According to the Founder, the Corvinian Mountains can be described in two words.
Bloody Huge.
And Seventeen wholeheartedly agrees with that as he stared at the sheer peaks that broke the clouds. He measured the peaks and was amazed to see that they were taller than the ones back in Prime's Earth.
'The tallest peak is about 10000 meters.', he noted after calculating.
(That's taller than Mt Everest in my world.)
'And the Elder Mountains up north are taller than this range. That's crazy.'
(What is up with the sizes here? First a colossal tree and now mountains taller than Everest. This parallel world is crazy.)
'I am surprised the mountains haven't buckled under their own weight.'
(Gravity could be different since this is a separate universe.)
"Hey, Virgil. You're spacing out.", Zephyrus's voice called out to him.
"Oh. My apologies. I was just marveling at the sheer size of the mountains.", Seventeen replied. Jade smiled, "Indeed. One feels small when standing in front of these marvels of nature."
"They also have lots of natural magia.", Seventeen noted. He felt refreshed and more alert as his body took in the high-quality magia, "Is this a hotspot?"
Zephyrus nodded, "Indeed. These mountains are a treasure trove of minerals, magia, and secrets.", he remarked.
"Secrets huh.", Seventeen was thinking about it when a sudden spike in magia grabbed his attention. It was only for a second that even Zephyrus didn't notice it.
But Seventeen, with his sensors, was able to notice it clearly.
'What the heck? That is a huge amount of magia released in a short time.'
(You are right. The intensity is off the charts.)
'Can you pinpoint the location?'
(The sixth peak to the left from the mountain containing the Gateway. It's called Silent Mountain. As the name implies, no one knows what happens there and the few explorers who had dared to climb it have never returned.)
'Lovely. I should check it out after this assignment. I should inform the Headmaster about this. The magia density is not as much as Mt Raviel but it's similar. It must be well hidden since nobody noticed it till now.', Seventeen thought.
He followed Zephyrus and Jade to the huge cavern containing the Gateway. They passed many Cardinal Knights who are on active guard duty.
"So. What is the situation right now?", Zephyrus asked the Captain.
"We have a barrier with a radius of 2 km surrounding the entire site. As you may know, you can only enter if you have the bracelet on you. Following your orders, an entire squad is deployed to the site, owing to the dangerous environment of Ethereos."
"The Adventurer's Guild has also sent about 20 powerful warlocks and Ascalon Warlock Academy has sent a few of their scholars to investigate the creature. We also have a few Vahari to help us fight against the Revenants.", Jade summarised.
"Revenants?", Seventeen asked. He had heard about them but was not able to get much information.
"The natural enemy of the Vahari. The Revenants are said to have originated from the corpse of Lazarus after it was slain by the Vaharis king." Zephyrus explained.
"They are a terrifying combination of dragons and Vahari, the two races that fought against Lazarus. Those ugly buggers have been terrorizing the Vahari and us ever since the original creature was slain."
"Of course, the Vahari fight them with our support. But there is no end to the Revenants. And Ethereos is basically their home. So it is wise to bring a few Vahari with us.", Zephyrus added.
They entered the cavern and Seventeen was in awe at the size of the Rupture in front of him. He can see numerous enchantments on the pillars erected on both sides of the Gateway.
A small camp has been set up around the Gateway. Seventeen saw warlocks handling supplies and doing other jobs. A temporary workshop has been set up by Crafters to fix weapons and make enchanted items.
A dozen poles with teleport stones were erected throughout the camp to act as markers for people using their bracelets when they leave Lower Arken. Many warlocks were appearing at the markers with a pop as the three of them approached the Gateway.
The Cardinal Knights stood in attention as Zephyrus passed them. But most of them were looking at Seventeen with curious expressions.
But before they could enter the Gateway, a familiar cry echoed across the cavern. To the surprise of everyone except Seventeen and Zephyrus, Selene flew into the cavern and landed on her master's shoulder.
"Is that a Moon Falcon?"
"They are so rare."
"It landed on the masked person. Do you think he is the master?"
"Who is he?"
"I heard he's the new assistant of the Cardinal."
"To tame a Moon Falcon. He must be good."
These whispers filled the cavern as Selene, ignoring the commotion she caused, rubbed her head against Seventeen's mask.
"Hey, girl. You must be tired. Why don't you take a rest outside? Ethereos is a dangerous place.", Seventeen said to the falcon in a soft voice. Selene looked at him and nodded. She left his shoulder and flew outside.
"So that is your companion. Gray told me about her.", Jade said. She had a look of wonder, "I haven't seen a Moon Falcon in a long time."
Zephyrus on the other hand was frowning, "Se- Virgil, did you make Selene fly all the way from the academy?"
