Lyra’s Objective Revealed!

Lyra was a unique case among many of the system's mages. He did not possess many spells, but the few innate spells he did possess were of a high standard. If he was asked which one he considered to be his most useful spell, then he would no doubt choose Call of the Forest.

Through a meticulously crafted ritual, he could open his mind to the intricate workings of all life in the nearby region, so long as it contained water and metal elements. This enchantment not only granted him unparalleled understanding but also bestowed upon him the ability to uncover hidden locations, such as hidden dungeons or pocket dimensions.

As his voice boomed, a surge of raw energy coursed through Lyra's veins. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and the surrounding space seemed to bend and twist in response. A brilliant light enveloped his body before extending outward, revealing a grand spectacle before him.

Where once there had been a vast river bank, now stood an immense skeleton, the bones of a creature long thought to be mere legend. This skeletal behemoth belonged to Fafnir, the infamous Norse dragon. Its magnificent frame sprawled across the land, a testament to forgotten power.

The Dragon Force in the surroundings was already stifling, capable of suppressing even the most resilient of ordinary cultivators. The sudden appearance of the skeleton was like a trigger, causing the Dragon Force emanating from the poisonous miasma to intensify.

Will, Natasha and the others stood in awe, their breaths stolen by the sheer magnitude of the creature. This skeletal form most consider to be nothing more than a myth was actually an entrance to a hidden dungeon, where Fafnir's true remains lay dormant. This was the true grave, hidden under the frozen riverbank encircled by a noxious miasma that threatened to engulf the weak.

No sooner had Lyra unleashed the powers of the Call of the Forest than a deafening roar erupted from the surrounding environment. The roar echoed through the air, resonating with a malevolent aura that seeped into the very essence of the forest. It was a sound that warned of danger, a bone-chilling reminder that great perils lie ahead.

"It's the Banshees!"

The Spectralian group was not foolish enough to believe that the Banshees were all taken care of. There was clearly something about this space that made it difficult for them to enter.

Dungeons operated according to different rules and often had safe zones that allowed for certain actions to take place. After all, the purpose of a dungeon was to stimulate the growth of a cultivator by placing them in a dangerous situation.

Giselle and her sisters also marvelled at the giant skeleton, but their wonder quickly turned to fear as the scream resounded across the frozen riverbank. The fact that the poisonous miasma absorbed light and looked like a mass of unforgiving darkness further served to make the environment more ominous.

Natasha's plan did not stop there. The next stage was to of course destroy the enemy. Hela's Dominion had been taken down. Lisa and Giselle were injured and were no longer supporting each other while Sophia had been injured quite a bit by Will. Gianluigi had forced Alison to use most of her mana, leaving her exhausted while Giselle was also close to running out of mana.

Natasha felt like a predator eyeing prey that had reached its lowest point. If she did not strike at this moment, then she was not worthy of her name!

A small amount of moonlight filtered through the slit in the skies and landed on the crescent moon brothers. They along with Achilles were still recovering but were now no longer within the danger zone. The trio quickly stood up and approached Natasha while she prepared to proceed with her next plan. But before she could proceed, a loud voice interrupted her train of thought.

"I didn't know you had a death wish Sister Natasha. You have truly opened my eyes."

The mockery was evident in Giselle's tone as she also took the chance to insult one of her long-time rivals. Natasha and her companions revealed expressions of confusion as they looked at the maiden, unsure of what her sisters meant.

Alison frowned and pointed a finger at Lyra, "You have no idea what you have done have you?"

Will crossed his arms and replied on his behalf, "He has found the thing you were looking for, in record time no less. Why are you guys whining?"

Gianluigi chuckled and added, "They could be trying to stall for time. We don't have to fall for their tricks."

As Gianluigi spoke, his Killing Intent surged. He had failed to properly mark Alison due to her rapid teleportation skills, thus he could not apply the Unrelenting Hunt properly. However, this did not mean he did not have other ways to defeat her. Like Natasha, he saw her as prey that neared the end of its rope.

'When wolves smell blood, they do not sit still.' Mused Lyra as he looked at the battle-ready Gianluigi.

"Hold on, this isn't a trick. They are not trying to stall for time."

Natasha's statement caused Gianluigi to stop in his tracks. Natasha narrowed her eyes, "Giselle is not one for petty tricks. At the end of the day, she is still a Truthseeker. One cannot enter this dungeon unless their mastery of Truth has reached a certain level. There is a limit to how deceptive she can be."

This was one of the greatest weaknesses Truthseekers had, their inability to lie. It was not that they could not lie, but the more they lied, the less potent their Truthseeking abilities became. In a world where lying is a necessity, this could be a devastating weakness. But in some moments, such as this, it was actually a strength. One that allowed Will and Gianluigi to accept Natasha's words. Everyone present was a Truthseeker and knew that there was merit to her words.

Giselle's frown loosened as she nodded, "At least you are still rational. Indeed, we are not trying to stall for time, to be honest, there is no need to do so. The moment that man used Call of the Forest, our battle became insignificant."

"Well then, in your infinite wisdom can you care to explain what you guys are up to? It's rude to leave people hanging ya know." Will's nonchalant tone infuriated Sophia and she clenched her fist tightly. She squeezed with so much force that her nails started to dig into her own flesh, causing her to bleed.

'I can't believe I was defeated by such a simpleton. Can he even spell his own name backwards?'

Thus it came as no surprise that Sophia had no kind words for Will, "Swordsman, we are your enemy. What obligation do we have to explain anything to you? Do you think this is some sort of story? Do you see yourself as some sort of protagonist who deserves to know everything?"

'Wow, that…actually makes sense.'

It was rare for Will to lack a rebuttal, but even he had to admit that these ladies did indeed have no obligation to inform them of anything.

"I have no intention of assisting you, so I won't tell you much. However, you need to ask yourselves a simple question. With all the methods at our disposal as cultivators, why did we resort to digging with manual labour?"

Natasha, the Veritas crew and the Spectralians all looked at each other confused. This was indeed a good point. It was not as if none of these ladies had means similar to Lyra, capable of finding pocket dimensions or hidden entrances. Despite this, they were digging the ground like ordinary mortals.

Natasha zeroed in on their necks. In particular, on the pendants, each of the girls were wearing. Everyone from the Bellingham crew had one, but Natasha had ignored them as she had assumed they were low-level items with simple uses such as clearing the poison or something along those lines. But now it seems there was more to them than meets the eye.