Inero-ie took out a filter mask, then a set of solidified oxygen pills, setting the pills into the mask.

“Princess,” Inero-ie handed out the mask to Cile as they stood at the entrance of the castle. He had noticed that it was not working.

While Cile was removing the old mask from her bodysuit, Inero-ie once again turned towards the owner of the castle whose existence made him just as uncomfortable as their first meeting.

"Thank you," it was not just for the precious knowledge he had been allowed to learn from, something that would be an impossibility back in the settlements. It was also for saving the Princess thereby making it possible for him to keep his contract of keeping her safe.

"No need. Make sure to teach her, she has been unnecessarily sheltered."

Nod.

"Well then, you can leave," the moment the man-shaped Echo said that Inero-ie and Cile, both were outside the castle. The air around the castle was calm unlike the constant gusts of winds that were normal in this world. Not just that, it was uncharacteristically quiet.

***

A vast expanse of emptiness and desolation, that was the truth of this world. It was difficult to come across the local life as readily in these frozen expanses as in Grand Formation.

Grand Formations were one of the special circumstances that existed. Everything in this world possessed a hatred for the outsiders, a hatred that compelled them to come not even for their lives. And Grand Formations, the places with the most concentrated population of outsiders, were natural attractions for monsters.

Or other special circumstances such as Specters gathering large hoards of monsters, just like the time when Inero-ie had almost been killed by the hoard if not for the white snake.

Aside from extraordinary circumstances, it was difficult to come across monsters on the surface, though the same could not be said for the colder, darker sea that existed underneath the surface.

A greater foe than the monsters and even the specters was the environment of this world, cold to such a degree that the atmosphere was devoid of most of the gasses and the few that made up the air of this world were toxic to the utmost degree. This toxic air rarely had the chance to cause any damage though, the cold was quicker to freeze and flicker of life that was exposed to it.

Each step took them further away from the safety of the castle and Inero-ie had to think about how he communicated with the princess. A few ideas flashed through his mind only to be discarded immediately when he remembered the first time he had met her. ‘She was able to see the Threads,’ even now he could sense her eyes moving around, following their movement as thousands filled the space around them.

An idea came into his mind and he gathered around a thousand Threads, weaving them into one another to form a denser and bigger Thread that would be easier for her to see. Under his command, this Thread twisted, forming words and then sentences.

“Princess, can you understand?” the Thread spelled out the question.

“Yes,” came the reply which his ears were unable to pick up but he had long since stopped depending on his physical senses though he still kept them sharp.

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The castle was located inside a valley surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides. A valley he had an inkling had not existed before the creation of this castle.

Melding protected them from the killing cold, though Inero-ie had a suspicion that the princess would be unaffected even if she stopped Ice Meld. They made their way through the mountains without any fear with Darkness Meld hiding their presence.

As time passed, Inero-ie noticed the trail of Qi left behind by the princess. Her control was quite good. If they had been inside the Grand Formation where the monsters had their abilities reduced due to the restraining effect of the formation, it would not have mattered. But they were outside and the monsters were unrestrained with some of the more possessing enough sensitivity to sense her Qi trail. Nothing needed to be said for the Specters, for them this Qi trail might as well be as bright as lights in pitch-black darkness. Extremely easy to see and follow.

While he dispersed the Qi trail, he also started teaching her how to assert greater control over her Qi. Even if the Darkness Meld was hiding their presence, it would matter little if monsters or specters could follow from behind.

Teaching considerably slowed their progress. These mountains were filled with sharp-edged icy rocks capable of slicing through their flesh before they could even register. Then there were pits with depths unknown hidden underneath thin films of ice. Added to that were the howling winds that acquired even greater furiosity inside the mountain ranges. They had enough power to lift them up and impale them into the spikes that were present at every step.

Cile followed the bundle of Threads left behind by Inero-ie’s steps, each of her feet stepping exactly on those Threads, this was the only way he could ensure her safety while still maintaining some level of speed.

Both of them traveled through the mountains, their ears filled with the cacophony of howling winds and the constantly colliding shrapnels of ice. The toll on their senses was no lesser than the toll experienced by their bodies. For Cile who had never before stepped outside the Mid Barrier, much less the Grand Formation, it was difficult to adjust. She showed not a single sign of it.

“Dive,” Inero-ie suddenly ordered, sensing a swarm of massive spider-shaped monsters approaching. Grabbing the hand of Princess, he led deeper into the ice until he was sure they would remain undetected. Only a moment later, the massive spiders approached with sharp appendages that befitted their size. The swarm kept searching the area, trying but unable to find them.

While they waited, Inero-ie further taught the Princess.

***

She was special. Once again he was sure of it seeing how quickly she had improved her control over her Qi. Just a week had passed and the traces left behind by her were so insignificant that none of the monsters that wandered on the surface would be able to pick it up, just a bit more time and she would not have to worry about the Specters either.

She was remarkable, something he had experienced again and again. He had never before come across someone equaling his cultivation at his age but even though she was younger, she had already started walking her Path and had gained enlightenment to a Law. She had also been able to see his Threads when even Knrama was not able to despite having undergone multiple Sheddings. The other three that had been able to see them were all-powerful, so powerful he could not even understand but she was weak. So weak he could kill her with one arm.

'Are there others like her?' He thought it was unlikely considering the effort that had been made to keep her safe. Even the being in the castle had interrupted to ensure her safety.

He did not think it was unwarranted. She had grasped Ice Meld the moment he had used it on her and every day he could feel her improving further. It would not take long for her to reach his level, a level he had spent cycles to achieve. Maybe this was the result achieved when one was considered special amongst a family that was special amongst its more than a hundred million citizens.

He came to a decision sensing the life in her otherwise dead eyes. A change that bloomed whenever he taught her something or whenever she improved something.

'She will do.' He would teach her all that he had learned during all this time wandering so that when he inevitably died, at least his knowledge would not go to waste.

So that even when he was dead, he would keep helping to insuring her safety.