Chapter 55: The Temple In The Silver Palace
"An Ice Dragon?" Leonard repeated, having trouble believing it.
"Yes. Although it doesn’t look like it since Rimy is still in her hatchling phase, she is a genuine dragon." Elizabeth confirmed and prompted the party to inspect the familiar with the system.
[Familiar: Ice Dragon (Hatchling) (Bound to Elizabeth)]
"It’s true!" Winston felt like fainting again.
How a country bumpkin like him had found himself in a party with so many powerful prodigies, he wondered.
"Okay... I admit she is just too precious!" Harley curled a strand of her hair around her finger. "Can I pet her?"
"Guu!" Rimy answered.
"She will bite you if you try." Elizabeth translated the dragon’s words.
Harley’s eyes went wide, and she crossed her arms.
"H—Hmph! Fine! It’s not like those adorable eyes of hers make me want to play with her! Absolutely not!" She looked away and raised her chin, trying to preserve her image.
"Kia!" Rimy added cheerfully, glancing at Leonard.
"Rimy says she will gladly allow you to pet her if you wish." Elizabeth said in puzzlement, her icy eyes momentarily looking toward her familiar.
Harley’s offer had been rejected because Rimy didn’t like being touched by others... Yet she had then gone out of her way to invite Leonard to pet her?
’Rimy said that she likes him, but to such an extent was unprecedented. As I thought, there really is something odd about Leonard.’ Elizabeth thought. Her expression remained unreadable as she wondered if he would become a rival in the future.
Leonard stared at the little dragon and tilted his head to the side. Rimy mimicked his movement, appearing more like an adorable pet than a fearsome creature.
"Petting a dragon? No way I’m refusing this chance." He mused out loud and stretched out his hand.
Rimy’s head was smooth and cold to the touch, her scales still small. The familiar closed her eyes and lifted her head slightly by extending her neck.
"No fair! No fair! No fair!" Harley murmured in displeasure, her foot rapidly tapping against the ground.
She had to suppress the desire to pet Rimy that was eating away at her from within. As the future heir of Velmura, she had to maintain her dignity and show self-restraint.
"Thank you for revealing your familiar." Leonard nodded in appreciation. "Though I don’t see why you didn’t keep her a secret."
"It’s better for everyone to know about her beforehand." Elizabeth explained, her tone calm. "And... Rimy was getting sick of hiding in my sleeve, so she got out. She wants to enjoy the cold weather properly."
"It makes sense! It’s snowing even in the Silver Palace, and she is an Ice Dragon, after all." Winston remarked.
"Let’s continue following the trail left behind by the shaman." Leonard suggested.
The party agreed and vigilantly moved across the Silver Palace.
None of them were experts in tracking, yet they were able to deduce that the Orc Shaman was deliberately leading them somewhere.
Looking from afar, they noticed that the tracks led into a temple. The sheer scale of the building was heart-stopping. It was carved from dark stone, giving it an unsettling appearance.
Before they were able to proceed any further, an arrow came flying through the air and sank into the ground just in front of them.
The perimeter Joker was able to cover was limited to ten meters, meaning the shot had come from farther away.
"Halt at once!" A man shouted from afar.
"There are more awakeners here!" Winston’s eyes ignited with newfound hope.
"Don’t shoot! We are humans!" Leonard yelled back. The last thing he wanted was to unnecessarily confront other participants of the entrance exam.
"Then prove it! Otherwise, why do you cover yourself with the mist?" An answer came back.
It wasn’t surprising. From the others’ point of view, wherever Leonard’s party went, an eerie mist that engulfed them followed.
He couldn’t blame them for feeling on edge when they saw the incoming fog. Considering the atmosphere of the Silver Palace, it must have looked like haunting ghosts were coming.
Deeming the surroundings safe enough, Leonard recalled Joker.
Instantly, the area cleared up, and his party saw several people who were cautiously looking at them.
At the front stood a man with styled blond hair and blue eyes, his sword pointed toward them, prepared for an attack. Yet the moment his eyes landed on Elizabeth, all vigilance disappeared in an instant.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Elizabeth Starlight. Given your achievements, I expected we would encounter each other sooner or later." He declared, sheathing his sword in place.
"Tch." Harley clicked her tongue softly once she saw the man’s face.
"Do you know him?" Leonard whispered quietly.
"Yes." She answered, her eyes growing cold. "This is Russell, and just like Elizabeth, he is known for his talent because he possesses a Heavenly Bloodline. He doesn’t shy away from abusing that power for his own benefit. He looks down on those weaker than himself, bullying and extorting them, by forcing them to obey him without the slightest regard for their well-being."
Leonard instantly raised his guard. Russell’s Heavenly Bloodline was the same rank as Miranda’s, and judging by Harley’s contempt, he could spell bad news.
"Russell." Elizabeth greeted him back, her tone even. "Can you give us a rundown of the events that happened on your side?"
"The same as yours, I bet." He replied casually.
"After we were teleported here by the Void Believers, we found ourselves hunted by monsters. We killed them, but most of the awakeners were too injured after the battle. We scouted the surroundings in search of help, and the Silver Palace was the only point of interest, so here we are."
He pointed toward the temple.
"Few of my men reported seeing an orc riding a tiger enter the temple. Those who rushed in to investigate never came back, so after we checked everything else and found nothing, we were preparing to follow after them."
"What do you expect to find there?" She asked.
"Don’t know. A way to call for help, or at least something to slow down the corruption." Russell shrugged. "Or maybe the Void Believers have prepared a trap, and we are about to walk into it. Honestly, everything is better than turning into a Hollow."
Although he tried to sound calm, Leonard picked up a trace of unease in Russell’s voice. He really was at his wit’s end.
Since both parties had the same goal, they decided to form an alliance. Russell’s team consisted of ten awakeners in total.
While everyone was getting ready for the raid, he approached the rest of Leonard’s party.
"It’s better to get acquainted before we jump into danger. I am going to skip the self-introduction since most already know me." He said arrogantly and glanced at Harley.
"Epic Bloodline, Fencer." She replied, her voice sounding almost venomous.
Russell merely nodded and gazed at Winston.
"Rare Bloodline, Tank." Winston puffed out his chest, still proud of his recently acquired class.
Russell’s eyes darkened, but he remained silent, his attention fixed on Leonard. Unlike Elizabeth, he wasn’t informed about Leonard’s background.
"Common Bloodline, no class." Leonard responded leisurely.
Russell spat on the ground and turned around.
"Waste of breath." He complained out loud.
"So predictable." Leonard chuckled, finding the reaction amusing.
However, Harley and Winston didn’t find it funny in the slightest. Their gazes remained locked on Russell’s back.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was too busy speaking with the other awakeners to witness the exchange.
As the party prepared, Leonard felt the familiar sensation of his blood running hot.
[Primordial Bloodline stirs in your veins.]
The crimson pendant began to pulse toward the temple, its glow hidden beneath his leather armor.
"Now that’s unexpected... I wonder what awaits us there?"