Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 666: A Hot Welcome Ceremony [6.5k words]

On the branding interface, a large amount of information passed by the edge of Xin Lailai's sight, and finally stopped at the familiar ending sentence "The world is open". Xin Lailai looked at the introduction of the world in front of him, and after carefully reading it several times, a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

Judging from the world introduction alone, Dark Star is definitely an extremely difficult world. There are two continents, the old and new, and the exchange of fire between the three major forces on the new continent is naturally needless to say. Judging from the world history in the introduction, it was really about to beat their brains out. And from the description of the old continent, there are real overlords everywhere, and the lords are worse than dogs. Even Xin Lailai seriously doubted whether Dark Star fell from the fourth-order world. Otherwise, it could not explain why so many overlord-level creatures were born in the old continent.

Not only that, in addition to the current structure of the Dark Star, many details in the world introduction also made Xin Lailai very concerned, such as the ancient oath mentioned at the end of the introduction, the mobile fortresses left by the destroyed former civilization, and the abnormal number of overlord-class behemoths... It can be said that judging from the world introduction alone, as long as this world is not in a state of world war, it is definitely an extremely difficult copy that requires a group of pioneers to enter to complete.

As for the present, considering that the most threatening behemoth forces in this world have been slaughtered by the Overwatch Legion, and the three major forces seem to have been beaten by the Legion that just arrived, it should be considered to be in an extremely stable node.

Of course, this stability is only limited to before they arrive. After all...

[Tip: It has been detected that the pioneer has entered the temporary world numbered 598-03-13, and the first stage of the war mission has been opened]

……

[War Mission Phase 1: Faction Selection]

Mission Introduction: As an outsider, you first need a legitimate position.

Mission information: Please choose one of the three major camps: 'Tower of Order', 'Gusa Alliance' and 'Glorious Source Cult' to join.

Mission deadline: 23 hours, 53 minutes, 38 seconds

Mission Reward: (None)
Mission penalty: Loss of qualification to participate in this expedition world battle
*Tip: According to the Pioneer's ability tendency, the 'Tower of Order' is most compatible with the Pioneer's ability development.

*Tip: The current teleportation point is close to the 'Tower of Order' stronghold area.

*Tip: It has been detected that the Pioneer does not master the language of this world. According to the regulations of the Expedition World Battle, the Pioneer has been granted Dark Common Language Proficiency LV.20.

……

Well, the mission description was so detailed that it moved me. It not only automatically provided language proficiency, but also had clear target directions and ability compatibility suggestions. It was like heaven compared to the pioneer mission that had "(none)" in its name.

Of course, putting these things aside for now, the most important thing is that the issuance of this mission directly indicates that their next route is likely to be to choose one of the three major camps, and then control the camp under their command to fight against the other two paradises. As for the specifics...

"Hmm? You came here on your own?"

Suddenly, Xin Lailai, who was standing in the crater, seemed to feel something. He looked up in a certain direction, his eyes moving slightly.

……

……

Dark Glory Continent, Nott Fortress, bottom level area.

"Tafina, look, this is the painting that Eve and the others drew today."

Noise and laughter came from outside the window. In a shabby-looking tin house, a brown-haired woman dressed in plain cloth with dark brown crystal marks faintly visible under her neck gently stroked the oil-stained drawing paper in her hand and smiled at the gray-haired girl next to her who was holding her hand and wearing a clean and tidy standard robe.

"Uh... well, it looks like an improvement from last time."

The gray-haired girl called Tafina came to her senses after hearing the voice, nodded, looked at the drawing paper in the brown-haired woman's hand, then looked at the dark brown crystal marks on her neck, and while speaking, she lowered her eyes, as if she had something on her mind.

"Um... Raph, today I..."

"I know, you probably still have tasks to do, right? Go ahead, don't worry about us."

"But, your body..."

