As they left the hall, Aria followed Neven to the gates of the royal city. Caravans transporting grain were constantly arriving.
Neven tore open a bag, revealing it was full of autumn wheat.
“The winters in the barrier are too long. Autumn wheat can only be harvested once a year. Quinn has given us all their reserves, but it won’t last long.” He sighed and directed the soldiers to park the carts in the clearing.
“But how do the Aether people have so much grain?” Aria asked.
“Who knows?”
“Where is their territory?”
Neven shrugged. “No one knows. Rumor has it the Aether people live in another world. I tried asking that girl once, but she wouldn’t tell me, even though we were good friends.”
Hearing Neven mention the Aether girl, Aria felt a pang of jealousy, clenching her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.
“Why do we need so much grain?” Aria asked, her voice tinged with a barely noticeable tension.
Neven explained, “Sage Solon is preparing for a major battle. He believes the increased activity of the Night Ghouls could be a sign that the seal is weakening.” Though his tone was calm, his eyes betrayed a hint of worry. “If the seal is indeed weakening, the demons will become even more rampant. We need to be ready, even if it doesn’t happen right away.”
“The seal is weakening?” Aria was incredulous. “How long do we have until it disappears?” She stared at Neven, as if waiting for him to admit it was a joke.
“It could be a year, ten years, or a hundred years. Even Sage Solon doesn’t know the exact time.” Neven continued, “But the Lunar King and the court elders are against approaching the seal. They’ve asked Sage Solon to avoid disturbing the demons. If those things are angered, the Moon Tower would be defenseless.”
“But hasn’t the seal been in place for thousands of years?” Aria asked, frowning, her doubts growing stronger. She recalled the powerful force at the seal’s location, feeling a vague sense of unease.
Neven answered solemnly, “It’s only a matter of time. When the demigods set up the barrier here, it was foretold that the seal would eventually be broken. It’s a catastrophe for us, but it has no effect outside the barrier.”
“Why didn’t the demigods evacuate everyone before casting the barrier?”
“Maybe there wasn’t enough time, or they simply didn’t care.” Neven pursed his lips, furrowing his brow. “The Lunar Essence Clan was abandoned by the demigods. The mortals of Shadowvale have long turned to dust, and our fate was sealed two hundred years ago.”
The last convoy carried full loads of weapons, with carts filled with swords and crossbows. Each sword had a groove at the hilt where a Soul Stone could be embedded when the Lunar Essence Clan switched weapons. In the camp at the Soulless Marsh, there was a forge where Soul Stones could be re-embedded into new weapons under the roaring flames. Of course, the snake archers led by Thorne didn’t have such complexities; they simply discarded and replaced broken bows.
At that moment, a little boy jumped down from a cart, handing Neven a black jasmine flower. Neven took the flower, his expression darkening.
“What happened?” Aria asked, watching the boy run off. The fragrance was captivating; black jasmine was very rare in the cold north.
Neven smiled faintly, bitterness evident. “Remember when I was infected with heart-eating worms? I promised the Snake Queen a favor. Now it’s time to fulfill that promise.” He said, “The black jasmine is her token. She’s quick with her news; we just returned to the Moon Tower.”
“You’re going to the Arena of Asura to win a duel for her?” Aria gasped, having completely forgotten about the promise.
“I have to keep my word,” Neven said gently. “In the past, receiving a black jasmine would fill me with joy because it meant earning a lot of money. But now, without Essence Power, I fear everything.” His gaze was deep, as if reminiscing about past glories and current helplessness.
Seeing the look of loss and resignation on Neven’s face, Aria understood the feeling well. She too had felt so insignificant that she couldn’t even control her own life. For someone from the Lunar Essence Clan, losing Essence Power was terrifying.
“Won’t Sage Solon punish you if he finds out?” Aria asked worriedly.
“I’m not the only executor who has been there. Stormblade has been there too. Umena even secretly learned forbidden arts. Such behavior isn’t considered a serious offense in the Moon Tower.”
