Chapter 147: Sky Island
"What's wrong with you? Are you under another mental attack? Emmeline, be alert to your surroundings and shoot any suspicious targets." Esina hurriedly helped Isidor up.
"No need for that. This is not a mental attack. It's the price I paid for casting the divination magic... Could it be that the location of the dark elves and vampires is a secret that this world cannot discover?" Isidor held his forehead and rested for a while, gradually feeling recovered.
He called up the system and checked his panel:
[Name: Isidor]
[Race: Evil Goblin]
[Occupation: Cyclone Ranger/Prophet]
【Life: 564/564】
[Magic power: 530/550]
[Endurance: 1007/1042]
[Spirit: 50/500]
【Strength: 1274】
[Agility: 907]
【Ghost value 666】
[Special skills: Temperance, Compulsion (Immortality), Fantasy Construction]
[Racial skills: Stick Mastery LV10, Fully Evolved, Void Shock Wave, Evil Advent]
[Professional skills: Dexterity LV6, Sword Mastery LV9, Whirlwind LV10]
Sure enough, the mental power has dropped from the upper limit of 550 to 500. Although the reduction seems not much, the upper limit of mental power determines the single limit of one's fantasy construction, so even a small reduction is a huge loss.
"The old goblin said that the negative effects of the system can be blocked, but it seems that it still cannot be completely solved now? Forget it, let's not think about it for now. Compared with the help that Iovia and Fidna can provide, fifty points of mental power are nothing." Isidor thought secretly.
"Then, don't use this ability for the time being. If your mental strength is too low, it will have irreversible effects on your memory and personality. Unless it is something big like finding a companion, I don't want you to use this trick again." Esina hugged Isidor's neck from behind and said softly.
"Okay, I promise you that I won't use this trick easily again. Then let's set out to find the dark elves and vampires now, and I'll have to trouble Emily to be on guard." Isidor said.
"I'll try my best." Emmeline stretched out her newly reattached right arm, seeming she was still adapting to the new limb.
So Isidor summoned the ghost bird and flew directly to the location detected by the divination magic.
The ghost bird's ability to cross terrain is amazing. It only took three to five days to reach the designated location.
However, where the divination indicated an island, there was nothing but a calm sea.
"Did the magic go wrong? That shouldn't be the case. Even if divination magic can go wrong, the prophet's intuition is always accurate." Isidor said with a frown.
"No, we're here. There is indeed an island here, but it's located... further up." Emmeline raised her head and looked at the misty clouds in the sky.
"Oh my God, at this distance... I can only see clouds. Are your eyes an astronomical telescope?" Isidor raised his head, squinted his eyes and tried to see for a long time, but finally gave up.
"Your strength can't be increased either?" asked Esina.
"When I was fighting Zamdrow in the north, I absorbed a lot of mental power, so I could barely make an island float in the air. If I use it now... it would be a bit of a waste. I'm afraid my mental power will be exhausted before I can fly to the destination - Araemon, do you have any solution?" Isidor estimated the distance with his eyes and shook his head.
"Of course there is a way - Emmeline, I remember that you majored in mechanics in Piedmont, so you should still remember how to make a hot air balloon, right?" asked Esna.
"I remember, but I didn't take many of my main courses, and I didn't have as much time to practice archery. So..."
"Don't worry, I'll be your assistant - Isidor, I'll trouble you with the materials." said Esna.
"Leave it to me." Isidor nodded and made various tools and materials according to Emmeline's requirements.
Emilyne and Esna wrote and drew on the blueprint, and in just two or three days they created a hot air balloon that floated with magical energy.
"So cool! I didn't expect you could make something like this!" Isidor looked at the huge hot air balloon in front of him and kissed Esina on the cheek excitedly.
"What are you doing! Emmeline is watching us!" Esna reproached softly.
"Okay, sister, I'm not as slow as you think." Emmeline whispered aside.
Aisina blushed and quickly changed the subject, "Okay, come on up! This magic consumes a lot of energy, let's go up as soon as possible!"
Isido could no longer contain his excitement and jumped into the basket under the hot air balloon.
When all three of them sat up, Esina began to use weak fire magic to heat the balloon. The gas inside the balloon began to expand and gradually rose.
The trees and rocks on the ground gradually became smaller, while the clouds in the sky gradually approached.
When the hot air balloon reached a certain height, even ordinary people with vision could clearly see the island in Emmeline's eyes.
It was a huge floating island, which was surrounded by clouds and hidden among the sea of clouds, appearing and disappearing.
There are rivers, lakes and mountains on the island. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but there are also all kinds of birds and animals. It is like a small world.
Emmeline shot several arrows with ropes attached to the ground, fixed the hot air balloon with the ropes, and then the three of them landed on the island along the ropes.
When the three of them arrived on the island, they noticed that the creatures on the island were much larger than those on the ground. A rabbit was as big as a tiger, and the grass grew as tall as a small tree. They didn't think much of it when they looked at it from the air just now, just because they lacked a suitable reference point.
