Chapter 221 219: Into the Mountain Range

Chapter 221 219: Into the Mountain Range

Lucious looked towards Oliver who was busy talking to the cashier of the coffee shop.

He smiled, "I guess the young boy that was like an abandoned cat with his claws out, unwilling to trust anybody, has already grown into a man."

He then turned to Val and expressed his worry.

"Since I can't journey into the lesser dimension, I must entrust you with the responsibility of safeguarding him. Please, protect him in my absence."

"Rest assured, Lord Lucious. I'll ensure his safety during the expedition." Val nodded with determination.

Lucious cast his gaze downward to his shadow, "Bring out the cursed artifact #99, The Tracker."

"Yes, master," a lazy voice rang out from within the shadow.

It was then that Val realized Lucious's familiar was present.

Up until that moment, despite his enhanced senses, he hadn't detected its existence.

A set of rings emerged from the shadow.

Lucious caught them effortlessly before presenting them to Val. "As you have already heard, this set of rings forms the cursed artifact, The Tracker. The black ring can track the wearer of the white one at all times. Given the unpredictable teleportation within the lesser dimension upon entry, this should aid you in locating him. Do ensure you place it on Oliver without arousing his suspicion. I want to respect his wishes."

"I understand," Val said.

"Once this matter concludes, should you have any difficulties, approach me. I will help you out." Lucious handed Val a token adorned with the insignia of the Destiny Walker Family and continued, "You can use this to contact me. It works in the same way as an Arcane Token, but can covert one's thought into voice."

"I know." Val told Lucious, "Oliver had informed me of its use."

Oliver had gone to the washroom of the coffee shop to freshen up after placing the order by talking to the new and cute recruit who was standing behind the counter.

After freshening up in the shop's washroom, he made his way back to Val and Lucious.

Before he returned, Val had hidden the rings in the pocket dimension of the Void Orb so as to not arouse his suspicion. He will make him wear the ring when they are about to enter the lesser dimension. Though that was still three days away.

"What's with the serious atmosphere?" Seeing the two sitting around the table with pensive expressions, Oliver asked.

"N-nothing," Lucious replied.

Oliver believed him, as Lucious had never lied to him.

Later that day, Val visited the treasure pavilion to check if the scales of an Eldertail snake had appeared in the market, but was met with disappointment.

With nothing left to do, he proceeded to head home.

On his way back home, an unexpected notification popped up before him.

[The Holy Maiden Eliana D. Grace has sincerely prayed for you. You are blessed with "Divine Fortune" for the next 12 hours. As long as you make an effort in the correct direction, you will be correspondingly rewarded.]

'All the time and effort I've dedicated to cultivating my relationship with Eliana has returned to me in the form of an opportune blessing. My hard work has finally paid off.'

'The wisdom of our ancestors is never wrong. What goes around comes around.'

Immediately, Val changed his course.

Instead of going back home, he left the lower city and headed deeper into the Wysmire mountain range.

Technically, Torjan Mountain was part of the Wysmire range. However, it was the only one in the range that was inhabited by humans on top of boasting an entire city at its base, making it unique.

Besides, although it was situated on the outskirts of the Wysmire mountain range, Torjan Mountain stood as one of the tallest peaks in the range, its summit piercing the sky in a majestic assertion of nature's grandeur.

Of course, there were many mountains in the Wysmire mountain range whose peak pierced the sky as evidenced by what Val saw when he activated the Heavenly Eye.

Multiple peaks rose majestically, forming an intricate network of valleys, ridges, and precipices.

The landscape of this mountain range was dominated by towering mountains wrapped in thick clouds and mist.

The mountain range was covered in a dense blanket of vegetation. Ancient trees with gnarled branches seemed to grow out of the very slopes, their roots intertwining with the uneven terrain below, and all around were overgrown shrubs that had never experienced the care of a gardener.

Interestingly, a beast was crouching in the nearby shrubs, ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey. However, when Val activated his Heavenly Eye to better understand the layout of the mountain range, he also spotted the hidden creature.

Suddenly, the beast lunged at Val from its concealed position.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the beast lunged at Val from its concealed position.

With an agility that bordered on supernatural, Val stepped out of its way so swiftly that he left an afterimage, fooling the beast into believing he was still there.

Ignorant of the truth, it continued with what it was up to without any delay. Sadly, all its efforts were in vain. It realized it had been played only after its gaping maw, dripping with saliva, snapped shut on nothing but air.

Still airborne, the beast looked sideways and his eyes met with Val. The beast's eyes were filled with surprise, while Val's were icy and unforgiving, devoid of any trace of mercy. In that fraction of a second, the beast realized the gravity of its mistake.

It had made a critical error, one that was about to cost it its life. And it couldn't do anything about it as it was still airborne, unable to shift its position. For something like that, a platform was necessary. Basically, the beast had closed all paths to safety for itself the second it leaped and its feet lifted off the ground.

In a singular, fluid motion, Val materialized his sword from the pocket dimension within his Void Orb. He swung it with deadly precision, cleanly cleaving the airborne creature in half.

Thud!

The two halves of its body hit the ground simultaneously, producing dull thuds.