The bright light hurt Bastian's eyes, and dizziness overtook his mind, leaving him trembling on his knees. He decided to sit down before collapsing to the floor. Looking around, he could not see clearly, so he tried to rub his eyes with his hands and shake his head to help himself wake up completely. Suddenly, he heard the Shadow Panther by his side retching.
The teleportation had caused serious nausea and dizziness for both him and the Shadow Panther. Meanwhile, the Dream Ferret was unaffected. Bastian tried to use his magic to see if there were any restrictions, but luckily, there were none.
Using his mind, he successfully communicated with the Operator about the situation inside the Godly Abode, which thankfully remained unchanged, confirming his previous thoughts. At that moment, he began to observe his surroundings to see where they were. He imagined they were at another teleportation base, but this one was not as well-preserved as the one they had left. To his surprise, this teleportation base was carved directly into the stone. They were on the surface of a small piece of stone, about 10,000 square meters in the sea.
Squinting, he was stunned as he gazed farther and recognized land, where he saw a distant ruin that he immediately recognized. There were no two buildings like the only one "Santa Sofia." Bastian chuckled and said:
"Ha! Ha! Ha! We are in Istanbul!" The Shadow Panther did not understand the language but furrowed its brows, trying to understand why Bastian was happy.
Bastian looked around to observe the scenario, and without a doubt, the view of the blue Sea of Marmara was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen, in this reincarnation or any other.
Bastian's gaze stretched as far as he could see, but to his sadness, only the ruins of the beautiful scenery remained. Most buildings were destroyed, and only a few walls stood erect. Not too far away, he could also see the ruins of the Blue Mosque, another incredible and stunning sight.
Istanbul was not only an important but also a beautiful place to visit, with palaces by the sea and luxurious hotels. Bastian had incredible memories from his previous life's visit, like the ones with "Hala," who was undoubtedly one of the sweetest girls he had ever encountered. A smirk appeared on his face as he recollected memories of Hala one by one.
Curious, Bastian started to look around to see if there were any other living beings around, but to his surprise, there were none, only the ruins of a once lively and remarkable city. Bastian decided to explore the ruins, as there were some incredible sites to visit again, perhaps the Church of St. Anthony of Padua or the once magnificent Topkapı Palace.
Once again, he began to stroll among the ruins, reminiscing about some pleasant memories of places that nature had reclaimed.
Bastian was filled with amazement as he walked among the ruins of what had once been one of the most important cities of his past life. Each crumbling building brought tears to his eyes as memories flooded his mind. Bastian was a lover at heart and could not bear to see such destruction.
Even in his worst nightmares, he never imagined that something could bring such tragic ruin to the world. The echoes of unheard screams resounded in his mind, reminding him of all the lives lost. He realized the value of life, how fragile yet precious it truly is.
Summoning his Thunderbird, Bastian searched the ruins for anything salvageable. But he soon realized that the true treasure of Turkey was not in its buildings but in its people and their vibrant traditions. As he gazed upon the ruins, something caught his eye: the Walls of Constantinople still stood, a testament to their strength and resilience. Bastian mused:
"You may have defended against enemies, but nature and time will always prevail." He pondered on the history of the city, lost in thought as his gaze wandered into the distance.
While flying over the ancient city of Istanbul, Bastian was struck by the power of nature to reclaim and reconstitute itself. Suddenly, the Thunderbird honed in on a rumble coming from the forest. Intrigued, Bastian asked to land nearby and immediately teleported the Thunderbird to rest while summoning his Shadow Panther to keep him company. His Dream Ferret always watched anxiously from his shoulders.
As he approached the noise stealthily through the forest, Bastian observed a Spirit Beast fighting a horde of Goblins. These small, green beings were in numbers and all armed with spears, continuously attacking one of the most beautiful creatures Bastian had ever seen.
Fighting back with all its force, a Celestial Unicorn, a white and graceful creature with a spiral horn on its head and a luminous coat that shone in the dark, was believed to hold the essence of the heavens. Cultivators sought to acquire its horn to craft wands to improve their spells.
He was someone who abhorred injustices, with no delay Bastian thought fast and swiftly drew his Automated Spitting Bones and in a single swoop ended more than twenty Goblins. With the help of his Shadow Panther also attacking, he used his inherited sword to finish off the remaining Goblins near the Celestial Unicorn.