"Don't worry, I'm still fine now, right? According to the doctor, I still have several years to live. But you, Tafina, are an amazing warlock now. You must work hard, right?"

"I……"

The gray-haired girl named Tafina looked at the smile on her friend's face. Her words paused for a moment, and finally she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded vigorously. The brown-haired woman lying on the bed saw this scene, and a gratified smile appeared on her weak face. She gently stroked the other's soft and white palms and said with a smile:

"Well, go and take care of your own business first, Tafina. I am really looking forward to the day when you become a Grand Master Warlock."

"Well, I promise you, that day will come."

Hearing this, the gray-haired girl lowered her eyes, nodded, and said nothing more. She looked at the dark brown crystal marks on the brown-haired girl's neck, a look of determination flashed across her pupils, and finally she stood up and walked out of the house.

"Sister Tafina!" "Sister Tafina, are you leaving again?"

"Sister Tafina, look, this is the warlock's staff I made!"

When the door was opened, several petite figures wearing cotton jackets with obvious signs of mending rushed towards the gray-haired girl and surrounded her.

The gray-haired girl looked at the smiling children in front of her, with a touch of tenderness in her eyes. She bent down, touched the head of the leading girl, and said to the children:
"I'm sorry, I have a mission to go out today, so I have to leave now. I will come back to see you after I finish the mission. Remember to listen to Teacher Lav~!"

"Well... okay." "Don't worry, Sister Tafina! We will definitely protect Teacher Love!"

"That's right. If any bad guys come, I will use this great staff of the future Grand Warlock and the spell that you taught us last time, Sister Tafina, to kill them all in one swoop!"

Several lively children said so. One of them, who had sharp horns on his head and a pair of small canine teeth, even swung the "staff" in his hand, which was made entirely of iron rods and rags, in a show-off manner. He looked so proud that the gray-haired girl could not help but smile.

"Well, sister believes in you."

The gray-haired girl spoke as she gently pushed away the child who was closer to her. Then, with a thought, the dark brown crystals on her boots lit up slightly. Then, the gray-haired girl's body quickly left the ground as if being dragged up by an invisible hand. Finally, when she reached a sufficient height, she broke through the sky with a shrill whistling sound, and stepped on the pyroxene shuttle specially prepared for the great warlock, rushing towards the iron-gray dome in the distance.

"As expected, from this angle, I can feel how big the gap is..."

In the sky, the gray-haired girl looked down at the scene below, looking at the thousands of shabbily stacked tin houses, her eyes slightly lowered, her mind unconsciously comparing the scene in front of her with the scene she had seen in the large fortress, and a hint of silence appeared on her face.

Peng——! !

The whistling sound of the wind passed by her ears, and soon the gray-haired girl rushed to the center of the iron-gray dome, stood on the platform specially prepared for warlocks, and let the scanning beam of light fall on her body.

[Identity authentication confirmed, "Grand Warlock of Ashes" Tafina, welcome to the Nott Fortress, the passage is opening for you, please wait]

Om-! !

As soon as he finished speaking, the round iron door at the top opened, and then a cylindrical crystal elevator made of translucent material descended. The gray-haired girl saw it and walked quickly into it. The next second, the door closed, and a large amount of disinfectant spray rushed out from the floor.

[Friendly reminder, because you are currently in the "bottom layer", you need to filter out the pyroxene dust before entering the "middle layer" and above. Please wait for a moment]

A gentle female electronic voice sounded from the elevator, and the gray-haired girl walked calmly to the row of buttons at the door, as if she was used to it. After pressing the top button, she waited in the pungent smell of pyroxene dust coagulant.

[Processing completed, about to start ascending, kindly remind you that the vertical acceleration during the ascent will reach more than 30 kalils, please be sure to wear protective clothing or be prepared for protection if you are below the level of a formal warlock to avoid accidents]

After a while, the gentle electronic female voice sounded again, and then the surrounding scene began to flow rapidly downwards under the strong sense of overweight.

