The only imperfection was that the sun remained fixed in the position of four or five o'clock, never moving. Moreover, life was scarce, with only a few insects chirping; aside from them, there were no other living beings.
Athena turned her head, only to find Bai Cha tiptoeing to pluck fruits from a nearby tree. She didn't use her powers to fly directly but instead resorted to the most primitive method, stretching her tiptoes to reach. After a prolonged effort, she managed to grab a small branch bearing two or three tiny fruits. She picked one, washed it in the spring water, and popped it into her mouth.
"Want one? It's not poisonous; I've tested it," Bai Cha said, taking a bite of the fruit, which was a deep red, almost purple, and appeared fully ripe. With one hand, she extended the branch with three remaining fruits towards Athena.
So leisurely?
Athena was a bit taken aback.
In her impression, Bai Cha had always been a cold and rational person, capable only of calmly and logically analyzing all the pros, cons, and situations. This leisurely, relaxed, and slightly languid demeanor clearly did not align with Athena's impression of Bai Cha.
"Don't be so surprised. There's no rush anyway, so why not relax a bit?" Bai Cha chuckled. "Constantly being on edge isn't conducive to the mission's progress. Besides, who knows if we'll ever have such a treat once we're out of here."
Athena fell silent for a moment, finding Bai Cha's words reasonable. She took the fruit from Bai Cha's hand, shared it with Lucifer and Raphael, and then picked up a fruit of her own, taking a bite.
With just one bite, Athena's eyes lit up. It was quite sweet, with a texture akin to crisp peaches but also reminiscent of ripe figs. The taste was excellent.
No one could refuse good food, especially since Athena was also a foodie. When work became too tiring, eating was her outlet. In a short while, only the pit of the fruit remained in Athena's hand. Under Bai Cha's amused gaze, Athena went to pick a second one herself.
"This mission might require us to work together. Please guide me," Raphael said, turning to Lucifer with a bright smile as he looked at the harmonious interaction between Athena and Bai Cha.
Raphael had the typical appearance of a European, with deep-set features. At first glance, he resembled the depiction of God on the cross held by the Pope, only much younger. His emerald green pupils were very distinctive, complementing Athena's sapphire blue eyes.
Although Raphael was a Sacred Dragon, he didn't harbor the same intense prejudice against Lucifer as Uriel did. On the contrary, he wasn't particularly persistent about anything. Even when controlled by the Dragon Mother and denied freedom, he didn't complain much. His self-adjustment ability was strong, and he was adept at finding joy amidst hardship.
Or perhaps, he was too lazy to change and just wanted to go with the flow.
Apart from Athena, once dragons formed a bond with a human, they would follow them to the death. Raphael was no exception.
"Of course, it's an honor," Lucifer replied with his customary graceful smile, nodding slightly, appearing to be easygoing.
Raphael's smile twitched slightly, his expression almost faltering. If Raphael hadn't personally witnessed the brutal sight of Lucifer breaking Uriel's wings, he might have truly believed Lucifer's feigned humility.
"But speaking of which, is this kind of world creation truly reasonable?" Athena asked, sitting on a relatively flat stone nearby. Her white skirt draped down elegantly, unlike Bai Cha's sharp, restrained aura that seemed like a sword sheathed in its scabbard. Athena appeared more graceful and dignified, like a noble young lady.
"Humans certainly can't do it." The fruit in Bai Cha's hand had become a pit, which she tossed high into the air. Turning to Lucifer, she asked, "Can dragons do it?"
For example, with some peculiar abilities.
"Under normal circumstances, no," Lucifer replied after a slight pause, hesitating. "But there are exceptions. If it were an Ancestral Dragon, and it were to burn its life force like humans, it might reach that level."
After all, Ancestral Dragons were creatures created by the Dragon Mother with her primordial power, thus belonging to the core of life. However, even so, it would come at a great cost.
"The burning of such life is incredibly rapid. Once life is extinguished, the world will shatter. The price is too high," Raphael added. "This world appears too magnificent yet very stable. It would be difficult for a single dragon to achieve this."
If an Ancestral Dragon were to burn its life to create a pure land, like a mirage, it could only sustain it for a few decades. For the long lifespan of dragons, this would be but a blink of an eye, with no worthwhile gain, perhaps even entirely unnecessary.
Resonating with humans and having their lifespans shortened to a few hundred years already caused many dragons to express dissatisfaction. In such a scenario, it was unlikely any dragon would be willing.
"Ouch! Where did that fruit pit come from?" Suddenly, a boy's voice, tinged with a hint of childishness, echoed from another floating island not far below, carrying a tone of distinct grievance.
Everyone: "?"
The cave was beautiful and silent. Even Bai Cha and the others had lowered their voices while discussing matters. At this moment, the clear boy's voice sounded exceptionally jarring.
Bai Cha's stretching motion froze abruptly, and everyone else also fell silent, turning their heads in unison towards Bai Cha.
Of the four of them, only one had carelessly thrown a fruit pit. The one who was hit by it must have been because of Bai Cha's throw. Bai Cha blinked her eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed, having never expected that her careless littering would hit someone.
Wait a minute.
There was actually someone here?
And judging by the voice, it didn't sound like a fearsome beast, but rather a clumsy, innocent youth.
