The chirping of the birds awakened him. For a second, Han thought he was back in his house inside of the Academy. After seeing the ceiling of the tent, memories of the previous night returned to him. Han looked down and saw Selestra sleeping soundly. She was likely still exhausted from the pleasurable activities they took part in.

Glancing over to the side, Han saw that Brittany was standing next to his bed. She was gently smiling at him, knowing that he had an enjoyable night and rested peacefully.

"Good morning, Master." She said to him, bowing.

"Hello, Brittany. Is there anything happening?" He asked her, remembering that they were on a trip to some ruins inside of a swamp.

"The camp is slowly waking up. Earlier, the Princess came by requesting to see you. I informed her that you were still resting and was not to be disturbed. She then informed me that departure would occur within the next two hours, to provide everyone with enough time to eat some breakfast." Brittany looked pleased with herself, for not allowing Eli to interrupt his rest.

"You did a wonderful job, as always. I can sleep soundly knowing that you are on top of everything." He complimented her. Brittany expression brightened from receiving his approval. Han knew that even if people knew that they were appreciated, it still didn't hurt to vocalize the sentiment.

Looking over at Selestra, Brittany asked, "Did Master enjoy his time with Selestra?"

"You seemed to have grown fond of her." He observed. Usually, Brittany would just call another person, girl or boy. The fact that she was acknowledging Selestra meant that she had approved of her.

Han nodded his head in agreement to her observation. "Though I did not plan to engage in such activities, the way she was so sincere with her feelings and how much she improved her core personality, I was moved. I wonder if that is silly for me to say such things." He chuckled, amused at how childish he was acting. Han wondered if the shackles around his heart had finally been removed.

"All of us felt the same thing and did not sense that she was disingenuous with her feelings. For this reason, we slept in the second bedroom and allowed her to approach Master." She explained, confirming Han's suspicions.

"Though everyone will eventually see, I want you to inform everyone, including those not here, of her new status. I do not believe it will be an issue, but I want you to treat her as you do one another." He informed her. Though the girls may act jealous, Han knew that any jealousy was merely a facade. The way they trusted him and treated him was the main contributing factor for him to get over his ex. These past several months, having them around helped to heal his heart. Getting over his past emotions involved him reminding himself that he deserved to be loved and that he didn't need to compromise when it came to looking for love.

Often, whenever people talked about love, they would talk about how compromise was necessary. Things like, "you need to meet them halfway" or "if you love someone then it means that you need to be willing to work with them," were things that people often said. As he was mending his heart, finding the little pieces needed to put together his heart, Han realized that compromise just led to someone having to lower their standards to be inside of a relationship. Who would be able to stay in a long-term relationship if it meant that you had to compromise your standards? In the past, people had the help of social stigmas against divorce to help keep them together, but in this age modern age, back on Earth, there was no longer the fear of being ostracized. Breaking up wasn't a bad thing, but with how easy it was to find someone else it was even more imperative to not compromise yourself to be with someone.

Even if he was inside of a fantasy world, it didn't mean that compromises should be made in a relationship. The way Selestra came to him, wanting to be inseparable to him meant that it was not a simple feeling. He didn't really understand what made her feel that way, but the fact that her feelings are genuine is what made him do what he did. Looking back at his previous relationships, he understood that they were only seeing him as a means to an end. In Selestra's eyes, he could clearly see that she only saw him for him.

"Have Queen assign a squadron of shadow guards to protect Selestra. Even if her collar protects her, I do not want to test the abilities humans have to destroy something beautiful. Do not have them intervene immediately if they see a situation arise, but have them eliminate the threat with extreme prejudice. I do not care what consequences may occur if it means that my own is protected." The last thing he needed was some individual or organization thinking they can get one up him.

"Queen has already assigned several squadrons to watch over her, and ensure her safety," Brittany reassured him. "Not even an army would be able to prevent Queen's minions from fulfilling their duties." Her grin was vicious with the thought of someone trying to hurt her Master.

"I feel like you are unable to disappoint me." He smiled at Brittany. "How is Helania doing with her mission?" He asked her.

"Helania reports that everything is proceeding smoothly. She feels confident that her objective will be fulfilled." Brittany smiled.

"Are there any issues that have appeared with the city?" Han asked.

"The city is performing as all projections predicted. Reassigning a portion of the staff inside of the stronghold helped to properly respond to the increase in citizens looking to relocate. Some people had issues adjusting to the new environment, but most of them were able to adapt with professional assistance. Only a handful was forced to leave the city. All teachers report that students are on track to removing established norms, and replacing them with those that Master suggested." Brittany answered, sounding confident about their success.

"What about breakfast?"

"Upon learning about Master waking up, I had the waitresses bring Master's food to the dining area. At your convenience, the food will be ready for you." She stated. Even if Han decided that he wanted to eat breakfast later, Brittany would make sure that the food was ready to his satisfaction.

"Let Selestra sleep, and ask her what she wants to eat when she wakes up." He instructed Brittany, as he slowly got out of bed. In an instant, Han was clean and in new clothes. It was the usual dark pants with white shirt and a dark blue overcoat. He thought that the outfit made him appear dashing.

Leaving his bedchamber, he saw that everyone was waiting for his arrival.

"Master, we wish you a good morning." They said to him.

"Have you all had a good night's rest?" He asked them.

"Yes, Master," they answered.

Walking over to the dining table, he saw down in his usual seat. One of the waitresses placed a plate in front of it. There was a large omelet, sausages, and bacon.

Using his fork, he broke open the omelet and ate a piece. The inside of it was filled with meats, vegetables, and cheese. He especially enjoyed the quantity of mushroom inside of the omelet. Making short work of the food, he placed both utensils on the plate to let the waitress know that he was finished with his food. Sipping on an orange smoothie, he was enjoying how this morning was going.