“What forbidden arts did Umena learn?”
“Illusion Magic.”
“Does she even need to learn that?” Aria snorted. “Her sickly sweet smile can already mesmerize a crowd of men, not to mention her long eyelashes... they almost sweep the ground.”
Neven laughed, his laughter crisp in the cold air.
“Many men in the Moon Tower adore her and her sweeping eyelashes,” he said. “Illusion magic is not just for deceiving men; they can control anyone who falls under the spell. Fortunately, she was caught before she mastered it. Her Grand Mentor personally burned the book.”
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“That woman... Only Umena would come up with such a dirty trick,” Aria said disdainfully. “A woman’s charm lies in her heart, not in superficial looks, you know? But you men are always so shallow...”
“I value the heart,” Neven immediately distanced himself from the accusation. “I swear I’m not like Alexander. I’ll never be attracted to a pretty but shallow woman.”
Aria found his words odd, as if implying she was unattractive. Yet, whenever she looked in the mirror, aside from being over two hundred years old, she thought she still looked quite decent.
The sun set, its soft afterglow tinting the clouds red, casting a mysterious light over the wilderness. Cold winds carrying sand swept across the vast land as they headed towards the solitary black tower in the wilderness. The tower stood lonely in the distance, a forgotten sentinel. The sharp outline of its top looked increasingly eerie and sinister in the dim light.
“You have a black jasmine...?” The hunched gatekeeper was surprised to see the flower, a creepy smile appearing on his lifeless face.
They entered, the tower still as dirty and dilapidated as before. Cobwebs hung on the walls, and dried leaves and dust littered the floor.
Neven threw the black jasmine onto the table, and the sound of clanking chains came from the lift.
“Neven Everhart, you’ve finally come...” a languid, flirtatious female voice called out.
The Snake Queen wore an elegant blood-red dress, with a gold snake necklace adorning her black skin. Her sleek hair and greedy eyes fixed on Neven. She swayed her slender waist as she approached, completely ignoring Aria, her thin arms naturally draping over Neven’s shoulders.
Aria deliberately coughed, the Snake Queen now practically draped over Neven.
The Snake Queen provocatively turned to Aria, raising her thin, curved eyebrows in mockery. “Neven, you brought a servant.”
“I’m his friend. We’ve met before,” Aria spat through gritted teeth.
Neven pushed the Snake Queen’s arms away, smiling. “Are you sure you want me to compete? I don’t have Essence Power. Betting on me would be risky.”
“Of course, you’re the best gladiator. As for overcoming the lack of Essence Power, I trust you’ll find a way since you’ve come here,” the Snake Queen said arrogantly, playing with her hair. “Tonight, your opponent has been instructed to win many times, causing me great losses.Help me by killing him...”
“You want me to kill him?” Neven asked with a hint of disgust. “I don’t want to be part of your schemes, nor will I help you kill anyone. I agreed to slay Night Ghouls for you, nothing more. That was our deal.”
“Are there Night Ghouls?” Aria asked.
“Didn’t you explain the rules to her?” the Snake Queen said smugly. “They slaughter Night Ghouls in the Arena of Asura. The one who kills the most wins.”
Aria pulled Neven aside, whispering urgently, “Are you crazy? She said that man will try everything to beat you, and there are Night Ghouls. Without Essence Power, you’ll die. I can give her the demigod’s gold; she seems to love money.”
“If you regret it, you can still choose the first option,” the Snake Queen smiled sweetly. “Spend a night with me, much easier than facing Night Ghouls.”
Aria turned red with anger, this being harder to accept than killing Night Ghouls, but it would keep Neven safe. Thinking this, she swallowed her refusal.
“I choose the second option,” Neven said.
“Are you insane?” Aria shouted.
“Don’t worry, it’s not that dangerous. I’ll win easily,” he reassured her, pretending to be relaxed. “I brought Alexander’s Essence Elixir. Trust me, this contest won’t be dangerous.”
