Chapter 27: Journey to the Destal Kingdom 2
The journey began, and Ronan was able to experience Bambi’s terrifying speed firsthand.
The massive creature shot forward like an arrow, yet despite its incredible speed, its back remained remarkably stable and smooth. Ronan barely felt any movement as they quickly passed through the outskirts of the city and entered the forest several hundred meters away.
Back at the city gates, the City Lord and the others stood there, watching them leave.
The City Lord wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He was grateful that he had managed to avoid the disaster he had nearly been dragged into.
If he were given another chance, he would never agree to let the Duke’s son visit his city again.
---
"Maiden..."
Just as Ronan settled down, he heard a familiar voice.
Bama walked toward him.
He gave Yen a fierce glance.
Yen merely looked back at him calmly, but Ronan could clearly see her fists clenching.
There was definitely something going on with Yen.
There had to be a reason she wanted to kill Bama.
Unfortunately, Ronan couldn’t ask her.
He couldn’t speak.
And even if he could, he wasn’t sure she would tell him.
"Maiden, why don’t you sit back and relax? The journey won’t take long. The city we just left is actually the closest city to the capital. We should reach the Destal Kingdom’s capital within a day."
Bama smiled.
For the first time, Ronan nodded.
A smile immediately appeared on Bama’s face.
The Maiden wasn’t as cold toward him anymore.
It seemed their relationship was getting better and better.
Bama couldn’t help but remember what had happened the previous night.
If Selak hadn’t stopped him and talked some sense into him, their relationship might have been ruined by now.
Meanwhile, Ronan looked at the surrounding forest.
It was vibrant and full of life.
The lush greenery of the trees and grass filled his vision.
Tall trees, at least eight meters high, lined both sides of the path as Bambi carried them deeper into the forest.
The chirping of birds could be heard in the distance, accompanied by the buzzing and occasional screeching of insects.
A cool breeze brushed against Ronan’s face.
He couldn’t help but close his eyes in enjoyment.
Above them stretched a clear blue sky, with several birds flying overhead.
Their size...
Their size...
"What the..."
Ronan’s eyes widened until they almost popped out.
Could that still be called a bird?
Wasn’t that thing practically an airplane?!
Ronan was completely shocked.
Seeing his reaction, Bama hurriedly spoke.
"Ah, I’m sure your country doesn’t have creatures like these."
Bama smiled proudly.
"These are some of our birds. But the particular one you’re looking at is a Severja."
"It is a predatory bird with an average wingspan of fifteen meters. They are born at the Peak Mortal Realm, and as they grow, they naturally advance into the Transcendent Realm."
"Once they reach adulthood, they enter the Sovereign Realm."
Bama pointed toward the enormous creature soaring through the sky.
"They actually live in large flocks, each led by a powerful leader. The leader of a large flock can reach the King Realm."
"They are one of the strongest species of awakened birds in the Destal Kingdom."
"They are essentially the kings of the sky."
Ronan silently absorbed the new information.
Yes, he knew this world was fictional.
Yes, he was an undead creature.
But seeing the sheer scale of the creature still shocked him.
Compared to that thing, even Bambi suddenly looked like a little brother.
Ronan swallowed.
Bama continued introducing him to various awakened creatures that lived throughout the Destal Kingdom.
That was when Ronan finally understood something.
There were essentially two types of creatures on this continent.
Normal creatures and awakened creatures.
Normal creatures were similar—or sometimes identical—to the animals he had known on Earth.
Awakened creatures, however, were essentially their evolved counterparts.
They were stronger, more resilient, and much harder to kill.
After explaining the various creatures, Bama predictably began talking about his father again.
Ronan rolled his eyes.
At this point, he desperately wished he could speak.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do except endure Bama’s endless stories.
---
The sun climbed high into the sky before gradually beginning its descent toward the horizon.
After traveling for most of the day, they finally arrived.
Ronan’s crimson eyes widened.
Across the horizon stood a colossal wall.
It stretched so far in both directions that he couldn’t see where it ended.
The massive structure seemed to divide the world in two.
Countless defensive formations covered its surface, faintly glowing beneath the setting sun.
But the wall wasn’t the only thing that caught Ronan’s attention.
All around the outskirts of the city were strange awakened creatures.
They resembled enormous dogs, each standing more than three meters tall.
Their bodies were covered in thick muscles.
Humans sat atop their backs, wearing armor and carrying weapons as they patrolled the borders.
Below them, squads of soldiers moved along the walls.
Each squad consisted of around a dozen soldiers, and every single one possessed the aura of a Peak Transcendent Realm expert.
Not one squad.
Ronan could see more than ten of them before they even reached the city walls.
And the closer they got, the more powerful figures he saw.
Then the queue appeared.
A massive line of people stretched toward the city gates.
Merchants waited with long lines of carriages loaded with goods.
Exquisite carriages pulled by awakened beasts could also be seen, many displaying the emblems of noble families and wealthy clans.
There were even several Bambi creatures like the one they were riding, carrying other groups of travelers toward the city.
But commoners made up the majority.
Families hoping to make the Destal Kingdom their new home.
Refugees fleeing from other regions.
People seeking a fresh start.
And ambitious individuals hoping to pursue their path toward power.
Everyone had their own dreams.
After all, the Destal Kingdom possessed one of the best academies on the continent—an institution capable of transforming even an ordinary commoner into a respected noble.
There was also the Adventurer’s Guild, where awakened humans could register, accept missions, earn resources, and build their reputation.
The Destal Kingdom was a place where dreams could become reality.
But before anyone could reach its most prestigious cities...
Before they could even dream of entering its capital...
They had to pass through Sanju City.
It was the first city of the Destal Kingdom.
And it was also a fortress.
Built to house a portion of the kingdom’s armies, Sanju City served as the first line of defense against the outside world.
Beyond it lay countless other cities.
Vast territories.
Powerful noble families.
And eventually...
The capital.
Ronan stared at the enormous city in silence.
Peak Transcendent Realm soldiers were everywhere.
Even Sovereign Realm experts could be seen throughout the fortress.
That made sense.
The kingdom’s army was stationed here.
Finally, they reached the enormous queue.
At the front stood a gigantic gate more than a dozen meters tall.
Five Sovereign Realm experts guarded the entrance, accompanied by more than fifty Peak Transcendent Realm soldiers.
Everyone entering the city was carefully inspected.
Their identities were checked.
Their reasons for entering were questioned.
And depending on their status, they were directed toward one of the three sections of Sanju City.
Ronan quietly observed everything.
This was the human world.
And for the first time, he was truly beginning to understand just how vast it was.
"We’ve arrived."
Bama smiled brightly.
"Maiden..."
He spread his arms slightly as though presenting the entire city to her.
"Welcome to the Destal Kingdom."