Getting up, he walked to the entrance of the tent and opened it. The morning air filled his nostril, which was something he never enjoyed. It reminded him too often of leaving parties in the morning, after sleeping on a couch, floor, or bed. He called this feeling the post part experience.

Selene and Lithia were cooking some kind of breakfast that involved sausages and eggs. There was also a coffee pot brewing quality coffee. Even if a person didn't enjoy coffee, the smell was definitely enjoyable.

"Did you guys have a good night sleep?" He asked the two of them.

"How good of a night sleep can one have on an expedition," Selene growled. "You look like your usual refreshed self. One of these days, I'm going to learn how you're able to look so cheerful early in the morning," She accused him. Though they knew that Han had powerful summoning skills, they were unaware of how deep his abilities truly extended. As far as they, and everyone, knew, he was eating similar food and sleeping on an uncomfortable bed.

"I guess I am just a morning person," Han answered cheerfully, laughing at Selene's darkening face. Even the Lithia, who was often positive and cheerful, looked a little worn for wear after a night sleeping outside. He thought it was wise to not remind them that for the next month they would be experiencing this kind of morning.

----

With the camp getting ready to depart, everyone was slowly taking down their tents and storing all of the supplied back onto the wagons. Considering how far away the ruins were, the Princess was going to need to make a stop by a town on the way there. Summoning a map, he looked at the route that they were going to take. The biggest part that he noticed was The Great Desert, with how it spanned nearly the entire continent. On the other side of it, there were other kingdoms and empires, but with how large the desert was it was nearly impossible to cross it.

A month after his created his city, Han learned that there were some caravans that made their way through the desert to help supply the scattered nomadic tribes. It was amazing how those tribes were able to survive in that hellish environment. Even his city was only able to thrive due to his altering the environment.

For the Kingdom, The Great Desert provided a natural barrier and allowed the Kingdom to focus on the Empire and the kingdoms to its sides.

About when they would be running low on supplies, the group would find a medium sized town right on the edge of the Kingdom. He was curious as to what this town would look like, being so close to the Elven Kingdom.

Once they cross into the Elven Kindom, there would be only a week of travel left before they entered the Sinking Swamp. Inside of the swamp would be a couple of days of travel.

While watching the camp and everyone being so busy, he didn't notice a commotion that was occurring. It wasn't until the shouting grew louder that he turned around, and saw two group facing one another. Seeing what was happening, Han could only sigh in annoyance.

Walking over to where the commotion was happening, he watched as the annoying team leader was shouting at Brittany and Selestra. When he got closer, he could hear what was happening.

"What the hell is that thing on your neck!!??" Frank could be heard shouting.

"I received it from Yi. I do not know why you are shouting at me." Selestra answered.

"You don't know why I'm shouting at you?!" He sarcastically replied, looking frustrated. "You're a part of my team, and suddenly I see you wearing some kind of collar after you spend a night in that scum's tent?!" He stabbed with his index finger, pointing at the source of all his anger.

"What does my being a part of the team have to do with what I do on my own time?" She asked, clearly confused at why Frank was acting the way he was.

"Let it go, Frank. Who Selestra wants to spend her time with is her business, not ours." The bunny-eared woman spoke to Frank. Han learned that her name was Sarah. From what Selestra told her, she and Sarah were pretty close and had a good friendship.

"I'm the team leader! I'll decide what is relevant when it comes to my team!" Frank yelled, shoving Sarah. "How can you be okay with this? You and I were the ones who trained her and helped turn her into an A-rank adventurer, and now you're okay with her spending time with that slime. He's obviously just using her, and now she's acting like some kind of slut!" He accused.

A sound of a slap could be heard, as Selestra stood there panting hard and looking furious. "I do not know why you are acting like this, but I will not have you demean my relationship with Yi! I love Yi, and I am happy! You do not have a say on who I belong to!" Looking at Sarah, she said, "I do not think I can stay a part of this group. I hope that you understand and hope I can still consider you my friend?"

Nodding her head, Sarah went to hug Selestra. "I'm happy that you've found someone. I'm sorry that things turned out this way, but you can always consider me to be a friend."

Pulling away from Selestra, Sarah turned around to the team and said, "take Frank back to the wagon. One of you will need to drive the wagon that Frank was driving. I do not think it's a good idea to have him take the role considering how irrational and emotional he's being."

Han was impressed with how Sarah was able to calmly able to settle everything, looking like a professional. Feeling Han's eyes on her, she glanced over at him and gave him a nod which said that she was sorry about everything. He gave her a shrug to communicate to acknowledge that shit happens and there were no hard feelings.

Though he could understand what Frank was feeling, it was never good to try and control someone against their wishes. The relationship between Frank and Selestra was clearly a professional one, though Frank may have thought that something would blossom. Frank just misunderstood how close the two of them were, and tried to force it into something that it wasn't.

Approaching his group, Han was happy to see that all his companions were alert and ready to jump in to neutralize the situation. It meant that Selestra was accepted into their small family. With just his eyes, he noticed each of the Shadow Guards that were hiding in the shadows, also ready to jump in. If Frank were able to see the sheer number of people he was playing with, he would have likely backed off.

Anacolis and Aracia were trying to console Selestra, both of them looking like older sisters trying to cheer up a precious younger sister. Queen was looking at where the adventurers were located with utter contempt and disdain.

Brittany, seeing Han walking towards them, approached him to say, "Master, there was a slight issue, but we were able to contain it. I think you should go to Selestra and cheer her up. The conflict seems to have left her a bit shaken."

"Thank you, Brittany." He told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Reaching where Selestra and the Jungle Sisters were, Han, asked, "Are you okay?"

Hearing his voice, Selestra looked up and rushed into his arms crying. "Am I a bad person?" She asked, sobbing into his chest.

