After so ti, space rippled—and Apollo and his guardian reappeared high above a boundless ocean. The waves below stretched endlessly, like a sheet of living sapphire, reflecting the sun’s brilliance in endless shimring patterns.
Far ahead, the haze of distance parted.
A vast landmass erged on the horizon, like a slumbering beast rising from the depths.
The Western Continent.
Its coastlines were jagged, marked by colossal cliffs that rose like fortress walls from the sea. Dark-green forests crowned their peaks, and mist swirled at their feet like ancient breath.
Apollo narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the subtle aura lingering in the air. "Let’s see what kind of place the western continent is."
The guardian beside him said nothing, but his gaze was sharp. He could sense it too. There was sothing different about this land.
They, while flying, quickly went to find so people, as they wanted to know the exact situation, like where they were exactly and where to find the ancient clan. They didn’t know much about the western continent, as Leon wasn’t capable of knowing much except so rumours.
"Let’s find people first," he said, eyes scanning below.
They soared over rugged landscapes—craggy peaks, endless woodlands, and rivers that coiled like silver serpents—until Apollo raised a hand, slowing their flight.
The guardian nodded silently, then pointed toward the west.
"There," he said, his voice low. "A settlent. "Not large, but active."
Below, nestled between hills, was a small city.
They descended slowly, keeping their presence subdued.
The small city nestled at the river fork was built of dark stone and heavy timber, surrounded by towering walls that bore signs of age and war. Smoke curled from chimneys, and people moved briskly through the streets—hunters, traders, and warriors alike.
The atmosphere was different from the eastern cities Apollo rembered. Here, life seed to be harder and more primal, and the people sharper-eyed, as if used to surviving through strength and caution.
Apollo and the guardian landed at the outskirts, their arrival drawing only a few curious glances—though many instinctively lowered their gazes, feeling an invisible pressure despite Apollo’s efforts to remain low-key.
They already scanned; the strongest in this small city was only at the third rank limit breaker, so they didn’t waste ti and directly went to that person, who also seed to be the city lord.
The city lord’s residence sat atop a gentle slope, a dark stone structure reinforced with bones of spirit beasts and charred tal.
Two guards at the front—both burly n with leather armour and long axes—stood alert until Apollo stepped forward. They instinctively gripped their weapons but froze when they t his eyes.
"Y-You... May I ask who...?"
Apollo rely gave a calm look. "Take to your city, lord."
They didn’t ask again. As even though he didn’t show his strength, just his presence alone can terrify weakened beings, so when he stayed at ho, he controlled his strength very carefully. Not only him, but even the other guards did the sa, as the difference between them was too large.
—
Inside, the city lord—a seasoned warrior with grey-streaked hair and a scar that ran from his temple to his chin—was speaking to a few subordinates when the guards burst in, panic and reverence mixed on their faces.
"My Lord... soone has co. We... couldn’t stop him."
The man’s brow furrowed. But the mont Apollo entered the hall, he instinctively stood up.
The invisible pressure alone silenced the room.
Apollo gave a light nod. "We’re travellers. "I have a few questions."
The city lord didn’t hesitate. "Of course. "Please, sit."
He quickly changed his expression and adjusted his face. As a city lord for a long ti, he instantly understood he could not anger these two. The displeasure disappeared, and a bright smile seed to appear on his face.
He poured tea with his own hands, suppressing his awe. Though Apollo appeared young, there was sothing terrifying about the calmness in his aura—like a slumbering god looking down from a distant realm.
"I am Vallan, lord of Seafork City. "Please ask, whatever young gentlen want to know; I will definitely answer the best I can."
"Well, first tell about the place we are in and nearby regions."
Vallan straightened his posture, sensing that every word mattered.
"You are currently in the outer western frontier of the Solgravine Province, a border region of the Western Continent. Seafork City lies at the edge of the Wyrmridge Basin, near the fork of the Ironblood River."
He paused briefly, then continued, "To the north are the Blackpine Barrens, a dense and dangerous forest rumoured to be haunted. To the east lies the Witherfang Plateau, controlled by several scattered human clans. But to the west... that is where things grow strange."
Apollo’s gaze sharpened slightly.
"There, in the shadows of the Twilight Ranges, ancient ruins have begun to stir in recent years. Creatures no one can na have erged. And... there are whispers of a surviving ancient clan. They call themselves the "Ghostly Fla Clan".
Hearing this, his eye glows slightly, as it was the ghostly fla clan that piqued his interest, as he wanted to know if it had any connection with the fla clans he t in the Black Sovereign Realm.
His voice broke the brief silence, calm yet carrying a quiet intensity. "This Ghostly Fla Clan... what do you know about them? What’s been seen? Heard?"
Vallan hesitated for a mont before replying, the weight of Apollo’s gaze pressing down on him.
"Not much, my lord. They don’t show themselves openly. The only sightings have co from surviving scouts and wandering warriors back from the Twilight Ranges—speaking of pale figures wreathed in violet or bluish flas. Not warm fire... but ghostly. Cold. Like it burns the soul rather than the flesh."
"And all of this I know because I have a friend who saw this with his own eyes; otherwise, many didn’t even know what kind of hidden race was in twilight ranges."
Apollo’s eyes narrowed slightly. It seems he had see it for himself.
User Comments
0 comments from readers