Chapter 3: An Unexpected Disaster

The reconciliation between the Snake Clan and the Birdmen Clan brought immense joy to all birdmen and snake people. The glory-seeking Parrot Emperor, never one to miss an opportunity, promptly held a grand victory banquet. Although nominally intended to thank Mels and his companions for their efforts, shortly after the banquet began, he launched into endless boasts about his own “wisdom and power.” The birdmen seemed accustomed to the Parrot Emperor’s behavior—not only listening attentively to his every word but also flattering him from time to time, which only inflated his self-satisfaction further. Mels and his group didn’t mind the Parrot Emperor’s antics; after all, their sole wish was to retrieve their Wind Ship and resume their journey. Now that the Wind Ship had been delivered to the coast and they could depart from this continent the next day, they had no further concerns. Instead, they watched the Parrot Emperor’s one-man show with keen interest, as if enjoying a theatrical performance.

The birdmen’s revelry lasted until late at night before gradually subsiding. Mels and his companions, half-drunk, staggered slowly back to their quarters. Perhaps because they were finally free of worry—or perhaps due to the excitement of the impending journey—Mels climbed to the highest peak of the birdmen’s settlement in high spirits, immersing himself in the evening breeze to savor the pleasant air.

The bright moon hung high in the night sky, and the stars seemed within reach. Standing on such land, the surroundings offered a profound comfort that banished all cares. Gazing upward, Mels’ heart suddenly stilled, and memories from the past few years gradually surfaced. He vaguely recalled that just a few years ago, he had still been a teenager living beneath the protective halo of his adoptive father. Yet, after an unexpected battle, his life had begun to change. More and more companions, a martial arts master uncle, cunning and treacherous nobles, mysterious and unpredictable enemies, ancient civilizations beyond comprehension—all of it felt like a dream: illusory, yet undeniably real.

“Boss, can’t sleep either?” A soft voice sounded from behind Mels. Had he not been lost in memory, Sol would never have approached so silently. “Sol, you’re here too. How are you? Sobered up from earlier?” Mels turned and smiled at Sol.

“Hehe, I might not match you in other things, but when it comes to drinking, no one can beat me!” Sol laughed.

“Haha, you little rascal. When it comes to eating, you never want to fall behind anyone.” Mels and Sol burst into laughter together.

After a moment’s mirth, Sol suddenly fixed his gaze on Mels and asked seriously, “Boss, do you really think we can reach the Federation?”

“Why ask that all of a sudden?” Mels evaded a direct answer and tossed the question back to Sol.

“Boss,” Sol took two steps forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Mels, and said, “I’ve had a strange feeling lately—as if we’re walking straight into hell. I know you might not feel the same, but I sense danger clearly. It’s like an invisible eye is always watching us, observing everything we do. I don’t know why, but ever since crossing the Divine Barrier, the closer we get to the Federation continent, the stronger this feeling grows. I’m truly afraid…”

“Sol, I actually feel the same way. Sometimes I even consider turning back and returning to the continent, abandoning our quest to uncover the secrets of those mysterious people. But I know I absolutely cannot do that. We’re neither great heroes nor saviors. If I claimed I was heading to the Federation to avert some looming crisis on the continent—even I wouldn’t believe that reason.

Uncle Xiulan was right—those mysterious people aren’t enemies we can confront head-on. Going to the Federation to avenge him would be treating our lives as a joke.” Mels sighed softly before speaking calmly.

“Boss, if you don’t want to be a savior or avenge Uncle Xiulan, then why are you so determined to go to the Federation?” Sol looked at Mels curiously. All along, he’d assumed Mels was traveling for Xiu Lante’s sake.

