Meanwhile, the rest time that Alvine had given to his subordinates ended.
After paying tribute to the losses they had suffered in their ranks and completing all the funeral ceremonies, He was with the four generals and Ashia to move on to the second stage of their mission; the exploration of the tomb.
"Nicco, one last thing, don't take your mission lightly. Even if the situation is under control for the moment, and we have erased all traces of our existence; you must be careful. Everything can change at any time." Before leaving, Alvine gave this last warning to Nicco, who was still unsatisfied to be left behind.
"Sigh, I guess I can only count on Helene." He continued to see Nicco ignore him.
"Don't worry, master. Even if she doesn't give the impression, she won't dare to disobey you. So you can leave with peace of mind. If there are any changes during our collection mission, I'll make sure to delay the new guests while Nicco uses her divine domain to hide the soldiers. I give you my word that there will be no victims, no matter the situation or the enemy." Unlike Nicco, Helene accepted the situation without too much insistence.
"Very good, but don't sacrifice yourself like last time."
"But master, if other people join us in this forest, it will only mean one thing; have you taken precautions to protect your back?"
Upon hearing Helene's question, a mischievous smile emerged on his lips as he calmly nodded his head.
"I suppose you're talking about the kingdom of the elves? At present, we are surely the most exposed to dangers than they are. Anyone will regret his decision if he tries to take advantage of my absence to do carnage on my kingdom. In addition to the three former queens and our protagonist (Sofia), there is also the Alpha squad. I took the time to invite them to the Fraydja planet before we left. This woman, named Britannia, currently wants to welcome our guests with great joy." He replied as his smile became more diabolical.
"Hm? This squad is finally back, Huh? I remember you said that they underwent intensive training day and night on the divine planet of the Lord. Did they really manage to progress in such a short time?" Nicco finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"Hah, I don't really know, but according to Sylvia, Britannia is now a five-star general with a squad whose power rivals the royal guards. Even if I don't know what kind of hell she and her squad have had to go through over the last two years, I can imagine that it's not something that will leave someone unscathed. But, well, that's not our problem. In addition to having subordinates composed only of intermediate and high-ranking divine mages, she also has vampires and other divine races in her squad. She is currently the most competent to protect the kingdom in my absence!
-For the moment, the most important is not this war but the conquest of this planet. That's why we are here to explore this area since this war is no longer a problem for us because of our pawns in place.
-In addition to this area, we will explore the green hell forest to the north where these famous Amazons live, the eastern region, which is also nicknamed the territory of lizard men and other bestial breeds. And finally, the western zone, the infinite sea, which is now the territory of the Valskars and the underwater races." He finished his brief explanation, surprising the four generals by his side.
"Hmm, I never thought it would happen anytime soon. But the real problem remains the owner of this planet. She won't let us do it so easily. I am already surprised that she did not intervene when we erased her mark on the people of the three former queens, thanks to the help of Lady Rina. Sigh, I can't understand how this woman works. Even if she looks disinterested, I know that's not the case." Ashia murmured on her side.
"No one will be able to understand the thoughts of this mad woman. First, she does not have the same needs as the leaders. So creating this planet is already a senseless decision on her part; since she does not need to transform this place into a plantation, as the leaders do with their own. In short, she may like to observe and play with the lives of others. Otherwise, I don't see any other explanation."
"In any case, we will have time to discuss it when it comes. For now, let's focus on our respective tasks." He ended the conversation with these words.
At the same time, he joined the four generals and Ashia, who were five meters from him.
"It's time to end this painful mission before dawn. You have only one mission; it's to survive." He then retorted to the attention of the five.
Ashia:- "Is our destination so dangerous?"
"Yes, it is, even for us. The six-star divine general's flute is only one of the trivial trophies. There is something that the lord needs and that Sabrina wants to give him as a gift.
"Something that will serve the Lord? On a mortal planet?" Ashia asked with confused eyes.
"Um, in any case, according to Sabrina. But there is something you don't understand; this planet was originally not a low-ranking planet but a second-tier planet where high-ranking divine mages resided. After all, it is the one and only planet Serena had created without holding back." He murmured his last sentence.
"Well, for now, I'm going to be brief since I myself don't really know about more details. Our destination is ten kilometers from us, in the center of this forest of bloody mist. The closer we get, the more influential the area and hallucinations will become. This forest is, according to the map of this planet, the most mysterious region on the entire planet. And knowing that danger and mystery are inseparable brothers, you must be on your guard at all times.
