Reborn as the Last van Ambrose-Chapter 139: Oh Yes, He’s been Expecting you

The descent into the Abyssal Trench began as a gradual spiral, winding along a path carved into the cliffside. At first, the ledge was wide enough to accommodate Ao Shun’s dragon body, but it steadily narrowed until it was little more than a series of handholds and footholds chipped into the darkening ice.

"Stay close," Ao Shun commanded, his voice echoing strangely in the confined space. "The ice here is unstable. One wrong step and you’ll fall into depths that have no bottom."

Grim pressed himself against the cliff face, feeling the cold air in his bones and skin even though he had received special gear to keep him warm.

"How often do your forces patrol this area?" Bi’an asked, as his claws pierced the side of the cliff.

"They don’t," Ao Shun replied grimly. "The Trench patrols itself. The creatures that live here have learned to distinguish between those who belong and those who don’t."

As if summoned by his words, a sound echoed from the depths below—something between a whale song and the grinding of massive gears, deep and resonant enough to vibrate through the ice where they were holding on.

"What was that?" Suanni asked.

"Leviathan," Xu Wu answered, his voice tight with fear. "The guardian of the deep trenches. I’ve only seen it once. It was magnificent and terrifying at the same time."

They continued their descent, the path growing ever narrower and more treacherous. The walls of the Trench rose on either side, creating a canyon of black ice that seemed to stretch infinitely upward and downward.

"Tell me about the criminals you’ve sent here," Grim said to Ao Shun, curious about who had been sent down in the trenches.

Ao Shun’s ancient eyes grew distant. "The worst of the worst. Dragons who broke the laws, kinslayers, and other criminals who were just too dangerous."

"How many?" Bi’an asked.

"Over the centuries? Perhaps two dozen. The Trench has a way of... containing them. The cold, the pressure, the creatures—they create a natural prison that even the most powerful magic cannot escape."

"But they’re still alive down there?" Grim asked. novelbuddy.cσ๓

"Some are," Ao Shun confirmed. "Dragons are remarkably resilient. The cold can preserve them, but only the strong can flourish in this pit of hell."

A chill ran through Grim that had nothing to do with the temperature. "And Jiaolong went down there willingly?"

"Jiaolong is either very brave or very desperate," Xu Wu observed. "Or he knows something about the Trench that we don’t."

The path took a sharp turn, leading them onto a broader ledge. Ao Shun gestured for them to stop, his breath forming great clouds in the frigid air.

"We’re now at the first depth marker," he announced. "From here, the real dangers begin."

As if to emphasize his point, movement in the water below caught their attention. Something vast and pale glided through the darkness, its body was only rtially visible through the murky depths.

"Frost behemoth," Suanni identified, remembering their previous encounter.

"One of the smaller ones," Ao Shun corrected. "The deeper we go, the larger they become. And the more territorial."

The creature circled below them, its dozens of eyes occasionally catching what little light filtered down from above. But it made no move to approach their position on the ledge.

"They’re intelligent," Xu Wu explained, noticing Grim’s fascination with the creature. "They’ve learned that anything on the carved paths either belongs here or is too dangerous to attack directly."

"Usually," Ao Shun added ominously.

They resumed their descent, the path now requiring Grim to use climbing equipment. While the Dragons could use their claws or fly around as they moved.

Grim asked, "Why am I climbing down with equipment? Couldn’t I just ride on someone’s back and we just go down directly? Wouldn’t that be faster?"

Xu Wu cut in before anyone else could answer. "Riding a dragon isn’t about convenience. It’s about control. You try hopping on one without earning it, and you’ll be a smear on the cliffside before you blink."

"Lord Ao Shun," one of the guards who had accompanied them called from ahead. "The path splits here. Which route should we take?"

Ao Shun moved forward to examine the diverging paths. One continued straight down, following the main wall of the Trench. The other angled away, disappearing into a side canyon that branched off from the main descent.

"The main path leads to the Leviathan’s domain," Ao Shun explained. "The side path leads to the Caverns. It is a series of caverns where the worst prisoners are usually thrown into.

"And the BloodGate?" Grim asked.

"Could be in either location," Xu Wu admitted. "The records from when it was constructed are... vague."

Ao Shun studied both paths carefully. "We’ll split up. Cover more ground that way."

