A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 868: In A Strange Land [Siaʼs POV]

Sia cast a curious glance at Shila before speaking, ”Sheʼs the wife of Al-Maseeh At-Tinyan. We need her to come with us. Otherwise, thereʼs a risk of her being found by the Terravains and our husband wouldnʼt like that.”

Reluctantly, the spiders agreed and carefully lifted Maryʼs sleeping mattress while trying to ignore the sleeping Nameless Thing they were scared of. The group started carrying her through the tunnels while keeping an eye out on their surroundings.

Together, they guided her through a labyrinth of tunnels enveloped in darkness. She struggled to see in the dimness, but Shila guided her steadily until a glimmer of light appeared in the distance.

When they got closer, she noticed a wall of spider webs that looked like stone, ʼThatʼs a good security door for monsters.ʼ

But the leading spider opened the way for them. Once everyone passed through, she looked around the chamber where she found herself and was amazed. There were spider webs lining all the walls and floor apart from a small area off to the side, which Shila pointed to. ”Put the Devil there; our guests can use that place as a camp,” she said to the other spiders, who put Mary down and scuttled away like frightened mice.

Sia chuckled softly as she approached the sleeping grey-haired woman wrapped in blankets and looked at peace. As she drew nearer, she observed the injuries were healing, and the woman appeared serene, which relieved her.

She settled down nearby, making herself comfortable as Shila approached. ”My Lady, you need to sleep, but once youʼre rested, we can hunt in the southern tunnels and help you grow stronger.” ”Okay,” she answered as something popped into her mind. ”Is there a way to the surface from here, Shila?”

The spider woman nodded, ”Yes. These tunnels stretch worldwide, but some areas are more dangerous than others.”

Sia understood but then asked one last thing, ”My husband tames monsters for his army. Is there a way for us to do it?” ”Yes. You must best them in combat and spare their lives,” Shila responded while studying a group of spiders. ”Once you do this, most monsters will submit.”ʼ ”Okay. Thank you for your help,” Sia said with a smile. ”I will let our husband know how helpful your group has been.”

The spider womanʼs excitement was evident as she scuttled off, her eight legs making a soft pitter-patter. Sia shook her head fondly, climbed onto the bed, and curled up to sleep. Hours passed as she rested, gradually recovering all the energy she would need in the coming days. Sia woke up the next day. Something poked her cheek, causing her blue eyes to open groggily. She spotted Shila standing over her with a smile, ”Wake up, My Lady. Monsters are coming from the southern tunnel.”

The dragonkin woman shook her head before sitting up and stretching while yawning, causing Shila to step backward as she replied, ”Are they strong? And how many?” ”Cave Spiders, our wild cousins, are fleeing from other monsters and trying to take over,” the spider woman answered in a concerned tone.

Sia cringed at the thought of another battle but steeled herself, rising from the bed and readying her sword. ”Take me there, and weʼll deal with the invaders now.”

Shila nodded and ushered her towards the southern tunnel, where a group of spiders stood guard. The spiders visibly relaxed at the sight of her and quickly opened the entrance for her. As she stepped through, chittering filled the air, making her ears twitch in response.

Sia cast a spell that lit her blade with beautiful red flames, ”Wildfire.”

Following that, the first Cave Spider appeared out of the darkness and lunged at her, but she sidestepped the monster and swung at it. When the fire touched the creatureʼs body, it exploded into blood mist as the flames overwhelmed it.

The monsters pressed their attack, but she bobbed and weaved around their strikes, sending fire blades that cut the Cave Spiders in half. When the spider people saw her fighting alone, they wanted to join as the excitement would explode.

Shila screamed for them to join, and they all rushed forward before tearing into the monsters who were shocked. Soon, the battle ended, and Sia breathed heavily but started laughing as she loved the feeling of fighting, and your life was on the line.

The spider people looked at her as if she were strange, but that only made Sia laugh even harder. She continued down the tunnel, slaughtering Cave Spiders along the way, with Shila and the others following closely behind.

They fought their way to the heart of the nest, where a massive spider queen awaited them. The creature hissed menacingly as it spotted the intruders, which only made Sia smile. She cast Wildfire again, her blue eyes gleaming with determination.

