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Forgotten Lands - Chapter 18 (Book 2)
🕑 Added 2024-04-12 10:00:05 +0000 UTCZayn stepped out of the secret passage in large strides. It hadn’t been long since he entered the sentient volcano, but he had already reached the end of the secret passage. His eyes widened in surprise as a massive cavern carved with great skill and precision unfolded before him.
The cavern was lit, yet the darkness shrouding the ceiling made it hard to depict its size. Zayn swallowed hard after he made the first step into the massive cavern. His eyes lingered on the endless chasm that appeared in front of him, and a nervous smile blossomed on his face as he imagined falling into the pit of darkness down below.
He shuddered inwardly and was glad when he saw the stone bridge to his right. The stone bridge didn’t seem special at first, but Zayn quickly realized the distortions of space around the bridge. Numerous intricate runic patterns had been carved on the bridge’s surface. They glowed dimly, creating fissures in space.
Zayn’s understanding of space was not as bad as it used to be. Blink taught him a lot about the laws of space and how much they could be bent. He remained vigilant as he stepped onto the bridge. The first step felt a little bit weird. The fissures around him distorted further, but Zayn didn’t stop. He walked over the stone bridge, ignoring the distortions around him.
The world around him changed drastically. Humans, Demis, and Dwarves appeared around him. They didn’t pay much attention to Zayn, who froze in his tracks as his eyes landed on the massive walls that stretched hundreds of meters in width and towered tens of meters above him.
‘How did I not notice them?’ Zayn wondered momentarily before realizing what happened, ‘Spyro is isolated from the outside world.’
The spatial fissures on the stone bridge acted as pathways to Spyro. They led Zayn to the isolated domain where Spyro hid.
The corner of his lip curled upward. That was even better than he’d hoped.
The walls were adorned with precious metals like gold and adamantium and supported by elaborate arches and reinforced pillars that carried the immense weight of the rocks overhead.
Zayn couldn’t imagine the level of craftsmanship performed by the builders and architects of Spyro. It had to be on an inhuman level.
He closed his eyes as he paved his way to the gates that led into Spyro to listen to the clinking sounds and voices that reverberated through the entire city. The corners of his lips curled upward. This was perfect.
Zayn opened his eyes again. Determination glimmered in them as he recalled why he’d come to Spyro so early. He wanted to be the first to enter Spyro. Part of the reason he wanted to be the first to enter Spyro was the World Announcement. It would spread his name across the entire realm of Forgotten Lands. Every Player, if they didn’t know him yet, would find out who he was. His renown would increase among all Forgotten Lands Players, and he could create a video to share his experiences and finds about Spyro and how he found this place.
Of course, he wouldn’t reveal all the information. Zayn was unwilling to share his secret stash of crucial details with Forgotten Lands Players. He had to reap the most benefits to grow stronger first.
The monetary benefits and prestige were great, but Zayn was more curious about the hidden mission that would be triggered with the arrival of the first Player in Spyro. He had heard more than enough about Spyro’s World Quest to remember how it all started.
The arrival of the first Player in Spyro was also the day the volcano failed to discover the invasion of the first Demon.
A Demon was in the crowd, who queued up to enter Spyro!
‘Appraisal or Judgement would be really helpful.’ Zayn thought. Regretfully, Zayn didn’t manage to procure a Card such as Appraisal or Judgement. He would have to find the Demon in the line in the…old ways.
The line in front of Spyro’s main gate grew longer. More people passed by him as he stood there silently and unmoving.
At one point, Zayn retrieved the Verdant Saber. The moment he unsheathed his weapon, the people near him exclaimed in shock. It was forbidden to pull out their weapons inside Spyro or endanger someone who wanted to enter Spyro. Usually, the people entering Spyro were aware of the rules. They would keep their weapons sheathed and ensure that nobody would feel threatened by them.
Zayn lifted the Verdant Saber and cut deep into his arm. A small fountain of blood spilled out of his arm while the screams around him intensified, but Zayn didn’t pay much attention to them. His head flicked left and right, his eyes locking onto the faintest changes in the facial features of the people around him. He paid the most attention to their eyes and mouth but didn’t miss their other motions. Several dwarves backed off right away. They said something in another language to Zayn – they were probably cursing him – and pointed fingers at him.
