Free Web NovelChapter 467: Chapter 464 – Western Area
Sylvia stood firmly at the edge of the massive crater that gaped like a giant wound on the body of Greywood Dungeon. A piercing cold wind blew upward from the depths, carrying the sharp smell of scorched earth mixed with a strange, bitter mineral and metallic scent. Thin smoke still rose slowly from the pitch-black bottom of the crater, creating a faint mist that danced in the air. Her dark red eyes narrowed sharply as she gazed in the two directions reported by her sisters. On the eastern side, the new tunnel discovered by Stacia looked quite far and steep, with deep claw marks on its walls as if something large and furious had dug its way out after the explosion. Meanwhile, on the western side, the fissure found by Alicia appeared to connect more directly to a deeper area, even though a strong and dark monster aura could be felt pressing down even from this distance.
After thinking for a moment in the silence broken only by the gusting wind and the sound of dripping water far below in the depths, Sylvia nodded firmly. Her decision was resolute, her voice cold yet full of conviction. "We’ll take the path Alicia found. That dark aura might mean there’s something valuable there whether it’s treasure, an artifact, or a powerful monster that gives massive EXP. Better to face a direct threat than a path that might be a dead end or lead to empty ruins."
Stacia shrugged while gracefully folding her eight pitch-black Fallen Angel wings, though some feathers still showed tears from yesterday’s battle. "Alright. I’ll follow your choice, little sister. But stay cautious. That aura feels quite heavy, like ancient darkness that has long been dormant. Not your average monster."
Alicia smiled faintly, her wooden magic staff glowing softly with a calming holy white light. "I’ll lead the way. The fissure isn’t too far from here, but we have to cross the crater first. The air there is still unstable after the explosion."
Sylvia stepped back from the cliff edge and only then realized a major practical problem. She couldn’t fly. Stacia had powerful Fallen Angel wings, Alicia could float with her light and ethereal spirit body, but she only had her Abyss chains and extraordinary undead strength on land. Crossing this wide and deep crater by jumping or climbing the melted and cracked walls would be extremely risky; she could fall into the unseen depths, or it would waste hours of pointless effort.
Only then did she remember her loyal companion. "Sol."
The golden cat perched comfortably on her shoulder meowed softly, as if it had already understood its master’s wish for a long time. Sol’s small body began to tremble with a gentle golden light. Its golden fur rapidly lengthened, its muscles swelled strong and dense, its spine elongated elegantly, and a pair of small horns appeared on its head. Shiny golden scales began to cover its skin, beautiful golden wings spread wide, and a powerful holy aura radiated from it like morning sunlight in the middle of the dungeon’s darkness. In an instant, Sol transformed into a majestic and magnificent small dragon. Its body was now about five meters long from head to tail tip, its golden scales sparkling like rare gems under the dungeon’s dim crystal light. Its beautiful golden wings spread wide with fine shimmering veins, and it took the elegant, long form of an Asian dragon with small horns, delicate flowing whiskers, and wise golden eyes. Not a brutal, giant Western dragon, but a graceful and powerful sacred creature.
Sol lowered its head respectfully and gently. Its voice echoed warmly in Sylvia’s mind through their telepathic bond:
Climb on, Master. I will carry you safely across this chasm.
Sylvia smiled widely, a rare, genuine smile on her undead face. Her hand stroked the warm, smooth golden scales on Sol’s neck, feeling the soothing pulse of holy power. "You really are the most loyal and most handsome dragon, Sol." With Stacia’s strong grip on her arm for support, she climbed onto Sol’s back. Sitting between the two rows of sturdy, slightly protruding scales felt stable and comfortable, like a natural saddle made especially for her. Sylvia’s hands held onto Sol’s small horns for extra balance, and her legs pressed firmly against the sides of the golden dragon’s body.
"Let’s go," Sylvia said in a firmer voice.
