In the far north ice fields, at the Immortal Fortress.
Amidst countless piles of gold and gems, the enormous figure of a silver dragon, Garon, sat prominently.
He was carefully examining a skull that resembled the size and shape of an ordinary human's head but appeared to be made entirely of crystal-clear material.
This skull, a legendary magic item resembling a piece of art, was now in a semi-dormant state. It was unusable due to the lack of a key ingredient.
The bloodline of the high elves.
But now, Garon had obtained this missing component.
"Anointed with the blood of high elves, you shall be successfully activated," he said.
The high elf skull trembled slightly, as if responding to Garon's words.
Then, with a thought, Garon unleashed the power of time. The exiled moon elves, once banished outside the flow of time, were now drawn back into the river of time. Their pale figures materialized from nothingness, captured once again in Garon's powerful grasp, immobilized by his magic.
For the Moonlight Knight, it seemed only a moment had passed.
It felt like the world had spun around in the blink of an eye, from the howling snowy mountains to this treasure-laden, sealed nest.
Accustomed or numbed to such inexplicable circumstances, the Moonlight Knight's reaction was mild.
Meanwhile.
The Moon Elf, upon seeing the crystal skull held in Garon's other claw, was first stunned, then engulfed in rage.
Clearly, he recognized the skull, crafted from the body of a high elf, as an evil artifact, a grave insult and disrespect to the elven race.
"Evil dragon, you..."
The Moonlight Knight, face twisted in anger, began to speak.
But Garon, finding him annoying, silenced him with a localized time-stop.
After awakening, Garon's control over the time-stop realm had significantly improved. Now, he could target individuals close to him with time-stop, instead of enveloping everything in his vicinity.
This was more efficient, using less of Garon's time powers. Even if the target was a legendary creature, it wouldn't cost much to immobilize them with time-stop.
Garon's biological level had reached exactly thirty. However, this did not fully match his true strength, as the spell was less accurate on him.
At the very least, Garon felt his power had doubled compared to before. If other beings used the same spell on him and considered him just an ordinary level thirty legendary creature, they would be in for a surprise.
Back to the matter at hand.
As soon as the Moonlight Knight's major artery was sliced, blood - red with specks of silver, like sand mixed in - started flowing. The Knight's already pale face grew paler, and his aura weakened.
Thanks to the time-stop, he couldn't feel the pain of his life slowly draining away.
Meanwhile.
Almost as soon as the high elf's blood touched the air, the crystal skull burst into a bloody radiance and began to spin.
Garon let it move freely.
The dense blood light, like a crimson curtain, subdued the luster of the treasures in the nest, casting a dreadful, oppressive atmosphere. Garon's silver scales, too, were interwoven with bloody light.
In another part of the nest, Yuna shifted in her sleep, continuing to snore peacefully.
Soon.
The jaws of the crystal skull trembled violently, slowly opening towards the time-frozen Moonlight Knight.
The originally pearly white bone teeth, now stained blood-red, seemed more ominous.
Crack, crack, crack.
Amidst the crisp sound of clashing teeth.
The high elf's blood, as if drawn by an unseen force, floated off his skin, forming a tiny, blood-red stream in mid-air, swiftly swallowed by the crystal skull.
Blood-red patterns began to blossom on the surface of the skull, like vivid blood flowers, lending it a strangely beautiful yet sinister appearance.
"It seems sufficient," Garon nodded slightly.
His earlier worries were unnecessary.
The blood of a single legendary high elf was enough to satisfy the legendary artifact.
The skull, now resembling a red crystal, stopped its voracious absorption. The Moonlight Knight, not yet dead, lay beside it.
But what surprised Garon was, at the last moment of activation, the Knight's soul was also drawn out, mixed with his blood. The Knight, who still clung to life, died once again.
"Absorbing the soul as well?"
Garon narrowed his eyes.
Blood alone seemed sufficient for activation. The extraction of the Moonlight Knight's soul hinted at additional effects for the crystal skull.
Under Garon's will, the soul hovered in mid-air, and the skull conveyed a longing desire. It seemed the high elf's soul could upgrade its intelligence, enhancing its abilities and quality in all aspects.
After pondering for a few seconds, Garon released his control over the skull.
As the Moonlight Knight's soul looked around in confusion, the giant skull opened its mouth, its hollow eye sockets filled with greedy hunger.
Swoosh!
Under Garon's gaze, the crystal skull inhaled the soul, chewing vigorously. Amidst the cries and wails, the skull shredded and absorbed the soul, its surface flickering with moon-like luster.
Elemental lights twined around the skull, intensifying.
Minutes later, the lights stabilized.
The skull had transformed.
