The Grand Elder's hair and beard were snowy white, and he wore an elegant magic robe woven in black and gold. Deep wrinkles crisscrossed his face, as though it had been carved by knives and axes.
After apologizing to EeDechi and the others, he agreed to take them to the person who knew how to build skyships. He also promised that Dragon Island would cooperate with them fully.
Barrett still held his sword against the elder's neck, however, taking him hostage in case Dragon Island tried anything clever.
The Grand Elder explained that the Wind Ancient Dragon beneath their feet was respectfully known as the Lord of the Sky.
The Lord of the Sky carried the island's residents around the world, while they introduced themselves to outsiders as Dragon Island.
Most of Dragon Island's residents were dark magic practitioners. Vampires, liches, necromancers, and other evil beings also lived there.
The island accepted only dark magic practitioners who had attained profound mastery of the art. dark magic practitioners believed that the entire world persecuted them, so Dragon Island had become a paradise where they could escape the troubles of mundane society.
Dragon Island was a finely built little town upon the Ancient Dragon's hard back. Windmills and mage towers rose everywhere, along with many strange, twisted buildings decorated with human skulls, sharp-beaked bird skulls, and animal bones. The whole place had a bizarre, gloomy style.
A narrow stone-paved street ran through the town. Along it stood shops selling all kinds of magical materials, alchemy workshops, magic accessory stores, libraries, and even a post station where eagles and owls delivered messages.
Behind the shop windows, witches watched EeDechi and the others with icy gazes. Beneath a set of upturned eaves, a hanging pumpkin lantern grinned at Barrett, showing an ugly smile.
Walking through the town felt like stepping into a dark fairy tale.
EeDechi looked around but failed to spot a single person whose Justice Value exceeded ten. She could not help saying angrily, "This island needs a great purge!"
Barrett hurriedly restrained her eager hand and tried to talk her down. "Captain, calm down. We need their help right now. We can deal with the purge later."
EeDechi, Barrett, Franco, and Cheeko continued onward under the Grand Elder's guidance, heading toward the place where skyships could be built: Mechanic Floch's Flying Workshop.
Suddenly, the wind began to howl, and a golden-haired little girl named Kilua swooped down from the sky and landed in front of EeDechi.
Barrett stared at her coldly and demanded, "Where have you been?"
Kilua grabbed EeDechi's trouser leg and said pitifully, "I went to play with the little kids."
EeDechi rubbed her golden hair. "You're a child yourself. Don't call other children 'little kids.'"
"Anyone much younger than me is definitely a little kid," Kilua muttered.
As they continued forward, they witnessed an unusual sight.
A ceramic dog was crouched on the back of a real female dog, its body bobbing rapidly back and forth.
Clearly, the ceramic dog was trying to mate with the real one.
"What kind of dark magic is this?" EeDechi asked curiously.
"It's one of the lich Gray's perverse creations," the Grand Elder explained. Then he urged them on. "Come along, guests. If we wait until five in the afternoon, Mechanic Floch will be dead drunk."
"Let's go." EeDechi nodded.
"Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow! Mrrrow!"
Cheeko suddenly began yowling loudly, darting from side to side and running circles around EeDechi and the others.
EeDechi bent over and braced her hands on her knees. "Cheeko, what's wrong?"
Barrett crouched down, took a quill, ink, and parchment from his spatial ring, and handed them to Cheeko.
Cheeko took the quill in its mouth, dipped it in the ink, and wrote on the parchment:
{I smell a familiar scent of death. My former little master once had this same scent. She came down with a strange disease called "Death's Kiss." The disease could not be cured, and he died.}
(See Chapter 125 and Chapter 127.)
EeDechi's brows drew together in a deep frown. She picked up the parchment, looked toward the lich Gray's house, and strode toward the door.
The Grand Elder hurried forward to block her. "My esteemed guest, Gray is conducting research. Please don't disturb him!"
EeDechi shoved him aside, then raised her foot and kicked the door to pieces. She strode inside with her giant sword in hand. Cheeko immediately darted inside, and Barrett, Franco, and Kilua filed in after him.
A dry, raspy voice rang out. "Who's there? Are you tired of living? Looking for death?"
