Chapter 177: Falls of Duress(1)

After successfully rescuing Irene from her forced marriage and capturing and imprisoning the Grand Duke, Romeo. Luke and the others will now travel to a location that Luke would never expect to visit.

"The Elf Kingdom? Are we really going to go there?"

Lina just stared at Luke as if he were a strange rock.

"You needed a secure location where no humans could easily gain access or information, right? My father's place is the perfect place for it. And since father looks like he kind of likes you, I think we can easily go in with no problems. And, of course, you've got me."

Luke looked at Lina with skepticism at first but soon smiled.

"Simply say you want to pay a visit to your father. You do know we can just use Gramp's forest, right?"

Lina was frozen in place, and beads of sweat began to form on her brow.

"Ha... Haha? Whaaaat? I'm not sure what you're on about! I'll never..."

Luke just kept grinning at Lina, who was looking at him with an annoyed expression.

"Fine... You win. But, at the very least! You get to see the gloriousness and beauty of my father's home! I'm sure you will love it so much that you will thank me instead of teasing me like that!"

Lina then proudly flipped her hair, while Luke simply stared at her for a few seconds. Luke then sighed and looked at Irene and Valerie, who were both staring at them with interest.

"Are you sure you can handle things in here, Irene?"

Irene nodded and looked at Luke with calm eyes.

"My henchmen and I will take care of everything. From concealing your true identity to covering your tracks. Don't be concerned, just go."

Irene then closed her mouth and cast a sharp glare at Romeo, who was unconscious and lying on the carriage.

"After you are done with him... Give him to me."

Luke simply gulped as he observed Irene's cold stare at Romeo. He takes back what he said about seeing Irene as an angel; Irene completely looks like a hell goddess with the look she is giving towards the Grand Duke right now. He must then constantly remind himself not to offend Irene.

"...Alright then, we will get going now."

Irene gave Luke a quick nod before turning around and walking away. Valerie, on the other hand, was left and is now smiling at Luke.

"See you later, Smiley!"

Luke simply nodded and watched Valerie catch up to Irene, who continued to walk away without looking back. Luke simply sighed.

'There will be none of us meeting next time, I hope.'

Luke then scratched his forehead and signaled Liam to come closer. Liam then drew closer and noticed Luke casually pointing at Romeo, who was inside the carriage. Liam immediately understood the command and began carrying Romeo in his arm. They then begin to congregate around Lina.

"How are we going to get there, Lina?"

Lina then smiled and pointed at Luke's shoulder, where Nash is sitting.

"I know the coordinates, so we can just teleport there."

Luke then looked at Lina with amazement.

"Well, that's pretty convenient, so what are we waiting for? Let's go."

• Hurray! Let's go!

Nash then jumped from Luke's shoulder and landed on Lina's shoulder to get the coordinates from her. Lina then whispered the coordinates to him, which elicited a shocked expression on Nash's face.

"Wait a minute, Lina, are you certain about your coordinates? That's where..."

Lina just nodded at Nash with a smile and gave him an assuring thumbs up.

"Believe me, brother! That set of coordinates is correct!"

Nash then hesitated for a moment before flinching when he heard Luke's voice.

"Nash? What's the problem?"

Nash then frowned slightly before shaking his fluffy head.

"Nothing, let's go!"

Nash then cast a large teleportation spell on the ground, and everything became bright for the group's vision. After a few seconds of nothing but bright flashing lights, the lights finally faded and a cool breeze greeted their skins. Luke's eyes are still closed, but he slowly opens them when he hears Erdene's voice speaking.

"Nothing ever changes in this place. The elves really like everything to be old school huh."

Luke then fully opened his eyes, and his pupils gradually widened as he was met with a breathtaking scene. This is the place he didn't really expect.

The Falls of Duress, one of the world's ten forbidden places.

Luke tries to rub his eyes to check if he is not hallucinating and then spoke in amazement.

"The Elf Kingdom is located here?"

Luke then turned his gaze to the scene in front of him. They are now standing on a tall grassy cliff, and the view below is breathtaking. All that can be seen at the bottom is a large lake with a large and tall waterfall in front of them. The surrounding area is all green, and birds fly around it. Luke just stared at it in astonishment.

Luke would really actually build a house in the spot he is currently standing in and just live here for the rest of his days if only there is one problem stopping him from doing so...

"That waterfall... is more powerful than all hydraulic presses combined... It is also rumored to be so fast that it cuts everything that goes near it."

Lina then nodded and crosses her arms while looking at the waterfalls and water below. She looks so nostalgic while looking at the water on the lake.

"That is right, it is also said that that large lake below is formed due to the water pressure that the waterfall created. The waterfall gradually dug its way down on its own, using only its own power. This is one of the most dangerous places in the world because if you come into contact with the waterfall, it will instantly crush your flesh and bones, leaving no trails behind."

Luke simply sighed and brushed his hair back.

"Why did the elves choose this location in the first place? In addition, Lina, where is the Elf Kingdom? I don't see it."

Lina simply laughed at Luke's words.

"Of course, you won't see it because you have to pass through the kingdom's gate first."

"Gate?"

"The waterfalls."

After that, everyone remained silent and just stared at Lina in disbelief. Luke then frowned and stared at Lina as if she were insane.

"Do you want us to die?"

Lina simply scratched her brow.

"Don't worry, there are ways to get in without getting killed."

"Oh yeah? What exactly is it?"

Lina then smiled broadly and waved three fingers in front of Luke.

