Chapter 1293: Elemental Gate
According to Agatha, the Book of Elements was brought into the water elemental plane by a group of elves who opened the elemental gate and fled into the elemental plane a while back (Note: Never expect elemental creatures to have a good sense of time). Back then, when the elemental lords sensed the mighty power of the Book of Elements, they sealed it inside the arctic ice of the water elemental plane in order to prevent its impact on the four elemental planes. This move wasn’t too surprising. After all, the fire and wind elemental planes weren’t suitable for storing items, so only the earth and water elemental planes were left as their choices. And sealing items was the specialty of the water elemental plane.
As one of the ocean elves, Agatha once spent some time in the water elemental plane and happened to witness the scene where the group of elves from the main plane fled to the elemental plane. And because of that, she knew where the Book of Elements was. Even though it sounded like an understatement, it left Rhode feeling powerless. Although he did consider the possibility that the Book of Elements was in one of the elemental planes, the four elemental planes were huge, after all. If one were to search aimlessly, one wouldn’t know when one would finally see results. And since there were definite clues from the elves, Rhode put all his energy into pursuing them. In the end…
He felt like a mule following the carrot dangling before it. He had focused so much on the carrot dangling before him and ignored the fresh, green gra.s.s surrounding him.
I’m such a fool…
Although it was humiliating for him, he was shamelessly quick to ignore his foolishness. As long as the result was good, everything was good, wasn’t it? And if it weren’t for the clues provided by the elves, he wouldn’t have thought of the elemental plane so soon.
Seems like I’m still a really smart person. Well, that was just a moment of carelessness and negligence on my part. After all, I’ve been really busy. Just look at Chaos’s attack. I need to take care of matters surrounding the entire Dragon Soul Continent on my own, so it is understandable that some oversights occurred. Isn’t there a saying that goes ‘it’s never too late to mend one’s way’? Yes, we must learn from our mistakes. We must learn to learn from our mistakes, experiences, and strive to achieve greater and more ambitious goals… This lesson is painful and the mistakes are profound, but we must not only look to the past, but also to the future….
“… So that’s all I have to say. Is there anything else that you want to add?”
Rhode said and caught his breath. Then, he reached for a cup of tea to moisten his throat and turned to the group which looked at him with various expressions. Facing his question, they stared blankly at him and only after a few moments, Mini Bubble Gum let out a sigh.
“Leader, I know people always change. Just look at you… You said a load of c.r.a.p for an hour without getting to the point. Can’t you just tell us the truth? It was actually your foolish self who forgot to ask the inhabitants of the elemental planes and made us bustle about for so long! Aren’t you tired of finding excuses for an hour? You’re acting just like that fat swine of a princ.i.p.al in my school!”
“…”
Rhode’s expression stiffened at Mini Bubble Gum’s blunt accusation. Then, he took a deep breath.
“Of course… For this matter… the main responsibility…”
Rhode dragged out his sentence before shooting looks at the two Canarys seated beside him, seeking help from them. But it was a pity that both of them were indifferent. At that moment, they ignored Rhode’s call for help entirely.
As a true lover, shouldn’t you step up to get me out of this nasty situation? Also, as a qualified subordinate, you should take the initiative to a.s.sume responsibility too. It doesn’t cost you anything to say “Actually we are also responsible…” or something. This will make me look good and make things easier for me later… Sigh, where’s the trust between people at?
“… Falls on…”
After glaring helplessly at the two Canarys, Rhode let out a long sigh and confessed.
“… Me…”
“You see! That’s all you’ve got to say… Have you also been corrupted and degraded by the sugar coating of capitalism? Making a mistake and asking you to write a reflection is like asking you to kill someone….”
“Alright, alright. Let’s skip this part for now.”
Facing Mini Bubble Gum’s grumbles, Rhode neglected her shamelessly.
Don’t be ridiculous. Whether it’s leading a guild or starting a harem, how can one do it if one doesn’t have thick skin? A he-man should be arrogant, have an indomitable spirit, and not flinch when treated with disdain… This sentence should be appropriate for this situation, right?
With some self-consolation in the mind, Rhode let out a cough. He tried to liven the atmosphere up earlier. But since Mini Bubble Gum had ridiculed him mercilessly, it was time for him to go about his own business. Since he learned the whereabouts of the Book of Elements, the next step was naturally to unlock its seal. But before that, he still had one more important thing to do. And that was to open the Elemental Gate…
The importance of the four elemental planes was self-evident. Back then, when the Creator Dragons made this continent in the first place, this world wouldn’t have taken shape without the four main elements. In this respect, the four main elemental planes were even more important than the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. After all, the Seven Fantasy Boundaries were mere existences derived from the four elemental planes. For instance, ocean elves in the Silver Ocean were originally the inhabitants of the water elemental plane.