"Of course not!" He assured her, stroking her hair. "There is no need to worry about people like him. Your friend, Sarah, still cares about you, so do not concern yourself with such a selfish man." Taking her chin with his hand, he lifted it up so that she could see his face. "Anyways, you already belong to a selfish man." He gently said to her, as he lowered his head to kiss her. Lifting up his head, he saw that she was blushing with a smile on her face.

"I only belong to Yi." She said, giving him a hug.

----

It had been several weeks since they started their journey towards the ruins. Though the trip started off on a rough patch, after the incident with Frank and Selestra, it has gotten better. Frank has been ignoring her the entire time since their fight, so the trip has improved. Currently, the group was heading towards a nearby town to get more supplies.

There was a feeling of exhaustion as this trip was wearing on people. Usually, people didn't travel this far for a journey, so only the Princess was still feeling determined.

"What do you expect to find in these ruins?" Han asked the Eli, who was riding in his open carriage.

Looking around, to make sure there was no one nearby, she looked at both Han and Selestra, who was cuddling next to Han. "My mother is trying to develop a device that would shift the balance for all humanoids in our favor against the Overflow. Looking through some ancient documents, I discovered that this site is connected to the ruins near the Academy. I am hoping that in the ruins, we will find a weapon to pair with the one we are creating." Eli paused again, and checked that no one was overhearing them. "My mother believes that there is something that is actively trying to restrict technology to combat the Overflow, so we are being extra cautious. As far as the adventurers know, this journey is a requested from a spoiled Princess that wants to play at being an archeologist."

"How do you know that I am not working with this organization?" He asked, trying to sound ominous.

Smirking at his attempt to make her suspicious, Eli retorted, "we both know that if you wanted to stop me you could. I do not have any delusions in believing that I am a threat to you. Though you try to hold your full power close to your chest, I already suspect that you are going to be a disruptive figure in this world." Glancing at Selestra, she added, "and I know that she belongs to you, or you would not have placed that dazzling collar around her neck."

Initially, Eli was somewhat surprised when she learned that Han had claimed ownership of Selestra considering that she saw Selestra as a very independent woman. It was a foreign concept to Eli, for a woman to willingly submit to being owned by the person they loved. Eli responded with a mentality of, "it is not my business, and there are stranger things in this world."

"So what gave you the suspicion that there is some kind of force that is exerting pressure in this world?" Han asked, curious about this.

"When you look at the ruins near our school, and how it was destroyed by monsters during the Overflow and compare it to the evidence inside the former city, things do not add up. Looking at the murals, the city should have been able to withstand the Overflow. Compared to the capital, the former city was far more prepared to fend off the endless waves. If you view the waves of monsters equally attacking all areas like it is reported in the texts, a city that is fortified to fend off the Overflow should be okay. But this is not what happened. For just this city and the ruins that we are heading towards, they were overrun by the monsters. This indicates that something was different with these two locations." She looked at the two of them to make sure that they were following along with her logic. "When my mother began to research how to protect our kingdom against the Overflow, there were minor suspicious events, which would normally be ignored if it was not for how often they seemed to happen and the timing. Whenever we would get close to making a breakthrough, there would be something small that would happen that would cause delays to occur. Mother was the first person to connect all these minor events together and came to the conclusion that someone was trying to stop us from succeeding. If a defense were able to be created, this would benefit all nations especially since we would provide it to them. The only people that would not want us to succeed would be those tied to the fall of the two ancient cities."

"If everything you said is correct, then I would have to agree with you. It seems like there are spies within your borders." Han agreed.

"This is what has been bugging me throughout this trip. If there are spies inside of my mother's kingdom, then they should know about my intentions to investigate the ruins in the Sinking Swamp. The problem is nothing strange or out of the ordinary has happened, aside from the two of you." She said, smirking at Han.

"In my defense, I did not expect things to turn out as they had." Han tried to defend himself. He affectionately placed his hand on Selestra's hip.

"Well, I guess you can not blame her to fall for such a competent man such as yourself. If I even had an inkling of such feelings, I would probably have fallen for you, too." She joked.

----

The town was fairly large, compared to others Han had seen. Surrounding the town was a hundred-foot tall wall, which appeared to be very solid. Considering how far away the people that lived inside of this town, the walls likely needed to be able to protect against monsters and especially the Overflow.

As they rode up toward the entrance of the town, the guards signaled for them to stop. One of the guards approached the wagon that Han was riding on.

"Welcome to Balrek. What brings your party to our humble town?" The guard was very polite.

Eli moved to a seat that was closer to the guard and pulled out a letter from her jacket. "I am the Fourth Princess of the Elven Kingdom. Here is a letter of introduction from the Queen. We are here to purchase supplies before we enter into the Elven Kingdom." She explained to the guard.

"Your Highness, we are honored to have such an individual inside of our town. Do you require any assistance with gathering the necessary supplies?" He politely offered.

"Thank you; I greatly appreciate any help you could provide us. It has been some time since I have visited Balrek, so I am unfamiliar with where everything is located. Having a guide would greatly reduce our burden." Eli gracefully accepted.

Nodding his head, the guard said, "we have an area that you can keep your wagons and carriage in, and any supplies you purchase will be delivered there. We are also appreciative towards our elven brothers and sisters, so I hope you have an enjoyable visit."

The wagons and carriage entered the town and parked in the waiting area.

"With this town being close to the Elven Kingdom, it sees a lot of people that travel through to other destinations. The town decided to have a dedicated area for those coming into the town, instead of having them park at each of the inns. The inns appreciate this, cause they do not need to charge the guests an additional fee for parking and can rely on the local government." Eli explained to Han and Selestra.

"I noticed that the town also seems to be fairly close to elves? Compared to what I have seen inside of the Academy, I found this to be interesting." Han observed.

