Chapter 366 - 364:Secret Realm.
"Alright. That should just about settle that." Salazar spoke up as the attendant made his way out.
"Gotta say. I like the way you work." I remarked with a nod of approval.
"I get the feeling you only feel that way because I seemed to have stoked your already massive ego."
"Nonsense. I am the most humble man alive." I retorted.
"Indeed. Master is so humble the universe can’t withstand his level of humility. It’s blinding and mesmerizing."
"That’s right. Shulvan. Tell him." I was starting to appreciate this guy.
"Indeed. So bow before master’s majestic humility."
SLAP!!!
"Ahhhh!!! My lord. Why?"
"What the hell do you mean bow before master’s humility. Since when do humble people ask for bows."
"But.. master."
SLAP!!
"Ahhh!! I apologize for getting carried away."
"Pfft..... hahahahahahahahahha...." Salazar’s laughter stopped my discipline session cold.
"And what’s so funny, you bastard?" I growled.
"Nothing.. hahaha.. nothing. It’s just nice having people to talk to after such a long time."
"I don’t doubt it. Locking yourself up in such a place, no matter how beautiful, will get quite lonely."
"Not really. I spent most of my days in meditation and cultivation, so I barely feel it. But it’s always nice to have company as opposed to not."
"That sounds like some old man shit. And you don’t look that much older than me. Must be the whole seclusion thing. When was even the last time you left this place?"
"Hmm? What’s the cycle count now?"
"Fuck do I know? I’ve barely spent one day in this godforsaken place."
"Haaa... of course." Letting out a long breath, he decided to shelve the matter aside for now.
"So. What’s your next agenda. What do you plan on doing next."
"Me? Obviously I plan on advancing my rank further."
"I thought so. But, just like with the issue at sand city, I have no authority to give you a rank any higher than sovereign."
"But you can assign a mission, can’t you?"
"Of course. What mission would you like? Or should I bring up our catalog?"
"Catalog? No. I already have something perfect in mind." A crazy smile slowly curled up my lips.
"I don’t think I like that expression on your face." Salazar’s remark only made my smile widen even further.
"Ohh. Don’t worry. This one, I’m sure you’ll like."
"And, what is it you want to do."
"Steel mountain."
...
...
"Give me the steel mountains."
A profound silence befell the entire place as my words settled like a stone being thrown into a lake.
"I’m sorry. I seem to be having a lot of hearing issues today. Could you come again?"
"You heard me right, Salazar. I want the steel mountains."
"Are you mad!!!" He suddenly burst out.
"The steel mountains? Do you think that’s something one challenges on a casual note?"
"Do I look like I care about that?"
"You SHOULD care about that. Why do you think no one has dared tried to conquer the steel mountains till this day? Not even those monsters crawling deeper within the abyss?"
"Hmmm?" I raised a curious brow at that question. Intrigued.
"It’s because the steel mountains are not just dangerous. They’re impossible."
"Nothing is impossible Salazar. If no one has done it yet, it simply means no one is competent enough to do so." I remarked.
"No. You don’t understand. The steel mountains. They aren’t just an endless chain of forge like contraptions that spew infernal golems without end. But each and every single golem born within the forge is at least equivalent to a Cataclysmic-grade infernal."
"What?"
"You heard me right. Imagine an endless forge of cataclysmic grade monsters being spawned without end. And no. You can’t just kill the mountains to stop it. For even if you destroy one patch, so long as even a tiny fraction of those lands remain, all efforts are futile."
Now.. that, was something to think about.
"And if you think it’s easy to comprehend the sheer scale of the impossible task that it is, the steel mountains take up a quarter of the entire outer fringes of the abyss. So please tell me how you plan on killing such an impossibly large piece of land?"
"And if that’s not enough. The core of the steel mountains, a place called the central forge, is home to three titanic golems that are powerful enough to terrify even my father, Ethos, The Eternal. Hell, even grandfather has sent word that no descendants of his are allowed to tread foot on those lands. That’s how horrifying those creatures are."
The more I heard. The more my smile became more difficult to restrain.
"What three emperors? What abyss monarchs? What Law Manifestation Powerhouses? The true rulers of these outer fringes are those monsters at the Central Forge and yet you dare claim to want to challenge these same lands?"
"Your arrogance will get you kill...."
"Pfft.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH..." I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
My excitement exploded outwards as I laughed.
"What.. what’s so funny?"
"Hahahahahahahahaha..."
"What’s so goddamn funny??"
Hearing his outburst, my laughter slowly died down.
"Hah... sorry about that. I just couldn’t contain myself anymore." My teeth were on full display as a blood lusted aura slowly leaked out of me.
"All you just said. All you just described. Merely solidified what I said earlier."
"And what was that?"
"The fact that no one has done it yet just means that no one has been capable of doing it. But, that ends now."
My eyes shone brilliantly as I leveled him a steady glance.
"I want the steel mountains. One way or another, I’m taking it on. So let’s just skip the drama and make it official."
"This... this is madness. It can’t be done. At least not by anyone below the Law Dominion stages of power."
"Hmmmm?" Now that’s new. What the hell is a Law Dominion stage of power?
Yet, before I could ask anything further.
"Master Salazar! An emergency!" The attendant from earlier burst through the doors. Urgency clear on his face.
"What is it?" Salazar asked as I turned towards the attendant, equally intrigued.
"The secret realm you’ve been monitoring. There have been results."
"What!?" His expression immediately changed. Excitement coloring his face.
"Where? Quick! Tell me!"
"The chasms. There have been spikes of spatial fluctuations within the general vicinity of the abyssal chasms."
"Wonderful. Hahahahahahahahaha... finally!" He burst out laughing like an asylum patient.
"Yo! What happened? Why are we laughing?" I couldn’t help asking.
"Why, you ask? Because I might have just landed the greatest jackpot of the century!"
"Hmmm? What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, I’ve just located the secret realm of what I suspect to have been the last dwelling place of someone at the peak of the Law Manifestation stages of power."
There it was again. Those words. But more than that, was the feeling I was suddenly getting.
"A secret realm you say?" My radar was suddenly tingling.
"Yes. It has been eluding me for ages. And now, I’ve finally found a lead. I need to get going." He stood up.
"Hey! Wait for me. I’m coming too." I hurried behind him.
Why? Because I was suddenly getting the feeling that this particular realm that was suddenly so conveniently discovered right before I left for the steel mountains had something to do with a side quest the academy had forced upon us.
"Alright then. Let’s not waste anymore time. There should be others already heading towards it. We need to get there before they do."
He snapped his fingers as we appeared in the skies above the city of ages.
"Get ready. I’m not going to be gentle." Done giving out his instructions, he waved his hands and a metallic platform appeared beneath our feet.
Before anyone could understand what was happening, the world became a blur beside us as we tore through the abyss at ungodly speeds.
Our next destination, the Chasms Of The Abyss.
"Let’s see if my intuition is right."
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A/N: who wants to guess what secret realm they just discovered?? Hahahaha... anyways,
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Thanks for reading..