"Huh I thought they'll run away… they're not a bunch of gutless fools after all."

Arthur voiced his thoughts as he gazed at the sweating Jace and his two comrades. Actually, he thought they'll flee the moment Innocence appeared but they ganged up on the monster and helped the woman defeat it.

"Never mind that, are you alright? Do you still feel pain?"

Lucy held the little boy and caressed his chest, her expression clearly showed how worried she was. She was startled by Arthur's sudden actions and only after he explained what happened did she breath a sigh of relief.

Once they made sure Innocence is no longer here, the six others joined the two 'siblings'. Jace was grinning happily as he waved the Golden Numbra.

Although he had to fight Innocence and was injured, he wasn't the least bit annoyed after getting what he wanted. Kelan and Sral, his two friends, were in worse shape but they were as delighted as their leader. The two women quietly followed them and only the silver-haired woman lagged a bit behind.

She was furrowing her brows as she glanced around her, wanting to understand what just happened. No matter how weakened she was, it was to the point of not being able to sense Innocence hiding under the pond.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to locate anything but she remained extremely cautious.

The burly black man was about to tell the siblings that they won't get a share from the Numbra only to find them totally uninterested by the flower so he shut his mouth and stored it.

The small group rested for half an hour before continuing their trip. Unlike earlier, Lucy's sister no longer paid attention to Arthur, she just kept staring to the front.

Arthur could feel her sense stretched to all direction, even after a long time, she didn't retract it.

'What do you think?'

He asked the silent Lucy, who was holding hand and following the others. The wife thought for a moment before saying

'I'm not sure how strong she is outside but I can handle her in this secret Realm. She's pretty powerful but not invincible. The problem is the old man that was accompanying her."

'Yes, he's a troublesome one. I think he's an Overgod, it's best to separate from them if he ever shows up.'

Lucy didn't object for it was disadvantageous for them to be found out in this place. Not only is there the old man, but there's also the Holy Dominion, who brought a pretty powerful group led by a Deacon.

The Deacon's abilities are still unknown, nevertheless, it is best to take precautions. Claud did tell him that The Holy Echelon, despite being weaker than the Holy Order, still has a few powerful individuals.

…

After the group left the relatively safe forest, the environment and weather drastically changed. From a lush and beautiful forest to a desert filled with mountains of sands. The weather became hotter and the number of battles increased.

The frequent attacks of the monsters became annoying and tiring, even for Jace. The monsters here were mostly those stone worms Lucy killed when they appeared in that dark cave.

There was one other type of monsters that lived in this desert, it was short monsters that were as short as goblins. They had grey skin and used primitive weapons.

Their appearance wasn't frightening but they always traveled in groups and were powerful, individually. These creatures, known as Grey Korvs, heavily relied on cooperations and would often ambush their enemies.

They would dive under the sand and try to grab a human's legs, immobilizing them so that their comrades could finish their job. Most annoying of all is the needle-like things they throw. If it lands in a vital spot, it can instantly kill the target.

Two times did Jace and the others meet other cultivators and two times did they see them get killed by these thin and lightning-fast needles.

…

Today was another hot day for the party of seven, just as they were a mountain of sand, the silver-haired woman suddenly leapt at Arthur and Lucy, grabbing them both before jumping back. The two siblings were startled, especially the boy, whose face became pale.

In the place where the two siblings were at, two thin grey hands appeared from within the sand, catching naught but air.

The Korv tried to retreat only to be grabbed by Jace, who snapped its back in half while grumbling. Three arrows were shot by the two women, accurately hitting three Grey Korvs that were hiding in the vicinity.

Their temporary companions were fooled by his and Lucy's flawless act. They genuinely thought that Arthur was a good for nothing kid who's being taken care of by his reliant big sister.

Lucy did fight a few times but she didn't use any special skills. She used two silver daggers and would rely on [Advanced Dagger Mastery] to take care of her enemies.

