Chapter 3
131.
The group finally realized why Thirdy was wary of Padra. They also understood the reason behind gaining Darli on their side doesn't automatically equate to success in their mission. In fact, everything went worse when Darli started to talk. Her excitement led to a lack of necessary details, filtering most parts of the message, and then shortcuts to what she wanted rather than what they needed. Meanwhile, Thirdy is patiently waiting in the depths of the sea. Every Giant Beast Mimis living in the ocean is beside him, ready to fight back once something bad happens to Lulu.
In order to de-escalate the situation, Lulu stepped into the conversation and politely clarified the happenings. Eventually, Padra calms down as he evaluates the situation.
"Hmmm… I see. I never actually thought that I would listen to someone smaller than Darli. How can nyu understand me despite not growing up from here?" Padra questioned.
"Anooo… I fused with a Runecrystal and it gave me the talent to communicate with the Giant Beast Mimis. Five out of seven of us have different talents." Lulu nervously answered.
"Interesting, can Darli do that as well?" Padra responded.
"It depends if she's destined to find one. Then the Runecrystal will decide if she's worthy to fuse with." Lulu replied.
"DARLI IS ALWAYS WORTHY!" Padra once more shouted.
"Is he mad again?" Kita whispered.
"He shouted 'Darli is always worthy', I think I finally understand where Darli picked up her explosive anger," Lulu whispered back.
"Is it me or does Padra looks like an overly protective and proud father?" Hana asked.
"The latter…" The rest of the group answered.
"So are nyu going to allow me?" Darli asked.
"It's dangerous outside, but I also want my dear Darli to unlock her talent… What should I do…" Padra talked to himself.
"What is he saying now?" Yuna asked.
"He is torn between letting Darli go or keeping her safe…" Lulu said.
"He is truly like a pawrent to Darli… I guess that's cute?" Celeste confusedly commented.
"Little one, how dangerous your journey has been?" Padra asked Lulu.
"Ahm… We are facing nyu right now?" Lulu answered.
"I see, I see… Good point…" Padra responded.
"Look, if nyu are worried about me, then why not take us to the shrine yourself? In that way, nyu can witness everything yourself, and nyu also gonna be part of my first journey!" Darli suggested.
"I'm going to be part of her first journey… SPLENDID IDEA!" Padra excitedly reacted.
"He's roaring again," Maiko mentioned.
"He is just excited this time…" Lulu replied, tired of Padra's reactions.
"By the way, why are nyu so quiet?" Kita suddenly asked FeLinE.
"FeLinE is just somewhat disappointed. FeLinE was intimidated earlier, but it all disappeared, including FeLinE's respect for the Celestial Dragon..." FeLinE:1000X answered straightforwardly.
"I fully understand how nyu feel," Hana agreed with FeLinE.
"I have made my decision, I, Padra, the Celestial Dragon, King of the Sky, shall assist these Kemis to the shrine!" Padra declared.
"NYATTA!" Darli and Lulu gladly reacted.
"By the looks of things, I don't need any translation of what's happening," Yuna mentioned.
"Well at least we are riding a Celestial Dragon…" Kita replied.
"And we are still alive…" Celeste added.
Meanwhile in the depths of the ocean, "Looks like everything went well, we can literally hear that lizard all the way here," Kranki told Thirdy.
"Indeed…" Thirdy madly replied.
"Are you mad? Are you jealous of the relationship between Darli and Padra, while Lulu and you aren't like that?" Kranki questioned.
"OF COURSE NOT! GO BACK GUARDING THE ISLAND OF THE BEAST!" Thirdy responded, denying what he truly felt.
Everything went beyond everyone's expectations. It was given that catastrophe might happen any second from that moment, but fortunately, it doesn't. Padra has been a great pawrent, always wanting the best for Darli, which is a shocker to everyone who doesn't know about the situation.
Since the decision has been made, Darli helps Padra to wear the wooden saddle crafted by the Tree Tribe. Padra requested this a long time ago, to secure Darli's comfort whenever they are going somewhere. The wooden saddle has 3 rows and is big enough to fit fifteen to twenty Kemis. Good thing Padra knows how to control his fire skills because if he's not, then the saddle with the passengers will be barbequed.
When everything was set, the group followed Darli by levitating toward the saddle, Padra is pretty tall after all. The group already experienced riding at the back of King of the Sea, and because of that, they are firmly holding on to the saddle, expecting that Padra will fly into oblivion.
