The Verdelith Castle! If you still haven't figured it out, then allow me to explain…
The Tower Spider—no, the Castle Crawler, had not merely grown bigger after its evolution, it had also become something entirely new, a 'mutated version' of the original calamity species! It was now a fusion between the 'Castle Crawler', the 'Emerald Ghost Tree', and the 'Crystal Core' from the ruins of the void walkers that Petra had repaired with Elli! In addition, the 'mutation' was not a normal mutation, but something that far exceeded what should be 'normally' possible, because of the ever so kind addition of 'Levy Lunabells Little Gift!'
Although it still carried the name of a 'Castle Crawler', that was only for convenience!
Ok, with that cleared up…
-
Next, at some point—
Back when it was still the Tower Spider, Petra had commanded it to burrow deep underground and settle into the spirit stone mine and claim the territory beneath the Emerald Ghost Tree as its own, turning the landscape, the full one-kilometer radius, into a massive 'shell-like suit of armor'. Fed by the spirit stone mine and cooperating with the Emerald Ghost Tree, it had crossed the threshold of an ordinary classification, far exceeding a normal 'Calamity Species!' If this were in the Age of Chaos, then this spider would undoubtedly be called a 'Beast King' when it reached 'that realm'.
It was now a literal living fortress!
As well as Petra's dream home…
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The magic door that had connected to the brick wall was not an isolated event. It was a newly developed ability, one born from the evolution of the Castle Crawler, now called the Verdelith Castle, which had gained the ability to manipulate the shape of the barrier surrounding its territory!
This was also related to 'Levy Lunabells Little Gift!'
Originally, the Emerald Ghost Tree had enclosed itself within a perfect pocket of space, forming a sealed sphere that cleanly cut it off from the outside world. That space had once been fixed, with only the ability to 'shrink' and 'expand' on the spot, but now, it was no longer static! The spatial sphere could now morph, and not only that, but it could also 'extend!' The Verdelith Castle could push portions of its barrier outwards, extending tentacle-like appendages through space, shaping them into 'corridors'. These extensions were not separate constructs; they were formed directly from the barrier, which meant they retained all of its innate properties as well!
In short—
They were almost completely undetectable!
Even if someone possessed the ability to sense the distortions they caused through space, the barrier's innate nature would compel them to ignore it completely.
For normal people, their perception would slide past the anomaly without registering it at all, as if their mind had refused to acknowledge its existence. Even if you were at the level where you could forcibly resist this compulsion, then there would still be an army of insects and poisonous bugs waiting for you!
Also, don't think that just because poison didn't work on 'high-level' cultivators before, it would still be the same now! Giving the Poison Sea Saint a full year to prepare for anything was insane…
If those 'old friends' back on Earth knew about this, then they would probably spit on your grave!
-
So then, where was the real Verdelith Castle in relation to the city of Llynun?
The answer was simple, and absurd…
It was—
Directly above!
- Insert party shakers here!!
It was literally a full kilometer above the city, suspended in its own private pocket. If someone could see space, and if they could bypass the barrier's compulsion, they would find an enormous spatial bubble hovering over the capital! From its 'belly' extended eight, thick, pillar-like legs that were wrapped in 'socks' of condensed space, anchoring it to the city. Around it, dozens of thinner spatial 'tentacles' spread outwards, weaving through the city like invisible roots, forming an unseen labyrinth!
Each of these tentacles ended in a magic door, and every door was an entrance that led back to the Verdelith Castle. And the best part was that none of this was fixed!
The entire structure was mobile!
It was a setup so 'perfect' that it was difficult to put into words.
It was the dream dwelling for every shut-in!
Inside, the territory was exactly the same, with the only difference being that instead of being surrounded on all sides by a flowing forest, it was now suspended in the air, ending in a steep cliff that opened up into an unobstructed view of the city!
It was an incredible sight!
Naturally, like all massive airborne things, there was a question that followed—
What about its shadow?
A floating island of this size 'should' have cast a large shadow onto the city below, and yet, there was nothing… Well! The answer was simple, and that was its 'old' ability! The space around the castle caused light to curve around the barrier, guiding it smoothly around the structure and releasing it on the other side! This was one of the many things that originally made it so difficult to find!
To the world beneath, it was as if the castle didn't exist at all!
-
Now, the next question should be, what controlled everything?
Well—!
