abcnovels
Chapter 276 274-Scrapyard
Chapter 276 274-Scrapyard
Chapter 276 Chapter274-Scrapyard
"Where am I?"
Ethan's eyelids fluttered open, the weight of a profound haze pressing upon his consciousness.
An aching throb pulsed through his skull, as if it had borne the brunt of a heavy blow.
With blurred vision, he glanced to his side.
To his surprise, the adjacent wall was a curious patchwork of metallic strands, intricately woven together.
Draped across this mosaic were bones, but not just any bones. These relics had an ethereal glow, reminiscent of jade, adding to the room's eerie ambiance.
Realization dawned on him; he was enclosed within a chamber.
His gaze began to dart around, searching for an exit, when the door creaked open to reveal Lana Mokos. Their eyes met, lingering for a split second.
The air between them grew thick with tension, almost palpable.
Breaking the silence, it was Lana Mokos who spoke first, her voice laced with a hint of unease, "I've got two pieces of news: one good, one not so. Which would you prefer to hear first?"
Mustering the strength he had left, Ethan murmured, "The good news."
Visions of casting the spell 'Thunder Wrath' played at the edges of his fractured memory.
"The silver lining," Lana Mokos began, her arms folded across her chest, emanating a guarded aura, "is that we have escaped. The High Priest remains in the shadows, unable to trace our steps."
Ethan's eyes flickered with a hint of hope.
"And the storm cloud?" he probed.
Pausing for dramatic effect, Lana Mokos inhaled deeply, "We find ourselves in an anomalous realm. Here, the very essence of magic is absent. This void renders us powerless, unable to harness space magic for orientation, let alone conjure a space gate to return to Easten Shore."
" The essence of magic is absent?" Ethan echoed, disbelief clouding his gaze.
With a somber nod, Lana Mokos attempted to channel her powers, but the emptiness was stifling. Her complexion turned ashen.
In this forsaken place, magic was but a whispered legend.
The few Language of Nature she had once mastered now lay dormant, silenced, offering no solace or guidance.
Upon hearing this, Ethan could no longer remain seated.
Despite his pain, he forced himself up from the bed and stepped outside the room.
He was immediately taken aback by the sight that greeted him.
"What is this?" Ethan exclaimed in astonishment.
Before him rose a mountain of bones, composed entirely of shattered remains.
Among them, he recognized bones that were all too familiar: the skeletal remains of Dragons, Mountain Dwarves, and even bones of demons from age-old tales.
These bones were haphazardly piled together, presenting an awe-inducing spectacle.
"Scrapyard," Lana Mokos uttered, then elaborated, "That's what the natives call it. This is a dumping ground for corpses, akin to a sewer. Only, the conditions here are far worse than any sewer. The spot we're in is probably the only somewhat clean place."
"Everywhere out of sight is littered with rotting corpses," she continued. "And one more thing: if we're to stay here, we need to pay rent."
Ethan was left utterly stunned by Lana Mokos's words.
Ethan quickly grasped the situation.
Within his view, several children approached, each carrying bundles that dwarfed them in size.
As they trudged forward, they regarded Ethan with detached tones, "You're awake? This woman said when you wake up, you'd settle the rent for staying here."
"It's time to keep your word," one added.
Stunned, Ethan turned to Lana Mokos.
She simply stated, "After you shattered the barrier, I had no choice but to open a random space gate. I lost all my belongings in transit."
"As for their so-called rent," she continued, "it's just ordinary gems. Given your Dragon Bloodline, I assume you've collected plenty?"
Ethan sighed deeply after hearing Lana Mokos's words.
He instinctively reached for his Space Ring. The next instant, his expression turned priceless.
"It seems you've forgotten. Although I still have my Space Ring, there's no magical energy here. I can't access it," Ethan confessed.
Lana Mokos was taken aback.
The child who had spoken earlier now looked furious, challenging them, "So, neither of you can pay the rent?"
"I'm sorry, it's just a temporary setback," Ethan replied sincerely.
However, the children weren't having any of it.
They dropped their bundles and lunged at Ethan, shouting in unison, "Seize these two deceivers and feed them to the Demonsaur!"
Seeing this, Ethan lamented, "I'm truly sorry, it wasn't intentional. And you kids better not try anything. I really don't want to hurt any of you."
