Bear School Astartes

Chapter 959: Chapter 941: Platform of the Underground Dungeon

The warriors admire the strength of the dragon, which is the so-called ’Dragon Faith.’

This concept is easy for Lann to grasp.

And according to Gwendolin’s words, the Ancient Dragon Peak should be a lofty place of the Dragon Faith, or simply the place of its leadership and origin.

In this world, any outstanding warrior should have the desire or goal to go to the Ancient Dragon Peak.

But what will be there?

An Ancient Dragon that has a good relationship with Gwendolin? The Divine Race was the murderer of the Ancient Dragon.

Or some powerful deity of the Divine Race residing there overseeing the Dragon Faith?

But no matter what.

”As long as I go to the Ancient Dragon Peak, you can survive?”

Lann seriously looked at Gwendolin’s face beneath the crown.

”Can we eliminate Elderidge?”

”What’s really there?”

Faced with Lann’s series of questions, Gwendolin only gently shook his head, lost in thought.

”There is... a god whose traces of existence have been erased, even leaving no name. The Nameless King.”

”He is also my... elder brother. The eldest son of the King of the Sun.”

Lann noticed that beside him, You’Er Xia slightly parted her cherry-like lips, evidently, even she, as a relatively young descendant of the gods, had never heard of this figure.

The Nameless King indeed had his traces of existence erased.

”Because my brother pursued the Path of the Ancient Dragon, he was banished by our father. And I wasn’t able to speak a word on his behalf.”

Gwendolin’s expression was filled with remorse and pain.

”I don’t know... I don’t know if my brother still resents us, but you shall go. Even if he still refuses to forgive, I have no regrets. Just don’t press him too hard, or you may endanger your own life.”

”Otherwise, it would be another of my sins.”

After speaking, Gwendolin seemed to be relieved, as though a secret he held for many years could finally see the light of day.

A magnificent purple light emanated from his hand, which was the power of the Dark Moon God.

The light gathered in his hand into a pattern, a posture Lann had seen before in the secret passage of the White Dragon Demon King.

Like a meditation sitting posture.

”This posture can show determination and help you embark on the path of the Ancient Dragon.”

”Even though You’Er Xia doesn’t know about the brother’s information, she knows how to reach the Ancient Dragon Peak, after all, she is also the leader of the Dark Moon Sword, the warrior’s long-familiar destination, naturally she knows.”

”Go, thank you, knight who came to the rescue. At least your news prevented me from being a fool kept in the dark by Shalivan in the last moment.”

Elderidge is constantly approaching, and deep forces are spreading.

Having reached the final moment of life, revealed his secrets, Gwendolin surprisingly showed a faint smile, with a slight unconceivable radiance.

The Qilin stood on the palace floor, anxiously pawing its hooves due to the approaching dark forces, and the Elu Cat on its head was nervously looking outside the palace into the deep shadows.

You’Er Xia bowed to Gwendolin again, then walked to the Qilin.

Lann was the only one left, still seriously looking at the gentle face of the Dark Moon God.

”You haven’t answered my question... can the Nameless King let you survive?”

”If you’re fast enough.”

Having supported the Divine Race for thousands of years, now finally facing the end of life, even feeling somewhat relieved by it, the Dark Moon God showed a slight playful smile.

”Maybe you can still save my life in time.”

”May we meet again, knight. Then I’ll ask your name.”

”Goodbye, Dark Moon God.”

Lann took one last deep look at Gwendolin and then turned to leave.

The person who can face death with a relaxed smile cannot be persuaded to leave.

The ’clip-clop’ sound of the horse’s hooves echoed in the empty palace, still only You’Er Xia and Lann on horseback.

Once the Qilin left the palace, the grand doors behind closed slowly with a creak.

The giant slave blacksmith is closing the door.

And Gwendolin’s voice, made exceptionally distant and ethereal by the architecture, kept reverberating.

”I am the youngest of Gwyn, King of the Sun, heir of the Divine Race! At this moment, Yanorlund will not be engulfed by darkness!”

”The Fire Age will not end here!”

With a ’boom’, the deepest palace doors of Yanorlund completely closed.

”We should go.”

Lann took one last look at the closed doors, then gently tugged the mane of the Qilin that had burst out, charging toward the palace’s outside!

As Elderidge got closer, even the air nearby seemed to be in a murky, sticky oil mist.

Inside Lann, a pain like carnivorous insects gnawing outward continuously emerged.

Yet he did not show even the slightest muscle tremor.

If merely using mental coercion and physical pain to break him down, such intensity is far less than sufficient.

The Qilin’s agile and graceful form kept leaping among the palace groups of Yanorlund, landing lightly.

With a backward glance, Lann saw only a large mass of moving tar and black mud, within which floated many ghastly white skeletons of humans and animals.

