The monsters beyond the wall feared the north.

They said that a terrible wasteland stretched out there, where even monsters couldn’t endure.

And ruling over that place was the master of the north.

Many strong warriors had bravely gone north but none returned. No news was ever heard from them again.

The nymph decided to fight against the master of the north. Which meant the same as preparing for death.

━I don’t know. Perhaps the master of the north possessed something that could cure the illness. We didn’t even have time to stop her.

The nymph ventured further north.

That was the last anyone saw of her.

Some said they saw her bathing in a nearby stream. Other birds said they spotted her near the ruined city of the north.

Though, no one knew if these stories were true.

It was similar to the story I heard from the ogre Dordor.

There had been a powerful forest master who ruled over all the forests, but fell in the challenge against the master of the north. In fact, I could already guess how this story would end….

But I had a question.

“Then, what happened to the child?”

Surely, she didn’t take the child with her when she fought the master of the north. That would mean the child had been left behind.

The old wolf Tasagan gazed silently into the air before speaking.

━At that time, the forest was undergoing many changes. It would have been difficult for a half-fairy who was still too young to take care of himself to survive.

But he did survive.

That’s why I’m here.

Summing it all up, it seems that this guy wasn’t completely abandoned. Was it a severe illness? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his mana circuit was burned with Jeoksangari?

Red mana flows thickly in the blood of Angmar.

I’d heard that it threatened the health of any human vessel. This body was said to have mana levels far exceeding the average Angmar. Even higher than Solomon’s.

The intense mana would’ve been too much for a young child to bear.

Perhaps the nymph realized this and burned the mana circuit to heal the illness…. Even if it didn’t cure him, it would have prolonged his life.

The puzzle pieces were falling into place, one by one.

I felt a sense of clarity and even a bit of emotion.

This body wasn’t abandoned out of cruelty.

Rather, it was quite the opposite.

He was alone because he received so much love. A love enough to risk one’s life for their child.

Could I ever do something like that?

Would I be able to do the same for my child…?

As that thought crossed my mind, I felt my heart lighten.

Of course, there were still some unanswered questions. This body had been found as bandit loot and was sold in the slave market.

How did that happen?

That one missing piece felt slightly unsettling. But even when I asked, the white wolf Tasagan said she didn’t know anything about it. And there was no one else who might.

Which meant there was no need to stay here any longer.

* * *

We decided to head to the eastern wall.

Stella, for her part, expressed a small hint of regret.

“I was just starting to understand the wolves’ words. And I haven’t learned much about immortal arts yet.”

“Then why don’t you stay here and learn, Stella-nim.”

“Ugh, no thanks.”

Fufu—Stella chuckled softly.

The giant wolf Kubilai, who had come out to see us off, rose to his massive height and said.

━I’ve taught you everything you need to know. Just as how once you learn to walk, you would eventually be able to run. You can now train on your own.

I see.

I recalled this morning’s long meditation. I did feel like I was starting to get the hang of it with a little more practice.

Then Stella spoke.

“I’ve taught you everything I can, you can now descend the mountain—Did that big wolf just say that?”

I was a bit surprised.

“Stella-nim, you can understand animals now?”

“No, not exactly. I just get a vague sense of what they’re saying. It’s like I can kind of feel the gist of it—if that makes sense?”

I see.

True to her nature, as someone who loves taming beasts, Stella seemed to be slowly grasping this peculiar fairy ability.

As expected of a fairy who’s lived a long life, she’s quick to adapt and skilled.

Then the wolf Kubilai added.

━So, half-fairy… As the new master of the forest, will you ever come back to challenge the master of the north?

At his question, I recalled the powerful monster lurking near that rift. I wasn’t sure what kind of creature it was, nor did I know if I’d have any reason to fight it.

“We’ll see.”

The wolf chuckled as I vaguely replied.

━Well, it will be difficult with your current skills. On a side note, if you want to improve your skills, you two might want to try dual cultivation. The harmony between a body cultivator and a mage has surprisingly good yin-yang synergy.

Dual cultivation?

I tensed up slightly, wondering if he meant what I thought he did. Just then, Stella asked, “This time I didn’t catch that. What did he say?”

So I answered briefly.

“If you want to improve your skills, you should make a baby with me.”

“That’s a lie.”

It’s true.

Anyway, with that, we set off to the eastern citadel. The wolf pack guided us, so finding our way wasn’t too difficult.

However, we couldn’t let our guard down. There was an ominous energy lurking at the far eastern end, so it’s better to be careful. Perhaps because of that, the forest was eerily quiet.

“Training with animals, picking strange fruits—everything felt like a fairytale. It was a very fun experience. Once we cross the wall, there won’t be anything like this for a while, right?”

Stella said, stretching leisurely.

I responded casually.

“I wouldn’t want to experience this again, honestly. Even if I had several lives, there were too many dangers. Just thinking about the time I fought a giant centipede….”

Chatter, chatter.

We talked about the things we went through as we walked. Looking back now, so much had happened.

Especially the constant battles, every day, every hour—it was a bit too intense for someone like me, who had lived a relatively peaceful life.

Thanks to that, my skills have improved in many ways, so it’s a good thing.

Rustle rustle-.