Under the dim, dark sky, multiple streaks of light flashed, leaping out of the cold and foggy mountain and landing on the wilderness of the summer land in one breath. This place was different than the wilderness found in the northern region of the empire, as its terrain was unique and breathtaking, and it was full of life. The trees were tall and massive, and there were plenty of magic herbs to be found there as well. But this fortune wasn't easy to obtain as each, and every magic herb was guarded by a beast.
"The difference in temperature of two areas in the same region is too massive. I still can't get used to it," uttered Delilah.
Back in the mountain, the temperature was freezing and chilling to the bones. Even using her blade-like aura to ward off the cold proved to be ineffective, and she felt cold, but now that she was here and breathing in and exhaling warm air, her body warmed up internally and externally.
The contrast was too huge to ignore, especially because the two places were only a step away. Compared to where they had been a moment ago, this place was exceptionally hot, and although it was still nighttime, it was exceptionally bright. Not a single sign of fog could be seen here, and the brightness shimmering out of the big and small crevices in the earth turned day into night.
"Well, it's the hottest place in the entire northern region of the empire for a reason," Roy said in response.
"It still doesn't make sense," said Delilah as they dashed into the trees.
"The entire summer land is actually an inactive volcanic mountain range." Roy didn't find it hard to speak while sprinting at maximum speed. There was firmness and stability in his voice. Carrying Delilah, Shadowless chased after him, not losing sight of him. They were equally fast as Roy had blessed half of his agility to Shadowless.
In his previous life, Roy couldn't speak firmly while running, even after training to become a hunter for several years. He attributed it to the mysterious breathing method that he had been practicing for months. It allowed him to draw in the energy of the world and convert it into an aura of a dark color.
Delilah felt shocked, hearing his words. She didn't expect there to be such a mystery behind the formation of the summer land. It was like a shocking truth to her.
Looking at his back, she blurted, "So to say, there's a sea of lava under the ground below our feet?"
"It hadn't erupted in a long time. The commoners, nobles, and most likely even the imperials are unaware of it. Still, I do believe that the Water Celestial is aware of it since the sea of lava is home to his subordinate, the Lord of the Summer Land." Roy was curious about his father-in-law. The Water Celestial was as mysterious to him as his cause of transmigration, so he asked Damien about him.
Damien didn't hide it and told him what he knew about his maternal grandfather.
That's how Roy came to find out that Ganesha and his brother had sworn loyalty to the Water Celestial and that it was the Water Celestial who had enlightened them.
The two brothers were the result of the union of two tribes, one that lived in lava and the other that lived in freezing waters of intense depth. After these two tribes came together, they quickly subjugated the nearby tribes and established their hegemony in the warm and icy, cold lands. They wouldn't have been able to do it alone.
The two children were twins born to aura monsters. They were expected to be born talented and wise. Contrary to the expectations of the two tribes, they only had the strength and intelligence of a beast. They hadn't taken after any of their parents, who were so disappointed at not being able to meet the expectation of their elders that they got to work immediately, resulting in the birth of another child after 12 months. This beast was born strong and intelligent. He had the intelligence of a human and the strength of a level-10 beast.
The talent of his elder brothers was pathetic, so all the love of his parents went to him.
The two twins grew distant from their parents and felt sad. Although they didn't have human-like intelligence, they were emotional beings. They were taunted and compared to their youngest brother everywhere they went. Eventually, they were kicked out of the tribe for being too much of a waste of space.
They grew up in harsh conditions and were about to be eaten by a beast more powerful than them when a passerby took pity on them.
That passerby was the Water Celestial.
He saved them from the maw of death. Within a second, he slapped the beast that was trying to eat the two little ones to death and took them away to heal their injuries.
Since he saved them, he was going to make sure they didn't die.
Later on, they gained wisdom and shed their innate viciousness and bestial nature because of the Water Celestial's blessing and climbed up the social ladder of the beast world, becoming lords of the west thanks to his teachings. Only then did they learn that the master they so respected was injured and dying. They weren't white-eyed wolves. When they found out he was injured, they didn't plot against him. Instead, they stuck close to him like babies, guarding him like a treasure. The Water Celestial was annoyed by their attitude. He wasn't a feeble old man that needed little kids to worry about them. He was far older than them. He was more than a thousand years old, while they had only lived for a century or two. He told them to piss off.
But they forced their inner core into his hand.
This was an act that a beast would do to show his absolute loyalty to someone.
Their inner core was, after all, their life source.
