Starting from primitive world, building the strongest divine kingdom

Chapter 242: Chapter242:Competing for Magic Crystal

After Enzo shared his conjecture with Melissa, she turned her gaze towards the statue he was pointing at. The statue's features remained indistinct and weathered, yet certain intricate details were still discernible.

This revelation left Melissa astounded.

Her expression turned grave as she asserted with unwavering certainty, "This is Clyde, there's no mistaking it!"

However, she soon fell into a state of confusion, murmuring softly, "Why would Clyde's body be transformed into a statue? And why are there so many statues here? Could it be that they all belong to those who perished in Dragons Land?"

Enzo mirrored her seriousness.

The secrets concealed within Dragons Land exceeded his wildest imaginings, and this realm was merely a fragment of the vast supernatural trial space.

Other regions might harbor even greater mysteries.

At that moment, unbeknownst to Enzo and Melissa, there was a hidden space above them—a grand palace occupied by a peculiar assembly of beings. They observed the unfolding scenes depicting the various areas of the trial space.

Then, a voice broke the silence.

"This time, the supernatural trial is on a much larger scale, perhaps rivaling some of the challenges in Starry Sky. Unfortunately, this is merely a small world, and truly gifted individuals remain few." A figure clad in a black robe spoke, his tone dripping with disdain for the participants of the trial.

"Nicolet, the rules of Starry Sky do not apply here."

Another voice chimed in. If Enzo were present, he might recognize the speaker as Dorek.

At this moment, Dorek appeared markedly more serious than he had at Steles Amusement Park, and he seemed to be at odds with Nicolet. Upon hearing Dorek's words, Nicolet retorted, "Dorek, we are tasked with selecting candidates who align with the master's inheritance, not weaklings like insignificant insects."

These words was undeniably pointed.

The gathering of individuals was not for trifling matters but for Enzo.

Indeed, when Enzo arrived, the attention he received stemmed from the regard held by Profaner Melokuhle, who, as the overseer of several guardians in the trial space, commanded significant respect.

The proud black dragon Nicolet held Disaster World in contempt.

And Enzo was no exception.

At this juncture, observing Dorek's silence, Nicolet spoke again, "I am not questioning Lord Melokuhle's judgement, but I believe we ought not to place excessive hope in Enzo. In the past, Lord Melokuhle favored Rexfit and Maude, yet one is now deceased while the other is untraceable. This indicates that Lord Melokuhle's predictions can often be miscalculated.

Naturally, I prefer to believe that the inhabitants of this world are simply inferior to those of Starry Sky."

"Nicolet, be silent."

A deep voice interjected.

Nicolet turned towards the source of the voice, which belonged to an elder clad in a crimson robe, Shivard, the red dragon among the Five-Colored Dragons. He cast a disdainful glance at Nicolet and stated, "Lord Melokuhle's decisions are not subject to our scrutiny. Moreover, we have lingered too long in anticipation. We cannot afford further delay. This time, we must identify a suitable heir.

Otherwise, what awaits us is utter annihilation."

Once the conversation concluded, a profound silence enveloped the gathering, and Nicolet refrained from uttering another word.

...

Dragons Land.

Upon emerging from the peculiar cluster of statues, Enzo and Melissa immediately sensed a shift. The trials within Dragons Land felt as though they had been thrust into overdrive. A frenzy overtook the participants as they unleashed formidable techniques to vanquish the magical beasts, leaving Enzo with the impression that the crowd had inexplicably multiplied.

"What is happening?"

Enzo mumbled to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, Melissa gasped, pointing skyward. "Enzo, look there!"

The once azure sky now bore a crimson banner, displaying the rankings of those who had slain magical beasts, with a bold inscription proclaiming: Only the teams that secure a place in the top ten are eligible to partake in the subsequent trials.

This statement carried an unsettling implication.

Enzo furrowed his brow, contemplating, "Other trials..."

In that moment, clarity dawned upon him as he turned to Melissa, exclaiming, "I understand! According to Carol, the master of the trial space, Boyega, has captured the Five-Colored Dragon. When I entered, I witnessed the red dragon and learned dissimilar information... Coupled with this, it is almost certain that this iteration of the Dragons Land trials encompasses more than one.

It is highly probable that different dragons correspond to distinct trials, and only by conquering all trials can one truly complete Dragons Land."

Melissa nodded in agreement, affirming, "That must be the case."

