—

The Gatekeeper of Teleportations was perfectly aware that the Shrouded Valley was an area that Kieran shouldn’t visit. It was filled with many inexplicable dangers that even some Awakened Beings chose to ignore.

These dangers were a result of the protections placed by the Wykins. Their lack of trust in the other races led to them erecting countermeasures against all threats.

Only those given the privilege of entering their land could enter the valley while ignoring the rampant dangers around them.

“Although you want to enter the Shrouded Valley, I will warn you now–your teleportation will be a blind one. I’m not sure where you’ll end up,” the Gatekeeper of Teleportations cautioned.

Kieran’s expression changed after listening to the warning. “You can’t puncture the space within the Shrouded Valley? Aren’t you an Awakened Being of the highest degree?”

The Gatekeeper of Teleportations furrowed his brows in response to Kieran’s comment. “Where did you get this information from? I’m not an Awakened Being; I’m a primary Enlightened Being. However, even an Enlightened Being isn’t enough to dictate what happens within the Shrouded Valley.”

The Shrouded Valley not only possessed a set of obscure laws governing its domain, but those laws were seemingly fabricated by at least a being comparable to a mighty Enlightened Being.

‘No way. If the Gatekeeper is an Enlightened Being but doesn’t give off the presence I suspected… how strong are Agrianos and the Arcane One?’ Kieran wondered.

As soon as the Gatekeeper of Teleportations confirmed his state of being, Kieran compared him to the Arcane One and Agrianos, who he assumed to be Enlightened Beings. Eventually, Kieran arrived at a conclusion that seemed plausible.

‘I suppose there is a disparity in Enlightened Being. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were divided into certain states. Otherwise, the Gatekeeper wouldn’t have referred to himself as a primary Enlightened Being.’

“If you can’t pinpoint where I’ll be dropped off, will the Spatial Corridor be safe to enter?” Kieran asked.

As an Intermediate Being, Kieran’s Constitution couldn’t withstand the pressure of a ruptured Spatial Corridor. If a rupture occurred while he was inside, he would undoubtedly die.

“I am famed for the stability of my corridors; otherwise, I wouldn’t be the Sanctuary’s Gatekeeper. I can ensure your safety, but I can’t ensure where you’ll end up. The endpoint is where the uncertainties arrive. If I’m not mistaken, the Spatial Fabric veiling the Shrouded Valley rotates arbitrarily.”

Kieran fell into deep thought after listening to the issue. ‘If not for my quest, I would have postponed this visit. But, unfortunately, I can’t. The longer I wait, the higher the chance of me failing Isadora’s quest.’

Eventually, Kieran sighed and nodded to the Gatekeeper. “I’ll have to make do with the uncertainty.”

“Very well. Please stand by as I prepare the gate,” the Gatekeeper of Teleportations said.

Unlike before, where he performed this feat effortlessly, the Gatekeeper of Teleportaitons stood before the gate with his arms spread. His previously white eyes seemed to adopt the color and presence of space as obscure energy waves rippled from his hands.

Kieran was familiar with the energy because it was the essence of an Aspect, which was understandable seeing as the Gatekeeper was an Enlightened Being. Kieran suspected an Aspect was just the beginning of the Gatekeeper’s strength.

A thin tear formed in the gate’s center and expanded in a rhombus shape until it rounded off and became stable. However, the Gatekeeper of Teleportations remained focused and tended to the portal.

“It is safe to enter. I’ll try to tether the exit point for as long as possible, so please hurry. The longer you wait, the more unpredictable your arrival area will become.”

“I appreciate your help, Gatekeeper,” Kieran said. After heeding the Gatekeeper’s warning, he wasted no time diving into the portal.

The sensation in the Spatial Corridor was different. Usually, Kieran could stand up but experienced a nauseating feeling, but in this particular tunnel, Kieran could only aimlessly tumble about.

‘It’s stable like the Gatekeeper said, but I also understand what he meant,’ Kieran thought.

…

Roughly five minutes later…

A tear opened up inside the space of a murky valley, and Kieran’s body fell out of the sky with a heavy thud.

After shaking off the uncomfortable sensation and looking around, Kieran learned that while he was in the Shrouded Valley, it was far from where he wanted to be.

