Chapter 868: In A Strange Land



[Sia's POV]

Sia cast a curious glance at Shila before speaking, "She's the wife of Al-Maseeh At-Tinyan. We need her to come with us. Otherwise, there's a risk of her being found by the Terravains and our husband wouldn't like that."

Reluctantly, the spiders agreed and carefully lifted Mary's sleeping mattress while trying to ignore the sleeping Nameless Thing they were scared of. The group started carrying her through the tunnels while keeping an eye out on their surroundings.

Together, they guided her through a labyrinth of tunnels enveloped in darkness. She

struggled to see in the dimness, but Shila guided her steadily until a glimmer of light appeared in the distance.

When they got closer, she noticed a wall of spider webs that looked like stone, 'That's a good security door for monsters.'

But the leading spider opened the way for them. Once everyone passed through, she looked around the chamber where she found herself and was amazed. There were spider webs lining all the walls and floor apart from a small area off to the side, which Shila pointed to.

"Put the Devil there; our guests can use that place as a camp," she said to the other spiders, who put Mary down and scuttled away like frightened mice.

Sia chuckled softly as she approached the sleeping grey-haired woman wrapped in blankets and looked at peace. As she drew nearer, she observed the injuries were healing, and the woman appeared serene, which relieved her.

She settled down nearby, making herself comfortable as Shila approached. "My Lady, you need to sleep, but once you're rested, we can hunt in the southern tunnels and help you grow stronger."

"Okay," she answered as something popped into her mind. "Is there a way to the surface from here, Shila?"

The spider woman nodded, "Yes. These tunnels stretch worldwide, but some areas are more dangerous than others."

Sia understood but then asked one last thing, "My husband tames monsters for his army. Is there a way for us to do it?"

"Yes. You must best them in combat and spare their lives," Shila responded while studying a group of spiders. "Once you do this, most monsters will submit."'

"Okay. Thank you for your help," Sia said with a smile. "I will let our husband know how helpful your group has been."

The spider woman's excitement was evident as she scuttled off, her eight legs making a soft pitter-patter. Sia shook her head fondly, climbed onto the bed, and curled up to sleep. Hours passed as she rested, gradually recovering all the energy she would need in the coming days. Sia woke up the next day. Something poked her cheek, causing her blue eyes to open groggily. She spotted Shila standing over her with a smile, "Wake up, My Lady. Monsters are coming from the southern tunnel."

The dragonkin woman shook her head before sitting up and stretching while yawning, causing Shila to step backward as she replied, "Are they strong? And how many?"

"Cave Spiders, our wild cousins, are fleeing from other monsters and trying to take over," the spider woman answered in a concerned tone.

Brooke shook her head, trying to orient herself. 'This is the Orientia Continent, but what empire am I in?' she wondered, gazing at the sprawling city below. Her thoughts were interrupted by the creak of the door behind her.

Turning, she saw a young woman enter, her appearance revealing who her saviors were. 'A dragon,' she realized.

The woman had deep black hair styled into an elegant bun, and her eyes glowed like two red rubies. Her pointed ears twitched slightly, and she wore a black Hanfu adorned with red flowers that matched her hair and eyes.

Though Brooke guessed the woman to be in her early twenties, she knew it was impossible to determine a dragon's age by appearance alone. As she gazed at the newcomer, "Thank you for

saving me, miss?"

"You can call me Mei Shadowfang," the woman replied.

When Brooke heard the name, her eyes widened as she spoke, "I assume you're a princess of

the Shadowfang Empire on Orientia?"

Mei nodded, "You are correct; I'm the first princess, Miss Brooke. Once Goddess Tiamat spoke to him, my father ordered me to come to your rescue with my siblings." Brooke smiled upon hearing this. "And what do I owe the Shadowfang Empire?"

"Nothing," Mei replied, taking a seat. "Father respects the goddess, and she promised to aid our realm whenever droughts hit, which has happened a lot in the last five hundred years." Brooke nodded, but suddenly, a surge of pain rushed through her body, causing her to collapse to the floor. 'Ahh, what is this? It feels like lava is running through my veins.' Mei rushed over to her and helped her up while explaining, "The Swarms poison is eating away at your nerves, but the medicine the Doctors gave you will destroy it, but it's a slow-

acting antidote."

"How long will it take to go away?" Brooke questioned as Mei put her back in bed.

"A week is left of your treatment. The Doctors will be back in a day or two," the black-haired

dragon girl answered.

Brooke sighed in frustration, but Mei's following words shocked her. "When you saw Father

flying over, he had just returned from destroying a High Elf invasion fleet. They've been attacking us lately, but they were beaten back thanks to Father and the Imperial Guards."

"Why are you telling me this?" Brooke asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Because they are invading most continents, especially the Draconia Kingdom. I must admit, for a small realm, they've been holding their own against the top empires," Mei revealed with

a giggle. Brooke's eyes widened in shock. She tried to rise using her mana, but the effort sent a burning pain through her body, causing her to yelp in agony.