This flying creature resembled a vulture, but its wingspan exceeded five meters. Its feathers were metallic gray-black, while its beak and claws gleamed with a cold light.
It circled restlessly at low altitude within its cage, letting out piercing, grating cries. Even through the cage, they could feel the wind stirred up by its flapping wings.
"Ironfeather Vulture. Ordinary Level 1 strength, excellent for aerial reconnaissance, and its offensive ability isn't bad either. It's just a little noisy." Tom wrinkled his nose.
From deep within the passage came faint, low roars that seemed to rise from an abyss, along with sharp hisses.
The mixed energy fluctuations in the air also grew increasingly complex and dangerous. There was scorching heat, bone-chilling cold, corrosive acidity, and shadowy fluctuations that made one's heart tremble.
The creatures imprisoned in some cages took even stranger forms. Some were elemental lifeforms that looked as though they had been pieced together from rocks, silently floating in the middle of their cages.
Others were leopards with semi-transparent bodies, as if formed from flowing shadows, flickering in and out of sight in the corners of their cages.
There was even a gelatinous creature that constantly twisted and changed shape, emitting chaotic mental fluctuations that caused even Duke's mental power to feel slightly uncomfortable.
Duke followed Tom onward and saw quite a few strange slave creatures, all of them possessing considerable strength.
He stopped in front of one cage, looked inside curiously, and called out, "Reed? You're here too?"
Inside the cage was a burly Kobold, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, either resting or cultivating in his own fashion.
Upon hearing a somewhat familiar voice, Reed opened his eyes. When he saw Duke, he quickly remembered that this was the Wizard Duke he had encountered on the Orc Plane.