Hearing about Graceâs growth in strength, Richard felt quite pleased.
However, he still had no idea what Grace was like now.
Could Rebecca truly control her?
What worried him most was the possibility that Grace might ultimately choose Rebeccaâs side and stand against him.
Unable to find an answer, Richard shook his head.
He was still far too weak.
There was no way he could find Grace in this world.
She already possessed the qualifications to explore it freely.
(Boy!)
Suddenly, the skeletonâs voice echoed inside his head.
(What is it?)
Richard replied reluctantly.
At least while he was inside the World of Death, he had no choice but to cooperate.
Still, he was certain the skeleton wouldnât trap him here. If it did, how would it ever leave this place?
(Your horse is truly pathetic.)
Richard: "..."
His horse, Athena, stayed inside the Dragon Hall.
He had even given her a private room.
Ever since his own strength had risen dramatically, he had chosen to let Athena focus entirely on training.
Naturally, Athenaâs growth couldnât compare to his.
In the end, she was merely a Primordial Beast with a King Bloodline.
Above that still existed Emperor Bloodlines and Ancestor Bloodlines.
(Is there a problem with that?)
Richard asked.
(Iâll help you obtain a Primordial Bloodline suitable for that horse. If youâre interested, come to this place.)
Immediately afterward, a stream of information was transmitted from within the Dragon Hall into his mind.
It contained directions leading to a certain location within the World of Death.
(Is this real?)
Richard couldnât help asking.
(Do I really need to deceive a little brat like you? Do you think Iâm only planning to exploit you? As long as youâre obedient, I will naturally reward you. Consider this the beginning of my goodwill.)
You just strangled me,
Richard thought, though he kept the thought to himself.
(Will it be safe for me to go there? It seems quite far away.)
(As long as youâre with me, nothing in this world will harm you. The dangers of this place will avoid you.)
(Fine. Iâll go.)
Richard was curious enough to try.
Although the destination was distant, if he moved at full speed, an hour would be enough for a round trip.
Even if Athena was the one who would benefit from this, he genuinely wanted to strengthen her.
After all, she held an important place in his heart.
She had been with him for a long time, and more importantly, she was a gift from Mrs. Wilson.
"Carla," Richard whispered to the orange-haired girl.
"What is it?" she asked.
She ignored the puzzled looks of the Order of the Crimson Veil members as she allowed the black-cloaked figure to speak so close to her ear.
"I need to leave for a while. You donât have to wait for me. Iâll come back on my own later and find you again."
"Brother Richard, what are you planning to do? Itâs extremely dangerous here."
Carla managed to keep her voice steady, but she couldnât hide her shock.
"Donât worry," Richard replied without offering any explanation.
Then he shot away at high speed.
Among the younger generation of the Order of the Crimson Veil, nobody could match his speed.
They were all astonished.
Once he disappeared from their sight, Richard accelerated even further.
He became incomparably faster.
Even Rulers wouldnât be able to catch him.
Eventually, he entered regions that young cultivators were never meant to explore.
The area was shrouded in dark mist.
Numerous giant tombs stood open, but they were too deep for anyone to see what lay within.
Clusters of deathly aura drifted everywhere at terrifying speeds.
Touching one of them could mean instant death.
Even Richard could sense the presence of terrifying creatures lurking within the darkness.
Yet strangely enough, none of them attacked him.
Clang!
A loud metallic collision echoed in the distance.
Richard was slightly surprised when he saw a man in his thirties with dark blond hair and a crimson robe.
Ethan Holystar.
Or rather, the Lord of the Crimson Veil.
He was sent flying after blocking an attack from a giant skeleton wielding a massive scythe.
The moment he stabilized himself in midair, he immediately attempted to flee.
Naturally, the giant skeleton pursued him.
Each step it took across the air shattered space itself.
Richard found the situation somewhat amusing.
The problem was that Ethan was running straight toward him.
Naturally, Ethan noticed him immediately.
His eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed.
Even if he didnât know who Richard was, there was no way he failed to recognize the mysterious figure who had been accompanying Carla.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan asked when he realized Richard was still moving forward.
It wasnât that Richard wanted to.
The skeleton inside the Dragon Hall had assured him he wouldnât be attacked.
He simply wanted to verify that claim himself.
Without responding to Ethan, Richard continued forward.
He passed right by him and headed directly toward the giant skeleton.
Sure enough, the giant skeleton ignored Richard completely and continued chasing Ethan.
The latter could only stare in disbelief.
The creatures of this place were supposed to attack anyone they encountered.
Though confused, Ethan had no time to investigate while being relentlessly pursued.
Richard now considered the man rather pitiful.
He no longer viewed him as someone worthy of being his enemy.
What he didnât know was whether Ethan still harbored ambitions toward the Holy Star Kingdom, given Lilithâs current success.
Continuing onward, Richard eventually came upon an enormous black river.
It was terrifying.
Countless skeletons drifted upon its surface.
The river stretched endlessly into the distance, wrapped in thick fog that obscured its far end.
Yet faintly, Richard could make out a gigantic black pagoda standing far ahead.
That black pagoda was his destination.
As he drew closer, it became increasingly clear.
It truly was enormous.
It consisted of countless floors, and every floor possessed a massive gate of its own.
Perhaps Ethan had been heading toward this pagoda as well.
He simply hadnât been capable of reaching it.