Chapter 412: Encountering Monsters

The flight was unexpectedly smooth, devoid of any turbulent bumps. The crisp, high-altitude wind brushed past their cheeks and whipped through their hair.

Furina sat at the very front of their saddle, excitedly spreading her arms wide as if trying to embrace the entire sky, her bright laughter trailing long in the wind. Aiden sat close behind her, and Artemis sat quietly in the rear, gazing out at the horizon.

When the first rays of dawn pierced the horizon, the world seemed to awaken from a deep slumber.

The rising sun painted the rolling sea of clouds with a brilliant golden trim. From their soaring vantage point, the magnificent landscape unfolded below like a tapestry woven by the gods. Deep green forests, emerald plains, and golden wheat fields blended into a vibrant mosaic. A river wound its way through the plains like a silver ribbon, nourishing all life along its banks.

Through the morning mist, they could even spot a shepherd cracking his whip to herd a flock of cloud-white sheep, his tireless sheepdogs bounding joyfully at their heels. Flocks of birds, startled from the canopy, spiraled up into the higher skies, brushing right past the flying beasts.

These ten days of travel were a race against time.

They didn’t linger for the breathtaking scenery. Aside from landing in secluded valleys or along riverbanks at dusk to cook meals and let the exhausted wyverns feed and rest, they spent nearly every waking moment speeding through the sky. Time was of the essence.

Yet, even at their breakneck pace, the sights they took in swept through their hearts like a cleansing breeze.

They flew over endless primeval forests—a vast, churning green ocean of ancient, towering trees that felt infinitely deep and mysterious. They witnessed a colossal waterfall plunging from a sheer cliff, its thunderous roar kicking up mist that caught the sunlight to form a brilliant rainbow, arching like a bridge to the realm of the gods.

For some, this journey meant far more than just sightseeing.

Firefly often leaned over the edge of the saddle, quietly staring down at the vibrant, living world. A light sparkled in her eyes that had never been there before. On the battlefields ravaged by the Swarm, she had known only gray skies, scorched earth, and endless slaughter. She had never imagined that the world could be this colorful, this peaceful.

For Daphne and Cassandra, who had spent the vast majority of their lives within the giant labyrinth city of Orario, this was an equally novel experience. They had never seen such expansive wilderness or felt such pure nature. The usual pessimism in Cassandra’s eyes seemed diluted by the grandeur, while the typically composed Daphne couldn’t help but let out small gasps of awe.

“Ah, what a perfect breeze. If only we could soar like this forever,” Hermes sighed, eyes closed in pure bliss as he held the reins.

“How can you still say something so laid-back? We’ve been flying for a week now! Even the best scenery gets boring eventually,” Daphne grumbled from behind him, rolling her eyes. She felt like her bones were ready to rattle apart. “Right, Captain?” She looked over at Aiden, whose wyvern was flying parallel to theirs.

Aiden simply smiled in response.

Truthfully, he was starting to feel the monotony too; even the most breathtaking landscapes lose their luster when you stare at them for a week straight. A quick glance at Furina—who had started out the most enthusiastic of them all but was now slumped listlessly against the saddle—was proof enough of how grueling the long flight had become.

Artemis offered a helpless smile and was about to speak, when her clear green eyes suddenly narrowed. Her gaze pierced through the dense forest canopy below, catching two figures sprinting desperately for their lives through the gaps in the trees.

The goddess’s expression turned instantly cold and severe.

“Descend. Now!” her voice was urgent and sharp, completely stripped of its usual gentleness.

Aiden’s heart skipped a beat. Though he didn’t know what was happening, he immediately hauled back on the reins, forcing the wyvern to tuck its wings and plunge into a steep dive toward the forest.

The wind screamed in their ears as the massive beast plummeted like a meteor. Just meters before hitting the ground, the wyvern flared its wings, gliding smoothly just above the terrain.

Artemis had already drawn her longbow during the dive. The moment the wyvern stabilized, she nocked a silver arrow and took aim into the depths of the woods.

Aiden followed her line of sight, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

Two figures—an adult and a child—were stumbling frantically through the trees. Behind them, a surging tide of black silhouettes pursued them relentlessly. The shadows bore eerie, blood-red markings across their carapaces.

Artemis’s expression was as still as dark water. She released the bowstring.

With a sharp thrum, the arrow tore through the air, transforming into a streak of silver light. It struck one of the monsters with a speed the naked eye could barely track. Before the creature could even shriek, its body exploded in a flash of silver, reducing it to black ash and dropping a purple Magic Stone to the dirt with a sharp clink.

Only then did Aiden get a clear look. They were terrifying scorpion-type monsters. They possessed pitch-black shells, pulsing crimson patterns, and venomous stingers that glinted with a lethal chill. There were easily over a hundred of them.

In a fraction of a second, Aiden assessed the dire situation.

He yanked the reins hard, commanding the wyvern into a sharp, low-altitude bank that bypassed a small cluster of trees. Just as the scorpion swarm poured out of the treeline, his wyvern cut through their path like a blade, using its massive body to physically block the swarm from the two fleeing victims.

“Gospel!” Aiden thrust his right hand forward, spitting out the cold incantation.

Invisible sound waves slammed into the vanguard of the swarm like an intangible sledgehammer. A violent explosion kicked up a massive cloud of dust, tearing the leading dozens of scorpions to shreds. The shockwave instantly vaporized them into black ash, sending a heavy rain of purple Magic Stones clattering against the earth.

By then, the other three wyverns had roared onto the scene, bringing Robin, Tifa, and the rest of the party into the fray. But before anyone else could react, a figure had already vaulted from the back of the fourth wyvern.

“Like a firefly to a flame, life begets death. I shall fight for my own sake, until everything burns to ashes.” Firefly chanted her incantation in mid-air. “Transform!”

Crimson flames erupted from beneath her feet, instantly engulfing her entire body. The surrounding air warped under the sudden, intense heat, letting out a screeching hiss.