First Legendary Dragon: Starting With The Limitless System-Chapter 317: Anomaly

Orion and his group were entirely engrossed in the story by this point. None of them bothered to ask any questions or even why he started telling them about this.

Varian continued, "But later, none of them could enter the area of the tower. They tried relentlessly for years until finally—it appeared again from the isolated space. And it was a worse bloodbath than the first battle. Even this time, none of them managed to get close to the tower, as the other party wouldn’t allow it."

"This went on to continue for decades, as the tower always appeared after exactly 10 years. After many decades, they even decided to stop the fighting and went toward the tower, but none of them managed to ascend higher than a few levels. It seemed like one had to run toward the top from the walls of the tower. But one of them decided to attack a member of the opposing race, and the fight erupted at the tower again."

Orion inwardly shook his head, hearing about such idiotic deaths, but he didn’t comment.

Varian paused and exhaled a soft sigh, "Then the friction continued to increase, and we have been at war with each other for centuries. After a certain time, portals started opening in our world, and outsiders started appearing. However, even they couldn’t manage to do much, and none of them ever appeared twice for some reason."

Orion interrupted him at this point, softly asking, "These outsiders... how did they return?"

Varian looked at him in surprise and said, "Well, the portal opens again at a particular time, and the people who came from that portal need to hurry back lest it close. Each batch of people has their own portals."

"Makes sense," Orion murmured, nodding slowly. "What’s the typical interval between each portal activation?"

"Hmm..." Varian thought for a second before replying, "Anywhere from two weeks to three weeks. Mostly depends on the tower’s opening and closing."

Orion nodded in understanding before his eyes sharpened as he asked another question, "Then what changed now? You asking for outsiders to come here probably means that something that had remained unchanged for centuries has changed."

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned heavy. Gone were the looks of sadness and disappointment from the elders’ faces, as they had now changed to solemn looks.

Varian softly nodded his head and answered in a grave tone, "An anomaly appeared a few decades ago."

Orion narrowed his dual-colored eyes slightly, deeply intrigued and increasingly alert. He leaned forward slightly, folding his fingers together thoughtfully as he quietly contemplated the Duke’s words. "Anomaly? What do you mean?"

Around him, his companions exchanged careful glances, each silently digesting the startling revelation in their own way.

"Thirty years ago," Duke Varian began again, his deep voice breaking the heavy silence, carrying a hint of solemn regret. "An outsider appeared in our world. At first, none of us paid him much heed. He was just another wanderer from beyond the portals, one of several who arrived together. Such arrivals were frequent occurrences, and few were able to bypass the blockade we’d established around the tower. But this man... he somehow managed to slip through." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Orion’s interest grew, clearly reflected in his intent gaze.

Varian paused briefly, as if recalling distant memories, his voice lowering slightly, "But his first attempt at the tower ended in failure. Afterward, like most outsiders before him, he returned through the portal he came from. We thought nothing more of it—just another ambitious adventurer who had reached too far."

Varian’s gaze darkened visibly, carrying with it a sense of unease. "But we were wrong. During the next opening of the portals, against all precedent, he returned."

Orion’s eyebrow rose in genuine curiosity, feeling the tension within the room grow heavier. He could clearly see the unease etched onto the faces of the elders surrounding Varian, as they exchanged worried glances.

"This time," Varian continued slowly, "he came prepared—far more prepared and more determined. He rushed directly to the tower’s location, waiting patiently for it to open. Alarmed by his preparation and determination, both Tigerkin and Lionkin kings decided unanimously that he represented a threat we couldn’t allow to persist."

The room grew palpably colder, the air tense as Varian hesitated momentarily, clearly pained by the memory. Finally, with a heavier voice, he admitted, "All Tier 7 powerhouses from our two kingdoms were dispatched to confront and drive him away... and I was among them."

Orion looked at him with slight surprise, deeply intrigued now as the anomaly surrounding this mysterious figure grew even more perplexing. Varian’s tone suggested something extraordinary.

"He fought fiercely," Varian recounted somberly, "but eventually we drove him back to his portal. Throughout the entire battle, he showed no fear, only a deathly calmness. We waited by his portal for days, ensuring he would not return. But he never emerged, and eventually, we believed the matter settled. Once again, we were mistaken."

Heaving a weary sigh, Varian’s voice grew quieter, deeply burdened by guilt and regret. "A decade ago, he returned yet again. But this time... things were vastly different. He didn’t merely attempt the tower—he directly attacked and conquered the Lionkin Kingdom."

Gasps echoed quietly among Orion’s group, startled by this revelation.

Arya placed a gentle hand over her mouth, eyes widening with shock. Emilia’s usually calm expression hardened slightly, clearly shocked by this decisive approach.

Nyss and Sylvia’s gazes grew sharper, sensing clearly the growing severity of this anomaly. Kale, Elias, and Felira exchanged tense glances, realizing the seriousness of the situation was far greater than they’d initially believed.

Varian continued grimly, his voice heavy, "I still don’t fully understand whether he subdued the Lionkin Kingdom by promising them incredible rewards or through sheer overwhelming force, but a brutal battle erupted. Numerous Tier 7 powerhouses fell, from both the Tigerkin and Lionkin sides. Yet, during all this chaos, he wasn’t even fighting there. His goal remained the tower, and he moved swiftly to seize it."

A brief pause, filled with quiet grief and tension, allowed everyone to process these dark events. Orion, his expression gravely thoughtful, gently prompted Varian, "Yet he didn’t succeed?"

"Fortunately, no," Varian admitted, nodding solemnly. "Our King, himself a peak Tier 7 powerhouse, confronted him directly, managing to halt his advance just as the tower sealed itself once more. A precarious stalemate ensued, neither side willing to risk further catastrophic losses at the time."

Varian’s expression darkened further, filled with grim determination and sorrowful resolve. "But now, things are different. The next tower opening draws near, and both sides have spent years consolidating their forces. He commands the entirety of the Lionkin Kingdom’s strength, along with unknown outsiders he brought from beyond the portal. We, too, have gathered allies and prepared for what will inevitably be our final, most brutal war."

The room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by quiet breathing and tense shifting in chairs. Orion’s mind raced, carefully digesting and analyzing everything he’d just learned.

The sheer scale and significance of this anomaly genuinely astounded him, as did the implications of a final, decisive conflict.

Arya softly murmured, her gentle voice filled with genuine worry, "Then... the upcoming battle will decide everything. It could destroy one or both kingdoms completely..."

Varian nodded slowly, meeting her concerned gaze. "Yes. We are fully aware of the consequences. Which is precisely why we’ve reached out to you. A neutral party of strong outsiders like yourselves might tip the scales."

Orion’s expression turned calm once again as he softly asked, "But what will we get out of this?"