Padra spreads his wings and flies through the clouds. Surprisingly, the Celestial Dragon isn't flying too fast, it is still faster than the Wyverns earlier but mindful enough to keep the Kemis safe. Padra can fly with the same speed as Thirdy crossing through the sea, though ever since he took care of Darli, Padra flies safely when carrying a Kemi.
Later on, Eve and Rubi are mindblown as they witness the King of the Sky slowly landing on the island that they're in. It has been a couple of hours and finally, the two of them will meet a Dragon for the first time in their lives. On the other hand, the rest of the scientists and Royal Guards are hiding inside the camp, cowering in fear.
"It can almost cover the whole island…" Eve said.
"They truly aimed for the King of the Sky, not just some random Dragons…" Rubi commented.
"Oh, there's a lot of new Kemis down there. HALLOOO!" Darli shouted while waving her hands. Yuna then carries everyone down to the ground using her talent.
"A Dragon-Kita?" Eve and Rubi both confusedly reacted.
"I think nyu should tell the others to calm down, most of them are about to faint," Yuna told Maiko.
"Don't worry, I'll handle them. Nyu can all proceed to your mission~" Maiko replied as she proceeded to the camp.
Eve and Rubi immediately approach the group. "Greetings, I'm Eve, the current Head Developer of Central Region." Eve introduced herself, "And I'm Rubi, Eve's right hand in every project," Rubi added, and both of them wiggled their ears.
"And I'm Darli, the Dragonkin!" Darli responded as she mimicked how Eve and Rubi wiggled their ears.
132.
A bewildering appearance made the Kemis on the camp panic tremendously. Thanks to Maiko, the Kemis eventually calm down, thus Darli starts to explain her story to the rest of the group who are waiting in the camp. Minutes later, Padra let the scientists have a piece of his scales for scientific purposes, it will grow back anyway. That will keep them busy for a long time. As for the exploration group, it's time for them to continue where they left off.
"I'm just curious, how will Padra fit into the portal?" Kita randomly asked.
"Oh, that's actually a good question, considering that the portal is only twice our measurement while Padra is like a hundred times bigger than us," Yuna responded.
"Padraaaa, they are curious about how are nyu going to fit in the portal," Darli transferred the question. After Padra's response, Darli translates it for everyone, "He said that anyone or anything that goes through the portal shrinks into the smallest matter as they travel to the gates, and then goes back to their normal size at the other end. He also said that your question proves that nyu don't know Dragons originally came from Nesuto."
The group was stunned by the response, it confirmed the myth in Nesuto regarding the Dragons. The group also tried to clarify the details with the previous Kemi who rode a Dragon to the shrine, though this time Padra wasn't aware of it. Padra also said that if it's true, then that Kemi probably rode an Amphithere Dragon since they are the ones who love exploring and fly exceptionally well. With that, FeLinE opened the portal, and they crossed through the gate.
Upon reaching Nesuto, Padra heads straight to the shrine. The altitude towards their destination is insanely high, which is why Padra is flying almost upright. The wind comes from different directions, making it hard for the Kemis to hold on. It is indeed a dangerous journey, luckily, Padra can withstand the air pressure, blocking most of the wind for the Kemis.
"THIS IS WAY MORE EXTREME COMPARED TO THE FIRST TIME WE RODE THIRDY!" Kita shouted.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"FeLinE:1000X screaming in a monotone voice.
"I miss this adrenaline!" Raven also shouted.
"Padra said hang on tight, we are almost there!" Darli told the group.
The situation proves that choosing Padra instead of the Wyverns is the right choice. The Wyverns can cross this challenge but the Kemis riding them surely won't survive. Padra is the only Dragon that is large enough to protect several Kemis from the relentless wind blow.
After a couple more minutes, Padra finally surpassed the clouds. The wind is finally calm, and the shrine is waiting in front of them. It feels like it's too good to be true since there's no dungeon in this third Mystical Runekey, meaning they don't have to deal with traps and possibly the Templarites. Unfortunately, there's something else waiting for them.
Landing on the shrine's platform, the group sees three Flying Kemis guarding the artifact. It's the first time that they witness a fully corrupted Kemi, their body is covered with violet veins, blank expressions on their faces, and looking like completely out of control. Yuna carries everyone down using her talent as they assess the situation.