Om!

[Ding~ Arrived at the "Upper Area·Open-air Floor", wish you a pleasant experience]

Ten seconds later, with a slightly violent shaking sound, the elevator door in front of her opened with a bang, and the gray-haired girl walked out of the elevator. After looking around, her eyes fell on a tall tower not far away. With a thought, she stepped on the triangular pyroxene shuttle and quickly rushed towards the location of the tall tower, and finally landed steadily on the top of the tower.

"Huh? I wonder who it is? Isn't this our Grand Warlock of Ashes? Your time is really precious. You actually let us stand here for so long?"

As soon as she landed, a sarcastic voice sounded from the top of the tower. A young warlock with a noble look, wearing gorgeous robes and holding a staff made of a whole pyroxene crystal in his hand, ridiculed the gray-haired girl without any hesitation.

The gray-haired girl just glanced at him indifferently and said coldly:
"I remember there are still three hours left before the scheduled departure time."

"You... huh? Wait, this smell... ah!!!"

"Tafina! You...you actually went to such a disgusting place like the bottom floor at such an important time! And you came back with the stench of coagulant! Do you know what we are going to do next!!!"

Suddenly, the noble young man who had made the sarcastic remarks seemed to smell something, and his nostrils twitched slightly twice. Then, as if stimulated by something, he let out a sharp and piercing cry like a woman, and quickly covered his nose and stepped back a few steps. While taking out the perfume and spraying it on himself, he pointed at the gray-haired girl, trembling with anger, and said in a sharp and piercing voice:

"Damn it! You damn bitch! At this time, you still dare to contact those maggots that are dirtier than the orcs! You, you... Lord Lakadi, I strongly suggest that you cancel her application to follow! Such a dirty guy will definitely only cause dissatisfaction among the distinguished guests!" The noble young man cursed angrily and spit all kinds of dirty words at the gray-haired girl, but the gray-haired girl just closed her eyes and did not say a word to him, as if she treated him as air.

"That's enough, Hud, Tafina is now the Grand Warlock, and she received this mission from the Lord of the White Crown. Do you want to disobey the Lord of the White Crown's will?"

"I……"

The middle-aged sorcerer who was questioned by the noble young man did not answer the other party's unreasonable proposal immediately. Instead, he let him curse for a long time before suddenly opening his mouth to scold, causing the words in the noble young man's mouth to be stuck in his throat. After holding it in for a long time, he swallowed it back obediently.

The middle-aged warlock nodded slightly when he saw this, then looked at the gray-haired girl beside him, narrowed his eyes slightly, and a hint of dissatisfaction also appeared in his pupils, and said:

"And you, Tafina, although you received the mission from Lord White Crown, the mission this time has long been stated to require us to receive distinguished guests from outside the world. Under such circumstances, you came here smelling of coagulant. Do you think this is appropriate?"

"Once we officially set off, you will be on guard at the back, and clean up your smell while you're at it."

"Understood, Master Warlock of the Iron Tower."

Facing the rebuke and arrangement from the middle-aged warlock, the gray-haired girl did not say much. She just responded indifferently and then walked to the back of the team amid the obvious disgust from those around her.

"Well, now that everyone is here, let's set off right away. If we neglect the distinguished guests mentioned by the Crown Master, no one will have a good life. Do you understand?"

Seeing this, the middle-aged warlock did not say anything more, but spoke to several young formal warlocks around him. After giving them a few serious instructions, he moved his mind and controlled the large pyroxene shuttle under his feet that could carry dozens of people. Under a circle of strong pyroxene energy fluctuations, he led everyone to rush towards the exit of the fortress.

A piercing sonic boom exploded from the windbreaks on both sides of the shuttle. The scenery below was first stirred into a colorful ink painting under the ultra-high-speed flight, and then turned into a unified dark brown color that gave people a strong sense of desolation the moment everyone flew out of the fortress.

