Death... and me



Since the war didn't reach the Dragon Race territory, Rean and Roan's group truly had no need to go there other than just to pay a visit. That said, they might as well delay it even further. Rean and Roan talked to the two girls for a while until, finally, they hung up. 

Rean then turned around and looked into the distance. He couldn't see much in that direction since the Floating Islands of Time was also a place where night prevailed. It wasn't a bad thing for the Minokawas since they had Dark Element Affinity anyway. "Should we go?"

"First, we need to bring Werin out," said Kentucky on his side.

Rean pondered a bit. "Asking him for information is okay since he can't do anything from inside the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm. Are you sure you want to bring him out instead? Don't forget. This is his homeland. If we let him out, perhaps he will warn the Strong Minokawas who are protecting their land."

Roan agreed with Rean. "We brought him just to not get lost, that's all."

Yet, Kentucky shook his head. "Don't worry. I can guarantee he will not do anything detrimental to us. How can I say... it has something to do with my Regal Bloodline, which I used to help him. That allowed me to feel his intentions when it was used to improve his own. From the looks of it, my race thinks I'm very important."

Rean and Roan looked at each other and nodded in the end. "Well, if he guides us while we are out here, it will be even better." They didn't have a reason to doubt Kentucky when it came to the real important things. He was unreliable in some parts, but the mission of acquiring fragments was critical enough for him not to joke around.

*Zush!*

Suddenly, Werin appeared outside the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm. Naturally, he immediately identified the place he was in. "So... we are finally back."

Rean nodded. "That we are. Oh! I see your cultivation improved. Congratulations."

When Werin joined the Soul Gem Dimensional Realm, he was in the Late Stage of the Elemental Space Realm. Now, however, he was already in the Peak Stage. Not only that, but he seemed to be on the verge of entering the Space-Time Realm as well. "That was thanks to Kentucky. You might not know this, but his bloodline essence is extremely beneficial for us normal Minokawas. After I used it, I got my bloodline purified to a great degree that would usually take thousands of years to achieve on my own. That's the reason I got this further in cultivation."

Werin was definitely happy with his achievement, and that was another reason he decided to help Kentucky without ulterior motives. Still, Werin didn't think he did much since he could tell the difference between him and the twins' group. "Yet, the ones who really did the impossible were your guys. You were still in the Space Bending Realm last time I saw you, and now you are in the Late Stage of the Elemental Space Realm."

"We were just hiding our cultivation," said Roan. 

Werin didn't believe that since he felt Kentucky's cultivation after taking his bloodline essence. But then again, he wasn't here to inquire them about that. If anything, the twins were helping his race Regal Minokawa improve by leaps and bounds, so that was more than welcome. "I see... Well then, what do you need me for?"

Roan was satisfied with Werin's approach. He could tell that Werin didn't have the intention of betraying them, and that wasn't just because they had Pulanli in the Dimensional Realm. "We need to reach the Center of the Floating Islands of Time. However, from what we heard, both time and space are warped inside. It is impossible to use the flow of Space, Time, and Elements to find one's way."

"That is correct," Werin nodded. He then spread his wings, preparing to fly. "Follow me."

Rean and Roan jumped on Kentucky's back. At the same time, Luan appeared on their side as the twins intended to use his eyes to help once again. Kentucky then followed Werin straight away.

It didn't take long for them to see the so-called Floating Islands of Time. It was just as the names implied. The space warp inside affected gravity itself, causing patches of land to float everywhere in the area. Some were big, with enough space to live on. Others were too small for even Kentucky or Werin to land. 

Luan shook his head as they entered the place. "Father, I will not be of much help here. There are no specific patterns to be followed. Everything is out of sync. In a moment, space is flowing outwards; the next second, it is going inwards. The Elements are the same. If I'm not wrong, time here is going to be the same once we get further inside."

Werin nodded when he heard that. "You have good eyes. That's correct. There are no specific patterns in the Floating Islands of Time. Of course, it is not like you can get lost inside, either. If you pick a single direction and fly in a straight line without stopping, you will eventually come out of the Floating Islands of Time. Otherwise, the Minokwas wouldn't live in this place. As for time, it goes up and down. Sometimes it goes faster, and sometimes it goes slower compared to the outside world."

"Does it matter if you stay still?" Kentucky asked out of curiosity. "For example, if we fly to an Island where time is accelerated and stay there, will we stay in an accelerated environment forever?"

"No," Werin replied. "There are no fixed flows of Space, Time, or Elements. The same Island goes through fast and slow times several periods in a single day. It is unpredictable. If such a thing was possible, there would be no lack of other races fighting to control this territory."

The twins' group nodded. Time acceleration and deacceleration are very useful to any race if they can be controlled. One could see how much the twins' benefited from the Dimensional Realm.