When Gillian and Peony arrived, the group, now made of 14 people, climbed over the fallen tree and entered the Dead Forest. Five were Kyron, Snake, Lynn and the twins, three, Byron, Peony and Gillian, then Tsundria and her group of five.
They didn't encounter any monster inside. Maybe it was because of the lack of food inside the forest or the gloomy skies above it.
Dispite this, the group was cautious and kept quite. Though no monster they had encountered yet, it would be foolish to fully believe there was none.
Lightnings illuminated their way every now and then, loud bangings following them. The experience alone was scary.
'This must have been called the Dark Forest, instead!'
Thankfully, after fifteen to twenty minutes, the group exited the forest. What awaited them was even more frightening. The forest had led them on top of a cliff, only steam visible above a vast chasm below. If the world was a table, the cliff looked like its edge.
This explained why there were no monsters inside the forest. No monster could climb the trunk of the fallen Kawa nor climb this cliff to enter the forest. Even those who could fly could not bypass the stormy skies above.
'Scary!'
Everyone turned to look at Byron, disdain and anger obvious on Kyron and Tsundria's faces. Who would not get angry? He had told them he knew the way. Where it lead them?
'Goddess of Beauty, what's this?'
While others were blaming him, he turned to the goddess to blame her, too. He had came here following her instructions, after all.
"It's been almost a thousand years since I last visited the dungeon. Too many things have changed. However, I'm sure that this is the exact way I used. I cannot forget this forest though it was a dense green back then."
'Damn! She also doesn't know!'
This meant that Byron had to find a way to clean this mess alone. He glanced at the people around him and took a step without telling them anything. No one else had dared to step forward to get closer to the cliff's edge. Countless cracks were visible. A sign of danger.
"What are you doing?"
It was Peony. She didn't want to loose her husband.
"Trying to take a look down there."
He took another step.
"Wait!"
She closed the distance between them and placed her hand into his. She then gestured for Gillian to step forward. Surprisingly, Tsundria was the one quick to come forward.
'Is she caring, or...' Byron thought as he saw her place her left hand in Peony's, offering her right one to Gillian who was behind her. One by one, others joined the chain.
Even Kyron didn't refuse!
Byron would have asked what they were doing, but it was obvious. They were making a human chain to pull him should the need arise.
"Your weight might cause the edges to crumble," Peony tried to explain her actions.
"Thank you!"
"Stay alive!"
'If only all wives were as wise as her!'
Feeling touched, Byron cautiously walked forward. Soon, the sight from below the canyon came into his view, growing larger and larger as he bent his body forward. What he saw, made him shudder.
He wandered his eyes for a little with grim expression and pulled himself upward when he felt like his arm was about to diattatch itself from his shoulder.
He then walked to the safe area.
"What's there?" Tsundria.
Byron pointed in front of him.
"That's not a natural mountain. It had once been connected to this land we're standing on. Well, that was before a landslide or whatever that created this wide canyon happened."
He didn't give them any second to ask questions.
"They're several types of Infected Monsters roaming the valley below, most of them larger than the biggest of those wolves we fought on our way here."
"How was Uncle able to reach it then?" it was Kyron. For the first time, he had asked a good question. How did that guy who once came to the Dungeon of Desires reached there?
Byron could think of only one answer.
"Since he perished with all those he had brought, maybe the calamity led to the creation of this canyon happened while he and his team were on the other side."
Kyron seemed to agree with Byron. The guy might have reached the dungeon before there was a split in the ground then witnessed the calamity at his second visit.
'Poor guy!'
"What do we do now?"
It was Lynn. The short guy, chubby and bald. The one who weilded an axe.
"Let's go check if the dungeon is truly there." Tsundria.
At her words, Byron didn't ask how they would reach there. The Venomous Beauty had a griffin. The canyon was not too much of an obstacle.
