997 The Southern Capital

Unlike the other three regions that had an abundance of sun and rain, the harsh environment did not allow the inhabitants to become farmers or build many fantastic looking cities. The South had extended periods of dry seasons for most of the year and instead of a winter, it merely got colder in the second half of the year.

The winter desert season as they had dubbed it was just as harsh as winter and the winds blew along with the white sand all around them. There was little rain, so each Oasis became a precious hub for life around it. Ironically the skies were full with imposing grey clouds yet while it rarely rained, it often thundered.

The Southerners had been forced to adapt and improvise a lot for their survival ever since the first group of people set foot into this abyssal sandpit of white death. It was practically a miracle that they had somehow persevered long enough to create a long lasting civilisation.

Nevertheless, the completely hostile environment was surprisingly suitable for one thing:

The growth of monsters.

The rate of monsters growing in the South was considered to be the most rapid and problematic. The first wave of settlers who had tried to establish a foothold in this area, quickly got beset by waves of monsters that eventually wiped the entire group away.

The next group of settlers found the ruins of their predecessors and learned about what had happened from a torn diary by the expedition leader. Their short stay had been enough to convince themselves about the reality of the monster plight. Luckily they had managed to fend off the first waves of monsters with few casualties before they sailed back to report to their respective homelands.

The retrieved diary spoke about precious metals, gold and artefacts which had apparently been found not too far away from their original location. Thus, the third expedition had been manned by a company of soldiers to protect the new wave of settlers. With the prospects of getting rich, many had flocked to join the expedition, hoping to earn a good buck for their families back home.

They also managed to last longer than the first group, but they had been unprepared for the harshness of winter in that new land. A number also succumbed to diseases unknown to them they caught from the cold while some died from the lack of proper medical care from frostbites and winter related injuries. Even those from the North who were more prepared for the cold than the others had trouble settling down. 

One day, someone decided to make a proper kingdom in the Southern Region despite the perpetual dangers. That person was a charismatic military man, who had successfully convinced many groups to join in. With his training, he commanded his armies to handle the hordes of monsters.

After killing the monsters these new southerners started to survive the harsh environment by striping them for their meat and using their materials to create more weapons, armour and even buildings.

That was why there was a difference in terms of strength and abilities of the guilds between the Western Skies and the Southern Stars. To the latter, scouting and killing was part of their daily job and their long term survival depended on those skills. Even when they turned old and frail, the Southern elderlies were probably two to three times stronger than the average healthy men in the Eastern or Western regions.

Qiu Yue teleported to a secluded corner after Meomi gave her the signal that nobody could see them. The Red Panda Cultivator found herself at awe by the design of the Southern Capital. Unlike the cold metal look which the Northern Capital had, the Southern Capital was an abomination of a city. For example, the Capital Walls were made from monster parts which Meomi told her came from the bones of the giant snake. Between the pillars (aka the bones), other monster parts were mixed, matched and subsequently defused to become something as hard as stone or maybe even stronger than that. But no matter what, they still looked like a white washed stone wall from afar until one decided to have a closer inspection on them.

"Look over there. Nightingale told me she slew a golem with her squad and they decided it would be strong enough to put it on the wall. Around here it's considered an honour if your kill can be used to protect the general populace." Meomi added that she had even seen Nightingale's name inscribed on the stone of the golem. 

"But that's not the best part of the Southern Capital's wall. Do you see that particularly unique design at the front gates of the Southern Citadel? A Legendary Monster Beetle had invaded the Farming World in the past. It was a terror for all Four Regions. I was a kid, but I do remember the sounds of its wings when it had ravaged the Northern Region, after it came from the West..."

"So I am guessing the Southerners were the only ones who managed to down it?" Qiu Yue asked as they walked towards the Citadel Gates.

"According to my father, the Southerners had prepared an ambush for it since the beetle had ravaged the corps of the rest of the Farming World. Although the other three regions had sent elite troops as reinforcement for the Southern Region, they ultimately only got to enjoy the show." Meomi recalled vaguely and felt a bit nostalgic that it was a story her father told her.

"I am surprised, your father did not sugar coat the truth and claimed that the Northern Region played a major role in the fight."

"Hah! He was never the kind who would do such things. In fact, he was the one who made contact with the Southerners to warn them of this eventuality. He thought they would not treat his words seriously since he had just been a mere lordling in the Northern Region. To his surprise, they contacted him back, thanking him for the warning and asked if we could send some reinforcements just in case. Although the South is the hardest place to plant a crop, we are nearly the next in line to take that trophy title. And despite all the losses my father managed to convince the Northern King."

"I guess he reasoned that it's better to send the troops there and have a bloody battle with the Legendary Beetle than having it come here again and destroy your hard earned crops." Qiu Yue said and Meomi merely shrugged her shoulders.

"I did not really care what his reasons were. To be honest, I was too small to even bother about it that much. I only remembered all of this because Nightingale had been reminiscing the past with me. Without her, I would probably not have thought about sort of information." Meomi commented as she showed the guards at the citadel gates the badge of the Southern Stars which Nightingale loaned her.

"Come now! Do you really have to call it information? Can't you just say they were your precious memories?" Qiu Yue tried to make a joke but Meomi got serious.

"These 'memories' …have all been sullied by the Demon Rats. I don't wish to recall them until each and every Demon Rat is dead." Meomi stated but they suddenly felt an imposing presence from a distance. As they raised their eyes up beyond the sight of steep stairs, they saw a group of well armoured men and women standing with their hands folded as if they were waiting for their arrival.

"Well said, friend of Nightingale. I suppose the one beside you is the emissary for that secret organisation which Nightingale spoke of." The man spoke and Meomi nodded her head while for some reason, Qiu Yue noticed that her hands were turning into claws.

"Don't tell me a show of power will be necessary to even speak to them..." Qiu Yue sighed at such a possibility but with each passing second, it became more likely.