Highlands—
A strong wind blew.
Atop a large hill, Rotell stood ramrod straight, one hand clasping the strap of her bag, while Cirsen stood behind her. The two young women overlooked the vast terrain, marveling at the majestic scenery of the secret realm as they slowly advanced.
Unlike the strong winds of the mountains and the deep darkness of the ravine, the hilly highlands were a lot more relaxed, lacking many of the hostile elements of the other two paths, but in its place, one had to face the constantly rippling terrain and the monotonous environment.
It wasn't that there was no danger; instead, the danger came in slow and predictable waves, much like the surrounding terrain.
While quickly guarding her eyes from the sun with her hand, Elena peered ahead in an attempt to see past the bright light that shone down from above.
She frowned.
"Cirsen, do you see anything over there?" She pointed towards a large plateau in the distance.
Cirsen looked over, then shook her head.
"It's too far."
Rotell nodded.
She felt like she had seen a shadow, but she also felt as if she had seen nothing.
These strange happenings weren't unique. Since a while ago, she had been feeling a little bit strange. The source of this strangeness was difficult to detect, but ever since entering the highlands, something had seemed slightly off, almost as if she had taken the wrong path on a long journey.
It was a bit like a dream…
This didn't refer to her current adventure through the secret realm; instead, it referred to something on a higher level. Although it was such a small thing that it was nearly negligible, failing to find its source, Rotell couldn't help but be a bit annoyed.
She shook her head and tried not to think about it.
With another step, Rotell and Cirsen continued their journey while looking for their three missing companions. They walked through the hills, fought many battles, and after a few more hours of trekking, the duo arrived at the foot of a large incline, a bit like an extremely steep hill, that led up towards a rocky plateau.
After discussing it with Cirsen, they began their ascent, hoping to get a better view of their surroundings and see if they could find their lost companions.
While climbing, Rotell re-experienced what it felt like to go adventuring with her swordsmanship teacher back when she was just a small child. It was a pleasant time, but despite the general enjoyment, there was also no lack of interruptions. For example, at one point, Cirsen had slipped, and despite her high cultivation, her hulking figure still managed to somehow fall down the cliff with a series of comical clanking noises. After climbing all the way back down, Rotell helped her back up, and they soon returned to where they had been thirty minutes earlier.
…Indeed, this was not a one-time occurrence…
Mm, after that, around the halfway point, the duo was attacked by a large beast. The battle was treacherous, not because it was particularly difficult, but because the terrain created a treacherous environment, making falling just as fatal, at least in an 'inconvenient' sort of way.
Speaking of which, this was a good opportunity to vaguely touch upon the movement techniques used by the different practitioners and their pathways.
'Qigong' or 'Movement Techniques' were a foundation of every pathway.
Because strengthening the body was generally only done through the absorption of the natural energy of heaven and earth, the other four pathways didn't have the same level of physical strength that came with the immortal Pathway. This meant that performing extreme jumps and swift steps that far exceeded mortal limits required the use of other methods.
The Immortal Pathway not only possessed the strongest body and hardest fists, but also the longest lifespan and fastest movement speed. As for the Necromancer Pathway, this path was the exact opposite, possessing the weakest body and slowest speed, but correspondingly, they obtained a ridiculous level of 'survivability' compared to the 'one life' policy of the immortal pathway.
Next, the Mage Pathway could obtain a high level of mobility through magic, runes, and 'higher' level powers, while the Summoner Pathway was heavily restricted by their chosen element. The wind element would allow a summoner to move at a speed similar to the Immortal Pathway, but the earth element would limit them to an even lower state than the Necromancer Pathway.
As for the Controller Pathway, this pathway basically possessed no movement abilities, and their physical bodies were not much different from those of mortals. In exchange, they were almost like a glass cannon, with an absurd level of versatility, adaptability, and utility.
In a place with many restrictions, especially with many focused on flight, the Royal Ring Secret Realm was a dangerous place that forced even experienced practitioners to be cautious.
That was the reason Rotell, Cirsen, the Dragons, the Demons, and all the others had to behave…
-
Returning to the present, Rotell and Cirsen ascended the cliff.
Both girls were following the Immortal Pathway, meaning that they were 'Cultivators' who pursued that ever elusive chance towards that ethereal hope of immortal ascension. But if one were to quantify their attributes, then Elena was an all-rounder with a general trend towards speed, while Cirsen was a full-on tank with a troubling lack of mobility. For immortal cultivators walking this pathway, there was no lack of variety, but to see someone like Cirsen, who was so helpless when it came to climbing, it really made one have to stop and think.
Elena struggled very little, jumping back and forth while shifting around the terrain, but Cirsen struggled with even the most basic of movements, leaving her looking a little like a large bear attempting to play the role of a mountain goat.
Elena looked down at Cirsen with some concern.
The large red figure was currently pressed against a steep slope that any normal person would undoubtedly fall from. If not for her full focus and the constant stream of spiritual energy spilling out from her body, currently anchoring her to the cliff, then Elena felt as if she would already have seen the fifth crimson meteor falling down the cliff face within the past hour alone.
She sighed, wondering if she should go down and help.
As a 'junior' in the cultivation world, offering assistance to this 'senior' could either be seen as an extreme disregard for the hierarchy of the strong, or a friendly gesture…
Elena didn't feel as if Cirsen was the kind of person who would freak out over something so petty, but she might be the kind of person whose feelings could get hurt if she helped, she was just that innocent.
Actually, this was something Elena had learned over the past few days.
As for her status, that was only relevant while inside the Empire. Perhaps her other sisters didn't quite agree, but Elena had always felt this way. Being a princess, aside from the title, actually meant very little to her. If anything, it was just another shackle—a shackle that she would give up in an instant if presented with a choice.