It now resembled a semi-transparent, ruby-like artifact, with lights flowing across its surface - an extraordinary magical item.
"Master, master."
The skull, speaking in an awkward Common tongue, addressed Garon.
Garon was momentarily surprised, then showed delight.
Legendary items possessing intelligence weren't unusual, but most were limited in their responses and couldn't communicate directly. This implied it could self-evolve.
Such legendary items aren't limited to their original capabilities. They know how to enhance themselves using specific materials, magic, or rituals.
There are tales of legendary items with extremely powerful intelligence that eventually controlled their wielders, fulfilling their own ambitions through their hosts.
"Master, please bestow a name upon me."
The skull's speech quickly became fluent.
A self-evolving legendary item was both precious and dangerous.
However, as long as its wielder remained more powerful, it couldn't exert control.
Garon didn't believe this item could outgrow him.
"A name."
Garon stroked his chin, pondering.
The crystal skull was from Halis, who had introduced Garon to the fear of death. The name would remind Garon of his resolve for revenge.
"Halis, from now on, this shall be your name."
"Thank you for your grace."
The skull bobbed up and down, its eye sockets flaring with fiery light.
It seemed alive.
Moments later, Garon's figure appeared beneath the icy skies.
Against the moonlight and snow, he stood firm on the fortress dome, his gaze sweeping over his domain.
"Halis, show me your power."
"Cast a mystic lock over my domain."
The skull's strongest ability was a high elven spell, the Mystic Lock Domain, lost to the ages. Besides, it bore numerous necromantic spells.
"As you wish, master."
The skull spun rapidly, almost blurring into a sphere of light.
Instantly, the elemental energy of the far north ice fields surged towards the skull.
Simultaneously, ripples radiated from the skull as the epicenter, extending far and wide. Interweaving elemental energies with high elven magic formed an expansive, yet invisible and tangible barrier at the edges.
The bowl-shaped barrier swiftly expanded, enveloping the land inch by inch.
Creatures within its reach, the stronger they were, the more acutely they sensed it.
To ordinary creatures, it was like a breeze passing by, barely eliciting a reaction. But for high-caliber spellcasters like Kritchens and Fred, they felt a deep concentration in space, as if it was filled with an intangible but potent force.
In a matter of breaths, a vast light screen barrier rose around the icy cliff territory. Invisible to the naked eye, its presence was subtly perceptible.
"Master, the Mystic Lock Domain is now active."
Garon flew higher, piercing the boundary of the Mystic Lock Domain near 7,000 meters. Overlooking the land below, he could clearly see the barrier cloaking the far north ice fields.
The Mystic Lock Domain had various functions. It could expel certain creatures, allow only specific ones to enter or exit, and suppress magic use and effectiveness. This sophisticated high elven spell was an incredibly powerful magical technique.
"No entry or exit," Garon commanded through his mental link with the artifact.
The next moment, the invisible screen flickered, exuding an impregnable aura.
Garon clearly saw a bumbling northern bear running towards the barrier. It collided head-on with the unseen Mystic Lock Domain and was repelled forcefully, dazed and confused.
"Ugh?"
The befuddled bear sat, looking perplexed.
It tentatively extended its claw towards the barrier. A barely perceptible ripple emerged, repelling its claw, preventing any advance.
Angered, the bear, now donned in thick ice armor, charged at the barrier with full force. Yet again, it was sent sprawling, its armor cracked, while the barrier remained unscathed.
Defeated, the bear sat at the edge of the Mystic Lock Domain, looking forlorn.
"Master, creatures below legendary status have no effect on the Mystic Lock."
"Even for those above legendary, breaking the barrier requires significant effort."
Garon nodded slightly.
Soon, he observed two high-level spellcasters, enveloped in magical aura, trying to fly towards his fortress, likely to inform him about the unfolding Mystic Lock Domain.
Garon smiled wryly and ordered, "Add a no-fly restriction to the Mystic Lock Domain."
Upon his command, the two spellcasters, who had just taken off, found their elemental energy nearly dissipated. The magical glow around them flickered uncertainly, causing them to land back on the ground.
"Even high-level spellcasters can be restricted like this. Not bad."
After the experiment, Garon lifted the flying restriction.
If he wished, he could even forbid the casting of spells within the Mystic Lock Domain. Of course, the effectiveness would depend on the caster's strength. Lower-level beings wouldn't be able to cast a single spell. However, high-level spellcasters could still perform magic, albeit under great suppression.
Dragon might surged from Garon, sweeping over the two spellcasters.
Realizing what was happening, they looked up to the skies, spotting the silver dragon amidst the clouds.
Kritchens and Fred breathed a sigh of relief and returned to their quarters.