"This is it. Everyone, keep quiet and get ready. According to what the Grand Master said, the guests should be arriving soon."

Ten minutes later, the middle-aged sorcerer controlled the shuttle to stop in front of a huge iron-gray light column. Looking at the light column in front of him that emitted strong spatial fluctuations, he recalled what the adults had said to him, took a deep breath, and a solemn look appeared in his eyes.

According to what those adults said, when the time comes, the distinguished guests should land near this area called "coordinates", and then they only need to...

Boom!

The next moment, there was an earth-shattering roar, and a golden beam of light suddenly passed by from a distance, and in the stunned eyes of the middle-aged warlock, it hit the cliff not far ahead, and then...

——Just like that, in front of everyone's eyes, the cliff that could theoretically withstand the full force of the great warlock was instantly shattered into pieces, and amidst the flying rubble, it blasted all the way towards the rugged mountains in the distance.

boom--! !

The next second, there was a horrifying sound of collision, and a huge mushroom cloud rose slowly from the distant mountain, making everyone feel the ground beneath their feet tremble violently twice. The young noble warlock, who had been expectant, looked at the shattered cliff not far away, and after imagining what would happen if that blow fell on him, his face turned pale.

"Um... Lord Lacadi, is our guest...really in that?"

One of the noble warlocks looked at the huge mushroom cloud that was gradually dispersing in the distance, swallowed, and asked with some concern.

In his opinion, even a crown-level warlock would lose half his life if he hit the ground with such an impact.

"Don't ask too much, just go over and take a look and you'll know. Tafena, according to what the Crown Master said, you are responsible for contacting the guests, and we will confirm the situation in the back!"

The middle-aged warlock said, looking at the gray-haired girl at the back, narrowing his eyes slightly, and said in a deep voice.

The gray-haired girl's pupils shrank slightly when she heard that. She didn't say much, but nodded silently. Under the amused gazes of several noble warlocks around her, she walked forward, stepped on the shuttle, deployed a layer of shield beside her, and flew silently towards the impact site about ten kilometers away from here.

"Let's go. We just need to follow her. The Crown Master said that these visitors from outside this world might have bad tempers. If we don't want to become like those guys in Karen Fortress, we should just keep quiet and don't talk nonsense."

The middle-aged warlock spoke only after the gray-haired girl flew nearly a kilometer away. With the cautious nods of several noble warlocks around him, he controlled the large shuttle under his feet and followed.

The gray-haired girl at the front just turned her head slightly to glance at this, and then turned her attention expressionlessly to the huge meteorite crater in front of her that was surrounded by the strong wind pouring in, with a solemn look in her eyes.

Is the visitor from outside the world in there?

Tafina felt a slight tingling sensation in her brain. After thinking about the reward she would get for this mission, she suppressed her uneasiness and ignored the gazes behind her that were obviously intending to use her as a 'mine detector'. She took a deep breath, maintained her defensive spell, and carefully controlled the pyroxene shuttle to fall in the direction of the crater. At the same time, many thoughts flashed through her mind.

Visitors from outside this world...

Even as a great warlock, she didn't know much about this title.

The only thing she knew clearly was that the demise of a large number of giant beasts on the Giant Beast Continent and the fall of the medium-sized fortress 'Karen Fortress' seemed to be related to this title. When she took on this task, the adult whom she regarded as her mentor only told her that she needed to come here to receive a certain person or group of people, and that she must not neglect the other party.

Normally, she would not accept such missions that required her to work with other warlocks. After all, she knew very well what the other warlocks in the tower thought of her, who came from a lower-level area. However, the reward for this mission was too tempting for her, so she finally agreed.

But to be honest, as to why that adult had specifically appointed her to participate in this kind of mission, and even specifically appointed her to be in charge of contacting the other party, she was...

"Hmm, a flying device powered by pyroxene energy? The workmanship is pretty good."