“Haha, actually, it’s for myself—to satisfy my own curiosity. Why do the Federation people possess culture and technology thousands of years ahead of ours? Why can they dictate our fate? Why don’t they use their technology to conquer us? These are all secrets I long to understand. In truth, no matter how powerful our Summoned Beasts are, they’re useless against their weapons! Take Divak, who killed Uncle Xiulan—his strength clearly surpasses ours. If he deployed those strange weapons alongside his skills, even if the world’s top ten masters united, none would likely survive. Yet he spared our lives—and even allowed us to find our way to the Federation. It doesn’t feel like mockery, but rather a test. I have this feeling that once we set foot on Federation soil, all the mysteries in our hearts will unravel. That’s why I must go—though I’ve dragged all of you into it.” As Mels spoke to Sol, he gazed up at the stars.

“Boss, what kind of talk is that! Don’t think I’m usually timid—when something truly matters, I won’t back down! And even Rek, who didn’t come along, surely feels the same. We all believe in you, Boss. If you gave the word—not just to sail in search of the Federation, but even to draw our swords and end it all right now—we wouldn’t complain!” Sol declared loudly.

Hearing Sol’s heartfelt words, what more could Mels say? To have such brothers was nothing short of luck. At that moment, beneath the vast night sky, their exchanged glances said it all.

“Boss, look!” Just as Mels and Sol shared that quiet moment, Sol suddenly focused his gaze behind Mels. After confirming the airborne objects weren’t birds, he immediately pointed toward the night sky and shouted.

At Sol’s cry, Mels turned. Dozens of creatures, each the size of a birdman, had appeared from nowhere in the sky. Unlike birdmen, however, these beings bore no wings on their backs. Instead, they stood upon massive discs, using them to fly through the air.

Frowning slightly, a puzzled Mels decided to observe these strange creatures for now—to see what they intended. But this wait left him utterly shocked. The creatures flew over the peaks where the birdmen lived, and at a command from their leader, more than ten broke away and charged directly toward the mountains.

Realizing something was gravely wrong, Mels had no time to react before pale blue beams erupted from the tips of those flying discs. The moment the beams struck the mountains, massive explosions and roaring flames erupted—nearly dyeing the entire night sky crimson.

“Sol, go warn Akafir and the others!” Mels roared, then immediately summoned Little One. Leaping onto the green Flying Dragon’s back, he soared into the air, charging toward the creatures that had suddenly attacked the birdmen.

“Boss, be careful!” Sol, of course, understood these mysterious beings meant business. Though deeply worried for Mels’ safety, he dared not delay. After shouting his warning, he spun and sprinted toward the cave rooms where Akafir and the others were staying—hoping to bring reinforcements before Mels faced mortal peril.

Once airborne, Mels saw these mysterious creatures were not Federation people. Though humanoid, their bodies were covered in scales or feathers. Some bore horse-like heads, others eagle-like—bizarre, varied, as if humans and animals had fused. Their machinery, though less refined and delicate than the Federation’s, was no less powerful: often, a single blue beam could obliterate several sturdy rock caves.

“Stop! Who are you? Why are you attacking the birdmen?” Seeing the enemy’s advanced machinery and overwhelming numbers, Mels knew he couldn’t handle them alone. So he shouted, hoping to halt their assault—even temporarily. In truth, the moment Mels rode Little One into the sky, the mysterious creatures had noticed him. Yet they seemed intimately familiar with humans—and dismissed Mels as no threat. Instead, they watched him as if enjoying a spectacle, curious to see what he might do. When they heard his shout, not a single one ceased their attack; instead, their hovering leader let out raucous laughter.

“Tiny human—I never imagined you’d break through the Divine Barrier and arrive here! Hehe, we’ll stop—if you can show us something impressive enough to convince my brothers. Otherwise… hehe!” The creature hovering in midair—tall, covered in short yellow fur, with a lion-like head—shouted down at Mels.

Hearing those words, Mels knew this confrontation wouldn’t end easily. Watching the birdmen’s settlement crumble under relentless assault and their defenders slaughtered one by one, Mels gritted his teeth, gently patted Little One’s head, and charged straight at the enemy.

Little One, attuned to his master’s heart, understood instantly. As he surged forward, he sprayed a stream of green corrosive liquid from the air, striking the enemies ahead. Startled by the corrosive spray, the creatures scattered instinctively—no command needed.