However, it was much harder getting into the elemental planes than the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. The elemental planes belonged purely to the elemental world, and there was no way for mortals to enter. Although the elemental planes could be said to exist everywhere, it wasn’t easy to actually find their entrance. But it wasn’t that difficult for players like Rhode; as long as he found four beings with strong elemental powers, used their powers to call upon the rules of elements, and opened the gate, he could enter the elemental world.
Yes, four beings with strong elemental powers… Not only that, but what was most important was that the beings must also be natives. Because natives had the closest connection to the Dragon Soul Continent. In this case, the Phantom Guardians and projected players weren’t useful anymore. But fortunately, he didn’t lack powerful beings by his side who possessed rules.
Gillian, as the fire elemental lord, was chosen as one of the candidates to open the gate to the elemental world. As for Anne, she was chosen as the representative of the wind element. No matter what, Anne had the blood of an elemental lord cruising throughout her body and her grasp of the wind element was also really skillful. As for the water element, the little mermaid in Rhode’s possession was also sufficient to fill in the gaps. If he were to activate the Taboo Halo, the little mermaid’s water elemental power would be strong enough to be used to open the gate. And as for the final earth element…
Rhode didn’t own any card of the earth attribute and also couldn’t remember anyone with that kind of power. But luckily for him, he had a ‘G.o.dlike’ system interface. He tapped open the list of names in his territory and sorted them according to attributes and levels. Shortly after, he found the strongest person with the earth elemental attribute located at the top of the list, except that…
After seeing that name, he realized that he was acting foolishly again. Because not only did he know that person, but he was also really familiar with her…
“Bell?”
Upon hearing Rhode’s words, Christie widened her eyes in shock.
“… Rhode… You said… you need Bell’s help?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing Christie’s question, Rhode showed a bitter smile and nodded. He was well aware of Bell’s strength. Back then, it was he who rescued her from the underground refuge and even back then, she possessed strength of the Legendary Stage. Not only that, but she was also an Order beacon… But what caught Rhode by surprise was that this little girl who followed Christie around all the time was actually a dominant being of the earth element. Even though Bell possessed strength of the Legendary Stage, she was too inexperienced and unfit for battle, which was why Rhode left her by Christie’s side all the time. She could protect Christie, and Rhode also hoped that Christie could help change Bell’s ice-cold appearance and behavior. And from the looks of it, being with Christie had indeed changed Bell a lot. Although she was still as quiet as ever, she seemed to be more emotional and no longer acted like a still object.
“Is it… dangerous?”
“I won’t deny that traveling in the elemental plane can be a little dangerous. But don’t worry, Christie. We won’t be there for long.”
In order to retrieve the Book of Elements in the shortest possible time, Rhode decided to travel to the water elemental plane with the four beings. But fortunately, one of the advantages of the elemental plane was that they had little to no pa.s.sage of time. That was also why elemental creatures had a very vague concept of time. Even if he spent half a month on the elemental plane, it would only be two or three days gone on the main plane. That was also why he chose to travel to the elemental plane with them. But of course, the other reason was that the requirements were very demanding for anyone entering the elemental plane. If he weren’t protected by strong elemental powers like Gillian, Anne, the little mermaid, and Bell, the moment he entered the elemental plane, he would be obliterated. But being a Void Dragon, his attribute level was higher than the elements, so there wasn’t a need to worry about that aspect.
For Rhode, the process was simple: lead the four of them into the water elemental plane, retrieve the Book of Elements, open the Elemental Gate again to return to the Dragon Soul Continent, and everything would be solved….
Yes, that was all to it, so there shouldn’t be any problem!
“Are you willing to come with me, Bell?”
After explaining to Christie the situation, Rhode turned to Bell who remained silent at the side. After hearing his question, Bell hesitated for a few moments, but eventually lifted her head and nodded with might. Although she didn’t say a word, she had clearly made her point.
There was no time to lose, and Chaos wouldn’t wait for anyone. After receiving Bell’s reply, Rhode got to work immediately. The next day, he brought Bell and the rest to the plaza located behind Grandia’s palace, where the magical ritual used to open the Elemental Gate was already prepared.