Hovering in the frosty clouds, Garon didn't immediately return. Having just acquired the Mystic Lock Domain, he experimented with it tirelessly, like a child with a new toy.
The maximum range of the Mystic Lock Domain was far greater than the current area. However, it had its limits. The larger the area, the weaker the effect of the Mystic Lock.
Finally, Garon entered the Mystic Lock Domain and commanded it to expel true dragons.
At that moment, a powerful repulsion force emerged, attempting to eject Garon and other true dragons within the domain. The weaker white dragon guards were panicked, struggling to control themselves.
Meanwhile, Yuna in the main nest remained unaffected, merely looking around in confusion.
Garon himself easily resisted the expulsion force.
Seeing the white dragons tumbling out of the domain, he withdrew the command.
The confused dragons calmed down once they saw the silver dragon in the sky.
"Very good."
Garon was satisfied with the Mystic Lock Domain. It greatly enhanced the security of his wealth and territory. If used to its full extent, the domain could provide an incredible defense for his fortress.
Then, Garon learned about the materials needed to upgrade the crystal skull.
The skull required simple yet brutal ingredients: high elves. The blood and souls of high elves, lethal to their kind, could enhance the skull's abilities, whether it was the Mystic Lock or other minor powers. As for its limit, even the skull wasn't sure.
Garon looked up at the sky.
The moon hung high, its cold light making the stars around seem dim. The night sky resembled that of the Moonlight Knight's appearance.
"No high elves remain on the Continent of Noah."
"High elves from the Elven Lands, you are welcome in the far north ice fields. Come in greater numbers."
In the biting cold wind, Garon muttered to himself.
His innate disdain for elves made it easy to exploit them for the skull's nourishment, without any guilt or pressure. In fact, he felt oddly satisfied.
Garon now had a thought.
The Lava Sub-Plane, due to its connections with other planes, often attracted powerful beings or forces. Such resources were too tempting.
If the crystal skull could be enhanced sufficiently, and the Mystic Lock Domain could cover the entire Lava Sub-Plane, it might be possible to sever the connection with other planes using the Mystic Lock's power. Essentially, it would lock the Lava Sub-Plane, preventing any interplanar trespassers.
Garon considered the Lava Sub-Plane his private world.
But a world open to interplanar visitors could never be fully secure.
With the Mystic Lock Domain active and guarding the icy cliff territory, Garon issued various commands, like annihilating frost giants and forbidding unsanctioned legendary beings.
There were no hidden frost giants in the icy cliff territory, or they would have met their doom. In fact, the entire far north ice fields were now devoid of frost giants.
Initially, the city led by Balton was a massive frost giant force. Besides that, there were other smaller tribes scattered across the ice fields.
However, after Garon destroyed the city, he ordered his followers to eradicate the frost giant tribes. Over the years, the frost giants either fled or were buried in this cold world.
Meanwhile, just as Garon was about to delve further into the capabilities of the Mystic Lock Domain, an incident occurred in the Elven Lands.
In this green world, enormous ancient trees towered into the sky. Countless elves lived carefree lives in the Elven Forest.
In the towering, majestic temples surrounded by the great
trees, a powerful presence awakened.
"Who dares kill my cherished child?" boomed a voice from within the temple, as a pair of eyes filled with divine power opened in anger.
Among the elves, the most noble were the Day and Moon Elves. Those of high lineage were particularly beloved by the elven gods, their deaths always noticed. This god, previously slumbering, awoke due to the death of a high-ranking Moon Elf.
Thus, the wrathful gaze of the deity pierced the crystal barrier of the universe, crossing the Sea of Æther, fixing upon a small material world.
Suddenly, an overwhelming divine force descended upon the far north ice fields, causing the very space to feel solidified.
Garon's expression stiffened.
In an instant, he surmised that the death of the Moonlight Knight had attracted the attention of an elven deity, now searching for the killer.
"Killing those favored by gods always brings trouble," Garon mused, readying his time powers.
In a world where gods manifest, slaying their favored beings often incurs their wrath.
However, Garon wouldn't let the deity leave without a fight, not fearing retribution.
He wasn't alone. Not only could he summon his future self, but he could also seek the aid of the Metal Dragon God. This essentially meant support from nearly half of the Dragon Pantheon, bolstering Garon's confidence.
So, once he gathered his wits, Garon wasn't overly concerned.
In fact, he was eager to test his might against a divine avatar, to measure his current strength.
Garon knew his limits, aware that not all divine avatars were like the Black Serpent Dragon, manifesting fully in the material world. Often, they would choose to send a mere fraction of their power.
However, as the deity's gaze swept over the area, one of Garon's silver scales shimmered, revealing its original platinum hue.