Seeing their formation shattered, Mels seized the golden opportunity. He swiftly gathered his Qi, drew the long sword from his waist, and infused the blade with energy—preparing to strike the moment an opening arose. Unfortunately, Mels couldn’t yet unleash sword energy at will. Otherwise, a few bursts would have inflicted immediate damage.

Though Mels couldn’t attack directly, Little One showed no mercy. Seeing the enemies scattered and temporarily unable to mount coordinated assaults, Little One ascended rapidly. Upon reaching a certain altitude, he froze midair and gathered energy. Moments later, eight blue-purple light spheres coalesced around him, radiant beams shooting forth from within his body.

The bizarre leader, spotting the eight light spheres surrounding Little One, flinched—then quickly activated a device on his disc. A series of jumping numbers flickered across its small display. When the numbers stabilized, the leader gasped in shock, his face paling as he shouted to his comrades: “Scatter—scatter now! Energy reading has hit thirteen thousand! We can’t withstand it!”

At his cry, the grotesque creatures blanched with terror, dispersing instantly across the sky. Even those attacking the birdmen halted their assault, scrambling to evade the light spheres Little One was about to launch.

Mels knew full well that if the enemies fully prepared, the Rending Demon Orbs’ impact would be minimized—but he had no alternative. In fact, given Little One’s current abilities, even deploying the Rending Demon Orbs was miraculous. Control time and launch speed naturally fell far short of a true Sacred Beast Summon. So, though agonizingly anxious, Mels could only wait in silence. Fortunately, Little One sensed his master’s inner tension and accelerated the orbs’ formation. Finally, just before the creatures fully escaped the attack radius, he launched all eight Rending Demon Orbs.

Though not particularly fast, the Rending Demon Orbs locked onto targets automatically. While they couldn’t eliminate the creatures outright, they forced them to cease attacking the birdmen—compelling them to dart frantically across the sky to avoid being struck. For a time, beneath the pitch-black night sky, the vividly hued orbs relentlessly pursued the grotesque beings, while the mountain-top flames intensified the eerie, surreal chase unfolding overhead.

Watching his subordinates harried by the enemy’s strange weapons, the leader—having retreated to a safe distance—immediately turned to several shaken comrades beside him and declared, “This human is no ordinary foe. It seems we must suspend the invasion plan and capture him first—to take back to the continent for His Majesty’s judgment! Prepare the hypnotic gas immediately. We’re capturing not only this airborne human—but also those humans on the ground!” No sooner had the order been issued than several subordinates sprang into action. Five linked their individual flying discs together, then lowered their flight altitude to the minimum—skimming the mountain edges as they advanced stealthily.

Mels, still aloft, kept his full attention on the strange creatures fleeing in all directions—yet refusing to leave entirely. Though currently dodging Little One’s Rending Demon Orbs, Mels knew that unless subdued quickly, their superior weaponry would soon turn the tide—perhaps wiping out him and his companions in one devastating blow. So he resolved to seize the optimal moment to shoot down the strange discs they rode. Only by forcing them to the ground would he gain a real chance to counterattack.

Yet unluckily, before Mels could launch his counteroffensive, shouts rose from Sha Luo and the others below. Sensing trouble, Mels spun around—just in time to see a massive black flying disc hovering over Sha Luo and the rest. Sha Luo and the others were already slumped motionless on the ground, utterly incapacitated. Cursing inwardly for his carelessness, Mels watched helplessly as five or six strange creatures seized his friends—knowing all hope was lost. His final chance to counterattack had vanished.

At that moment, the strange creature leader reappeared in Mels’ line of sight. With smug satisfaction, he declared, “Human—order your Summoned Beast to recall those ghostly things immediately—or I’ll send your companions straight to hell!”