The chains clanked, emitting a creaky sound as they slowly descended into the dimly lit elevator shaft. Aria stood on the narrow iron ladder, shivering involuntarily from the surrounding cold and darkness. The Ancient Serpent Abyss lived up to its name, deep and terrifying, as if she had entered the hell where the Serpent King slumbered. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her palms began to sweat.
“Are you sure this is the only way?” Aria asked Neven beside her, trying to conceal the tremor in her voice.
“This is one of them. Currently, there are ten open passages,” answered the Serpent Queen. “This one is the closest to the Arena of Asura.”
“Yes, it’s specifically for those who possess the Serpent Tribe’s token,” Neven added.
The chains continued to turn, and gradually, a faint light flickered below, dispelling the surrounding darkness bit by bit.
With a heavy thud, the cage finally reached the bottom of the shaft. The Serpent Queen walked gracefully toward the heavy iron door ahead. Her elegant and composed demeanor suggested that the dark and damp surroundings had no effect on her.
She removed the red crystal ring from her hand and embedded it into the serpent eye carved on the door. As she twisted the ring, the entire door rumbled open.
Inside was a smooth passageway, lit by oil lamps flickering on the walls, illuminating the enclosed dark corridor. The Serpent Queen’s steps were light yet carried an invisible authority that compelled others to follow her.
“Why was this entrance closed, Your Majesty?” Neven asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
“I ordered it closed because this path leads directly to the center of the Ancient Serpent Abyss. The Arena is filled with powerless nobles, and I don’t want anyone breaking in one day and killing any of them,” she explained.
As they ventured deeper into the passage, the oil lamps on the walls flickered, casting strange shadows around them. The stone walls on either side were damp, and the faint sound of dripping water could be heard, as if a hidden stream flowed in the distance.
Aria stepped cautiously on the stone bricks, each step echoing with a low thud. Despite the narrow and enclosed passage, the air carried a cool freshness that felt eerily out of place.
“How long until we reach our destination?” Aria asked.
Neven stopped, allowing Aria to walk ahead. “This path isn’t long, much shorter than the elevator ride earlier.”
They continued onward, and faint whispers seemed to emanate from the depths of the passage. After a while, the passage narrowed, and the oil lamps on the walls became fewer, making the light dimmer. At that moment, a fork appeared ahead, and the Serpent Queen unhesitatingly chose the left path.
Not long after entering that passage, they reached its end. There was a door inlaid with a golden cobra, and it was unlocked. Pushing it open, they entered a room. The walls were adorned with various masks, exuding a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The unusual scene outside the window immediately caught Aria’s attention. She walked over and saw a deep cliff with molten lava flowing like a river through the gorge below.
Neven selected two golden masks that only revealed the eyes, handing one to Aria. “Put it on and don’t take it off. It’s the rule of the Ancient Serpent Abyss; everyone must hide their identity.”
With their masks on, they followed the Serpent Queen into a grand hall.
The hall was filled with extreme luxury, gold gleaming everywhere, and even the drapes around the hall were woven with gold thread. In this hall, the nobles showed great respect for the Serpent Queen, approaching to kiss her hand.
The Serpent Queen dismissed the courtiers, then took Neven’s arm, whispering in his ear, “The bald man over there… he’s your opponent tonight.”
Aria followed behind, seeing Neven nod slightly.
“He used to follow my orders, but recently he’s been breaking the rules,” the Serpent Queen whispered to him. “I’ve received information that his buyer wants him to win tonight’s match…”
“What’s the reward?” Neven asked.
Aria strained to listen, but their voices were too low. The Serpent Queen’s words were unclear, and Aria only caught the word “water.”
Following Neven’s gaze, she saw a man even taller than Oak, wearing an iron mask with an ugly red scar on his head. When Neven looked at him, the man noticed the Serpent Queen and Neven, his eyes filled with murderous intent as they followed them out of the hall.