After the Goblins were defeated, Bastian used his magic to heal the Celestial Unicorn, which was in terrible shape and sustained several deep wounds, bleeding profusely. Meanwhile, the Dream Ferret approached the Spirit Beast, and for a moment, Bastian thought they were communicating as the Celestial Unicorn left him to touch it to heal. Bastian never imagined seeing such an incredible creature in any of his lives, but he was glad he could help it survive.
A long time later, after Bastian healed the Celestial Unicorn, it was able to stand on its feet again. But it did not walk away, in fact came closer, and its amiable behavior both amused and impressed Bastian.
The sun began to set, and Bastian decided to camp for the night. However, the site they were in seemed gloomy, so he resolved to move to a safer place. Remembering that not far away lay the ruins of the Walls of Constantinople, he set off with the Celestial Unicorn and the Shadow Panther at his side.
Bastian could not quite comprehend it, but the Dream Ferret also seemed to enjoy the presence of the Celestial Unicorn. It constantly jumped from Bastian's shoulders to the Celestial Unicorn's back.
The new campsite was not far, so it did not take long to reach it. At least there, he found a peaceful place to set up camp. Bastian entered his Godly Abode when suddenly the Celestial Unicorn appeared near him, teleporting itself directly into the Godly Abode. Amazed, Bastian called the Operator and asked:
"How can it enter the Godly Abode?" The Operator approached the Celestial Unicorn, looked at Bastian, and exclaimed:
"Master, it is a Celestial Unicorn! It bears blessings from the heavens!" Bastian glanced at the Operator and commented:
"If you do not know, do not make baseless claims!" The Operator knelt on the floor and said:
"I apologize, Master! It will not happen again!" Bastian huffed and looked at the Celestial Unicorn, scratching his chin.
Julya came to see what was happening and was bewildered by the sight of the Celestial Unicorn. Furrowing her brow, she asked:
"Did you capture it?" Bastian shook his head from side to side and replied:
"No, I just saved and healed it!" The Operator, still on his knees, furrowed his brow and gazed at Bastian, asking:
"Master, did you touch it?" Bastian nodded and said:
"Yes, it had deep wounds, and I had to touch it to heal it completely!" Julya giggled and exclaimed:
"Bastian, my love, since it allowed you to touch it, it means you have tamed it!" Bastian had never heard of such a thing and commented:
"So, there is something like that?" Julya looked at the Spirit Beast, which continuously faced Bastian, and asked:
"Try to touch it!" Bastian approached the Celestial Unicorn, and lifted his hand, stopping a little distance away. The Spirit Beast slowly walked in Bastian's direction and touched its forehead to Bastian's palm.
Bastian accepted the touch gladly and began to caress its forehead and along its neck. After a while, he said:
"Welcome!" Suddenly, the Celestial Unicorn let out a loud neigh and nodded its head. Julya giggled and commented:
"It must be a female!" Bastian chuckled, moved closer to Julya, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her close, planting a kiss on her smooth lips.
Not long after Bastian entered the bathroom with his women to have a relaxing session, enjoying the shake-shake-ah-ah! things that he loved so much. After a refreshing bath, he headed to the dining room for a sumptuous meal with all his women. One of the topics he brought up was the quality of the outdoor energies, which exceeded his previous expectations.
Although it was not as pure as what they had experienced on the island they had visited earlier, the impurities could be easily filtered out using the Godly Abode Array formations. This was incredibly good news, as assessed by the Operator. Meanwhile, Bastian had something on his mind and decided to ask the Operator:
"Were those little green, nasty humanoid beings Goblins?" The Operator immediately responded:
"Yes, Master." Julya, who was by his side, added:
"Bastian, Goblins are dangerous, and on our Fallen Continent, they were hunted to extinction by all the kingdoms." Bastian nodded and inquired further:
"I did not find any cores in them!" The Operator clarified:
"Master, Goblins only acquire cores after they undergo an evolution." Bastian then asked:
"Hobgoblins?" The Operator confirmed:
"Yes, Master, but it is difficult for them to achieve evolution. This is also their motivation for hunting Spirit Beasts." Bastian furrowed his brow and asked:
"They hunt other Spirit Beasts to obtain their cores?" Julya explained:
"That is why they were hunted in our continent." Bastian made up his mind to hunt them and possibly exterminate their nest, as Julya suggested it was the only way to eliminate them once and for all.
