After a long time, Felina and Link finally stopped at a plaza right outside a small town at the foot of the Holy Mountain.
"This is Creekwood Village. Link, please rest here for the moment. I have to report to the queen before I can bring you into the Dragon Temple," Felina said apologetically.
Link did not mind this at all. He nodded as he said, "Not a problem."
The other party was the Red Dragon Queen. There was naturally a procedure one needed to follow before they could have a presence with this dignified being. Every player had to go through this waiting process in the game as well.
"When you reach the inn, tell them that you are a guest of the queen. All your living expenses here will be covered by my race," Felina explained to Link.
The Dragon Valley was extremely huge and housed many races, though the Dragon race was the dominating one in the area.
There were still many other races under the rule of the dragon race, such as humans, the elves, and a few Yabbas. Most of these people had some dragon blood in their veins, making them a mixed descendent of the dragon race. They were mainly in charge of providing services to the pure-blooded dragons and in return, the pure-blooded dragons would ensure their safety.
This was somewhat similar to how kingdoms worked in the human race.
"How long would it take?" Link asked.
"Around two days," Felina replied.
"I understand."
After Felina settled Link's lodging issues, she turned into her human form and called for a carriage in Creekwood Town. She then boarded the carriage and took the winding road up the mountains towards the Dragon Temple.
Link then headed towards the Inn.
As most of the residents here had dragon blood flowing in their veins, they were generally tall and well-built. The guys were all more than six feet in height while the females were at least 5'5''. They looked well-groomed and revitalized as they strolled down the streets in their high-quality clothing. The situation here was a lot better than the human kingdoms.
As Link walked on the streets, many people greeted him warmly. Link smiled and returned the pleasantries in kind.
The Inn in Creekwood Town was called the Night of the Dragon Inn. It had a distinctive architecture. The entire Inn was shaped like a dragon in slumber, with the door being the mouth of the dragon. The moment Link walked into the Inn and mentioned that he was the queen's guest, he was immediately treated with great respect and hospitality.
The servant then led Link to his room as he said, "My lord, this way, please. We have prepared the best room for both you and your friends."
Link followed behind this servant and quickly reached the third floor of the Inn. The decorations here were clearly more exquisite than the previous two floors. The ground was made from polished, smooth oak as the faint fragrance of wood lingered in the air. The right amount of sunlight also graced the area, giving it the appropriate illumination without it being too glaring or warm. It was indeed a comfortable place.
As the two of them passed a door, this door suddenly sprung open. A small figure not taller than 3'6" emerged from the room as a servant followed behind.
The servant's voice could be heard, "Ma'am, I really want to help you, but this is out of my league."
"No, don't get me wrong. I am not blaming the Inn, but the entire Dragon Valley! You are simply wasting my time. I have to meet the Red Dragon Queen now! You must know that I have been here for more than a week!" The voice was crisp though clearly filled with anger and impatience. The small figure jumped around as she spoke, obviously infuriated.
Link walked over and saw a familiar face. He said in a surprised tone, "Elin, why are you here?"
This infuriated little figure was none other than Lady Fortuna Elin.
She shouted in rage before she saw Link, unleashing all the pent-up frustration within her, "Why can't I be here! Oh…Link, why are you here?"
She was just about to get into an argument with this unruly stranger when she was Link. She immediately swallowed her anger and words.
"I received an invitation from the Red Dragon Queen; I believe you are here for the same reason?" Link smiled as he explained. This small figure was truly amusing, especially when she was enraged. Her round cheeks would be bloated and flushed as her pair of huge eyes sparkled menacingly. One could not help but want to pinch her cheeks upon seeing this adorable expression.
The moment Link mentioned this issue, Elin erupted once again. She said, "Yes, that is totally true. I was invited as well. However, they simply left me here after I got to the Dragon Valley. Let's not talk about the queen; I have not even seen a single high-ranking dragon race the entire time. They did not even send a messenger down to relay any information! What kind of treatment is this?"
Link was startled by this news as he turned to the servant and asked, "Which is my room?"
"It's just beside this lady." The servant was clearly afraid of Elin as he kept his distance away from her.
"You can leave after giving me the key."
"No problem." The servant handed the key over to Link before he scurried off hastily.
Elin then stared at the submissive servant beside her and said, "You may leave as well. I cannot contain my anger seeing the likes of you!"
The servant felt as though he was released from the chains of hell and quickly made his escape.
Elin took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before saying, "Link, please come in."
Elin's room was spacious and kept extremely tidy. There was a living room filled with all the basic necessities.
