Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1576 - 1575 - Master Tier Protection

The old woman awoke in a chamber again. She frowned as something was different from the last time. She could tell the seasons had passed and she was not alone when she woke up.

The same Master Tier of the faction was there but so too were the 2 Journeyman Tiers that traveled with her. They looked frustrated for some reason but one of the men was also clearly crippled!

She gulped as she tried to rise but dizziness washed over her.

"Child of Severance, you are excused from formalities but you will answer me this question. What is the last thing you remember?" Sadly she could remember all too clearly.

"The damned cultists used us as decoys for a Master Tier kraken. The defenses did not hold out long and senior Tobias was chosen to head to the island while we sacrificed ourselves to the enemy." Both men snapped up but the pressure from the Master Tier subdued them.

"Interesting, anything else?" She paused before a flash of something came back to her.

"Yes, but it was just before I was swallowed. I noticed the 3 artifact vessels were not visible to the kraken but it paused briefly before accurately attacking them. It was odd and I would not recall it if it had not bought me a few more moments of life." The Master Tier sneered at the 2 men.

"So, a Child Severance paid far more attention in her last moments and brought back valuable intel. Junior Tobias, tell her your last memory." The crippled man flinched but then nodded.

His bald head showed he had only just recovered himself not too long before she had.

"I remember being attacked and leaping from the artifact. After that, nothing." Confusion flared for a moment before her eyes went wide.

"T–t–the kraken Master Tier took–" She could not finish it but the rugged man smiled at her.

"Such a bright child. Now, what would that cost the beast?" Divine Realm cultivators' memory was not a simple thing. It was not as simply as causing brain damage or damage to the soul even! Divine Realm cultivators could be said to have a whole reality in their memory!

"The kraken Master Tier would have had to risk its existence to consume those memories. It will be weakened for a long time if it recovers at all." A sharp nod was followed by a flash of light.

She caught the vial of a peak grade 8 elixir! While it was not the best version of an elixir, it was very valuable to her cultivation!

Peak grade 8 was useful even to Master Tiers!

For a Journeyman Tier like her, she could refine her Mysteries and rebuild her foundation!

"You will be allowed to cultivate in the Violet Peaks Pavilion for no less than a thousand years. Recover and use that elixir to become stronger for keeping a level head even when you were facing death." She bowed at the waist and dared not raise her head until all 3 had left the room.

She had died twice but now she could recoup all of it! She was in the twilight of her long life but a new lease had just been given. She would cherish it!

⬧⬧⬧⬧

"Master Orion, why did you reward–" Tobias spoke and Orion had no need for him anymore. There was only a flare of darkness and Tobias was gone! Crippled as he was, there would be no coming back for him again.

True Death was harder to achieve but not impossible. Still, even for Orion, a Master Tier, Tobias did have to be crippled to achieve it!

His compatriot stayed silent and asked no questions. Orion gave an approving nod but felt it important to reveal something he did not to the other survivor.

"Her intel proves there was someone on that island. Anyone those beasts tolerate cannot be human but even other beasts are despised by them. That means the Heavens must have dropped him off by chance. It is the one condition they abide by." The krakens and leviathans made the human supremacists seem tame most of the time.

They tolerated no one in their territory save the one condition.

Heaven and Earth were fair, thus if they deposited a cultivator from an ascension tribulation, the beasts would actually safely cart them to the nearest land. It was just dumb luck the current unknown foe landed on the island.

It was land, thus they would take no further action at that time.

Leaving, however, would not be possible until they became a Journeyman Tier. They would likely allow them to leave but more than likely just kill them if they knew too much.

"Why didn't the Master Tier eat her memories?" Such a revelation seemed to strike the remaining Journeyman Tier as odd but Orion disagreed.

"I suspect it wanted us to know or more likely, was too busy dealing with the cultists. No matter what, however, the island is lost to us. Such drastic action is not normal. Time is up." Technically they could mount another mission with the knowledge the Master Tier kraken was going to be weakened, but it was a waste of resources.

They had lost many Immortals and now 2 specially crafted artifact vessels to traverse the Wild Sea. These things could not be recouped by going back nor risking more.

The other beasts would possibly retaliate if they tried again. Being discovered twice was already pushing things.

"We will get our networks to keep an eye out for any strange beasts. Something let the kraken trust them enough to cooperate. That is not easy nor likely to happen." Orion was intrigued but he had higher priorities now.

Whether the issue of the island would resolve itself or not, they had a new battlefield forming against some stone drals in the north. They had tried to establish a new herd ground in the mountains near the northern coasts.

They would not allow that!

"What about the cultists?" Orion paused as that was a better question but he shook his head.

"If they want to commit suicide, that is their decision. However, given one of ours had their memory consumed, I assume the other 2 would as well, at least attempted too. You made the correct choices on the mission but details were missed. You will head to the forests to the east. We have heard rumors that one of the citylords is hiding certain beasts there. Investigate and find out the truth." Orion paused in the corridor and seemed to consider something before tossing a violet communication stone to the man.

"If you find evidence but no beasts, place this discreetly where it will do the most good. There is a certain beast I am looking for that is rarely heard from anywhere." The Journeyman Tier bowed and Orion put it out of his mind.

⬧⬧⬧⬧

[Explain why you have bothered me, thrall.] A vile voice made a woman with silver hair shiver. Her red and blue eyes held none of the calm and cold aura as she usually did. She was currently kneeling before an altar with an impossibly gorgeous woman carved into it.

Some might think it was of her younger self but they would be wrong, it was the true owner of the cult!

[Mistress, we were commanded to keep an eye out for certain characteristics. On a recent Wild Sea expedition, we lost an entire harvest team to an unknown method. Divine Realm cultivators died despite imprints safely kept here. I sent a full Hunting party after that and a Master Kraken took their memories of the island, yet a single memory survived.] She felt a horrific feeling enter her abdomen.

It was her Mistress warning her that her next words better be important.

[Emerald eyes! They fought a man with emerald eyes and hair!] She mentally screamed but the pressure vanished.

[Where?] She quickly answered the question but it seemed the information displeased her Mistress.

[Too far and no chance to sneak in. The Void Ocean will not shield us from those beasts. We will wait. He will come. Your highest priority will be to find him when he does. All other priorities are rescinded. Find him!]

She thought it was over when a warm feeling suddenly spread across her body! Her aching bones faded and her healthy body became plump with youth!

[You have done well.]

The connection was broken as she stood up with rosy cheeks! She had been alive for an epoch but always on the edge of old age and vital health. It had been so long since she felt so young!

She then calmed herself and her strong control resumed. She summoned a black jade stone and infused her aura into it. She did not await a response.

[All Shifter parties have a new priority target. All other priorities are rescinded on confirmation of target location. Description follows.]

She imprinted what they had been able to salvage. It was mostly just his head but with the confirmation from her Mistress, she had already been given the rest.

She had no idea why, but Lind Frey had been found in the Wild Sea.