Bastian mentioned his plan to hunt and eradicate the Goblin nest during breakfast. However, Julya insisted on joining him. Bastian couldn't argue with her but added:
"All right! But Renee and Ileana will also accompany us on the hunt." Julya understood his reasoning, as both of them were the best marksmen. Bastian then instructed:
"Try to use firearms, shoot as needed, and shoot to kill. Using magic should be a last resort; hand-to-hand combat is the worst-case scenario." Bastian wanted to avoid any unnecessary losses.
Previously, when he developed the Automated Spitting Bone, he had crafted one for each of his women in case of need. He had also asked Trisha and Sue to create many cartridges according to his blueprints. Of course, he intended to have them practice their craftsmanship.
After some planning for the hunt, Julya, Renee, Ileana, and Bastian began walking through the ruins in search of goblins or their nest. It took a considerable amount of time, but the Celestial Unicorn grasped their intentions. Alongside the Shadow Panther and the Dream Ferret, it guided Bastian in tracking their prey.
Bastian followed the tracks for a significant distance. In the distance, he spotted a small stone hill. Approaching it cautiously, he discovered a cave entrance. Bastian then requested the Shadow Panther to stand guard at the entrance; notably, the Celestial Unicorn did the same.
At the forefront, Bastian held his Automated Spitting Bone in one hand while wielding his inherited sword with the other. Not far from there, the cave opened up into a large hall, where he immediately spotted at least a thousand of these troublesome green creatures. The path down was too narrow, and their opening was too high for them, giving Bastian and his companions an advantageous vantage point for shooting.
The path upward was easily defensible, so Bastian asked Renee to guard it, while he, Julya, and Ileana engaged in a sort of "sat duck shooting." The muffled sounds of gunfire and the whistling of bones flying through the air were accompanied only by the cries of the injured and shot goblins.
The few brave goblins who attempted to ascend the narrow path were swiftly dispatched by Renee before they could even identify their assailant.
It took about the time it takes to breathe five times for Bastian, Julya, Renee, and Ileana to send these seated targets into the cycle of reincarnation known as Samsara by Buddhists. However, Bastian wanted to leave them without a burial place, so he used his Black Flames to incinerate the remains.
The Black Flames left no ashes, but not far away, in an extension of the cave, some noises alerted them that it was not the end. From another cave hallway, a dozen Hobgoblins appeared out of nowhere, tempting Bastian and his women to shoot again. As Bastian had sharp eyes, he noticed that these Hobgoblins were slightly more challenging to kill than the little, nasty green fellows.
Without further ado, Bastian ordered them to hold fire and swiftly swung his sword, moving like a clap of thunder among the Hobgoblins, beheading all of them one by one, while his women remained on guard from a higher, safer position.
As their bodies fell to the floor, Bastian used a sharp knife to open their chests, as the Operator had indicated that their Core was located there. After acquiring twelve High-Level Cores, Bastian also assessed their purity and was stunned by the volume and purity of those Cores. A smirk appeared on his face, and Julya, in particular, felt a shiver run up her spine.
Julya and Bastian had a keen hearing, and both heard muffled sounds from the cave where the Hobgoblins had emerged, piquing their curiosity. Bastian kept his sword in one hand and his Automated Spitting Bone in the other, while Renee cast a Light Orb to illuminate the entire area.
In a corner of the cave hallway, there were some remains that Bastian cleared with his magic, revealing a small cave passage. Bastian squeezed his way through the narrow corridor of the cave, and not far away, another cave appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
A hidden, large cave with dozens of iron cells came into view. In these small cells, there were at least ten living teenagers, their frightened expressions revealing the suffering they had endured. A little farther along, he found the decomposing bodies of two little girls.
Bastian heard some strange noises, and to his disgust, he saw ten young goblins among the decomposing bodies, feasting on their flesh. Bastian had no doubts and cast his Black Flames to extinguish those abominations.
A little later, when he saw no other dangers in the cave, he decided to call his women. As soon as Julya noticed, tears rolled down her face, and without waiting for any orders, she started opening the cells along with Ileana and Renee. They healed the hostages one by one.
The panicked teens screamed, and Bastian approached them to reassure them that they were there to rescue them.
