A land of pure white.
There was no better way to describe it.
The forbidden zone that spanned the border of an entire cardinal region, the Frostbound Mountain Range, was not given its name without reason.
Its base elevation was already over a hundred kilometers above the rest of the world. Unless one arrived at that height, one's only memory of the mountain range would be that pure white wall.
However, such scenery was only the beginning.
The true beauty was at the top of that wall, from which one could see the mountain range beyond.
There were tens or even hundreds of mountains that spanned as far as the eye could see no matter where on the range one was. It was so extensive that it was almost impossible to be within and see what lay outside.
The pure white snow swept up hills and down valleys in the periphery of the range, but the main characters truly were the mountains.
Tall, rocky, ice-covered, and full of danger. Rather than beauty, it would be better to describe them based on the terror they caused.
Because in no way could they be considered beautiful.
They were covered in a harsh never-ending blizzard. One couldn't observe what lived on those mountains from afar, but one could imagine how powerful those creatures had to be to make this environment their home.
The closer one approached to the mountains, the less one would see aside from their massive gait.
Once one had chosen a mountain to conquer, that would become one's entire life.
There were hundreds of bodies on each and every mountain, some millions or hundreds of millions of years old.
They could never be safely recovered, but they'd also never rot and decay, forever kept in stasis by the mountain range's chill.
Damien's goal was Ice Luan Mountain.
It was quite obvious with its shape. It wasn't directly in the center of the mountain range, but it was close enough that Damien could see it from the time he first arrived at the top of the ice wall.
The mountain was treacherous. Aside from the environmental challenges, it truly was inherited by a plethora of powerful beasts, namely Ice Luans.
Though, luans were a relatively peaceful species as long as they weren't provoked, so they were the least of one's worries.
'There is a surprisingly active ecosystem here.'
That was Damien's first observation as he stood at the base of the mountain and scanned it with his awareness.
The ecosystem wasn't only diverse, but the animals also seemed to have established some sort of societal hierarchy. This was completely unexpected from creatures that lived in these conditions.
A harsh environment was a natural suppressant. Creatures who evolved to adapt to those conditions tended to be much stronger than their counterparts, however, as a result, their intelligence suffered.
They would be mostly feral, unable to recognize anything other than their own instinct for survival.
Comparatively, the beasts of Ice Luan Mountain were a true anomaly.
Damien hadn't met them yet, but even the hints of society they had formed were more than he could've ever expected.
He wanted to explore it a bit more, but of course…
'I should try to find that fruit first.'
After covering his body in a layer of Existence, concealing himself from the world, Damien began teleporting up the peak.
His movement ability was unmatched, and he didn't plan to waste his advantages.
While others would have to arduously climb the mountain, a place where even flight was impossible due to the extreme blizzard, teleportation was a true gem to have.
It allowed several weeks and months worth of work to be done by Damien in a matter of minutes.
And once he'd reached the heights he desired, it wasn't hard to find traces of what others had witnessed.
A cave near the absolute peak of the mountain. It glowed with a blue halo that stood out even in the mostly blue icy atmosphere, so it was hard to miss.
Damien entered that cave curiously, dubious as to what could actually be inside.
And what he found was…
'...the fruit.'
The Harmony Fruit, as Damien had been calling it since it didn't have a name of its own.
And alongside it…
A beast of untold proportions.
It was something like a mix between a dragon and a luan, two species that should've never had the chance or ability to come together.
With its graceful yet scale-armored and domineering appearance, the beast curled around the small tree from which the Harmony Fruit was birthed.
'Is it a guardian…?'
It wasn't rare for treasures like these to have guardians.
Damien wasn't particularly wary of it, especially when it didn't seem to be able to sense him in his concealed state, however…
The moment he took a single step forward, truly entering the cave, it raised its head to look at the entrance.
"I do not know who you are, but you cannot come here."
It spoke, its voice low yet feminine. Its eyes flitted from side to side, making it clear that it didn't know where Damien was, but it managed to sense him regardless.
'Should I come out, or should I just take it and dip?'
"You will not be able to take the fruit like this."
The beast spoke as if it could read his thoughts.
"You have hid yourself from me, so you must be a thief. However, the tree has sensed you, and unless you earn her approval, you will not be able to see the glorious effects of the fruit she bears."
Damien raised his brow.
'So that was the case.'
If it was like that, then his concealment no longer mattered.
This was another case like when he met the Primordial Undying Tree.
Alaric wasn't willing to give his power to just anyone. Only after a load of trials did he finally set on Damien, granting him his everything.
Though the Harmony Fruit was nothing compared to Alaric's existence, it was the small tree's everything.
Even if it could form another one after many years, that wouldn't change the sense of loss it would feel.
If Damien wanted to take the fruit by force, he could try, but he didn't want to take too many risks when it came to Dante's life.
He undid his concealment, appearing on Ice Luan Mountain with his body for the first time.
'It's cold.'
For Damien to feel it, it really had to be cold. His body was far too evolved for any normal temperature to affect him at all.
The slight cool in the breeze was actually a little refreshing, since it was a feeling Damien hadn't felt in a while.
After all, he didn't spend too much time in icy areas.
As he became accustomed to his surroundings and brushed the snow off his clothes, covering himself in a bit of mana, the beast's eyes slightly widened.
The intruder was a human…?
No, that wasn't it.
Its nostrils flared as it sniffed the air.
'That scent is…a qualification?'
The look in its eyes became even more incredulous.
And for a moment, it even forgot what Damien had originally come here for.
It couldn't hold itself back from asking the question that was now burning in its mind, no matter how stupid it sounded.
"Human, you aren't a dragon, are you?"
