Unlike the Kahuka Tribe children, the Elf children communed with Kai more calmly and carefully.
“Kai, look at this picture! I drew it!”
An Elf girl approached with a shy smile and placed a picture she had drawn at Kai’s feet. The picture beautifully captured the image of a majestic hawk soaring against the backdrop of the vast sky.
Kai tilted his head and stared at the picture for a long time, then responded in a low, soft voice as if he were satisfied.
Another Elf boy sat leaning against Kai’s warm back and read a book aloud in a low voice. As the boy recited old legends of the forest, Kai blinked his eyes sleepily and enjoyed a peaceful rest.
Aria whispered while carefully brushing Kai’s soft feathers.
“Kai, you’re really wonderful. Thank you for being with us.”
The children approached Kai without hesitation and shared their feelings as if they were friends who had been together for a long time.
Leon, in particular, seemed to share a mysterious communion with Kai as a fellow Divine Beast.
Leon quietly approached Kai and sniffed him, his nose twitching. Kai also expressed his welcome by lightly preening Leon’s soft fur with his beak.
Leon sat quietly by Kai’s side and gently pressed his nose against the bird’s head. No words were spoken, but warm glances were exchanged as if they understood each other deeply.
Kai’s eyes held a sense of relief found after a long wandering, while Leon’s eyes held a warm welcome for a new kinsman who had settled in this place.
Leon lightly rubbed his head against Kai’s beak, seemingly conveying the peace of this land and Sang-woong’s warmth with his whole body.
Kai responded by gently stroking Leon’s fur.
The two Divine Beasts comforted and welcomed each other in silence, as if foreseeing a new history of living together on this land.
Their presence added an even more mysterious and rich atmosphere to Sang-woong’s Land.
Sang-woong decided to build a nice home for Kai where he could live comfortably. He planned to create a wonderful Rest Area on top of a tree with grand, spreading branches that Kai liked.
First, he neatly cleared away the small twigs around the large, thick branches to secure a space for the house.
Then, he installed a sturdy and stable floor. On one side of the wide floor, he provided a cozy bed by spreading soft, dry straw that Kai liked.
The wide platform was perfect for Kai to sit and rest or to spread his wings for takeoff and landing.
Kai recovered his health at a surprisingly fast pace. This was the result of a combination of the land’s purified air and Sang-woong’s devoted care.
Every day, Sang-woong diligently provided fresh meat brought over from Earth, as well as clear water mixed with Detoxification Potions.
As the Magi accumulated in his body was detoxified, Kai visibly regained his vitality.
Finally, having fully recovered his health, Kai spread his wings vigorously. Then, in an instant, he soared high into the sky.
“Wow… that’s truly magnificent.”
Witnessing that dignified and brilliant flight, Sang-woong let out an exclamation of admiration without realizing it. At the same time, an amazing sight unfolded before Sang-woong’s eyes.
His vision and senses had been shared with Kai.
Sang-woong was filled with a sense of omnipotence, as if he had become a god looking down upon the whole world.
As he became able to look down at the earth from the vast sky, his vision expanded endlessly. The scenery unfolding beneath him was the very definition of wonder.
Rugged mountain ranges looked like giant dragons crouching, distant river branches crossed the land like silver silk, and endless forests spread out like a massive green carpet. Nestled within that, Sang-woong’s Land looked like a tiny dot the size of a fingernail.
The refreshing wind blowing from the sky brushed against Kai’s face, and that sensation was transmitted directly to Sang-woong.
All the noise from the ground vanished, and only the sound of the wind and Kai’s majestic wingbeats echoed in his ears.
Through Kai, Sang-woong finally escaped his limitations and felt true freedom. Above all, he loved the fact that he had escaped the frustrating boundaries of his vision.
The world spread out beneath him was more detailed and vivid than any map.
He could see everything at a glance, from what kind of monsters lived around his land to a faint monster settlement in the distance, and even the unknown forests he had yet to explore.
The thrilling pleasure of slicing through the sky, the grandeur of embracing the vast world, and the awe for all living creatures breathing below filled his heart.
Now his eyes reached the heavens, and his land would spread even wider.
It was at that very moment.
Something alien caught Sang-woong’s eye. Far away on the ground, he saw a massive, man-made construction that did not fit in with nature at all.
‘What is that?’
The moment Sang-woong observed it carefully, an unexpected message appeared before his eyes.
[A ruin emitting Magi has been discovered. Destroy the ruin to purify the air.]
‘A ruin emitting Magi?’
Sang-woong was momentarily frozen in surprise. Come to think of it, he remembered discovering an Incense Burner that spewed Magi in Zrakan’s Castle in the past. Judging by the scale of those ruins, the amount of Magi pouring out was bound to be beyond imagination.
It might be hundreds, or even thousands of times more than what came from the Incense Burner.
After a while, Kai finished his majestic flight and returned to the ground, landing softly beside Sang-woong.
“Kai, I have a favor to ask. Can you take me to those ruins emitting Magi that I saw earlier?”
