LORD OF THE SKY CITY

When everyone had boarded the deck, the War Steed slowly ascended and then flew toward the Lake East Shore of Red Water Lake.

He Nan was right about one thing, due to Rocky’s bombardment for an entire day, the West Bank of Red Water Lake was infested with demons, and since Rocky had ordered the cessation of further attacks, the demons, having lost their target, began to roam constantly along the shore.

In such circumstances, indeed, only an airship could reach the East Shore; otherwise, it would be courting death.

However, due to the vast size of Red Water Lake, being twice as large as Kasin City, and given that the journey from the West Bank to the East Shore was the longest straight-line distance, even the War Steed took a long time to fly. During this time, Rocky chatted with He Nan for a bit.

“How long have you been living here?”

Standing at the bow with He Nan, Rocky asked while they both looked at the bloodstained lake surface.

By now, the War Steed had left the lake shore and was flying over the lake, so below them was already a patch of blood-red water, which also emitted waves of a bloody scent. Although it wasn’t the best time for a chat, it was indeed necessary to divert their attention through conversation.

“Since I can remember, our tribe has always lived here.”

Looking at the blood-red water below, He Nan spoke slowly.

“Living on land must be hard, even for you.”

“It’s okay, we Beastmen are accustomed to fighting and enjoy it, moreover…” He Nan said, glancing at Rocky: “Moreover, we don’t know what other kinds of life are like.”

The hardships of life on land are hard to express in words, so despite He Nan’s seemingly casual remark, it didn’t necessarily mean that life on land was easy for him and the Fireteng Tribe’s people, even though they were Beastmen and brave warriors. But as He Nan said, they had lived on the land for so long that they had no concept of other ways of living and had become accustomed to it.

“Would you be interested in trying a different way of life?”

“You and your tribespeople could come live in my city, just like Monte and Dusa.”

Turning his head to look at He Nan, Rocky said slowly.

Upon hearing this, He Nan grinned and then shook his head: “City Lord Rocky, I appreciate the gesture, but I think my tribespeople are more accustomed to living on the land.”

“Alright then…”

Rocky had somewhat anticipated such a response from He Nan but still wanted to give it a try. After all, if he could convince a Beastmen Tribe to join Thunderhawk City, it would be a significant boost for him. Unfortunately, He Nan and his people did not wish to leave.

Rocky even felt that he was surely not the first to hope He Nan and his tribe would venture to the skies. After all, He Nan had mentioned contact with the outside world, so before Rocky, he must have received other invitations as well. Still, He Nan had rejected them all, so there was no reason to think he would simply follow Rocky to Thunderhawk City.

“Let’s talk about where we’re going.”

Since the conversation on that topic could not continue, Rocky shifted the topic to their imminent destination.

And as soon as they discussed this matter, He Nan’s face took on a serious expression.

“The place we’re going to is called Cave of Blood Cries.”

Looking toward the East Shore of Red Water Lake, He Nan continued: “The first time this place was discovered, I had not undergone my rite of passage into adulthood, but I remember the Chief at that time had once sent people to explore it—unfortunately, they failed. Thirty Beastman Warriors all died in the cave, and nobody even knows how.”

“Later, the Chief sent more people to explore the cave several times, each time with more warriors than before. Eventually, the Chief led the expedition himself, and then…”

“And then I became the new Chief.”

He Nan sighed as he spoke. Although he wasn’t adept at storytelling, Rocky could clearly grasp just how terrifying the Cave of Blood Cries was through his few words.

The fact that such a warlike species as the Beastmen had ventured into this cave never to return, and that their most valiant warriors had all perished within, was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

At the same time, it deepened the mystery of the cave: what could be inside that had claimed the lives of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Beastmen? In the end, even the Chief had died in there. Rocky had never met the former Chief that He Nan spoke of, but judging by the strength that He Nan demonstrated, the former Chief of the Fireteng Tribe must have been a powerfully strong warrior; however, even such a Beastman had died in the cave, which was truly incomprehensible.

After all, even if there were high-level demons inside the cave, and even if the Chief couldn’t handle them alone, with his strength and the Beastmen at his side, he should have been able to escape the cave, right? How could it be that he didn’t even make it out?

“When I became Chief, I also tried to lead people back to the cave because I wanted to retrieve the remains of the former Chief and our other tribespeople, but I was stopped by the elders of the tribe. So, I declared the Cave of Blood Cries a forbidden area and prohibited any tribe members from getting near it.”

“City Lord Rocky, if you’re only driven by curiosity, I advise you not to take this risk. Your troops are strong, and you seem capable, so you shouldn’t die in that godforsaken place.”

Looking at Rocky, He Nan earnestly advised.

As the Chief of the Fireteng Tribe, having lived by Red Water Lake since he was a child, he knew the horrors of the Cave of Blood Cries better than anyone. The place was like the entrance to Hell: once someone entered, they never came out. With the tribe’s elite warriors and a Chief among the fallen, He Nan had every reason to believe Rocky’s expedition was doomed.

Unfortunately, Rocky remained silent in the face of another dissuasion. Of course, he had no desire to venture into such danger, but he had to go, so he chose not to explain further.

Fortunately, at that moment, the War Steed had flown over the lake and reached the East Shore, abruptly bringing their conversation to a close.

Perhaps because it was so far from the West Bank, the Lake East Shore was noticeably quieter than the bombarded West Bank. As the airship approached the East Shore, looking down, they could see a few scattered demons, but they were very sparse.

“Where exactly is it?”

“Turn around and head south; about one thousand meters in that direction should get us there.”

After discerning the direction at the bow, He Nan pointed toward the south, directing Rocky, and the War Steed immediately flew in the indicated direction.

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