"With the distance to the capital being so far, the town has built a close relationship with the nearby elvish communities. Seeing the benefits with having a strong connection to the Elvish Kingdom, many residents have a positive view of non-humans."

Han looked around the entrance into the city and saw that there was, in fact, a larger number of elves compared to the Academy.

"This is a good chance to look around, while I take my servants and the adventurers to find supplies we will need. Considering how many of your servants are non-humans, I think you will enjoy this place." Eli suggested to Han, seeing his interest in the town.

"I will take you up on your suggestion," Han agreed.

With Selestra holding his arm, he led his companions into the town. The town looked very similar to Central European villages. There didn't appear to be a strict order of where things were placed, where there were houses next to business and inns scattered around. Though it made it look more inviting and homely, Han preferred the way Felicitas was organized with clear boundaries for each section.

Many of the residents looked over at Han, with his large entourage of beautiful women. There were a couple of guys, both human and elves, who looked at his companions only to be smacked by their significant others.

Walking down the street, Han noticed a fancy building that seemed to be somewhat out of place in this town. As he neared the business, he found that it was a jewelry store. There were displays showcasing the items that they sold.

Each of his companions and Selestra looked at the items. Even Han was impressed by the quality that was presented. There were necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other products that women enjoyed wearing and showing off. Amused by their reactions, Han walked into the store.

The inside was very clean with a minimalist approach. Aside from the chandelier, there were a couple of stand-alone displays and a long glass counter where you could see even more products to choose from. Behind the counter was an older Elvish gentleman, who was dressed in a simple business outfit.

"Welcome to the Breathless Woman. Is this your first time at this fine establishment?" The man asked Han.

"Yes. We are stopping by in Balrek to gather supplies before we head into the Elven Kingdom. Your store is very eye-catching." He complimented the man.

"Thank you. We pride ourselves in presenting an ideal environment to select jewelry. My name is Tom, so please ask if you have any questions." Tom said.

Each of his companions moved to various parts of the store to look at the jewelry. Han allowed himself to be guided by Selestra to look at the different items. Though this world was a fantasy world, none of the products on display would lose to the jewelry on Earth. He was surprised by the level of craftsmanship this world had.

Han noticed that Selestra paused at jeweled lock. Tom sensed her interest in the item and came over to them. "The lady has good tastes. These locks are fully functional and used to keep something secure while still being dazzling."

Selestra shyly shook her head, denying her interest in it.

"We will take it," Han said to Tom.

Looking up at Han, Selestra was surprised and happy at the same time.

"It will be ten gold pieces," Tom informed Han.

After hearing the price, Selestra quickly said, "you do not need to get that for me."

Placing his hand in his pocket, he materialized the necessary amount of gold and deposited onto the counter. When the man took out the locket and the key, Han only picked up the lock and said, "I will not need the key." Ignoring the man's confused, he took the lock and made it pass through the ring in front of Selestra's collar. "Why would I need a key to a lock that symbolizes you belonging to me." He said to her. Letting go of the lock, it hung from the ring and glittered in the light. Placing his hand on her cheek, Han said, "it looks beautiful on you."

Saying that Selestra looked happy would not be a fitting description to describe the emotion on her face. "I love you, Yi." She softly said.

"I love you, too," He said to her.

When they left the store, each of the girls had a new piece of jewelry. Anacolis wore emerald earrings, which complimented her hair and eyes. Aracia had a bracelet with a purple sapphire prominently displayed. Queen got a necklace with a diamond on it. And Brittany received a collar with a heart shaped ruby in the center. All of them looked happy and content about receiving such stunning gifts from Han.

Though he was never big on giving women jewelry, seeing all of them look so happy made him understand why guys enjoyed giving jewelry to women.

After leaving the jewelry store, Han and his group went to where the marketplace was located. He was curious as to what this place looked like, and if there was anything interesting to try out. The marketplace looked similar to older locations on Earth. He remembered traveling to Istanbul and getting a chance to visit the market there.

The girls pointed at different stalls displaying varying ingredients. Each of the owners was trying to gain their attention, with Han occasionally giving out money for the girls to try out a new fruit or vegetable. There was a stall that had roasted meat on a skewer, so Han got each of the girls two. He held both his share and Selestra's. She liked holding his arm as he fed her the juicy meat. Seeing some of the juices dribble down the side of her face made him chuckle. Surprising Selestra, Han lowered his head and licked the juices off of her face. Her face became bright red, and she buried her face into his arm.

After several hours had passed, they ran into Eli along with her servants and guards. "How is the shopping for supplies going?" He asked the Princess.

"I have ordered enough food to for the remainder of the trip. Also, I picked up several packs for when we need to carry our supplies into the swamp. Lucky for us, this town had packs that are waterproof, which is perfect for the swamp. Everything should be heading to where our wagons are parked, so we will be leaving for the Elven Kingdom soon.

----

The travel into the Elven Kingdom was similar to what travel through the Kingdom was like. Han thought it was interesting they were easily able to cross the border, without anyone approaching them and asking what their business was.

When Han asked if they were within the Elven Kingdom to Elis, her response was, "based on how long we have traveled, it is very likely we are in my mother's kingdom." For going into another territory, Han felt the experience was slightly anticlimactic.

"What is wrong with the trees?" Han asked as he noticed that many of the trees looked to be dying.

Looking at the trees, Eli responded, "we are approaching the Sinking Swamp. The water is poisonous to trees, so the border to the swamp is clearly marked.

"If the water is poisonous, are we going to be able to wade through it?" He asked.

"The water is not poisonous to humanoids. From what I have been told, the taste is very salty, so I do not recommend you drink from it." She explained.

Han understood that the swamp water was brackish, a mixture of freshwater and saltwater. This would explain why the trees around here were dead or dying, cause they were meant to survive off of fresh water.

"Stop the wagon!!" Eli screamed out at the wagon in front, being driven by one of the adventurers.

