At the village, Jessica along with Mai, Drakon and several squads of soldiers have mounted up and are on their way to the city wall, they're geared up with various tools for digging and climbing as though it's a great expedition of importance rather than just exploring a random hole uncovered by kobolds.

 

"Ma'am, are you sure you wish to do this without Lord here?"

 

"General Laoshe, do you feel that you cannot protect your queen?"

 

"Ma'am, I just believe that it's better to wait until Lord returns from Sacred City and undertake this with him"

 

Jessica snorts, "This lady will handle any scary centipedes that appear, don't you worry and just concentrate on doing your job"

 

Drakon sighs as he falls behind Jessica, who has ridden ahead, and relays a few quiet orders as the group make their way to the area of the hole Jessica saw. The kobolds are covering the hole with logs when the group interrupt them, Morax steps forward slightly nervously as he speaks to the group.

 

"General Laoshe, what can this lowly kobold help you with?"

 

"There's no need for that, you are providing a great service to the village and you have done nothing wrong, the Lord shall be happy with your work so far and I imagine he will be happy with it in the future too, we are here for that hole your squad is in the process of covering up"

 

Morax visibly relaxes, "Yes, we call those 'Forbid Entry' as said by the kobold ancestors, cursed lands and we don't go inside them"

 

"What a strange name, we would like to investigate the underground section of the plains as we have learnt of poisonous centipedes being grown within some somewhere"

 

"Yesss, good centipede growing area down there..." Morax nods his head, "This entry is no good that's why it's called 'hard forbid entry', there's an easy entry not too far away that goes to same place underground, it goes deep, deep underground but you need kobold to guide you"

 

Morax's group of kobolds stop work and join the convoy of soldiers as they make their way to the entrance, a small rock outcropping area that slightly juts above the landscape with a tiny kobold sized hole going on a steep down slope into darkness. 

 

"How much have you explored?" Drakon asks Morax.

 

"This one we haven't explored, but all of them have some danger as if it's not insects, then it's water, if it's not water then it's poison and if it's not poison, then it's vines..." Morax then lists how each of these things are dangerous as the other kobolds enlarge the hole to accommodate the humans. 

 

Back at Sacred City, Jack and Tahel have returned to where Bane and Albert have finished packing up. 

 

Piles of foods, raw building materials and forging material are placed within the storage ring including many light crystals, the various rabbit-humans will stay within the city to control various small 'gangs' that have somehow come under the influence of Bane who is becoming more and more mysterious.

 

They will reinforce these small gangs with newly spawned people from the village and come under stricter control over time, Amber's group of bandits will be vital to this as many of the gangs have a prejudice against non-humans and the few beast race centred groups are very exclusionary.

 

It surprises Jack to hear about the beast race groups as he has seen nothing but non-humans and well... humans outside his own village. The beast race people often look like people but have some trait from the animal they came from, such as Drakon with his horns, so Jack is rather curious where they're hiding.

 

"Lord, the squads left behind will contact White Flower Church when we leave, I believe that the next focus should be on Council Union City as the auction coming up is an enormous event, rumours have it they will auction countless rare items" Bane speaks out.

 

"Do we know what sort of rare items?"

 

"I have only heard that countless rare skills will be on offer and some eggs including a divine beast"

 

"Divine Beast?"

 

'I wonder how they got a hold of a divine beast egg...' Xueli mutters in his mind.

 

"Yes, they have not revealed what sort of beast the egg comes from but it's incredibly rare as I have never seen one myself"

 

"I doubt we can afford it nor keep it if we acquire it, this region seems to be full of people above the Saint Realm but being able to see it will still be a bonus, perhaps we might get lucky and acquire one of the lower grade egg"

 

The four people finish packing up and start their journey to the teleportation plaza where everyone is lining up to undergo an inspection, various city guards are letting this newfound power to go to their heads as they abuse the few players lining up, either expecting payment or taking their time to allow people through.

 

Jack is standing openly within the queue without clothing over his face, Bane has taught him that the best disguise is just confidence, the blemish disguise kit will stop anyone's cursory glance over him from recognising him while openly displaying his face to just not drawn attention. Bane slips some city guards a few coins and they're able to leave the city without incident.

 

Luckily the teleportation prompt didn't display their location as the city guards were noting where everyone is going, but players having their own village isn't uncommon enough to draw attention but unfortunately Jack still needs to start the teleportation, they'll be able to either research teleportation via the city heart or buy the ability from the system city for quest points or gold.

 

The four people emerge from the teleportation gateway by the black and white city heart orb of Dragon - Phoenix Village with a bolt of lightning coming to shock Jack yet again, Bane can sense the aura of the lightning but he says nothing. 