"First, you need to be a resident of the kingdom. In a nutshell, you must be an elf. Elves are famous for their love of nature and a strong affinity with natural elements. All they have to do is use their natural affinity to create a small path for them inside. My father is one of the strongest elves in the kingdom, so when I first visited the kingdom with him, he made a grand entrance for me!"

"Ho..."

Luke then nodded, as if he had grasped the situation. He then returned his gaze to Lina.

"How about the other two options?"

"Legendary beasts and Spirits! Because those two are the closest to every natural creation on this planet, they can easily walk through the pressure of the waterfall! Even brother Nash here can do it! All he has to do is walk through the waterfalls to get inside!"

Luke and the others then turned to look at Nash and Erdene. Nash's eyes sparkled and he looked excitedly at Erdene. Snow, on the other hand, is just staring at the waterfalls after hearing Lina's words. Luke notices this and pats her on the head.

"It's pretty risky, don't do it. You will also get wet; I don't want you to catch a cold."

Snow only remained silent for a few moments before smiling and nodding as if she understood. Luke simply nodded in satisfaction and looked at Nash, who was beaming with delight.

"Can we really do that, Grandpa?!?"

Erdene then responded with a nod in response to Nash's excited voice. Nash began to jump up and down in excitement when he saw Erdene nodding.

"I want to try it!"

Erdene simply sighed, grabbing Nash's nape to keep him from flying straight into the waterfall.

"Wait a minute, kid, are you just going to forget about the other people here? They're not the same as you."

Nash then comes to a halt and stares directly into Luke's eyes, which are staring at him blankly. Nash then frowned and flew to Luke's shoulder.

"I'm not going anywhere without Dad!"

Erdene just sighed at Nash's actions and just stares at everyone.

"Well, there is a third option in which everyone can enter without me or Nash intervening."

Liam tilted his head and looked at Erdene with interest.

"What is it, Grandpa?"

Erdene then raised his finger slowly and pointed in a specific direction. When Liam and the others looked at where his fingers were pointing, their eyes widened in surprise.

"It's you, brat."

"Me?"

Luke then pointed at himself with confusion while looking around him, thinking Erdene might just be pointing at another person. But he sees no one close to him other than Nash. Luke then pointed at himself in disbelief once more.

"Me? Is it really me you are pointing to?"

Erdene nodded and opens his mouth to speak.

"Use your abilities to split that waterfall in half so we can get in."

Luke's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at Erdene.

"I am not Moses grandpa; I can't possibly split a whole large waterfall in half, let alone a waterfall with an immense amount of pressure."

Erdene's eyes narrowed at Luke's sudden foreign words. Luke really likes to sometimes spout unknown words out of nowhere.

"Moses? Who is he?"

After that, Luke immediately closes his mouth tight. He had completely forgotten that he was in another world. The locals are unaware of Moses or any other earthly history. His tongue slips easily sometimes.

"Ah, nothing, it's just a random name I came up with on the spur of the moment. Anyway, as I previously stated, I cannot possibly split that waterfall in half."

"Why don't you give it a shot?"

Suddenly, Nash butts in the conversation.

"No."

Nash then growled and held Luke's clothes tightly with no intentions of letting go. Soon after, Liam approaches Luke and places his hand in front of him, as if to protect him. Snow also gripped Luke's hands tightly to express her displeasure.

"Brother is very weak right now, and he isn't getting enough rest these days; he won't be able to do it."

Nash nodded, agreeing with Liam's words.

"That's correct! I'm sure he'll cough up blood again! That is not going to happen! I would even destroy every forbidden area there is to exist here in this world to not make dad do such things!"

Erdene then crossed his arms and stared in awe at Liam, Snow, and Nash's serious expressions.

"Such big words for such a youngster to say. And besides, I was only kidding; I know that brat would faint if I let him do that. You kids follow behind me, I'll take you in."

Erdene then begins to walk forward, despite the fact that there is a cliff in front of him, which made Luke and the others nervous. They all then saw Erdene place his foot in the air, and the branches immediately supported his foot and continued walking forward, forming a bridge behind him as he walked. Luke and the others exhaled a sigh of relief and began to trail Erdene.

Luke and the others look around as they walk down the thick-branched bridge. Jay's eyes then begin to dart around in excitement. This is the first time he's been to a place this vibrant and alive. All he sees is green and life all around him. After spending his childhood in the chilly and cold cemeteries of Eastern Continent towns, the sight of green and fresh air is truly a blessing. This is also how he felt the first time he visited Erdene's mystical forest.

After a while of walking, Luke and the others arrived near the waterfalls. They are not really that close to the waterfalls, they are still at a safe distance from it and let Erdene handle the rest. They then noticed Erdene slowly raising his hands, and the trees in the area began to move. The others just stared in awe, as they were witnessing the incredible power of a Spirit up close.

The branches then begin to cross paths with the water of the waterfalls, but instead of being crushed as any normal person would expect, the trees manage to withstand the pressure of the water and gradually begin to block the water and form a roof. Moments later, a path is gradually being formed, and Luke and the others can now see the other side clearly. Luke and the others then saw a dozen armed elves rushing towards the other end of the waterfalls.

"Someone is coming!"

"Who?! Is it trespassers?"

"We are still not sure sir!"

"W-wait! Sir, these branches-! "

"Could it be-?!"

Erdene then finally finished making the passage and the other side was then clearly seen. Luke then noticed a rocky tunnel and a couple of armored elves staring at them in surprise. Luke eventually noticed a familiar face after roaming his eyes for a while to scan every elf's face. Luke then smirked at the familiar elf's petrified face.

"Long time no see, Sir Silviu."