Aside from his carriage, all the wagons came to a sudden stop with the horses neighing in annoyance and freight. The Princess's message was passed to everyone, and many of the adventurers were discussing why Eli had suddenly yelled out. Han suspected the reason why but waited for her to clarify it.

"Up ahead the land is not actually land, but the beginning of the swamp. The dirt floats onto of vegetation, which floats on top of the water. If the wagon had continued for even a couple of feet more, we would have lost the horse and the wagon." Eli quietly explained to the two of them.

"Floating ground?" Selestra whispered, frightened by the thought of such a sneaky environment.

"You will be safe," Han assured her, trying to alleviate her fears.

If Han didn't have his ability, he knew that he would be anxious about entering such a swamp. Remembering to the swamps on Earth, Han wondered what type of creatures lived inside of this swamp.

When Eli went off to divide the gear among the party members, Han looked back at his companions and said, "make sure to watch out of creatures swimming in the water."

"We will be vigilant, Master," Aracia said to him. For the Jungle Sisters, this place will be close to the environment they were designed for. Seeing how close together the trees were, Aracia would be able to easily navigate between them.

"You will be in charge of creating a way for us to navigate through the swamp," Han commanded Aracia. "Anacolis, I want you to scout around in the water, and make sure that no creatures come close to us." He ordered. Both of them nodded, aware of how dangerous the environment was.

When all the supplies were divided between Eli's servants and guards, along with the adventurers, they proceeded into the swamp. Each of them waded into the swamp, looking miserable about the experience.

Aracia launched herself towards the nearest tree, leaving behind a sturdy length of her web. With the precision of her species, Aracia moved back and forth, forming the beginning of the bridge.

Approaching the bridge, Han stepped onto it and was surprised that it wasn't sticky like he thought it would be. Even though it wasn't sticky, there was a distinct feeling of his shoes gripping the bridge. It kind of felt like if he were in the tub and the grips people place on the bottom to prevent people from slipping.

Behind him, Selestra, Brittany, and Queen followed, with Anacolis wading into the swamp. It was mesmerizing watching Anacolis swimming through the swamp. In her hands, she was carrying her deadly bow while there was a spear on her back. As Aracia was creating the bridge, she was looking out for any dangers in the water.

Han noticed everyone watching as his group crossed above the water, and not needing to become soaked. He had offered Eli to utilize this method, but she found the idea of using the web as a bridge to be creepy. She was already ready to wade through the swamp, so wasn't bother by it.

He did enjoy watching Frank having to wade through the swamp and getting dirty. A part of him still held a grudge against Frank for calling Selestra a slut. Though he wouldn't actively screw with him, Han didn't intend to go out of his way to help him either.

Progressing through the swamp was a slow and arduous task. Due to the opacity of the water, they had to make sure that they didn't trip over anything. Occasionally, one of the members would suddenly sink into the water. This was caused by the uneven ground which would often lead to a drop.

Han watched as Anacolis pulled on her drawstring and shot an arrow into the water. The water would then erupt with tentacles, and after a few more arrows were fired into it, the creature floated to the surface. From where he was, the creature looked like something out of an H.P. Lovecraft novel. Those wading through the water would pale each time Anacolis slew one of those creatures. Han imagined that it wouldn't be as enjoyable of an experience as hentai videos would have you imagine.

As it became darker, there was a heavy mist that appeared above the water. Due to how thick the fog was, they were unable to proceed any further. There were occasional hills that went over the water's surface, so when Elis saw the fog start to roll in, she looked for one of those islands.

With how large the islands were, they couldn't set up tents and had to rely on a type of coat that was created for traveling through the Sinking Swamp. It was like a poncho that kept in body heat, creating a personal tent. The guards and adventurers kept turns with the watch, to make sure none of those freakishly scary octopuses didn't crawl onto the tiny island.

For Han and his group, Aracia created a structure that would help them lay on. Han made some heavy blankets appear to create a makeshift bed. There were tons of pillows that were created for them to relax on. Anacolis climbed the trees and joined them in their love nest.

In the middle of the night, there were screams from the guards. Jerking awake, he tried to figure out what was happening. Anacolis placed a hand on his hand to signal that everyone was okay.

"What is happening." He asked her once he was fully awake. Being woken up suddenly was not something that he was used to, and always took him a moment to adjust to the situation.

"Two different types of monsters are attacking the island. The strange tentacle monsters and giant bat monsters. It seems like the night is when both of them become active." She explained to him. As she was talking, Anacolis was firing her poison-tipped arrows at monsters that got close to them. When it looked like the guards were unable to handle a monster, she would fire a shot at the nearby creature.

Aracia was guarding them, for any that snuck past her sister. Once in a while, Aracia would throw a kunai and then rush toward her target.

When Selestra was up to speed, she looked at the various monsters and shouted, "as the one that controls you, I command you to rain down upon my enemies! Hellfire rain!" Around the island, there were small fireballs that rained down on top of the creatures. Many of the bat and tentacle creatures flailed around on fire. The ones that weren't on the island or in the trees quickly dove into the water."

Wanting to contribute to the fight, Han thought that the best weapon in this environment would take advantage of the salinity of the water. "Get away from the water!!" He shouted to the people on the island, causing a couple of them to jump away from it not know why.

Pointing a finger towards the water, he sent out a large bolt of lightning. A blinding light caused everyone to quickly turn away, and a crackling could be heard. The mist became even thicker as the lightning instantly evaporated the top later of the water. As people were blinking their eyes to regain their eyesight and their night vision, people slowly saw lumps floating towards the surface.

Even though Han didn't kill all the monsters, the remainder quickly fled away from the area. Even if monsters weren't intelligent, even simple creatures could understand when they've met their match.

"Are you guys alright?" Han shouted down to everyone on the island.

