Chapter 815

【 GATEWAY TO A NEW WORLD 】

After leaving Luke City, the players continued flying north.

Originally, they had planned to spend the night in Luke City. However, after taking advantage of the opportunity to claim the mineral deposits for free, they decided to continue on to avoid any potential trouble from the local nobles.

Luke City was already one of the northernmost cities of the Holy Maniya Empire. Beyond it lay only Colin Fortress, a heavily fortified military stronghold standing at the edge of the Far Northern Arctic Plains.

The players, however, had no intention of stopping there since a considerable number of imperial troops were stationed at Colin Fortress, and their presence could easily lead to some trouble.

Although their current group was composed of ten Gold-rank experts, one adult dragon, and ten juvenile dragons, was powerful enough to dominate almost anywhere they went, encountering a hostile Legendary-rank expert could still put them in serious danger.

The Empire stretched across nearly two-thirds of the central and northern regions of the continent. During their journey, the players had traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently along the way, allowing them to witness the magnificent landscapes of various human nations.

Compared to Mindel and Ouros, the world of Seigues as a whole was far more prosperous and breathtaking.

By the time night had completely fallen and the heavens glittered with countless brilliant stars, the players finally crossed the borders of the Holy Maniya Empire and entered the Far Northern Arctic, home of the Orc Alliance.

Strictly speaking, the Far Northern Arctic was not truly an icy wasteland.

Its terrain was more accurately described as a combination of alpine tundra and vast grasslands.

Because of the harsh climate and poor soil, vegetation became increasingly sparse at higher elevations, with fewer and fewer plant species surviving.

Towering trees had long since disappeared from these lands. Only stunted shrubs, perennial grasses, lichens, and mosses remained.

The local wildlife was equally limited in variety. Ice deer, white foxes, ermine, snowwind rabbits, and tundra musk oxen were among the few creatures adapted to life in this unforgiving environment.

When winter arrived, vast stretches of the plateau would be buried beneath blankets of pristine snow. Together with the endless snow-capped mountains in the distance, the entire region resembled a boundless frozen world, hence its name, the Far Northern Arctic lands.

Riding atop their dragons, the players ventured deeper into the Arctic.

At this point, any signs of intelligent life had all but vanished from the ground below.

According to the golden dragon Romanus, who had once traveled extensively across the Far Northern Wilderness, the orc tribes were concentrated much farther east.

There lay a fertile basin rich with water and pasturelands, adjacent to the Great Snow Mountain, the sacred land of the God of War, which also served as the political and cultural heart of the Orc Alliance.

Near Colin Fortress, however, a canyon provided one of the main routes into the Arctic lands.

Merchant caravans frequently traveled through it, and thanks to that trade, a prosperous free city known as Bora had emerged upon the region.

It belonged to no nation or faction, paying only periodic protection fees to the Orc Alliance in exchange for its independence.

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Naturally, the players had not traveled through Colin Fortress, so they would not be passing through Bora either.

Tonight, they would be camping in the wilderness.

“It’s summer, so the climate here is fairly pleasant. If this were winter, it would be much colder, and we’d probably run into blizzards quite often.”

“Summer is also the most beautiful season on the Far North. Huge flowers bloom across the plains in brilliant clusters, spreading into endless seas of blossoms. They always turn toward the sun, intertwining with the low grasses. Whenever the wind blows, the flowers and grass sway together like rolling waves. It’s an absolutely mesmerizing sight…”

“Unfortunately, it’s nighttime now, so you won’t get to see it.”

“But the weather is clear tonight. Even if we can’t admire the flower fields, perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to witness the beautiful aurora…”

Romanus spoke like a seasoned traveler.

In truth, he was one.

Another well-known trait of golden dragons was their love for breathtaking scenery. Even when choosing places to build their nests, they almost always selected locations famous for their magnificent landscapes.

The aurora…

Hearing the dragon’s words, anticipation filled the players’ eyes.

Even Evé found herself gazing toward the sky.

Although she could create magnificent spectacles through divine power, illusions she personally conjured could never evoke the same feeling as nature’s own masterpieces.

That said, Romanus was not entirely correct when he claimed the players would be unable to see the flower fields at night.

Elves possessed exceptionally keen eyesight and remarkable night vision.

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Although colors became muted after darkness fell, the players could still clearly make out their surroundings.

Naturally, they lacked the vibrant brilliance the flowers displayed beneath daylight.

The group continued flying north.

Farther north.

After crossing a towering snow-covered mountain, they entered a vast valley.

Within it lay an enormous cave.

It was an abandoned dragon’s nest that Romanus had discovered during one of his travels through the Far Northern Wilderness.

Judging by its characteristics, it had once belonged to a silver dragon.

Romanus himself had lived here for a time, using it as a temporary residence.

