novelraw Chapter 40: The Earthshaker’s Castle
Chapter 40: The Earthshaker’s Castle
After wobbling in the sky for a few seconds and fighting back the urge to puke, Verso finally got the hang of it.
He gripped the stone ridges of the gargoyle’s shoulders as he looked down, seeing the true scale of The Shattered Wilds for the first time.
The massive crater was surrounded by a tall, green forest and from this height, the center was clearly visible.
It was not far from the gargoyle clearing he had been farming at.
"There is nothing there."
In his heart, he had hoped for something monumental at the exact center of the crater.
But according to what he had studied about the place, he had already encountered the three primary creatures of the crater.
He decided to keep his distance from the crater’s center as he noticed the wild gargoyles swirling around it before heading off towards the massive structure in the distance.
’The castle.’
It sat on the horizon like a crown made of marble.
’I guess that’s the only place left for me to explore...’ Verso thought.
He weighed the risks of heading toward the massive marble castle. If he got swarmed in the air by the gargoyles flying around it, he was a dead man.
"Well, what is another death going to do?"
Verso shrugged, as his curiosity to know what laid at the end of this realm overtook his feeling of fear.
He gave a sharp mental command to his summon and the gargoyle snapped its wings tight. It dove forward, picking up speed at an alarming rate.
WHOOSH.
The G force hit him like a truck as it started making his stomach turn. He doubled over, his face turning pale as he gripped the gargoyle’s neck.
’Fuck, I forgot about the speed.’ He thought, his vision blurring.
As they blitzed through the air, they passed several wild gargoyles.
The beasts turned their stone heads with their red eyes flashing with aggression as they immediately started diving toward the flying creature with a human on its back.
"I have to make it quick!"
Verso looked back over his shoulder.
The wild gargoyles were already diving toward them, closing the gap in seconds. There was probably no one better than him who knew the capabilities of the flying statue.
’They will kill me instantly.’
Turning back, he focused on the castle ahead, which was rapidly growing in size.
As they neared the structure, Verso’s eyes locked onto a massive white marble door at the front.
It stood out against the grey stone of the fortress and was etched with mysterious gold symbols that pulsed with a faint light.
’That looks just like the door from the temple!’
The symbols were identical to the ones he had seen in the Land of Atlantis. These were the same nail etched characters he couldn’t read.
"Dive!"
The gargoyle used its Aerial Dive ability as it plummeted toward the entrance.
The moment its claws skidded against the marble platform, Verso jumped off its back. He didn’t even bother pulling the summon back into his space.
He sprinted toward the door, hearing the screeching cries of the wild gargoyles as they reached the platform behind him.
’I have less than a minute.’
He reached out and slammed his palm against the cold marble door.
[Would You Like to Open ’The Earthshaker’s Castle’?]
’Earthshaker? Shouldn’t it be the Shattered Wilds?’
The thought flickered in his mind for a fraction of a second before the sound of flapping wings reached his ears.
He didn’t care about the name.
"Yes!"
CREAK.
The door began to swing inward. It was heavy and moving with an ancient grinding sound.
As soon as it opened enough for a human to pass, Verso squeezed through the gap, his heart hammering in his throat.
’Quick, before they reach me.’
He stumbled into a vast, dimly lit hall. The air in the space was heavy with the scent of old stone.
But before he could even take a step forward to explore, a shadow loomed over him.
Standing in the center of the hallway was a massive marble knight. It was clad in white stone armor, its visor glowing with a cold blue light.
’Is that a Knight?’
Just as Verso questioned his eyes, the statue moved.
It was a blur of motion, way faster than any gargoyle or golem he had faced.
The knight unbuckled the massive stone sword at its side in one fluid motion.
"Wha-"
Verso didn’t even see the blade move.
He just felt a sudden, sharp coldness across his torso and then his vision tilted.
He saw the floor rushing up to meet him and for a split second he saw the top half of his own body falling away from his legs.
Everything went black.
------
Verso’s eyes snapped open.
He was sitting on the bus, his lungs burning as he gasped for air.
He gripped his stomach, checking for the cut that had just cleaved him in two. His shirt was soaked in cold sweat and his hands were shaking so hard he had to tuck them under his thighs.
"What just happened?"
The speed of that knight was beyond anything he had anticipated. It had literally erased him before he could even process its presence.
’I need to go back.’
He felt a sudden urge to head back to see that knight again.
He quickly closed his eyes, focusing on the mental pull of the system to dive back into the clearing.
Nothing happened.
"Huh?"
Confused, he tried again.
But just like before, there was no pull or drowsiness.
To check what was wrong, he opened his Realm Menu. His eyes widened as he looked at the interface.
---
[✦Realm Menu✦]
Available Realms:
1. The Shattered Wilds (Unavailable)
2. Land of Atlantis (Unavailable)
Locked Realms:
???
???
---
"..."
Verso stared at the screen in total silence.
The Shattered Wilds was gone. Just like Atlantis, the realm had locked him out the moment he breached the final door and died to the guardian.
He slumped back in the bus seat, a feeling of dread sinking into his gut.
He did not have access to his hunting grounds.
The primary sources of his summons were both now inaccessible and he was still a few percentage points away from his core breakthrough.
He looked out the window as the bus began to slow down.
In the distance, the towering skyscrapers of Emerald City were coming into view.
He was heading into the most dangerous exams of his life with his training grounds completely locked.
"You’ve got to be kidding me."