Ke-style law enforcement officers

Chapter 726 Going against the ancestor’s decision

A few days later, Milo dug out some strange stones from the shipwrecks on the edge of the sea rock. Their material was somewhat similar to unprocessed jade, and their structure was roughly a thin outer layer covering crystal cores of various colors inside. The strangest thing was that these things, which were clearly cold and inanimate objects, exuded a strong aura of blessing.

This time, it was a rare opportunity to finally touch upon Freya's not-so-extensive knowledge base.

She told Milo that this thing was a temple stone from the gravel desert, a material that was usually collected by believers on the fringes of various temples. It was said that as long as enough temple stones were collected, anyone could go to the temple they admired to make a pilgrimage.

Of course, this is just hearsay.

...

Perhaps this is the most precious treasure for some people.

For example, the dozen or so temple stones in front of us were locked in a treasure chest, hidden in the deepest part of the ship's cabin. Everything else on the ship had been corroded and rotted by seawater, leaving only that chest undamaged.

In reality, for ordinary races in the Dream Realm who have not raised their spiritual vision to a certain level, the common currency is gold, a precious metal, just like in the Awake World. For believers, clans, or those who sincerely want to join this group, temple stones are the hard currency.

For those wandering spirit seers and scavengers, gold, gems, and temple stones are all necessary—they are the foundation for survival in the Dream Realm. But in their eyes, the most valuable things are always other spirit seers besides themselves, especially the dead ones. This is very similar to the Lucid World, and has even become a local cultural custom in the Dream Realm.

In any case, the temple stone in that box wasn't of much use to Milo and Freya.

Freya, being a member of the Hiyan race, is considered by the various temples to be a race that "needs to be purified." It is said that the temples, which are known for their "tolerance," can even accept ghouls that gnaw on carrion, but for some reason they cannot accept the Hiyans, whose normal form is so similar to humans.

As for Milo, he had absolutely no connection with believers or their families, so the temple stones used to accumulate blessings and exchange them for pilgrimage opportunities were of even less use to him.

But as a form of hard currency, Milo still chose to bring the small suitcase.

Because it's said that the cost of living is quite high in coastal cities of western China...

...

Indeed, after spending several days in the sea, Milo and Freya decided to head west for their next destination.

The reason is simple: to the east, across the Silver Twilight Ocean, lies the Eternal Kingdom, where everyone knows Milo, the shadow who once destroyed half of Selphis.

The north is a cold plain, so there's no reason to turn back the way we came.

Deep South is a remote and mysterious archipelago. According to Freya, even if she grew two more pairs of dragon wings on her back, she still couldn't fly to that place.

Therefore, apart from certain remote and obscure areas that do not exist in the general map concept, the most convenient and suitable place is still the west.

Everything Milo was familiar with—including the underground world of Pans Canyon, the Enchanted Forest, and the lost cat city of Uthar—was located on this vast and fertile western continent. It was said to be the oldest and most expansive land in the entire Dreamlands, equivalent to several Seas of Seririlian, and also the region with the highest level of civilization and the highest density of races, dotted with various kingdoms and city-states. Legend had it that behind the distant Hattigora peaks in the west lay an ancient road leading to the stars, connecting the planet Mars to the moon.

Of course, the most important reason is that Milo and his team have already covered almost half of the road leading southwest.

This sea is truly vast. For many ordinary people who embark on long voyages, the time it takes for a round trip might be enough to make a young person grow old and weary, and for the vast majority, it might even mean that they would never return to the cold waters on their way to the other side.

Without Freya's help, Milo might still be standing in the Cold Plains.

The ancient dragons were incredibly fast, but even so, they had only covered half the distance to the western seas.

...

Looking back, Milo couldn't help but admire his own incredible luck in encountering Freya, the dragon he could ride and eat for free.

Freya's answer to this question was also very convincing—

"Because you are the first person I've met who doesn't want to capture me and 'purify' me."

“But you should remember that back then I was no match for you,” Milo replied.

"But you're so cute!"

However, Freya couldn't quite explain what exactly made it cute.

Maybe being small is cute too.

……

...

But Freya wasn't lying about one thing: the Hiren race really did have a bit of a public enemy feel to them.