-The reason why I brought only you four with me is not only because of the mysteries that surround these lands but also the mist. You are generals of my squads. As a result, your powers are different from your cultivation ranks. In other words, you must not have trouble resisting the effects of this mist and getting rid of the creatures we will encounter along the way.
-But that's not all; all these dangers will only be jokes in the face of the dangers at our destination. So be worthy of your ranks and positions as generals; do not disappoint me!
"At your commands, your majesty!" The four thundered these words together.
"Well, then, on the road." Following these words, the six silhouettes turned into mirages as they sprinted at full speed towards the far south, their destination, the center of the blood mist forest.
"Well, now that they are gone, you have all heard the orders of my master, do not separate from the crowd. Helene and I will lead your four squads in the absence of your generals and the master. Report any anomalies you will notice. Stay on maximum alert until they return." Nicco took the lead and commanded after the departures of Alvine and the other five.
"HOOO!!"
...
At the same time, Alvine and the five silhouettes had already traveled several hundred meters and continued their races, armed with mistrust, courage, and impatience!
But after a few minutes, as Alvine had predicted, their magical perceptions decreased as they approached the center of the area.
Just as they traveled half the way, that is, about five kilometers, they could not even see more than a hundred meters in front of them.
Because of this factor, Alvine, leading the elite troop, suddenly stopped!
"Ashia, from now on, you will create a protective field around yourselves. During this time, I would take care of welcoming our guests." He said with sharp eyes.
"Guests? But I don't notice any presences." Affirmed Ashia thoughtfully, looking as far as her magical perception allowed her.
"Hah, just do what I say; you'll understand soon," Alvine replied without going into too much detail.
Ashia then nodded and slammed her fingers.
-Vwopp!!
"Well, let's continue." He said after briefly checking Ashia's magic shield with his magical perception. As one of Alvine's shadow soldiers, he had no problem with the darkness.
While the five followed him closely and being out of Ashia's shield, he directed the others with a seriousness that was rarely seen on his face.
Just by noticing this placidity and silence on his part, Ashia could guess that the current mission was not to be taken lightly.
Thus, barely traveling eight hundred meters more, Alvine's body blazed with his dark flames as his pupils became apocalyptic black again.
-Woosh!!
"!"
Simultaneously, the five noticed the red mist concentrating before them and turning into a feral and intangible entity.
"Don't stop; let's continue on our way. This entity is nothing compared to what awaits us further!" He ordered without glancing behind him.
But contrary to what he said, the creature that had just appeared was not something to be taken lightly.
Being made up of mist, physical attacks and ordinary offensive spells were ineffective against it. And it does not attack the physical body of its target but its mind; its attacks are entirely made up of spiritual attacks that ordinary shields could not stop.
-Bang!…
But the reason why Alvine did not comment when he inspected Ashia's shield was that the latter's magic shield was also translucent and invisible, not only effective against ordinary magic attacks but also spiritual attacks.
As a result, the mysterious entity could not harm them regardless of its efforts; as for Alvine, just by noticing the black flames around his body, it did not dare to approach the latter.
Thus, they continued their roads, frequently encountering these strange and intangible entities with the shapes of different beasts.
But until now, the small team that could make their way smoothly was forced to stop when they noticed something different.
It was not a danger, objectively speaking, but piles of skeletons.
"Hmm, as I thought, they are skeletons of demons who had visited this place before us. They are our ancestors!" Alvine replied by approaching hundreds of skeletons with a frown.
"Our ancestors? Is it me where the lord's jokes seem...weird?" Barade whispered to Fyora.
Even if the latter did not respond, the confusion in her eyes, which was no different from that of the other generals, anyone could guess that she agreed with Barade's words; it was just that she did not dare to nod only.
"Master, be careful; I still feel a strange and curses energy emanating from these bones," Ashia murmured.
"Thank you, I had already noticed. But it's not as if something like necromancy really existed in this universe. Urgh, now that I think about it, I have read something about this skill lost for millennia. I think there's even one of the leaders who have this concept; in short, it's not like these piles of skeletons will revive to attack me--?!
-!
As soon as he finished his sentence, Alvine and the others noticed the bloody mist boo towards him, or more precisely towards the piles of skulls with horns of bones.
"Sigh; however, this is not the time to waste our stamina and magical energies when we have not even reached the center of the forest yet." Alvine grinned with discontent when he saw the hundreds of skeletons revive thanks to the mist that, until now, had no body shape, possessed their bodies.
-Crcrcrcrrr!!
Hearing this unpleasant sound emanating from their skeletal jaws and seeing them attack her master without restraint, Ashia's red pupils became more dangerous.
"Everyone, it's time to help the master," Ashia murmured, grabbing her spear on her ring.