None were suspicious of them so they continued their play and would rarely interact with others. In fact, neither Arthur nor Lucy ever talked to the silver-haired woman… till this day.

As she saved them both, she softly put them on the ground and turned toward the boy while saying

"Are you okay?"

She seemed to be worried, which was a bit surprising for Jace and the rest. Arthur's guess was kind of correct as Lucy's sister had a soft heart despite her indifferent attitude or expressionless face.

While it is true that Lucy becomes soft when children are involved, she isn't like her sister. Lucy wouldn't go out of her way to save a kid who is in the Secret Realm and is a Divine being! It was just too suspicious and strange.

The boy timidly nodded his head while tightly holding sleeves, clearly afraid.

"Please forgive him, it's the first time he goes outside."

Lucy intervened, explaining the reason behind his attitude. Jace, who has been stealthily listening to their conversation, walked over and retorted

"Then why'd you bring him to such a dangerous place? It's not meant for kids."

For a kid of his age to be at the Divine Realm is a huge achievement, however, he lacked real combat experience so even an Immortal can finish him. Jace didn't want to cause trouble, he just voiced his honest opinion, moreover, he didn't like people who leech off others, even when they're innocent little boys.

"I had no choice, there's no one to protect him there."

Lucy's words more or less hinted that it's dangerous back in their 'home' too so it's better than he came here with her. Jace shrugged his shoulders and said nothing but he still got glared at by the silver-haired woman.

Flustered, he scratched his head and said

"W-well… you better stay close to us so we can protect him too."

He amicably beckoned her while brightly smiling, not wanting to show any hint of unwillingness.

To show her appreciation, Lucy bowed her head while her face brightened. As for the silver-haired woman, she just kept staring at Arthur, which made him have goosebumps.

…

Coincidentally, later that day, precisely when the sun went down and the sky turned black, they were attacked by a monster.

It was neither a Grey Korv or a Stone Worm, the creature that attacked them was monstrous in size and was covered in scales. It was an aerial monster, very similar to a dragon yet a bit different. This creature was a fully grown Wyvern.

Adult Desert Wyvern (Race: Wyvern): Realm: Sovereign

Age : 3,057 years

Emotion: None

Title : None

Skills/techniques: Wyvern Blast (Lv98)/ Sand Storm (Lv45)/ Petrification(Lv22)

Short Description: A sub species of the dragon race, smaller in size but is decently fast.

TIP : Vulnerable against Dark Magic - Space Magic - Void Magic - Ancient Flames - Flames of the Vermilion - Godly Thunder.

TIP : Petrification will be negated by [Eyes of Tranquility]

TIP : Earth, Water, and Wind Magic are weak against it.

ARK: The user 'Arthur MoonStar' has 99.99% chance of defeating the Wyvern.

Such a thing wasn't a threat to the couple, however, it'll be a challenge for Jace and the others, excluding Lucy's sister, of course.

All of them woke up due to the loud screech of the flying Wyvern. It flapped its wings, causing a Sand Storm to appear. Not only the vision was limited due to the dark sky, it became worse as the sand caused their body to become unsteady and their eyes to turn red.

Jace, angry that he got woken up from his sweet dream, retrieved a long javelin from his storage and threw it at the beast.

The javelin whistled in the air as flew straight at its target only to be petrified and fall down at the last second.

The Desert Wyvern refused to decrease its altitude as long as it wasn't necessary. It relied on its long-ranged skills to deal with the humans.

Its petrification won't work as it was too far from its targets, however, the Sand Storm was already causing it much trouble.

As for why Jace and the others didn't fly, it's because it's extremely hard to levitate in the Secret Realm. Not only is it disadvantageous to them to fight an aerial monster in the air, but it's also inefficient due to the restrictions of this place.

While it's not impossible to fly, it isn't easy either. As this Realm was the dragon's world, it was subjugated to its rules after being controlled by it for thousands of years, which is why anyone entering this place is forced to travel by foot to guarantee their safety and increase the chances of their survival.