At Sang-woong’s urgent voice, Kai responded with a grand gesture as if he had been waiting. Swelling his body to the size of a house, just like when they first met, Kai lowered himself for Sang-woong to climb on.
“Wait a moment.”
Sang-woong immediately called Leon.
“Leon, let’s go together.”
Since protecting him was the creature’s greatest mission, if he flew off on Kai, Leon would surely chase after him even to the ends of the earth. It was better to take him along from the start.
Once Sang-woong and Leon settled on Kai’s broad back, Kai soared into the sky with a powerful flap of his massive wings.
After flying for some time, the massive construction Sang-woong had seen earlier revealed its form clearly once again. It was definitely the ruins.
“Kai, let’s fly toward that side.”
Understanding Sang-woong’s words perfectly, Kai flew straight toward the ruins. As they drew closer, the concentration of Magi mixed in the air intensified rapidly.
Even Sang-woong, who possessed the Magi Resistance skill, felt a sense of discomfort as his breathing became shallow and his body felt heavy from the thick Magi.
Kai and Leon also struggled with the dense concentration of Magi but stood their ground firmly.
As Kai slowly lowered his altitude, the silhouette of a massive stone building emerged through the mist.
A dark and gloomy energy surrounded the place, forming a stark contrast with the lush green forest nearby. The ruins sat deep within the forest, looking hideous and ominous like a giant tombstone.
Had they not seen it from the sky, it might have remained hidden by the dense forest and undiscovered forever.
Kai landed carefully in a relatively wide clearing near the ruins. As Sang-woong and Leon climbed down from Kai’s back, the stale and disgusting smell of Magi struck their noses.
The surrounding plants had lost their vitality and withered black, and the ground looked desolate and dry as if ash had been scattered over it.
“Thank you, Kai. The Magi must be difficult for you, so stay far away until I call for you. Come back for me later.”
Understanding Sang-woong’s words, Kai flew back into the sky with a powerful flap of his wings and vanished in an instant.
“Leon, you have to be careful.”
Sang-woong gave a low warning to Leon and slowly headed toward the entrance of the ruins. The massive stone doors, firmly shut, were covered in patches of green moss that spoke of the long passage of time.
As Sang-woong carefully pushed the doors, the heavy stone opened very slowly with an unpleasant screeching sound.
Upon entering the ruins, a much thicker and murkier Magi than what was outside pressed down powerfully on his whole body.
‘This is incredible. With this much Magi, not only this area but also the surrounding tens of kilometers would be affected.’
Sang-woong took two bottles of Detoxification Potion from his Inventory. He drank one himself and carefully fed the other to Leon.
After drinking the potion, he felt his body, which had been weighed down by the Magi, lighten significantly, and his mind cleared.
Inside the building, grotesque shadows were cast eerily in the dark and damp space, and a chill so sharp it made the hair on his body stand on end hung in the air.
A long corridor stretched out endlessly like a massive cave.
And as if they had been waiting, unidentified monsters revealed themselves from the far end of the corridor. They were monsters with hideous forms he had never seen before.
Sang-woong immediately activated his Appraisal Skill to identify them.
[Giant Spider]
Description: Moves freely on walls and ceilings while protecting its body with a hard shell. It spits powerful spider silk to capture prey alive, then binds and slowly eats them.
A swarm of Giant Spiders was rushing toward them, looking as if they would cover the entire corridor in black. Their pointed, sharp legs poked holes into the solid walls as they ran at a ferocious speed.
The cutting power of their legs was terrifying. The stone walls, which were bitten helplessly, felt as soft as tofu. They covered the floor, both walls, and even the ceiling of the wide corridor in a black mass.
“Grrrrr…”
Leon growled low in tension, staring sharply ahead. The pressure emitted by the swarm of Giant Spiders was that overwhelming and threatening.
“Leon, stay back.”
Sang-woong had Leon move behind his back. Since the corridor was a confined space, an accidental mistake could hinder each other’s movements and lead to danger.
Understanding Sang-woong’s intent perfectly, Leon stepped back behind him. Instead, he lowered his shoulders and planted his hind legs firmly on the ground, assuming a combat stance so he could jump in immediately if Sang-woong fell into danger.
*Skritch, skritch!*
The swarm of Giant Spiders filling the corridor closed the distance while making gruesome sounds. Their numerous red compound eyes emitted a chilling and greedy light in the darkness.
Sang-woong gripped his sword tightly and lowered his stance. Tension was clear on his face, something that hadn’t been there before.
The intimidation and killing intent radiating from each individual Giant Spider were significant.
Yet, those creatures were not alone; dozens, even hundreds of them were rushing in at once. They attacked three-dimensionally, hanging upside down from both walls and the ceiling as well as the floor.
Dealing with a swarm of Giant Spiders that filled every gap while under the significant pressure of thick Magi did not look easy at all.
He had gone through countless fierce battles until now, but he had never felt a sense of crisis as intense as this moment.
‘That means I must protect this ruin.’
Sang-woong channeled blue Mana into his sword and hardened his resolve.