"Oh! We almost forgot that you have a griffin," said the girl with black hair. The one Tsundria had introduced in a weird way. "Go there and tell us what's there."
No one seemed to have any objections to her idea.
"That's the plan!" Byron gave Tsundria a go ahead nod.
Just like that, the white mist illuminated the area, Tsundria hopping onto the griffin that formed out it. However, she didn't fly right away.
"Come!"
She was staring at Byron.
"Huh?"
Byron was confused. Why was she telling him to come?
"Have you thought I'll go all alone in a place I don't know?" she asked. "What if something happens?"
Maybe that was true. She might have been frightened by the idea of going alone. However, something about her seemed suspicious especially the look she was giving Peony.
Byron had not got a chance to privately talk to Peony about Tsundria, but he knew what the look on their faces meant. Distrust, suspicion and fear. There was some kind of tension between them. To make matters worse, it was always increasing whenever Peony tried to get closer to Byron.
"Byron is weak," Peony managed to speak. "Why don't you pick one of your people?"
Tsundria chuckled.
"Byron can send a message by his portals to inform you what's going on. He can also fly with his bubbles in case of an accident or what. Who else has those?"
Even if Tsundria could be having ill intentions, she had a reasonable point for choosing Byron. Well, why would Byron refuse? It was his chance to ride on a griffin and hug slim waist...
'Stop fooling around!'
...It was his chance to openly discus the God of Desires with her. To ask her who she really was. Byron was sure that she had smelled God of Desires's scent from him. That she wanted to be alone with him and maybe ask him some questions, too. Though it seemed scary, he was never going to tame her without first talking to her. He had to accept her offer.
Peony stared into Byron's eyes with concern, making Gillian also look scared.
"It's OK! We're going to be flying. No monster can get to us." he tried to assure her though he knew what exactly she was afraid of. The rider, not the monsters.
Peony nodded but didn't forget to hold Byron's hand firmly. Byron felt something magical flowing from her palm into his body and gave her a questioning look.
She just nodded at him and stepped backwards to show him he could go.
Byron turned around and hopped onto the mighty griffin. Something had changed. His speed and vision. Fast and sharp. 'What did Peony do to me just now?'
'Will ask her.'
He thought as he wrapped his arms around Tsundria's top-notch body. Despite his Obsidian Veil—the strong black armor that the Patriarch gave him the day he finished his first expedition—Byron could feel the temperature within his body rising at the thought of having Tsundria's body pressed against his.
'Mindset, I guess!'
On the other hand, Tsundria didn't hesitate to drive her griffin off the ground. They soon found themselves flying over the kilometer wide canyon. No one said a word until they were in the middle.
"How many did you kill so far?"
This question startled Byron. It was not his first time being asked the same question. Peony had asked it, too, wanting to know where he found the God of Desires scent.
"You already know that I'm weak," he instinctively replied. "How can I kill someone, let alone several?"
He was hoping that Tsundria would buy it. Of course she didn't.
"There's no other way you can obtain God of Desires scent," she replied. "So, don't try to be clever with me," her tone held coldness within. "Tell me how many you and that bitch had killed. I also want to know if it's Skylark who sent both of you to kill me, too."
"What are you talking about?" Byron tried to reason with her. He was on her griffin. If she was assuming that he was there to kill her, who knows what she would do to him?
"I don't know who's Skylark nor are we planning to kill anyone. I'm just a..."
Tsundria didn't buy it.
"It seems like you want us to do it the hard way."
"Are you crazy or something?" It just slipped out Byron's mouth. "We just met. Why would I try to kill you?"
"Just met?" she mocked. "I saw that bitch infuse you with some of her powers. You have God of Desires' legacies. You're a threat to my existence. Better tell me if it's Skylark or suffer from the consequences."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Byron would never forget what she did next.
***We're about to go premium. I hope I'll see you guys there. Those who don't mind leaving a review, I need at least eight. It'll be a great motivation. Da-nk U so-oh-match!