As the commanders of the goddess of Udea, and the goddess, Eva. And those from the Phoenix and dragon passed through the spatial tunnel connecting to the miniature world, their vision was blinded by chaotic energy which flickered violently.
Many of the weaker ones turned pale as they felt the energy raging wildly around them. The energy constantly struck outwards viciously at the foolish beings who intruded into its domain, but a transparent barrier constantly kept the violent energy storm away.
If not for the barriers erected by their respective commanders and comrades, the weaker ones without a means to contain the violent energy storm among the groups would've already been reduced to lumps of flesh.
"Amazing, so this is what it's like to traverse through a spatial rift." Charlotte mumbled to herself. Her beautiful sapphire-like eyes reflected the chaotic scenery before her. Although the chaotic energy storm could easily make the most courageous warriors tremble in terror, Charlotte was memorized by its unnatural beauty.
"It's dangerous, stay close to me." Ethan whispered gently into her ears as he held her hand firmly, Charlotte nodded and tightened her grip on his hands in return.
"The entrance is only a little further ahead." Reaper said, his body moved swiftly with incomprehensible speed, whenever the violent streams of energy approached them occasionally, he would slash with his black scythe, creating a temporary path for safe travels.
Levi, Kira and Clarck supported their respective groups, deflecting the approaching storm of energy away. As they exited the spatial rift, the scenery of the vast blue-sky along with a forest of greenery filled their vision.
It was a vast world; the sky was tinted a deep shade of blue and many fluffy white clouds could be seen drifting through the open skies.
"So, this is the miniature world, it's much more peaceful than I anticipated." Monica said, her gorgeous gem-like eyes widening in both surprise and admiration at the beautiful scenery around her.
"... It's not just its beauty, the mana in the atmosphere is also so pure, I can already imagine all the animals and plants life here must be extremely healthy and full of vigour." Valeria also appreciated the sight before her.
The mana was so pure it was as if it was untainted by the world. If a mortal human who only had a meagre lifespan were to stay here for several years, they would've been reinvigorated to the point of living for several decades.
"Don't let your guard down. Who knows what danger may lay beneath its superficial beauty." Levi warned sternly. Unlike the rest who were admiring the beauty of the miniature world, he was the only one indifferent to it all.
Currently, the group was suspended roughly several thousand meters above ground level.
"Just how vast is this miniature world? Even my spiritual sense can't reach its boundaries." Clad in flickering golden lightning, Aratiri uttered those words with disbelief. Currently, his spiritual senses had completely enveloped tens of thousands of kilometres of the miniature world, nothing within those ranges could go unnoticed by him.
But to his surprise, even when his spiritual senses continue to increase, he has yet to detect the boundary of the miniature world. Levi furrowed his brow and also released his spiritual senses. The range of his spiritual senses continued outwards for approximately several hundred thousand kilometres, but even he had yet to reach its boundaries.
"Strange, I've never seen a miniature world as large as this, is it boundless?" Levi grimaced sternly. He felt a sense of foreboding about this situation.
"I-Impossible!" Valeria and Monica were also taken aback, both wore incredulous expressions. Generally, miniature worlds were only known to be several thousand meters in diameter.
Although the size increases the higher their grades, it shouldn't have been to the point that its boundaries go beyond their inhuman senses.
They were, of course, Demi-gods and demi-goddesses, as well as Phoenix's and dragons. Their senses were far beyond normal standards. And yet, the reality lay before them. They all hovered above the vast forest, flourishing with greenery with slightly confused expressions.
Their backs were all adorned with large wings of varying kinds. All they could perceive around them is the vast forest that goes on as far as the eyes could see.
"Fuhaha! I bet I could circle this entire miniature world faster in the time it takes you to blink." Maurice said, as he sent Aratiri a leering smirk.
"Is that a challenge?" Aratiri glared back to him coldly. He was the fastest demi-god among his fellow commanders. Naturally, he has a lot of pride in his speed.
"Honestly, these two." Monica gently caresses her temple as she heaved a sigh. They were currently in an unfamiliar world, it was unknown if most of them would even make it back in one piece, yet instead of worrying about their own safety, they were more concerned about fighting with each other.
"Humph, always the babysitter of your own group. I guess that it's to be expected from you, Monica." Valeria said, with a shrug of her slender shoulders. Her black feathered wings flapped softly, as she hovered at a distance neither too far nor too close.
