Nuna and Kyle walked side by side through the winding passageway, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls, creating a sense of synchronized rhythmic movement.
Nuna's hand remained on Kyle's arm, holding onto him closely.
Time passed, lost in the rhythm of their steps, until finally, the passage began to slope upward, and the air grew warmer.
A dulled red light appeared at the end of the passageway as they got closer.
They emerged into a vast, open expanse, and Kyle's breath caught in surprise.
Before them stretched a breathtaking vista: a realm unlike any he had ever seen, bathed in a fiery crimson light that seemed to sear the eyes.
The sky was ablaze, a deep, rich red that spread across the horizon like a burning sea, reflecting onto the ground below.
The ground beneath their feet was cracked and barren.
"What? This is not exactly what I was expecting to see."
"Let me guess, you expected the cave and tunnels to be the whole thing?"
"Well, yeah. Isn't that what hidden worlds are supposed to be like?"
"Some of them are like that, and then some hidden realms aren't just confined spaces; they're entire microcosms, complete with their own ecosystems and resources, like this one. And this is only the first floor."
Kyle's gaze wandered across the desolate landscape, his mind struggling to comprehend the sheer scale of this hidden world.
The Qi here was even denser, thicker, and more corrosive. For a second, he almost let himself take some of it in.
"It is kind of beautiful, though, with the red?" he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes drinking in the eerie beauty of this new world.
Unlike Kyle, Nuna's eyes flickered with recognition rather than pure astonishment. She had been here before, and to a lot more places like it, while out on missions given by the Marquis.
Every one of them was different, each with its own unique characteristics and dangers. This one was no different.
Her gaze drifted across the crimson landscape.
She looked at Kyle, her expression thoughtful. "The size of this hidden world is part of what makes the potential for discovery immense, but the risks are equally great. A single misstep could lead to instant death, an encounter with powerful guardians, or even rival cultivators seeking the same treasures."
Kyle listened intently, absorbing every word.
"Regardless of all that, cultivators are greedy, and they would go to any lengths for riches. But on each floor, you will only find beasts of a certain rank, which makes it easy to navigate.
On this floor, you will only be able to find early Qi condensation stage beasts and a few middle stage beasts at best.
On the second floor, you can find up to late Qi condensation beast, and a few at the peak stage. And the third floor has up to middle foundation establishment strength beasts.
I have never been to the higher floors, but there are seven floors in total."
"So, what do we do now?" he asked, the excitement evident in his voice.
"I'm only here as a spectator, you do what you want Kyle." Nuna shrugged, letting him take the lead.
"Okay, let's take a look around first, preferably, I want to jump straight to the second or third floor, but I don't want to get ahead of myself."
Kyle spoke, and a thin one-handed longsword flashing into his hand from his storage space. This was his primary weapon.
His father had decided to commission a new sword for him from a local blacksmith. It was even better than the one hung up in his room, but just thinner, lighter, and more durable, all in accordance with his style.
Kyle had considered getting an a esctoc instead of a longsword for a time, but eventually decided against it, since his sword art relied more on slashes and strikes than piercing.
His father did give him a nice idea, though: why get one when you can have both? So Kyle decided to get himself an estoc in the near future.
They had not even walked a few metres away from the exit when a furred beast leapt out of a large rabbit hole, except it wasn't a rabbit.
"That is an elemental red-tailed fire fox; it has fire and earth attribute Qi in its body. Middle Qi condensation stage."
Kyle had already stepped forward towards the beast. The fire fox, sensing his movement, let out a shrill cry, its fur standing on end as it prepared to strike.
However, it never stood a chance.
With a swift, fluid motion, Kyle brought his longsword down in a precise arc, the blade slicing through the air with a deadly hiss.
The red-tailed fire fox barely had time to react before the sharp edge made contact, severing the creature cleanly at the torso.