"This rabbit can be eaten for three days and three nights if caught," Isidor said with drooling eyes.
"Be careful, the concentration of magic here is very high, and the creatures here look unusual. Even though it's just a rabbit, I'm afraid it's more dangerous than most monsters." Aisina warned.
"Let me give it a try," said Emmeline, drawing her bow and shooting an arrow at the rabbit.
The rabbit was very clever and apparently noticed the arrow shot at it. It just turned sideways and glared, and a wall of ice appeared in front of the arrow, easily defending itself against it.
"It can actually use magic? Although I didn't shoot very hard, that arrow was enough to penetrate three layers of armor. This rabbit can actually defend itself!" Emmeline said in surprise.
Before he finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind swept in. A male lion as big as a hill pounced on him, stunned the rabbit with a flash of lightning, then bit its throat and swallowed it in two or three bites.
The lion, still unsatisfied, noticed the three people and approached them with eyes wide open and shining with lightning.
"Get ready to fight, it might be a little tricky." Esna drew her sword.
At this moment, a strangely shaped sword suddenly flew from a distance and pierced through the lion's head. The lion, as tall as a hill, fell to the ground and died without a sound.
"Delicious! I'm coming!!!"
As the lion fell, a heartless voice came from a distance.
Chapter 148: Reunion in the Sky
"Fidena!" Isidor couldn't help but blurt out as he looked at the heroic figure in front of him.
However, Fidna, who was standing on the lion, did not seem to notice the people below. She just lay on the lion, bit its neck and started drinking.
"Don't disturb vampires while they're eating. In their customs, eating, besides the act of eating itself, also has the meaning of increasing their own kind, so it can also be seen as a special reproduction behavior and usually should never be disturbed." Esna reminded.
"What will happen if I disturb you?" Isidor asked.
Just as Aisina was about to answer, a dark figure flashed beside Fidna and kicked her down.
"Fidna! I told you not to suck the blood of monsters casually! The monsters here are similar in appearance only, and they are not the same species as we know! In other words, some may be poisonous! You have to wait until I have studied them before you can eat them!" the black figure said angrily.
"I'm hungry. Besides, I have the holy light, so I can detoxify myself." Fidna said innocently.
"Forget it. Since an old friend is here today, I won't punish you - everyone, you are finally here!" A black figure flashed in front of the three people. It was Iovia who had been away for a long time.
"You are faster than before. Even I can't see the track of your movement." Isidor said with emotion.
"She is also more mature and charming than before." Aisina said with a smile.
"Of course. Ten years have passed, and I must have changed a lot." Iovia said with her hands on her hips.
"Ten years? Wait, I remember we weren't separated for that long, right? Although I haven't calculated the time, it should be less than a year." Isidor said puzzledly.
"Eh? No way? Although we can't see the sunrise or sunset here, the dark elves have a very accurate sense of time! Even if there is a certain error, it has to be at least seven or eight years!" Iovia said blankly.
"Could it be a barrier or an illusion? Although it is not common, this seems to be an ancient relic. It is possible that there are some lost magic..." Esna analyzed with her head down.
"Okay, let's talk about this later! We finally got our companions together, quickly call Fidena over so we can catch up!" Isidor interrupted.
"Yes! Fidna! Come here quickly, look who's coming?!" Iovia shouted loudly.
"Is it a new kind of food?" Fidna walked over lazily, and her eyes lit up the moment she saw Esna.
The next moment, a loud noise came from the ground where Fidena was standing, and the explosion-like kick made Fidena shoot towards Esna like a cannonball.
"Stop!" Esina quickly used telekinesis to block in front of her, and the powerful impact flattened Fidena in half.
If it were any other creature, it would have been dead by now. But Fidna, as expected of a pure-blooded vampire, stood up immediately, looking at Esna with sparkling eyes, and even drooling from the corners of her mouth.
"I don't have the perfect virginity protection now, so you can't be as rude as before." Aisina reminded.
"Yeah!" Fidna looked at Esna eagerly, as if she was expecting something, but she couldn't say a meaningful word.
"I guess it's because Fidena hasn't had proper food for a long time. The air here is humid and there is no fire, so we can only eat cold food. She must be very greedy. Eisna, make something delicious for her!" said Iovia.
"Yeah!!!" Fidna nodded excitedly.
"I see... That's easy. You go find some edible ingredients, and Lord Isidor please build some kitchen utensils. We'll have a meal here to celebrate our reunion!" Esina said with a smile.
"Give me a little time!" Iovia was probably also very eager for normal food, and she disappeared from the spot in a flash.
About an hour later, Iovia returned with the collected food, most of which was a strange kind of silk thread, mixed with a small amount of meat and mushrooms.
