Badge in Azure

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Sika's powers at communicating with nature were stronger than even Eleanor, a royal elf. The way nature priests craft weapons also differed from mages and divine smiths.

In Saleen's eyes, the triangular weapon was being modified by some unfamiliar powers and became more streamlined. The triangular hollow piece of bone got further and further away from Sika, eventually hovering over 500 meters away.

The sound from the bone piece remained flowing and melodic at that distance. It was not until it flew more than 800 meters away that the sound from the wind turned intense and high. Sika breathed lightly and recalled the bone piece.

It seemed that 800 meters was the limit of the weapon, and it would start becoming strenuous after exceeding that distance. Control of the soul beast within 800 meters was a breeze.

While it was incomparable to some powerful equipment, it was still a long range weapon. Sika hovered the bone piece before her, and it no longer made any sound.

No one could tell how Sika did it, and the bone piece was hardly powerful. However, Saleen was able to somewhat understand. Since Sika advanced to the ranks of nature priest, any battle soul of a magic beast that she laid her eyes on would not be too weak in level. Her staff housed a very powerful magic beast's battle soul.

However, battle souls required nurturing. It was a pity to use the triangular bone piece for striking enemies. Nurturing yet another one once it was destroyed would be very difficult. As such, Saleen crafted a magic javelin for her.

The magic javelin was only a meter and a half long, shorter than a full grown adult woman. The tip of the javelin was a grooved wedge-shaped piece. The groove was etched with a magic array. Once it penetrated a target, the weapon would suck the blood of its target dry within seconds. The wind magic's suction was so powerful than it was able to overwhelm powerful magic beasts.

Behind the tip lay three staggered grooves which were capable of deploying thin metal wings. The symmetrical wings were useful for directional adjustments. Caucasian hatchets and boomerangs were all capable of pulling off curved attacks.

The javelin that Saleen made for Sika worked with similar principles. It did not require mental powers from Sika and was solely based on throwing techniques, yet the javelin was able to achieve complex curves in the air.

Saleen's crafting was incredibly quick. It would invite envy from other alchemists if they saw the finished product. Saleen was able to craft six intricate javelins in about an hour, putting them neatly before him.

Everyone became tense. Nailisi even turned her entire body to the south.

Saleen stood up and picked up all twelve javelins. He stood beside Sika, and she put them all at the sack strapped to her hips. She turned her eyes southward.

Two demons climbed down from the platform and went to Nailisi, saying something in demonic tongue.

Nailisi frowned. "We'll need to drill a hole again!"

Everyone looked at Nailisi. "The demons found a cave at the south with signs of people coming and going. The cave was very deep too. The demons searched for more than two miles and they were unable to see its end. But they ran into some trouble and one demon died. These two fellows said that they encountered creatures from other planes, possibly those of the gods."

Creatures of the gods! Are gods really that cheap now?

Saleen felt the power across the entire plane of Myers Mainland increasing, which meant there was more trouble to be found, such as creatures which were being pinned down by the rules of the plane awakening one after another. There had been ancient battlefields on Myers Mainland itself and it was anyone's guess how many powerful creatures died on the mainland.

The creatures would not have been a problem as ancient humans would have simply killed them all. The comparatively weak ones however, became a problem given how humans did not bother with them, and they ended up only being suppressed.

The comparatively weak creatures were only weak compared to ancient humans. With things in Myers Mainland as they were then, a level 12 creature would kill many powerful ones.

"I'll go have a look." Saleen would not be able to sit well if he did not go. If it had only been a common creature of the gods, it would not have piqued his interests. That place however, was where Isabella had once settled. He was unable to simply give up, as the follower was captured and there was no telling whether she was dead or alive.

"My liege, allow me." Sul looked worried.

Jola smiled. "What are you so worried about? Our lord isn't going to enter the cave himself. Just tag along."

Sul felt embarrassed. He had been training alone for too long to know what kind of powers Saleen possessed at the moment. Saleen did not ride on a soul beast. He cast Quickcloud and took two golden grand swordmasters with him, while Nailisi followed behind.

Eleanor and the others rode on the Wings of an Elf and brought the two demons along, having them lead the way.

The group quickly arrived at the entrance of the cave. It was a natural cave with a huge entrance, which narrowed after venturing inside for hundreds of meters. They saw a path that was about three meters wide. Saleen stopped and took out his War Drum of Fear, placing it before him and beating at it hard with his bone mallet.

Saleen would never feel helpless even when facing a great army in Daliang City, so long as he was armed with the drum. As the option of using the drum was present, he saw no reason to enter the deeper places of the cave without a solid reason.

