for?” A calm voice rang out from nearby.
Linley turned to look. The speaker was a silver-haired, seemingly quite soft and feminine looking youth.
“Hey, what’s so amazing about the Abyssal Fruit? Tell me about it.” Bebe said, raising an eyebrow.
Quite a few of the other guests in the restaurant gave Bebe an unfriendly look. None of them said anything.
“The Abyssal Fruit is a legendary treasure.” A cold, fierce voice rang out. The red-haired woman who had been fishing walked in, carrying her fishing rod in one hand and a bucket in another. “It is a priceless treasure which only the Abyssal Mountain has. Anyone who acquires and eats an Abyssal Fruit will not only become a supreme expert of the Netherworld, this person will also...be met by a Sovereign and become the Sovereign’s Emissary!”
Linley’s eyes turned round upon hearing this.
Someone who acquired and ate the Abyssal Fruit would become a Sovereign’s Emissary?
“Truly?” Bebe didn’t quite believe it.
“Of course it’s true.”
The pretty red-haired lady cast her cold gaze across Linley and Bebe. “Over the course of countless years, three Abyssal Fruit have appeared here, in the Abyssal Mountain. If this news was false...why would there always be groups of people coming here to try their luck?” As she spoke, she glanced at the people in the restaurant. And then, the red-haired beauty headed upstairs, her footsteps ringing out against the stairs.
Linley and Bebe exchanged glances, still unable to believe it.
“Friends from the Infernal Realm, can it be that you truly don’t know that the three castle lords of Greenleaf Castle were the three lucky fellows who acquired Abyssal Fruits? Upon eating an Abyssal Fruit, one’s power will grow rapidly and one will become a supreme expert on par with a Lord Prefect. In addition, one will have a Sovereign artifact bestowed upon them and become a Sovereign’s Emissary!” The soft, feminine-looking youth laughed coldly as he glanced at them. “If you want the Abyssal Fruit, no need to pretend you don’t know what it is.”
Bebe couldn’t help but grow angry.
“Bebe, drink.” Linley said with a calm laugh, while sending mentally to Bebe, “Bebe, there’s no need to waste your time on these people.”
Linley and Bebe, in truth, had never heard of the Abyssal Fruit. Still, Linley and Bebe weren’t too interested in it either. Since only three had appeared in countless years...they clearly were far too rare. But of course, the allure of the Abyssal Fruit was quite great, as it allowed one’s power to dramatically increase and even become a Sovereign’s Emissary.
Suddenly...
Footsteps rang out, and someone entered from outside.
Linley turned to look. “Him?”
The person who had come wore a long black robe and had long violet hair. This was the person whom Linley and Bebe had seen on their journey here to the Abyssal Mountain; the victor of the battle between those two supreme experts who had fought high up in the air.