“Be careful, Big Brother. I wish you all the best.”
Holding his hands tightly, Rhode’s younger sister said in a soft voice. Upon hearing her words, Rhode smiled and nodded in response. But at that moment, Mini Bubble Gum who stood beside them curled her lips, before speaking with a witty smile.
“Sigh, you are a natural born toiler, Leader. Go at ease. There will be no problem leaving this place to me!” With that, Mini Bubble Gum patted her underdeveloped chest and gave him a thumbs up. “There’s a saying, Leader; thou shalt not be concerned about thy wife, who shall support herself[1]!”
… Is this saying supposed to be used in this place?
Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum’s remarks, Rhode twitched the corner of his eye. Shortly after, he pounded that little rascal’s head with his iron fist.
If you want to show off your knowledge in ancient texts, go back and understand its meaning first!
“Alright then, we’ll be making a move now. I’ll leave this place to you.”
After glaring at Mini Bubble Gum who crouched with her hands over her head, Rhode turned around and looked at the chuckling younger sister and Canary. Unlike the others, they certainly understood what exactly Mini Bubble Gum said, and that was the difference between gifted students and an Internet addict.
“Don’t worry, Big Brother. With us around, everything will be fine.”
After hearing his younger sister’s response, Rhode finally put his mind at ease. He turned around, entered the center of the magical ritual, and gestured to Gillian with his hand. Upon witnessing his action, the fox-eared young lady who stood in one of the circles within the magical ritual revealed a relaxed smile.
“Wow, I never thought I’d get the chance to invite my master for a day trip to the elemental planes. So… Are you ready? The plane is about to take off, so please put away your trays and fasten your seat belts…”
After speaking in sentences that sounded foreign to the natives, Gillian lifted her arms high.
Along with her movement, things changed all of a sudden. The peaceful magical ritual emanated a bright glow. A dazzling flare erupted from the fox-eared young lady’s body, metamorphosing into a fire column that rushed skyward. On the other side, as if resonating with the flames, rus.h.i.+ng gales swirled into a whirlwind with Anne in its center. Meanwhile, the ice edges frozen by the whistling cold air extended in all directions, flowing like a fountain between the little mermaid’s arms. Shortly after, it was Bell’s turn. Facing the magical ritual before her, the little girl stretched out her arm and opened her eyes. Soon, the ground trembled and a towering, stone pillar rose from the flat ground.
The whirling elemental powers achieved peace at that moment. Shortly after, a colorful array of elemental lights erupted in the ma.s.ses. All five of them, including Rhode, vanished completely.
Just as Gillian mentioned, transmigrating into the elemental plane felt like riding an airplane. Rhode witnessed dazzling and complex flashes before his eyes as his body simply accelerated toward the front. The restraints of gravity gradually disappeared from his body. After an unknown amount of time—perhaps it was an instant or a long time—the whole world suddenly changed.
The light that shrouded him disappeared in the blink of an eye. He stepped onto the ground once again with his weightless body. Whistling cold winds blew past his ears. At a glance, he witnessed a vast, white, snow-covered plain before him, as well as a forest that resembled ice crystals. A flurry of snowflakes blew against the face and even Rhode felt a bone-piercing chilliness.
“Phew… All is well. No delays on this flight. Folks, we’ve arrived at the Ice Throne of the water elemental plane!”
Upon hearing Gillian’s voice, Rhode couldn’t help but turn to her. In the elemental plane, everything on the outside was concealed by the inside. At that moment, it was the same for Gillian. Although she retained her original appearance, red and illusory flames could be seen burning in her body. This was exactly what the elemental plane was. On the other side, the little mermaid and Bell were the same, where the azure power of water and yellow power of earth enfolded their bodies, making them look as if they were wearing illusory and translucent luxury dresses.
“Alright, since we’re here, we should prepare to…”
Rhode said and swept a glance at Anne who stood near him. Then, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Just like the rest, Anne was shrouded in the power of wind from head to toe. The rus.h.i.+ng gales metamorphosed into a long dress that wrapped the young girl’s body. But despite that, it wasn’t the elemental dress that caught Rhode’s attention, but what was behind her instead.
A totemic marker that resembled a storm appeared on her back. And as a knowledgeable player, he certainly knew what that was.
It was the symbol of the wind elemental lord.
[1] What Cao Cao said to w.a.n.g Hou from the book ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ by Luo Guanzhong.