Chapter 245: We Will Meet Again

"Is your cage that strong?" Asher asked, descending smoothly into the center of the massive crater to hover just a few paces behind her.

?Aurora didn’t turn around immediately. She stared at the disintegrating golden bars of her ultimate technique, her dark eyes wide and unfocused in pure disbelief.

?"My Athena sealing cage has the ability to trap anyone whose strength is lower than mine... I don’t mean by rank, I mean strength... My power is Ex-Rank, but it’s also way above normal Ex-Rank, this creature is way stronger than me," she muttered, her voice laced with a tremor of genuine shock.

?She turned slowly, her boots crunching against the vitrified earth. "Silverspire is located at the very center of Vaeloria; because it’s safe and rarely gets attacked by monsters, it’s the most peaceful city; this is also the reason it was made Vaeloria’s capital city... Everyone would think the atmospheric spirit energy would be denser at the center of a country, but it isn’t... It’s actually close to none in Silverspire, this is why Dungeons don’t open here either; it’s a paradise to ordinary people, and a jail to Awakened."

?She gestured toward the horizon as the destroyed cage completely turned into glowing particles, caught by the wind and scattered into nothingness.

?"Because of its low energy, the Ancient families, or any major families, never base here... So, how did it forge such a powerful monster or Awakened? Who is strong enough to escape my cage, and even hide from our perception that long?" She asked, her mind struggling to process the impossible variables.

?Asher held his jaw, his golden eyes narrowing in deep thought. There was never such a monster in the original subjugation wave, only the mutated Lizard he had obliterated earlier.

?’Was there something else that escaped?’ He thought, his gaze sweeping the devastated landscape. He lightly shook his head, pushing the frustrating blank space from his mind.

’I have no idea.’ He thought.

?"Oh well, even if it escaped my cage, it should be injured... You want to take over Vaeloria, but you’re still in Silverspire, the other four cities in Vaeloria will be a bit difficult because they’re filled with experts... Anyway, I will get going." She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

?The very fabric of space beside her shattered like a fragile mirror, revealing a swirling vortex of deep astral colors. From within the tear, a magnificent white horse walked out. It wasn’t just an animal; its hooves didn’t touch the ground, and a terrifying, suffocating aura of pure Ex-Rank pressure rolled off its pristine coat.

?’I didn’t look at this beast before, but it’s an Ex-Rank Beast... How did such a creature submit to a human?’ Asher thought, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he evaluated the sheer combat potential of the mount.

?"You’re wondering about my mount?" Aurora asked, effortlessly swinging herself into the saddle.

?"She is Rose; and was a present from the god who gave me my blessings... Of course, I can’t tell you more than that," she said, giving the majestic beast a gentle pat on the neck as the space behind her violently shattered again, preparing for transit.

?"We will meet again in two weeks... Of course, you’re free to bring anyone to the expedition, the more, the merrier," she added, an unreadable shadow passing through her dark eyes as Rose turned around and shot seamlessly into the spatial crack, diving into the void.

?Asher watched in silence as the jagged cracks in reality stitched themselves closed, leaving absolute silence to descend over the ruined wilderness once more.

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[In The Void.]

?Surrounded by the dizzying, lightless slipstream of spatial travel, Aurora’s polite, diplomatic facade completely melted away, replaced by the cold, calculating mask of an aristocrat.

?’He is too strong, I need to report back to father.’ She thought, her dark eyes narrowing. She blinked as a sharp, familiar telepathic frequency pierced her consciousness.

?’What are you doing, Aurora? Get back here.’

?"I am on my way, Big brother... I just ran into the head of the Aetheldawn family, he is... well... something," she projected back, her mental voice cool and guarded.

?’Hmm... Alright.’

?"I also met a creature who could break my sealing cage, and I saw Draven. Not only that, I asked this new Aetheldawn family’s head to bring more people to the expedition."

’It seems a lot of things occurred in your quick journey, get back here and explain more. As for that Aetheldawn family’s Head; he should indeed bring more people, we need cannon fodder at least.’ Her brother’s voice echoed in her head, dripping with the unmistakable, ruthless arrogance inherent to the highest echelons of the ancient bloodlines.

?’That is exactly what I was thinking,’ Aurora communicated, a cruel, satisfied smirk curving her lips.

The polite invitation to the anomaly had been a death trap all along; they needed bodies to trigger the dungeon’s lethal mechanisms, and the newly established Aetheldawn family was the perfect meat shield.

?’We will meet again, whatever you are called, Aetheldawn family’s head.’ She thought, as Rose carried her deeper into the space tunnel.

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Back in the wilderness outside Silverspire, Asher moved his golden gaze meticulously over the blasted earth of the crater, his advanced perception scanning every microscopic detail. Suddenly, he spotted a strange anomaly near the epicenter:

?"What is this?"

?He moved closer, crouching down to stare at a thick, viscous black stain that was actively sizzling against the dry grass, slowly corroding the soil. "Is this black blood? Seems I need to keep my eyes open; although Silverspire is known as the safest city, it doesn’t mean it is safe; what happened today is a very good example."

?He stood upright, wiping the residual dust from his senses, and tilted his head to stare up at the clear blue sky.

?’Luna should have reached Crownfall City by now, and I am sure the Starfire family’s chosen stars are on their way...’ He calculated, placing his hands casually behind his neck as he turned and began walking back toward his two wives, who were waiting patiently at the crater’s edge.

?’Who cares? My knights need some training partners. That sixth son will help with that; my next goal right now is Mental Destruction Dungeon, get Juliana’s cure, and then search for Sara’s cures... I must complete this in two weeks.’

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Miles away from their location, far beyond the absolute limit of Asher’s Infinite Senses, the shadowed canopy of a dense forest rustled violently. A lady draped in a ragged black cloak suddenly materialized on a thick tree branch. She leaned heavily against the bark, clutching her arm. A deep, jagged cut was sliced across her bicep, and thick, corrosive black blood flowed freely from the wound, sizzling as it hit the leaves below.

?"That girl is so annoying, I just want to crush that skull of hers!" she hissed out in pure agony and rage, violently striking the massive tree’s surface with her injured arm, the force instantly creating spiderweb cracks deep into the ancient wood.

?"I can’t believe you got caught."

?A cold, mocking voice drifted up from the shadows directly below her, instantly freezing the cloaked lady in place.