Chapter 628: Verdant Grove
Chapter 628: Verdant Grove
Despite fighting with everything they had, they didn’t look exhausted. Even more curious, the wounds on their bodies had already vanished.
"Borrowing divine power doesn’t exhaust you?" he asked.
"No. On the contrary, it continuously heals our bodies and minds. We only feel strain when casting high-rank ’Divine Spells’ while battling stronger beings. For example, if an Archbishop fought that beast instead of me, he might’ve exhausted himself and burned a few years of his life force just to win."
Charles nodded thoughtfully and continued flying.
As they approached the strange, towering pillar in the distance, a group of flying magical beasts—Shade Griffons, Nightmare Ravens, Bloodwing Eagles, and Fearstorm Raptors—rose from the ground and launched an attack.
But thanks to a squad of Holy Knights trailing closely behind them, they avoided being delayed and pressed on toward the pillar.
After a long flight, the groups from the Sun Church, Order Church, and Amber Church finally reached their destination: the base of the towering dark pillar. Before them stood a massive, five-meter-tall gate. Though already open, it resembled less a door and more a mystical portal—an entrance to another dimension.
Their progress, however, was halted by a strange creature standing guard.
A darkish wolf—roughly two meters tall—blocked the portal. Its presence radiated power and mystery. Strange leaf-like patterns adorned its body, and a bluish horn protruded from its forehead, adding to its alien appearance.
Taking the opportunity, Charles inspected the creature.
Nightmare Wolf... Bloodline spells include Dream Invasion, Shadow Veil, Dreadful Slumber, Fear Visage, Nightmare Burst, and Spectral Phantasm.
At the same time, his expression changed.
We’re already inside its ’Shadow Veil’ spell.
Just as Damian stepped forward to engage, Charles spoke telepathically to the Sun Church members.
I’ll freeze its movement for two seconds. Use that moment to dash through the portal. But once you’re there, take ten steps to the left and run into the black wall. That’s where the real portal is.
Though puzzled, Damian nodded and said, "Trust him."
"Go," Charles ordered, locking eyes with the wolf and casting [Burning Thoughts].
Without hesitation, Damian and the others surged forward with incredible speed.
Before the wolf could snap out of its stupor, they had already closed the distance.
Startled by their approach, the wolf opened its mouth and locked its eyes on one of the three Archbishops.
In an instant, everyone witnessed a grotesque transformation.
The Archbishop—known for his serene expression and golden hair—began to morph. His slender frame bloated grotesquely, ballooning into a monstrous, three-meter-tall form.
His skin darkened into a disturbing brownish-red, like dried blood. His golden hair fell in clumps, dull and lifeless. His teeth sharpened into jagged fangs, stretching grotesquely over his misshapen face. The transformation twisted his body into something dreadful and inhuman.
Even more disturbing, two additional heads sprouted from his shoulders, each contorted in rage. The three-headed monstrosity roared violently, the sound echoing with a terrifying ferocity that sent chills through the crowd.
The noble Archbishop had become a nightmare incarnate—a grotesque emblem of savagery.
"M-Monster!" One of the other Archbishops raised his staff to strike the abomination, but Charles shouted.
"We’re under an illusion! Don’t attack him—run to the portal!"
In truth, the blonde Archbishop hadn’t noticed any change. He simply chased after Damian, unaware of the nightmarish image he now projected.
This nightmare spell is warping our perception—making us attack our own allies.
Frowning, Charles cast [Burning Thoughts] again. But this time, the Nightmare Wolf resisted.
As expected from a Legendary Magical Beast... It won’t be easy to stop.
Before he could cast again, the Nightmare Wolf turned toward Damian’s group and charged.
As the group led by Cardinal Damian neared the portal, Charles repositioned and cast a barrage of spells: [Burning Thoughts], [Fire Seed], and [Purple Consciousness]—slowing the creature and clouding its mind.
Then, in a flash, he vanished—and reappeared directly in front of the wolf.
"Activate the Celestial Key and go. I’ll follow soon."
With those words, he activated [Accelerate Thoughts], slowing time from his perspective.
He extended his hand calmly and invoked [Golden Shield] spell. Instantly, a radiant golden barrier formed in front of him, levitating between him and the charging beast.
The Nightmare Wolf growled, opened its mouth, and unleashed its bloodline spell: Nightmare Burst.
A beam filled with pure Nightmare Law surged forth. It appeared as a simple ray of light, but each streak of essence carried a fragment of someone’s deepest fears—capable of plunging a soul into a months-long coma.
A second later, the beam struck the golden shield with a deafening bang, sending shockwaves through the area.
But this was no ordinary blast—it was pure nightmare essence.
And yet, the golden shield held firm, absorbing every ounce of the horrific energy.
But the Nightmare Wolf noticed something was off.
At that moment, Charles, Damian, and the others had already vanished.