"They are fully corrupted…" FeLinE:1000X said.
"I-I don't think it's a good idea to face them," Kita suggested.
"But they need us," Hana argued.
"Padra said that he can easily torch them up if we want to," Darli said.
"No torching Kemis, please. Remember the part where Hana healed the Kemis? We need to do that." Raven told Darli.
"But nyu said that half-corrupted Kemi made things harder for nyu, what more those fully corrupted? Padra's idea is easier." Darli replied.
"Yeah, but the easier way doesn't always mean it's good! Like it's easier to just sleep your problems away but it won't work, we need to face them!" Lulu commented.
"That's another random comparison but her point is we should not resort to Padra's idea," Yuna added.
"I have so much to learn…" Darli said.
Due to the group's noise, the corrupted Kemis turned their attention to them, and they immediately cast their talents. In the next instant, the place is suddenly covered in mist, that's the talent of the first corrupted Kemi. Afterward, the group started to see duplications of themselves, creating illusions, the talent of the second corrupted Kemi. Lastly, the third Flying Kemi's talent is nullifying, which means everything that will come their way will lose momentum and negate all incoming force to them, it's the main reason how they reach the shrine in the first place.
Padra can easily blow the mist away using his huge wings, but he is currently drowned in illusions. Tons of Darli petting him, it is an illusion that Padra doesn't want to break free. Meanwhile, the Kemis got separated and now trying to regroup. One wrong step will make them fall off the platform, the group must find a way to outwit the corrupted Kemis without falling into the trap. The group started to communicate blindly in the mist.
"I never knew I'm this cute?" Lulu said while looking at a duplicate of herself.
"Okay, nobody move. Let's all stay where we are right now while we are trying to figure things out. These duplicates of us are most likely traps." Raven instructed.
"FeLinE thinks that we should just hit everyone, it will make them disappear. FeLinE already tested it and hit a Kita's illusion." FeLinE:1000X suggested.
"OY! NYU TEST IT ON ME? WHAT IF THAT WAS ME!" Kita complained.
"Then it is a win-win situation," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"OY!" Kita madly reacted.
"Let's not try to harm each other, maybe there's another way." Hana intervened.
"How about this, they are mere illusions right? If the Kemi in front of us fails to prove themselves, then we are allowed to hit and test if it's an illusion." Yuna suggested.
"That's a better idea than instantly hitting what's in front of us. Let's all carefully walk and assess the surroundings, maybe we can map out the place and then warn others about where to go." Hana added.
"FeLinE will give ten seconds for everyone to prove themselves, failing to do so will be hit by my Relic," FeLinE:1000X said.
"Yosh, this is my first adventure. I can feel the adrenaline but I must calm down, I must think! I'll kick those corrupted Kemis' butt!" Darli told herself as she laughed loudly.
133.
Currently experiencing a confusing situation, the Kemis proceeded as they had planned. Illusions may look and sound exactly like them, but they don't have the memories of the real ones. The only way to prove one's identity is through their memory.
As FeLinE walks forward, the only line she says when encountering someone is, "Ten seconds." Continuing her strategy, FeLinE meets Yuna, and she immediately starts counting. On the other hand, Yuna levitates to prove her identity and says, "I'm using my talent, do nyu trust me now? Let's meet up with others."
"Nyu probably saw us levitating down from Padra, evidence not sufficient," FeLinE replied, she immediately hit Yuna with her Relic and the illusion disappeared. It seems like FeLinE's assessments are on point, and so far she is the fastest one in identifying if it's an illusion or not. Later on, FeLinE once again meets Kita.
"Ten seconds," FeLinE:1000X said.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT!" Kita shouted in panic.
"9," FeLinE:1000X replied.
"DON'T PRESSURE ME! I ALREADY SAW NYU HIT A LEVITATING YUNA! WHICH MEANS NYU ARE THE REAL FELINE, AND SHOWING TALENT DOESN'T WORK!" Kita complained.
"8," FeLinE:1000X responded.
"Think Kita, think… Okay, nyu know it's her, nyu just have to prove that it's nyu… But what if I'm not me? WAIT I'M LOSING FOCUS!" Kita talked to herself.
"7, 6, 5…" FeLinE:1000X continued counting.