"What was that?" Monica furrowed her brow slightly. She stared into the violet eyes of Valeria sullenly. Although they stood on opposing sides, and had fought numerous times, their relationship was never that bad.
"I'm not trying to insult you or anything. Actually, it would do wonders for us if you became too preoccupied taking care of the leaches of your own squad. Who knows, perhaps things would be easier for us." Valeria added nonchalantly. Although her voice was gentle, it did hide a sense of mockery. She then sent a sidelong glance towards the rest of the followers of the goddess, Udea.
Aside from the commanders present, the others were hardly a challenge for them. They mostly consist of former humans who have yet to truly experience battles between demi-gods.
Meanwhile, those on the goddess, Eva side were all the elites. It was clear who held the advantage in this situation.
Noticing that, Monica's glare became filled with murderous intent towards Valeria, who simply smiled as though she was oblivious to the malicious intent directed towards her.
{What should we do? This world definitely contains some great treasure, but with how vast this miniature world is, finding it will be difficult. It's not different from finding a small gem in the vast desert.} Ethan frowned, as he sent a telepathic message towards his comrades and fellow commanders.
Since they couldn't rely on their spiritual senses, there was no way to tell which way they were supposed to go. As such, they could only split up and search different areas themselves.
But many of them were extremely cautious and wary of being stabbed in the back, they were all standing on opposing sides. There was no telling when or where they would be attacked, so they were on high alert. Particularly, the weaker ones who were unable to guarantee their own safety.
The Phoenix's ignored those from the faction of the goddesses and glared at the dragons as though they were their greatest enemy. Similarly, the dragonkin's all glared at the Phoenix's.
With the relationship between the Phoenix empress and dragon emperor in mind, the grievances between them were irreconcilable. Their hatred for each other ran deep. It was basically etched into the deepest core of their bloodline, just being in the same area had stimulated their urge to be embroiled in an intense battle.
The atmosphere became heavy, it seemed like a life and death battle was about to begin.
{Indeed, I'm also concerned about the others. Even if we ignore those of the Phoenix and dragon race, things could get messy.} Monica voiced her concerns with a sullen frown on her beautiful face.
{That's not all… Even if we find something good, we'll have to go through bloody wars to obtain the treasure. Shouldn't we use this opportunity to take out as much of their forces as we can?} Ethan added, his hand was already grasping the hilt of his sheath sword.
Reaper furrowed his brow slightly as he pondered to himself. With the absence of the spear queen, Louisa, he was the leader of this group. Whether they fought or not depended solely on his wimps.
However, for a moment he was unable to come up with a decision, before the situation developed into bloody wars he had to take into account the safety of his men.
{Let's wait and see… While the chances for us to go to war are high, let's not stir the pot just yet.} He decided on a wait and see approach. With the current situation where the other side had yet to make the first move, this was the best decision possible.
It seems Levi also had the same decision as well. They were currently on equal standing.
In a world as strange and mysterious as this, enemies could be lurking everywhere. Who knows what was in store for them. Although his instincts were certain that this peace was only temporary, and would last only a short moment, he could only accept it for now.
"We are going on ahead. If you two wish to fight, you are free to do as you like, just don't get in our way or I won't hold back." From the dragon race, Clarck declared boldly and arrogantly.
He seems to not be concerned about the hidden dangers of this world, as his green draconic eyes were cold and indifferent. He stared straight ahead. His body, which boasted incredible physical strength exuded an immense amount of magical energy.
His draconic wings flapped roughly as he began his ascend. He directly ignored the rest of the group and promptly flew off along with his men.
"Wha!" The force of Clarck's sudden acceleration generated a fierce shockwave which many of the relatively weaker warriors gathered nearby were unprepared for, they all flew backwards from the sudden wind pressure.
His speed as a dragonkin was already beyond what could be physically perceive with the naked eyes, in just a matter of moments, his figure gradually grew smaller in their gaze until he had disappeared from view, hidden amongst the scarce clouds.
Even with their senses as demi-gods and demi-goddess respectively, they were unable to sense his current location. He had completely left the detection range of their spiritual senses as well.
Although he wanted to enjoy a harsh battle with those of the Phoenix race gathered here, and even tame some of them, he prioritized the orders of his emperor. That was naturally to obtain the rare resources and treasures of the miniature world.
