Chapter 567 - 382: Moon God’s Treasure Manual, Entering Esok (Part 2)

"I can help! My Shadow Jump can be used for scouting, and my Omen Eye can warn of danger..."

"I know." Ian interrupted it, his fingers gently stroking Gaga’s feathers in a tender motion.

"But this time is different. The Esok World is the Insect Race’s home turf. The Rules have been altered, and the shadow environment might be extremely thin or even distorted."

"Your Talent might not even work at thirty percent of its usual strength there."

Gaga opened its beak, wanting to argue, but no words came out.

In the past few days, it had seen too many Morning Star Wizards and had even sensed the aura of a Level Five Radiant Moon.

That Power, as vast as an abyss, fanned the flames of its desire to ’get stronger’ to their absolute peak.

It didn’t want to be a "burden" anymore. It wanted to truly be of help to Ian.

Aisala suddenly let out a light laugh, her emerald eyes curving into crescents. "Little one, do you want to get stronger?"

Gaga immediately turned its head toward her, its little head bobbing like a chicken pecking at rice. "Yes! I really want to!"

"Then why don’t you... stay with me for a while?" Aisala walked over to Gaga, crouched down, and picked it up.

Her smile was pure and warm, and the little one immediately calmed down.

"During my travels in the Void, I collected some nice ’trinkets.’ Some of them are materials with the Shadow Attribute, which should be very useful to you."

She extended a finger, and a halo of emerald green light appeared at its tip.

Within the halo, one could vaguely see a few translucent black feathers with constantly twisting edges, as well as a mass of Shadow matter that continuously shifted its form.

Gaga’s eyes instantly went wide. The shadow fluctuations emanating from those materials were purer and more ancient than anything it had ever seen.

"If you stay with me..." Aisala tilted her head, a tempting expression on her face.

"By the time your master returns, you might already be at Level Three Peak."

Level Three Peak. Gaga’s breathing quickened.

It was only at the Level Three Middle Stage now; even reaching the Late Stage was still a long way off.

’With enough top-tier resources, plus guidance from this lovely young woman...’

Gaga turned to look at Ian, its eyes filled with a mixture of longing and conflict.

Ian looked at it, weighing the options in his mind.

’Leaving Gaga with Aisala is indeed the safest and most beneficial choice.’

’To be personally guided and nurtured by a Level Five Limit World Tree... an opportunity like this is incredibly rare.’

’Besides, Aisala needs me to bring back the source. She has no reason to harm Gaga.’

"Do you want to stay?" Ian asked softly.

Gaga lowered its head, its small claws gripping Ian’s collar.

Complex and intense emotional fluctuations were transmitted through their Soul Link.

A desire to become stronger, a refusal to be a burden, an unwillingness to leave Ian, and worry for him being alone...

"I... I want to get stronger." Gaga finally raised its head, a light glinting in its silver-gray pupils.

"The next time we face danger, I don’t want to just hide behind you. I want to... truly be of help to you."

Ian was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded and held Gaga in his palm.

"Then you’ll stay with Lady Aisala and cultivate diligently. No slacking off."

"Mhm!" Gaga nodded forcefully, rubbing its little head against Ian’s finger. "Ian, you have to be careful. Come back safe."

"I will." Ian rubbed its little head and handed it to Aisala.

Aisala took Gaga and held it in her arms. "Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of it."

Serafina also gave a slight nod. "The Silver Moon Elf Race never mistreats its friends."

Ian took one last look at Gaga. The little one was perched on Aisala’s arm, staring at him with expectant, watery eyes.

He averted his gaze and looked at Serafina. "When can I enter the Rift?"

"Anytime." Serafina’s moon-white eyes gazed out the window.

"Calendor will personally open the passage for you. He will bring the energy tides of the Barrier and the Rift to a brief equilibrium, making the space as stable as possible."

"Then let’s set out."

「In the core region of the Silver Moon Highlands, before the weakest point of the Barrier.」

Ian stood before the Moon Barrier, his dark gray robes fluttering slightly in the wind.

Serafina and Aisala did not reappear. Only High Priest Calendor stood by his side.

The Level Five High Priest held a Moonstone Staff, his light purple eyes fixed on the spot before him, where a circular gap about three meters in diameter had opened in the Barrier’s membrane of light.

The Barrier’s Energy at the edges of the gap tried to repair itself, but it was constantly being eroded by the Void Energy surging out.

Through the gap, one could see a distorted and chaotic expanse of the Void, and even faintly hear the hissing of the insect swarm.

"Are you ready?" Calendor’s calm voice drifted over.

Ian nodded. The Gravity and Thermal Energy Rules flowed silently around him, his Star Core Divine Body ready to manifest at a moment’s notice.

"Remember, conceal your presence the moment you enter."

Calendor raised his Magic Staff, and the Moonlight Stone at its tip erupted in brilliant silver light.

"The Rules of the Esok World have been mostly corrupted by the Insect Nest. It is extremely sensitive to non-Insect Race life forms."

"If you are exposed, you might attract the swarms of the entire world to besiege you."

"Understood." Ian took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the depths of the gap.

Calendor said no more. He pointed his Magic Staff forward, and the Barrier’s Energy at the edge of the gap suddenly solidified, forming a stable, circular tunnel.

Inside the tunnel, the turbulent currents of the Void were forcibly pushed aside, revealing a straight path.

"Good luck," Calendor’s voice sounded from behind him.

Ian took a step forward, and his figure vanished into the tunnel. The next second, the gap was refilled with a faint purple Energy.

The Barrier continued to rotate slowly, attempting to repair the breach.

Calendor stood in place, a complex look flashing deep within his eyes.

"I hope he succeeds..." he muttered to himself before turning to leave.

The platform returned to silence, with only the rustling of the wind remaining.

Inside the tunnel, Ian felt as if he were falling downward.

He was surrounded by distorted, dark purple lights and shadows. The spatial structure was extremely unstable, with tiny fissures occasionally opening and closing beside him.

Outside the tunnel, the auras of countless members of the Insect Race roamed: Mating Bees, Swift Beasts, Bone-Eating Insects, Shadow Wing Insects...

It was like a never-ending tide, surging through the Void.

’A swarm of this size, and it’s from just one Nest... Truly terrifying!’

Soon, a point of light appeared ahead—a larger, constantly twisting, dark purple rift.

The entrance to the Esok World.

Ian concealed his entire aura, retracting his Gravity Rule to its absolute limit. His figure, like an inconspicuous gray shadow, slipped silently into the rift.

The scene before him changed in an instant.

The dark purple Void vanished, replaced by a view of... a shattered land.

The sky was a foul, dark red, filled with fine purple cracks. The Earth was fractured, mountains had collapsed, and rivers had run dry.

The air was filled with the acrid smell characteristic of the Insect Race. In the distance stood purplish-black nests built from their secretions.

Countless insectoid figures squirmed around the nests, their hisses rising and falling. Farther away, the light of Energy explosions flickered faintly.

Those were the strongholds of the Esok World’s original inhabitants, still resisting.

The moment Ian landed, a panel vibrated silently.

[Esok World Rule deviation detected. Collecting Rule information...]

[World Suppression: Minor]

[Hive consciousness scan detected... Shielding... Shielding successful]

Ian raised his head and looked out at this broken and dangerous world, a golden glint flashing in his eyes before vanishing.

"Well then... let’s begin."

With a flicker of movement, he vanished like a ghost into the shadows of the ruins.