There was silence before he heard Selene yell back, "what made you think that was a good idea, you idiot?!!!"

Han sighed thinking that it was good that everyone was okay. A part of him did admit that he may have over did the power of the lightning.

"The Princess says that we'll be proceeding from here!!" Selene yelled at him.

Considering that they would be traveling at night, he thought it might be good if they had some light. "Anacolis, when you go down make sure you give this to Selene to pass around." He gave her a bag filled with mini mana crystals that would display light like a flashlight.

For Selestra, he made it so that she would be able to see in the dark. If he knew anything about wildlife, they would be attracted to any lights. This was one of the reasons why fish like the angler fish was so good as a predator. Fish would become attracted to the light and be eaten by it. Han didn't stress about using them as bait, cause he knew that they would be able to handle themselves.

In the dark and through the fog, they made slow progress.

----

Due to how confusing the swamp was, Elis got lost a couple of times, so they were forced to backtrack. Compared to them, Han had an easy time with making his way back. He often yelled down if they were sure that they didn't want to join him up on the web bridge. The usual response came from Selene, who told him exactly where he could shove it.

"Master, there seems to be something ahead," Brittany told him after several days had passed by.

"Did Anacolis find something?" He asked her.

"She found a giant column that is half sunk into the swamp."

Thinking for a moment, he ordered, "have Anacolis proceed with caution. We do not know what this swamp is hiding from the world."

Leaning off to the side of the bridge, Han yelled down. "There is something ahead! I think we are close to the ruins!"

"The Princess agrees that we are close to where the ruins should be!!" Selene yelled back.

Walking along the bridge, Han saw the various destroyed relics from the past. There were several large statues of forgotten leaders and giant slabs of stones that were likely from buildings. As they forged deeper into the ruins, there were buildings that were tilted to the side, nearly half submerged.

"Was what the Princess told us true?" Selestra wondered out loud, as they continued to pass by elaborate structures.

"Master, what is that?!" Queen asked, with awe in her voice.

In front of them, seeming to emerge out of the fog, there was a massive pyramid that seemed to dwarf them. The entire thing seemed to be constructive from white stone, making it look eery in this swamp and fog.

"Master, there is an entrance into the structure," Brittany reported.

"Aracia, make a path towards the entrance that Anacolis found." He told her.

After walking for half an hour, he saw the entrance. From how it looked like, the hole that was being called the entrance was likely a balcony with the entrance being swallowed up by the swamp

Anacolis was waiting for them at the entrance into the pyramid. Stepping onto a solid surface was a relief for Han and everyone. Eli, Selene, Lithia, and the rest of the group looked completely soaked. "I think it may be good for us to take a break, while you guys change into some dry clothes."

Selene glared at him, for pointing out something so obvious.

He looked back at her, hurt that she would suspect that he found the situation amusing. It was just an innocent comment he made, out of concern.

She snorted at his hurt expression, not believing his innocent look.

Entering into the pyramid, Han was amazed at how everything seemed to be intact. There were vines all over the place, but considering how long this structure existed he thought it was impressive. Looking around, Han realized that they were in some long hallway. Creating a ball of light, he made it float to the ceiling. Watching the ball of light keep on going up into the sky, Han realized that the hallway was several hundred feet tall.

"Why is this hallway so tall? Was this a civilization meant for giants?" He asked Eli.

By how expression, she was just as confused as he was.

Once those that had to wade through the swamp had switched into dry clothes, they began to explore the inside of this massive structure. On the walls, there were massive murals, so Han created several more orbs of light. Similar to the ones he saw in the ruins near the Academy, the murals presented an image of a giant war. From the picture, there seemed to be a massive flood that engulfed the world. When he walked closer, he saw that what he thought as water was multitudes of monsters. There were so many monsters that it appeared like a flood.

"This is a mural about the Overflow," Eli said, her voice carrying her wonder.

Just like in the previous mural, there was an image of a waterfall flowing down from the sky. He wondered what all of this meant. As the continued down the hallway, there were more stories being shown. Some of them were so damaged that he couldn't make out what was happening in the image.

A clear one that he found was what looked to be a woman, where her head was enclosed by some kind of light. Surrounding this woman were hundreds of people. The weird part was how some of the people were made to look like they were shining. It was like some kind of light was radiating from them. Further down, the people that were shining were carrying knives and looking to kill the woman. Behind them, glowing people were monsters that weren't looking like they were attacking the glowing people. Instead, the monsters looked like they were going after the woman.

In another mural, there was an image of a man with a star on his forehead that appeared in front of the woman. Behind the man were angels that were floating around him, and they were shooting out light and attacking the monsters. He remembered being told how the gods saved the people during the Overflow that last a thousand years.

"Is this mural talking about when the gods came to save all of us?" Eli asked out loud.

"What do you think the glowing people that are running with the monsters are?" He asked, curious about what all this meant.

"Maybe she was right, about people being able to guide the monsters to do their bidding?" She responded, referring to her mother's suspicions about forces intervening.

Near the end of the hallway, there was a massive stairway that led into the dark abyss. Controlling the globes, Han had them go and provide light for them.

Hours seemed to pass by, as they searched throughout the pyramid. Aside from the murals that they witness, there was not much more to shed light as to why these two cities were wiped out.

As they went deeper into the pyramid, the surroundings started to change. Instead of looking like some religious temple or administrative building, it began to look like some kind of lab. There was an entire wall that had cages built into them.

"Those bars... the way they are bent outwards... I think they were keeping something dangerous inside." Selestra commented. This entire time, she was holding onto Han's arm.

"There are claw marks inside of these rooms!" Selene called out to them, after approaching the cages.

Looking at each of the cages, it did appear like some kind of creature was contained inside. The problem was that they didn't know what reasons these cages existed.