Petra had no idea…
The 'Castle Core', the 'Emerald Ghost Tree', the 'Castle Crawler', and the 'strange ghost' that had started to appear from time to time (yes, they seemed to be haunted now…), and even the 'barrier' had suddenly begun to act like it had a life of its own.
All 'five' of these seemed to have some level of control over the Verdelith Castle.
Spooky ghost aside, the barrier spirit was later explained to Petra by Levy when she asked…
'Levy Lunabells Little Gift!' was the essence of a 'Void Lifeforms Bloodline Ability' that Levy had 'accidentally added' to the evolutionary pool of the tower spider back when it was underground!
The explanation completely went over Petra's head, especially the part about the 'Void Lifeform', but just like how she added the Void Leviathan Blood to the evolutionary medicine of all eight of her beasts, Levy seemed to have added an extra thing to the Castle Crawler as well…
Levy called 'it' a 'Void Mimic', and explained—
Because the barrier surrounding the Emerald Ghost Tree was a 'kind of spell', this spell could be hijacked by other powerful creatures working closely with the original caster! She 'gave' the Castle Crawler the ability of a Void Mimic to allow for a proper balance to be established between the 'three cores' of the Verdelith Castle…
Basically—
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Barrier + 'Tree' → 'Compulsion to Avoid & Fate of Isolation'
Barrier + 'Spider' → 'Mobility & Mouldable Barrier / Labyrinth'
Barrier + '[?]' → 'Spatial Pocket'
-
Back to the topic of control—
Petra was naturally included in this list, with Levy and Elli possessing a small part as well, but…
It was really odd!
Petra was beginning to realize that the Verdelith Castle was slowly consolidating itself into something inexplicable! Currently, all the pieces were 'waking up', but as time passed, these 'pieces' would likely start to mesh together like a huge machine. Fortunately, there was one thing Petra knew she had full control over, and that was the Verdelith Castle's mobility!
So, she didn't have to worry about it running away! Erm… well—!!
No, there were still some things she was worried about, for example, the ghost and the barrier spirit. One haunted the halls at night, while the other liked to be a little too playful, occasionally 'inviting' random people into the territory. As for these rare 'guests', they all seemed to adhere to the rules of the barrier Petra had set, 'fated and whatnot', so it wasn't that big of a deal…
Kinda…
Mm, because they were so high up, these randos couldn't just enter on their own, no no no, instead, the barrier would extend a tentacle and create a convenient 'door' for them to enter through!
Also, this 'door' didn't need to be a door.
It could be anything, like a manhole cover, a turn in an alleyway, or even a pool of water. It could also replace an existing doorway, like the castle gate or the back door of someone's house! As long as it was sealed on all sides and Petra found it cool, that was enough!
This was also great for sneaking into places!
Mm, or kidnapping people…
Author: "…"
Now! How could you counter this?
Well—!! That's just a yikes, isn't it…? Hahaha!
* * *
Petra walked into the spatial corridor.
After the door disappeared, she walked down a long corridor that didn't seem to adhere to normal space. It led into a multi-colored hallway that didn't follow the laws of physics.
Petra and the girls skipped ahead happily.
At the end of the corridor, the space began to twist, slowly warping into the familiar scene of the Verdelith Castle! Once they stepped through completely, the passage behind them distorted, quickly thinned, then vanished entirely as though it had never existed to begin with! In its place stood a sheer cliff that plunged down, leading to the city below. The transition was seamless, as if they had always been standing on the edge of the floating island!
Looking out—
The view was beautiful…
* * *
The Royal Palace—
Night settled over the capital city of Llynun…
Beyond the towering walls and vast windows of the inner palace, the city's lights had dwindled into distant dreams. Within, the air was pristine and still, tainted with a heavy and solemn atmosphere that seemed to bend around the seated figure.
The emperor spoke in a tired, but attentive tone.
"Hmm… So, everything went well then?"
"Yes, Your Majesty! Aside from the predicted friction with the Young Master of the Red Dragon Clan, everything else proceeded smoothly."
The emperor leaned back on the throne, his fingers resting against the arm of his chair.
His expression remained composed, but a slight crease had appeared between his brows.
It was late at night, so he seemed to be slightly less attentive than usual.
"Good," he said slowly. "If my daughter can handle those temperamental dragons, then there shouldn't be any problems if she ends up running away." He scratched his chin thoughtfully, his eyes drifting toward the window.