That nauseating black mud was gushing out from a secluded palace in Yanorlund, rolling and writhing towards the deepest part of the palace.

An impatient and hungry feeling spread along with Elderidge’s power, surging towards the outside world.

”To reach the Ancient Dragon’s peak, you must first reach the underground prison.”

You’Er Xia wrapped her arms around Lann’s waist, and the Demon Hunter felt her forehead resting against his back.

That calm and gentle voice now carried a hint of stammering and choking.

Lann didn’t say much, only directing the Qilin for guidance.

From the ruins of Yanorlund all the way down to Ilyushil, beneath the city bridge, at the end of a river with low water levels, lies the entrance to the underground prison.

You’Er Xia said that if one continues downward from the underground prison, they would reach the City of Sin where the Sin Flame was discovered.

This is a magical flame that can burn endlessly, naturally attracting attention in this world where the ’flame’ has a special meaning, maintained by the First Flame.

Upon its appearance, it aroused great interest from both Ilyushil and Losric, prompting a joint research effort.

However, in the end, no one could make this endlessly burning Sin Flame assist or replace the original flame in any way.

The research failed, and ultimately, the two nations added only a few dispensable kinds of magic to their reserves.

At least, that’s how it’s stated on the surface.

But Lann currently has no interest in delving deeper into the City of Sin and the Sin Flame.

”The underground prison was previously also under Shalivan’s control. I only know the route, the rest of it...”

You’Er Xia spoke softly.

The Dark Moon Pope, through his competence, almost extended his reach to all important positions within Ilyushil.

And it is quite evident that the underground prison is likely full of Shalivan’s people too.

”But there is also an advantage...” Lann said calmly. ”We don’t have to worry about distinguishing friend from foe.”

Upon entering the shadowy underground prison, numerous heartrending and shrill cries overlapped as they poured out.

This did not resemble a normal ’prison’, but rather a ’execution ground’ or ’interrogation room’.

Neither Lann nor You’Er Xia dismounted; they simply lowered their bodies to avoid hitting their heads on the Qilin’s back.

The first Prison Warden appeared before them.

She was like a well-wrapped nun, with a female iron mask on her face.

In one hand, she held a lantern, and in the other, a burning hot branding iron.

Looking at the detainees in the surrounding cells, she couldn’t help but let out sharp, joyful laughter.

It seems that working in this eerie and dim underground prison is actually quite enjoyable for her.

She quickly turned her head upon hearing the sound of hooves, and a cloud of yellow smoke spread with her gaze.

But the next moment... ’Swoosh!’

A flash of silver light passed, and her neck was severed from her body.

It wasn’t even Lann who acted, but Rong Buqiu, sitting on the Qilin’s head, who cut with its Thunder Cat Sword.

The strength of the Elu Cat was insufficient, but with the added momentum of the Qilin, it was enough.

”Neigh!”

The Qilin’s thoughts communicated to Lann.

’Just now, a glance made me feel a bit weak, very strange.’

The Demon Hunter speculated that it must have been a curse-like magic activated through eye contact or sight.

However, considering the Qilin’s constitution and speed as an Ancient Dragon from the New Continent, this curse was indeed rather trivial.

Their gazes could not keep up with the Qilin’s pace, and its robust Life Force meant that even if they stood still for them to look at, it would take a long time before it actually weakened the Qilin substantially.

In the prison, there were many Undead who no longer had human forms.

These Undead had died too many times, and some had maggots entwined and combined into a half-human shape, sagging on the stomachs of the Undead.

There was another type... that seemed familiar to Lann, monstrous creatures with large human heads and wings.

Their appearance made Lann think of Ausloes.

It seemed to be an ancient version of dragon transformation experiments.

Along the way, You’Er Xia bravely overcame her inner fright to guide Lann.

Meanwhile, the Qilin executed swiftly, as all the Prison Wardens were already mentally twisted.

They loved torturing prisoners and laughed gleefully along the way.

They couldn’t keep up with the Qilin’s speed, and often, after hearing the sound of hooves, their heads immediately followed.

Eventually, halfway down a staircase, under You’Er Xia’s instruction to jump off, the Qilin landed on a platform.

”This is the place.”

You’Er Xia said softly, and then jumped off the Qilin’s back.

Lann followed her, next to the Qilin’s landing point was the skeleton of a Warrior.

The Demon Hunter went over to have a look, it was a Warrior wearing Losric Knight Armor, maintaining a cross-legged sitting posture of ’treading the Path of the Ancient Dragon’, seemingly until death.

Lann drew a piece of parchment from his arms, on which was recorded an ancient dragon-hunting story, Swordsmen adding thunder to their swords to slay the Dragon Race.

It seemed to be a miracle called the ’Thunder Sword’.