As the two halves of the fox fell to the ground, they began to crumble and disintegrate, reducing to ashes that dissolved to nothing within seconds.
In the center sat a small, fist-sized red stone, pulsing with Qi.
Kyle quickly retrieved the stone, examining it closely. It was warm to the touch, almost as if it contained residual heat from the fox's elemental Qi.
"That's an elemental Qi stone; they fetch a decent price at the market in town. Unlike us, the beasts here can purify the corrupted Qi and store it in these cores. The cores are useful for cultivating faster. It's more efficient than drawing Qi from the air."
Kyle nodded, storing the Qi stone away in his storage ring. He could use these for himself.
"Let's move on."
As they continued their exploration of the hidden realm, Kyle and Nuna encountered a series of increasingly weak beasts along the way.
Unlike the first one, these did not have any elemental Qi. They did have regular Qi stones, which contained pure Qi.
Each time, Kyle swiftly dispatched the creatures with a few precise swings of his longsword, his movements fluid and efficient.
Next came a snake-like beast with scales that shimmered like polished copper.
As it aimed to coil around Kyle's leg, preparing to strike, he deftly ducked under its serpentine body, letting it pass harmlessly beneath him.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the snake tumbling away, its momentum carrying it off the edge of a crumbling cliff.
"Can you take us to the second floor now?"
He spoke to Nuna, who was looking at him as if he were a piece of meat. Her eyes were gleaming with admiration.
Her gaze caught him off guard.
"Look at you," she murmured softly, her voice filled with an intense mix of awe and affection. "You move with such grace, your blade a blur of precision. It's as if you were born for this, to wield a sword and conquer the world."
She stepped closer to Kyle, her hand reaching out to caress his cheek tenderly.
Her touch seemed to ignite something within him, a flicker of lust. The urge to pin her down and fuck her.
Kyle grunted, "If you don't stop, I might have to pin you down right here." He could feel the heat rising in his groin.
'This is not good. Calm down, little bro, we are in a dangerous place right now.'
Kyle had already pitched up a tent.
"I don't mind if you take me right here for a quickie." Nuna suddenly said with a mischievous smile on her face.
"!!!"
'That's it!!!'
He gave up on trying to hold back.
Kyle's passion took over, he quickly retrieved a coat from his storage space and laid it down on the hard ground.
Without hesitation, he pinned Nuna down, his body weight pressing against hers.
Their lips met in a fierce kiss, their breath mingling. They did not even bother taking their clothes off.
The sounds of the hidden realm faded into the background as their desire took center stage.
With a swift motion, Kyle flipped her around, lifting Nuna's dress above her waist and revealing her slender legs and smooth skin.
His other hand unfastened his pants, letting out his raging, long dragon.
He pushed her white lace panties to the side, leaving her already wet little sister exposed to his hungry gaze.
"Ahhhh!!!"
Nuna gasped as Kyle positioned himself behind her, his cock slick with anticipation. With one swift thrust, he buried himself deep within her, their bodies connecting in a burst of pleasure.
The world around them melted away, leaving only the primal urge of the moment.
Kyle pumped into Nuna with reckless abandon, their bodies moving in perfect sync. Each stroke was followed by a grunt and moan from both of them.
As they reached the climax, Kyle held her close, pouring his seed into her waiting body. Their moans echoed through the empty expanse.
They each smiled, sighing in satisfaction.
"That was good." They spoke in unison.
Nuna's skirt fluttered around her thighs, while Kyle's pants hung low on his hips.
Sweat beaded on their brows as they tidied themselves up, making sure their clothing was presentable once more.
Nuna took out yet another pair of panties, removing the one covered in her juices and Kyle's sticky cum.
She also used it to wipe her entrance of any cum residue.
As soon as they finished, they got back to work.
Nuna flashed the talisman once again, and they both vanished once more, reappearing on the second floor.
It was aesthetically identical to the first floor.
But Kyle could feel it. The air was heavier, the Qi thicker.