The group escorted Tiebo at a breakneck pace, not daring to delay for even a moment. The wind across the wasteland remained bitterly cold, but no one had any mind to notice the scenery. Their brief clash with Dylan and his companions had planted a seed of caution in everyone's heart.
Halfway there, Fukaloss suddenly turned and asked Barn, "Barn, you seemed to recognize that divine beast's ability. What was it?"
Barn had already prepared his explanation. He looked composed and spoke calmly. "I traveled around the Yulan Continent in my early years and happened to hear some old tales. About five thousand years ago, a Godlevel magical beast called itself the Heaven-Swallowing Beast in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I don't know the details, though."
Gideon quickly chimed in, his voice deep and rough. "I've heard similar legends, but I've never seen one myself."
Declan, standing nearby, nodded lightly in agreement.
Fukaloss had no suspicions. She simply began explaining the legendary creature to everyone. "Ordinary magical beasts can reach Sanctuary once they come of age. Godlevel magical beasts, on the other hand, can comprehend laws on their own and condense a Godhead as soon as they reach adulthood, becoming gods in a single step."
"That seven-colored lion-shaped apparition just now was the true divine beast—the Heaven-Swallowing Beast."
The moment she said this, everyone looked shocked.
The words "divine beast" represented a top-tier talent they were born with, far beyond that of ordinary magical beasts.
Fukaloss continued, "Divine beasts are also born with unique Innate Divine Abilities. The Heaven-Swallowing Beast's ability lets it swallow everything within an area straight into its belly. If you aren't stronger than it, you won't be able to escape. If you ever encounter one again, be sure not to get too close. There's an independent space inside its belly, and ordinary gods who get swallowed are almost certain never to make it back out alive."
"That's terrifying!" Julia exclaimed, her pretty face full of surprise.
"Of course." Fukaloss's expression turned grave. "A divine beast's physical body is also far stronger than that of an ordinary Sanctuary Beast. That Heaven-Swallowing Beast had already reached the peak of Lowgod in its comprehension of laws. With its divine beast talent on top of that, I could only seriously injure it by catching it off guard. If I'd pursued it recklessly, it might have killed me instead."
Gideon gave a simple, honest smile. "Your talent is extraordinary too, miss."
Fukaloss chuckled. "Blair must have told you about my race. We Evil Eye Kings do have greater talent than ordinary Sanctuary Beasts, but we're still a cut below true divine beasts."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Barn and Gideon with a hint of approval. "Still, both of you did very well just now. The other two Lowgods weren't as strong as the Heaven-Swallowing Beast, but they were among the best of the Lowgods. You actually managed to fight them to a draw. Give yourselves a few thousand more years to stabilize your realms, and you'll be able to challenge for a hundred consecutive Lowgod victories in the Royal City arena!"
"A hundred consecutive victories?" Barn's eyes lit up, immediately drawn to the phrase. "What's that?"
Julia quickly explained, "It's a competition held in the Royal City arena. Lowgods fight Lowgods, and Midgods fight Midgods. Anyone who wins a hundred matches in a row gets permanent residency in the Royal City."
Barn's heart stirred.
Wasn't this the same as the arena's hundred consecutive victories in the Nine Nether Domain of the Underworld, which one had to achieve to challenge a lord?
Could it be that gods had really fallen into the Gobada Plane from the Supreme Plane, bringing this custom with them?
But compared with the rules of the Ice Prison Royal City, Barn was more concerned about Dylan—specifically, the clue Dylan might have about the weak point in space.
At first, Barn had assumed the terrain of Gobada exactly corresponded to that of the Yulan Continent on the other side. He had thought that by comparing the approximate location of the Magical Beast Mountain Range on the Yulan Continent, he could find the weak point in space. But after learning that the weak point moved periodically, he understood that Dylan was the only person in all of Gobada who could guide him to its location.
Could our battle just now have disrupted Dylan's route and made him miss the weak point in space? Barn wondered, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Naturally, he couldn't tell anyone about these thoughts.
Fortunately, the Ice Prison Royal City was already close at hand.
Ice Blade 123 Squad finally arrived at the temporary storage point beneath the walls of the Ice Prison Royal City, bringing the last two Tiebo trees with them. A Midgod of the Earth Element responsible for the handover carefully inspected the Tiebo and, after confirming they were undamaged, gave Fukaloss a token proving the mission's completion.
The group didn't dare linger. They hurried to the mission hall at the Heavenly River Legion's base.
The atmosphere in the hall had changed.
Most of the Heavenly River Legion's gods had already left the base and headed to the front lines. Clearly, the war between the Royal Cities had officially begun, and all three legions of the Ice Prison Royal City had marched out.
Only a few missions remained on the board. There were just over a hundred in total, and with thirty-three squads working separately, they could all be completed in a few months.
Fukaloss led the group to the mission board to choose a task, scanning the mission tokens of various colors.
Just then, a middle-aged man with antlers on his head walked over, smiling courteously. "Miss Fukaloss, everyone, do you remember me?"
Fukaloss paused for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, it's you—the leader of the squad that defended the orchard with us before."
"That's right." The middle-aged man bowed slightly. "You can call me Wesker. You all know our squad's situation by now: two gods and six Sanctuary-level members. We're reasonably capable."
"If you have something to say, just say it," Fukaloss said. She didn't like beating around the bush.
Wesker dropped the formalities and got straight to the point. "Here's the situation. Our squad wants to take on a purple mission, but it's too difficult for us to handle alone, and we can't be sure of success. We'd like to invite you to join forces with us."
As he spoke, he pointed toward a mission officer in purple robes not far away.
Gideon immediately asked, "Do you know what the mission is?"
"Purple missions are very difficult, so you're allowed to learn the details in advance," Wesker explained. "The objective is to relocate a resource site near the front lines. More than thirty Ghost-faced Spiders are kept there, and with the war recently breaking out, gods from the Evil Royal City often appear nearby. It's extremely dangerous, but the points are substantial."
Fukaloss considered it for a moment, then looked back at Barn and the others. "This mission sounds good."
The squad's morale was high after their recent hard-fought battle. This mission was a good fit.
The others nodded in agreement.
Fukaloss made her decision at once. "All right, we'll accept your invitation and join forces with you. Given how much time we have left, if we complete it quickly, we might even be able to grab one more mission before the end."
Wesker's face brightened. "Excellent! It looks like we'll be fighting side by side again. Before we set out, you should use your points to exchange for a few Soul Gold Beads. We're very likely to run into gods from the Evil Royal City this time, and they specialize in Soul Attacks."
At the words "Soul Attack," Gideon instinctively hunched his shoulders and rubbed his head. Not long ago, he'd suffered terribly from the Grand Wizard's Soul Attack, and the memory still haunted him.
Fukaloss nodded slightly. "The points we earned from completing the blue mission should be enough for each of us to exchange for a Soul Gold Bead."
Barn's thoughts stirred.
Before you continue