Chapter 10: The Outside World

Rian watched Emma leap down from the balcony of Felius Castle, which was floating in the air. Unlike on Earth, Emma didn't immediately fall to the ground but hovered for a few seconds before landing gently. This was possible because the gravity in this world was 38% weaker than on Earth.

Behind Emma stretched the view of a massive castle, floating gracefully. The entire structure was white, with the architectural design of classical Greece, complete with a beautiful green garden by the main gate. From the outside, the castle looked like a typical European castle, with one striking difference: it floated one hundred meters above the ground.

The castle's very existence was completely out of place with the barren, arid environment surrounding it. In fact, the presence of a lush green garden in such an environment already defied the laws of nature itself.

"Emma, why are you here?" Rian asked with surprise. Shouldn't she be handling Avanheim's administration?

Emma answered with a calm expression. "My Lord, you needn't worry about that. I have already finished the most urgent work. Besides..." She hurriedly stepped closer to Rian, then took his right hand and slipped it between her arms, looking at Rian with a shy gaze.

Rian swallowed hard. His body felt incredibly stiff and unmovable. He could feel the soft orbs pressing against his right arm.

"I can't focus if I don't know how Lord Arthur is doing..." Emma's voice was so melodious and pleasant to hear, it made Rian feel even more unable to move his arm, afraid he'd be seen as a pervert.

What should I do?! What should I do?! Rian panicked internally. Then, a genius idea flashed through his mind.

"Now is not the time, Emma." Rian said with a serious voice and the expression of a leader. Yes, like this. I'll use this tone and expression in front of the NPCs. Thanks to that YouTube channel that made a tutorial video on how to be a wise king.

"Ah… I'm sorry, Lord Arthur. I-I just wanted to be near you." Emma's voice sounded so pitiful, and her crestfallen expression only made her look even more beautiful.

"I forgive you."

"Really?" Emma's expression immediately brightened with curiosity.

Seeing such a rapid change in expression, Rian could only complain to himself. Where'd your pitiful expression from just now go?!

"Yes, really. By the way, I wanted to ask the three of you something." Rian switched back into his 'king mode'.

"What is it, My Lord?" Belial, Emma, and Paimon asked in unison.

"What are your opinions of this place?" Rian shifted his gaze to the environment before him. As far as the eye could see, there was only barren red land often swept up by strong gusts of wind, strange rocks, and a whitish-red sky.

Honestly, a view like this was far more terrifying than encountering a ghost. It felt as if you were truly all alone in this vast world.

Empty, silent, and alone.

On Earth, even the quietest place would still have the sound of animals. Here… there was nothing. Utterly void.

If not for the physique of his magical Fallen Angel race, he would have frozen to death here long ago.

The temperature in this place is now -86 degrees Celsius! Far colder than when Jarvis came out a few hours ago. This means… the temperature in this place is extremely unstable!

Emma looked at the surrounding scenery before speaking. "My Lord, this place is truly barren. Even with magic, it would be impossible to permanently change the environment around Avanheim. This could hinder Avanheim's development in the future. Nothing is happening now, but the population will grow. Furthermore, some magic scrolls and items require living beings as resources. Although we have them now, it's only a matter of time. Two hundred years, five hundred years… they will all be used up."

Rian nodded, agreeing with Emma's words. Magic could indeed make the surrounding environment fertile, but that didn't solve the problem at its root. The effect wasn't permanent either.

But… what should I do? Rian was now genuinely at a loss.

Belial then spoke up. "Lord Arthur, I suggest we use the Holy Grail World Class Item to turn this dead place into something like the world of Monia."

Hearing that, Rian's eyes narrowed slightly. That's right… I still have the Holy Grail. It's the strongest WCI among the 222 World Class Items scattered throughout the world of Monia.

But, does this situation really call for it? Rian hesitated. This was the Avanheim Guild's strongest trump card.

Seeing his master's hesitation, Belial continued. "My Lord, I believe this is the right situation to use this item. Of course, we must first confirm whether there are other players from Avalon in this world before we use it."

Hearing that, Emma nodded. Her tantalizing red lips moved as she spoke. "Lord Arthur, I think what Belial says makes sense. The only way to turn this dead world into a fertile one is by using the Holy Grail."

"I don't think we need to rush," Rian said, expressing his view. "Even if there are no other players from Avalon in this world, we still lack information. Once we have enough data, then using the Holy Grail won't be a problem."

Belial thought to himself.So that's it… I understand. Truly magnificent, Lord Arthur."I understand."

Emma Wiliams also grasped the essence of her master's words. She nodded. "I understand as well. In that case, we'll just use your plan, My Lord."

Rian looked at them with satisfaction, completely unaware of the misunderstanding that had occurred between them.

Meanwhile, Paimon, who had been standing to Belial's left, remained silent. This was a matter for the Floor Guardians, and he was just a minor commander of the demon forces on the Sixth Floor.

"Speaking of World Class Items, did you give one to Natasha?" Rian asked suddenly. The question crossed his mind as he thought about the possibility of other players from Avalon being in this world.

Emma seemed a little hesitant as she answered. "Yes… I used my authority as Secretary-General to go to the Avanheim treasury and take one of the World Class Items. I gave it to Natasha," she then looked at Rian anxiously. "I thought, if something undesirable were to happen, Natasha could at least fight back and escape. Is… that a problem, My Lord?"

Hearing that, Rian was silent for a moment. Then, a sincere smile formed behind his iron helmet.

I guess… I can no longer think of them as NPCs like in the game. They are truly alive now, not just lines of code.

That's right. This is reality, no longer the world of a game or a dream.

Rian looked back at the red world stretching out around him, which felt so realistic.

"No," Rian answered, his voice warm. "On the contrary, that was a good decision. I commend you, Emma. As a Secretary-General, you have done your best."

Ahh! Lord Arthur praised me! Emma's heart pounded, her eyes now sparkling with love. She held onto Rian's arm even tighter and began to nuzzle her head against her master's body affectionately.

Hey, hey, hey! Stop that! Rian screamed frantically in his mind.

Belial, who saw the scene, just smiled faintly with an amused look. Meanwhile, Paimon turned his face away, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

...

A few kilometers from Felius Castle, in the vast red sky, a dot could be seen flying high. That dot, upon closer inspection, was actually five.

If one were to get even closer, a very nonsensical scene would appear: a group of black-red and blue-skinned dragons were flying at a slow speed.

This was the reconnaissance team Rian had sent out a few minutes ago.

Natasha stared at the same scenery she had been seeing since she left the castle: just a barren expanse of red land.

"What a boring place," Natasha grumbled. As a Valhallan Knight, she was eagerly anticipating a fight with a strong enemy. But looking at the environment, Natasha doubted if there were even insects in this world, let alone a strong enemy.

Then, a teenage girl's voice sounded in her mind. "Lady Natasha, we've found a very large mountain, five kilometers from here. Should we go around it?"

"No need. We'll head for the summit. We need to know if there are any living creatures there that could threaten Avanheim!" Natasha replied. She immediately closed the Message spell by touching her ear, which was covered by her iron helmet.

Natasha shifted her gaze to the left. There, a woman in a maid's dress was riding a blue dragon. That was Epsilon. Her hair was a beautiful blue, with a pretty face and the fair skin typical of Eastern Europeans.

A transparent magic shield was also visible, occasionally shimmering when wind or particles hit it. This magic shield served to protect the dragons and their riders from the extreme environment of the outside world, creating a space with a normal temperature inside.

Although the dragons and the reconnaissance team members didn't need any of this to survive, who would refuse if they could get better amenities?