"!!!"

A steady and calm voice sounded, causing Tafina's pupils to shrink suddenly. She was about to launch an attack magic, but she restrained herself in time when she saw the figure appearing beside her.

Human? Man?
Black hair... black eyes, and this accent, is he the Grand Warlock under the Black Crown?

No, that's not right. I've never heard of a Black Crown having such a great sorcerer who is proficient in concealing his breath, and...

In just a short moment, a lot of thoughts flashed through Tafina's mind. Looking at the black-haired young man who suddenly appeared in front of her, she stepped back more than ten meters without hesitation, looked at him with great vigilance, and said tentatively:

"Excuse me……"

"Don't be nervous, Warlock of the Tower."

Facing Tafina's vigilance, the black-haired young man standing in the air, giving people an invisible sense of oppression, simply turned around and looked at Tafina's beautiful face that was oozing with cold sweat. After taking a look, he spoke in a calm but majestic voice:

"Let me introduce myself. You can call me Black Sword. As for my origins... well, based on your understanding, perhaps I should be called a visitor from another world."

This is...!
The moment she heard the black-haired young man's words, Tafina's breathing stagnated slightly, but her rationality as a warlock made her calm down quickly.

Then, she recalled the instructions of the being who had assigned her this task, as well as the various words she had rehearsed in her mind thousands of times. She took a deep breath, walked forward, lifted up her sorcerer's robe that was designed to look like a skirt, bent her body and performed the noble etiquette in the tower, and said in a calm and pleasant voice:

"Hello, Lord Black Sword, I am glad to see you here. I am the 'Grand Warlock of Ashes' Tafina. Please allow me to greet you on behalf of the 'White Crown' of the Tower of Order. I offer you my sincere friendship from the Tower and invite you to become our partner."

After saying this, Tafina's hands that were holding up the hem of her skirt unconsciously clenched a little, as if she was nervous. At the same time, she tried her best to keep her gaze on the deep pit below, as if she was very afraid to make eye contact with the black-haired young man.

She didn't know why, but ever since the other person appeared, she had been able to sense a suffocating feeling of oppression from him. Although the other person's breath was not leaking at all, the gaze that seemed to be overlooking everything equally made her feel breathless.

It was as if... the person standing in front of me was not a human being, but a terrifying monster that could destroy everything at any time.

"It sounds like a good invitation. Besides, I have to admit... your Excellency the White Crown has good taste in sending people."

The black-haired young man looked down at the gray-haired girl in front of him, his eyes slightly fixed, a look of scrutiny flashed across his pupils, as if he was examining the other person.

After examining the gray-haired girl for a few seconds, the black-haired young man laughed, narrowed his eyes slightly, and spoke in a calm tone:

"Well, since the host has specially invited me, it would be a bit rude for me as a guest to refuse directly. Let's go, Warlock of the Tower, please lead the way."

Is this a success?
Hearing the words of the black-haired young man, Tafina was stunned at first, then she breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. At the same time, she quickly raised her head, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. She was about to lead the other party to meet up with the noble warlocks in the rear, when an extremely strong sense of crisis suddenly exploded in her mind, causing her pupils to shrink suddenly.

However, before she could react, an extremely dazzling golden-red light suddenly bloomed from her vision without any warning.

[Announcement (Tree of the Void): The main participant of "Reincarnation Paradise" · White Devil, and the secondary participant · Evil Moon, have entered! ]

As it turned out, unlike the Death Paradise and their side which had landed early but had not made any movement, the participants from the Samsara Paradise gave them an extremely 'warm' welcome gift as soon as they landed.

boom! ! !
The next moment, terrifyingly high temperatures accompanied by golden-red flames that were enough to burn everything erupted, instantly engulfing the gray-haired girl and the black-haired young man beside her. With an earth-shaking roar and a cold announcement, the entire world was illuminated in golden red.

……

(End of this chapter)