My front door leads to a comic strip

Chapter 211, Part 210: Reencounter with Frilian, Mother's Disappearance, A Turning Point in History

In the western border of the empire, the scorching sun beats down on the sand.

A hot, dry wind swept across the precipice, raising clouds of yellow dust that blotted out the sun. Gu Yuan stood on the edge of the cliff, his short, jet-black hair fluttering wildly in the wind.

He looked down at the massive ruins twisted in the heat below, and an indescribable sense of familiarity quietly swept over him.

"Is this our destination?" he asked, his voice calm and devoid of any emotion.

"Yes, hero." The one who answered him was Alizee, the chief historical advisor of the Lehasodel Merchant Guild.

She may look like a young girl, but she is actually an adult and very knowledgeable.

At this moment, she was holding a scroll in her hands and said in a low voice, "The Thousand Realms Demon is sealed in the central area of ​​the ruins. Because its power is directly related to space, we cannot get too close."

"Any unauthorized approach may result in being devoured, leaving no trace."

She looked at Gu Yuan, her scholarly curiosity making her anxious as she asked, "How do you plan to capture it? What do you need us to do?"

Woo—

Gu Yuan turned around, his gaze sweeping over the team of chamber of commerce elites and guards behind him with an almost tangible intensity.

His scrutiny lasted only two seconds before he made his decision.

"You are responsible for perimeter security, preventing other monsters or unexpected interference, and ensuring that supplies can be delivered smoothly if necessary."

His tone left no room for negotiation: "After all, I'm not sure how long I'll be inside."

According to ancient secrets obtained from Celie, the Thousand Worlds Demon has one characteristic:

If it cannot digest a living organism after swallowing it, it will expel the "foreign object" after a period of time.

The nameless hero from two thousand years ago used this characteristic to repeatedly enter the demon's inner space, spending three years to finally find the demon's true form and defeat it.

Three years? Gu Yuan scoffed inwardly. "With my current speed and keen sense of energy, a few months would be enough."

Once the true form is found, brute force will overcome skill, and capturing it alive will be no difficult task.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; the risks of this mission were clearly worth the effort compared to the potential rewards.

Upon hearing Gu Yuan's arrangement, Alizee lowered her head with a complicated expression: "—I understand."

Although she had anticipated that her team would be seen as a burden, Gu Yuan's directness still made her somewhat disheartened.

She couldn't help but think that this hero hadn't even brought his two inseparable elf companions, which clearly showed he was fully aware of the dangers of this mission.

Just then, a commotion and stern warnings from the guards broke the somber atmosphere on the cliff.

"Halt! Who are you?"

"It's dangerous here, children shouldn't go near!"

Where are your parents?

Gu Yuan and Alizee turned their heads at the same time, and from their elevated position, they saw a petite figure standing at the end of the group—an elf girl with long, snow-white hair—anxious attempt to break through the guards' obstruction.

Alizee frowned, annoyed by the sudden interruption.

Upon seeing the distinctive white hair and youthful face, Gu Yuan murmured a questioning syllable: "Hmm—Frilian?"

He instantly understood where that inexplicable sense of familiarity came from.

Having lived in the dream world created by Graosamm for eight years, he almost forgot that this ruin was located near the village where Frilian lived.

Before Alizee could ask a question, Gu Yuan had already started walking and quickly headed towards the back of the group.

Alizee hesitated for a moment, then suppressed her doubts and quickly followed.

Below, Frilian was extremely anxious.

The day before yesterday morning, she went out with her mother, Wilmae, to collect herbs to supplement the family income, but her mother mysteriously disappeared in the vicinity of this area.

At first, she thought it was just a common case of getting lost, but when she returned to the village and even the village elders' tracking magic failed to find her, she realized the seriousness of the problem.

Left with no other option, she thought of looking out over this highland ruin, hoping to find any possible clues, but she was blocked by this group of fully armed humans.

"Are these humans here to explore the ruins? Why are they only staying on the edge?"

She was puzzled and was about to give up and look for another way when she saw a black-haired human man walking quickly toward her.

Frillie paused slightly.

Gu Yuan raised his hand, signaling the guards to be quiet.

"I know her."

He gave a brief explanation, then his gaze fell on Frillie, and he asked directly, "What happened? Why are you here alone? Where is your mother?"

Upon seeing that the hero knew the elven girl, the crowd immediately restrained their imposing manner and stepped aside.

Frillie hesitated for a moment, but facing Gu Yuan's eyes that seemed to see right through people, she still spoke: "My mother—she has disappeared."

She briefly explained why she had come to find him.

Gu Yuan nodded solemnly, almost immediately understanding the situation: "I see, I understand. I will try to help with the search and rescue."

He paused, his voice softening, "But, two days have already passed—"

Before she finished speaking, Frillie already understood the meaning behind it.

Two days is enough for anything to happen.

She was silent for a few seconds, her cold fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly, and whispered, "It's okay—I'm already mentally prepared."

Even so, her tightly pursed lips and slightly trembling shoulders betrayed her inner fear and helplessness.

Gu Yuan looked at her as she tried to suppress her grief and sighed softly.

"Is this the starting point for Frilian's future loss of her parents?"

He couldn't be sure if this was the crucial turning point that reversed her personality from becoming withdrawn.

But at this moment, he realized he was standing at a crossroads that could change his future—

Just as Gu Yuan was on the cliff pondering how to coordinate the seemingly conflicting tasks of searching for and capturing the demon, somewhere within the vast and eerie inner space of the Thousand Realms Demon.

Dark, damp, and filled with an aura of decay and unknown danger.

Wilmae-Friline's mother was curled up deep inside a narrow rocky cave, trying to blend herself into the shadows as much as possible.

She held her breath, her heart felt like it was about to stop, and her pale face was filled with fear.

This was because, outside the cave, a huge, ferocious figure was slowly pacing.

That's a Royal Prison Dragon!

Its body, covered in snow-white scales, gleamed with a cold, faint light in the dim light, and its powerful dragon might seemed tangible, pressing down on the surrounding space.

Its enormous head was lowered, its nostrils flaring, as if searching the air for the scent of a particular prey.

Suddenly, it paused for a moment, and its cruel dragon eyes abruptly turned toward the cave where Wilme was hiding.

It smelled—the scent of living things.

Lock on the target.

Boom!

The ground trembled violently, and a huge shadow completely enveloped the narrow opening.

Wilmès' heart sank.