Deep in the valley, lava pools were few and far between. In their place lay steaming hot springs.
Shadow Cat turned its head. Its eerie, dark-green eyes drifted across Black Shadow's head without settling anywhere, like two spinning voids.
It looked at Reilo and Canary.
"Up ahead is the Nine Pools Valley Dark Barrier Tower. The nine Molten Pool Elders rule this Dark Valley. Good luck."
Reilo was a little puzzled by its words. The only explanation he could think of was that the nine Molten Pool Elders were not to be trifled with.
Canary, however, had a different opinion.
"Looks like this little fellow agrees with our plan to leave here."
Soon.
After they crossed a vast lake of steaming water, more than a thousand meters wide, Reilo and Canary saw a tall, cylindrical stone structure on a small rocky island. It looked like a gigantic chimney, around seventy or eighty meters high—not particularly remarkable.
Atop the cylinder crouched a huge ghostly face made of gathered water vapor, radiating visible ripples of magnetic energy.
"Oh? The barrier here is quite sophisticated and precise. And the strength of this guardian..."
Canary didn't need to say more. Reilo could also feel the steady pressure of energy emanating from the vaporous face, rippling outward in waves.
Its power was probably on par with that of some god-level creatures.
It seemed this Dark Valley had a substantial foundation after all.
Apparently sensing them, the vaporous face looked their way.
Black Cat stopped with Reilo and Canary.
Before long, a group of creatures that were part bats and part goats flew over from the Barrier Tower. Between the horns of the monster at their head burned a mass of blue-black lightning fire. After Shadow Cat explained why Reilo and Canary had come, it regarded