Seventeen shrugged, ignoring the slip Zephyrus made, "You know her Headmaster, she hates warp gates and would rather fly a long distance than enter one."
Jade looked between them, "Can we enter Ethereos now?", she asked.
Zephyrus nodded and the three of them entered Lower Arken.
As soon as he stepped into Ethereos, Seventeen collapsed on his knees.
"Virgil!", Zephyrus cried out as he and Jade rushed to Seventeen who was trembling all over.
These words came in Seventeen's vision as the system that works in the background to maintain his body made changes so that he can adapt to the environment.
(Looks like Ethereos is not a good place for artificial beings.)
'You think?', Seventeen grumbled in his mind as he slowly sat down on the hard ground.
"Are you alright Virgil?', Zephyrus asked in a concerned voice. "I am fine. It's just that my body couldn't handle the shock from the environmental change. Don't worry, give me five minutes and I will be okay."
Jade had a worried look, "I can ask my squad members to take you to camp. Ethereos is an extreme place. Some could not handle the sudden change."
"It's fine.", Seventeen waved his hand.
Seventeen dismissed these messages as he stood up and dusted his pants, "See? I am okay in five minutes."
Zephyrus was relieved, "Thank goodness. Don't scare me like that."
Jade smiled, "This is normal. I myself was much worse when I first stepped into Ethereos. I threw up so much that I was seeing rainbows for the rest of the day."
The three of them walked towards the site which they can see from far away. Seventeen could see the barrier shimmering in the distance from them. In some places, it was pulsing as many monsters attacked it.
He felt overwhelmed by the sheer size and hellish environment of Ethereos.
"Damn. I pity the fool who chooses a vacation in this hell.", he muttered.
(Who in their right mind would want to vacation here?)
'Masochists?'
(What do you have against masochists?)
They soon reached the site. Seventeen immediately felt an unpleasant presence. If evil could be a liquid, then the stuff is oozing from the massive skull.
He saw many warlocks milling around, scholars and researchers poring over the notes. Adventurers chatted with each other as they stood guard, some of them even helping the scholars. Cardinal Knights were patrolling the camp.
The uniforms of the Cardinal Knights vary between squads. But every Cardinal Knight uniform is unique. Like the combat uniform in the academy, they can be modified to the owner's liking.
The uniforms of Squad 22 were white and red with the squad number shown on the shoulders of their jackets. Seventeen could see so many styles and was amazed by them.
'If I ever become a captain, I will make my squad look cool with their uniforms.', he thought.
(That is a big if. Also, they're called the Cardinal Knights, not the Fashion Knights.)
'Shut up.'
He also saw three Vahari anchoring massive chains into the ground,
This was Seventeen's first time seeing the Vahari. The ones he saw are easily about 20 meters or taller.
Their skin is rough and covered by scales having the color of basalt rock. Their huge eyes glowed with the attribute they possessed and the gaps between their scales glowed with magia.
They wore custom armor over their shirts and pants. They yelled in their ancient tongue as they drove the anchors deep into the ground. The third one hooked the chains to the skull.
As soon as they entered the camp, the Cardinal Knights stood in attention while the adventurers acknowledged the presence of the Cardinal.
Seventeen looked at the skull and felt the urge to move as far away from it as possible. He was sure those empty eye sockets were staring right at him. He shuddered.
"Damn this thing gives me the creeps.", he said.
Zephyrus nodded, "Indeed. Ethereos is already bad. But being close to the skull is on another level. Is everyone using their enchantments properly?", he asked Jade.
She nodded, "Yes Cardinal. Everyone is taking their own safety seriously.", she nodded to the biggest tent, "Um. The scholars want to speak with you."
Zephyrus nodded, "Very well."
He turned to Seventeen, "Would you like to look around? Discussions with scholars can be tiring."
"I think I will look around. This is my first time in Ethereos after all.", the latter replied.
"Let me provide you with a guide.", Jade said and called one of the Cardinal Knights who was taking a break.
"Good day to you Cardinal.", the Knight stood in attention. "What is it Captain?", she asked Jade.
"Please guide this gentleman around the camp. This is his first time in Ethereos."
"Yes Captain.", she held out her hand to Seventeen, "I am Lily, pleased to meet you."
Seventeen nodded, "Same to you. I am Virgil.", he said as he shook hands with Lily. She had bright blue hair and eyes of the same color. Her uniform consisted of a red full sleeve shirt, white shorts, white boots, red gloves, and a white long coat.
She had a quiver of arrows and a bow strapped to her back.
She gestured towards the tents, "Let me show you around the camp and introduce you to my friends."
"That sounds wonderful.", Seventeen said with a smile behind his mask.