White Utopia City is located at the northern end of the capital Heaven’s Fortress.
The level of the hunters ranges between 400 and 550. It is a city blessed with good fortune thanks to the unique demonic beasts in its surroundings. It is not unusual for a hunter to become a millionaire overnight, as the rarest materials can be found in a rabbit’s fur if you're lucky.
However, this doesn't mean everything is wonderful, the word luck plays a crucial role.
"Winter season, this will make things difficult."
If a few coats were enough on the Inferior Plane, on the Divine Plane, magic artifacts are necessary. Otherwise, no matter how strong a hunter is, they will freeze to death if unprepared.
“Cold… How nostalgic.”
Serene Will feels the snow fall into her hands and watches it with dreamy eyes, long ago, the weather ceased to matter to her because nothing could penetrate her skin. Feeling the cold of the snow brings back memories from over a hundred years ago, when her parents were still alive.
“You can remove the veil, it won’t be necessary here.”
After seeing the question marks on both their faces, Lawrence explains more thoroughly, "This place is dominated by that old man’s sect."
The heavy snowfall may obstruct the streets, but the flow of hunters doesn’t stop. As if it were just another day, the streets are still crowded with hundreds of them buying and selling items.
After acquiring a magic artifact for each of them, they leave the city with a fixed direction.
“This way.”
Sky Petal is responsible for guiding them through the bad weather. As she flies ahead, Lawrence and Serene Will closely follow her from behind, to not lose sight of her.
They travel for thirty minutes until something catches their attention.
“Watch out!”
They only manage to see hundreds of teeth less than twenty meters away, almost simultaneously Sky Petal and Serene Will distract it for a fraction of a second. During that time, Lawrence makes his move.
“Get in! Now!”
The moment the demonic beast clamps down with its teeth, they return to the Inferior Plane.
“What the hell--? Did I see that wrong?”
“Level 550... Our first outing from the city and we encounter a demonic beast with the maximum level of this territory.”
“What the hell is with that city? How can a demonic beast roam freely in that place?”
The bird that nearly ate them belongs to level 550, the same level that should be far from the city, in the depths. Sky Petal and Serene Will never experienced a similar situation in Ice Petal City, theoretically, the closer to the city, the lower the level.
A theory shattered to pieces in White Utopia City.
“Is it because of the weather? Or because we were flying?”
Sky Petal tries to recall the words of the plants. After a while, she concludes. “Both, it’s because the weather is this beast's favorite and because among the snow, our flight drew its attention.”
“Tsk, are you confident in guiding us from the ground?”
“Yes, at least, the plants will warn me in advance if something like this happens again.”
Lawrence thinks seriously and then stops leaning against the wall. Enough time has passed for that demonic beast to have moved away from the place, unlike the rhinoceros beetles, the bird cannot stay in the air waiting for its arrival.
“Just like it came, it disappeared without a trace.”
Back in the Divine Plane, Sky Petal and the others fall from the heights to ground level. During this journey, they avoided using magic except to cushion their fall, and the demonic beast that attacked them could not be found anywhere.
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“There’s a long road ahead, if there’s good news, it's that the plants know the exact position of each demonic beast. Many of which have no interest in us, that bird must have been the exception.”
“Can we fly again?”
“If possible, it's best to avoid it.”
Sky Petal shakes her head. Demonic beasts are unpredictable, while a human appearance may not attract their attention, it is different with magical affinity. Lawrence could attract countless malevolent demonic beasts just by demonstrating his sacred magic, an example of the many countless.
From then on, their journey on foot in an unknown direction begins.
+++
“Is that the cave?”
Located on a rocky hillside, adjacent to a frozen river, the cave is hidden in a small pine forest inhabited only by wild beasts. There is no trace of demonic beasts.
It took them hours of walking to reach this place. Ordinary hunters would have gotten lost in this weather, while others would have perished to the lurking beasts.
If that cave truly is the treasure vault of the Eonis Pavilion, that man must have been so cautious that he didn’t even trust his own mother.
“Yes, inside is the strange mural that Serene Will asked me to look for.”
“Do you have the key?”
At Lawrence’s words, Serene Will transforms the mineral into the strange sun.
“Alright, it’s time to make the treasure ours.”