A gift from the Metal Dragon God, this platinum scale emitted a faint divine vibration, shielding Garon from the extraplanar scrutiny.
"This..."
Garon blinked in surprise.
He hadn't known of this effect of the platinum scale.
The godly gaze lingered for a few seconds before vanishing, either failing to detect anything or choosing not to act, possibly due to fear of the Dragon God. The nearly solidified space around returned to normal.
The platinum scale flickered a few more times before reverting to its usual silver color, blending inconspicuously with Garon's scales.
"High elves are rare and revered. In the eyes of their gods, they might be as significant as Gold and Silver Dragons," Garon mused, relieved.
Though he felt slightly disappointed at not clashing with the divine avatar, avoiding conflict with a deity was generally for the best. Otherwise, retribution might follow when leaving the material plane.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Garon turned his attention back to the Mystic Lock Domain.
Soon after, he sensed a familiar presence.
Urbis, the greenish-black serpentine dragon, with a goofy smile, flew towards Garon's location.
Garon covered his face with a claw.
Recently, Urbis had been hovering near the Immortal Fortress, refusing to leave, all for a taste of elf. It even neglected the Stone Tomb Serpent Dragon in its underground lair, sending it away with a flimsy excuse.
It hadn't shared the news of the high elf with the Stone Tomb Serpent Dragon.
Clearly, it didn't want to share with its kin, even though Garon had no intention of offering the elf to Urbis.
"Master, that elf, you..."
Urbis looked at Garon with hopeful eyes.
Garon sliced through the air, opening a dimensional space.
To Urbis's delight, a withered skeleton, skin clinging tightly to bone, void of life, fell out. Such desiccated remains were usually beneath Urbis's preference.
It favored fresh prey.
However, the skeleton's scent was irresistibly alluring.
Awooo!
With a dive, the greenish-black dragon gulped down the remains of the Moonlight Knight, savoring each chew as if reluctant to swallow.
Seeing Garon's calm face, Urbis hesitated, then spat out a saliva-coated part of the remains, offering it to Garon.
"Master, try it. It's delicious."
Garon shook his head, refusing Urbis's kind gesture.
The Moonlight Knight, being human-sized, was a mere bite for Urbis.
After devouring it, Urbis's eyelids began to droop. "Master, I'm sleepy. I must enter hibernation."
"So sudden?"
Garon was momentarily taken aback but soon understood.
The Serpent Dragon species' obsession with elves wasn't solely due to their taste; elven flesh and blood were likely nourishing, hence their instinctual desire.
Ordinary elves might not significantly benefit Urbis, but the Moonlight Knight, a legendary high elf, still offered considerable benefits despite most life essence being drained by the crystal skull.
"Return to your slumber."
Hearing Garon's words, Urbis contentedly flew back to its underground lair.
Shortly after, Garon returned to the main nest alone.
He placed the crystal skull at the center of the Mystic Lock Domain, hiding its presence.
After activating the domain, the skull couldn't move freely.
Garon had just returned to the nest when he met Yuna's wide-eyed gaze.
"Was that commotion your doing?"
Yuna asked.
Garon nodded, "Yes, I've activated a pretty decent legendary item. It can protect our treasures and territory."
Recalling the expulsion force and feeling the invisible power still in the air, Yuna looked curious.
"What kind of spell is it? It feels very peculiar."
Garon explained, "Life Lock from high elves."
Such a wide-ranging lock wasn't weaker than a permanently fixed legendary magical domain. It's rare for a typical legendary magical domain to have as many complex effects as the Mystic Lock Domain.
"I've heard of it. It's a powerful spell usually used by high elves," Yuna nodded in realization.
Garon asked, "Did you encounter high elves in the Air Elemental Plane?"
Elves from the Giant Wood Forest on the Continent of Noah held a place among the various races, not particularly strong but not weak either. However, there were no high elves native to the Continent of Noah.
Raising the crystal skull's quality wouldn't be easy.
"Never saw them. They seem to live only in the Elven Forest, with few spreading to other planes," Yuna replied.
The Elven Forest... Garon shook his head imperceptibly.
He couldn't just invade the Elven Lands for the sake of enhancing an item. The Elven Lands were not just any material world, but a full-fledged outer plane, home to elven deities. He didn't dare to plunder the offspring of gods on their turf.
Two powerful elven deities - even a full manifestation of Garon might not return from their domain.
There's a vast difference between provoking a god intentionally and unintentionally causing enmity.
"It seems the Mystic Lock Domain won't be enhanced for a long time," Garon mused quietly.
Expanding the domain to cover the entire Lava Sub-Plane seemed unlikely. He needed to find another way.
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