Roy stood alone in the desolate surroundings, with no one in sight.
Despite the empty surroundings, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched.
While others might have dismissed this feeling as paranoia, he was convinced that something was lurking nearby.
He couldn't pinpoint where this sensation was coming from, but his sixth sense was tingling, warning him of an impending danger. It was enough for him to believe that the incident he had just experienced was not a figment of his imagination.
It was real, and that realization only heightened his fear.
The thought of someone or something being able to approach him so stealthily that he did not detect their presence until they whispered in his ear sent shivers down his spine.
Whoever or whatever it was, they had to be incredibly powerful to accomplish such a feat.
Moreover, what was the reason behind their cryptic words before vanishing from his side without a trace? What did they mean by saying he had returned to his birthplace? He was not born in the Ashen Land. He was sure of that.
Roy's frantically scanned the surroundings for any signs of the mysterious stranger that left him feeling strange and unsettled, but all he could discern was the eerie stillness of the Ashen Landscape.
"I can't just stand still and wait for whatever is out there to make its move. If I want to find the stone of history and uncover its secrets, I have to start my search now," Roy thought to himself.
"But I can't let my guard down. I have to be prepared for anything, even if I can't see it coming. The unknown is a formidable opponent, and I have to be ready to face it head-on. There's no telling who will come out on top if we fight. I won't let my fear control me. I have to stay focused and keep moving forward towards my goal, one step at a time."
From the very start, Roy wasn't the type to be afraid of monsters or supernatural creatures.
He was more afraid of the unknown and what lurked in the shadows.
That's why the strange encounter he had earlier left him feeling uneasy and on edge.
However, if that strange thing wanted to harm him, it would have to confront him head-on.
At that time, he wouldn't mind giving it a beating of its life. It's not like it would be his first time beating a ghost!
Roy was confident in his strength, and that confidence allowed him to move on instead of dwelling on the matter.
"Let's seek out the stone of history."
Roy's sixth sense was on high alert as he scrutinized the forest below from the cliff, hoping to locate the stone of history.
He thoroughly searched every inch of it with his gaze, utilizing his mutated draconian eyes to see beneath the earth and through the lifeless black trees.
To his dismay, all he could see were zombies.
The forest was teeming with hundreds of them, each standing still like a statue.
He inspected them, finding out that they were between levels 1 to 20, which meant that they were relatively weak and easy to defeat.
The zombies seemed to be unaware of his presence, which was fortunate. If they had detected him, they would have charged at him like ravenous beasts.
As he saw no sign of the stone of history despite his careful and thorough examination of the forest, he set his sight on another target.
"It's not in the forest. That could only mean it's in the ruins of the ancient civilization. That's the only area left in the Southern Underground of the Ashen Land that I haven't inspected."
Roy inspected the ruins.
『Ding! Inspection Successful!』
『You have gained the [current status] and the [Background information] of Celestia, the Inner Capital of the Flying Empire!』
Roy was overtaken by excitement as he found out that the ruins were related to the Flying Empire. It was a place that he was deeply curious about. After all, the celestial stone that had enacted a holy barrier around the Ashen Land and was sealing the entrance of the Baldwin Clan's Ancestral Land was from there. His ancestor, Yulran, the forefather of all dragonkin, was once a part of it!
Gaining more clues about it would certainly help.
He opened up the [Background Information] of Celestia.
As Roy stared at the screen that had appeared before him, his heart quickened with anticipation. He read the text to the very end, and as he did, his eyes widened in amazement, resembling the size of saucers.
The words on the screen recounted the tale of Celestia, a land that was once held in the highest esteem by all. It was the capital of the Flying Empire that was home to the four divine families: the Sun Giants, the Night Reapers, the Crimson Dragons, and the Water Celestials, who lived in harmony under the rule of Alkheim, the almighty of the Night. The Palace of Darkness was at the center of the empire, with the clan grounds of the four families surrounding it protectively.
Celestia was revered as the Holy Ground of the Thousand Great Worlds, a land of great significance, and Alkheim was regarded as the most powerful entity under the heavens, worshiped by mortals for his righteousness, respected by the devils for his strength, and feared by the gods for their past wrongdoings towards him when he was a heavenly deity known as Night.
The Four Gods of Nature discovered that Alkheim was going to ascend to the heavens and feared that if that happened, he would remember his past life and kill them to take revenge.
Overrun by fear, they plotted his demise to stop the resurrection of Night.
They invaded the Flying Empire on the day of his ascension with their heavenly armies, intending to strike it down.
Despite the odds, Alkheim and the Four Holy Families held their ground, fighting with all their might and almost succeeding in driving the gods and their armies back to their Divine Realms.
But a betrayal turned the tide of war in favor of the four gods.