The closer she got to the southwestern part of the Serrian Sea, the higher she soared, almost above the clouds, the entire outline of her enormous dragon wings hidden behind them.

If Milo hadn't been a Lord of Sinful Fire, the frigid temperatures above the clouds, several times more terrifying than the Cold Plains, could have instantly frozen him into an ice sculpture embedded in Freya's nape...

Ultimately, the Dreamland is a world ruled by the gods, so the actions of all living beings in squeezing the living space of the Xiren are basically acting on behalf of the gods' will. As for the ancient origins and secrets of this, Milo doesn't know, and Freya has never explained in detail. In most cases, she would subconsciously avoid this topic.

According to her, she spent most of her childhood in the desolate Gobi Desert or primeval jungle. Her elders told her that the Greeks could only find peace and tranquility in places that were not even on a map.

She had never set foot in a city-state established by humans or other races. In fact, this time on the Cold Plains was the first time in her life that she had witnessed such a "grand scene" of so many different races coexisting at the same time.

Therefore, she felt both excited and terrified about the legendary, rich, and magical Western world...

Milo had actually noticed this long ago.

Now, in the far distance of the sky, the outlines of cities rising on the land can be faintly seen, and as those outlines gradually become clearer, Freya's excitement and unease grow stronger.

...

Only one day of itinerary left.

As usual, they found a deserted island near the sea to rest and settle down.

Unlike usual, Freya did not go out to sea to hunt alone this time. Instead, she sat obediently by the campfire in a daze. When Milo asked her about it, she just smiled and said that she was not hungry today.

Milo knew very well that this was near the coast, with a high density of ships coming and going on the surrounding waters. Even at night, Freya was unwilling to transform into her ancient dragon form again…

Perhaps the rich atmosphere of civilization from the mainland stirred up some unpleasant memories for her.

In fact, Freya should have turned back here according to the original itinerary.

But it seems that the two of them have developed a habit during their nearly month-long trek: to find an island to land and rest after sunset, and today was no exception.

And the closer she got to land, the more her curiosity amplified along with her inner unease…

...

As night deepened, and with no giant sea monster carcass to shield them from the sea breeze, Milo deliberately made the gentler side of the bonfire burn brighter than usual.

However, Freya sat crouching to the side, resting her chin on her hand, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

After holding it in for a very long time, he finally stammered and asked Milo:

"Can I take you to land tomorrow? I want to see what it's like there... I'll fly very, very high, and just sneak a peek through the clouds before leaving. That shouldn't be considered going against our ancestral teachings, right?"

Milo was both amused and exasperated: "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you had this family tradition."

"So it's okay?" Freya asked, her big eyes filled with anticipation.

Who would have thought that a dragon would make a decision that defied its ancestors simply to sneak a peek at what the civilized continent looked like...

These words sound somewhat heartbreaking.

But at the same time, it feels very real.

Milo understood her mindset at that moment, just like when he was a child he was curious about the structure of the three-hole socket in the corner. The driving force behind this curiosity actually came from the "danger" that his elders had told him in advance.

However, Freya felt a subtle sense of heaviness in her heart...

...

"What? I'm not your ancestor..." Milo shrugged. "But having you take me directly to land will definitely make things much more convenient. At least I won't be sitting here waiting for passing ships, right? Hmm, actually, if you really want to go take a look, you can just put on a big cloak. There are plenty of large races out there. You can go check it out in the city later..."

"No, no, no, I'll just peek from the sky, hehe." Freya shook her head vigorously, but it was clear that she was mostly happy and excited.

At this point, Freya was no different from a child.

It's not that she actually needs Milo's permission to approach the land for a peek; to be precise, she needs someone to endorse and support her adventurous idea—in short, a companion to give her courage.

...

"Then it's settled." Milo yawned, stretched, and ran his fingers around in the campfire to keep it warm before saying:

"After we're done shopping, just find a secluded spot and drop me off."

"Do you want to peek with me?!" Freya blinked.

“Go ahead,” Milo nodded.

"My little cutie is the best!" Freya excitedly hugged Milo like a pillow.

Milo was trying to break free quickly when he turned around and found that the guy had already fallen into a deep sleep.

To be honest, the fact that she's been able to withstand such a strong, gentle fire for so long is already a record-breaking feat...

(End of this chapter)