Chapter 136
“Lord Bai Ye, it’s great to see you back.”
The paper figure moved its right hand, drawn with simple lines, and placed it on its chest, bowing slightly as if greeting Ye Bai with a gesture of respect. Its tone was filled with unmistakable delight: “It’s been a while, and you’ve grown even stronger.”
“I’m glad to see you all right away,” Ye Bai replied with a smile, not at all surprised that the ‘information’ paper figure noticed her elevation in rank.
After all, the divine realm was a dangerous high-level map that Ye Bai was unfamiliar with. Encountering familiar companions upon her arrival undoubtedly eased her mind. She had thought she would have to search for Otto Fis and the paper figure, as they couldn’t possibly remain stationary by the mark waiting for her…
Just then, Ye Bai paused, a look of surprise crossing her face as she scanned the paper figure and Otto Fis.
“Wait, have you two been waiting here since I left?”
“Uh…” Otto Fis made a sound, but it didn’t seem like an answer. Instead, he stretched out his two tusks and tugged at Ye Bai’s cloak, making his intentions quite clear—
“Bread, please.”
“…”
Ye Bai had no choice but to hand over a piece of bread to the donkey, then turned her questioning gaze to the paper figure.
The paper figure didn’t answer her directly but smiled gently, saying, “Waiting is a thing filled with hope.”
Oh no, it seems they really have been waiting here all this time!
Images of the paper figure and Otto Fis standing guard by the water droplet mark day and night flashed through Ye Bai’s mind, and her conscience began to ache. She felt like a man who had swindled a wealthy heiress out of her vast fortune (the Dragon Language Spirit Whistle and the Death Codex) and then ran away.
‘I really am a terrible person…’
Enduring the pangs of guilt, Ye Bai transformed her remorse into motivation, feeding Otto Fis another piece of bread. Then she looked at the paper figure and said, “I’m here for the task you mentioned last time. We can set off right away! Um… do you know the way?”
The Abyss was located deep within the subspace of the divine realm, with multiple entrances on the surface. However, they first needed to leave the current Sky City.
Sky City was the territory of ancient dragons, and even the underground areas beneath it were occupied by their vassal dragonkin. Other factions couldn’t possibly appear there, and the same went for several other top races. The entrances to the Abyss on land were mostly situated in the interstitial areas of the major racial powers.
However, the entrances to the Abyss were not completely fixed; they could move due to the existence of spatial rifts.
Ye Bai was unsure of the current situation in the divine realm, so she needed to ask the paper figure which entrances were accessible.
The paper figure perked up at the mention of the task and cheerfully replied, “Of course! There are currently three entrances to the Abyss. You can enter through the rift deep within Slok Volcano, cross the underground dwellers’ territory to reach deeper spaces, or use the Abyss teleportation portal left over from the Emerald Forest War.”
Upon hearing the last entrance, Ye Bai was taken aback and asked, “Emerald Forest War? Did the Abyss race and the high elves have a war?”
“Yes,” the paper figure nodded. “The books tell of how magma burned the emeralds, and the Emerald Forest lost its past tranquility.”
The Abyss race truly lived up to their ‘war-crazy’ reputation…
Ye Bai continued, “What was the outcome?”
“The war lasted a long time. In the end, the Abyss retreated, and the Emerald Forest closed, but the teleportation portal left by the war remains there forever, unable to be erased,” the paper figure answered.
It seemed they both suffered heavy losses. Ye Bai analyzed the three entrances the paper figure mentioned, feeling a bit sour. None of the entrances were good options. Both Slok Volcano and the Emerald Forest were far from Sky City, and the environments were extremely dangerous.
The only relatively close option was the underground dwellers’ territory, which could be accessed by finding an underground entrance and heading down. However, the underground dwellers were not a group to be trifled with. They were a collective of monsters, and their individual strength was formidable. Ye Bai had a perfect mask that could allow her to be seen as one of their kind, so that wasn’t a concern.
The biggest issue was that, due to the chaotic aura of the Abyss race, infighting among the dwellers was a common occurrence. If Ye Bai were to enter and get hit by some bored dweller, the effect of her perfect mask would vanish.