"Do you think whatever broke out of these cages are still here?" Lithia asked nervously looking around.

"I don't hear anything inside of this structure," Sarah mentioned, her ears moving around trying to catch any noises. "Even if there are no creatures, I doubt it's a good idea for us to continue exploring this area." She cautioned.

"No. There is something inside of here. I can feel it. We have come too far to turn back now." Eli adamantly said.

Sarah had an expression of, 'you're the boss,' on her face. Even if they felt that it was dangerous, being professionals meant taking risks based on what the person hiring them requested. As long as there wasn't an outright danger to them, Frank and Sarah's team would continue to follow the Princess's orders.

They passed by rooms that had chains hanging from the walls, making it look like some kind of prison system. Was it due to the cages they saw or the murals near the entrance? These thoughts went through Han's mind.

"Master, do you not think that it is odd, the fact that there are no monsters inside of here?" Aracia asked.

"I also think this is strange, Master. Out in the swamp, it was filled with a variety of monsters, two of them we fought against, but inside of here, it is empty. If I were a monster, I would want to build my nest in such a large cavernous structure like this pyramid." Anacolis agreed with her sister.

After they had pointed this out, Han started to get goosebumps. It wasn't a good sign that such a great habitat location was as empty as it was.

"I want all of you to ready for a fight. I agree that this is beyond suspicious, so be ready for combat at any time. Selestra, you make sure not to leave my side." He ordered them.

Both of the Jungle Sisters pulled out their weapons, Anacolis watching their back while Aracia focused on what was ahead. Brittany surrounded herself with a massively bulky armor, with a heavy looking ax slung over her shoulder. Queen covered herself in bone armor, using her necromancy skills. She also held a large sword with a wicked blade on it.

Hearing how serious Han's voice was, both Selene and Lithia got ready for a fight. Compared to when they were in the forest, the sisters were somewhat battle tested.

The only people that were not preparing for a battle was Eli, her servants and guards, and the adventurers. The adventurers, aside from Sarah, looked at Han's group as if they were complete amateurs getting spooked by an empty pyramid.

Han ignored them cause he would rather be ready, than unprepared and have to worry about any issues. Everything about this screamed wrong once things started to sink in. He remembered Eli's words about how it was weird how no one was stopping them from coming here, but they put in efforts into stopping her mother from completing her project. It either meant that nothing was here or there was something here and they didn't need to worry about anyone investigating.

With each level that they passed and went deeper into the forbidding structure, he felt like something was off. He started to get annoyed with the adventurers about how cavalier they were being. This wasn't some school trip where everyone could just have fun. If shit hit the fan, then there was no one that could help them. They were here by themselves with no one to help them.

"Shut your mouths!! I can't hear anything with your yapping! This isn't some kind of picnic!" Sarah yelled at her teammates.

All of them shut their mouths after Sarah rebuked them. Some of them looked annoyed by being yelled at, while others looked suitably chastised.

"There's no need to yell at them. This place is just a giant tomb with nothing inside of it. Even a tomb would have treasure, but there isn't even that inside of here. Ignore that freak and his lackeys for getting spooked so easily." Frank reasoned with Sarah, lightly patting her on her back.

Instead of answering Frank, Sarah completely ignored him and tried to listen to her surroundings. Seeing how Sarah was treating him, Frank started to ground his teeth in annoyance.

"Fine! Act like some kind of kid that just got their first quest." He huffed and walked over to his teammates. Some of them were consoling him, telling him to ignore Sarah's attitude and it must be her time of the month.

Han shook his head at how ridiculous they were. It was like watching some kids who were running around waving a wooden sword in the air, and pretending they were knights.

"Sarah, do you hear anything yet?" He asked her.

Shaking her head, indicating that there weren't any sounds.

After some time had passed and they went down several more levels, looking into each room and seeing if there were any clues about what this structure was built for. With what they were able to find, it didn't make sense why the city would build such a large structure. The material could have been used to protect the city, instead of being used for some religious purpose.

When it felt like the pyramid would keep going town forever, they finally reached a hallway that led to a giant door that seemed to be sealing something in.

"This does not look ominous." Han sarcastically stated. The door had a giant star with snakes looking to intertwine throughout it. There were females with wings carved into the door and gave off the feeling like they were protecting the world. Looking at Eli, Han asked, "I guess you want to open the door that screams out 'DO NOT OPEN'?"

Rolling her eyes at his remark, she studied the door and tried to figure a way to open it up. There wasn't anything that looked like a handle or lock. It just looked like a solid wall that happened to be decorated.

Han sat down on the floor while leaning up against the wall. He had one of his arms around Selestra's shoulders and enjoyed the moment. It didn't seem like Eli was going to be able to open the door, and Han wasn't planning on helping her. The door seemed to scream out trouble, so keeping it closed was probably the safer bet. A part of him did wonder what the door was keeping locked up, but not enough to be helpful.

Eli had one of her servants grab her some books that the servant was carrying in her pack. They looked fairly ancient and was likely what led her to these ruins. She also found a spot to sit down and poured over the contents of her books.

---

Han woke up from his peaceful slumber, as Eli was yelling about figuring it out. He could feel Selestra also beginning to wake up from Eli's joyful shouting.

"It all makes sense! The women are not only the guards but also the gatekeepers! They were clever with hiding the solution in plain sight!" She leaped about, looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

Tracing some kind of symbols on each of the women, then pressed a star hidden in the corner. With a loud rumbling noise, the door began to open slowly. Han slowly got up and helped Selestra up. Eli quickly ran into the room, not thinking about any dangers. Her servants and guards began chasing after her.

"I guess we are going inside..." He muttered. There were no TV shows that ended well in these scenarios. This was the type of scene you saw at the show's season finale, where you wondered who died and if they will be able to contain the evil they released.

