Chapter 702: Cangnan
Beyond the Enchanted Woodlands was an enormous mountain covered in red stones. Beneath this mountain was a cave where a monster slept peacefully.
It was a giant toad whose back was bathed in flames. It had been in a long slumber but was abruptly interrupted because of foreign visitors.
"Humans? How long has it been since someone has stepped out of that magical forest?" It opened its eyes and looked beyond the cave.
The ground shook as it lifted its humongous body. The flames on its back burst forth, burning fiercely with life.
"But how did they alert that being..."
It narrowed its eyes in confusion.
"No matter... Since she has spoken, I will offer them safe passage."
The giant toad went back into sleeping position and closed its eyes.
...
"We are finally out!"
The soldiers of the great allied army rejoiced as soon as they stepped out of the Enchanted Woodlands. Some wept, some triumphantly raised their hands, while others knelt and kissed the ground.
Everyone was thrilled.
Alaric raised his head and looked at the bright sun. It was the beginning of summer, and the biting heat prickled his skin, as if to welcome him to this new world.
___
You have traveled to Cangnan and opened up a new world for the people of the desolate region. Your name shall be engraved in the annals of history, forever to be remembered!
Reward: Realm Advancement Card x1
____
A golden system screen appeared in front of him.
This...
It was the first time he had seen the system shining with such brilliant gold.
Realm advancement card... is this what I think it is?
His heart suddenly pounded with excitement when he saw the reward.
He had the urge to use the card right there and then, but he stopped himself. They were still in unknown territory. Using the card here would only expose him to danger.
He reluctantly closed the system screen.
Yskaela and Yvanna saw him smile. They thought that he was excited because of the success of their expedition.
"We made it, Alaric! We made it!" Yskaela, the Queen of Veronica, couldn’t conceal her joy. If no one was here, she would have already jumped into Alaric’s arms.
Yvanna was more reserved. She just held Alaric’s hand as she eagerly observed the surroundings.
"My lord, I have something to say." A stern voice drifted into their ears.
Alaric turned his head and saw Bellator wearing a serious expression. Seeing this, he signaled to the two women with his eyes.
Understanding his intentions, Yvanna and Yskeala left.
"Speak. What is it?" Alaric looked at him, awaiting his report.
Bellator looked at the enormous mountain covered in red stones and replied. "The beast has not shown any signs of hostility. I sensed its gaze earlier, but it suddenly disappeared. I think it has no intentions of attacking us."
He didn’t know if this was related to the butterfly, but he was glad that he didn’t have to deal with such a formidable enemy.
"Is that so?" Alaric furrowed his eyebrows, feeling somewhat relieved to hear this.
Bellator nodded.
"Keep an eye on its movements. We are still within its territory so we must be careful." Alaric instructed.
Bellator acknowledged his command. "I understand."
Whoosh!
After he left, Yskaela and Yvanna returned and asked him. "What did Lord Bellator say?"
Alaric gave them a reassuring smile. "He said that the beast in that cave is not hostile."
"Really?"
Looking at their doubtful faces, Alaric chuckled. "At least for now, but there is nothing to be worried about. We have Lord Bellator with us, a mighty Beyonder. What is there to fear?"
Hearing this, the two women felt much better.
"Right. You are right. What is there to fear?"
The great allied army did not stop to celebrate. They all knew that a powerful monster lived in the Red Stone Mountain, so they continued marching to leave its territory.
Two days later, they arrived in a vast grassland.
"Let us set up camp here." The Astanian Emperor commanded. The place was perfect for a temporary camp.
If an enemy got close in such an environment, they would be spotted immediately.
The soldiers quickly assembled their tents. The auxiliary troops grabbed their tools and construction supplies to build walls around the camp. The various leaders also sent groups of warriors to scout the vicinity.
While everyone was busying themselves in their respective tasks, Alaric excused himself.
"I will search for some settlements." They needed information about the place to avoid unnecessary detours, but this wasn’t his only goal. He needed to find a quiet place to use the realm advancement card.
"I will go with you," Yskaela said, her eyes saying that she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Alaric wanted to refuse, but her glare muted him.
After careful thought, he relented. "Fine."
He would be defenseless once his advancement began so bringing her along would ensure his safety.
Yvanna also wanted to tag along, but Alaric raised his hand to stop her from speaking. "No. It could be dangerous out there. I don’t want to put you in danger."
Yvanna was disappointed, but she knew that she would only be a hindrance if they truly encountered something. Knowing that she couldn’t force the matter, she nodded her head.
"You two must be careful." She reminded them with a worried look.
Alaric embraced her and smiled. "We will. Stay here and protect our children."
Yvanna hummed in response. "Mn."
𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
In the next moment, Alaric and Yvanna left the camp and headed westward.
...
In a small beast folk village a few miles from their camp, a gathering of warriors was taking place.
"Summer has come, we must stock more food and prepare for the next winter." The village chief announced to the warriors. He had the body of a human and a head that resembled that of a goat with two curved horns.
The warriors gathered had the same appearance as him except their horns were not as prominent.
"The last winter killed five of our folks. We must not let that happen again." The village chief added.