Way of the Knights

Chapter 822: Visitors

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"…hmm." 

Luna was currently within the Divine Land tending to the Dream Blossom Mother Tree Seed. 

It's been a few days since Ellen and Anne returned from their mission and they've been recovering pretty well. They are working to distract themselves, which was probably the best they could do for now. Their husbands did say they can take a few days off but neither of the girls wanted that so they're back at their office. 

The boys are out again. Laughing Dragon came through and compiled numerous leads which he passed on to Mark. The latter is now out investigating the tracks left behind by the evil cult. Paul was on a official mission to meet with some Empyreans on behalf of the Dawn Council. 

Meanwhile, Luna's here by herself. Tending to the resources within the Divine Land. 

They don't really need tending to be honest. Most of the resources here will grow-up on their own even without her interference, needless to say, leaving the Divine Land operating on its own is kind of wasteful. 

Due to the sheer bounty of resources present here and the rate which they grow, leaving them untended will result into some loss. Like for example, spiritual fruits will fall onto the ground when they're ripe. If someone wasn't there to pick them up, they'd miss the chance to preserve it which is a damn waste. 

This is why Luna is here. She spends most of her time here to make sure the resources will be harvested as soon as they're ready. 

In truth though, they could've just asked Raven to create a formation which will automatically harvest the resources when they're ready. They didn't do that though since the man's already busy with his own work. 

It's just tending to the resources, it's not that difficult. One of them should be able to handle it. They don't need Raven doing everything for them, they don't want to be useless in here. 

She already planted it though. Now, they just have to wait until it blooms. Luna didn't really have to be here since she knows that the Divine Land already claimed the resource will do the rest of the job for her. The Divine Land will nurture the seed until it grows just as big, if not bigger, than the one Ellen and Anne saw within the Critters' Realm. 

Speaking of the Critters' Realm…

Laughing Dragon came through once more. (The man is really swift and dedicated to his work, bless him.)

The took several batches of people to limit test their discovery within the Critters' Realm. Just like what Anne said, the trick they used was effective. Now the realm is considered as a resource deposit for the Heavenly Phantom Great World. The Empyrean in-charge of the said world is now cooperating with the Dawn Council to maximize the value of the said realm. 

The Dawn Council's discovery created a large buzz all around. It was expected though, after all the effects of the Dream Blossom Mother Tree was too incredible. 

Not even a day passed and tons of people were already using their Merit Points in exchange for a chance to simulate their breakthroughs, most of them are Empyreans. 

The news came with the warning though. Ellen and Anne made sure that Laughing Dragon didn't forget about that since failure can be traumatic.

Still, there are some people who weren't fazed. Some were even confident about their mental state – these people were the ones who suffered the most and could not complain since they were warned. 

All in all, the work of the Dawn Council remained steady through out time. Now that they've been operating for a few years now, they're getting the hang of this. There are still some room for improvements but time is one their side for now. 

As Luna was momentarily distracted with her work, she didn't notice that her badge has been vibrating for a bit now. She only noticed it when it released a sharp sound that only her could hear. 

Luna woke up from her stupor and tapped her badge. Then a voice echoed on her ears. 

"Madam, are you busy?" 

This was Laughing Dragon. Only him calls her Madam in this place. 

"No. Not anymore. What's up?" 

"'We do have some applicants who came exchanging for a ticket to the Divine Land. I was wondering if you're available to receive them." 

Luna was surprised, she smiled and answered: "Already? Wow, talk about being diligent and hardworking. Sure, send them in. I'll receive them." 

"Thank you, Madam. We'll arrive there within five minutes." 

The voice link disconnected. Luna kept her badge away and flew back near the exit, waiting for the first batch of people who will have the honor of visiting the Divine Land. 

Luna saw that there were ten people who arrive, which was a bit surprising for her. She inspected them slightly and a vague idea of their identity formed on her head. 

"Welcome, visitors." Luna greeted them with a casual smile. "Or should I say, Black Iron Mercenaries?" 

The visitors were startled upon seeing her and hearing her voice. To them, Luna was a goddess, something that they could only worship from afar. Having her within their close proximity caused them to be dumbfounded. 

One of them recovered from his initial shock. He stepped forward, performed a curt bow and greeted: 

"It is our pŀėȧsurė to meet you, Holy Maiden Luna. We are honored that our little ensemble caught your attention." 

The rest of the group managed to follow the lead of this man and also gave Luna their salutations. Luna smiled and said:

"Give credit where credit is due. You're group has been doing wonders for the betterment of the Divine Realm as a whole. It's no wonder why it your group who managed to claim this chance first."

"Laughing Dragon should've already briefed you about the rules and regulations within this land. Have you all made sufficient preparations?" 

"Yes, Holy Maiden. We're ready." The leader spoke once more. 

"Great. We shall not waste any more time then. Stick close to me and Laughing Dragon, don't stray or else you'll get lost in here." 

After saying that, she saw the whole group sticking closely together. Luna raised her arm and snapped her fingers, causing a road of white light to appear beneath her feet. 

The road extended far ahead, Luna stepped on it and so did Laughing Dragon, they gestured the mercenaries to do the same. The road was wide enough for them to walk on without the fear of falling. It also acts as a guide for them to not stray off their path. 

The Black Iron Mercenary group can't help but look around the scenery of the Divine Land with eyes full of curiosity. 

They've heard numerous rumors about these place, so many that if one compiled them all, a whole day won't be enough to tell them all. 

Nevertheless, even with that many tales and legends, of them could give justice to the real thing. Seeing it in person is really different from hearing it from someone else's mouth. 

They were awed by the beauty and bounty of this place. Some of them couldn't help but feel their mouths dry from the sheer amount of treasures they could see. 

*Tzzt!*

One member from the mercenary group hissed. The atmosphere suddenly turned tense as group stopped moving all of a sudden. 

The Leader of the mercenaries felt his blood run cold. He hurriedly glared at the person who was hurt, his expression contained a million words but of them were voiced out loud. 

"1 out of 3." Luna mentioned ever so casually. "I don't want to nag but let me remind you that you'll only have a total of three chances to get yourself together. Follow the rules and we're not going to have any problems. Have I made myself clear, people?" 

"My deepest apologies, Holy Maiden!" The Leader hurriedly apologized. "It's our fault. I should've reigned them in. Thank you for giving us a chance!" 

"As long as we're clear, Mister. Now, shall we proceed?" 

"Yes!" The mercenary group answered in unison. 

The group then continued their journey while the mercenary group exchanged their mental messages. They shifted their positions for a bit and were now focusing only on the road ahead. They can't mess this chance up after all.

Eventually, the group arrived at the end of the white road. There were numerous formation circles laid down in front of them. Luna turned around and say:

"Enter the formation and sense your fate.. You'll know what to do next."