-----

Inside of the mysterious room, it was the size of a football stadium. There was a walkway that went around the room, with stairs that led to the floor. He could see Eli already running down the stairs heading straight to the bottom of whatever this room was meant to be.

In the center of the floor, there was a giant glowing orb that glowed red and black. "I am in a season finale," Han cursed his luck. The orb was practically screaming out, "I am trapping an evil entity that will destroy the world if it is released." It was so cliche that he wondered how this series was still getting funding.

The Princess, servants, guards, and adventurers were nearly to the bottom of the stairs. He watched as they reached the bottom and slowly walked up to the evil looking globe.

They stared at the thing as if it was not something horrible. All of them were chatting amongst themselves.

"Yi, do you think we should stop them?" Selestra asked, looking a little worried.

"Master, just give me the command, and I will end them!" Queen requested.

"Let us see how this unfolds. I am also curious about what this is all about." He murmured, his eyes locked on everyone in front of the orb.

While the group in front of the orb were debating something, Han noticed one of the adventurers moving towards the orb with his hands reaching out for it. Seeing this, Han thought about yelling, "You must not read from the Book!!"

As the adventurer placed his hands on the orb, there was a sudden pulse that came out of the orb. With each wave of energy, the chamber began to start shaking. Along the surface of the orb, there were cracks that were beginning to form.

With a sudden crashing noise, the orb shattered and released a blinding light. Han turned away from the light and closed his eyes. When he looked back at where the orb was there was a massive white dragon.

"I am finally free!!" The dragon roared. "Those rotten humans trapped me inside of that orb and thought they could contain my power. I need to go and let them know what these humans are planning!" As if realizing something was off, the dragon looked down and saw everyone getting back to their feet after they were knocked back from the explosion. "What do we have here?" He asked in a bewildered tone.

"We are here to find out more information about the Overflow," Eli yelled at the dragon.

The adventurers looked terrified as they stood in front of the dragon. Each of them looked no bigger than the size of the dragon's foot.

"Humans looking for information about the Overflow?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes. We are trying to learn about the ancient city and why it was destroyed." She called out.

Han watched the dragon and thought something was off. By the way, the dragon was acting; this wasn't surprising him and seemed like he knew what Eli was talking about.

"All of you need to get ready. I suspect that the dragon is not going to let us just walk away." He told everyone up there with him.

"Oh yes... I think I can give you some information about this city. But I think it would be better if you were to ask them yourself!!" He yelled out and took a deep breath; the dragon blew out a massive jet of fire towards everyone in front of him.

"I do not think so," Han said and lifted his hand he made a barrier appear to block the flames. The barrier was completely submerged by the flame, with the head being so intense that the walls were beginning to melt.

----

After a minute had passed, the dragon laughed at how funny he was and wondered what their expressions were before they melted and became a stain on the floor. As the smoke cleared, he was curious of how big of a stain they made on the ground. Instead of seeing a stain, he saw a green light covering the people that should have been incinerated by his flame.

"What is this?" He roared. How dare those humans make a fool out of him. He has been around since the dawn of time, serving those that created him.

By the expression on their faces, the humans were just as confused about how they were still alive. Swinging his head and looking around, he spotted someone that he didn't expect to see. "You!!! How dare you appear in front of me!!" This time he would destroy the creature that humiliated him. Seeing that fire magic wasn't going to work, he breathed in and released a jet of dark liquid.

He knew that he caught the creature off guard. The rock around his target was melting. The dragon used a mixture of darkness and fire to create something worse. There was nothing that could withstand the power he unleashed. Even it would have problems blocking it. Like some ooze, the black substance started to flow off and turn everything it touched into nothingness.

"H-h-how are you still alive???!!!!" He shrieked. As if the goo had no effect, the vile creature was still standing there with a calm look on its face.

"So you were just a giant lizard that was pretending to be a dragon, huh." the creature talked down to him. Being called a giant lizard made him remember all the other times this thing degraded him.

"I will not allow you to dishonor me any further" He screeched and unfurled his wings and flew towards it. Raising his claw, he willed all of his magic into his claws and slammed it onto the ledge. Gusts of wind blew around where his hand landed. Suddenly a massive force pushed him back, and he fell back and hit the far wall. He felt his head rebounding off of the wall, causing the room to spin.

"You will not lay a finger on my Master!!" A voice yelled out.

When he regained his balance, he looked and saw a heavily armored creature carrying a broad ax. The dragon understood that this was what flung him back. He just couldn't believe that such a tiny creature had so much power.

Removing himself from the wall, he snarled and hurled a bolt of lightning at the thing with the ax. Before it could even reach his target, the lighting curved and went towards that infernal being.

"This thing could not even be considered at the same level as static electricity. Are you sure that you are a dragon? I expected something sealed inside of that orb to be powerful, but you are not even worth the level of a season finale." The being spoke to him, as it juggled the lightning he sent towards the thing next to him.

"How about I show you what real magic looks like," the thing sneered at him. It raised a single digit in front of its face, and from the tip, there was a small fiery ball that emerged. Rapidly the ball grew in size and lightning seemed to flow around it. After getting to a certain size, it started to glow black and gave off a sinister pressure. With the size of the ball, it was tearing out chunks of the wall, but the thing didn't seem to care about any of that.

The dragon couldn't seem to tear its ears away from the giant ball. He began to realize that he was shaking. Never before during all the time it existed did he feel fear. He was the reason people felt fear, not the other way around.

"Wait! We can talk about this!!" He screamed out desperately.

The only thing he saw was the thing smile before flicking its finger towards him. The dragon watched as the massive ball floated towards his direction. He understood what the thing was at that moment; it was death.

----

Somewhere far away, there was a being that slowly opened its eyes. "So that worthless lizard was finally killed," It said out loud into the void. The being understood that this signified his eventual release from this prison. Along with his followers, he would destroy that wretched world.