Facing a creature nearly as strong as herself, Sia felt a surge of exhilaration. This was the kind of battle she lived for. *** [Brookeʼs POV]

Brooke was still asleep but soon woke up. Her green eyes slowly opened to see a wooden ceiling lit by sunlight. She tried to remember what happened, and it all flowed back, causing a headache to grow. ʼI hope my Little Light is okay. Once I see him again, he owes me many kisses,ʼ she thought as a picture of Archer smiling at her popped into her mind. ʼI must have been asleep for a week at most; Iʼm not too sure.ʼ

The older woman sighed as she sat up, but pain racked her body. ”Oww!”

Brooke noticed she was in a well-decorated room with a table, two chairs, and a soft-looking carpet. A bookcase was to the right, while a window sat on the wall to the left. It looked like a guest room of a noble manor.

She stopped examining the room and noticed she was wearing soft Eastern clothing. Brooke removed the shirt when feeling pain and examined her upper body, discovering several wounds scattered all over.

They looked sore, but she could tell they were already healing. She guessed it would take a while for them to recover fully. She sighed, put her shirt back on, and tried to stand, but her legs were wobbly.

She collapsed to the floor with a thud. Determined, Brooke climbed back to her feet and stumbled toward the window, only to be shocked by the sight before her. A massive eastern city was stretched out as buildings shot into the sky while a giant palace was in the distance.

Brooke gazed down from her vantage point, observing thousands of people bustling far below on the busy streets. Her curiosity, piqued by the sight, was suddenly overshadowed by a looming presence that exuded a pseudo-divine aura.

Then, she saw a colossal black dragon, its immense form casting a shadow that darkened the cityscape beneath. Brooke was shocked as it was at least five times the size of Archer, which surprised her to the core.

Brooke shook her head, trying to orient herself. ʼThis is the Orientia Continent, but what empire am I in?ʼ she wondered, gazing at the sprawling city below. Her thoughts were interrupted by the creak of the door behind her.

Turning, she saw a young woman enter, her appearance revealing who her saviors were. ʼA dragon,ʼ she realized.

The woman had deep black hair styled into an elegant bun, and her eyes glowed like two red rubies. Her pointed ears twitched slightly, and she wore a black Hanfu adorned with red flowers that matched her hair and eyes.

Though Brooke guessed the woman to be in her early twenties, she knew it was impossible to determine a dragonʼs age by appearance alone. As she gazed at the newcomer, ”Thank you for saving me, miss?” ”You can call me Mei Shadowfang,” the woman replied.

When Brooke heard the name, her eyes widened as she spoke, ”I assume youʼre a princess of the Shadowfang Empire on Orientia?”

Mei nodded, ”You are correct; Iʼm the first princess, Miss Brooke. Once Goddess Tiamat spoke to him, my father ordered me to come to your rescue with my siblings.” Brooke smiled upon hearing this. ”And what do I owe the Shadowfang Empire?” ”Nothing,” Mei replied, taking a seat. ”Father respects the goddess, and she promised to aid our realm whenever droughts hit, which has happened a lot in the last five hundred years.” Brooke nodded, but suddenly, a surge of pain rushed through her body, causing her to collapse to the floor. ʼAhh, what is this? It feels like lava is running through my veins.ʼ Mei rushed over to her and helped her up while explaining, ”The Swarms poison is eating away at your nerves, but the medicine the Doctors gave you will destroy it, but itʼs a slow- acting antidote.” ”How long will it take to go away?” Brooke questioned as Mei put her back in bed. ”A week is left of your treatment. The Doctors will be back in a day or two,” the black-haired dragon girl answered.

Brooke sighed in frustration, but Meiʼs following words shocked her. ”When you saw Father flying over, he had just returned from destroying a High Elf invasion fleet. Theyʼve been attacking us lately, but they were beaten back thanks to Father and the Imperial Guards.” ”Why are you telling me this?” Brooke asked, her curiosity piqued. ”Because they are invading most continents, especially the Draconia Kingdom. I must admit, for a small realm, theyʼve been holding their own against the top empires,” Mei revealed with a giggle. Brookeʼs eyes widened in shock. She tried to rise using her mana, but the effort sent a burning pain through her body, causing her to yelp in agony.