"Ugh, I won't let you!" From the Phoenix race, Kira clenched her fist. Within her beautiful blue pupils, reflected the location Clarck had disappeared. Bluish white flames gathered around her slender figure as she flew off after him at a tremendous speed.
She cared not for the valuable treasures or resources of this miniature world. The duty the Phoenix empress had entrusted to her was to keep a watchful eye on those of the dragon race. If they found any rare treasures capable of harming her empress, it was her duty to stop them from taking it back by any means necessary.
As a Phoenix, her physical body was vastly inferior to those of the dragon race. But in terms of speed, she was no way inferior to Clarck's at all. A trail of flames was left behind as she disappeared. With the departure of both the Phoenix and dragon race, Reaper and Levi exchange eye contact. Afterwards, they directly ignored each other and flew off in different directions at a tremendous speed.
The scenery changed rapidly in their field of vision as they crossed roughly several thousands of kilometres in mere seconds. However, unbeknownst to them, the miniature world they had foolishly chosen to enter of their own accord was not unlike any other miniature worlds.
The moment they appeared in this world they were already being watched by someone, or rather, something. From within the vast forest, hidden amongst the leaves, a figure sat on one of the tree branches which towered high above the forest. His cold and ancient eyes gazed up at the sky with indifference. He gave off no pulse of energy.
"Hmph, this world isn't some playground for you to do as you please." The figure murmured those words coldly. His green eyes were not that different from a sharp sword ready to reap lives.
Although he was humanoid, he clearly wasn't human. His skin was a deep shade of green, and he had long green hair that reached his shoulders and emerald, green eyes.
Furthermore, he seems to be a part of the branch he was sitting on. And there were several vines growing from different parts of his body.
The man was from a rare species of plants that were believed to have gone extinct several million years ago during an invasion.
If the higher beings that govern the universe were to discover him here, they would most certainly be astounded.
"Fufu, would it be okay for me to kill them? I wouldn't mind draining their mana while I'm at it." A sweet, yet alluring voice suddenly echoed through the dimly lit forest, the voice was like the playful laughter of an innocent child.
It was impossible to discern the location or position of the voice. On the dried-up soil of dirt there was a single plant sticking out of the ground.
It was a beautiful flower with various colours adorning its leaves. The green-haired man thought for a moment before subsequently shaking his head indifferently.
"Let's leave them to the beast, I can sense these particular fellows are quite strong, let's not underestimate them." He said to the eager plant.
…
Far away in a clearing of the forest, the dragonkin, Clarck descended and scanned his cold eyes around the forest with deep interest. Several trees towered high above their heads, with a beautiful crystal-clear lake which cut a path through the grassy plains.
Without so much as a word, his body moved swiftly, disappearing, before he reappeared an instant later. He stood before a large tree filled with lush leaves. The tree was filled with fruits which, strangely enough resembles ripe peaches.
"This is… spiritual fruits? And judging by the density of spiritual energy surrounding it, their rank is very high." He exclaimed in surprised.
Spiritual fruits were exceptionally rare. A single one could quickly replenish depleted spiritual energy in no time at all. "It's not just that; all the trees here have spiritual fruits." One of the dragonkin's said, pointing towards the many trees in the surroundings.
Clarck quickly stored the peach into his storage ring, "Gather as many of them as possible! These fruits could bring great benefits to our emperor." He ordered, they wasted no time at all, quickly picking as much spiritual fruits as possible.
With their speed, most of the trees were empty, leaves scattered in the wind. However, at that moment a large serpent like creature suddenly swooped down, biting towards Clarck's back.
"Hmph, know your place, filth!" He roared.
His draconic aura suddenly erupted from his body like a torrent.
Bang!
The green serpents body exploded into tiny pieces once it had come into contact with his aura, lumps of bloody flesh rain down from the sky.
"Don't let your guards down, it seems we have invaded someone's territory." He said sternly, staring straight into the depths of the forest.
ROOAR!
At that moment a loud bestial cry echoed through the vast forest. Something slithered as the leaves rustled noisily. "Hmph, if these beasts intend on hindering our goal, then… They don't need to exist anymore."
"Sir Clarck, please allow me to deal with the beast that approaches, you can focus on collecting the spiritual fruits." A handsome young man dressed in armor approach Clarck and lowered his head respectfully.
He had slightly long shoulder length black hair and golden, draconic eyes.
