?Kyle opened his eyes after a few hours and stretched his body, feeling refreshed. After gathering his blanket, he walked out of the building. Not from the window but from the front door.
For some reason, the atmosphere outside was eerily quiet. He couldn't help but look up when he noticed shadows casting upon his figure.
The moment he raised his head, he was greeted with the sight of countless people from the dark race gathered in the air. Emion clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at the rows of flying figures in front of him.
Then he started a speech mid-air as to how the outsiders had humiliated them blatantly and how he wanted a certain 'silver-haired' human head. He even promised generous rewards to those who could locate the escaped individuals.
Kyle narrowed his eyes. He had to suppress a groan because the bounty on the silver-haired human was almost ten times greater than all others.
"I believe I am certainly not the person he is looking for..."
He silently kept an eye on the sky. After a long speech, Emion and the people around him all roared. Together, they flew out from the base. As soon as they crossed the boundary, they split up into multiple teams of two and went off in different directions.
Kyle massaged his temples. It was true due to his recent actions Emion forgot about the divine essence but the situation right now was even more dangerous than before. He pinched his brows and decided to follow behind Emion because he was the strongest.
But as he approached the base walls, he noticed a peculiar round dome tucked away in a secret corner, surrounded by rows of blades.
"What's that..."
Curious, Kyle went closer to the dome but to his surprise, four muscular winged men were guiding the dome. He raised his brow. Almost everyone went out to capture the escaped individuals so why did Emion leave someone to guard the dome? Doesn't that mean there was something special in the dome? However, even when he used the skill of scent perception he sensed nothing from the dome.
He narrowed his eyes and vanished from his spot. In the next second, a muffled cry slipped out from one of the guards' mouths when Kyle grabbed his mouth from behind and twisted his neck.
He tossed the body away and took care of the other three guards. After checking the place one last time, he roamed around the dome and found a door.
It was shut tightly with a big lock. Kyle chuckled and wisps of blue flames appeared around his fingers. He gingerly touched the lock and the flames danced around the metal eagerly. He flicked the lock and it turned into bright particles that drifted in the air.
With a smile, Kyle kicked the door open. A loud sound rang out in the air, yet no one was around to check on the culprit. He briskly walked in the dome and his eyes widened with glee only after a few steps.
Nestled among the countless scattered glowing mana stones, there was a round hot spring. The water of the spring was shimmering with a mesmerizing glow. Wisps of steam rose from the water, carrying with them a soothing aroma of flowers and earth.
"Did the dark race dig it out? It's a natural hot spring..."
Kyle removed his shoe and dipped his toe into the warm inviting water. He grimaced because the water temperature was hot, very different from his own.
He sensed the air around him and noticed the dense mana filling the atmosphere. Kyle sucked in a deep breath because he detected a faint revolting scent, mingling with the aroma of the hot spring.
"Someone from the dark race used this spring... but the scent doesn't belong to Emion. So, who used it? Someone with a stronger status than him?"
Kyle gazed up at the dome ceiling as he recalled Haylee's last words.
"Ah... don't tell me it's Guil."
He smirked coldly. Guil was probably busy fighting with the guardian. So, it would be a pity if he left such a good place alone.
"I should make the most of it while it's still beneficial for my body. It's a shame I don't have anything to store the water. Anyway, I will just freeze everything before I go."
Kyle discarded his clothes and jumped into the spring with a splash, immersing himself in the refreshing water. The warm droplets caressed his skin, rejuvenating his senses.
"If I stayed in this place for a day. I believe I can step into the next rank..."
A sense of tranquility washed over his body, melting away his stress and worries.
While he was enjoying the hot spring, the people from the dark race roamed inside the secret realm. Searching for the outsiders and the silver-haired human. Yet, for some strange reasons, they were unable to find a lot of targets. Moreover, to make matters worse, the outsiders were gathered together into big teams which is why even when the dark race found them they were unable to harm anyone. Instead, they were beaten up badly.
...
In front of the dark race base, Alec gazed at the sky and rubbed his nose. He was still lurking around because how could he leave without his precious sword?
That's why he waited until the dark race people were gone. After securing the surroundings, he jumped inside the towering walls silently.
Slowly, his feet landed on his ground, just mere inches away from the sharp blades placed in front of the walls. Alec rubbed his hands and gazed at the many buildings in front of him.
"It's going to take a while if I want to search every single building."
Just like him, a few more individuals were also lurking around the base in the hope of finding their lost belongings. Alec almost freaked out when two more people landed beside him.
He grasped his chest and groaned at Carcel and the purple- haired dwarf.
"At least inform me before jumping.
Carcel nodded and pointed the blue spear in his hand on the left side.
"I will go check in that direction."
The dwarf pointed his hand in the right direction. In the end, Alec dragged his body to search the buildings in the front. After all, the more the better. However, even after a long day, they were unable to find their weapons and storage rings. In the end, they thought dejectedly. Maybe, Emion took everything with him.