The three enter the cave, squinting at the foul smell. Unexpectedly, that man not only hid his treasure in a remote place but also took the trouble to gather corpses of high-level demonic beasts and scatter them around, sending a clear warning to any hunters who might stumble upon it by chance.
While they were discussing this, Lawrence stops and looks around.
“How strange…”
In silence, Serene Will reads his mind and skeptically observes the cave, seconds later she sighs.
“You're wrong, it’s not exceptional in any sense of the word.”
“…”
‘This bitch read my mind! The moment I feared most has come!’
Serene Will says nothing about it, regardless of what he thinks of her in his mind, it’s unlikely that what he's thinking will happen. After all, many of his thoughts have become reality, there are few things that can surprise her.
On the contrary, Lawrence conceals all his thoughts, keeping them deep inside him to think about them later.
The cave may not be considered a labyrinth, but it still has various paths that slow down those who are unfamiliar with its interior.
With Sky Petal as their guide, they quickly reach their destination.
“This is…”
A god offers his word, mortals praise him from the ground. Demonic beasts are hidden at the edges, with a dark entity offering its words. In the depths, a diversity of extraordinary herbs, hidden by the fog.
At the top, exactly in the center, the missing piece of the mural.
The sun.
“This mural couldn’t have been created by Eonis Pavilion, he must have found this place by chance and used it as a treasure vault. This implies that this place is not as simple as it seems.”
It seems Lawrence’s hunch wasn’t as off as he thought.
While he admires the ancient mural, Serene Will infuses her mana into the raw mineral. In the next instant, it transforms into a fire sphere with the ancient drawing of a sun. The mural faintly glows in response to the sun in her hand.
There seem to be no abnormalities...
She analyzes with her ability, and after finding nothing unusual, she sends the sun to where it should be.
The wall begins to tremble, a line forming in the center, slowly opening. At the current rate, it would only take a minute to open the passage to the interior.
Then the worst-case scenario happens.
“Why did it stop?!”
The slow progress halts completely. Lawrence looks to Serene Will for answers, but she isn’t looking at him because her gaze is directed outside.
“Someone was waiting for us to solve the mystery. Get ready for the worst.”
A magic was hidden in the mural, the magic formation is so complex it surpasses Serene Will’s understanding. Only now that it is activated, her innate ability is able to provide a description.
Seconds pass and then Sky Petal narrows her eyes.
“Lawrence, something strange is happening…”
“What did they tell you?”
“A group of seven men was headed this way, but... A third individual appeared. The group of seven has just been killed by him.”
Not only Lawrence but even Serene Will takes a deep breath upon hearing this.
“What’s his level?”
Sky Petal evaluates carefully before responding, “Level 600.”
“Shit! Damn!”
Among them, only Sky Petal has a detachment from earthly objects. Lawrence and Serene Will have different reactions to it, but both are furious. Can't they even enjoy the treasure, and it's being taken out of their hands? They made this trip for nothing! If they had known this would happen, they would have destroyed that sun so that no one could obtain the treasure.
If it's not theirs, then no one's!
What a pity that the key is already in position, they can only grit their teeth and leave this cave before the worst happens.
Then Serene Will realizes something and stops him. “Wait, Lawrence. Sky Petal, say what you’re thinking.”
“...Actually, the plants tell me not to fear.”
Both wait for her next words, but she shakes her head. Sometimes the plants convey a meaning that is difficult even for her to understand.
“But…” She hesitates before saying: “With Lawrence, it’s different, he is in danger.”
“You mean that guy will kill me no matter what I do?”
“Yes.”
“Tsk.”
There are guys like that, where no matter the appearances or circumstances, if they don’t like you, you’re dead! Especially him, who is at one of the extremes, sacred magic is not looked upon favorably by the opposite extreme.
Lawrence takes a few breaths before deciding his next course of action. “Stay here and find out that guy’s intentions. At his level, few things catch his eye. He must have a target, something that Eonis Pavilion has kept and that he needs.”
Both agree and prepare for the arrival of the individual.
With suspicion, Lawrence moves away from them and hides in one of the paths of the cave.
Minutes later, footsteps approach.
“I didn’t think such beautiful ladies would be the ones to hold the final key to this mysterious landscape. The secrets it hides are countless, few are the hunters capable of seeing through them. But before that, may I know your names?”
The reason why Lawrence would be in danger, now the answer is clear.
The man who has just arrived has a fondness for women.
