Exploration

"Don't be nervous, Iger, we're just going to gather intelligence."

Alger gently stroked the giant eagle's head to soothe it, then took out several Spell Scroll and cast spells on himself and the giant eagle that granted them "Invisibility," "Isolate Aura," and "Darkvision."

"Let's go."

They entered the cave, which was filled with sticky filth.

This place is not narrow, but rather quite spectacular. The cave entrance alone is nearly 100 meters in diameter, like a gaping, deep maw. It is only hidden by the even more magnificent mountains and located in the deepest part of the Anstica Mountains that it remains unknown to most people.

In fact, hundreds of years ago, this place was called the "Anstica's Mouth," but as time went by, the records were gradually lost.

After Alger and the giant eagle entered, it took them a full half hour to barely pass through the long passage and finally reach the depths of the cave.

Inside the cave, the corrosive effects of the Abyss were even more pronounced. The rock walls were riddled with pits created by erosion, and twisted, inhuman corpses were scattered everywhere. In the corners, highly poisonous spores permeated the air. The most chaotic darkness was vividly displayed here, making it look like a demon's lair.

Demons dwell here; they are the embodiment of chaos and evil—or more accurately, the source of destruction crammed into enormous, grotesque bodies. They know no mercy, compassion, or kindness; they are beings born only for destruction. As an extension of its chaos, the Abyss autonomously creates demons through filth and slaughter.

Notorious demon races such as Bargura Devil, Kas Devil, and Vrock were all present here. They were either gnawing on the messy corpses on the ground, wrestling and fighting each other, and some even arranging the remains into strange shapes.

Deep within the cave, on a throne made of dark, hole-ridden rock, sits a colossal giant.

Even when seated, this giant was nearly ten meters tall. Although it still resembled a giant in form, its ebony-like, tattered skin, dark yellow, murky fangs, and deep eyes that pulsated with Chaos Fire all revealed its identity as a demonic creature corrupted by the Abyss.

The corrupted giant seemed to have seen something, grinning savagely as it slowly opened its mouth.

"Who are you?"

"The Red Dragon's loyal hound?"

The giant's mouth stretched from ear to ear, and endless rage suddenly appeared in its eyes, twisting its ugly face into a frenzied fury.

"But—who gave you permission to trespass on my territory!"

"I am no longer the person I used to be!"

"Even that Red Dragon will eventually have its neck snapped and be torn to pieces by me!"

He became agitated and even started roaring.

The corrupted giant suddenly stood up from his stone seat, causing the earth to tremble and loose pieces of rock to fall from the top of the cave.

The surrounding demons, as if they had spotted prey, swarmed around them, letting out frenzied roars.

Alger's expression changed drastically, and he flipped over and leaped onto the giant eagle's back.

"Oh no, we've been discovered!"

"Get out of here immediately!"

Fortunately, the cave was spacious enough. With the help of his Darkvision, Alger maneuvered through the space, dodging attacks from one demon after another, and entered the long passage. Throughout the process, he was practically flying close to the ground.

"Iger!"

With his superb riding skills and the tacit understanding he had developed with his partner for more than ten years, Alger made sharp turns, changed directions, and even rolled close to the ground in the tunnel.

Behind him, a toad-like demon spewed corrosive liquid, but Alger didn't even turn around. Relying solely on his instinct for danger, he slightly shifted to the side and dodged the fatal attack.

A deep darkness spread rapidly behind him.

Once entangled by the power of this Abyss, it becomes difficult to escape.

"Walk!"

Alger said through gritted teeth.

The giant eagle tucked its wings and skimmed rapidly across the ground.

The cave entrance was just a stone's throw away, a distance of only a few dozen meters, which he could reach in an instant.

Finally, just as the power of the Abyss had eroded away a few of the giant eagle's tail feathers and was about to wrap around its body, Alger and the giant eagle flew out of this terrible demon's lair.

Alger looked back at the cave that resembled a gaping maw, panting heavily with lingering fear.

"That was close."

"We need to get this message back as soon as possible."

A loud eagle cry echoed in the sky, and the giant eagle spread its wings and soared into the sky once more.

In the "Anstica's Mouth," or rather, the demon's lair, the corrupted giant arrived at the deepest part of the cave.

The place is filled with intricate runes and a foul atmosphere, while a prism that gleams with an eerie light floats in mid-air.

The corrupted giant, his expression fanatical, lowered his head and whispered to the prism.

"Lord Jezal Slack, this way, this should attract the Red Dragon, right?"

He wasn't talking to himself.

A deep, indistinct sound came from the prism, like a vibration emanating from the deepest part of the earth.

"Yes, Koman, can you feel it? As long as you continue to accept this great power from the Abyss, your revenge will eventually succeed."

"Come, embrace my gifts, and achieve the sublimation of life!"

The voice revealed undisguised contempt.

A dazzling yellow-black light burst forth from the prism. The corrupted giant opened his arms, embracing the eerie Abyss power like a devout fanatic. He roared in agony, and a black exoskeleton like armor appeared on his body, while demonic horns grew from his head.

As the power dissipated, the corrupted giant grinned savagely, his body trembling with extreme ecstasy.

"Revenge."

"I... my revenge will be successful."

"Keosius, just wait. I will tear your body to shreds, I will raze your kingdom to the ground, and I will slaughter all your people!"

He covered his eyes, which were overflowing with black mist, and kept muttering to himself.

The giant's Koman Everfrost.

He was once a member of the Everfrost Tribe, the son of "Bone Breaker" Kasa, and a giant whom Elder Nuer regarded as his last hope.

In that "Glacier Destruction Battle," the young boy was hidden in the most concealed corner, watching helplessly as his entire clan was slaughtered by the dragon with its cataclysmic power, while he could only cower in the shadows, trembling with fear.

Later, Koman used the Polymorph Ring to blend into the crowd and followed Elder Nuer's dying wish to travel to the Anstica Mountains in the south to find the legendary Frost Giant Devil Lord Kostchtchie in order to gain powerful strength and seek an opportunity to take revenge on the Red Dragon.

But instead of finding the giant lord, he found a mysterious being who called himself the "Revenge Devil" —Jezal Slack.

It seems like a God of Fate; he mistakenly took the script of "Keosius" from the original world.

This last Frost Giant made a pact with the demons, lying dormant in the mountains, silently accumulating power, gradually perfecting the teleportation rift in the Abyss, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge on the Red Dragon.