"Hello, Frost Worm. How is your health?" she asked with an amiable tone.

She was, of course, asking about his eyes as it was the first injury to take so long for him to recover from.

"It is getting better. I think I will be fine in a year," Stone also answered politely.

At this, she nodded.

"Looks like it is time. It is really a relief that the Master is still taking care of Dor. I don’t really have a connection with it so far."

The master she was talking about was obviously Kaoran, who taught her since her childhood. Illyan wasn’t even born at that time.

"No worry, Grand Shaman. Dor will get used to you if you spend some time with him," Illyan answered with a polite tone. This was not Kaoran, who he thought of as family, so his behavior was also different. He was even called by his warrior title, as he didn’t tell most people that he was called Illyan.

However, even to the closest ones he didn’t tell that his name was divided into two parts.

Nobody knew he wasn’t just Illyan but instead Illyan Ragnar.

And he didn’t plan to tell anyone.

Even if this name couldn’t represent his entire being, it was still part of the name's form that could hurt him if in bad hands.

It was normal for tribe members to change their real names a little too. It was one of the first things Kaoran told him. So he wasn’t wrong to do that as it could save his life someday.

After all, he heard the stories of memory-sucking creatures and other such dubious monsters. If even one of them were real and did suck someone’s memories of his name he would suffer.

"Yeah, I also hope that I will get closer to him." She just smiled and then sidestepped so he could do his thing.

"Lately, the ancestral spirit is getting weaker since it had to use a lot of energy to hide before those beasts. It is really concerning."

"Well, considering that the spirit is as old as the tribe, it shouldn’t be weird." Illyan talked to her as he put his hands around it and with force, he pulled it out.

Right at that moment, the cupola of energy around the valley started to disappear and the cold winds of winter started to invade everyone present.

That made everyone aware that they will leave soon and started hopping on their sleds.

"Well then, Grand Shaman. I will be going."

"Yes. Let’s talk another time. I need to make a speech together with Degres."

With this, they said goodbye to each other and went their own way.

Illyan returned to Dor and put the Totem on one of the straps that hold it on the side.

"That should be all, right old man?"

"Hehe, yeah. Now we can set off."

Kaoran nodded at Illyan’s words as Illyan climbed on the top of Dor.

Zers who heard that cast his eye on his wife only to see her completely ignoring that. That made him feel indignant for being treated unfairly.

"Hey, why don’t you scold him too?

"For what?" However, when he asked her, she just rolled her eyes as she got on her sled with her wolf. She named her wolf a ‘Hail’ as she was snow white.

"For what?! He called our great last Grand Shaman an old man! Do something about it!"

"Haah…" When she heard this, she stopped and looked at him if he was really serious. Then she just sighed and kneaded her brows.

..." When he saw her like that, he felt a little awkward. However, he was not in the wrong!

"Illyan is his disciple. He literally grew up with the previous Grand Shaman and probably treats him as his father or grandfather. Are we really gonna compare him with your immature behavior?"

Illyan, whose hearing was very acute, caught this conversation and felt pity for Zers. That guy always says something stupid and then faces the consequences.

If only he could see his expression when he was scolded by Yii…

"Listen up my proud Tribe!"

Then a loud voice was heard across the entire valley.

The current Grand Shaman started her speech before leaving this place for an indefinite period. Maybe they will never come back. That’s why they felt a little reluctant.

However, despite her loud voice, her speech didn’t bring up the same passion as the ones Kaoran did. That made Illyan stop listening as carefully and instead made sure he didn’t forget anything.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Others still listened as many felt patriotic towards their tribe.

The speech wasn’t too long fortunately, and Degres took over soon after. As the strongest fighter in the tribe, he is in the front leading the entire entourage together with the weakest members and slowest members.

This strategy was made so the weak ones determine the pace of the entire tribe so they won’t be left behind. Degres, with a few other strong fighters, then defends them from any kind of threats, and scouts are communicating with him to choose the optimal path.

On the other hand, other strong individuals are in the back, defending the tribe from behind.

Illyan and others are in the middle as they got the permission.

Kaoran has a high status and is too old. Illyan was incapacitated and had to study.

And everyone who has a pregnant wife or very young children do not need to have the most dangerous spots, so Zers also doesn't need to be at the back.

"Well, I wonder where we will be going."

Illyan muttered to himself as he noticed that Degres already got to the front and heard that people in front of him were already proceeding in a long line.

"West. We are going west. Remember when I told you years ago that the west side of the Cold Sea will freeze soon? Now after a few years it froze completely, so it wouldn’t be a problem to cross it. That’s the opportunity for us to leave for the smaller land on the other side."

Kaoran answered him immediately. He obviously knew where they will go as the upper echelon had to decide this before setting off. Aimlessly wandering would just kill them off faster.

