Chapter 337: The Undying Lands
Chapter 337: The Undying Lands
In a hidden valley found in the southern part of the Hellan Kingdom…
A man wearing a red-robe stared at a monument that had been covered by moss. The man casually removed the mask he was wearing, for there was no longer any need to hide his real identity.
He had placed an enchantment on his facemask that distorted his facial features to prevent others from recognizing him. The man, with short, dark brown, hair and green eyes, looked at the monument with a smile.
His hand rose up to casually stroke the pointed tip of his ear as if trying to confirm that it was there. Unlike the pointed ears of an Elf, the man’s ears were more Human-like. However, it wouldn’t change the fact that his Elven ancestry had ensured that he would forever be an outcast among the full-blooded Elves.
That’s right, he was a Half-Elf that was shunned from the Silvermoon Continent because of his impure bloodline.
His name was Conner Garnell Roz. One of the Leaders of The Organization that went by the name Deus.
Conner was the one assigned by the Supreme Pontifex to take command of the entire Southern Continent. Due to having no competition, he used the funds of The Organization to pursue his own goals, while paying lip service to their Supreme Pontifex, who was in charge of the main branch of Deus in the Central Continent.
Every member of The Organization had their own goals when they joined. However, they all had one thing in common, they wanted the world to descend into chaos and strife. For they were people who had been cast away by society and suffered untold hardships from their clans.
Celine was once one of them. Due to her ill-gotten-fate, she wanted to take revenge on those that had made her life miserable. More than anything else, she wanted to make the High-Council of the Elves pay for the sufferings that she had undergone during the early years of her life.
This was why she reached out to The Organization, and they in turn, accepted her into their ranks. However, after meeting William, Celine had mellowed out a bit. Although she still hadn’t forgotten those who wronged her, she was not in a hurry to seek her revenge.
For her, the most important thing was to teach her only Disciple everything she knew about Dark Magic. That way, when the Elven Prophecy was fulfilled, she could freely join the Prince of Darkness and turn the Silvermoon Continent upside down.
Frankly, Celine didn’t believe that William was the one in the prophecy. More like, she didn’t want William to become the person who would cover the world in Eternal Darkness. She would rather have someone else take that role instead of the narcissistic Half-Elf that had suffered cruelty at her hands.
Just like Celine, Conner hated the Silvermoon Continent as well. Perhaps, he hated it more than she did. Why? Because he was a Half-Elf. A race that the proud Elves deemed as filthy.
Conner closed his eyes to push away the unwanted memories that had resurfaced inside his mind.
Two minutes later, he had regained his calm and once again looked at the monument that had been hidden inside an artificial cave in the valley, located in the Southern Regions of the Hellan Kingdom.
“All of you stand back,” Conner ordered the loyal supporters that had followed him for many years. “I will open the gate to the Undying Lands.”
Over a dozen black-robed men stepped a few meters away from where Conner stood. They knew that their leader had been looking for the key that would unravel the secrets of the Southern Continent.
Conner took out an ornate box from his pocket and opened it. The Oathkeeper Key glowed and shot a beam of light towards the monument.
A few seconds later, the monument started to change its shape until it took the form of a teleportation gate.
Conner made a gesture and one of his subordinates entered the portal. As the leader of The Organization, he was not allowed to take chances. This was why he decided to use his trusted confidant as a scout to check the other side of the gate.
Ten minutes later, his subordinate returned and made a report.
“S-Sir, it is unbelievable!” the black-robed man stuttered. His face was wild with excitement and Conner could tell that they had hit the jackpot. “The domain is filled with rare resources that can only be found in Class S Domains and higher.
Also, there is a floating island in the sky. I tried to use my mount, but the domain seems to have a restriction that prevents any forms of flight”.
Conner nodded. He did his best to hide the excitement on his face because he had finally found the Undying Lands. The Domain where the first ruler of the Hellan Kingdom had been enshrined. This was also the Hidden Domain that was rumored to hold the Secret of Immortality.
“Good,” Conner replied. “Everyone, follow me.”
“”Yes, Sir!””
When Conner and his men entered the domain, they were immediately greeted by lush greenery. Although they didn’t sense any living beasts within the domain, they could tell that it was very much alive.
‘Even after thousands of years this place had thrived without intervention from the outside world,’ Conner mused as he observed the surroundings. He could feel the dense Magic and Spiritual power in the air.
This was the sign that many rare herbs, minerals, metals, and other rare treasures resided within the domain.
However, the most eye-catching landmark of the Undying lands was the floating island in the sky.
Conner deemed that it was at least a mile long from where he stood. He was very curious about what secrets the island held, so he immediately activated the flying artifact in his possession.
The artifact came to life, and Conner could feel that it was working properly, however, his feet were still firmly planted on the ground.
Clearly, what his subordinate said about the flying restriction was true.
Although he was disappointed, Conner also felt happy because no one would also be able to sneak onto the island.
‘There must be a hidden passage somewhere,’ Conner thought as he scanned his surroundings. ‘I need to find it as soon as possible. Before they come knocking on my door.’
Conner knew that his superiors had become suspicious of his recent actions in the Southern Continent, so he decided to use the Continental Spell as a distraction to prevent them from finding out his real intentions.
He was also aware that the Kraetor Empire and the Elves had arrived and were currently in the process of conquering the Human Kingdoms that had no power to resist their invasion.
That’s right, Conner didn’t care about the Southern Continent. He also didn’t care about the promise he made with Lionel. The Crown Prince was just a means to acquire the Oathkeeper Key.
Although he wouldn’t mind letting the traitorous Prince keep his rule in the Hellan Kingdoms, he would not lift a finger to help him conquer the lands that the Kraetorian Empire and Elven forces had captured.
As a member of The Organization, he still couldn’t defy the Supreme Pontifex. The only time he would be able to do so was when he, himself, had discovered the Secrets of Immortality.
Then and only then would he be able to break free from the chains that bound him and enact his vengeance on the Elves who had killed his family.
“Wash your necks, Patriarchs of the Saleh, Nasir, Rhys, and Eroan Clans,” Conner said softly as he stared at the floating island in the sky. “I will personally come to kill each and every one of you. But before that… I will kill all your prodigies first.”
Although he was certain that the Head of the Organization that was assigned to the Silvermoon Continent was behind the movement of the Elves, he wouldn’t let that stop him from getting his vengeance.
But before that, he would focus his attention on gathering the resources inside the Domain and finding a way to reach the Floating Island, which he assumed held the secrets that he was looking for.