 

"Damn lightning, why is it only me?"

 

"Lord, that's trib..." Tahel starts to speak but Bane cuts him off, "A trial should be undertaken with only the understanding of the person undergoing the trial, the heavens will punish all that interfere with its will"

 

"So... me getting shocked by lightning randomly is some trial I'm undergoing?" Jack asks Bane and Tahel who both mysteriously smile neither affirming nor denying.

 

"Lord, I would like to discuss more of this with you but there are some urgent tasks to be done"

 

The group leave the city heart building, Jack is musing these words in his mind as they make their way to the city hall where Hilda is handling all the tasks thrown at her, Bane and Albert are quickly caught up with everything that has been going on in the village since they left.

 

Hilda is left with the several crates full of paperwork stolen from the gangs and other influences within Sacred City while Bane needs to process all the people from the village yesterday and find out where the missing 700 residents are, they've ordered a thorough search of the wreckage of the city by some soldiers left which might turn up something.

 

Albert is left to his own devices, working out some way to raise as much money as possible, there are auctions, there are city tasks or quests and many other ways but Jack's suggestion is selling the demonic mutton, they're seemingly spawning out of nowhere as the group has expanded instead of shrinking as they're being slaughtered slowly. There was also the suggestion of using the giant rats that are spawning almost uncontrollably but Jack rejected it, he has plans for a swarm of rats.

 

After Bane and Albert leave, Jack is left talking with Hilda about what's going on within the village, no signs of contamination, no villager greater than B grade has spawned and patrols show no abnormalities overnight.

 

"Lord, there is one thing, General Laoshe has set out with Miss Returner and Little miss Mai, the thought was to search for the centipedes when the kobolds uncovered a cave while digging, they set out a few hours ago so they won't be far"

 

Jack's eyes go wide, "What?" he stammers out.

 

"My Lord, you are only a few hours behind Drakon and the young madams who went to a cave"

 

"Whose idea was it?"

 

"I believe young Miss Returner was the one who suggested it while Drakon reluctantly agreed bringing along several squads of soldiers..."

 

Jack gathers all the information quickly and gets ready, this time he's prepared as he rushes to the tent to change before gathering armour, weapons and climbing equipment, the storage ring is with Albert right now who is doing what he needs, placing them onto Sleipner then nudging him toward the city wall as they race there. The kobolds are currently slacking as their boss has left and left the worksite empty with a partially covered hole. 

 

Jack dismounts Sleipner and looks down the hole surrounded by logs but finding the place empty, he's forced to look elsewhere for answers as it's a pitch black hole far deeper than he can see, dropping a torch reveals a small ledge about 30 metres down but he will not risk it without bothering to gather some information.

 

While Jack is hunting for information about where Jessica and their group have gone, said group has descended into a strange tunnel system with rocks of an unfamiliar type.

 

A smooth tunnel that looks dug out by tools over a long time, the group cautiously make their way downward coming out to an open area, like a giant underground dome with a cliff ledge leading down into endless darkness, across the cliff ledge is a huge door with various symbols of stars, suns and weird looking objects that they can't identify.

 

*SCUTTLE SCUTTLE*

 

The sounds of various creatures scuttling about comes from the endless darkness below the cliff and the tunnel where they came from, reflections of countless eyes shimmer in the darkness as they hit the various torches the soldiers are holding yet always at a distance keeping them shrouded in mystery.

 

Mai is holding Jessica's hand as she feels uncomfortable down underground, the vines that travel all over the plains are also down here, one vine creeps along the ground toward her but one soldier slashes at it causing the vine to latch around him and start sucking his vital essence. 

 

The soldier screams as the others race to cut the vine away freeing the man who slumps over, his appearance is greying and he looks much older than his previous appearance, Drakon checks this out but settles them down and makes the group move to get away from the vines.

 

"Why did you lot touch the vines? They are different to the ones above; see how they're moving?"

 

He berates them before the group continues walking along the cliff ledge before coming to another tunnel; the tunnel is paved with intricate patterns on bricks while the walls all contain murals of various short people doing things such as holding weapons, banging hammers and fighting creatures of various types.

 

"Hmm... I recognise these markings but ..." Drakon quietly mutters to himself.

 

"What are you quietly muttering General?" Jessica looks coldly at the gargantuan man; her aura is cold and powerful as though she's the leader of this expedition.

