466 The Old Mans Sanctuary, A Place that Mortals Never Reached Before (1/2)

Day ▋▋ - ▋▋:▋▋ ▋▋ - Stone Fortress, Eastern Mountain

After picking up the crystal that fell to the ground, Mark did not return immediately. He was a bit complacent when he obliterated the giant's body, causing that last attack to happen. Seeing that even a single eyeball was capable of releasing such an attack, he scoured the area a bit more, ensuring that no remnants of the giant's body remained.

Mark went on a few circles around the scorched area and its boundaries. While he did that, many of the races that escaped during the second half of the battle had returned. They returned not because they were only curious about the outcome of the fight. They came back to search for the remains of their comrades.

Diwata Danaya did her best to secure everyone's safety when the giant grew those humongous eyes on its body. However, being a single individual, she alone was not enough to save everyone.

Furthermore, none of them expected to see an intact body. The tentacles that grew out of the giant's body caused most of the death as it happened while most of the races were near the giant's body. Those that the tentacles caught and strangled had their bodies either crushed or squeezed into unsightly pieces.

There was no distinction on the races of those that perished. Even some of the Sarangays that had sturdy bodies had their bodies torn to shreds or squeezed into meat juice.

More might have died because of those tentacles if Diwata Danaya did not intervene and caused the giant's attention to focus on her.

And looking at the area left after the battle, the races that came back questioned whether they would still be able to see any remains. For sure, like the giant's body, their corpses already turned to dust and ashes.

Many people were already present in the area when Mark decided to return to the fortress.

After arriving, he witnessed a strange sight where Danaya was prostrating in front of the Old Man. The Old Man was trying to make her stand up, but it was just that she would not dare to.

”What is happening?”

Mark asked his group after he landed. That was when he noticed that even the members of his group had strange expressions as they looked at the Old Man.

Apparently, they were still digesting the absurd information that they had just heard.

”Gege, Danaya called the Old Man, Bathala.”

Mei said while scratching her cheek.

It was no wonder now that they could not comprehend what they had heard. After all, who would believe if someone told you that the hermit that you spoke to was someone regarded as a God?

Mark had a strange frown as he looked at the Old Man. It was quite urgent before, and he had no time to observe the Old Man's appearance. Now, however, he could see the resemblance from the writings he read in the past.

That state of his clothing was somewhat off as it made him look like a beggar. Nevertheless, it was definitely his signature white robe that barely covered his muscular body. Below, he was wearing a long breechcloth around his waist and a pair of ragged shorts made of animal skin underneath.

On his neck, he was wearing a tribal necklace laced with black colored fangs. He was also wearing a pair of golden plates about two inches in diameter as earrings. He held an oddly shaped wooden staff. The Old Man was also barefooted and only wore a pair of anklets made of different colored stones on his feet.

Because of Danaya, those races around them also started to prostrate before the Old Man. Sure enough, this made him even more troubled. As for Karlene and the others, they began to ponder whether they needed to copy the races. After all, it was a God, or a supreme deity in the least, that they were talking about.

Seeing Mark staring at him with a very pressing expression, the Old Man coughed. He then looked at the Danaya.

”I will have to speak to your guests. To avoid repercussions, we will have to leave. Take care of this place well.”

”Y-yes! I will obey your words, Mahabaging Bathala!”

Danaya replied in a fluster.

Hearing her reply, the Old Man turned to Mark and the members of his group.

”Follow me.”

He said as he turned his back and walked towards the opposite direction of the wall.

Mark and his group were confused. The way down the wall was in the opposite direction of where the Old Man was walking towards. Nevertheless, the Old Man continued to walk, making them follow.

And after they took a couple of steps behind the Old Man, the scene around them changed.

They were no longer atop the wall of the fortress. The members of the races around them were also gone.

Instead, they were surrounded by shimmering glass-like walls, both left and right. It was a cave with crystal walls with only a single path.

Everyone in his group shivered at the sight of this. Not because they were surprised or afraid, but because of the thick energy abundant in the area. It was too thick that even Edzel, Pearl, and Karlene, who were still humans, could feel it.

Despite the surprise, Mark and his group did not stop walking. They savored the pleasant feeling of the energy seeping into their bodies while following behind the Old Man.

Soon, they saw rays of light coming from the end of the cave.

The Old Man stepped into the rays, and they followed. There, they realized that they exited the cave.

And what they saw was paradise.

Outside the cave was a basin about five hundred meters wide and was being surrounded by mountain high steep crystal walls. Looking up, it felt like someone or something dug an enormous hole into a crystal mountain and created a sanctuary below it.

Half-foot tall grass covered the land, and there was a ten-meter river flowing across the center of the basin. They could see the source of water, and it was a waterfall that fell straight from above the mountain cliff. This waterfall was definitely higher than the tallest waterfall on earth, Salto Ángel, in Venezuela.

Because of the flowing water, different kinds of flora could be seen around the basin. All of the plants they saw was something they had seen for the first time. Some were plants with crystal leaves and flowers, there was also a flower that was releasing light, and there was a tree growing golden fruits.

Those golden fruits made Mark stop a bit as the thought of something. Mei and Abbygale also paused as they had the same feeling after seeing the fruits.

They did not take long, though, as the Old Man continued to walk away. Along the way, they also saw animals and insects. Each creature was unusual, but fascinating to look at.