Lord Radahn and the two monsters that had invaded this place began a long and terrifying battle that spread throughout the entire space.
Most of Redmane Castle was destroyed. Jerren was forced to retreat, lest he be drawn into that dreadful conflict sooner or later and perish meaninglessly.
Jerren left the premises, but he could not let go of the situation. Not to mention the deep guilt he felt for the royal capital becoming what it now was, he insisted on holding his position at the forefront of the rift, preventing outsiders from falling into danger.
However, the battle between Radahn and the two monsters did not end easily. As a result of their clash, another spatial rift was opened, but this time it appeared above the royal capital.
The other—Ekzykes—took advantage of this opportunity and arrived in the capital.
Soon, the entire royal capital became the Scarlet Rot lair of Ekzykes. There was no better place for him to nest.
It was in this situation that Sellen arrived at the royal capital. Naturally, she did not challenge Ekzykes. Instead, she discovered this rift and planned to enter and investigate, but was then driven away by Jerren's sword.
If he were to follow the principles of the Carian Royal Family, he would certainly have embodied a "witch hunter" to track down the fleeing Sellen. But now, he needed to remain before the rift and could not leave.
After that, another rift, caused by this "Radahn Festival," far beyond imagination, sent Niall to the royal capital.
Following this, the aftermath of the battle finally subsided, and calm was restored in the other space.
Jerren curiously went inside to look and witnessed an incredibly shocking scene.
Lord Radahn and both monsters were wounded, but none had died. They coexisted together in the Wailing Dunes, maintaining a remarkable balance.
The more he looked, the more frightened he became. This was probably a kind of calm before the storm. As soon as any trigger appeared—for example, a small disturbance—that terrible war would reignite.
Jerren retreated in shock and fear.
By this time, he no longer possessed the enthusiasm he had during the Radahn Festival. He only hoped the battle would not continue and the situation would not worsen.
Therefore, when he saw Sellen here again today, and that she had even brought companions and was about to enter the rift, heedless of life or death, the anger born of fear made him ignore the other two and attack Sellen.
Sellen, having heard the whole story, crossed her arms over her chest and snorted coldly. "This was their idea. I had no intention of going in there to die."
Hearing this, Niall fell silent. Just how powerful were these two monsters that even Lord Radahn could not kill them?
Combined with the rampaging Lord Radahn himself, how could he successfully implant the Unalloyed Gold Needle into his body without having the needle pulled out and broken?
He couldn't help but look at Niđhöggr.
Niđhöggr pondered with a serious expression before asking, "Jerren, do you know who these two monsters are?"
Jerren shook his head bitterly. "I do not know them. Logically, for them to be able to fight Lord Radahn, they should possess the power of demigods and be famous in Junction. But I have never heard of them."
"I saw from a distance that one of them looked like a giant deer, and the other like a giant scorpion. Both possessed extremely terrifying destructive power..."
Niđhöggr was stunned.
Hearing this description, he reacted quickly, and at the same time, an incredible feeling washed over him...
No, it couldn't be... Could those really be the two bosses from the Eternal Cities, right?
Sellen reacted a step slower than Niđhöggr.
She was a genius at Raya Lucaria Academy and was already very well-informed. The "Fallingstar Beast" was the very reason the primeval sorcery faction was considered taboo, so how could she not be aware?
Sellen laughed incredulously, too shocked for words. "This bizarre turn of events has opened my eyes. Radahn's gravity magic actually brought the monsters of Nokron and Nokstella here..."
Niall and Jerren were both stunned and looked at Sellen.
They vaguely remembered the names of the two Eternal Cities beneath Liurnia of the Lakes, but they were too mysterious for them to know much.
Niall asked, "Do you know what they are?"
"As a retainer of the Carian Royal Family, you don't even know that?" Sellen sneered. "Once upon a time, there were three Eternal Cities. They intended to slay the envoy of the Greater Will, the Two Fingers, and thus created the Fingerslayer Blade."
"The Greater Will sent a 'Fallingstar Beast' and destroyed the Eternal City!"
"It was because of the 'Fallingstar Beast' that the Carian Royal Family and Raya Lucaria Academy no longer allowed us to delve into primeval sorcery, lest we invite catastrophe once more."
"And this 'Fallingstar Beast' is precisely that 'giant scorpion' you spoke of!"
"As for the other 'giant deer,' don't even think about it. It must surely be the object of worship for the Ancestral Spirit clan that dwells in the Eternal City today."
"Heh heh, plus 'Starscourge' Radahn. Even though they fought and were wounded, the main point is they did not perish. It will be difficult to approach them..."
Although Niall and Jerren still did not know the true nature of the two monsters' core forms, based on Sellen's description, they now had a conceptual outline, and all furrowed their brows.
However, Niall soon rallied and said, "We should still proceed. Now that Lord Radahn is wounded, it is the most opportune time for implantation with the Unalloyed Gold Needle. In the future, there may be no other chance."
Jerren also nodded and said, "Yes. Let Lord Radahn regain his sanity. Everything will be easier. If we wait any longer, other factors may arise. The entire Empire of Yoda may be destroyed because of my folly."
"You guys... What a pair of madmen." Sellen shook her head repeatedly and looked back at Niđhöggr. "They are foolishly loyal to the point of death. I don't think the erosion of the Scarlet Rot is worth that much."
Niđhöggr said calmly, "I agree with them. Although they have not yet fully recovered from the war, plus the Glintstone Dragon Adula, it is worth a try."
Sellen was stunned for a moment, then looked at the three of them with incredulous eyes. "Madmen. You are all madmen. Three madmen."
Niđhöggr looked at Niall and Jerren. They were in agreement and did not hesitate to advance together towards the great rift.
Niall took the lead, waving his war banner. The wind he conjured pushed back the cloying Scarlet Rot, clearing a path for the three of them.
Sellen watched as they entered. Her figure was outlined by the rift's glow, and her tone was utterly cold.
"Then I won't go with you. I'm not going to waste my life in a place like this, accompanying you to your deaths."
Sellen snorted coldly, turned, and wanted to leave.
Suddenly, she stopped again, pinching her chin with her fingers as she fell into thought.
No, if this guy named Niđhöggr dies, won't all his previous promises be nullified? And I'll have to go back to hiding from the Carian Royal Family and Raya Lucaria Academy...
What's more concerning is that if this guy could plant the golden tree and allow Junction to appear in this world, he is very likely the connecting link, the keystone of everything... If he dies, the consequences would be unimaginable.
He has to survive before I can return to Junction, have the chance to go to Caelid and Mt. Gelmir, and obtain the knowledge of Primeval Sorcery from the two Primeval Masters...
It doesn't matter if those two old men die, but this guy cannot die. I think Radahn could probably make them accept reality in just a couple of moves. I need to find a way to save his life now, to take him away.
Sellen turned back and looked at the rift, thinking to herself about how she would appear when Niđhöggr was seriously wounded and dying, how she would take him away, how she would trap him with magic, and how she would do this and that...
Not bad... capturing the consort of the Carian princess.
The witch smiled contemptuously beneath her hood, reached out her hand, and slowly clenched her palm, as if she could see Niđhöggr's future gradually becoming firmly held in her grasp.