Chapter 214: The Lone Flame in the Ice (2)

When he first met the God of Hope, he told Cale:

'Find the blue wolf.'

'Older than antiquity. Countless creatures that existed before humans made history. Among them, there was one with fierceness and mercy.'

'The Lord of Beasts, the King of Animals. Find the blue wolf, who has lost its splendor and is being forgotten.'

It was said that this blue wolf was an existence capable of enduring the many variables and drastic changes that would occur in the world of Aipotu.

If that existence existed, it was said to bear the weight of the Karma that Cale and his companions would face.

The God added as he spoke:

'Go on the adventure to Aipotu with the blue wolf and the Black Dragon by your side. These two are special, and their choices will affect the future in some way.'

First, we need to find out what the "blue wolf" means in Aipotu. Is it a creature, a symbol, or something else entirely?

Then, at the moment when Lock and Raon choose their own paths, a variable will occur that will change this world and ultimately alter the flow.

'And I have no intention of letting Lock and Raon be swept away by that flow.'

He preferred to bear the burden of the two children rather than let them carry it.

As an adult, I can't let two children under my care handle such a heavy burden, right?

"Ha."

Cale let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh.

Then he looked at the village chief in front of him and opened his mouth.

"The Snow Family has been with the wolves for many generations."

"That's right."

"So, why do humans consider Beast People to be dirty blood?"

The Grand Duchy of the Empire was accompanied by wolf warriors throughout the generations.

'That means until then, Beast People were not dirty, right?'

The reason why Beast People became impure...

'It's because of the extinction of the Grand Duchy 200 years ago.'

Cale thought he roughly knew what had happened, but he stared at the village chief to hear a more detailed answer. The chief spoke with a strange expression on his face.

"... About 200 years ago, the world experienced a catastrophic change."

He looked at Cale as if saying, 'How is it possible that you don't know this?' But Cale completely ignored that look.

"In summary, during the last 10 years, many fundamental things in our world have started to change."

The village chief's gaze turned to the living room window. Although it had diminished a bit, there was still a snowstorm.

First.

"The weather became chaotic."

Abnormal weather symptoms appeared throughout the continent, including the Empire, and then, at some point, the weather in that region changed.

"It is said that even here the snowstorm wasn't so severe. But after that catastrophic change, it became the land with the longest winter."

Originally, it was in front of a mountain range and was a tough area, but it still had good enough terrain and climate to live.

However, now it had become one of the most difficult areas to inhabit.

Second.

"Suddenly, we couldn't use mana and aura."

Cale's eyes moved quickly.

The topic he wanted arose.

"It wasn't like that originally, right?"

"Correct."

"It really was a dreadful era. Although I can't speak for aura, magic was used a lot in everyday life, so there was great chaos."

Cale immediately spoke up at the chief's subtle tone.

"Are you saying that's not the case now?"

"That's right."

Although he answered smoothly, the village chief's tone became more subtle.

"Because Mana and Aura are starting to return. It's a good thing."

"...Again?"

Although he said it as a good thing, the village chief's expression was not good. It seemed like he didn't want to say something pleasant.

"Yes, again. After the era of turmoil ended, people who can use mana and aura have started to appear, so it's fortunate."

"Your expression saying that doesn't seem very happy."

The village chief stopped.

"Sigh."

He sighed before adding.

"Originally, if there were a thousand mages, now there is only one. Aura is the same. Therefore, it can be said that magic and combat have regressed more in the last two hundred years than back then."

The village chief had much more to say, but he seemed to be holding back.

Cale wanted to know more about how society had changed as the number of people who could use mana and aura had decreased, but he restrained himself.

Because the village chief had not yet answered his question. He had to know about the Beast Peoples.

Finally, Third.

"And the Beast People became violent."

The answer to the final question has finally come.

"It is said that Beast People who successfully completed their First Berserk Transformation suddenly became engulfed in madness and caused harm to those around them. They appeared like monsters halfway between a human and an animal."

Suddenly, Cale remembered Lock during his First Berserk Transformation. A state of being trapped in instinct rather than reason.

"It was a time when neither Mana nor Aura could be properly used, so people were terrified when they saw Beast Peoples. At that time, a presence appeared that was none other than the Holy City."

'Not the Holy Empire, but the Holy City.'

Cale asked indifferently.

"Did you face those Beast People alongside that Holy City?"

It was an obvious story.

But when the story turns into reality, it becomes a serious matter. A problem that cannot be simply labeled as obvious.

"Yes. With the help of the Dragons in Holy City, we were able to drive out the Beast People. Many of them are said to have died at that time. They said it was difficult to count the number of dead. Despite that, many Beast People managed to survive and scattered across the continent, hiding. Here, in the Erghe Mountain Range, there are also hidden Beast People."

At this moment, Cale recalled a race that lived in the Nameless World 1, where he lived.

Dark Elf.

And Necromancer.

And finally, he remembered the Church of the Sun God that tried to eradicate them.

Similar things were happening in Aipotu.

Of course, in Cale's world, that was a thing of the past, but here it was still an ongoing reality.

Cale opened his mouth.

"I suppose Holy City has grown during those turbulent times and reached the position of the Empire, right?"

"Yes."