Though seething inwardly, Mels dared show no further resistance outwardly. Without a word, their psychic link conveyed his intent instantly to Little One. Within seconds, the eight Rending Demon Orbs abandoned their pursuit and vanished into the vast night sky. “Good! A wise man knows when to yield. You and your subordinates may rest—for now.” Having spoken, the leader swaggered closer to Mels and waved lightly to his comrades behind him. Almost as his hand fell, several green beams simultaneously struck Mels—and the already unconscious Sha Luo and the others below.

Enveloped in green light, the last thing Mels managed before losing consciousness was to recall Little One into his Summoning Gem. Then, he slipped completely into darkness…

Dazed, Mels opened his eyes to find himself in a room carved entirely from rock—with only a window, roughly half a square meter in size, set into the inner wall. After slowly scanning his surroundings, Mels immediately spotted Sol, Akafir, Kaslo, and Sha Luo lying dazed nearby. Hurrying over to check on them, he confirmed they were merely in deep sleep—unharmed physically.

Relieved his companions weren’t in grave danger, Mels set aside his anxiety and began examining his environment.

The rock chamber had walls on all sides. Besides the small window on the inner wall, only a metal-barred gate stood at the front. Though dimly lit, ventilation was adequate—no foul odors lingered, though the space was crude and cramped.

Even a fool would recognize such surroundings as a prison. Never expecting imprisonment, Mels gave a bitter laugh and sank onto the straw-covered floor. Though he could awaken his companions now, he worried forcing them awake might cause adverse effects—since this wasn’t natural sleep, but the result of being struck by the creatures’ mysterious beams.

He had no idea how much time had passed. Only when the light outside the tiny window gradually dimmed did Sha Luo let out a soft moan and open her eyes. Shortly thereafter, the others regained consciousness simultaneously—surprising and delighting Mels: “I never imagined those monsters’ mysterious beams could control unconsciousness duration so precisely. Logically, Sha Luo possesses the strongest cultivation among us—she should have awakened first. It seems the induced sleep duration isn’t affected by one’s cultivation level.”

“Brother Mels—where exactly are we? What happened to us?” Sha Luo asked blankly, glancing around.

Hearing her question, Mels could only offer another bitter laugh: “I’m not sure either. This appears to be a prison.”

“Ah, right, Boss! I remember—we were attacked by some bizarre-looking creatures!” an awakened Sol exclaimed.

“Exactly! We were indeed attacked—and now captured and brought here.” Mels nodded.

Hearing his words, everyone grasped what had occurred. Exchanging glances, they suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. Unexplained tension and fear instantly enveloped the young group.

“Ah… slept so well! Servants—bring this emperor some fruit immediately!” Suddenly, a shout echoed into the chamber. Mels realized the Parrot Emperor had also been captured here—he’d been curled up unnoticed in a corner straw pile.

Hearing the Parrot Emperor’s cries, Mels and the others—already gloomy—couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Their tense mood gradually eased with the laughter. Mischievously, Sol quietly approached the Parrot Emperor, grabbed him, and announced with a loud laugh, “Your Majesty the Emperor—you’re now a prisoner. I hear the people here particularly enjoy parrot soup.”

“Parrot soup? What parrot soup? This emperor wants some too!” Still dazed, the Parrot Emperor had no idea what was happening—shaking his head and shouting. At his reply, everyone burst into laughter. That laughter finally jolted the Parrot Emperor fully awake—making him grasp his dire circumstances.

“Damned monsters—daring to throw this emperor into such a pigsty! Hmph, don’t let me catch you—or else—hmph hmph hmph!” The Parrot Emperor still refused reality, shouting defiantly. “Alright! Green Hair—stop shouting. No one here will listen to you anyway,” Mels said with a smile.

“Gr… Green Hair? I am…” Hearing Mels’ words, the Parrot Emperor tried to protest vehemently—but Sol gave him a light shake, jostling him, and declared loudly, “This isn’t your Birdmen Kingdom. What the Boss says goes here.”