"What about our… 'sneaky guest'?" he asked with a strange glint. "…Were you able to identify them?"
The guard lowered his head.
"My apologies, Your Majesty! Their ability to evade our detection was far above our calculations. Despite waiting, we lost them shortly after they arrived in the city."
The emperor sighed.
"Then there's no need to pursue it any further," he said. "If that person is from my wife's family, then you wouldn't be able to track them even if you found their trail."
He turned slightly, gazing into the darkness beyond the glass.
"Besides," he continued, "that individual should be the one 'little three' is in contact with. We already know where they'll show up anyway..."
The guard remained silent.
"What about the top talents from within the continent?" the emperor asked next.
"Anyone worth noting?"
"There are a few," the guard replied. "Several figures who avoided the western calamity have chosen to finally surface! We suspect that the news of the Royal Ring Secret Realm has drawn out the last of the geniuses who refused to appear during the second calamity. This should be the last of them…"
He paused, then added carefully,
"…Also, the one from the north—Petra..."
The emperor turned his head.
"She's here?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Oh?" His brows rose in slight surprise.
"That's interesting. She didn't flee after the incident near the border?"
He tapped the armrest.
"Do we know who she's traveling with?"
"Yes! According to the reports, she isn't concealing her identity at all, and not only that, but she is also traveling in the open, and all her known companions appear to be with her! The only issue is… There is no record of her travel to the southern region. We confirmed she came from the north, and there are records of her in the major cities from time to time, but how she arrived remains unclear."
The emperor muttered while hearing the report.
"Acting so openly… does she really intend to leave the continent? No, that doesn't make sense. Could she also be interested in the Royal Ring Secret Realm? Is that even possible?"
The guard pursed his lips.
"No, if she's here," the emperor continued, "then the twins should be here as well. No… the Gallon girl too. Hmm, that's troublesome. What could be worth it for her to take such a risk…"
He frowned slightly.
The guard, no longer able to hold back, spoke up, "Your Majesty! If I may speak! She is 'just a child!' From the reports, it is possible that she just lacks common sense and doesn't know the danger she's in!"
The emperor rolled his eyes.
Indeed, that was also possible, but he wouldn't forget that she was technically raised by another Heavens Chosen, so that was unlikely… He thought to himself, 'Is she trying to provoke someone, or does she simply not care? Hm, what a strange child...'
He looked around.
No answer came from any of the surrounding servants…
"Is she confident we won't interfere," he muttered, "or confident she could escape even if we did? Wait… could it be Elena? Does she think she can influence something?"
He paused.
"My father (Old Emperor) mentioned that he felt something 'enter the city' earlier this week," he mumbled to himself. "Could that be related to her? Some kind of transportation artifact? But… no, that shouldn't be possible! I would have definitely noticed… Hmm."
He turned to a scholarly man nearby.
"Any anomalies? Has the 'City Core' registered any spatial disturbances recently?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, Your Majesty!" The scholarly mage replied.
"Interesting," the emperor said quietly.
"Then perhaps… She has a backer…?"
The room grew quiet.
After a long pause—
One of them finally spoke…
"Your Majesty… should we intervene? It is said that she used some kind of deadly poison, if she were to release that in the city, it could be catastrophic!"
The emperor narrowed his eyes.
He recalled what Rotell and Theo had said about the green-haired little girl when they met her in the north. The oddly casual way she had been described, as if danger and innocence intertwined. He felt like they didn't have a bad impression of her, so he naturally didn't either! It was exactly this that made Petra's life in the capital a lot more convenient!
He waved his hand dismissively.
"No need. I rather like that girl, so let's leave her alone for now." He might as well try to keep the peace, after all, there were far more dangerous people in the city right now.
Or at least, that was what he falsely thought...
The guard lifted his head slightly in surprise. One should know that the bounty on Petra's head was quite extreme. Even for the Empire, it was tempting. He had no idea what Petra did to make the Sky Tower so mad, but that bounty had only been increasing over time.
"Let's see how my little three handles it," the emperor continued lazily.
"They seem to have some unresolved grudge, don't they? I want to see how that little girl holds up. Just assign a shadow guard to make sure she doesn't get hurt."
The guard stiffened.
"Protect… the criminal?"
The emperor smiled faintly.
"No," he said calmly.
"Protect my third daughter, Rolilly! Hahaha!"
The room fell silent.
* * *