Chapter 466 The Polar Shelter
The cloud passed above the lands, obscuring and masking the dragon in it. The world was blurry as the terrain quickly passed below him. The tall mountain peaks appeared on the white horizon only to vanish in a fraction of a second as he darted at the speed of a supersonic plane.
As he flew, the frozen, snow-covered plains and mountains below him all merged into a white blur. The huts of native monster tribes, smoke rising out of their chimneys, looked so small and tiny they could only be described as children's toys.
The northern he flew, the colder the climate turned, and the huts slowly vanished, replaced by the endless frozen wilderness. The long rivers filled with ice thundered down the mountain valleys.
'Still not far enough.'
While all his minions worked hard on reinforcing and constructing the shelters, he moved to enact his own plan, and he knew he had only a single chance to do it right.
He didn't even slow down. Instead, he spread his wings even wider as they grew in size, speeding up his soaring gliding speed.
He let his strength get to his head with his aggressive moves and bullying of the mortals. There was a faint regret in his heart as he now knew it was a mistake, 'Maybe if I was more careful, I could still slowly build up my strength in the shadows.'
He even almost forgot that obscurity was the best defense. Instead of building huge fortresses and brutally conquering the mortal kingdoms and empires, he should have taken them over from the shadows, slowly replacing their ruling elites with his puppets.
As he flew further and further north, hypnotized by the endless white blur, he couldn't help but feel slightly depressed at his prospects' If the admin's plan comes to its fruition, then I am afraid it will be even worse than I had originally expected.'
The tall walls and defensive enchantments were a good start, but they couldn't truly protect cities from attack above a certain magnitude.
The mountains quickly vanished behind him, already looking just like small piles of stone and snow when compared to the seamlessly endless plain of stone that spread before his eyes. To the left, to the right, and even to the front, there was just pure white without even a small stain or blemish.
At last, he braced his wings and stopped mid-air, his mouth revealing the sharp teeth as his expression morphed into a grin. The terrain, the lack of civilization, and the inhabitable were what he needed.
He could sense with his domain the deep and freezing grudge and coldness in the soil, bringing the temperature so low it would make even Arctica look like a tropical island in comparison.
'This must be the coldest place on this entire planet.' The freezing winds howled around him, carrying clouds of snow and tiny ice crystals, making it impossible for a mortal to see further than a few steps from their nose.
The coldness of the far north mixed with the abundant ice mana, making the pole even colder than on the Earth, with the temperature easily dropping below minus one hundred degrees celsius.
Furthermore, the deep grudge infecting the entire plain made it even worse, the freezing cold seeping all the way to his soul only to be harmlessly repelled.
'Their investigation has paid off. This place is what I was looking for
—it will be perfect for masking and obscuring me from anyone scrying for my own aura.' A long time ago, he dispatched his minions in search of the places of legends where dragons were slain, and amongst them, this one caught his attention.
'The place where the ice storm dragonlord, Albion, with their empire, and vassals were murdered, the freezing blood cursing the soil with eternal frost.' Most considered it bogus and a myth as the lands were already frozen before, but Vesuvius felt the deep freezing grudge.
'Here, I seed the project shelter. The real one.'
The blown-up moon, the demon summoning magic, and even the elemental invasion all opened his eyes to the risk he had overlooked.
'One large attack and my entire property would be wiped out of existence.'
He, at last, decided to return the core of his organization to the shadows. He exposed all his most important minions, assets, and bases, only to regret it now.
'The vault project will be just a public farce. The true shelter will be here, unknown to most.'
The ground rumbled below him, all the snow shifting as the stone and frozen soil bulged up, leaking from the ground as if it were water. It moved aside as a huge crater appeared in the ground, looking like a giant gray stain on the white canvas of the snowy plains.
His divine kingdom was too dangerous; dungeons, even the stable ones, could eventually collapse, and other worlds carried unknown enemies and threats together with logistical issues. In the end, the only option that remained was to build his base deep underground, so deep it would remain hidden from the prying eyes of the mortals, gods, and their lackeys.
His eyes flashed, and the snow spiraled, forming a massive spinning wall that enveloped the entire plain in an impenetrable curtain that would make it impossible for any distant observers to see his construction work.
The ground rumbled and vibrated again as the black pit deepened, his domain drilling into the frozen soil. He didn't stop, his eyes glowing brighter and brighter as he kept digging while hovering in the air.
The stone was crushed and compressed into the superdense and heavy bricks that were piled by the side of the pit—stored for later use.
His plans were so grandiose his heart drummed in the excitement. Something about the concept of the hidden fortress deep beneath the frozen north made him excited like a child building a pillow fortress.
'I will bring in all my best frie... ehm minions in here. It will be so deep it will remain nice and warm even in these conditions. Massive underground farms will be created and everything will remain hidden with no signs of its existence above the ground. The only way here would be through my portals.'
Ding!
//
Quest accomplished!
The final result: The enemy attack of the elementals was repelled. The empire suffered damage but, in the end, came on top.
Rating: B
Reward: 5 X Instant Level UP
//
Ding!
//
You are now level 134
5 X All stats increased!
+25 stat points
+5 ability point
//
'Finally, I will bury my frost heart here. This will be the fortress protecting my second life. Even if my entire and even I fall, as long as this place remains hidden both will be reborn.'