Chapter 829: The Origin of the Midsummer Festival

Henwell needs a long while to digest Nissen's account.

He has long suspected that a powerful civilization once existed on the continent.

That civilization could not have been founded by migrants from the Abundant Continent. It had been native to this land.

The clearest evidence is Yinxin City, a city raised over ancient ruins.

The Bloodhorn Arena, where Henwell once stayed, had been built before the Billie Kingdom even existed.

Even with Bilri's present capabilities, constructing something of that quality would take a very long time.

Yet at least six enormous arenas like it stand outside Yinxin City.

Many other clues point toward the mighty civilization buried by history.

After organizing the intelligence in his mind, Henwell pieces together the chronology.

More than ten thousand years ago, near the end of the Age of Divine War, the old gods' forces were driven onto this continent.

Kosen's predecessor was already a mighty nation here, protected by a guardian deity of its own.

That deity was neutral and had largely stayed out of the war between the two sides.

Sometime between nine thousand and five thousand years ago, the divine war ended. For unknown reasons, the continent froze, and vast numbers of Frost Corpses appeared as precursors to the calamity creatures.

Kosen's predecessor rose to the challenge. Single-handedly, it drove the divine-abomination creatures that had overrun the continent back to their point of origin.

Whatever happened between Kosen's guardian deity and the old and new gods remains unknown.

There must have been a conflict among the gods. Otherwise, the Groias Empire and the Holy Spirit Church would never have launched such a distant expedition.

Kosen's predecessor then launched the Thousand-Year War.

It gradually reclaimed the continent and forced the divine-abomination Frost Corpses back into their lair.

Then the Groias Empire and the Church betrayed their ally and stabbed Kosen's predecessor in the back.

Kosen's guardian deity intervened, triggering the Calamity War and preventing the Empire and the Church from exterminating its people.

Afterward, the predecessors of today's kingdoms built their own powers upon the ruins of the Guardian Cities.

More than two thousand years ago, the Waofo city-state seceded from Ika and joined the Ryan city-state to form the Vorry Duchy.

Over the centuries that followed, the continent's six kingdoms gradually coalesced into their present forms.

Henwell is more than satisfied with what he has learned.

To anyone else, the information might be no more than an old secret. To Henwell, it is invaluable.

Understanding what happened in the past will keep him from stumbling into hidden traps on the road ahead.

At that moment, Nissen smiles. "Henwell, I hear you detest the Midsummer Festival."

Henwell is taken aback. Why has Nissen suddenly changed the subject?

"I wouldn't say I hate it. The festival simply never agrees with me, and I have no idea what anyone is celebrating in the middle of this heat."

Nissen says, "Do you remember what I just told you? After our defeat, our god froze the entire continent."

Seeing realization dawn in Henwell's widened eyes, Nissen smiles. "Yes. It is exactly what you think."

"Because our battles against the Frost Corpses often took place within the Everfrost Wastes, our people were more resistant to the cold."

"Our guardian deity drew upon the power of the Frost Corpses' lair and used it to freeze the entire continent for decades."

"Most of our enemies froze to death, while we barely managed to survive."

"Then the god of the Groias Empire intervened, using divine power to thaw the continent."

"That came at a price. First, the collision of divine power rendered most of the Guardian Cities' teleportation nodes permanently unusable."

"Second, the Lord of the Holy Spirit could no longer project his power into this land."

"Nor was he alone. Many new gods could no longer touch this continent either."

"That is why they call this place the Abandoned Continent."

"So when the ice receded, every survivor outside Kosen celebrated winter's end and the arrival of midsummer."

Damn it!

No wonder this cursed festival always brings me bad luck. So the Lord of the Holy Spirit was behind it all along.

Nissen's smile vanishes. He looks solemnly at Henwell. "Henwell, do you know why we value you so highly?"

"Because you are the only human to reach Iron Rank and still refuse to join either the new gods or the old gods."

"Even after reaching Glory Rank, you still seem unwilling to choose either side."

"And the place where you rose to power is our former homeland."

"You represent the humans of this continent - those who came after us and resumed the fight for this land."

"When the time is right, we will ally with you or even submit to you. Together, we can restore the glory that rightfully belongs to humanity on this continent."

Henwell's expression remains calm. "According to your own records, I should be a descendant of migrants from the Abundant Continent."

"No. The Abundant Continent held the upper hand at the time, and many of our people chose to remain behind and eventually blended with its settlers."

"Your blood may carry our lineage as well."

"More importantly, you do not strike me as a man who would submit to the Empire or the Church."

"That is enough."

"You stand for your own interests, which are also the interests of humanity on this continent. That is what we want."

Henwell smiles and shakes his head. "Forget it. I was poor for too long. Whenever a gift falls from the sky, my first instinct is suspicion."

After a brief pause, Henwell adds, "Besides, I do not need your support. I can build an empire every bit as powerful as the one your ancestors possessed."

Nissen claps and laughs. "Hahaha... See? That only makes you more like us."

Henwell lets the subject drop. He has no intention of accepting a gift offered for no reason.

Besides, no one yet knows whether Kosen's guardian deity is alive or dead.

New gods, old gods, neutral gods - gods are gods, whatever their allegiance.

Henwell knows his own limits. He is not yet qualified to take part in a game played at that level.

If he rushes in now, he will only become a pawn.

He needs to keep his feet on the ground, deal with what lies before him, and grow stronger one step at a time.

Kosen's predecessor was indeed powerful, but Henwell has confidence in himself as well.

When the Calamity War ends, Peace Haven will make a qualitative leap in strength.

Once Peace Haven begins its feast, an empire will begin to take shape.

Given another ten years to develop, Peace Haven will have no rival among the nations of the continent.

In thirty years at most, even all the remaining nations combined will be no match for Peace Haven.

By then, Henwell will most likely have reached Domain Rank.

Few individuals on this continent will then be able to threaten him.

He is still young, and Peace Haven is young as well.

His opponents, meanwhile, remain arrogant and complacent as they slowly decay.

Time is on his side.

He has no reason to rush.