Chapter 316: The Heavenly Kingdom and Olivia
Flamme stood at the entrance of the underground labyrinth, her eyes fixed on the opening.
She had been here for a long time, yet apart from the initial members of the allied exploration team, not a single living creature had emerged.
Not even the demons.
She could even sense the residual mana of the previous battle lingering in the air deep within the labyrinth.
The massive creature lurking in the abyss was indeed astonishingly powerful. With its hard scales and destructive energy breath, it was formidable, but it ultimately couldn't pose a true threat to Flamme's life.
However, the creature's cunning exceeded her expectations. Seeing it was losing, it had abandoned the fight without hesitation, diving into the abyss below, relying on its familiarity with the terrain.
Flamme had wanted to pursue, but the creature vanished the moment she entered the water. Given the complexity of the underground river, she had ultimately abandoned the chase.
She stayed here not for the escaped creature, but for Carlo, who had fallen into the abyss before her eyes.
The mage whose memory she intended to erase to prevent secrets from leaking had disappeared into this underground labyrinth.
She hoped Carlo might rely on some luck to escape the dark maze.
As long as he appeared, Flamme could execute the original plan and wipe his relevant memories, rather than letting things end in such uncertainty.
However, she had waited for a long time.
During this period, she tried venturing deep into the labyrinth again, repeatedly scanning the area with large-scale detection magic. She even found traces of the ancient creature again.
But the person she sought never appeared.
"As expected... did he die inside?"
Flamme murmured to herself, the sliver of hope in her heart vanishing.
This wasn't a good outcome, but it happened to be the most perfect solution.
A complex emotion spread in her heart.
She sighed softly, deciding to wait for one last period. If she still couldn't find him, she would have to accept the fact and end all this.
While waiting, out of boredom, she looked up, gazing unconsciously at the sky.
The vast ocean of the sky was as usual. However, within this sea of sky, a tiny, almost imperceptible black dot caught her attention.
It wasn't a bird, but something stranger.
It hovered extremely high in the sky. If Flamme's vision didn't far exceed that of ordinary people, she would have missed it entirely.
"What is that?" Her curiosity was instantly ignited.
Without much hesitation, mana flowed around Flamme. Casting flight magic, she flew toward the black dot.
She initially thought the dot wasn't far, but as she climbed higher, she realized it was suspended thousands of meters in the air!
The air became thin and cold. The mana required to maintain flight grew geometrically. Even with her strength, she felt the strain.
Finally, at an altitude almost touching her flight limit, the object suspended in the sky appeared clearly before her eyes.
In that instant, shock filled Flamme's eyes.
It was a city.
A complete city built from some pure white stone!
It floated silently thousands of meters in the air, like a forgotten kingdom. Decay and desolation were visible everywhere. Some buildings had collapsed entirely, and many houses were covered in cracks. It looked like a city of the dead.
The moment she saw the city clearly, a nearly forgotten term appeared in Flamme's mind: Sky-Winged!
In the Mythical Era, the powerful race with wings on their backs, who once had a close relationship with the gods but eventually left this world for unknown reasons.
Their kingdom was precisely a "Heavenly Kingdom" suspended high in the sky.
Could it be... this seemingly abandoned empty city is the former residence of the Sky-Winged?
Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
Flamme recalled that in the stories of god-slaying occasionally mentioned by Master Rhodes and Master Serie, there indeed existed a Sky-Winged companion.
However, the specific name and deeds of that existence had long vanished in the long river of time; the world knew very little.
Driven by intense curiosity, Flamme adjusted her direction and flew toward the city.
The closer she got, the more shocking the mix of glory and ruin became. However, just as she approached the white city—
Bang!
Flamme felt like she hit an invisible wall. Her flight magic nearly failed, and her body shook.
She barely stabilized herself, reaching out suspiciously to touch a smooth, transparent barrier.
Flamme realized immediately: this was a defensive barrier enveloping the entire city, isolating any intruders.
Flamme found this barrier somewhat troublesome.
Forcefully break it?
But the barrier looked very sturdy. Breaking it would consume significant mana, perhaps requiring high-ranking offensive magic.
On the ground, this wouldn't matter. But thousands of meters in the air, maintaining flight already consumed massive amounts of mana. Wasting more to attack the barrier...
Moreover, success wasn't guaranteed. If it triggered a violent reaction or attracted the Sky-Winged, it would be trouble.
Although the Sky-Winged had supposedly left this world, a barrier of this scale theoretically required powerful mages to maintain. Perhaps there were Sky-Winged remaining in this city.
"Maybe... it really is just an empty city?"
Flamme glanced at the dilapidated city again. Not a single person was visible.
"Let's try a little." Comforting herself, she tentatively condensed a light spear and shot it at the barrier.
The light spear struck the transparent screen, stirring only a faint ripple before dissipating completely. The barrier didn't budge.
Flamme's expression grew grave. The strength of this barrier exceeded imagination.
But she didn't give up. As a mage proficient in various magics, she was familiar with barriers. Since she couldn't break it by force immediately, she would find another way.
She closed her eyes, placing both hands on the barrier, carefully sensing the flow of energy.
"This is... the foundation of Holy Magic?" Moments later, she opened her eyes, a trace of luck flashing within.
Although Holy Magic wasn't her main focus, she happened to master its core original scripture runes. While this barrier was powerful, its construction principle didn't completely deviate from this framework.