Sitting down, Elena looked out over the landscape, then turned her head up towards the horizon.
Because of the existence of the core region, she couldn't see the full ravine, but she could see the mountains. It was actually quite a nice sight.
She sat there quietly as a few birds flew overhead.
The wind blew, ruffling her hair.
In her eyes, the shape of the secret realm was reflected: the outer rim was a vast grassland, which then transitioned into a forest. From there, three inner areas split apart, one filled with large and powerful mountains, one filled with forests and fissures, and one occupied by the hilly highlands, the place where they were currently advancing through.
She looked up, failing to see the peak of the plateau.
After shaking her head, the world seemed to quiet down.
Time passed just like that, until—
She reached to the side and retrieved a string with a series of bottles hanging from it from her pocket. The string had been tied around each of the bottles' necks, creating a kind of makeshift bandolier. This was an item that she had bought from Petra, and although none of the things she bought were labeled... Mm, Elena's eyes turned away from the horizon and briefly looked towards this series of bottles. She held them up, dangling them before her eyes, looking on with interest. Each bottle was different, with seven in total, but she could only recognize the bottle containing a substance called Dream Weaver's Nightmare, a kind of sleeping drug used on enemies.
She suspected that each of these bottles contained a different kind of 'self-protection substance'...
After putting it away, she looked back down the cliff, and seeing that Cirsen was quickly catching up, she stood, then stretched.
Hm~!
After some time, Cirsen reached her position, then the duo continued their ascent.
* * *
Deep underground, the sound of dripping water quietly echoed through the darkness.
Rolilly sat atop a large, smooth stone with one leg crossed over the other, absentmindedly swinging her foot back and forth. Her chin rested lazily in her palm, and although her expression remained calm, her eyes continuously flickered with strange thoughts.
The surrounding cave was dim, and only the extremely distant sound of battle could be faintly heard, but it was impossible to track.
Around her, small traces of glowing moss and poisonous wisps barely illuminated the underground void.
Ssssh!
A small green spider slowly descended from above on a thin, glowing green thread.
The creature was tiny, no bigger than a fingernail, with translucent legs and an emerald body covered in strange rune-like markings. If Petra were here, she would recognize these markings as a complex curse carved directly into the small creature's flesh. It quietly lowered itself toward Rolilly before delicately landing on her outstretched arm.
Rolilly merely raised her hand slightly, and the little spider crawled across her palm, then soon climbed up to sit on her fingertip. Its body trembled slightly, and Rolilly's eyes narrowed.
For a brief moment, it almost seemed as if a tiny whisper echoed around her.
Ssssh!
The green spider raised its body slightly before tapping its legs against her finger several times. Rolilly listened quietly, and soon, her lips slowly curled upward.
"…So that's where it is? Hm, okay…"
She nodded in satisfaction.
The spider trembled one more time before dissolving into a faint green light that drifted away. Rolilly flicked her wrist, dispersing the remaining moats of light, then slowly stood up.
The servant carrying the luggage looked completely unsurprised. Meanwhile, the younger, sword-bearing attendant stared at Rolilly with flushed cheeks and a very, very obvious admiration. To her, the Third Princess appeared mysterious, so mysterious that it was beyond words!
She was dangerous, elegant, beautiful, and so unbelievably cute! How incredible—! she screamed in her heart. From the side, the older maid noticed this terrifyingly suppressed expression and silently rolled her eyes again.
Hopeless!
Rolilly stretched lazily before she began to move. "Ok! Let's go!"
The two attendants immediately followed her footsteps…
-
The deeper they traveled underground, the colder the cave system became.
At some point, the natural cave formations gradually began to resemble strange and faintly organic architecture. Smooth stone walls occasionally appeared between rough cliffs that soared up into the darkness, while sections of the floor showed traces of being flattened and reformed. If one looked closely, one might even discover that the cave resembled the interior of a petrified tree.
The air became increasingly heavy, and each and every sound echoed strangely, sharply.
The shadows seemed deeper than before, and the darkness felt absolute. Sometimes, while passing through some narrow sections of the cave, the three girls would suddenly hear faint whispering from somewhere ahead, and at other times, they would catch glimpses of shifting shadows that moved near the corner of their eyes.
Rolilly remained calm. She was not the pampered princess everyone thought she was.
Tap!
Tap-tap!
Tap!
Tap-tap!
Their footsteps echoed endlessly in the darkness.
Soon, the darkness ahead suddenly opened up, and the three girls emerged into an enormous underground cavity. The sight before them instantly caused the two attendants to freeze in awe.
"…What is this…?"
She received no answer.
This part of the cave was massive! No, calling it a cave almost felt wrong! It resembled a gigantic vertical shaft hidden beneath the mountain. Far above, an open ceiling stretched upward endlessly until it connected to the outside world. Faint sunlight poured down from an impossibly high height, illuminating drifting mist and specks of dust throughout the cavern a little like slowly falling stars.
At the very center of everything, a colossal stone pillar stood at the bottom of this shaft, directly in front of Rolilly and the two battle maids. The pillar was ancient, covered in cracks, and filled with strange markings. Countless strange symbols and enormous chains wrapped around its surface, while a giant platform spiraled upward around it, layer after layer.
Rolilly slowly looked upward.
Her eyes reflected the enormous structure.
Although she couldn't understand the majority of what she was seeing, she did recognize the large rune for 'Pride!' that had been carved directly in the heart of the pillar.
Looking closer, it didn't seem to be carved, instead it seemed to be innate, like it was part of the initial material used to create this pillar…
"What a strange feeling?"
Rolilly had never felt like this before.
After a moment of awe, she threw the thought to the back of her mind and moved on.
A smile slowly spread across her face. "…So this is the Trial? Interesting…"
She took a step forward…
* * *