“Yeah, we can’t call you ‘Emperor’ every day. Think about it—an emperor captured is pretty embarrassing. Calling you Green Hair isn’t bad. It hides your identity—and sounds cute too. From now on, you’re Green Hair,” Sha Luo chimed in.

Seeing everyone’s firm gazes—and conceding Sha Luo’s logic held merit—the Parrot Emperor could only nod helplessly: “Fine, call me whatever you want. This emperor is magnanimous—and will comply with your request.”

With Green Hair’s reluctant acceptance, Mels dropped his smile and turned to his companions: “Alright, everyone—enough joking around. Let’s focus first on how to get out of here. Judging by those creatures’ bizarre appearances, they’re probably not Federation people. I truly don’t understand why they captured us and brought us here. Could they have mistaken us for Federation citizens?”

“Very likely,” Sha Luo replied after thoughtful consideration. “These creatures definitely aren’t Federation people. And I suspect their relationship with the Federation is unusual—because when they appeared, they weren’t surprised to see us. Instead, they seemed wholly unfamiliar with Big Brother’s Summoned Beast. Also, they didn’t refer to us as ‘test subjects,’ like Federation personnel do—but called us ‘humans.’ From these signs, they likely mistook us for Federation people—though they couldn’t confirm our identities.”

“If that’s the case, then for now, we’re probably not in immediate danger. I’m only concerned these strange creatures may be in conflict with the Federation—and view us as hostile forces. That would be troublesome,” Mels said, nodding slightly.

“Boss—how long have you been awake?” Sol suddenly asked.

“Hmm! About a day or so. When I woke, the light outside was strong—but it’s night now,” Mels answered carefully—though he didn’t grasp Sol’s intent. “That’s truly strange. If this is a prison, there should be guards. Why hasn’t anyone appeared yet?” Sol peered through the iron bars at the passage beyond—and, confirming no one was patrolling, asked curiously.

Hearing Sol's words, everyone realized there were indeed no guards here. Even Mels, using his extraordinary hearing, hadn't picked up any breathing or footsteps.

"No need to look, there's simply no one here!" Suddenly, a muffled reply came from the dim corridor. The sound in such an environment gave everyone a start. Mels, the first to collect himself, immediately rushed to the iron bars and shouted, "Who? Who's there?"

"Young man, no need to be nervous. I'm not a monster. I'm right next to you," the muffled voice spoke again.

"So... you were captured by those strange creatures too?" Mels gradually calmed down and asked.

"Yes. Heh, I don't even know how many years I've been here. Young man, from your conversation, it seems you're not from the Federation," the voice said calmly to Mels.

"That's right. But, never mind that. Could you please tell us, where exactly is this place?" Mels said.

"Heh, don't rush. There's plenty of time. Let me tell you slowly." After a brief pause to collect his thoughts, the muffled voice slowly said to Mels and the others, "This place is called the Yake Continent. The beings living on this continent, you must have seen them by now. They call themselves 'the Forgotten People,' but the Federation refers to them as 'Sub-Humans.'

If I guess correctly, you must have come from the Kaxiu Continent. Although I don't know exactly how you broke through the 'Divine Barrier' built by the Federation to get here, I believe you must be artificial humans who possess Summoned Beasts."

Hearing the voice's reply, Mels and the others were greatly shocked. After a long moment, a trembling Sha Luo asked, "Artificial humans? Who exactly are you? Why do you know all this?"

"Haha, who I am, I've long forgotten. But I can tell you, I was one of the seventeen scholars who participated in the artificial human experiment back then. You could say I am one of your creators," the muffled voice said with a hint of pride.

"Why exactly? Why did the Federation create us?" Mels asked anxiously.

"Heh, if you had come here ten years earlier, I would never have told you these things. But now... when a person stays in the same environment for too long, you lose your ambition. Since you so desperately want to know about the past, I'll tell you slowly." As the voice gradually recounted the ancient past, the hearts of Mels and the others gradually calmed.

It turned out that the world was completely different from what they had imagined; and their existence was merely for the purpose of creating another...