Elin closed the door and handed a glass of water over to Link. She then threw herself onto a couch. Her anger had pretty much subsided as she explained, "I arrived around a week ago. The young dragon race who escorted me said that I would be able to see the queen in less than two days. However, a whole week has passed, and nothing has happened! How infuriating, I still have many things to do back in my hometown."
Link asked with a worried expression, "Do you think something might have happened
"I suspected that as well, though I have never pried into the matter…This is so troubling! Hm? The girl beside you don't seem like a human?"
Elin's brain was truly a wonder. She was still worried about the issue of the Dragon Valley just a moment ago, and in mere seconds, her attention was now completely on Nana.
Link stared at Nana and smiled as he said, "She is my magic puppet. Her name is Nana, and she doubles up as my bodyguard."
"Nana? Magic puppet? She looked exquisitely crafted. I did not realize she was man-made at first glance. However, she shouldn't be too strong with such adorable looks," Elin circled Nana as she said.
Link the smiled as he said, "Well, that might not be the case. Look at you; my little fellow is already a Level-7 Magician."
"Don't call me a little fellow!" Elin attempted to cast a ferocious glance at Link though she failed terribly at it. She then quickly got back to the main topic as she said, "I need to see the Red Dragon Queen urgently. I have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen in the Dragon Temple."
Link was startled upon hearing Elin's words. Elin was the Lady Fortuna, and she was known to possess extremely sharp intuition. This was a gift and something unattainable by anyone else. If she had a bad premonition about the Dragon Temple, something bad must have happened.
"We are not that far away from the Dragon Temple; did you make a trip down to ask?" Link asked.
"Of course, I did. But the entrance was heavily guarded by the Dragon Warriors. They did not allow me to enter the Dragon Temple. Oh, how troubling. I want to return to Lariel right now, but without a dragon escort, I won't be able to leave!" Elin braided her hair as she spoke. She then tugged at her braids as her short legs flailed around. She was clearly distressed.
Link was troubled as well.
Felina brought him across a thick layer of mist before they reached the Dragon Valley. Felina took a full ten minutes even with her breakneck speed. This could only mean that the mist was extremely thick.
As Link had played the game, he also knew that the Dragon Valley was protected by a layer of Spatial Maze. The mist was not an ordinary one; there were many folded dimensions compressed within that could confound even a Legendary Magician.
Therefore, Link was trapped as well.
"Felina would not leave me alone, right?" Link could only hope that Felina would not go back on her words.
After some thought, he asked, "I've heard that the dragon race had invited all the prodigies from the different races. Is there anyone else apart from the both of us?"
"All the prodigies? Did they? Perhaps, but not everyone is as easy-going as me and arriving upon their request. I was the only one before you arrived. Maybe the rest have not reached the Dragon Valley."
That was possible.
Link had no other ideas after some thought, though he did bring many magic books along which could probably relieve his boredom. He then returned to his room after a short conversation with Elin, leaving Nana to accompany her upon her request.
Following which, he returned to his room and took a short rest before he continued to read his three magic books of fire.
No matter what happened within the Dragon Temple, he had to first gain more power.
The moment Link started delving into the world of magic, he would completely neglect his surroundings. Time passed quickly, and it did not take long for him to lose track of time.
Elin seemed to be in a better mood after having Nana beside her. She appeared to have called for Link a few times and gave up after several futile attempts. In essence, he was freed from distractions for a few days.
One evening, after simulating the spell through the in-game system, Link had successfully mastered a Demon Slayer spell.
This was a Level-8 spell and was extremely strong. It was also not affected by the Elemental Rejection status. However, the duration of the spell was short-lived as it was only the most basic and weakest version. It was still not enhanced by any Supreme Magic Skills.
Link was still confused over the theories within the Essence of the Flame, though he had made some progress with the book. While engrossed in his magic research, he had already spent ten days in the Dragon Valley.
Felina indeed went back on her words and cut off all contact. This was weird.
After washing up and enjoying a meal the servant brought him, Link went to find Elin. He knocked on her door, and before long, the door opened.
Link was horrified upon seeing her complexion. Elin was a far cry from her usual cheerful and hyperactive state. She was extremely disheveled, and two huge dark circles could be seen on her face. The moment she saw Link, she feebly said, "You remembered me at long last—let me tell you, the Dragon Temple is in a crisis."
"Crisis? But I felt nothing, Creekwood Town feels perfectly normal," Link said as he laid his hands out helplessly.
Even with Isendilan's betrayal, the Dragon Temple had never fallen into darkness in the game. Would something change in this timeline?
Elin smiled bitterly as she said, "Link, come in. I will bring you to the Soul Realm, and you can see for yourself."