Meanwhile, the golden shield trembled and then burst into golden flames before vanishing.
The Nightmare Wolf realized that it had been tricked by the humans and became furious.
The Nightmare Wolf let out an enraged howl and turned toward the remaining groups.
Meanwhile, the face of the other Church members and other members from the five families changed drastically.
"Damn lunatics! I knew those Sun Church bastards would do something reckless again!" Amber Church’s Cardinal roared, snatching a wooden staff from his space ring and preparing for battle.
...
As Charles leapt into the void-like portal, he was immediately caught in a swirling space vortex. The chaotic motion disoriented him for a moment, but soon a faint light appeared ahead.
Determined, he navigated the turbulent currents.
Eventually, he reached a narrow fissure of light—and was suddenly expelled into the open sky.
Startled, he lost balance for a moment. But he quickly summoned his ’wisdom power’ and stabilized himself in the air.
Then he felt something odd.
A memory—not his own—surfaced in his mind.
At the same time, a new quest appeared before his eyes.
[Quest Title: Find ten ’Star Totems.’]
Mission: Find ten Star Totems hidden in the ’Verdant Grove’ Demiplane before nightfall. Offer them at the Altar of the Snake Deity Naga.
Success Reward: Portal to the first layer of Star Tombs Dungeon; Clue to the Star Crown.
Failure: Return to Edhen World.
Time Limit: 9 Hours, 11 Minutes, 25 Seconds.
Someone implanted a memory into my Inner World without triggering any alert?
Eddie Nightwind mentioned meeting the Dungeon’s guardian in his book, Charles recalled.
Still, he had sensed nothing.
Shaking his head to clear the fog, Charles focused on the scene ahead.
The land spread out in every direction—a lush, vibrant tapestry of greenery. In the distance, majestic mountains pierced the sky, while waterfalls glittered like crystal threads under sunlight.
At the center of the valley, a calm lake shimmered, perfectly reflecting the sky.
’What a beautiful place.’
Yet, beneath this serene landscape, something stirred.
Faint cries and distant roars echoed in the air.
Charles turned from the tranquil lake and looked toward the untamed wilds behind him—an uncharted wilderness stretching far and wide, hiding countless unknown beasts.
"It’s truly a place devoid of any human activity," Charles muttered, descending from the sky.
He soon landed on the grassy terrain and released his wisdom power in all directions.
As his power extended outward, invisible tendrils crept through the surroundings, unraveling secrets buried in silence. But as they pushed further, they brushed against something—something aware.
A four-eyed panther, towering at two meters, stirred from the shadows. It was no ordinary beast. Its senses, sharper than steel, picked up the subtle disturbance in the air. With a sudden shift, its attention locked onto Charles.
Startled, Charles flinched.
’A Legend Rank Magical Beast? No... it’s just a Peak Pseudo-Legend.’
Before he could gather his thoughts, a low growl rolled from the shadows behind him, cutting through the calm like a blade. The sound radiated menace, snapping Charles into full alertness.
It was the same four-eyed panther.
’Behind me? How? Instant teleportation?’
Without pause, Charles activated his [Accelerated Thoughts], followed swiftly by [Eye of Faceless] and [Eye of Runes]. He spun around in a blink, his senses fully engaged.
The panther released its own wisdom power, blending it into the surrounding shadows.
It was a domain spell. In an instant, Charles felt the his own shadows and even the shadows of trees, rocks, and all other things started to become alive.
As long as Charles remained in its domain, the creature could slip behind him at will—silent and deadly.
’If I even let my guard down for a moment, it will sneak up on me and kill me. I need more information.’ His wisdom skill activated as he managed to see a glimpse of the creature.
Then, a stream of information appeared before his eyes.
’Nightstalker, the Harbinger of Shadows...’ But one detail struck him harder than the rest: his [Eyes of Runes] couldn’t decipher its bloodline spells.
’Shadow domain... and some strange teleportation. I’ll have to be careful.’
His mind raced, calculations spinning like cogs. The Nightstalker, with its luminous eyes, crept forward. Its aura bled malice and darkness.
He’d faced Legend Rank humans before, even defeated many. But beasts were different.
’To take down a Legend Rank beast, you need at least five Legend Rank mystics. This one’s just a Pseudo-Legend, but I can’t be careless.’ In truth, Magical Beasts were hard to kill not because of their sheer strength but also due to their unique bloodline spells. That was why most of the magical beasts were hard to kill.
As he focused, fire elemental energy began to ripple around him, the air shimmering with heat. It wasn’t just a spell. It was as though his Inner World was bleeding into reality.
Crimson flames danced around his frame as Charles took a stance.
With calm precision, he raised a hand and cast [Finger of Destruction].
But in a blink, the Nightstalker drifted sideways, melting into darkness and vanishing entirely.
