Ark Undead

Meanwhile, the two uninvited guests hiding to the side watched as the saintess slowly ascended the steps.

With about a quarter of the journey remaining, Enya will be able to complete this trial and reach the summit.

The wind and snow gradually subsided as sunrise approached.

Along the way, the Undead and Skadi killed about ten groups of guards belonging to the Council of the Three Races. Their bodies were buried by the Undead and Skadi under the cold snow.

In places like Shelag, a single night of snow and wind can often cover up all traces.

"How much longer?"

Skadi looked towards the horizon where the sky was beginning to lighten.

At this moment, they could see the surrounding mountains and the clouds pressing down on their heads.

"About a few hours."

The Undead looked at Enya, who was struggling to walk, and after a moment of silence, he shook his head.

"I'm not sure either. It's very difficult for her to cope."

This is true. If Enya cannot hold on, she will be unable to shake the bell in her hand. It is a bell that only the chosen ones are entitled to shake. If it is not Enya, it will not make a sound in anyone else's hands.

Especially as the wind and snow subsided and the sun shone on Enya, the warm feeling easily made people drowsy.

I wonder if Enya can handle the comfort that comes with this difference.

If she had chosen to rest in this sunshine, she probably would have collapsed on the roadside.

Fortunately, even with the sun shining directly on Enya, she continued to walk slowly, and even increased her pace.

Ding-a-ling—

The sound of bells pierced through the clouds, spreading continuously throughout the snowy landscape.

As the sun rises, the sound of bells awakens the sleeping inhabitants of the snowy realm, proclaiming to them that the chosen ones are still alive.

At this moment, the adults of the Three Races Council must be getting anxious.

Why didn't their arrangements work? Why is the saint still alive?

As the bell rang continuously, the undead's climbing steps suddenly stopped.

Skadi stopped and looked at the undead who had stopped climbing beside her, puzzled.

"What's wrong? Did you sense something was amiss?"

The immortal reached out and took out a bell from the cloth sewn into his waistband.

Skadi looked at it and saw that the bell was very simple. Apart from being slightly larger, it looked no different from an ordinary wind chime.

But when the immortal turned it over, the small iron block inside the bell suddenly started to swing and hit the bell wall next to it.

Ding-a-ling—

Enya didn't notice that every time she rang the bell, an even smaller bell would ring out next to her.

The source of this bell sound lies in the hands of the Undead.

This is the family heirloom that Old Setu collected for him in Youquan Town.

The bell rang in the undead's hand. Looking at the bell, the undead sensed a familiar feeling emanating from it.

"This is?!"

Skadi stared in surprise as she rang her own bell. She looked at the Undead, as if hoping he would tell her why.

The Undead shook his head at her and placed his finger on his mask, signaling her to be quiet.

Then, golden flames ignited in the undead's hands.

That is the king's fire passed down from ancient times to the present day, and also the creation fire born at the beginning of the world.

The bell, bathed in flames, continued to ring, its sound growing deeper with each strike.

It was no longer the sound of a bell; it was like the ringing of an ancient bell, resonating deep within one's heart.

After the flames burned for a while, the bells gradually died down, leaving only the bells in Enya's hands ringing.

The bell in the immortal's hand gradually turned into dust and scattered with the wind.

Only the small iron piece in the very center remained in the immortal's palm.

As the entire bell shattered, the iron block in the undead's hand glowed.

A ghostly blue light shone in the immortal's hand, making him fully understand what kind of aura it was.

This is magic, magic driven by the soul.

Within the pale blue light, a line of text appeared out of thin air.

As a bounty hunter who roams the continent of Terra, Skadi has encountered countless languages ​​and consulted numerous documents.

But she still couldn't understand that line of text, and it didn't feel familiar at all.

This is not any language currently in use on Terra.

But the immortal stared intently at the line of text. He recognized what it was and understood the message it was trying to convey.

The dark blue characters remained in the air for about ten seconds before disintegrating again.

Even that small piece of iron turned into dust, which was scattered by the strong winds near the mountaintop.

"What's this?!"

Skadi looked at the Undead, puzzled, hoping to get an answer from him.

"Is it telling you something? Is it related to the gods?"

No wonder Skadi was so distraught. If it's related to the gods, does that mean Skadi can communicate with them, or does she have to rely on the undead?

Could the answer she sought so desperately from the gods be found through the immortals?

But the immortal shook his head.

"I have no idea."

He pointed to the mountaintop and said.

"Just now, that line of text simply told me that someone was waiting for me at the mountaintop."

He then looked at Skadi.

"This is magic. It's a way to leave a message."

Skadi's mood gradually stabilized. She glanced at the undead's hand, then looked at the room atop the sacred mountain.

We're not far from there anymore, just a little while longer...

The Undead clapped his hands, brushing the remaining dust from his palms.

"Let's go, follow her."

The two continued climbing up the hillside, following behind Enya.

Sunlight shone on her, and Enya lowered her head, staring at the steps in front of her as she walked forward.

Her hands had begun to mechanically shake the bell, and even when she looked up at the holy mountain, everything in front of her became blurry.

The warmth brought by the sunlight seemed to be whispering to her.

Let's stop and rest for a while. It's okay to continue later.

But this was only a false sense of security. Once Enya decided to follow her heart and sit down to rest by the roadside, she wouldn't wake up within half an hour.

To become a saintess, one must go all out in one go.

After enduring a night of wind and snow, the skin is now exposed to the sunlight.

Sweat seeped from his skin, trickled down his cheeks, and fell into the snow.

The sweat that kept seeping out was once again squeezing out Enya's already limited physical strength.

My lips were chapped, my eyes were unfocused, and my legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

Every step forward is a rebellion against life and instinct.

She simply moved forward step by step, climbing the mountain step by step.

The gale stopped for her when the sun rose directly overhead.

She lifted her leg again, wanting to step onto the higher steps.

But he suddenly lost his strength and fell to the flat ground.

It took Enya a while to realize that she was leaning against a flat surface.

When she looked up again, Enya could no longer see the stairs.

She stood up and, forcing herself to stay awake, looked around.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, mist swirls, and the mountain peaks appear and disappear amidst the clouds.

The dazzling sun coexisted with the deep blue sky, so bright that she couldn't open her eyes.

Now, she has arrived at the summit of the sacred mountain, at this divine abode.

Although there was still some height at the top, when Enya turned around, an old house stood there.

The building bears a striking resemblance to the buildings in Shelag, with proper eaves and roofs.

The house is surrounded by luxurious decorations and has a matching smooth road.

It resembles a small palace deep in the mountains, only with an added touch of antiquity and mystery.

At that moment, right at the door of that house, there was a wooden frame.

The hook on the wooden frame is the same size as the hole on the handle of the bell in Enya's hand.

She limped forward, clutching tightly the bell that had been ringing during the trial.

The wooden frame was right in front of her; the path she was walking on was at its end.

Enya, whose hands were already trembling, held the Holy Spirit and hung the bell on the wooden frame.

Without any resistance, the bell seemed to be sucked up, almost slipping out of Enya's hand.

The moment the bell was hung on the wooden frame, a dazzling light shone from the depths of the house.