In a certain indistinguishable location within the Fallen Star Grotto.
Gray mist hung heavy, the rocks jagged and rugged. A few protruding crystal stones not far away were strikingly visible to the caravan.
"We've circled back here again. Something's wrong, very wrong!"
A burly middle-aged man clad in dark blue armor, wielding a sword and shield, knitted his brows. He cautiously guarded the carriage, advancing slowly.
Even though only a few dozen sinister beings were around, posing no immediate threat, the middle-aged man felt an ominous premonition.
Suddenly,
A scream pierced the air. As the middle-aged man's head snapped around, he realized a figure was missing from his group.
"Where's Xiao Wu?"
Upon hearing the captain of the guards' question, the few guards' eyes widened in shock.
"Xiao Wu... Xiao Wu is gone!"
"He wouldn't have gone to relieve himself, would he?"
"I just saw him a moment ago."
The middle-aged man's brow furrowed even deeper. That scream, had only he heard it?
The ominous feeling intensified, but he had no idea where it was coming from, no clues at all. He could only order them to proceed. The carriage moved forward, its journey over the rough terrain eerily smooth, as if the ground flattened wherever its wheels passed.
This was a special ability, fixed to the sinister artifact carriage.
On the four corners of the carriage's roof, four flickering candlelight beams emanated an invisible power that dispelled the thick gray mist around them.
However,
The mist seemed to be growing denser, and the sinister beings, unaffected by the candlelight, continued to appear. Everything felt abnormal.
The middle-aged man's brow remained tightly knit. Suddenly, another scream rang out.
The sound had barely begun when he shot forward. Yet, he was still too late. The space before him was empty, no trace left behind, only another guard missing from the procession.
The caravan had no choice but to halt.
The burly man approached the carriage, his face grave. "Your Highness, the situation is dire. I fear we have fallen into some kind of perilous trap."
Inside the carriage, a girl with a still-youthful face drew back the curtain.
She wore a magnificent dress and hexagonal star-shaped earrings. Though young, her brow held a regal majesty. Her hands were clenched, a hint of nervousness showing, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"We've traveled this route countless times with Fallen Star City. One possibility is that we were affected by a mist tide and unknowingly deviated. Another is that this route has undergone a new change."
Neither of these scenarios was uncommon in the Sinister Realm.
Even the most confirmed, the safest of routes could suddenly become dangerous.
This was the Sinister Realm, where danger was the norm!
"Uncle Zel, what do we do now?"
"First, let's perform a divination ritual to see if we can find a way out."
Captain Zel of the guards, thinking this, immediately retrieved materials from a spatial storage artifact and began setting up a ritual on the spot. In such a dangerous environment, spending considerable time on a ritual was a significant risk. But at this point, they were lost. Continuing forward would only lead them back to where they started and result in more people disappearing.
There was an unseen danger present!
They had to understand it.
Zel called upon a few accompanying mages skilled in rituals. After some tinkering, they began the divination.
*Crack!*
The divination array shattered violently.
It had failed.
"We've been affected by a high-level existence!"
A mage, well-versed in divination, murmured. Based on the limited information, his face paled. "We... we might be inside some horrifying entity!"
Hearing this interpretation, and combining it with their current experiences, the burly man's eyes widened, his face also turning a little pale.
"One possibility is that we've encountered..."
"A rule-type sinister being!"
...
"A rule-type sinister being?"
Most of the guards remained bewildered. Even the few "learned" accompanying mages frowned.
Only the Third Princess in the carriage swayed slightly, her face visibly paling.
The burly captain took a deep breath.
"Above seven stars, sinister beings comparable to mythological existences are divided into three types. The first is the nest type, possessing immense size and terrifying appearance, capable of continuously hatching lower-level sinister beings with star levels below its own, with virtually no limit."
"Such a nest type, if it wished, could hatch a sinister wave capable of destroying an ordinary world, causing annihilation."
"The second type is the regular type. 'Regular' refers to their combat methods being similar to mythological beings, and their size often not being large. There's a saying that they are the superiors of the hidden types among mid to low-star sinister beings."
"The third type, and the most terrifying, is the rule-type sinister being. It has no form, engulfing the world. Once trapped within, even mythological beings might perish."
"Hiss—"
After this explanation, the guards' faces turned even paler, their legs trembling.
They were elites, but facing a seven-star sinister being, and the most terrifying of them at that, this situation was beyond their capabilities!
Sensing that his words were detrimental to morale, the burly man added,
"But we still have hope!"
