Chapter 74 The Barrier

Chapter 74 The Barrier

Throughout the year, the grand mountain range in the West of Stahl was covered by a glistening layer of snow, creating a desolate and almost ethereal landscape, resembling the sacred resting place of a forgotten ice deity. The rugged mountains snaked along the western coast and entered the treacherous Frozen Forest, losing itself into the immensity of that dangerous place.

Fortunately, an invisible barrier seemed to bind the unknown dangers in the forest, preventing them from using the mountains as a path to attack Stahl or from decimating the normal animals that inhabited the mountains. However, every ten years, this barrier was mysteriously weakened, which allowed the monsters to invade Stahl and wreak havoc on the lands. Thankfully, the barrier still held those dangerous group of monsters, such as Winter Orcs and Death Spiders, allowing only weaker packs of beasts to pass through the invisible line that separated the border of Stahl and the forest.

The noble families were the first line of defense of the kingdom, they had the primary responsibility of protecting the lands and subjects under their control. They were expected to assemble and train their own armed force, but most nobles didn't fulfill their duty, choosing to indulge in the benefits of their status and focusing on growing their own strength. The nobles felt that burning gold with people who didn't have the slightest chance of reaching even the Third Stage was useless, it was better to spend with themselves.

During the reign of Henry's father, the kingdom's hierarchy was organized around four powerful duke houses, each responsible for ruling over a specific cardinal position. These houses were the pillars of the kingdom, as their ancestors played a crucial role in assisting Garret on building his kingdom. And, to hold the tittle of representative for a duke house, one had to possess at least the strength of a Fifth Stage Warrior.

Following the death of the previous king, two of the duke houses opted to abandon the country, taking their wealth and families with them. Meanwhile, Duchess Codicia seized the chance to assemble an army to usurp the throne for herself. However, amidst the chaos, the Moonlight Clan, with Luther as its sole survivor, chose to remain loyal to the throne.

While Elton followed the howling of the wolves, leading his team towards the snow covered mountain.

Gedhe, the representative of the barbarians, was carrying a massive tree trunk on his shoulders as he made his way through the snow-covered terrain, each step leaving deep imprints in the ground. The barbarian's eyes were fixed on his surroundings, Orsus Village, which was on its last phase of construction.

Amidst the grey trees and the wooden houses, tens of children were playing amongst themselves, jumping everywhere with a big smile on their lips, while men and women worked tirelessly to build new homes and to fortify the walls around the village. The vivid and happy scene brought a simple smile to Gedhe's lips, although he had sacrificed his afterlife, it was worth it. No one had to live in fear of the forest anymore. These small beasts in the Outer Layer were easy to deal with and couldn't even pose a threat to them without a large number of them.

"This is good!" – Gedhe thought, adjusting the logs on his shoulder and keep walking through the village.

Yet, as his mind reveled in these thoughts, a sudden tremor shook the village, causing the ground to quake beneath his feet. The very forest itself seemed to tremble, and an urgent sensation gripped Gedhe's heart as a familiar sensation spread through his being, as if a beast was lurking around.

Gedhe looked around, but nothing could be seen. – "Not real" – He pondered, deciding to leave it be.

However, although he had lived his whole life inside the forest, he couldn't imagine that this day marked ten years in Stahl's Calendar.