Chapter 710: Entering the Dungeon
After twelve hours of flying, the Airship finally arrived at the location of the Dungeon's entrance.
It was a snowy field surrounded by mountains and forests.
A camp had been set up by the Bureau, with tents, vehicles, and equipment.
Then, Vale saw a large metal door that marked the entrance leading to the Dungeon. Aside from the guards around the perimeter of the camp, there were also a few First-Class Arcanists guarding the entrance.
Furthermore, Vale could see more than a dozen Ice Spirits!
These Elemental Spirits were thoroughly guarding the entrance, although they only seemed to be sleeping around.
As Vale scanned the area with his Divine Sense, he didn't find any Psychic Arts, Transformation Arts, and Dark Arts Practitioners.
It seemed that these Arcane Paths weren't prevalent in this region.
'Alright... Let's see what we got here.'
Vale stepped off the Airship, accompanied by Director Lark and a handful of agents. He was greeted by a group of Arcanists who had been waiting for his arrival. They were part of the team that would assist Vale in the outskirts of the Dungeon, while he ventured deeper into its secrets.
These Arcanists were all Mystic Arts Practitioners, and they had a map of the Dungeon and a device that could detect the Dimensional Creatures, beings that lurked in the cracks between worlds.
Vale was intrigued by the device, but he refrained from asking about it, knowing that he would find out more about it soon enough.
Anyway, aside from this device, they also had weapons, tools, and various supplies. They were prepared for anything that could happen in the Dungeon.
The leader of the Arcanists was a middle-aged man with silver hair and a stern expression. He introduced himself as Master Steins, the head of the Mystic Arts Division of the Bureau.
He bowed respectfully to Vale and thanked him for his cooperation, something that Vale had already heard for several times.
"Lord Immortal, it is an honor to have you with us. We are here to support you in your exploration of the Dungeon, and to provide you with any information or assistance you may need. We have been studying the Dungeon for a long time, and we have some clues about its nature and origin. However, we barely managed to reach the broken Celestial Palace before we encountered many obstacles and dangers. Including Dimensional Creatures. We hope that with your help, we can finally unlock the secrets of the Realm and ensure that the Golden Key will not be taken by anyone else." Master Steins said.
Vale nodded as he used his Spells to ensure that they weren't Demon Saints.
After confirming that everything was fine, he allowed them to lead him...
Anyway, he was already excited to learn more about the Immortals of the past. At this time, he simply agreed to their words and followed their guidance.
"Steins... If you have anything in your mind. Just let me know." Vale said.
"Thank you, Lord Immortal. We just hope that if you ever sensed the Dimensional Creatures. Try not to fight against it if you're unsure whether you can defeat. Those creatures could mess up the already dying Realm, so it's better not to agitate them if possible."
Master Steins said, his voice sincere and respectful.
"Mhmm... I'll take note of that." Vale spoke behind his mask.
Vale then followed Steins and the other Arcanists to the entrance leading to the Dungeon.
It was a large metal door, guarded by Ice Spirits, creatures of frost and magic that served as the Dungeon's first line of defense. Steins used his authority to deactivate the security system, and the door opened with a loud creak.
They entered the Dungeon, and were met with a labyrinth of corridors and chambers, filled with various traps and guardians. Steins then led the way, using his device to navigate the Dungeon and avoid or disable the dangers.
Soon, they passed through several high-level Formation Arts and traps, that were designed to prevent any intruders from entering or escaping the Dungeon.
After some time, they finally reached the lowest level, and Vale saw a huge crack in space.
It was dark and ominous, but he could feel a familiar sensation emanating from it. It was undoubtedly the remnant of the Celestial Realm, the Realm where the ancient Immortals had once dwelled.
"Interesting..." Vale muttered as he felt the leaking energy from it.
Then, his attention was brought to the gatekeeper sitting close to the entrance.
It was a person guarding the crack, an old man with a pale complexion and a cold demeanor. He was a Half-Immortal, a hybrid of human and Immortal blood, and Vale recognized him from the files that he received before. This man was also part of the Council and worked for the Bureau as the Guardian of the Dungeon.
This Half-Immortal recognized Vale and immediately introduced himself.
"Lord Immortal, welcome to the Dungeon. I am Kai, and I am here to ensure the entrance's safety and prevent any unauthorized access. Ahem... I have been expecting you, and I have prepared everything for your journey. Please, have a safe trip, Lord Immortal."
Vale nodded and thanked him. He doesn't really know what more to say to this hardworking man.
'He doesn't look like a Demon Saint anyway...'
Vale was now ready to explore the Remnant of the Celestial Realm, and to find out the truth about the Golden Key.
It didn't take long before Steins entered the crack, followed by the Arcanists, and Vale entered last.
***
As Vale and the others stepped through the crack, they felt a sudden jolt of dizziness, as if they had fallen into a bottomless abyss.
The surrounding energy became suffocating, and the usual laws of nature seemed to change in this place.
They were able to quickly tell that using normal Arcane Spells in this place may either be impossible or completely difficult.
"So this is it, huh..." Vale muttered as his senses spread throughout the surroundings.
To his surprise, however, his Magic Zone could only cover a kilometer after entering this place.
'Interesting...' He thought as he started to look around.
In a concise description, they seemed to have found themselves in a dark and desolate world, a world that was crumbling and fading away.
The sky above them was a vast expanse of blackness, pierced by countless stars that twinkled like dying embers. The ground below them was cracked and barren, littered with debris and ruins. The air around them was thin and cold, filled with a sense of dread and decay.
Vale simply couldn't describe what he was feeling just by looking at this place. Just mere words may not be enough.
'Well, this situation perfectly fits being called the Remnant of the Celestial Realm... It would have been great to see this in its glory.' Vale thought to himself.
Unfortunately, this was not the Realm of glory and splendor that it was before. This was now a realm of ruin and despair, a realm that was on the verge of collapse.
"Sir Immortal... I'm curious, can you tell that this is indeed the Celestial Realm where all the Transcendent Beings had lived before?" Master Steins asked as he looked at the Masked Immortal.
Vale didn't immediately answer as he slowly used his Divinity and even his Divine Extraction System to get a better understanding of the place.
After some time, he answered.
"Yes, this is it. I can tell from its traces of energy. But this is not how it used to be. This is how it is now, after the Cataclysm..." Vale said, his voice calm and solemn.
From the four Immortals in the castle, he also learned quite a few things about the past of this Realm.
"The Cataclysm? What's that?" one of the Arcanists asked, his eyes wide with curiosity and fear. Although they already have some idea, they still couldn't help but ask.
Anyway, their devices were still adjusting to the changes within the 'dungeon', so they had to wait until now.
"It's the event that destroyed the Celestial Realm, and the Immortals who lived in it. Just think of it as a war that involved multiple Transcendent Beings. These includes Celestials, Demon Lords, Dimensional Creatures and there might even be Time Manipulators." Vale explained, his voice grave and serious.
"Dimensional creatures..." The group of Arcanists repeated as they knew about the Dimensional Creatures. As a matter of fact, these creatures were the ones they wanted to avoid while inside this Realm!
Unfortunately, as if on cue, a loud roar echoed through the air, followed by a series of thuds and crashes.
The group turned and saw a massive creature emerging from the shadows, its eyes glowing with a sinister light.
It was a creature of the void, a creature of the Dimensional Realm.
Vale looked at this creature and realized why the Arcanists and even the Half-Immortals were afraid of it!
It was a monstrous beast, a twisted abomination of the void.
It was a creature of terror and was befitting its name as a Dimensional Creature, a creature of the Cataclysm!