The current setting was filled with a swamp-like floor, and the trees seemed decayed but exuded a bizarre feeling. At times the trees felt mystical, but other times it felt like they were watching him, considering whether they should spur his death.

After looking around, Kieran found that the atmosphere was filled with a dark mist that didn’t spread beyond a certain point. The mist’s end marked the beginning of the Shrouded Valley’s boundary.

〈System: You have entered the «Shrouded Valley»ã€‰

〈System: You have gained 100 World Fame.〉

“Hm,” Kieran continued to examine his surroundings before connecting them with what he knew from the past.

It was easy to get lost within the Shrouded Valley due to its layout and the various supernatural forces meant to disrupt one’s equilibrium.

Furthermore, his map was useless because he had yet to venture anywhere within the Shrouded Valley.

A few seconds later, Kieran looked up at the closing spatial tunnel.

‘I arrived from that direction, but the Gatekeeper warned me that my final orientation may be completely different from what he began with. I suppose I should heed his words and not rely upon the closing tunnel for assistance.’

Kieran attempted to expand his perceptional sense, but his expression darkened shortly after. In addition to some mild discomfort, he felt his ability to perceive was being blocked.

Kieran repeated his actions to confirm his suspicions but analyzed his surroundings for anything unusual. After attempting this several times, Kieran noticed the decayed trees released an irregular pulse of energy that interfered with his actions.

‘This area is as perverse as the rumors recorded. I suspect it’ll only get worse from here on out because this isn’t even the Wykin’s main location,’ Kieran thought.

Kieran soon began to inwardly groan and scratch his head.

However, he didn’t become overly frustrated because it was also rumored that Wykins and their protective wards could perceive emotion and react accordingly.

If Kieran were deemed a hostile presence, the many wards would undoubtedly attempt to expel him from the Shrouded Valley.

‘I’m in a rush, but it’s not severe enough for me to risk offending the Wykins.’

Before moving, Kieran took a seat on the marsh floor and scoured his mind, recalling all the information he had gathered on the Shrouded Valley in the past.

Knowledge of its layout and other vital matters surfaced in his mind as Kieran compared it to his immediate surroundings. ‘So it was neither behind nor in front of me. The correct past is deeper to the west.’

Once Kieran located the right path to take, Kieran stood up was traveled into the mist with lax shoulders. It was as if the fog had swallowed his body whole within seconds.

The Shrouded Valley was an area that could rival an entire country on Earth, so walking through the whole thing wasn’t ideal. But Kieran didn’t intend to. His destination was in the Shrouded Valley’s center, so he had no reason to venture through the entire land.

Kieran’s momentum changed once he confirmed that his information continued to line up. ‘As long as I ignore those distortions and acknowledge the consistency, I won’t be thrown off the path.’

Due to his understanding of the Shrouded Valley’s structure and effects, Kieran ignored the many obstacles that tried to obnubilate his way forward.

However, when the illusions proved ineffective against this invader, the environment’s protective wards dispensed another obstacle.

Kieran immediately activated Blood Mania and stopped his advance while brandishing Crimson Ashrune in preparation.

Several presences rose from the ground with a string of mystical etchings flowing through their mud-like bodies.

Kieran could tell at first glance that these lifeforms weren’t alive. They were linked to the environment, which was one of the most challenging types of enemies to face.

Monsters like these could be considered near-inexhaustible or immortal in the proper conditions.

「 Lv.55 Conjured Deterrent (Special Elite)

Artificial Lifeform

Health: 17,500,000

/17,500,000 (100%) �

The monsters weren’t tough to defeat, but Kieran noticed their unusual level. This area should be higher, but Kieran suspected it was a tailor-made challenge.

‘As the name implies, they were created to deter invaders. But, this much isn’t enough to deter me,’ Kieran thought.

The Vampiric Blood Encrustation surrounding Crimson Ashrune blazed as Kieran activated Sanguine Slashes. He wasn’t sure if this aspect of his power would work since it was an Artificial Lifeform, but it didn’t hurt to experiment because it was a core part of his capabilities.

Swoosh!

Kieran executed a Surge Step and arrived before the first Conjured Deterrent with a swing of his sword.

It passed through like a hot knife through butter, but when Kieran turned his hand, he noticed the Conjured Deterrent’s torso healing back as if he had never cut through it.

‘This is why I loathe Artificial Lifeforms,’ Kieran inwardly remarked.