Behind a desk, a gaunt lich rose to his feet. His entire body was made of bones, and his head was a bare skull.
But he also had a squirming stomach, intestines, a windpipe, and a tongue, all exposed to the open air. In his left hand, he held a thick dark magic tome. His right hand...
His right hand was a braised chicken foot.
He took a bite from the skin on the chicken foot, then used that same foot to turn the page of his book. He chewed slowly, looking utterly content.
EeDechi pointed at him. "Do you have anything to do with Death's Kiss?"
The lich Gray raised his head proudly. "That's right! Death's Kiss is the magical masterpiece of yours truly!"
"Shut up!" The Grand Elder hurried in and shouted, "Gray, you're nothing but a stinking lich! What the hell do you know about dark magic? Death's Kiss has absolutely nothing to do with you!"
"Hey! Grand Elder, what's that supposed to mean?" Gray snapped angrily. "Everyone on the island knows that I understand life-draining magic better than anyone! Death's Kiss is my masterpiece! I'm also the one who brewed the 'Youth' potions sold on Dragon Island!"
"I can't protect you anymore." The Grand Elder covered his face with one hand and sighed.
"Protect me from what?" Gray asked in confusion.
Then he realized that his feet were no longer touching the ground. EeDechi had clamped one hand around his skull and lifted him into the air.
He met EeDechi's black eyes, burning with fury and righteous hatred of evil. His entire bone frame began to tremble in terror, his bones clicking loudly as his stomach convulsed.
"You're dead!" EeDechi snarled through clenched teeth.
Her fingers tightened, ready to crush the lich's skull, soul fire and all.
"Spare me!" Gray screamed. "If I die, no one will be able to save the other children!"
"The other children?" EeDechi stared coldly at him. "There are other children?"
Gray hurriedly explained, "Death's Kiss is a dark magic spell that spreads on its own! The spell formula drifts on the wind and settles on newborn babies, slowly draining their life force before passing it on to me."
As he spoke of his magical masterpiece, his expression grew smug.
"All I have to do is cast the spell, then I can sit comfortably on Dragon Island while harvesting those children's life force. Their parents will do everything they can to increase their children's vitality in order to treat them, which means I can harvest even more!
"I use that abundant life force to brew the miraculous 'Youth' potion, which can make the old young again. The wealthiest magnates in the City Alliance fight to get their hands on it. Heh heh, now that's what I call a business that brings huge profits for almost no investment!"
EeDechi's face turned livid. The veins in her temples throbbed, and her spread fingers had already dug five holes into Gray's skull.
Only then did Gray snap out of his smugness. He realized that if he said another word, he would not live much longer.
He forced out an ingratiating smile. "There are still several hundred children afflicted by Death's Kiss. If I die, no one will be able to remove the curse from them."
EeDechi managed to suppress the fury surging through her chest. "Lift every curse right now, or you'll die right now."
Gray trembled violently, but he was no fool. He knew that if he removed everyone's curse immediately, EeDechi would kill him the very next second.
He said shakily, "I need a very long time to remove the Death's Kiss curse from the children. Could you put me down first?"
"How long?"
"Uh... well... a long time," Gray stammered. He had not yet figured out how to escape, so he had no intention of giving her a definite answer.
EeDechi's five fingers were harder and sharper than diamond. They had already gouged five holes into his skull.
She clamped Gray's skull in one hand like a bowling ball and dragged him toward the exit. "From now on, you're coming with us. I'll let you go once you remove the curse."
Gray flailed helplessly as EeDechi hauled him away. He shouted at the Grand Elder, "You betrayed us! You betrayed Dragon Island! Traitor! Bastard! How could you allow people who hate dark magic onto Dragon Island? How could you abandon me?"
The Grand Elder turned his head away, unable to watch. "Accept your fate. These guests are friends of the Lord of the Sky. Even I cannot disobey them."
The moment the lich Gray heard this, he collapsed onto the ground. His entire skeleton seemed to come apart, and he stopped resisting.
The Lord of the Sky was the Wind Ancient Dragon beneath their feet.
Barrett, EeDechi, and Franco exchanged puzzled looks.
They did not know this ancient Wind Dragon at all. In fact, they had never even heard of Dragon Island before. Why, then, had the Wind Ancient Dragon called them friends?