She then glanced up at the rankings overhead, stating, "We must quicken our pace. The list only reflects the top ten, and we currently do not feature among them. The sole piece of good news is that the gap in the number of Magic Crystals to reach the tenth place seems to be minimal."

It must be said that the emergence of the rankings has intensified the competition among the participants.

What piqued Enzo's curiosity was that Cromwell and Dandil's group had also not made it onto the leaderboard, indicating that something must have gone awry.

However, Enzo chose not to dwell on this. The immediate priority was the hunt for magical beasts.

As one magical beast after another fell to their efforts, Enzo and Melissa finally ascended into the top ten, a significant motivation for the other contenders.

The frenzy of hunting magical beasts grew more fervent among the crowd.

Meanwhile, in the magical beast Gathering Place uncovered by Dandil, those he had invited—including Cromwell—found themselves embroiled in a perilously challenging battle.

The magical beasts proved unexpectedly formidable, far beyond their capabilities. Alarmingly, these creatures seemed to possess extraordinary intelligence, adeptly discerning the tactics employed by Cromwell and the others, and even displaying proficiency in various spells.

This revelation struck Dandil and his companions with a profound sense of foreboding.

"Flee! Our only option is to escape. We are utterly outmatched!" Dandil shouted in terror.

Upon hearing this, Cromwell harbored the same thought, yet his heart seethed with indignation over Enzo's situation, causing him to disregard the peril at hand. He turned to Dandil, accusingly declaring, "Dandil, it is your false intelligence that has led us into this danger! Therefore, to ensure the survival of others, you must make a small sacrifice!"

Dandil's face paled as he cried out, "Cromwell, what do you intend to do?"

"What do I intend?" A cold smirk spread across Cromwell's face. Seizing the moment while Dandil was preoccupied with a powerful magical beast, he launched a surprise attack, kicking Dandil toward the creature, and remarked, "Dandil, thank you for your contribution!"

Upon finishing his words, Cromwell swiftly led his party away from the encirclement of the magical beasts, escaping the perilous realm.

Dandil found himself engulfed in utter despair.

Yet, as the magical beasts surrounded him, they did not strike him down immediately. Instead, they seized him, binding him with ropes, and escorted him before the leader of the magical beasts.

Could there be a glimmer of hope?

A yearning for survival surged within Dandil as he raised his gaze to the leader, attempting to communicate, "Esteemed Lord, I did not intend to offend you. I merely mistook you for the magical beasts of Dragons Land. I beg for your forgiveness."

The leader of the magical beasts, clad in a brown hide coat and wielding a scepter crafted from unknown bones, adorned with vibrant feathers from some exotic bird, possessed a gaze that was both profound and laden with unspoken longing.

At last, the leader spoke, "You may refer to me as Chief Invicta. The creatures you call magical beasts were once my kin. Yet now, they have lost their reason, reduced to mere savages driven by instinct. Such is the fate of the Shadow Clan, an inescapable destiny witnessed by the immortal deity.

Only those like you, endowed with remarkable talent and recognized by Lord Profaner, possess the power to help us break this curse. Thus, I seek your assistance."

Dandil was utterly taken aback.

Shadow Clan, Lord Profaner… these were entities he had never encountered, and he was acutely aware of his own limitations. Perhaps possessing some supernatural talent, but certainly nothing as grand as Invicta suggested.

It was evident that Invicta had misjudged the situation.

Dandil cautiously reminded, "Chief Invicta, I may not possess the capabilities you speak of to aid the Shadow Clan, nor do I have any acquaintance with Lord Profaner."

"Impossible!" Invicta retorted emphatically.

He asserted with unwavering confidence, "You bear the essence of the Mithril Crystal Key, an essential token for entering the Emerald Tower. Such an item could only be bestowed by Lord Profaner himself. My senses do not deceive me. You are indeed the one the Shadow Clan has awaited for so long! Should you choose to assist, the Shadow Clan is prepared to offer all its wealth!"

Dandil found himself increasingly bewildered by Invicta's words.

He struggled to grasp their meaning but was acutely aware that Invicta had mistaken him for another.

He was certainly not the individual Invicta referred to.

If not him, then who could it be?

Cromwell, that rascal…

As this thought crossed his mind, a surge of anger welled within him, prompting a swift rejection of that notion.

Suddenly, a name emerged in his thoughts.

He turned to Invicta, his voice laced with excitement, "Chief Invicta, I believe I know who you are truly seeking!"

Invicta's expression remained calm as he inquired, "Who is it?"