"This has been the most up-front pressure I've experienced! Besides from that moment when Queen Grace asked me to help her." Kita mentioned, "Nyu know what, just hit me. Not disappearing when nyu hit me will prove that I'm not an illusion, I'll just face it," she added.
FeLinE stopped counting, approached Kita, and lightly knocked her forehead. "FeLinE already knows it's nyu," she said.
"Then why did nyu still hit me!" Kita complained.
FeLinE smirks and says, "Let's keep moving."
As they proceed, FeLinE tells Kita to gather the remaining ones and then she'll catch up with them after a short while. Slowly, Kita meets the rest one by one. There were some close calls like reaching the edge of the platform but luckily, no one fell. Meanwhile, Darli overthinks the scenario to the point that she just sits in her place the whole time, thinking about the best course of action. The group picked her up before she could even start one out of her hundred plans. Eventually, they all meet at the center while Padra is still daydreaming.
"Now that we secured everyone's safety, what shall we do next?" Hana asked.
"So the first Kemi creates mists, the other one creates illusions, what's the talent of the last one?" Yuna replied.
"Nullifying," FeLinE:1000X answered as she joined the group out of nowhere.
"Nullifying?" The rest questioned.
"Hai, FeLinE met the third one. FeLinE tried to hit him with the Relic but it felt like FeLinE's momentum when swinging the Relic decreased as it got near to him, it barely touched his face rather than knocking him out. Therefore, FeLinE thinks it's nullifying everything that comes to him." FeLinE:1000X explained.
"Wait, nyu tried to knock him out?" Hana questioned.
"FeLinE is just trying to prove a hypothesis, and it worked," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"At this point, I'm not even surprised. She hit duplicates of us in order to prove its illusion." Kita commented.
"FeLinE tries to attack because FeLinE knows there will be a defensive response from them, meaning no one will get hurt. FeLinE wouldn't do it if FeLinE knew they'd react differently." FeLinE:1000X explained.
"FeLinE is cool, I want to be like her!" Darli said.
"Nyu two are polar opposites," Lulu responded.
Yuna intervened and brought them back to the topic, "Nullifying… Then that means, we can't approach him, as well as the other ones. How are we going to heal them?" She asked.
"This is indeed a hard one, maybe there's a way for them to break their talent. It's not like they can continuously use it forever." Raven said.
"Oh, I know!" Lulu excitedly said, "Remember the time when we faced Raccus? We were able to break his talent when he lost focus!" She added.
"Back then, the chestnut falling to Raccus' head broke his focus, is it possible to do it again without landing something directly at them?" Hana questioned.
"Wait a second… It is possible! Lulu was able to break Raccus' focus when she jumpscare him out of nowhere! Lulu didn't directly attack Raccus, she just caught him off guard!" Kita answered.
"I'm seeing the angle now, Hana can heal him once we break his talent, and then we can take on the others as well," Raven added.
"Kita, remember the time nyu want to be the one who will distract Raccus? Now is your time to shine," Yuna told Kita.
"Ohohoho… It's on…" Kita said as she smirked.
This time, Kita is the one who takes the lead. She's been waiting for this moment and Kita won't waste the opportunity, thus the brainstorming begins.
"Good thing the moisture of the mist is refreshing, it helps me to calm down," Darli mentioned.
"It actually feels like a light rain!" Lulu responded.
"Rain? So this is what rain feels like. We don't know how weather works since we live above the clouds." Darli replied.
The short conversation between Darli and Lulu gave Kita an idea. The mist has water particles on it, and it is enough to shock everyone, with that said, Kita told everyone her plan.
When everyone was in their position, it was time for them to pull out the plan. Kita cools the mist up to the point that the mist turns into snow. This is the first time that Darli and the Flying Kemis experienced such weather. The third corrupted Kemi extends his hand to reach for the snow, gaining a little bit of consciousness due to the bewildering event. This gave Hana the opening to heal him and it worked effectively.
Now that there's no one to deflect their attacks, the rest of the group jumps out from the snow and holds the remaining corrupted Kemis down. Kita, Yuna, and Lulu are onto the one that creates illusions, while Raven, Darli, and FeLinE go for the one that summons mist.
When it comes to ideas, Kita's imagination can truly exceed expectations. The plan worked well, and Hana was able to heal the corrupted Kemis. Kita pulls off another mindblowing feat.
End of Chapter 3