I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1295: The Canyon

Eccar continued moving up the ridge without slowing.

The forest grew darker and thicker the higher he climbed. The trees here were older, their trunks thicker and twisted, their roots spreading across the ground like massive black veins.

The air itself felt heavier, carrying the scent of beasts and ancient wilderness and also Magic energy.

It did not take long before more predators appeared.

The earlier pack had only been the beginning.

From the shadows ahead, a massive boar-like creature burst out from the undergrowth. Its body was covered with thick rocky plates that looked like natural armor, and steam rose from its nostrils as it charged forward with thunderous steps.

Before it could reach him, the ground suddenly trembled.

A serpent nearly ten meters long shot out from beneath the soil. Its scales shimmered with faint blue light, and sparks of electricity crawled across its body. When it opened its mouth, arcs of lightning crackled between its fangs.

At the same time, something moved above the trees.

A winged beast descended through the canopy. It resembled a giant hawk, but its feathers burned with dull crimson flames that left trails of heat in the air.

More shapes appeared between the trees.

Some beasts carried elemental powers, breathing fire or releasing bursts of frost with each attack. Other beasts carried darker abilities.

One wolf-like creature exhaled a cloud of black mist that rotted leaves and branches wherever it passed.

Cursed energy.

It was clear now why Blackstone Ridge had earned its reputation.

For any normal cultivator, crossing this place alone would have been suicide.

But Eccar continued forward as if none of it mattered.

The armored boar charged him first.

Eccar stepped to the side and struck its head with a single punch. The impact shattered its skull and sent the massive creature crashing through several trees.

The lightning serpent lunged next with wild electricity flashing across its body.

Eccar grabbed it in the middle of its strike and slammed it into the ground with brutal force.

More beasts attacked.

Fire, lightning, claws, poison, and curses all surged toward him.

None of it slowed him down.

He cut through them like a moving storm of raw strength, killing those that attacked and advancing deeper toward the ridge without hesitation.

Some of the more intelligent beasts quickly realized something was wrong.

After seeing several of their kin fall in seconds, they turned and fled into the deeper forest.

Even predators understood when they faced something far beyond them.

At last, when dusk arrived, the trees began to thin.

Eccar stepped out of the forest and onto the top of the ridge.

Blackened stone stretched across the summit, cracked and scorched as if ancient fires had once burned across it.

He had reached the top of Blackstone Ridge.

Eccar let out a slow breath as he stepped onto the blackened stone of the ridge.

"Finally," he muttered quietly.

The climb through the forest had not truly exhausted him, but the constant interruptions from attacking beasts had slowed his progress more than he preferred.

Still, he had arrived.

He straightened and began moving carefully across the dark stone surface.

The summit of Blackstone Ridge was different from the forest below. Very little vegetation grew here. The ground was mostly bare rock, cracked and uneven as if ancient forces had once torn through the mountain.

As he advanced, he felt something else.

The Magic energy in the air. It was noticeably denser here...

Eccar slowed his steps slightly and sharpened his senses. His perception spread outward, quietly probing the surrounding area without releasing any obvious aura that might reveal his presence.

Almost immediately, he felt human presence. Several of them.

They were located on the other side of the ridge.

Eccar’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"So people really are guarding this place," he thought.

He lowered his body and moved closer to the edge of the ridge with careful steps.

When he reached the highest point, he crouched and slowly peeked over the jagged stone.

What he saw on the other side confirmed his suspicion.

A massive canyon stretched beyond the ridge.

The land suddenly dropped into a deep chasm that cut through the terrain like a wound in the earth. The canyon walls were steep and dark, formed from the same black stone as the ridge itself.

Far below, a narrow river flowed along the canyon floor, its water reflecting faint glimmers of light as it twisted through the rocky passage.

Several natural stone platforms jutted from the canyon walls, forming rough paths and ledges that connected different levels of the chasm.

But the most important detail was not the canyon itself.

It was the activity within it.

Small structures had been built along some of the ledges.

Simple watch posts and camps positioned at strategic points. Torches burned along the paths, and several figures moved between the platforms.

Eccar saw several armed and alert humans.

Eccar watched them silently from above.

"So this really is the site," he thought. The people below were clearly the ones tasked with guarding it.

Eccar slowly lowered himself from the ridge’s edge and moved sideways along the dark stone, carefully choosing his steps.

From what he had seen, the guards in the canyon were positioned to watch the obvious paths leading down from the ridge. Approaching directly would be pointless.

He needed another way.

Eccar moved farther along the summit until he reached a section where the terrain dipped slightly and a few large, twisted trees still managed to grow from cracks in the rock.

The branches stretched outward, casting deep shadows that partially concealed the area from the canyon below.

He stopped there.

Even without looking closely, he could already feel Magic enchantments.

The air around the canyon carried faint fluctuations of spell formations layered across the area. Defensive wards, detection arrays, and barrier runes were spread throughout the ridge and the canyon walls. Anyone trying to enter carelessly would trigger them immediately.

"Huh. They prepared this place well," he thought.

Eccar climbed and leaned back against the thick trunk of one of the ancient trees and folded his arms while observing the canyon from the shadows.

Guards moved between watch posts. Torches flickered along narrow stone paths.

For now, he remained still because he could not rush in blindly.

Instead, he quietly studied the patrol patterns and the flow of the enchantments, patiently waiting for the right opportunity to slip through their defenses.

—