Bai Cha and the others followed the sound of the voice, leaping towards another floating rock in the southeast. From here, they could see a young boy sitting at the base of a tree on a massive floating rock formation below, rubbing his waist and grimacing.
"Ah... it hurts, it hurts, it hurts." The boy was fair-featured and looked completely harmless, appearing aggrieved like a bullied puppy.
He was the type who made a striking impression at first glance, yet was unexpectedly pleasant to look at. At his feet lay a thoroughly gnawed fruit pit.
The boy looked up and met Bai Cha's gaze directly, startling him. He tilted his head curiously, a hint of surprise in his voice, "Eh? Someone's here?"
Since they had been discovered, Bai Cha didn't intend to hide. Moreover, from the boy's eyes, Bai Cha truly felt no hostility. She hadn't expected that a place she thought was fraught with danger would only hold an innocent and pure youth.
Bai Cha leaped down from a height, landing lightly on the ground, which made the boy hold his breath. Her silky black hair fluttered in the air, causing the boy to stare in a daze.
"Who are you?" Bai Cha interrupted the boy's stupor, standing indifferently about three meters away from him. "Are you the master of this place?"
The boy snapped back to reality, smiling a little sheepishly. He unreservedly admitted, "Yes, yes, this is where my brother, my older brother, lives. But I didn't expect anyone to be as good-looking as my brother."
Brother?
Bai Cha looked back at Lucifer, her eyes filled with inquiry. Lucifer shook his head, indicating that the boy's aura was weak and too mixed, making it impossible to determine if he was an Evil Dragon or a Demonic Dragon.
"My name is Mammon. How did you find this place?" Mammon's eyes were clear, and his soft brown hair was neatly brushed across his forehead. Instead of hostility, he exuded a sense of familiarity, making people feel drawn to him. "Or did you stumble in by accident? If you don't know how to get out, I can help you."
He could even help them get out? So easily?
This was entirely different from her imagination of the big boss in a secret realm.
Under normal circumstances, one would accidentally wander in, discover the secret of the big boss, or stumble upon some treasure. Then, the master of the secret realm would emerge, declaring, "None of you shall leave alive," followed by an exciting battle.
Wouldn't that be the normal unfolding of events?
This current development was far beyond everyone's expectations. Bai Cha and Athena exchanged glances, unsure how to respond for a moment.
"Ahem." As Bai Cha was contemplating, Lucifer suddenly coughed lightly.
Bai Cha immediately reacted, making a gesture behind her right hand. This was a tacit understanding reached between Bai Cha and Lucifer. Sometimes, when Bai Cha was unsure or hadn't noticed something, if Lucifer responded promptly, Bai Cha's gesture would mean Lucifer could act freely.
In truth, Bai Cha and Lucifer had never fixed specific gestures for "act freely" and "wait patiently." However, no matter what gesture Bai Cha made or how it changed, Lucifer could understand Bai Cha's intentions at the first instance.
"Mammon, we are here to find you and Leviathan," Lucifer's opening statement surprised Bai Cha. She immediately realized that Lucifer recognized the boy before him, but what surprised Bai Cha even more was that Lucifer recognized him not by his aura but by his name.
Did Lucifer remember the names of all the dragons?
As the leader, Bai Cha was well aware of how difficult that was. Remembering names, unless due to a special hobby or mission requirement, could only mean that Lucifer had truly taken all the dragons to heart at the time.
Mammon looked completely bewildered, unable to understand why the handsome person in front of him was suddenly calling his name so casually, and with such familiarity, as if they were old acquaintances.
However, decades had passed, and he had never left this place. How could he possibly have made friends? Mammon shook his head, unable to figure out the situation.
But before Mammon could ponder further, a shadowy figure of a giant black dragon suddenly materialized behind the handsome man before him.
This dragon phantom was as vast as a mountain. It spread its wings and let out a sky-piercing roar. Its outstretched wings almost blotted out the sun. The scales of this dragon were neatly arranged like shields, shimmering brightly. Even in black, it appeared majestic. On the phantom black dragon, only its golden eyes and crimson pupils were so bright, almost as if they were tangible.
Bai Cha blinked and turned her head. She had been facing away from Lucifer and Raphael and hadn't noticed. This time, sensing Lucifer's intention, Bai Cha turned around to find Raphael's expression also filled with strangeness, as if he too recognized the person before them.
Yes, how could they not recognize him?
Mammon, who dared to rebel against the Creator during that time, was one of the Dark Seven Great Giants, wasn't he? It was just that this clear-eyed boy was too different from the lawless little demon image Raphael remembered. Raphael hadn't truly recognized him until Mammon introduced himself.
Raphael felt that his worldview had encountered the most severe challenge in history within a mere month.
First, Lucifer had gone from being a supreme king to a personal attendant.
The first time Raphael received Earl Grey tea from a smiling Lucifer, his hands were trembling. Who knew how much psychological trauma Lucifer had inflicted on him during the cosmic war with a single claw that nearly shattered his skull? If it weren't for that unlucky Uriel accidentally charging to his front left, he wouldn't even have had the chance to resonate with Athena.
Then there was Asmodeus, who was devoted to one man.
Asmodeus, being the most charismatic dragon, made even Lucifer and Michael avoid him. Although he was the weakest among the Seven Great Demon Dragons, his charm arts were simply bugged, and even Lucifer had suffered from them.