"Is that wise?" Bi’an questioned. "If we encounter Jiaolong..."

"Then whoever finds him signals the others," Ao Shun replied. "But we can’t afford to guess wrong about which path he took."

He pointed to the guard who had called out the split. "Taishan, you’ll take Grim and Suanni down the side path to the Deep Galleries. Xu Wu, Bi’an, and I will continue to the Leviathan’s domain."

"Father would want me to stay with you," Suanni protested.

"Your father would want you to complete the mission," Ao Shun corrected. "Watch over the human. He’syour responsibility."

As they separated, Grim felt a moment of unease. Something about guard Taishan struck him as odd.

The side path was narrower than the main route, carved less carefully and showing signs of recent use. The Ice was chipped along the walls showing that someone or something had been here recently.

"How long have you served in Ao Shun’s guard?" Grim asked Taishan as they navigated a particularly treacherous section.

"Many years," Taishan replied without turning around. "Long enough to know the Trench’s secrets."

Something in his tone made Grim exchange a glance with Suanni. The dragon’s eyes held the same wariness that Grim was feeling.

The path took them into the side canyon, where the walls closed in around them and the sounds from the main Trench began to fade. Here, the ice took on different qualities—darker, more opaque, and almost looked like it was alive.

"The Caverns are just ahead," Taishan announced, pointing to what appeared to be a series of cave openings in the canyon wall.

But as they approached, Grim noticed something wrong.

"Taishan," Grim said carefully, "are you certain this is the right path?"

The guard turned, and for the first time, Grim got a clear look at his eyes. They held a strange, vacant quality that reminded him of Xu Wu’s confusion when discussing his lost memories.

"Quite certain," Taishan replied, his voice carrying an odd inflection. "You need to see what’s in the caverns. What Jiaolong left for you."

"Left for me specifically?" Grim’s hand moved to his sword hilt.

Taishan smiled, an expression that looked wrong on his reptilian features. "Oh yes. He’s been expecting you."

Before Grim could react, Taishan raised his clawed hands and spoke words in a language that Grim couldn’t understand. The ice around him began to shift and crack, responding to his command.

"Move!" Suanni roared, flames erupting around his mane as he recognized the danger.

The canyon walls began to collapse inward, massive chunks of ice breaking free and plummeting toward them. But this wasn’t a natural collapse.

Grim dove to one side, narrowly avoiding a spear of ice that would have impaled him. Suanni’s flames melted some of the falling debris, but there was too much of it, coming from too many directions.

"The cave entrance!" Suanni called out. "It’s our only shelter!"

They ran for the opening as the canyon filled with falling ice and the walls collapsed. Behind them, Taishan’s laughter echoed off the walls, no longer the voice of Ao Shun’s guard but something else entirely.

Just as they reached the cave entrance, a new voice cut through the chaos.

"Get down!"

Grim looked up to see Lin descending from above on wings of crystalline ice, her hands went from her waist, out in front of her chest and then outward as she spread her hands. As she made this motion her arms began to grow bright blue and the ice began to slowly clear.

"Lin?" Grim called in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving your life, apparently," she replied, landing gracefully beside them as the last of the ice settled. "I knew something was wrong when my father chose Taishan for this mission. He’s been acting strangely for days."

She turned toward where Taishan stood, now revealed in his true nature. The dragon’s body was flickering, and his eyes glowed with a dark light.

"That’s not Taishan," Lin identified grimly.

"Lin continued, ice forming around her hands like crystalline claws. "Taishan died in a border skirmish three months ago. I was checking the records after you left."

The false Taishan’s smile widened. "Clever little princess. But you’re too late to prevent what’s coming."

He raised his hands again, but this time the magic he called upon was different. Instead of manipulating the ice around them, he seemed to be communicating with something deeper in the Trench.

The answering call that echoed from the depths below was not the sound of any creature they’d encountered before. It was the sound of ancient machinery awakening, of power long dormant beginning to stir.

"The BloodGate," Lin breathed in horror. "He’s already activated it."

The false Taishan began to dissolve. "My master sends his regards, princess."

From the depths of the Trench, light began to emanate from deep in the depths. Golden light began to illuminate the depths.

"We have to get back to father," Lin said urgently.

But even as she spoke, they could feel the change beginning. The water around them grew warmer, and the ice started to shift and crack.