On his back was a pair of black, draconic wings. His name was Carter, just like Clarck, he was also a high-ranking member among the dragonkin's which had gathered here.
"Understood, I shall leave it to you then." Clarck nodded and went towards the other trees containing spiritual fruits. With their departure, Carter turned his cold eyes towards the depths of the forest.
Draconic scales gradually covered his skin, as his dragon aura surged outwards.
Swish!
With a fierce swing of the creature's tail, the ground was razed, and several trees were uprooted and sent flying towards him. But he effortlessly evaded them with monstrous speed.
Carter moved rapidly in a zigzag, veering through the gaps of the trees. Suddenly, two serpents jumped towards his neck. "Hmph." But with his reaction speed, he was able to evade the sudden attack.
His skin was adorned with tough draconic scales, making it impossible to scratch. As such, they aimed towards his neck.
But Carter twisted his body, at the same time his hands clad in magical energy moved swiftly like sharp blades, cutting off the heads of the serpents before they could retreat.
As the trees soared through the air, he used them as a foothold, jumping higher into the sky, his draconic wings unfurl.
While being suspended in the air, he twisted his body, his hand rested on a large tree branch upside down as he kicked a piece of broken branch towards the serpent that lay hidden amongst the greenery of the forest at supersonic speed.
At the same time, the trees which had been sent flying fell towards the ground noisily.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A thunderous sound resounded as a cloud of dust was raised from the massive trees impacting the earth with great force. Once he had corrected his posture, he waited for the creature to make the next move, but it didn't seem to intent on fighting close range.
It hid inside the forest and blended in with the greenery as it attacked. Seeing that, Carter sneered.
He spread out his spiritual senses enveloping roughly a hundred meters of the forest. Even from afar, he could see the exact position and details of the serpent.
What he saw left him speechless. The serpent like creature was over fifty centimetres tall and was big enough to swallow a full-grown adult human in one gulp. Although this wasn't his first time seeing a serpent like beast before, this was easily the biggest he had ever encountered.
"... As expected, this miniature world is already so mysterious, the lifeform here must also be just as unnatural." He mumbled to himself. Although the serpent like beast was large, its size wasn't an issue for him, he was confident he could kill it with a single attack.
After all, if size was all it took then there wouldn't have been much need for him to face it in the first place. No one would willingly face a losing battle.
In his detection range he saw there were also many other small serpents slithering around. Carter quickly gathered his magical energy into his fist, he decided to eradicate them all in a single attack.
As the serpents warily eyed him suspiciously, it hissed and quickly retreated, sensing danger approaching.
"Running away, you should've done so from the beginning. But it's too late for such pointless things now… Draconic fist!" He bellowed, swinging his fist towards the large serpents retreating figure. At that moment, the air ruptured as a transparent draconic fist moved towards the serpent like beast.
It was so fast; it was no different from teleportation.
Draconic fist was a basic technique those from the dragon empire could use, but it packed enough punch to gouge out everything within a hundred kilometres in a straight line where it travelled.
The serpent like beast didn't even have time to dodge as its giant body crumpled and exploded into a bloody mist from the force, its blood scattering in the surroundings and staining the greenery red. It was at that moment when Kira and the other Phoenix's were closing in on them.
Kira's brow furrows slightly as she senses the attack. "W-Wait stop!" She yelled. In her vision, she saw the vast forest being razed and destroyed by an illusory draconic fist.
The fist continued onwards without weakening, its momentum packing enough of a punch to demolish the mountain range in the far distance.
BOOOOOM!
The earth-shaking rumble shook the forest for a long time before regaining its calm. However, at the foot of the mountain, there was an old temple which stood imposingly despite the destruction around it.
Although Carter's attacked held enough force to demolish the mountain range, for some reason the temple remained completely unaffected.
Around the temple, there were two statues which were sculpted beautifully. The concrete floor was covered in dirt and grime which meant it had most likely been a very long time since anyone had last come to this temple. But despite that, the statues were well polished and showed no signs of deterioration.
They depicted the image of a crescent moon and a sun, in the centre there was a single star. However, the seemingly ordinary looking statues radiated a mysterious almost divine aura.
The aura of the sun was noble and pure, almost appearing sacred. While on the contrary, the moon exuded a dark almost devilish aura, enough to chill one's bones.
Both auras were a complete contradiction and opposed each other, yet they complemented each other perfectly.