"I'm sorry, but that's all the ingredients we can use. The staple food here is a kind of floating creature that lives by filtering food in the clouds. The edible part is as rough and hard as sugarcane rind. There seem to be many animals on the island, but most of them are highly poisonous. This little meat comes from a kind of mouse, and other than that, only mushrooms are edible." Iovia said apologetically.
"It doesn't matter. If we boil this thing, we should be able to eat the soft part inside. Add to that the food we brought, it will be enough for a rich meal." Esina observed the food sent by Iovia and quickly made a recipe.
When the sun went down, a sumptuous dinner was served. Aisina lit a bonfire with fire magic, and the five people who had reunited after a long separation enjoyed themselves to their heart's content in front of the bonfire.
Among them, Fidna alone ate food for six or seven people. Fortunately, Esna was familiar with her appetite and had taken this portion into account, so everyone enjoyed the meal very much.
After Fidena had eaten her fill, Iovia began to ask about what happened during their separation. Isidor spent a long time slowly telling them about their experiences during this period.
"According to your description, this period of time is indeed less than ten years. What is going on?" Iowa asked puzzledly.
"Tell me about your experiences, maybe I can analyze some reasons." Aisina said.
"Our story is far less interesting than yours." Iovia sighed and began to narrate: "When we were separated by the teleportation magic, Fidna hugged me tightly. Although the turbulent space tried to separate us, Fidna used her body to withstand the tearing. When the surroundings stabilized, we were already on this floating island."
"At first we didn't know this place was floating in the air until Fidena ran to the edge and nearly fell off. We had no means of flying, and we didn't know how high this place was from the ground, so we had no means of leaving. Most of the animals here are poisonous, and some of the poisons are too much for even Fidena to bear. Fortunately, I had a lot of knowledge about toxins, so I barely survived. At first, there were some mechanical guards on the island who wanted to drive us away. They had powerful firepower and strong bodies, so we had to hide in underground caves to survive. We waited for an opportunity to kill the few that were alone."
"After killing for several years, we finally killed all the mechanical guards on the island, and then we explored the entire island thoroughly. We went to every place we could go, but unfortunately found nothing. In the end, we gave up exploring and settled down here. If it weren't for your arrival, I even thought I would live here forever." Iovia said, looking at Fidna who was looking for food scraps with infinite pity.
"It seems that there are indeed some secrets hidden on this island. Judging from the worn-out state of their clothes, they have been here for about ten years." Isidor said as he constructed two sets of clothes and handed them to the two.
"Do you want to explore it? But this will take some effort. The ecological environment of this island is unique and has been isolated from the outside world for at least a thousand years." said Esna.
"There's no need to investigate thoroughly. Just try to observe with your silver eyes. If we can find something useful, we'll investigate it. If not, forget it." Isidor said.
"Yes, my lord." Esina bowed gracefully, and when she stood up, her silver eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.
Chapter 149: Unknown Energy Source
"How is it? Any results?" Iovia asked after waiting for a moment.
"There is no barrier on this island, but there is a powerful energy gathering deep underground - it's not magic." Esna said with a strange expression.
"It's not magic? Then what other energy could it be? Could it be Fidna's holy light?" Iovia asked curiously.
"Speaking of holy light, you should treat Emmeline's arm first. Her hand has just been reattached and she's still a little uncomfortable." Isidor said, pointing at Emmeline's arm.
Fidna nodded, and Huo Di drew the holy sword Mercy from his back and was about to chop, but his arm froze halfway up, and then his arm fell down as if it was out of his control.
"Why did you stab me? I want to treat my boss's sister." Fidna looked back at Iovia innocently.
"Your method of treatment is terrifying! Use ordinary holy light to treat me." Iovia said as she pulled out a thin needle from Fidna's shoulder socket.
"Yes..." Fidna walked forward reluctantly, put her hand on Emilyne's arm and slowly injected holy light into it, while Iovia tried to comfort Emilyne.
"Let's get back to what happened just now, Esina - what exactly is the energy that your silver eyes saw?" Isidor asked.
"I don't know either. It's a form of energy I've never seen before. It's purer than magic, more peaceful than holy light, and more basic than the natural energy used by shamans..." Esna replied.
"Iovia mentioned that they once fought a kind of guarding machine here. Could this be the driving energy source of that machine?" Isidor asked.
"That's possible, but it will probably take some time to analyze," said Esna.
"I think it's worth a try. Although we have all our companions now, we still need to continue to strengthen our combat power. Although Iovia and Fidna seem to have become stronger, to be honest, with the current lineup, I have no confidence in winning against Zham'drow or Taimur again."
"Boss, boss, do you want to go on another adventure? Is there any treasure to dig?" Fidna, who had already completed her treatment, came over excitedly and said.
"It may be more valuable than the treasure. Are there any remains of the mechanical guards you defeated nearby?" Isidor asked.
"I don't know. I just play. How can I remember their locations?" Fidna said as a matter of course.