The north was swarmed with the beast, in the south was the Blood Crow Alliance, and in the east was the ocean.

The difference was that the ocean in the east was much rougher and turbulent, making it impossible for it to freeze to the state where they could cross it.

That made the west side, the only side that won’t cause casualties of the highest proportions. The elders decided where to go years ago as they knew this migration was inevitable.

"Did it really get so cold that even the ocean froze? I thought oceans have waves and typhoons and whatnot. How can it freeze when it moves constantly?"

Illyan remembered Kaoran saying this but never thought deeply about it. At that time he didn’t know much about oceans so he couldn’t imagine it. Now when he was already aware of the size and chaotic nature of the oceans, he was completely confused. How could it freeze so easily?

"That’s the point, boy. Cough. The complete change of climate had created many ‘miracles' across the lands. Unfortunately, those miracles aren’t very friendly to humans and other creatures."

He already knew that as time passed this land got colder and colder. Illyan doesn’t even remember the day when it was warm anymore.

However, it was definitely unnatural for this to happen.

"Why do you think this is happening?"

In the end, he couldn’t help but ask this. The climate got worse as time passed and he feared that it wouldn't stop any time soon.

"Who knows, boy. You’ve already read the records. This change of climate has been happening since our ancestors got here. Honored Bakur mentioned large glaciers in the Cold Sea when he sailed on the ship coming from the north. There have been many theories as to why this is happening."

Kaoran mentioned that this problem was noticed for generations. But nobody knew why.

"There is no clue whatsoever?"

Knowing that there is no explanation for this desire to understand it grew.

"Well, there are some theories. Some are far-fetched, but some are quite interesting. There is one that says that the gate to hell opened in the north or that some kind of treasure made of divine ice. The most normal one is that some kind of catastrophe happened in the far north. So big that it even implicated us in this place."

Kaoran then describes all kinds of theories that people came up with in the past as Illyan listened with rapt attention.

Zers and Yii, seeing them be lost in their conversation, didn’t interrupt them as they rode beside each other and talked about something themselves.

"What do you think that it caused?" At the end of the conversation, Illyan asked which theory Kaoran believed in.

But Kaoran just shook his head.

"Hard to say. However, I believe that it has something to do with the Cold Energy that has been in the Kennera Lake."

When he said this, Illyan opened his eyes wide.

If the Cold Energy was really one of the reasons why this change of climate happened, then it would explain a lot. Unfortunately, they do not know about Cold Energy that much either.

They only found it when it was already in the Kennera Lake where it was sealed. Then after they destroy the waterfall, it would start to dissipate and appear only in winter a few years after.

Now it has generated much quicker as the winter has been going on for years already…

Moreover, Illyan noticed the underground cave from which the water and possibly the energy were going from.

Maybe that eye also had something to do with this all?

So many questions and so few answers. It was vexing.

Illyan really wanted to explore the place to find out more about it but he promised that he won’t risk his life like that ever again. If he enters that place as he is now, there is a big chance that this time he won't be able to escape.

But that didn’t mean he gave up on it completely. If there is a chance in the future, he would love to visit this place again.

As they began leaving the valley, he took down the cloth once again.

He looked quite blurry, but he wanted to see this place for the last time. This place was his home for six years. Life was difficult but it was fulfilling. He learned how to be a warrior here, how to tread the path of the supernatural and even what his true desire is.

He found in this place a figure of a father and grandfather and found his best friend here. In his life, he lost so much in the early days, but here he gained just as much.

The complicated feeling sprouted in his heart at the sight of the place.

He never expected that he would feel nostalgic just by looking at this place.

"As a person grows older, he will go through many experiences. He will accept new people into his life, visit new places and try out all kinds of joys of life. But in the end, there will come the time when he says goodbye to those people or when he leaves the place he loved for good. Nothing is eternal, as everything will turn to dust one day."

Kaoran’s words sounded beside him, telling him the basic truth of the world. He turned his head to look at him. He could see only a blurry figure as his eyes were still healing. But it was enough to see how fragile the figure became.

After so many years of knowing him, he thought of Kaoran as family. But seeing him in such a state made him anxious. His words rang in his head, making him realize…

He will not be there for him forever.

In the end, everything will turn to dust. Including Kaoran. Including him.

Illyan looked at his hand. It was young and full of strength. Since he has his regeneration, he thought he would live for a very long time. But will he truly?

How will his hand look in the next 100 years? Or 200 years? Will he be able to survive until such a ripe age? No matter what he will do during those years, everything will turn to dust.

He clenched his hand into a fist.

‘Nothing is eternal and probably nothing will be. But that doesn't mean I can’t try to achieve it.’

Boom

In the overcast sky, lightning was dancing in the dark clouds as the thunder resounded as if acknowledging his determination to go the path of no return.