Finding the entry point, the rest was deciphering.
Finally, after unremitting effort, a hole barely large enough for one person appeared temporarily on the indestructible barrier.
Flamme dared not delay and squeezed through quickly.
In the center of the city, inside a glorious hall—one of the few buildings without signs of damage—a winged girl knelt quietly before a statue of a goddess with blurred features.
Her eyes were closed, hands clasped in prayer before her chest. Her outstanding beauty and the wings on her back unmistakably identified her as one of the Sky-Winged.
The moment Flamme broke the barrier and stepped into the city, the girl's closed eyes snapped open.
Surprise filled her eyes. In a thousand years of solitude, this forgotten kingdom was breached by an external aura for the first time.
Who is it? To break a barrier constructed from the original scriptures of Holy Magic?
Could it be Lord Rhodes?
She stood up, spread her wings, and took off directly without wasted movement, flying rapidly toward the aura.
Meanwhile, Flamme was walking carefully through the empty city.
Desolation was everywhere. All buildings were dilapidated, seemingly the result of some turmoil; mere passage of time shouldn't have caused such widespread ruin.
After all, the houses here were built of special materials, theoretically capable of withstanding the erosion of time.
Did the Sky-Winged experience some turmoil before leaving?
While marveling at the past glory of this city in the sky, Flamme became more convinced it was empty.
However, just as she cast flight magic to investigate the highest hall in the city center, an irresistible force descended suddenly.
It was a special anti-magic field. The wind element mana she relied on for flight was dispelled instantly.
"Oh no!"
Flamme was alarmed. Her body fell uncontrollably from several meters in the air.
Thud!
She slammed onto the hard stone slab. Although not high, her butt hurt.
Rubbing her sore behind, she looked up in annoyance, ready to see what happened, but froze instantly.
A beautiful winged girl stood before her, golden eyes scrutinizing her without emotion.
"..."
Flamme opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
She hadn't expected a living Sky-Winged here. It looked like a dead city.
"Intruder," the girl's voice broke the silence. "State your purpose." A dangerous golden light gathered at her fingertip. Clearly, she would decide whether to strike based on Flamme's answer.
Flamme naturally noticed the action. Although her strength shouldn't be inferior, she was in the wrong first, and she wasn't unreasonable.
So she waved her hand and smiled. "This is a misunderstanding, respected Sky-Winged. My name is Flamme. I am just a passing mage who discovered this city by chance. I tried to enter out of curiosity, with absolutely no ill intent!"
While explaining rapidly, she secretly assessed the opponent's strength. Conclusion: very strong. A kind of ancient strength.
But she probably wasn't Flamme's match.
After all, Flamme was the disciple of Master Rhodes and Master Serie. How could anyone in this world be stronger than her?
Of course, excluding her two teachers!
And that mysterious Demon King she hadn't met yet. And Kraft, the legendary warrior she met once, whom she seemed unable to defeat in close quarters.
Come to think of it, aren't there a bit too many people I can't beat?
On the other side, hearing Flamme's explanation, the Sky-Winged tilted her head slightly. "Curiosity? Meaningless behavior. For a thousand years, no one has broken the barrier of the Heavenly Kingdom. What method did you use?"
The light at her fingertip solidified further. Clearly, she didn't believe the story and was ready to act.
"I master the original scripture runes of Holy Magic!" Flamme explained hurriedly, displaying the runes.
The original scriptures were bestowed upon Master Rhodes by the Goddess back then. He deciphered them and taught them to humanity and other races.
As his disciple, mastering these runes was perfectly reasonable.
Seeing the runes Flamme displayed, the Sky-Winged paused. She leaned forward slightly, carefully sensing the familiar aura within the runes.
Although extremely faint, she wouldn't mistake it.
This is... the aura of Serie and Lord Rhodes!
The coldness in her eyes receded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"You..." The Sky-Winged girl softened her tone. "Why is there Serie's aura in your runes? And another one..." She didn't say the name directly.
Flamme sensed the change in attitude and rejoiced. "You know Master Serie? I am her disciple!"
"Is that so?" The Sky-Winged girl muttered, having gotten the answer she wanted. "And the other aura?"
"That is Master Rhodes's aura! I am his disciple too!" Flamme hurriedly revealed this crucial identity, hoping to resolve the misunderstanding completely.
"Lord Rhodes..." The Sky-Winged girl repeated the name softly, her eyes becoming incredibly complicated. "You really are still alive..."
She had known Lord Rhodes was alive long ago. Even if he was completely swallowed by the corrosive divine power, she believed it.
The reason was simple: the connection of the Life Magic circle within her body hadn't broken.
Simultaneously, her hostility vanished completely. "You are the disciple of Lord Rhodes and Serie?" she confirmed again, her tone now completely gentle, even carrying a hint of care.
"Absolutely true!"
Flamme nodded vigorously, thinking, Knowing both teachers... could this Sky-Winged be the legendary companion who adventured with them?
The Sky-Winged girl was silent for a moment, calming her thoughts.
She scrutinized Flamme again, as if trying to see those two old friends from distant memories through her.
Finally, she nodded gently, formally acknowledging Flamme's identity.
"My name is Olivia," she said. Her voice remained cool, but it no longer carried any oppressive force, instead stating a simple fact. "I am Lord Rhodes's familiar, and a companion who killed the false god alongside him."
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