Somewhere in the Ruins.
It was an ancient forest covering rolling mountains. Towering old trees filled the woods, which bloomed with strange flowers and bore exotic fruits.
At the edge of the forest, a silver-haired old man leaned against a towering tree with his eyes closed, seemingly dozing.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes. A trace of surprise flashed through his deep gaze.
"Someone's tracking me?"
He stood up and looked toward one direction of the forest.
In that direction, far in the distance, was Area 51 of the Ruins.
After gazing for a moment, the old man withdrew his eyes, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly walked forward.
"After operating in Freedom Wings' exploration zone earlier, I really did draw the humans here."
"But it doesn't matter. Once they leave Area 51, they'll enter that region where it's pitch-black day and night."
"There are some troublesome things there. Although they can't do anything to the humans, they're more than enough to delay them for a while."
"By the time they arrive, I'll have long since left..."
At that moment, the old man stopped. He had already walked out of the forest.
On both sides of him, giants knelt on one knee, their wings folded.
These giants surrounded the old man like stars clustered around the moon.
The old man raised his head and looked ahead. Beyond him was actually a sea of clouds.
The light of the Ruins shone upon the clouds, making them look like a celestial wonderland.
At the other end of the sea of clouds stood a towering mountain. It was so enormous that it resembled a pillar supporting the heavens, rising straight into the sky.
The old man raised his head, but he could not see the top of the mountain. He could only