"And in Holy Empire, they told people that, since the Beast People had impure blood, they needed to be killed to be safe, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"And at that time, with the changed weather and altered power system, people feeling the threat needed someone to blame."

"...."

"And that target became the Beast People."

Cale, after speaking, looked at the elderly man.

The chief sighed as if releasing a sigh.

"...It's true."

The reason Cale could say these things to the old man was because of the sympathy that people here, including this old man, felt for the Grand Duchy.

This subtle atmosphere was not hidden, and those who sympathized with the Grand Duchy could not be hostile toward the Beast People, who were inseparable from the Grand Duchy.

Rather, didn't they show subtle resentment towards the Holy Empire that came to hunt the Beast People?

There was a brief silence.

'In summary...'

Cale organized the information he had heard.

From the turmoil period onwards, the climate of the entire continent changed.

The ability to use mana and aura was lost, and now only a very small minority can use it.

The Beast People became violent and turned into beings called "dirty blood/impure" living hidden.

"Cale."

Someone in a corner of the living room approached Cale.

Of course, that figure was Eruhaben.

"Do you understand what's happening?"

Cale nodded.

'The turmoil period. There's no doubt that the Purple Blood Hunters did something wrong at that time.'

The World Tree and this world itself are currently under the control of the Dragons.

That time should have been around the turmoil period.

'When the Purple Blood Dragons ruled the world, I suppose they suppressed the energy of this world.'

It's possible that the climate changed afterward. Or it could be due to the problems of the World Tree and the world itself.

'And finally, the Beast People...'

The corners of Cale's mouth lifted slightly.

'In a world without mana or aura. Moreover, the Dragons ruling the World Tree and having the Elves beneath them have only one existence to worry about more.'

Beast People.

The Beast People, they were strong even without mana or aura.

Especially in Cale's world, the Whales were comparable to the Dragons, although they were not rivals to the Dragons. And the population of the Beast People easily surpassed that of the Dragons.

'If the Holy Empire considers the Dragons as Gods, from their perspective, they must eliminate the Beast People who threaten the Gods.'

Cale organized his thoughts and asked the village chief.

"Have you ever seen a Beast People become so wild?"

"There are quite a few eyewitness reports."

"To the point of losing their reason?"

"Yes. It is said that, driven by madness, they try to destroy everything according to their instinct."

Cale looked through the living room window.

One side showed the village, while the other side showed a different place.

The snow-covered rugged Erghe Mountain Range.

If the Beast People are hiding, there...

"I can't fully trust those eyewitness accounts."

Pfft.

Cale let out a laugh.

The chief and the villagers fell silent.

Cale spoke to them casually.

"Living in those difficult mountains in this winter will be quite challenging. Is it believable that beings plunged into the madness of destroying everything, leaving only their instincts, hide deep in the mountains and don't come down to the village?"

Does that make sense?

If they are monstrous creatures, wouldn't it be more logical for them to descend to the villages at times like this?

However, in Cale's eyes, the villagers did not show any fear towards the Beast People.

"There may be Beast People turning violent, but there may also be Beast People who are not."

Cale declared conclusively.

"Like him."

He pointed to a middle-aged man who seemed to be the second oldest among the four people in the village. Cale pointed to him.

The identity of the middle-aged man had already been revealed when they entered the castle.

Bang!

The chair toppled as the middle-aged man stood up abruptly.

In the moment, a man dressed as a simple hunter from the village shot a threatening look at Cale.

"!"

He stopped.

Crunch.

With the sound of will being rejected, a person covered in a robe removed the hood and stood up.

"What a clumsy wolf you are."

"!"

The middle-aged man's pupils trembled.

And Cale smiled.

99 seats.

By gathering the strongest force, they couldn't stay outside.

The next Whale Tribe King.

Witira smiled as she looked at the middle-aged man.

"How come you've turned human but still emit the scent of a wolf?"

The one next to her let out a playful laugh.

"Haha, that's true. Here, the Beast People are a bit different from us. It seems like they went through something during the turbulent times."

Another one removed their hood.

The Tiger Tribe Leader.

Shaman Gashan was smiling. But within that smile hid great discomfort.

"Dirty blood. Haha-"

For Witira and Gashan, who lived with pride as Beast People, stories about how they were considered inferior beings in this world were irritating and even infuriating.

The village chief and the middle-aged man couldn't say anything.

The other two couldn't either.

"Alright, alright."

Cale gestured to the middle-aged man.

"Sit. Why are you so tense?"

A gentle smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Elder."

There were still many questions for the village chief.

Among them, three questions were especially important at this moment.

First.

"How does a Dragon become a God?"

A Dragon cannot become a God.

The idea of a Hunter making an Absolute God is even crazier! Turning a Dragon into a God? That just makes no sense!

Cale was interested in the thoughts of the Purple Blood Family.

"And when will the eradication team arrive?"

Secondly, he needed to understand about the eradication team sent from the Holy Empire to here.

He didn't know who his enemies could be, as it might be the first time facing them.

Lastly...

"Do you know someone named Choi Jung Gun?"

The missing Wanderer.

The last place Choi Jung Gun had communicated was here.

He had to find out his whereabouts.

After hearing simple answers about these three things, Cale would act.

* * *

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]