Some humans and demis didn’t pay much attention to him first, but the moment the blood splatered in all directions, they realized something was wrong. Screams and curses filled the line. It didn’t take long before the Guards noticed the commotion. They rushed over, their weapons brandished to disarm any potential perpetrators and confine them.
However, they were starstruck when they noticed that the commotion came from a human who had cut himself.
“What are you doing there? It is forbidden to wield a weapon in and before Spyro!” One of the Guards thundered once he regained his senses.
“Is he using blood magic?” The Guards heard one of the dwarves mumble.
They didn’t sense any energy within the blood, but they perceived that the human’s blood was extremely potent. It was overflowing with lifeforce. The Guards tensed up and inched close to Zayn, who didn’t pay much attention to the Guards even after they arrived.
Zayn’s eyes landed behind the Guards. The corner of a Demi-humans’ lips curled upward. Zayn’s eyes narrowed to a slit, and he used Blink twice in a row to appear in front of the Demi. The Demi’s eyes widened in shock, but he tried to stay composed until Michael shoved a piece of cloth soaked in blood into his mouth. The Demi’s eyes turned crimson, and his skin burst open, revealing dark scales.
The camouflage was broken, and the Demon unveiled. He unfolded massive wings and kicked the ground to jump high into the air. However, before the Demon could escape, Zayn used Blink to teleport above the winged Demon. He applied Double Impact, Draining Touch, and Poison Augment to the Verdant Saber while using Aegis Natura to block the winged Demon’s path of retreat.
At last, Zayn used Lifeforce Conversion to convert most of his remaining Lifeforce into power. He slashed the winged Demon several times, severing his wings before thrusting the Verdant Saber through his chest.
Zayn and the winged Demon crashed hard into the ground. They rolled over the stern, rocky surface and brawled for a few seconds until Zayn twisted the Verdant Saber inside the winged Demon’s chest. Double Impact was released in a burst alongside Draining Touch, replenishing some of Zayn’s energy and lifeforce.
Lesser Archai Demon has been slain. +4 Soul Essences.
The Archai Demon was weaker than Zayn expected. Demons were known to be strong. Even ordinary Demons like the Lesser Archai Demon were known to be as powerful as Elite Monsters.
“Interesting tactic,” A hoarse voice rang out from behind.
Zayn spun around, the Verdant Saber brandished to attack if necessary. The Guards also brandished their weapons, but they glanced at their leader in uncertainty. Zayn hadn’t noticed the leader before. The burly man coated in a massive adamantium armor set hadn’t guarded the main gate before.
“Who are you?” The burly man asked, his emerald-green eyes staring into the depths of Zayn’s eyes. It felt like the man could see into his soul.
‘Perfect!’ Zayn nearly screamed when he recognized the burly man standing before him.
He took his time getting up from the ground to control his facial features and stared deep into the two-meter-tall man. He didn’t avoid making eye contact and retained his poker face for several seconds. Time seemed to slow down as the men stared at each other.
All of a sudden, another commotion broke out. Zayn saw wings from the corner of his eyes and paled.
“There were more?!”
He was just about to use Blink to reach the source of the commotion, but the burly man had disappeared. He didn’t use any power to teleport to another position. He used raw power to disappear and return to Zayn, holding two more Lesser Archai Demons. His grasp around their necks tightened, and it didn’t take long before loud cracking noises rang through the vicinity. The Archai Demons struggled against the tremendous force the burly man applied but lost the fight of power miserably. The burly man broke their necks and threw their bodies aside in the next moment.
“How did you know that Demons were about to invade Spyro?” The burly man asked Zayn sharply.
Zayn raised an eyebrow.
“You asked me two questions but have yet to introduce yourself. Is that how you thank a Demon Hunter for doing your job?” Zayn snorted, his eyes growing colder by the second.
It was time for Zayn to show off his acting skills.
