Shadow Slave

After a while, Sunny appeared from the swirling smoke, torrents of dazzling magma dripping from the jade exterior of his dark armor. He flicked it off his arm, then glanced at Kai.

”It’s finished.”

Sunny breathed out slowly.

”It appears the Tyrant had been developing in the core of the volcano for ages. Previously, only its servants would have ventured to the surface, but with the expanding community of Ravenheart, the aroma of human souls must have caught its interest. It’s fortunate that we handled the creature before it cracked the ceiling of the magma chamber trying to ascend.”

A Corrupted Tyrant was a formidable opponent for Kai, and it might still present some threat to Sunny — but only if Sunny wasn’t attentive. Since Cassie had briefed him about what abilities the monstrous entity possessed, he managed to slay it both swiftly and efficiently.

In truth, he had devoted most of the time simply exploring the interior of the volcano, not fighting the monster.

There were many fascinating things to investigate there.

Sunny weighed his words for a moment.

”At first, I was somewhat puzzled that you didn’t accompany me down, Nightingale. But once I plunged into the lava, I comprehended… even with my Supreme physique, remaining alive down there wasn’t simple. I nearly got roasted alive. This isn’t a normal volcano, is it?”

Kai gradually shook his head.

”No, it isn’t. My own physique as a Dragonslayer grants me substantial resistance against various forms of attacks, particularly those related to fire… but even for me, the heat inside this volcano is excessive.”

He sighed.

”You must have reviewed the accounts Lonesome Howl and her scouts brought back. The territories west of Ravenheart are a frozen nightmare — the chill there is so extreme that even Saints cannot endure. But actually, those territories hadn’t always been frozen, and the hypothetical ocean beyond them wasn’t frozen either. The remnants of fallen civilizations she uncovered, trapped in ice, are evidence. Furthermore…”

Kai’s demeanor became grave.

”The chill must have extended eastward gradually, judging by the remnants. And it is my conviction that it would have continued to extend, eventually transforming the entire Dream Realm into a frigid, frozen, lifeless world — if not for this mountain range and its mystical volcanoes, which act as a shield against the deadly cold. It is thanks to them and the ash they release that people can dwell in Ravenheart, the earth here is so productive, and the strange entities that inhabit the snow can’t pass over from the frozen wastelands.”

He paused for a moment and added with a slight smile:

”It is also my conviction that these volcanoes had been formed, or at least enhanced, by the Jade Palace and its Component. Well… in a sense.”

Sunny lifted an eyebrow.

”I don’t think Nephis ever explained what the Component of Ravenheart is, at least not thoroughly.”

Kai pondered his words for a moment.

”It’s somewhat intricate, isn’t it? The Citadels and their Components. After all, they were established by the Nightmare Spell — but, simultaneously, the Spell didn’t simply create the abilities of the Citadels from nothing. Instead, in most instances, it simply adopted the natural attributes of existing locations of power and reconstructed them in a way that its bearers could readily utilize, incorporating a universal foundation to all of them at the same time. Most Citadels seem to be designed to be governed by Saints, but the Great Citadels are plainly intended for the Sovereigns.”

Sunny nodded.

Indeed… Night Garden, for example, enabled Nephis to fix both the entrance and the exit points of her Dream Gate in the same world. Since only Supremes could utilize that Component, it wasn’t crafted to be wielded by a Saint.

Kai proceeded in a neutral voice:

”So it isn’t truly accurate to say that the volcanoes guarding Ravenheart and the lands surrounding it from the cold were created by one of its Component. Rather, they were created by the power of the Jade Palace, and the Spell created a Component based on that power afterward.”

His striking green eyes sparkled.

”That Component is… well, honestly, I can only describe it as terraforming. The Jade Palace can gradually alter the lands surrounding it — for instance, it can make them warmer, while simultaneously enriching the soil with mystical volcanic ash. As a result, numerous people can find shelter from the cold in the area surrounding Ravenheart, and collect many plentiful harvests annually. If managed properly, this land can become the food basket of humanity.”

He shook his head.

”Of course, the reverse is also true. If the ruler of the Jade Palace desired to, they could transform this land into an uninhabitable inferno, contaminating the entire Tear River Basin. Oh… and I can’t achieve much with my Transcendent power — the alterations would be too slow and incremental. However, Nephis can.” Ṙ𝓪𐌽Ọ𝔟Ěș

Sunny scratched his helmet.

”Right… I think I recall Cassie and Jet assigning several prominent scientists to an extensive research initiative.”

Kai nodded.

”Indeed. Ravenheart — the Jade Palace — provides immense power to its ruler. But it is a very complex matter. After all, constructing a healthy ecosystem is a challenging task… it is simpler to disrupt things than to enhance the existing balance. So, we have kept things as they are for now.”

Sunny remembered the imposing black outline of the Jade Palace. The power Kai described was mystical in essence, but by naming it ”terraforming”, he made Sunny consider it in a different framework.

’I wonder if we can somehow launch the entire structure to Moon. Or to Mars. That’d be quite remarkable, wouldn’t it?’

He laughed at his own thoughts and gestured to Kai.

”Well, you aren’t mistaken. Local volcanoes do appear distinctive… but this one specifically is extremely distinctive.”