"If we had encountered a seven-star, world-ending nest-type or regular-type sinister being, we would have no chance of survival. But since it's a rule-type, there's still a sliver of hope."
"Rule-type, as the name suggests, kills by rules. Such a sinister being has its own hunting mechanism and behavioral logic. However, if we can decipher this sinister being's hunting logic and find loopholes within it, we can escape!"
"As long as a loophole can be found, even a second or third-level awakened individual can escape, let alone us."
Seeing the hope rekindled in the guards' eyes, the burly man let out a sigh of relief.
Yet, only he understood that if its behavioral logic were that easy to decipher and its loopholes so simple to find, why would this type of sinister being be considered the most terrifying? Why would even mythological beings perish within it!
Hope remained very slim.
At this moment, as the convoy stopped, the sudden disappearances of guards ceased.
"That invisible devouring, perhaps... it's related to our movement. Stopping prevents it from triggering."
He said.
Seeing the guards' hopeful expressions, Captain Zel returned to the Third Princess's side and whispered, "Your Highness, a rule-type sinister being's mechanism won't be limited to just one. Moving forward might trigger random disappearances, but stopping..."
He glanced around. The gray mist seemed to have thickened, and the area protected by the carriage's candlelight seemed to be further compressed?
No, it wasn't just a feeling.
Recalling the recent moments, with his keen memory and detailed observation skills as a six-sense awakened, the guard captain compared the surrounding environment.
The mist had indeed grown denser, and the area dispelled by the candlelight had shrunk by over three inches.
If the gray mist were to completely engulf the candlelight, it would likely mean the end of their hopes.
No, they might not even last that long.
As the caravan halted, the gray mist slowly pressed forward, and more sinister beings appeared, even some at the calamity level.
"Our power is waning."
"The sinister beings are growing stronger."
"And there are more unseen dangers..."
They hadn't even figured out the hunting mechanism, let alone finding loopholes within it.
Both the guard captain and the Third Princess of Fallen Star City gradually fell into despair.
...
...
A thousand meters away, not far from the rumbling sounds of distant battles.
A figure stood, leaning on a sword.
Her divine aura radiated outwards, encasing her entire armored body as if isolating her from the surrounding world. Only her eyes shone brightly, blazing with divine flames, as she gazed at the distant caravan.
"...This might be the domain of a rule-type sinister being. I have already entered it."
She whispered.
Xitina did not hear the guard captain's explanation. However, her birthplace, 'North Wind Island,' was an older, more established oasis, with a long lineage and extensive knowledge of hidden secrets, not much less than Fallen Star City.
She herself was a mythological being.
Unlike the Fallen Star City group, who relied on divination, interpretation, and guesswork, when her senses spread out, she detected the anomaly of the surrounding environment.
Within the domain of a seven-star rule-type sinister being.
Yet, she had still fallen victim.
This was partly due to insufficient experience. Xitina was encountering a rule-type sinister being for the first time, and North Wind Island only had sparse records. Perhaps someone had seen one before, but they had naturally never returned.
"Mentor, what should I do?"
Xitina's brows furrowed. Although she had detected the anomaly, she could still not devise a way to break free. Even if she projected her own mythological domain, it was different from the domain of a sinister being. This was more akin to a sealed world, vast and expansive.
This was the terror and strangeness of the rule-type.
More importantly, she was already trapped within this domain, inherently at a disadvantage... If she couldn't find a way to break free, she might sink deeper and deeper until she perished.
For this, Xitina placed her hope in her mentor, the Beacon of Hope...
Her mentor did not understand.
What is a rule-type sinister being? Can't you explain it more clearly? Don't be a riddle-maker!
Fang, who didn't quite understand what was happening, pondered for a moment.
"Follow your heart's choice."
...
Xitina did not grasp her mentor's intention.
She glanced at the shining destination marker in her mind. It was not far from here.
So now, she had two missions.
One: Obtain the target treasure, the 'Eternal Radiance Stone.'
Two: Escape the domain of the rule-type sinister being.
She chose to act.
"Facing a rule-type sinister being, the more people there are, the more likely they are to probe its hunting mechanism."
"They entered this area earlier, perhaps they have already made some discoveries."
"Mentor also said to follow my heart."
A faint flame ignited on her sword, and Xitina moved like lightning, unleashing a brilliant sword strike.
...
...
"Your Highness, this situation is becoming increasingly unfavorable for us. These sinister beings are growing stronger!"
