117

[Kronan]

Forseti originally thought he would sleep for a few days, maybe a fortnight at most, but reality exceeded his expectations.

Several months later, he remained quietly sealed in a blood-colored amber. The amber faintly glowed, casting a red hue over the room.

It resembled... not the Frozen Throne, but rather the Blood Throne.

Forseti had slipped into slumber without realizing it, though he was troubled by minor stone roots.

Initially, shilut paid it no mind, dutifully consuming stones by day and gazing at the starry sky at night.

However, days turned into ten, and then into dozens, with Forseti showing no signs of awakening.

This gradually unsettled shilut's young mind, leaving him bewildered and anxious.

"Buzzing." shilut sat before Forseti, bowing his head several times.

Forseti, encased in the blood-colored amber, remained unresponsive, his eyes shut tight like a statue, with only the crimson streaks continuing to weave through the amber, occasionally seeping into his body.

"Om..." shilut lay on the ground, frustration evident on his face, staring fixedly at the ceiling for a long while.

After some time, he began rolling around on the ground, attempting to dispel his heartache, though to no avail.

Ultimately, shilut decided to soothe his troubles through eating, so he ventured outside to continue his stone diet.

Indeed, eating proved to be a balm for his soul. shilut consumed stone after stone, his previously crestfallen expression replaced by focus solely on the food before him, disregarding the world outside.

And so, another few months passed, with Forseti remaining in his year-long slumber.

The blood-colored amber that enshrouded him had thinned considerably from its initial state, now akin to a layer of ice, its thinnest parts measuring only a centimeter or two, with far less internal light.

"Buzzing." Every day for a year, shilut would call out to Forseti a few times before heading out to eat stones, a routine he had adopted.

In this year, shilut's appetite for stone had reshaped the nearby terrain, transforming what had been a mere mountainside platform into a small peak.

Moreover, the shape of this peak was quite unique, dominating the entire Luolei Mountains.

"Crack clap..."

shilut resumed his stone consumption, with debris scattered like cracker crumbs across the floor.

As he silently ate, two Kronans—one stout, one slender—approached from a distance, descending the mountain shortly thereafter.

"Crash..."

The two Kronans were caught off guard as rubble suddenly tumbled down, obscuring their view.

"What?" They took a step back, peering up.

Meanwhile, shilut, perched atop the rocks, also sensed something amiss, tilting his head and staring in astonishment.

Spotting shilut, the two Kronans exchanged surprised glances.

The stout Kronan couldn't help but inquire, "Whose child is this? What is he doing here?"

Despite their different lifestyles and abilities, in appearance, shilut and the Kronans bore remarkable resemblance, both being stone beings.

Naturally, upon seeing shilut, the Kronans assumed he was of their kind.

This marked shilut's first encounter with a creature so similar to himself, leaving him equally amazed, staring blankly at the two Kronans.

The stout Kronan promptly raised his voice, questioning, "Son, what is your name? Where are your parents?"

"Buzz?" shilut couldn't comprehend, feeling perplexed.

"Let's head up and take a look."

"We still have deliveries to make, alright?"

"We mustn't delay further; there might be other Kronan settlements nearby. Making contact now could be a significant achievement."

With that, the two Kronans ascended the mountain.

Initially concealed, the stone house had undergone noticeable changes over the past year due to shilut's alterations to the surrounding terrain, making it no longer hidden.

Consequently, the two Kronans ascended with ease, promptly spying the stone house nestled against the mountainside.

"Are your parents inside?" the slender Kronan asked, pointing towards the stone house, visibly surprised.

"Buzz!" Though shilut couldn't comprehend, he felt displeased when the Kronan gestured towards Forseti.

"You've grown quite tall; don't you speak?" the slender Kronan inquired skeptically.

"Is anyone home?" the stout Kronan turned and approached the stone house.

"Om!" shilut thought they might attempt entry, and his fury surged. He hurled the half-gnawed stone in hand, striking the Kronan squarely on the forehead.

"Boom!"

The flying stone struck the Kronan, causing his head to explode instantly, his body crumbling into rubble that scattered upon impact.

The stout Kronan, about to charge, froze at the sight of his fallen comrade, his eyes wide with fear before he turned and fled.

Rather than pursue, shilut watched the retreating foe, seating himself once more to resume his stone-eating routine.