 

"These are like the markings left behind on many worlds, an ancient race that I never met as they disappeared by the time, I was born but it makes little sense why they would be here"

 

The group comes to the end of this beautifully carved tunnel where an enormous door is standing in their way; the door has a giant Phoenix carved above countless other races looking up at the phoenix in a manner of worship, there are strange patterns that flicker over the door giving it a strange feeling in contrast to everything else made of rock.

 

Jessica looks at the symbol of the Phoenix and feels strange, she touches the door which causes it to briefly glow white and a Phoenix screech resounds through the tunnel system but the door doesn't open.

 

*SCUTTLE SCUTTLE*

 

The scuttling sound from behind is getting closer, Drakon peers into the darkness behind them and can see what it is, countless insects are over the ground, walls and roof that look like large sacks of water yet they're blood-red, their multitudes of eyes don't leave the group when suddenly they swarm together and advance.

 

"Formations everyone, don't let them touch you, damn giant ticks" Drakon yells out as he pulls out his sword and goes to the frontline.

 

A soldier pierces one tick with a spear causing it to pop into a puddle of blood but it's an almost endless wave.

 

The sounds of a fierce battle replace the eerie silence of the underground area as the soldiers desperately try to slaughter the bugs, Drakon is at the front taking care of most of them but a vine is silently creeping up to Mai yet again, this time it has a weird green-red glow on it as it approaches her leg.

 

Drakon frowns and carefully sizes up the crowd but his thoughts are interrupted by a scream from behind him, "AHHHH" Mai's body violently shudders as the green-red glow touches her leg.

 

Drakon suddenly calls upon his dragon breath attack as it fills the tunnel with dragon flames, burning away nearly all the insects but leaving the tunnel undamaged.

 

Jessica is also shocked by Mai's sudden scream and quickly launches a fireball at the vine by Mai's leg, burning away all the vines in the vicinity before catching Mai as she falls down unconscious. 

 

"What happened?!" Drakon shouts.

 

"I don't know!" Jessica replies frantically but behind them the door suddenly swings open, a group of uniformly dressed people dressed in strange glowing armour come out of the door holding glowing spears, their whole body is covered the black and silver armour while the head has two glowing eyes that flicker.

 

Drakon rushes to the door but the people don't move as though they're blocking the way, their attention is almost entirely on Drakon.

 

"Quick come inside, we would like to ask you some questions and those creatures will be back soon" an old voice comes from behind the short people, they step aside clearing a path yet don't lower their weapons.

 

"Quickly Miss Phoenix" the old voice urges.

 

Drakon doesn't move but some scuttling noises come from the darkness again, "Let's go" Jessica is cradling Mai and walks through the doorway followed by the bitterly smiling Drakon and the rest of the soldiers.

 

The group cautiously makes their inside with the door slamming shut behind them, the group of a hundred soldiers are standing awkwardly in the middle of this underground village that is lit up by mushrooms and other plant life inside a dome cave, Mai is being carried by Jessica while Drakon is being closely watched by the people in armour still holding their weapons.

 

The village has around 100 houses, all cut into the rock face centred around a well, an ancient-looking village yet it seems empty with only the 8 short people still wearing armour, an old man is standing by the well with a warm smile toward Jessica but a frown on when he looks over Drakon.

 

He's an old grey-haired long-bearded short man with brown skin and a stocky build, his arms are as thick as most people’s thighs and he moves with a grace that betrays his greying hair, yet his expression is solemn as some armoured people gather around him and quietly whisper in a strange language, pointing to Drakon first and then Jessica.

 

"Ma'am, these are dwarves but I'm not sure what's going on as they're not speaking any of the common dwarf dialects" Drakon quietly whispers to Jessica.

 

"Sir Dragon, we are indeed dwarves and you will not know the language we speak for they have hidden away us from the world for far too long, what brings you all to the inside of our ancestral mountain as we're confused by your presence"

 

Drakon attempts to speak up, but he's interrupted by Jessica, "Dwarf Sir, we aren't here for any purpose just exploring our newly founded region and stumbled across your door when beset by an attack, we will be happy to leave once it is clear to do so"

 

"Miss Phoenix, the only reason you have entered our Ancestral Birth Place is because of you, are you here to welcome us to the second coming of the Phoenix Empire and finally subjugated those horrible lizards?"

 

"No, we're here from a newly created nearby village that has the legacies of both empires... What do you mean by ancestral mountain and birth place? We travelled downward though a tunnel that we recently discovered on the plains area above, there is no mountain nearby"

 

The old dwarf doesn't have any reaction to this news, "The plight of the star dwarves continues it seems..." he lets out a sigh, "I welcome you to our Ancestral home of, 'Storolfshvall, the birthplace of the star dwarves and... where we have been stuck for the countless years, you may call me 'Glomor'"