Chapter 70 - 70 – Skysand
"Down, Hieronymus!" Kyle shouted.
Theodor had just told him to say that.
The big dragon head laid on the ground while still looking at Kyle.
"Really? You called this dragon Hieronymus?" Kyle asked.
Theodor laughed. "Look at how it bows at your feet! Isn't it a wonderful feeling?"
Kyle just looked at the stone dragon awkwardly.
'This guy seriously has issues,' he thought.
"This is my lowly dog, Hieronymus!" Theodor shouted. "It is an Initial Master Golem, but when someone speaks its name, it is forced to obey like a servant! Bow before me, Hieronymus!"
However, the stone dragon didn't react to his shout since Theodor could only talk to Kyle.
Kyle imagined Theodor telling the dragon to bow in front of him regularly while laughing maniacally.
Kyle just silently shook his head.
"You don't think this would be an issue?" Kyle asked.
"Foolish mortal," Theodor spoke his catchphrase. "Even if some invader commands it and walks past it, they will encounter Sulfur moments later."
'Guess he's right,' Kyle thought.
"So, where do I go now?" Kyle asked, looking around the cave.
"The lowly dog will escort you," Theodor said.
Kyle looked with uncertainty at the stone dragon.
"Hieronymus, escort me to the exit, please," he said.
"How dare you lower yourself in front of this lowly dog?!" Theodor shouted.
Kyle just ignored Theodor.
He had become very good at ignoring the crazy voice inside his head.
He already had a lot of experience from his last marriage.
Having Theodor in his head was only mildly worse than having that crazy woman in his house.
But, oh well, love.
Love made people do stupid things.
The stone dragon rose and slowly walked around Kyle.
Then, it stopped in front of the entrance of a big cave and obediently sat down, waiting for Kyle.
'You know, it's kind of cute,' Kyle thought as he saw the obedient yet terrifying stone dragon.
Kyle walked to the stone dragon, and it rose, walking into the cave in front of Kyle.
After walking for a bit, Kyle saw something surprising.
"Ore Fiends?" he asked as he looked at the quadrupedal boulders clinging to the ceiling and walls.
There were so many of them!
"Natural protection," Theodor spoke proudly. "They keep this area free of vermin. I raised these Ore Fiends to consume anything biological that appears in front of them."
Kyle looked at the Ore Fiends, which looked back at him.
"You don't need to worry," Theodor said as he noticed Kyle's reaction. "They won't dare to attack with the lowly dog escorting you."
BANG!
One of the Ore Fiends jumped from the wall and shot right at Kyle.
Kyle could barely react.
This thing was much faster than all the Ore Fiends in the underground city!
BOOOM!
The stone dragon snatched the Ore Fiend out of the air, crushed it in its maw, and swallowed.
Kyle's heart rate shot through the roof as he watched the dragon consuming the Ore Fiend.
"Didn't you say that they wouldn't attack me?" Kyle asked in a shocked voice.
"I didn't say that," Theodor answered.
Kyle's left eyelid twitched.
'You literally said that!'
'Seriously, why am I back in my marriage?!'
'Psycho-ass goldfish!'
After the stone dragon destroyed the Ore Fiend, the other Ore Fiends didn't dare to attack anymore.
They just watched from the walls as Kyle passed by them.
Kyle passed through several big caves with beautiful underground lakes and tons of ore.
"This is not for you!" Theodor shouted. "If you can get here without the lowly dog, you may take however much you want."
"Sure thing, Boss," Kyle answered in a bored manner.
After walking for almost 30 minutes, the dog stopped in front of a dead end.
Theodor told Kyle how to open the wall.
The wall parted, and Kyle finally saw sunlight again.
Apparently, the entrance to the Inheritance Crypt was on a wall of a big mountain, which stood in the middle of a big forest.
As Kyle took a deep breath, he noticed something.
"Why do I smell sand?" Kyle asked. "We're in the middle of a forest."
"Foolish mortal, do you not know where you are? This is the Skysand Kingdom! Do you think the name is just for show?!" Theodor asked arrogantly.
"Look towards the horizon, and you will learn."
Kyle did just that, and he saw a big brown cloud on the horizon.
"What is that?" Kyle asked.
"Skysand," Theodor answered. "It is a natural cloud of corrosive sand. If you were to touch that cloud, not even I would be able to save you."
"Proceed towards the east, and you will see."
Kyle furrowed his brows but did as ordered.
The wall closed behind Kyle, and as he looked back one last time, he only saw the obedient expression of the stone dragon before the wall appeared between them.
'Wonder when I will return to the Inheritance Crypt. I kind of miss Sulfur and the dragon already.'
Kyle felt a bit lonely.
"Foolish mortal, why are you hesitating?! Are you afraid of witnessing the true face of the world?!" Theodor shouted.
Now, Kyle wished he felt lonely again.
"Sure thing, Boss," Kyle answered.
Naturally, this answer didn't really fit the question, but Theodor didn't know that.
He couldn't even remember what he said.
The only thing he knew was that Kyle was showing compliance, and that pleased him.
By now, Kyle had learned that speaking this phrase made Theodor shut up.
Nevertheless, despite Theodor's horrible method of stating a request, Kyle did as he was told.
He only had to walk for around five minutes before he reached the edge of the forest.
Surprisingly, he hadn't seen a single animal or beast.
The wilderness seemed almost dead.
As Kyle reached the edge of the forest, he finally saw the true face of the Skysand Kingdom.
It was a huge desert!
There was sand everywhere!
And yet, it wasn't hot in any way.
In fact, it felt quite cold.
A cold desert.
The dunes stretched to the horizon, and Kyle could see several clouds of sand in the sky.
"Behold, the Skysand Kingdom!" Theodor spoke grandly. "Normal humans can not survive in the desert! There are dangers and natural disasters everywhere!"
"Humans can only live in the Cradles. Leaving the Cradles and stepping into the desert represents becoming a true seeker of power!"
"You must not step into the desert yet. You are not ready."
"Go back home where you belong, foolish mortal! This land is not for you!"
Theodor just kept laughing arrogantly.
'Home, huh?'
Kyle was reminded of Samson, and he started to feel nervous.
'Oh boy, how am I going to explain this?'