Hundreds of pests gushed out from the drum and rushed into the depths of the cave. The two demons chatted away with Nailisi in demonic tongue. Saleen was able to understand some of what was being said. The demons were saying that the creature of the gods within was very powerful, and that the pests were no match for them.

Saleen paid them no heed. While it was true that the levels of the pests were not high, but they were still powerful compared to the demons. Furthermore, the pests did not fear conventional physical attacks, unless it was of a force at Sika's level.

Saleen only put his drum away after unleashing more than a thousand of the pests. He then ventured deeper into the cave under the protection of the two golden grand swordmasters.

The ground shook, and Saleen cursed exasperatedly. Just why would there be an earthquake happening at a time like this? Wait, no. That is probably not an earthquake. Maybe a magic array got triggered or something.

The cave before them sank. The pests that Saleen sent scouting got buried in the cave. However, only about a hundred of them suffered that fate. The hundred or so pests were instantly pulverized. They dug their way out from underground and went back into Saleen's Starline Ring, before returning to the War Drum of Fear.

Saleen and the others were all calm, and none of them retreated. Even Eleanor just stuck closer to Sika due to being rather weak, being cautious against getting crushed by something falling all of the sudden.

The path before them was not all blocked despite being collapsed. An even greater cave appeared leading upwards.

"Master!" Nailisi took her devil form. The face at the back looked at Saleen, signaling that they still had no way in.

Light brightened when they reached the deeper reaches of the cave. Saleen frowned as the place did not seem to show signs of being habited by humans. Isabella was probably not inside. However, the creature of gods probably had something to do with the Holy See. The light emanated by the creature was too familiar to them. Having fought the Holy See numerous times, Saleen came to be rather sensitive to the divine light.

While Saleen was unable to tell much about the gods, Saleen was certain that there was no mistaking it when it came to gods from the line of the Lord of Glory. A very strong exclusivity belied the gentle surface of that light.

The remaining hundreds of pests rushed at the light under Saleen's instructions. Saleen was uncertain of the outcome and had Nicholas be on guard. Nicholas took hold of his Scepter of the Fallen and stuck close to Saleen.

There were many hidden ambush-like skills in the divine arts. While the skills were hardly powerful, they were difficult to defend against.

The predictive abilities of mages were inferior to holy masters' in terms of speed. Nicholas was afraid that something would happen to Saleen in such a meaningless place. He focused his mental powers and sensed the changes inside the cave.

"Heh… someone is finally here. Too bad it's mages though." A heavy voice was heard deep within the cave.

"My liege, is that you?" A high-pitched voice was heard and Saleen froze. Is that really Isabella? He was able to vaguely sense the power of the contract deep within his soul vibrating.

"Isabella?"

Saleen's voice penetrated the cave and reached directly where Isabella called.

Isabella's voice disappeared. Saleen let out a cold laugh. He had little idea of the divine spell used, but one thing was certain: it changed the place where Isabella was hidden. If he had not been searching with his magic voice, he might have actually fallen into the trap.

"There is a heavily wounded oracle here. Mage outside, come help out," The heavy voice did not bother hiding its location anymore. The voice penetrated all that stood in its way, giving Saleen a detailed coordinate.

"My liege, no," Jola advised against it.

"Isabella is really in there," Saleen said with a frown.

"Master, allow me then," Nailisi said and put her Grey Memory away. A seven meter-long spear would be hardly of any use. Nailisi switched to the Sword of Rules and took out her 12 Notes of First Purgatory.

The light before them grew increasingly strong. Nailisi knew that there was a problem with her spirit form, resulting in the form having zero resistance to holy light. She opted to fight in devil form instead.

The twisty pathway ended after they went up for another 300 meters or so. They turned, and Nailisi found a very vast cave. There was a barrier of light at the center of the cave and there were two people in it: a middle-aged man wearing cloth clothing and Isabella wearing a magic robe.

There were more than a dozen sparkling tiger-like creatures outside the barrier of light. They circled around the light barrier and attacked in rhythm. The creatures seemed to be higher than level nine. A human-like creature of the gods lay down behind them, with wings sprouting behind their back.

Oracles did not usually grow wings. Only low level angels grew sparkling wings for flight. However, the oracle looked different. They were not equipped with any armor and the sword in their hand was not a Sword of Glory, but a magic weapon instead.

The oracle seemed to be injured, lying down and instructing the creatures in a dazed manner, having them attack the transparent light barrier.

Nailisi was in glee. She took two steps forward and let Saleen, who was behind her, emerge from the narrow pathway. "Master, there is a gravely injured oracle here, so…"

"It's yours," Saleen answered simply.