Chapter 430: Flight Toward the Valley of Ten Thousand Wolves

"Marcus, Blackie’s amazing! What a cool mount!"

Jade said excitedly as she looked at the creature Marcus had summoned. She immediately reached out to stroke its dark coat. Blackie seemed to understand that resisting was pointless and simply stood there, allowing her to fuss over him while looking mildly offended by all the attention.

"Marcus, can I ride with you first?"

She hurried to his side, grabbed his arm, and looked up at him with an eager smile. Flying through the sky was something she had never experienced before.

"Sure."

Marcus nodded and lightly tapped the tip of her nose.

Looking around, he saw that his sister Amber had already mounted her Violet Thunderwing Steed, Amethyst.

The majestic beast spread its broad purple wings and rose into the air, arcs of electricity dancing across its feathers. It was every bit as impressive as Blackie. Combined with Amber’s purple maple leaf spirit, the sight was striking enough to draw anyone’s attention.

Nearby, Chloe, the Pegasus Knight known as the Wind Witch, had also summoned her mount. Her white Pegasus, Snowy, was a Cloud-Mist Gale Steed.

Snowy had already reached level twenty-five and could carry two riders. With her snow-white coat and graceful appearance, she looked almost weightless as she floated above the ground. Wind energy swirled around her, creating gentle currents that made her seem perfectly at home in the sky.

While Marcus had been exploring the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb, Chloe and Anya had become accustomed to fighting together. As a result, Anya had naturally taken the seat behind Chloe, and the two now rode side by side with the others.

That left Lily, Ms. Willow, and Crystal without mounts. Fortunately, Marcus still had the Harmony Cloud. He immediately took it from his inventory and handed it to Lily.

After speaking the activation words, Lily released a swirl of black-and-white energy. The cloud rapidly expanded beneath them and lifted all three women into the air.

"Perfect." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Marcus couldn’t help smiling.

There were eight of them altogether, and he had more than enough flying mounts to accommodate everyone.

He and Jade would ride Blackie together. Amber’s Violet Thunderwing Steed still had room for another passenger, and his pet, the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King Goldie, could carry one more as well. Even if additional companions arrived, transportation wouldn’t be a problem.

He opened his private messages and sent another message to Talia and Professor Tina.

Still no response.

It was already past eight in the evening, though, so they would probably log in soon. And when they did, they’d almost certainly contact him first.

Marcus chuckled to himself.

If Lily and Amber discovered that he’d convinced Professor Tina to play Dominion, and that Talia would be joining them as well, their reactions would be priceless.

By now, both of them should have left Newbie Village.

"Marcus, are you ready?"

Jade was already growing impatient. Everyone else had taken to the air and was waiting for him.

"Ready."

Marcus helped her climb onto Blackie’s back before jumping up behind her.

"Let’s go."

At his command, Blackie reared up, hellfire flickering around his hooves as he let out a long neigh. A moment later, he surged forward into the sky, leading the group while the others followed behind.

"Marcus, this is amazing!"

They climbed to roughly three hundred feet before settling into a steady flight path toward the Valley of Ten Thousand Wolves. Jade’s excitement was impossible to hide. Having never flown before, she couldn’t stop looking around at everything below.

On the Harmony Cloud, Ms. Willow and Crystal were experiencing their first flight in Dominion as well. Their faces were filled with surprise and delight. Airplanes existed in the real world, but that experience couldn’t compare to flying freely through an open sky.

Marcus glanced around at his companions. Seeing everyone together like this gave him a strange sense of accomplishment. Not long ago, they had all been strangers with their own goals and worries. Now they were traveling side by side through the skies of Dominion, trusting one another enough to venture into dangerous territory together. Whether it was Amber, Chloe, Anya, Lily, Ms. Willow, Crystal, or Jade, each of them had become an important part of the group in their own way.

Amber rode atop Amethyst, surrounded by a faint violet glow that made her stand out against the clouds.

Anya and Chloe were equally eye-catching. Anya’s blue sorcerer’s robes contrasted perfectly with Chloe’s knightly armor, creating a scene that looked straight out of an illustration.

But the most striking sight was Lily, Ms. Willow, and Crystal riding the Harmony Cloud together.

The three women were already beautiful enough on their own. Floating through the sky atop a magical cloud only made the image more memorable.

Flying through the air with a group like this was an experience Marcus couldn’t help appreciating.

Looking at everyone around him, he felt a strong sense of satisfaction.

Still, part of him couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.

Lily, Ms. Willow, and Crystal were all comfortably riding together on the Harmony Cloud while he could only watch from a distance. It certainly looked like the most relaxing seat in the group.

On the other hand, his current situation wasn’t exactly bad.

Jade sat in front of him, enjoying the view as the wind brushed past them. Her excitement was obvious, and seeing her so happy put Marcus in a good mood as well.

Over the time they had spent together, she had become an important part of the team. Whether she was causing trouble, making everyone laugh, or charging headfirst into some new adventure, she always brought energy wherever she went.

Marcus tightened his grip slightly to make sure she was secure on the saddle.

"Jade, are you enjoying yourself?"

"Of course I am."

She turned her head and flashed him a bright smile.

"I love traveling with everyone. It’s never boring when we’re together."

The sincerity in her voice made Marcus laugh.

"That’s true."

The group continued west from Ironstone Citadel, crossing the skies in formation as they headed toward their destination.

For nearly ten minutes, everything remained peaceful.

Then Amber suddenly guided Amethyst closer and pointed toward a mountainous region on their left.

"Marcus, look! There are so many players over there!"