Guard Captain Zel said solemnly.
He struck away a black shadow with his sword, and the faceless dancer immediately vanished into the gray mist.
Not long ago, this faceless dancer was merely a four-star calamity-level being. But as the battle continued, its energy level, strength, and speed had been continuously increasing.
The surrounding sinister beings were the same.
Their numbers were not great, but their strength visibly increased – with time, perhaps this was also a 'mechanism' of this rule-type sinister being, and the environment was highly unfavorable to them.
In a short while, quite a few guards had been injured.
The crucial point was, if they continued to grow stronger, he himself would not be able to hold on.
The burly captain wanted to risk injury to kill the faceless dancer, which was approaching the disaster level, but it was incredibly elusive, retreating after a single strike. He could only watch as the sinister being vanished into the gray mist, unable to pursue.
Suddenly,
*Boom—*
A golden flame shot from afar, completely crushing the faceless dancer that was about to retreat into the gray mist.
So strong!
Stronger than me!
The burly man was certain. The power unleashed by that strike was even greater than his own, and the timing was exceptionally precise.
Their group did not have such a powerful individual.
The Third Princess was also astonished. She was merely an ordinary four-awakened non-human, but she had met countless powerhouses. In her opinion, the one who acted was definitely a six-awakened expert!
Who was it?
A patch of orange-yellow light appeared in the gray mist, and then, a figure clad in silver armor, holding a greatsword, slowly emerged from the mist.
Her face... was surprisingly young!
So cool!
The Third Princess's gaze was fixed.
The burly man stepped forward, "Thank you for your assistance, esteemed one. We are from Fallen Star City."
"Hmm..."
Xitina's expression was indifferent. She did not wish to waste words and directly asked, "What do you know about this rule-type sinister being?"
The burly man recounted his guesses.
"And you, esteemed one?"
"I have only just entered here and know little, but..."
Xitina swung her sword, and a brilliant sword strike consumed a hell-level sinister being. This took 1.2 seconds. She continued, "But this sinister being has the ability to confuse senses and disorient the environment. This is a labyrinth. We need to find a special place within it to break free."
"But how do we navigate? This requires exploring more of its behavioral logic."
The burly man picked up the conversation.
At this point, the caravan began to move forward again. As expected, the frequency of sinister beings appearing significantly decreased, and they did not mysteriously grow stronger.
The caravan's movement speed was slow.
This was the burly man's best effort to devise a solution, even if it wasn't ideal.
It could buy them some time.
But if they couldn't find a loophole in the mechanism, it was merely a slow death.
At this moment, the Third Princess spoke, "I read in a book that rule-type sinister beings also have weaknesses. If we can find and destroy this weakness, we can truly kill such a sinister being?"
"That is true. Rule-type sinister beings are also a form of life. All life can be killed, but..."
Hearing the Princess's words, the burly man gave a wry smile. "The weakness is hidden within the domain. For us, who are trapped within, finding a way out is difficult enough, let alone finding the core weakness hidden deepest by the sinister being."
"Moreover, even if we could find it, it would be the core of a seven-star sinister being, with a rank far superior to ours."
"Mythological beings might be able to destroy the core, but once a mythological being is trapped within the domain, they are no longer in control. And from outside the domain, mythological beings are helpless against a rule-type sinister being, unless there is a much, much higher existence..."
The burly man shook his head.
In essence, it was unsolvable. Even mythological beings couldn't kill it, let alone him, a mere six-awakened.
Oh, there were two of them. That esteemed one might be stronger than him, but it was still useless. The only hope was to find a way out.
The caravan moved forward slowly.
The burly man stayed by the Third Princess's side. If the devouring was random, at least he would do his utmost to ensure her safety.
Xitina walked in the middle of the convoy.
Her gaze occasionally swept across the surroundings, the flames in her eyes burning, but revealing no flaws.
Her senses spread out like a net, covering the convoy above, unnoticed by anyone. Even the six-awakened guard captain only felt a sense of oppression.
But oppression was quite normal in this environment.
Suddenly,
"Ah—!"
Another familiar scream. This time, two people in the convoy heard it, no... one and a half.
There was also the 'silent observer,' a mentor of the 'long-range supporter.'
Who was observing through the vision of their apostle.
The fastest to react was, naturally, Xitina. She darted out like a phantom. By the time the burly man managed to react and snap his head around, he saw the silver-armored woman holding a severed arm.
"Still a step too slow."
Xitina frowned. "And I don't know how it got here."
