Chapter 1797 Death's Hold [7]

Chapter 1797 Death's Hold [7]

It was definitely a beautiful structure. Just...nobody could say what it actually was.

It was biological. Two large leaves rose high into the sky and wrapped around the tree. The intricate details of their structure could be seen clearly as the black sun shined through. The small veins that lined them seemed to pulse like they were alive.

The tree itself was also raised far out of the ground. There was a hill where there used to only be flat ground, on which even the roots of the tree could be seen from a distance as it was so far above the rest of the forest.

That hill was where the rest of Damien's creation resided. It contained almost no black dirt. The tree's roots sunk into the structure itself, as if it was mounting itself on top.

In this state, the hill seemed to be adorned by some sort of mechanical masterpiece. It was split into several sections, each made of a complementary material that didn't exist in this realm. There were small spaces between each of them that contained bone-like structures that held them together.

The massive leaf wing structures were directly linked to the hill. Clearly, they were also involved in whatever mechanism the entire structure was meant to be.

The only thing that set it aside from the environment was its clearly man-made nature.

It was not an abode. It was not a sculpture. It didn't have any noticeable purpose. If anyone looked at it, while they would surely appreciate its strange beauty and the way it melded into the environment, they would still call the artist himself insane.

What was the purpose of something like this?

Why was it so highly mechanical if it didn't do anything?

There were sounds of gears turning, of processes being undertaken below the ground level.

Through the gaps in the segment, it was possible to see just a slight piece of the inner workings, which were complex enough to confuse even experienced engineers.

Damien sat on the hill that was lightly dusted with black dirt to help the beasts become familiar with it and patted its surface.

"You'll be in charge of this place when I leave."

He didn't get a response, but the slight vibration in the hill was enough.

He knew the being he created could hear him.

"Protect the beings who live here. Protect the legacy of this sacred place. And, protect my name."

Rumble!

If one could see below the dirt, one would finally be able to see the nature of Damien's creation.

Its entire body seemed to be made of mossy rocks. Its shell, which the great tree resided on, was segmented and filled with different colored minerals, but in the light they all seemed to reflect and refract to form a specific pattern, one that would become familiar as time passed in this realm. Four massive legs dug deep into the earth. They were at least several hundreds of feet long, supporting the massive body of the being that was even larger and wider.

It was essentially a giant, mechanical, walking turtle. The leaves cocooning the tree were obviously not to help it fly, but to be used to attack invaders and defend the tree.

After all, the mechanical components inside of the turtle giant's shell were not just for show.

They allowed the turtle itself to support an ecosystem.

Through its legs, it could absorb nutrients and energy from the land around it. With those mechanisms working their magic, those nutrients and energy could supply the beings living on its shell with ample sustenance to stay alive and thrive.

It was an isolated ecosystem, a mechanical monster, a weapon of mass destruction, and a bastion of absolute protection.

On top of all of that, it could move and had sentience!

How could any mere castle compare to it?

Damien made an achievement that surpassed anything done on the second island since its inception, and for that, he was properly rewarded.

The smile remained on his face as he left the lands of the second island and stepped upon the third.

From behind, several people who noticed his movements watched.

All they saw was the silhouette of a young man with black clothing and hair disappearing from sight.

That was the only hint they received about who the owner of that mysterious symbol was.

Perhaps they planned to act up now that he was gone. Maybe they believed that Death's Hold would return to its prior state without him.

It would be fun to see their reactions when they learned otherwise.

Unfortunately, Damien wouldn't be able to see it.

He was already busy on the third island, after all.

Because the instant he landed, he found himself being attacked.

'Just as I thought...' he said to himself as he set a domain of his own.

'...it won't be so peaceful from now on.'

The "beginner" period was over.

Now, Damien was also considered an experienced member of this land.

And, according to the rules of the third island's trial...

...he would be fighting other experts for the foreseeable future.

It was definitely bound to be more interesting than anything that happened thus far.