Chapter 93: What Lies Beyond the Continent?

“What?”

The moment Romina finished speaking, all four of them froze in surprise.

She wanted to go in with them? That was definitely not something they had expected.

“Captain! No!” Not only them, but the surrounding Wood Elves immediately erupted in protest. Finley, the male vice-captain, was the first to object. “It’s too dangerous! Who knows what kind of place lies inside? What if this is a trap set by humans?”

“That’s right, Captain! You can’t go!”

The other rangers quickly joined in, their eyes once again filling with suspicion as they looked toward Nolan. To them, allowing their captain to follow several unknown humans into an unexplored extradimensional space was no different from walking willingly into a predator’s jaws. Even if their captain was the strongest among the Wood Elves, there was no telling what unimaginable horrors might exist inside that bizarre black void.

But Romina shook her head and raised a hand, silencing her people. She looked steadily at Nolan, determination clear in her eyes. “If these humans claim they can help us, and have even invoked the ancient Crescent Moon Covenant, then as captain of Forest Home’s ranger patrol, I should also show the sincerity expected of us.”

Her gaze swept over Vivi, Little Donnie, and Renee before returning to Nolan.

“I may not understand ancient ruins or seals, but I can still guess that whatever lies inside is not some treasure vault people may enter and leave freely. Within the limits of my ability, I will ensure your safety. Furthermore, I will closely monitor all of your actions. If you dare deceive us, or attempt anything harmful toward the forest…” 

She lightly tapped the massive bow on her back and said nothing more, but the meaning behind the gesture was perfectly clear.

“My arrows will not miss a second time. But if everything you’ve said is true…” Romina’s voice turned solemn. “Then I, Romina Greenshadow, swear upon the Crescent Moon Covenant that from this day onward, you and your territory will become the most honored guests of Forest Home.”

Whether helping or threatening, she really was straightforward to the core.

Still, Nolan quite liked dealing with Wood Elves. People whose words matched their thoughts were far easier to understand than those who smiled while hiding knives behind their backs.

Behind him, Vivi curled her lips and muttered under her breath, “Hmph. If you want to monitor us, just say so. No need to make it sound so noble.”

Her voice was quiet, but everyone present possessed keen senses, especially the Wood Elves with their sharp ears. Romina naturally heard every word.

She merely glanced at Vivi calmly without arguing.

Nolan, meanwhile, could hardly care less. In fact, he almost wanted to laugh.

Accompany them? He could not ask for anything better.

As for whether it was “monitoring” or “protection,” Nolan knew Romina well enough to understand that it was mostly diplomatic wording meant to reassure her people.

Once they entered the Gap of Ages, a brutal fight was inevitable. According to the design philosophy of Glory, where rewards always matched difficulty, the guardian boss inside would never be easy to deal with. The Wood Elves needed the Fountain of Potential to save their sacred spring. There was no way Romina would stand by and watch them struggle without helping. If anything, she was probably the most anxious person present. Adding a powerful archer like Romina to the team, especially a legendary ranger who might already be touching the threshold of Gold rank, was practically like receiving a top-tier fighter for free.

This was an enormous profit.

“No problem,” Nolan agreed readily. “I have no objections, Captain Romina. Then it’s settled. Let’s not waste any more time.” Turning around, he gestured toward Renee. “Renee, light a torch. We’re heading out.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Little Donnie swiftly pulled a grease-soaked torch from his pack and handed it over.

Renee extended her slender fingers toward the tip of the torch, her spiritual power stirring slightly. With a soft whoosh, a cluster of orange-red flames ignited from thin air, instantly illuminating the surroundings.

“Renee’s amazing. Having an elementalist around really is convenient,” Vivi said with a grin as she watched the flickering firelight.

Romina observed the scene with faint curiosity in her eyes.

Elementalists.

Most elementalists were elves or beastfolk with a natural affinity for the elements. This human lord’s party truly seemed to contain all kinds of unusual talents.

Still, due to the Wood Elves’ innate reserve, she asked no further questions. After giving a few instructions to the rangers behind her, ordering them to remain on alert and wait in place, she strode over to Nolan’s side.

“Let’s go,” she said simply.

And just like that, the original four-person group became an unusual five-member party composed of humans, a half-beastman, and a Wood Elf.

Nolan took the lead without hesitation and stepped directly into the distorted black opening. Romina followed closely behind, while Vivi, Renee, and Little Donnie entered one after another.

Crossing through the rift felt strangely surreal. There was no dizzying sensation, nor any feeling of weightlessness. Everyone merely experienced a brief blur in their vision, as though passing through a curtain of icy water.

Then the world around them changed completely. The light vanished. The forest, the trees, the sunlight — all of it disappeared. In its place remained only endless darkness and deathly silence so absolute that one could barely see a hand before one’s face. Even the torch in Little Donnie’s hand seemed suppressed somehow, its light barely managing to illuminate a few meters around them.

Looking around, they realized they were standing inside what appeared to be a sealed stone chamber. The floor beneath their feet was smooth rock, and the air carried the dry scent of something long buried and forgotten.

“My lord!”

Before the group had fully adjusted to the sudden change, Renee suddenly let out a startled cry. Although she lacked her sister Rehanna’s courage and resilience, it was rare to see her this panicked.

“What’s wrong?” Nolan turned back immediately.

“I… I can’t feel them anymore!” Renee’s face looked pale beneath the flickering torchlight. “Aside from earth elements, I suddenly can’t sense any other elemental fluctuations at all! Wind, fire, water… it’s like they never existed in the first place!”

“What? Is that unusual?” Little Donnie moved closer, holding up the torch. “Maybe the seal’s been here too long and the elements are just really thin?”

“No! It’s not that they’re thin!” Renee shook her head desperately, her voice almost trembling out of tune. “I’m a born elementalist. I can see the world of elements! Even during heavy storms, I can still sense fire elements. They’re just inactive. But here… they’re completely absent. Gone!”

Her deeply rooted understanding of the world had just been shattered. No wonder she was panicking.

“Have my senses… disappeared?”

Renee had always been physically frail. The power of an elementalist was what gave her the courage to face the world. She had long hoped to use that strength to help the sister who had always protected her, so such a sudden upheaval naturally terrified her.

“Don’t panic, Renee.” Vivi looked shaken as well and could not help speculating aloud. “Could those Tyrian mages really have created an entirely separate world to imprison their enemies? Just how powerful were they?”

In truth, Nolan understood Renee’s experience better than anyone else.

As the bearer of 【Mountain’s Resonance】, he possessed the trait 【Earth Affinity】.

From the instant he stepped into this space, he had felt an unprecedented sense of familiarity.

The surrounding earth elements were so dense they almost seemed tangible. They swirled around him joyfully like tame pets, making him feel as though he had returned home.

“Don’t be afraid, Renee. Take a deep breath. Nothing’s wrong with your senses, and your power hasn’t disappeared.”

As he savored the strange sensation, Nolan began walking deeper into the darkness ahead while calmly explaining:

“Creating a world? That’s authority possessed only by gods. The Tyrians may have been the earliest and most powerful spellcasters on the Vaughn Continent, with a magical civilization beyond imagination, but even they never reached that level.”

He looked at the group’s uncertain expressions, smiled faintly, and deliberately paused before revealing the answer.

“Renee’s instincts are correct. The reason there are only earth elements here is because… this place is not part of the Vaughn Continent at all.”

“What?!”

“Then is this really another world?”

“No.” Nolan raised a hand, drawing the dense earth elements together until they formed a visible cluster of yellow light. “This is the deepest region of the Earth Elemental Subplane — the Spine of the Earth.”