Tonight, it would once again serve as a resting place, both for him and the players.

However, after soaring over the snowy peak and entering the valley, the players paid almost no attention to the scenery below.

Instead, every gaze instinctively turned toward the northern sky.

Across the deep heavens stretched an unimaginably beautiful curtain of radiant light.

It was the aurora.

No paintbrush nor language could truly capture its breathtaking splendor.

The luminous ribbons drifted gracefully across the sky, brightening and fading in an endless dance, shimmering with crimson, sapphire, emerald, and violet hues.

One moment, they resembled towering pillars reaching into the heavens.

The next, they unfolded into vast celestial curtains.

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Then, without warning, they twisted into spiraling ribbons of light.

The dreamlike radiance danced endlessly across the night sky, appearing and disappearing with breathtaking swiftness.

Even the brilliant stars seemed dim beside its glory.

The moment they beheld the spectacle, the players, who had been chatting moments earlier, fell completely silent.

Not a single voice remained.

Heads tilted upward.

Eyes reflected nothing but the flowing waves of light.

Expressions of amazement and fascination spread across every face.

No matter how many poems one had read describing the majesty of the aurora, nor how many photographs one had admired capturing its beauty, none of them could compare to standing beneath it in person.

Only then could one truly understand what an unimaginable miracle it was.

Although the aurora here in Seigues arose from principles entirely different from those of Earth, its dreamlike beauty still captivated everyone present, like an enormous, mysterious kaleidoscope unfolding across the heavens.

Beneath those magnificent lights, everyone felt profoundly insignificant.

They felt the grandeur of nature.

Its mystery.

Its boundless beauty.

And as the aurora continued its graceful dance overhead, every heart gradually grew calm.

It was as though everyone’s soul and mind had been purified in an instant.

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Worries disappeared.

Sorrows faded.

Everything else was forgotten.

“So… so beautiful…”

Little Salty Cat murmured.

“It is, isn’t it?”

Romanus also looked upward, a warm smile filling his dark golden dragon eyes.

“They’re truly magnificent. I was just as overwhelmed the first time I saw them.”

“In this entire world, this sight exists only upon here in the Far Northern Lands.”

“In fact, the orcs have a legend about them.”

“They say these lights are the traces left behind by the souls of the dead as they ascend to the Divine Kingdom.”

“Thus, every ray of light we see is a pure soul rising into the heavens.”

“They are elevated within the light, reborn within the light, and ultimately return to the Divine Kingdom.”

“Of course, the wonders at the edge of the world have nothing to do with the souls of the dead.”

“I once heard an elder say that the aurora is the manifestation of the world’s Core Origin itself, the projection of the fundamental laws upon the starry sky.”

“If one could truly understand the meaning hidden within those lights, it might even be possible to grasp the power of the Laws.”

“That is why the Far Northern Lands is a place frequently visited by peak Gold-rank experts and Legendary powerhouses.”

“So many of them come here hoping to discover the path to their own Law within the beauty of these auroras.”

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After hearing Romanus’ explanation, the players gazed at the aurora with even greater fascination.

The dreamlike spectacle and the mysteries of this world drew every gaze irresistibly into its depths.

Even Evé found herself awed by the elegant yet unfathomable lights dancing overhead.

Romanus was right.

The aurora truly was a projection of the world’s Core Origin.

However, attempting to comprehend the Divine Laws through nothing more than that projection was unimaginably difficult.

A projection was, after all, only a projection.

Like the reflection of the moon upon water, beautiful yet forever beyond reach.

And yet…

The moon’s reflection upon the water often appeared even more enchanting than the moon itself.

Just like the aurora before them.

Beautiful.

Captivating.

Yet ultimately intangible.

Gliding into the valley, the players followed Romanus as they descended toward the cave halfway up the snowy mountainside.

The cave was enormous.

Its floor was covered with fine gravel, while at the far end lay an expansive bed made entirely of dried grass, large enough for the several-dozen-meter-long golden dragon to comfortably lie upon.

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That had once been the dragon’s bed.

Originally, it would have been piled high with gemstones and gold coins.

But its former owner had long since departed, leaving the nest empty.

In one corner of the cave, patches of scale-covered moss and plump-headed mushrooms could still be seen.

They had grown from soil nourished by dragon dung and dragon saliva. Influenced by a dragon’s aura for many years, they had gradually mutated into rare magical plants and fungi.

These unusual specimens immediately attracted the players’ attention.

After identifying them, they discovered they were all valuable ingredients.

Some restored mana.

Others enhanced physical constitution.

Delighted by the unexpected harvest, they gathered every last one of these items.

The Arctic nights were cold, but the freshly picked mushrooms were tender.

They would make excellent mushroom soup for dinner.

