Chapter 208: World was divided into four territories

Ethan pursued Julian around the flower fields, leaving Eva’s mouth agape in surprise at his boundless strength.

Earlier, he had looked like someone on the brink of death, yet now he was even using his ice to create slides, making himself faster so he could catch Julian.

"All my concerns have been fed to the wolves. Tch, and I even wanted to take him into the space to rest."

Eva clicked her tongue and folded her arms as she watched them run around the field.

"Stop right there!" Ethan yelled in frustration, his face ashen as bile rose up his throat.

As time passed, his speed slowed until he could only lie face-down on a vine and stare at the sky while suppressing the urge to throw up.

"Ahaha! See? You pushed yourself so hard for just a pot of wine. See what your stinginess has cost you!" Julian guffawed loudly, teasing Ethan in a mocking tone.

Ethan glared at him weakly while taking deep breaths to calm his churning stomach.

"If both of you used this same energy to travel through the forest, we’d already be out of here. Tsk, childish."

Eva’s raised voice came from below the vine.

They both looked down and saw Eva standing there with her arms crossed, clear annoyance flashing across her face.

"Ahem... We should rest. It’s getting dark. Tomorrow, we’ll continue our journey."

Julian cleared his throat awkwardly, realizing his actions were a little embarrassing.

"Sigh... At this rate, I wonder when we’re going to finish exploring this island. It’s been more than a month since we came here."

Eva’s gaze swept across the vast expanse of greenery and the mountain peaks in the distance.

"This island seems to be bigger than the other island we explored."

Ethan shared his observation.

"Or it might be because of the beasts we’ve encountered. They’ve delayed our journey," Julian added, feeling his assumption was correct.

Ever since they arrived, they had encountered hordes of wolves, followed by bees and those illusion sunflowers.

There hadn’t been much time to rest since they came here, except for this moment.

Eva had a thoughtful expression as she considered their words before chiming in.

"It might actually be both. The dangers here are twice what we experienced on the first island, and this island might be bigger too. Fortunately, we brought the chef with us, or we would have survived on nothing but roasted meat."

She quickly changed the topic when she realized she was beginning to trail off.

"Um... Let’s rest for the night in my space."

Julian, who knew how to get on her nerves, reached over and tousled her hair, a sarcastic gleam in his eyes clearing catching her words.

"Smack!"

She slapped his hand away from her hair.

A few strands had already been rubbed into a bird’s nest by him, causing a frown to curl her lips.

"Ow!" Julian cried out in mock pain before pecking her on her pouting lips and escaping another smack aimed at him.

"I’m much healthier than Ethan. I can chase you around this field until you’re satisfied. Ethan, no hard feelings."

Eva added that last part with a guilty smile when she noticed his hurt expression.

"I’m not sick... just nauseous."

Ethan emphasized the last word as though trying to prove a point.

Julian bent over to the side, laughing his guts out. His body trembled, and his stomach hurt from laughing too much.

"Yes, yes... You’re healthy and strong."

Eva muttered in a placating tone, trying to soothe his bruised feelings.

Unaware that her words were doing the complete opposite, Ethan could only avert his gaze and block his ears.

Out of sight, out of mind.

He repeated those words in his mind like a mantra so he wouldn’t be hurt by her lukewarm response.

As time passed, the sky darkened into night and settled into calmness. The cool breeze rustled the leaves, making the vines sway gently.

Meanwhile, Eva and the others were asleep inside her space, hoping to regain enough stamina to walk out of this part of the forest.

...

The world was divided into four territories: East, North, South, and West, each vast and separated from the others by bodies of water.

The people of Oasis City were currently residing in the Southern Territory, a region filled with vast oceans, deserts, and islands scattered far and wide, with only a few patches of normal land.

Meanwhile, in the North, harsh, cold winds blew through a valley. Snow covered the ground, while the roars of beasts could be heard in the distance.

A medium-sized black spaceship stood in the middle of the valley, with figures scattered throughout the vast area, each holding a weapon as they guarded the surroundings.

Suddenly, a figure completely covered in a black fur coat rushed toward the spaceship.

The door opened with a hum.

A blast of warmth washed over the figure as soon as he stepped inside.

He didn’t stop to enjoy the warmth. Instead, he rushed toward the cabin area.

He strode through the hallways and around several bends before stopping in front of a spacious cabin.

A guard stopped him from going any farther.

"State your business. Commoners aren’t allowed in this restricted area."

The guard pointed his weapon at the cloaked figure, ready to take him down if he made any suspicious movement.

"It’s me. Lord Crane."

The man responded in a gruff, displeased tone.

The guard quickly lowered his weapon and bowed in greeting.

"Sorry for the rudeness, my lord. I’ll go inform His Majesty of your presence."

The guard’s tone was filled with respect as he turned toward the door and placed his fingerprint on the panel to the left.

The door hissed open, and he disappeared through it in hurried steps, leaving the cloaked figure behind.

Minutes later, the guard returned.

"My lord, please enter. His Majesty is waiting for you in the study."

"Mm."

The cloaked figure hummed, and the guard stepped aside to let him pass.

The man strode inside, removing his coat and handing it to a servant standing nearby.

He walked familiarly through the rooms and headed toward the study at the far end of the spacious residence.

"Good morning, Your Highnesses."

He greeted every prince and princess he passed with a bow.

All the while, he inwardly complained about his sore back.

If he didn’t have important news to deliver, he would stay far away from this place.

He preferred the vast openness of the sky and the freedom that came with being away from the Majesty’s rule and those hypocritical aristocrats.

He snapped out of his musings as he reached the study door.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and pressed the bell beside the door to announce his presence.

The blue panel across the metallic door turned red before it hissed open.

Crane walked inside, and the door closed behind him.

Inside, an old man sat on a chair with documents spread across the table. His hand moved steadily across a half-written page.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Crane greeted.

His voice caused the old man’s writing hand to pause.

The king looked up.

His unfathomable gaze briefly settled on Crane before returning to the document.

"Speak."

Crane dared not show any sign of disrespect before this man—a peak-level dungeon hunter with fifty recorded kills of unranked dungeon monsters.

"Your Majesty, we scouted the area and found a place safe enough to build our kingdom," Crane responded promptly, his voice barely concealing his relief and joy.

"After a year of returning to the surface... we can finally build a place we’ll call home."

The king muttered with a relieved sigh before turning his gaze toward Crane.

"You have done well and will be rewarded handsomely. Call for a court meeting. Every aristocrats and powerful powerhouse must attend."

The king’s aged voice was filled with vigor.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Crane bowed and left the room in light but hurried steps, making sure to escape before any of the princes stopped him for information.

The Lorvil Underground Kingdom used a monarchy system, in contrast to the democratic ruling system of Oasis City.

The two territories were stationed so far apart that they were completely unaware of each other’s existence.

Both civilizations had developed the same mindset—that they were the only surviving humans in this vast world.