Although this seemed incredibly powerful to the burly man, like divine speed, had she still failed to catch its tail?
He pondered.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and his face grew grim. "We've returned to our starting point again."
The two protruding crystal stones were clearly visible.
After repeatedly circling and losing people to mysterious deaths, the guards were beginning to falter, the strings in their minds stretched to their limit.
At this moment, the silver-armored woman said, "Go this way."
Her voice was irrefutable, carrying a natural authority that compelled obedience.
The burly man considered for two seconds. "Follow her."
At the same time, his gaze followed Xitina, wanting to see if this powerhouse had discovered something.
But she hadn't.
The surroundings were still jagged rocks, with unique Fallen Star Grotto crystal stones occasionally emerging.
It seemed like an ordinary road, and after walking a bit further, they would circle back to the starting point.
"Everything here is indeed very ordinary. The surroundings are all incongruous, yet I can't find any incongruity within the incongruity."
Observation and analysis were not Xitina's strong suits.
The time was too short.
However, her eyes were not focused on the road ahead, but on... the icon in her mind!
The map was not detailed, but it indicated the distance between her and the destination, the 'Eternal Radiance Stone.'
Xitina's thinking was straightforward.
Since she couldn't find a way to break free for the moment, she would first obtain the treasure her mentor had tasked her with.
She stared at the map in her mind, at the marker, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes up, sometimes down. It appeared as if she were circling, but on the map, her distance to the marked location was steadily decreasing.
Suddenly,
A brilliant light appeared ahead, not the light of escaping the sinister domain, they were still within it.
However, the rocks glowed with a brilliant light, dispelling the surrounding gray mist. Vaguely visible, exquisite golden stones were stored deep within.
"This is..."
As the group from Fallen Star City stared with wide eyes, Xitina had already reached out and poked into the rock face before her. As if piercing through tofu, she rumbled, breaking open the rock face and easily retrieving from it...
"One, two, three, four."
Xitina counted.
Even her usually indifferent face now showed a hint of joy.
As these few Eternal Radiance Stones were extracted and placed into the storage artifact, the gray mist not far away suddenly surged violently, and faintly, it seemed to form a giant, bizarre human face.
Xitina had already drawn her sword.
As if oil boiling in a pan, the gray mist in the distance churned violently. The entire space, the entire environment seemed to tremble. Rocks rained down, and that bizarre human face let out a piercing shriek.
Along with it, a terrifying aura spread.
The Third Princess's face turned ashen. She recalled secret accounts from books and compared them to the present.
"That is... the core weakness of a rule-type sinister being?"
"We've actually found it!"
"But..."
The terrifying aura permeated the area. In an instant, they felt as if they had fallen into an abyss. The guards below the non-human realm all fainted. Those above the non-human level turned pale, continuously enduring the pressure and mental shock from the seven-star sinister being.
This was the core, the weakness.
And it was also the sinister being's true form.
Even though a rule-type sinister being's power was entirely external to its domain, and its core was much weaker than beings of the same rank, it was still a seven-star rank!
A world-ending sinister being!
The Third Princess finally understood why this method of breaking free was considered impossible.
But now, was there any other option than to fight?
The burly man thought the same. They could only fight for a sliver of hope.
He drew his sword and stepped forward.
Suddenly, a terrifying radiant flame erupted from the side, illuminating the entire cave. An indescribable figure appeared before the giant human face, wielding a sword with both hands, its brilliant sword strike piercing through heaven and earth.
*Boom—*
The human face shattered violently. The earth was torn open for thousands of meters. The golden sword light pierced through the gray mist, tearing open the cave and the sky. Sunlight seemed to pour down.
Shining upon the silver-armored figure ablaze with fierce flames.
Like a god, like a demon.
The young woman who had accompanied them was actually...
A mythological sovereign!
So the sovereign had seen through everything long ago!
...
So the mentor had seen through everything long ago.
Staring at the map in her mind, Xitina realized at this moment.
...
...
In a corner of the Fallen Star Grotto, as Xitina became trapped in the rule-type sinister being,
Deeper within the Sinister Realm, within the blood-colored empire.
The palace was magnificent, with gray pillars seemingly supporting the sky. In front of a huge conference table, the Blood Emperor sat at the head. On thrones on either side of the table sat several figures.
Their auras were like abysses, their figures majestic.
These were the helpers he had invited.
However,
"For the sake of greater certainty, we can borrow the power of a rule-type sinister being."
--Author's Notes--
Two chapters combined, quack~