North of The Black City in the Abyss, beneath a continuous range of mountains.
Underground.
Thousands of yellow crystals were embedded in the rock ceiling of the vast underground space.
Pale yellow light shone from these crystals, illuminating the huge cavern below.
Rows of small houses stood on the ground like bamboo shoots in a forest.
In the center of these houses stood a red palace about thirty meters tall.
The walls of the palace looked as if they had been painted with blood.
At the very top of the palace rose a tall chimney, puffing out thick black smoke.
Next to the chimney stood a viewing platform of equal height, high enough to overlook everything around.
On the platform stood a Red Dwarf, only about 1.2 meters tall. Like a roaring lion, he surveyed his territory.
This Red Dwarf had a thick black beard and an incredibly muscular, bare upper body. Under the pale yellow light, his skin seemed to gleam with a faint metallic sheen.
"Your Majesty," a bowing Red Dwarf in a white robe whispered, "Karls still hasnât agreed to your request."
King Malcolm of the Red Dwarves slowly turned his gaze away from the distance. He pulled out a bottle of strong liquor and drank half of it in one go.
His rough face immediately flushed red.
"Wait a bit more," Malcolm said calmly. "Iâve already sent word. Karlsâ sister should be back soon."
"By then, weâll use his sister as leverage, and heâll change his mind." Malcolm finished the rest of the strong liquor in one gulp and let out a loud burp.
The Red Dwarf minister in the white robe immediately replied, "Your Majesty, this matters for the future of the entire Red Dwarves Clan. What if Karls still refuses?"
"In that case, itâs likely..."
Before the minister could finish, Malcolm opened another bottle of fine wine.
A look of helplessness flashed in his eyes. He looked down at the wine in his hand, losing interest immediately.
He tossed the wine bottle casually to the minister.
The ministerâs eyes instantly lit up, his mouth watering as he unconsciously swallowed.
"Drink it. Compared to Crimson Blood, all this so-called fine wine is trash," Malcolm licked his lips, longing for the taste of Crimson Blood.
But soon, he let out a heavy sigh. His whole body seemed to lose its Strength, curling up slightly in exhaustion.
"If only we could find the Scarlet Skull Goblet. Weâve already collected most of the crimson crystal fragments. We just need the Goblet."
"If we could repair it, Karls wouldnât have to..." Malcolmâs eyes filled with deep despair.
For every Red Dwarf, Crimson Blood is an irresistible temptation.
Thereâs a reason for this, and it involves a massive secret that could determine the future of their entire race.
"Yes," the minister sighed. "The Abyss is huge. We have absolutely no clue where the Scarlet Skull Goblet is hidden."
If the lost Scarlet Skull Goblet were to reappear, it would be cause for great celebration for all Red Dwarves.
Whoever found the Goblet would become the most honored guestâor even a brotherâof the Red Dwarves Clan!
If that happened, Karls, with his incredible talent and special flames, wouldnât have to make such a sacrifice.
Maybe soon, another powerful figure capable of crafting Mythic Rank gear and items will rise within the Red Dwarves Clan.
"The reason the King just locked Karls in prison instead of killing him after his failed challenge is exactly this," the minister thought silently.
Just then, Malcolm, the King of the Red Dwarves, seemed to remember something and spoke up:
"Where is the Demon Clanâs envoy now?"
The minister replied, "Your Majesty, that Demon Duke named Ethan is resting in a special hotel."
"We are watching his every move closely."
Malcolm nodded, a look of worry flashing in his eyes. He spoke calmly:
"Keep him occupied for now. Donât let him suspect anything. We shouldnât provoke those powerful Demon Gods from the Demon Clan."
"We have bigger troubles to deal with right now!"
Decades ago, the Red Dwarves Clan would have never agreed to the Demon Clanâs request to craft Mythic Rank items; they would have firmly refused.
But now, due to certain events, the clanâs strength has dropped significantly. They might soon face a situation where they canât even forge High-tier equipment.
...
Meanwhile, over three thousand kilometers away from the Red Dwarves Clanâs territory.
Cheryl suddenly snapped her head around. She looked around in shock.
She had clearly heard Aidenâs voice moments ago, but now there was nothing to be seen.
It felt as though that voice had just been an illusion.
But just then, Fiona let out a startled cry and shouted:
"Aiden! Thatâs great! Now we donât need to worry!"