Taking the firewood they had long stored in their storage equipment, the players lit a campfire near the cave entrance.

Camping outdoors was nothing unusual for them, so they always carried ample supplies.

Although Gold-rankers no longer feared the cold, warmth was still preferable to freezing winds.

The ten players naturally divided the work.

Some pitched tents.

Some prepared sleeping areas.

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Others began cooking dinner.

A cooking pot was set over the fire.

The freshly gathered mushrooms were washed, chopped into bite-sized pieces, and stir-fried in oil for half a minute.

Next came sweet spring water brought all the way from the Elven Forest.

Once the water reached a boil, salt was added.

Then came fragrant magical herbs to replace scallions, freshly picked wild vegetables from outside the cave, and diced preserved monster meat.

The players had carefully selected only the finest cuts.

The meat was exceptionally tender and silky, with delicate marbling and rich flavor.

Combined with the mushrooms, it created a soup that was both hearty and refreshing, rich without being greasy, smooth upon the palate, and wonderfully aromatic.

Finally, a blend of secret seasonings was added before everything was left to simmer.

There was no need for the MSG developed by the Amway Merchant Group as the ingredients themselves were already flavorful enough.

Gradually, the soup began bubbling vigorously and its irresistible aroma spread throughout the cave.

Before long, a steaming pot of delicious mushroom soup was ready.

The rich fragrance even attracted Romanus, who was busy spreading piles of gold coins and gemstones across his bed of hay.

He was making his own bed.

Those treasures had all come from his personal storage space and were among his most prized possessions.

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“What are you making? It smells incredible…”

The golden dragon sniffed the air.

“We’re making a soup. Want some?”

Li Mu asked with a grin.

Romanus swallowed.

In the end, he failed to resist the temptation of good food and nodded somewhat sheepishly.

“Lord Romanus, why don’t you shift to your human form? We probably won’t have enough soup if you stay in your dragon form, since you’re far too large right now.”

Li Mu reminded him.

The golden dragon nodded.

As a dragon, his appetite was enormous.

Ordinarily, he mostly consumed gemstones and precious metals.

But every now and then, he also enjoyed the cuisine of humanoid races.

Naturally, he always transformed into his human form first.

Otherwise, before he could even appreciate the flavor, the entire meal would already be gone.

Unable to resist the delicious aroma, the golden dragon transformed into a tall, blond elven youth.

When traveling among elves, one adapted to local customs.

Normally, he transformed into a human far more often.

Accepting a bowl of steaming mushroom soup from the players, Romanus scooped up a spoonful.

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“Delicious!”

His eyes widened instantly.

Gulp.

Gulp.

Unable to stop himself, he devoured the soup with great enthusiasm.

Just then, another mouthwatering aroma drifted over from the campfire.

Demacia and All-Star Achan were roasting meat.

Strings of monster meat sizzled over the flames as shimmering vegetable oil dripped from their surfaces.

The beautifully marbled meat had turned golden and glossy, crackling gently over the fire.

The glistening fat coated each piece with an irresistible sheen.

Crisp on the outside.

Tender and juicy within.

Simply looking at it was enough to awaken anyone’s appetite.

Romanus found himself swallowing again.

Tonight…

He was destined to open the gateway to an entirely new world.

Above them, the magnificent aurora spread across the heavens like an endless painting, dancing gracefully through the night.

Inside the cave, the players gathered around the crackling campfire, enjoying roasted barbecue meat and mushroom soup while admiring the breathtaking lights overhead.

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Laughter echoed throughout the cave.

Little Salty Cat, Dōngdōng, and several others had started playing a tabletop game they had brought with them, even pulling Evé away from her barbecue skewers to join them.

Elsewhere, Romanus, still in his human form, slung an arm around Demacia’s shoulders while happily drinking the ice-cold beer Demacia had given him.

Slightly drunk, he enthusiastically boasted about his adventures across the continent.

Unexpectedly, despite his immense strength, the golden dragon had a remarkably low tolerance for alcohol.

The cave was lively and filled with joy.

Although they had spent the entire day traveling, none of the players showed the slightest sign of fatigue.

Only well past midnight did they finally yawn, crawl into their tents, and drift into deep sleep.

Romanus also returned to the treasure-covered bed he had prepared, quickly falling asleep amid loud, rumbling snores.

The juvenile dragons of every color gathered around him as they slept.

The night grew deeper and quieter.

Only the distant crackling of the campfire and the occasional chorus of snores broke the silence.

High above, the aurora continued shining brilliantly.

Only after everyone had fallen fast asleep did Evé finally close her eyes.

Her consciousness shifted as her primary awareness returned to her Divine Kingdom.

It was time to inspect everything the players had offered during the day.

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And while she was at it, she also intended to check on that unfortunate soul whom the players had accidentally included in their offering.

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