Just then, the paper figure added, “Besides these conventional methods, there’s an even better way to enter the Abyss.”
“Hmm?” Ye Bai asked, puzzled. “What method?”
The paper figure didn’t keep her in suspense: “If we can find cultists who worship the Abyss, I can alter their teleportation ritual to send you in.”
Ye Bai was momentarily stunned, then her eyes lit up. The teleportation ritual was supposed to summon creatures from the Abyss, but recalling the paper figure’s ability to alter magical texts, she realized that if he restored some of his power, he could potentially reverse the teleportation structure.
“Where can we find these Abyss cultists?” Ye Bai inquired.
The paper figure was well-prepared: “Otto Fis and I discovered a teleportation array to the east that can take you there.”
“Great, let’s set off right away.”
Ye Bai wasted no time and prepared to leave immediately.
Then she looked at Otto Fis.
Otto Fis looked back at Ye Bai.
“So, how about a ride?”
“Uh!” Otto Fis’s hooves scratched the ground five times.
Ye Bai understood immediately: “Five is too many; two will do. Save some for later. You know how much I have on me.”
“Uh, uh!”
In the end, after giving up three pieces of bread, Ye Bai climbed onto the now compliant Otto Fis, heading east as directed by the paper figure.
Halfway there, Ye Bai suddenly realized… if they had been waiting in place all along, when did the paper figure and Otto Fis discover the teleportation array?
No wonder Otto Fis had been noncommittal earlier.
That was close; I almost got PUA’d by the paper figure! This guy… is quite the charmer!
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Chapter 98
The howling wind rushed past Ye Bai’s ears as she rode on Otto Fis’s back. She could tell that he was no ordinary donkey; his speed was far greater than her own, even with her level 40 and light feather gear.
This time, with Otto Fis’s cooperation, Ye Bai didn’t experience the jarring, wild ride she had the first time. Strangely, at this speed, she didn’t feel the intense wind resistance; instead, there was an indescribable sense of lightness and agility.
Previously, Ye Bai had witnessed Otto Fis’s ghostly speed in the underground city, but experiencing it firsthand now, she realized just how extraordinary he was. No wonder he could snatch food right under the nose of a dragonkin lich!
Wait, to be precise, considering that he brought back the Dragon Language Spirit Whistle and the Death Codex… it’s even possible that Otto Fis slipped out from under the very nose of a skeletal dragon!
Donkeys in the divine realm are something else.
As they sped eastward, Ye Bai felt as if she was swiftly traversing the terrain littered with the remnants of Sky City. The once ubiquitous white boulders gradually became sparse until they were no longer visible.
Otto Fis carried Ye Bai across the desolate plains, arriving at a high platform situated above the plains, where a nearly completely ruined building lay before them.
As they approached, Ye Bai could roughly deduce from the scant remnants of the foundation that this had once been a border stronghold, but now only broken walls remained.
Otto Fis came to a stop, and Ye Bai jumped down from his back.
This clearly defined border stronghold architecture belonged to the kingdom powers of the divine realm, representing order and light. The kingdom powers were the closest to the conventional notion of ‘humans’ in terms of appearance and racial preferences.
However, being one of the high-blooded races, the kingdom powers possessed a bloodline of light. Unlike the ordinary human races of the myriad realms, which generally had a potential cap of level 60, the extraordinary beings of the kingdom powers were known as Awakened Ones. They wielded the power of light and could learn magic and combat skills from other races, making them the most adaptable and versatile race.
The kingdom powers were located in the central region of the divine realm map, divided into three major duchies. These duchies operated in a state of mutual non-interference, with complex familial ties among them. Each of the three duchies had its own closely allied top races: the phantoms, high elves, and deep-sea dwellers, allowing them to learn some of the unique magic of these races.
Basic players who come to the divine realm and do not wish to change their race can choose different kingdom powers. Even if they cannot obtain the top-tier professions and skills of that race, they can exchange for some high-level items and skills through their faction.
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