Even without magic at their disposal, both Ethan and Lana Mokos were formidable in their own right.
However, to Ethan's astonishment, something unexpected occurred.
These were merely children, yet their strength was bafflingly formidable.
Even with all his might, Ethan couldn't outmatch their combined force.
In no time, Ethan was bound, and so was Lana Mokos.
Glancing over at Lana, who still looked nonchalant despite her constraints, Ethan couldn't help but question, "Do you have an inkling about what's odd with them?"
"I have my suspicions," Lana Mokos admitted.
This time, they were tied separately, each to a bone pillar. After her brief admission, Lana Mokos fell silent.
Meanwhile, Ethan noticed another oddity.
Though these children seemed angered, professing intentions of feeding them to the so-called Demonsaur, their behavior hinted otherwise.
There was a palpable excitement in their eyes, akin to the anticipation of meeting someone of great significance.
A leader here, or perhaps a manager?
Ethan pondered.
Soon after, Ethan felt the group come to a halt.
Then, a gentle voice echoed, "Link, what is the meaning of this? Haven't I told you they are our esteemed guests? Why have you bound them this way?"
"But Grandpa Ba, precious things are often tied up like this," the young boy named Link retorted.
Seemingly taken aback, Grandpa Ba reluctantly replied, "Release them at once."
"Very well," Link responded, subsequently setting Ethan and Lana Mokos free and loosening the ropes.
Only then did Ethan really notice the old man before him, the so-called Grandpa Ba from Link's reference.
He wasn't a human but an aged Elf, his face crisscrossed with wrinkles.
This caught Ethan off guard.
Among nearly all Elven communities, elves typically bore graceful, captivating features.
Even when nearing the end of their lifespan, their visage remained relatively youthful, devoid of the creases and age spots common in elderly humans.
But Grandpa Ba was different.
"I am a half-blood, born of both human and Elf. This appearance is due to an erosion I suffered," Grandpa Ba, sensing Ethan's puzzlement, began to explain.
He then warmly greeted Ethan and Lana Mokos, "Honored guests, welcome to the Scrapyard."
Upon hearing Grandpa Ba's words, Lana Mokos finally broke her silence. She inquired, "Sir, might I ask the nature of your relationship with the Jogos family?"
Hearing this, Grandpa Ba momentarily froze before questioning, "How did you come to know of the Jogos lineage?"
"From books," she replied, adding, "And some from what my teacher imparted."
Grandpa Ba nodded, continuing, "I am known as Ba Jogos, of the Jogos lineage. But the Jogos family has been decimated. I am all that remains."
He spoke with a remarkable calm, showing no trace of sorrow on his visage.
Upon hearing the elderly man before her confirm this identity, Lana Mokos's eyes lit up with a hint of elation. She addressed him directly, "I hail from the Mokos lineage."
"The Mokos lineage?" Ba Jogos mused, seemingly trying to dredge up a distant memory.
After a moment of contemplation, realization dawned on him, "Ah, it all comes back to me now. You are the descendant of that young one who ventured here years ago. He remembered this place and passed down its tale."
"The one you speak of was my great-grandfather," Lana Mokos revealed.
She continued, "Upon his return from this place, he led his warriors and founded a vast kingdom. To my knowledge, my great-grandfather once summoned numerous magi in an attempt to deduce the space coordinates of this location. Yet, a precise location eluded them, leaving this as a lingering regret in his heart."
"Moreover, I believe my arrival here was guided," Lana Mokos confided, gracefully removing a necklace that rested against her collarbone.
It might seem like a simple piece, but here, in this desolate expanse, it shimmered with exceptional rarity.
The gemstone embedded within glowed faintly, a beacon of magic.
The presence of such an enchanted artifact in a magic-devoid land was truly an enigma.
Ba Jogos's gaze fixed on the necklace, a torrent of memories flooding back.
With gentle hands, he accepted the necklace, feeling its familiar aura.
His voice, laden with curiosity, gently probed, "When you entered, what era was it outside?"
"By the years counted from my great-grandfather's time, it would be the 136th year since his arrival," Lana Mokos responded, then added, "However, if you're referring to the timeline set by those Ancient Kingdoms, I cannot say, for we are in the dark about it."
"What does this 'not knowing' signify?" Ba Jogos pondered aloud.