As soon as Fiona finished speaking, Cherylâs eyes widened in disbelief as she stared fixedly at her.
"Whatâs wrong?" Fiona asked, confused.
Cheryl didnât hesitate for a second and spoke fast: "You know Aiden too?"
Fionaâs eyes widened immediately. She replied, "You know him?"
Both women stared at each other in total shock and disbelief.
"Hmph, hiding coward! Get out right now!" Miko Blaine shouted, frowning.
She acted like she didnât care, but with a quick hand signal behind her back, she warned the two Miko standing nearby.
Instantly, those two Miko rushed closer to Blaine, shifting their stance slightly to watch the blind spots Blaine couldnât see.
The other Miko members also moved in fast, ready to fight again if needed.
A moment passed, but the surroundings remained perfectly still.
Blaineâs frown deepened. She whispered to her companions, "Be careful. The enemy must have a very High-tier Stealth skill. I canât find their location."
Hearing this, the other Miko exchanged shocked looks and became even more alert.
Just then, a space rift suddenly tore open right next to Cheryl and Fiona.
At the same time, Aidenâs voice echoed out:
"Get in!"
Without a momentâs doubt, Cheryl and Fiona ran straight into the rift as fast as they could.
Mythic Rank Miko Blaine reacted quickly too. She ignored Cheryl and Fiona and turned her head sharply, locking onto the direction where Aidenâs voice had come from.
In an instant, the Frost Wand in her hand flared brightly.
A terrifying wall of ice appeared out of nowhere, instantly covering the spot she was targeting.
In the blink of an eye, everything within 500 meters of that area was frozen by the freezing cold.
Even a bird flying in the sky was caught mid-flap, frozen into an ice statue, and crashed rapidly to the ground.
"So fast!" Blaine muttered, her eyes filled with surprise.
Her attack speed was already incredibly fast. She had planned everything the moment she heard the enemyâs voice.
If things went as expected, even if the enemy used stealth or turned invisible, she would still freeze them.
But now, it looked like the enemy possessed terrifying speed, allowing them to dodge just in time after her attack landed.
Blaineâs mood turned serious.
"Who are you exactly? Why are you interfering in our Winterhold The Selwyn Familyâs affairs?" Blaine took a deep breath, trying to intimidate the enemy with her familyâs reputation.
However, a faint, mocking laugh suddenly appeared right in front of her.
"Winterhold The Selwyn Family? Iâve never heard of them."
Aiden slowly stepped out of the shadows. He glanced at Cheryl and Fiona, who had just escaped the Mikoâs trap through the space rift.
"Aiden, it really is you!" Cheryl paused for a second, then quickly realized he must have been disguising himself.
Her eyes lit up, and her lips curled into a wide, joyful smile.
She even threw her arms open, ready to hug him.
"Letâs save that for later," Aiden replied briefly to Cheryl.
He quickly turned to Fiona and asked, "Where is Brock?"
Fiona instinctively lowered her head and answered, "Grandpa Brock went to save my brother. He probably thought I was just a burden and didnât want me to come along."
As she spoke, Fionaâs grip on her giant hammer tightened, her voice trembling with confusion and sadness.
"I wasnât wrong then," Aiden thought in less than a second. "Brock must have known it was too dangerous. With no chance of success, he decided to split up from Fiona."
He sighed. If it were him, he probably would have done the same thing.
Just then, Blaine took a deep breath and shouted loudly, "You can still leave now! If you cross The Selwyn Family, youâre essentially provoking a Primordial Miko!"
"You will face the wrath and pursuit of countless Miko!"
Hearing this, Aiden just smirked with total disdain.
He had already killed Sylvia from The Selwyn Family at the Miko Temple.
Besides, how could he stand there and do nothing while watching Cheryl in danger?
Letâs not even get into other reasons. The truth is, he had invested huge amounts of materials into both Cheryl and Rainn.
If Cheryl died, he would be the one who lost the most.
"Youâre a Mythic Rank Miko?" Aiden thought for a moment and then asked.
Blaine mistook Aidenâs question for fear, so she replied smugly:
"Thatâs right. If you refuse to listen, Iâll make you see the power of a Mythic Rank Miko!"
Aidenâs eyes suddenly lit up. He quickly asked, "Do you have other Mythic Rank Miko companions?"
"If you do, can you call them all over?"