MTLNOVEL Chapter 01: Dragon Valley_2
Three external brains fell silent simultaneously.
Turning around, Gray looked at the dwarves still struggling behind him, then said, "I am a necromancer, a lich. The world I perceive is far less rich than what they can sense. They endure pains unknown to me. We need to cooperate with this world and follow its rules, instead of making them conform to us."
"Hmm..." After a long silence, the black cat finally said softly, "I think you've made progress again. Now you know how to maintain a balance. Remember before? In the beginning, you only had 'yes' and 'no.' Now you have started to understand nuance. However, that's precisely my concern. The other liches have not learned this."
Gray did not reply, merely riding Tenidas quietly through the wind and snow.
...
The blizzard in the Snow Mountain Range could come and go quickly, sometimes without any warning.
In an instant, the raging blizzard dispersed.
Before them appeared the magnificent scenery of the Snow Mountain Range.
Stretching, endless mountains covered with pristine white snow, the dark blue sky enveloped by auroras, creating a painting of pure color blocks, almost free of any impurities.
Those walking among them seemed as small as dust particles.
Seeing the scene before them, the dwarves in the delegation were stunned and found it hard to believe their eyes.
"My god... do dragons really live in places like this? It feels like a dream."
"Not exactly." Vivian revealed herself, wearing a thick red cotton jacket, wrapping her whole body and showing only her face, "In fact, the place they live is entirely different from here."
"What do you mean 'not exactly?' I don't understand." The dwarf's teeth were chattering.
"You will soon find out. We're not far from our destination."
Flags were raised again, one being Gray's Silver Moon Flag, the other, the Crossed Skull Banner of the White Bone Holy Light Court.
The sudden snowstorms were terribly frightening; when they came, they had to take down the flags to prevent only two poles from remaining after the storm.
The delegation continued to move slowly forward, leaving footprints on the smooth snow mountains.
Besides Gray and his three "external brains," the party included Lucy, Aikleion, and of course, a hundred undead knights of the Silver Moon Knight Order, and two hundred dwarves of the second squad. Due to the harsh environment, the dwarves abandoned their ponies and resorted to walking.
Additionally, there was a unique figure in the group—the son of the Lord Lich King, Richie, dressed in a small version of Gray's armor.
This was the delegation sent by the White Bone Holy Light Court to the Golden Dragon Clan.
Actually, Camilla and Shelley wanted to come, but unfortunately, the journey was too difficult for humans. As for the previously hostile Bruto and Simon, they were excluded from the delegation list from the start.
After crossing two mountains, three enormous golden dragons appeared in front of the delegation.
They circled in the air for a while, finally landing in front of Gray and assuming human forms. Each wore a white robe characteristic of the Golden Dragon Clan, had long golden hair, fair skin, elven pointed ears, and golden scales on their cheeks.
Leading them was Abraham.
With his hands crossed on his chest, Abraham respectfully bowed to Gray, then shouted loudly, "Abraham Golden Tornado, by order of the Golden Dragon Great Elder, here to welcome the honorable Lord Lich King! And all members of the delegation! The journey has been long and exhausting for Lord Lich King and all delegation members! I proudly represent the Golden Dragon Clan in welcoming you!"
Sitting tall on his horse, Gray responded loudly, "Thank the Golden Dragon Great Elder for us!"
"Lord Lich King, please follow me!" After another bow, Abraham, along with the other two golden dragons, transformed back into dragon form, flapped their wings, and ascended into the air. Circling above, they guided Gray's party forward.
After crossing two more mountains, a massive tunnel appeared before them.
It was enormous, wide enough for a golden dragon to traverse with wings spread. Sloped at a forty-five-degree angle, it pierced the ground. The entrance was surrounded by numerous peculiar stones, inscribed with runes. On the ground lay a huge, semicircular array.
The entire world was covered in snow, except for the array and the tunnel, devoid of even a single snowflake. Even the wind, carrying snowflakes, seemed to bypass them.
Abraham once again assumed human form and descended in front of Gray. After a silent bow, he turned and pressed his five fingers against one of the stones.
Instantly, the once silent array lit up with golden light, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
"Lord Lich King, please." After making a welcoming gesture, Abraham led the other two dragons into the tunnel.
The delegation followed slowly on horseback.
The dwarf asked softly, "So they actually live underground?"
"You'll know soon enough," Vivian answered quietly.
The forty-five-degree slope was indeed challenging to traverse; a single misstep could result in tumbling down. This forced the entire delegation to tread cautiously. Fortunately, they quickly left the incline behind, entering a relatively flat section of the tunnel.
Meanwhile, a light appeared ahead.
As they approached the light, the delegation members gradually heard some different sounds.
"I think I heard birds chirping, is it an illusion? Are there birds in this dreadful place?"
"I think I heard water... there shouldn't be the sound of water here."
When they finally entered the light, they were all stunned.
Before them was a scene like a fairy tale.
Here, there were no snowflakes, only lush vegetation and flowing mountains.
The large basin with waterfalls pouring down from the high mountains, forming ponds, seeping into streams, nourishing every inch of land, and eventually all converging in the central lake.
Rainbows formed under the waterfalls, countless wildflowers grew by the ponds, birds sang in the woods, animals played, and dragons flew in the sky. The surrounding cliffs were filled with dragon nests, appearing like a flock of migratory birds from afar.
Occasionally, a dragon roar was heard.
This place was completely different from the world outside the tunnel.
Once more bowing to Gray, Abraham respectfully said, "Honorable Lord Lich King, we have prepared a temporary residence and a grand feast for you. Please follow me."
"Alright." Gray followed on his horse. The delegation members hurriedly followed one by one.
Not only the dwarves, but even the undead, including Aikleion and Lucy, were left stunned, visually overwhelmed.
"My god, how did they do it?"
"Are you asking me? I don't know either. Probably magic."
"Dragon magic has always been powerful. It's said they have the ability to summon the apocalypse."
"Well, they've piqued my interest in relearning dragon magic."
Both of them had participated in the war between the Lich Council and the Dragon Clan, but it was their first time visiting the Golden Dragon Clan headquarters, Dragon Valley.
Meanwhile, a building covered in green leaves emerged in the distance. In front of the building were over a dozen people waiting. Or rather, dragons.