Alicia floated ahead, leading the way. Her white spirit body glowed softly as a safe guiding light. Stacia flew beside Sylvia, her eight pitch-black wings spread gracefully, occasionally flapping to adjust direction. Sol glided smoothly after Alicia, its golden wings beating strongly but controlled, carrying Sylvia steadily and smoothly across the giant crater. Sol’s movements were incredibly graceful, its dragon body undulating gently in the air like a flying sacred serpent. fгeewebnovёl.com
The journey across the crater felt like floating above a newly formed hellish abyss. The melted crater walls glistened like black glass beneath them, long cracks stretching like veins of shattered stone from extreme heat. Thin smoke still rose from the dark bottom, and occasionally the lingering acidic smell from the completely destroyed ant nest could be detected, mixed with the scent of scorched rock and melted minerals. Cold wind blew fiercely at this height, making Sylvia’s black dress flutter wildly and her long hair whip behind her like whips of darkness. The air felt thin and cold, making breathing slightly difficult even though her undead body didn’t need much oxygen.
"The view... is both amazing and terrifying," Stacia commented while flying beside her, her voice nearly swallowed by the wind. "You really didn’t hold back with that combined fire, Sylvia. This crater looks like the aftermath of a god’s meteor strike."
Sylvia chuckled softly from Sol’s back, her voice ringing lightly. "I didn’t expect it to be this big either. But at least now we know the limits of our power."
Sol flew gracefully, its dragon body undulating gently in the air following the wind currents. Occasionally it let out a low, deep meow-like sound, giving Alicia small cues about changing wind currents or safe gaps to avoid. Alicia floated ahead, her magic staff shining brighter to illuminate the path forward. Its white light contrasted sharply with the crater’s darkness. They passed several large, nearly collapsed stalactites, hanging rock debris dangerously suspended on the walls, and dark fissures in the crater walls that might hide monsters that survived the explosion or ones newly drawn by the chaos.
After several minutes of tense yet awe-inspiring flight, Alicia finally landed gracefully at a large fissure on the western wall of the crater. "Here. The dark aura is getting stronger, but there’s a tunnel leading downward. This seems to be the main path."
Sol landed gently beside Alicia, its golden scales still shining beautifully even in the dim light. Sylvia dismounted with agile, powerful movements granted by her Level 100 strength, her feet landing firmly on the ground. Stacia landed behind them, folding her wings neatly with faintly flickering dark runes.
They stood at the entrance of the new tunnel, which was dark and sloped steeply downward. The air here was colder and more humid, carrying a strong mineral scent mixed with something dark and ancient like the smell of old dried blood, dormant primordial power, and a faint ozone scent like after lightning. The tunnel walls were covered in deep claw scratches and faint natural runes that glowed dimly, as if this place had existed since Greywood Dungeon first formed.
"We’re going in," Sylvia said firmly, her voice echoing softly at the tunnel entrance. "Sol, stay alert. Stacia, prepare spatial magic at any time. Alicia, keep debuffs ready. We don’t know what’s waiting inside."
They stepped carefully into the new tunnel. Sol returned to its golden cat size and perched on Sylvia’s shoulder, but its aura remained ready to enlarge at any moment if needed. Their footsteps echoed softly in the narrow stone corridor. The light from Alicia’s staff and Stacia’s runes was the only reliable illumination. The deeper they went, the stronger and more oppressive the dark aura became. A faint growling sound could be heard from far below, and the tunnel walls began showing signs of new life glowing black moss, small glowing insects fluttering like tiny stars, and fresh claw marks indicating recent activity. freёwebnovel.com
Sylvia felt her power flowing more vigorously, sharpening her senses. She could sense living creatures ahead, not ants, but something different. Her heart beat faster, not from fear, but from anticipation of a new adventure.
Stacia whispered softly, "I sense several monsters ahead. Not a large Ant, but strong. Maybe guardians or creatures bound to this area."
Alicia nodded, her staff glowing even brighter as she quietly began stacking debuffs. "I’ll start stacking now. We need to be ready."
Sylvia grinned coldly, her Abyss chains vibrating faintly in the shadows as if thirsty for blood. "Good. Let’s see what this dungeon has in store for us after we destroyed the ant nest. This new adventure feels exciting."
