Meanwhile, Damon, Mark, Kate and Aurora arrived at a different location. For a moment they were all surprised because the spot they were currently standing on was completely different from the frozen tundra they had come from.
They were standing in a valley nestled between two towering ice-crusted mountains, but the valley itself was unlike anything the group expected. A tranquil oasis spread before them, a ribbon of lush green snaking through the heart of the frozen lands.
The snow faded at the valley’s edge, giving way to soft grass, blooming flowers, and warm, fragrant air. Birds flitted between branches heavy with fruit, and a gentle stream sparkled under the filtered sunlight pouring through the misty sky above.
Damon froze for half a second before he gasped, his eyes going wide. "These are... these are Spiritroot Blossoms... and that’s Starvine! And that... wait, that’s Sunquartz Moss!" He spun around, the excitement on his face almost childlike as he crouched down to gently pluck the glowing leaves of a moon-colored plant. "These are all rare. Some of these haven’t even been seen in the trade markets yet. What is this place?"
He didn’t wait for an answer. With a gleam in his eye, he pulled out his spatial pouch and began stuffing it with every herb he could recognize, darting from patch to patch like a treasure-mad botanist.
Azuna, watching with a serene smile, knelt beside a small blooming bush, her fingers brushing its leaves. "I had a feeling you might like it, Master," she said gently. "The earth called to me. It whispered of this place, a cradle of life hidden beneath the cold. I only followed its voice."
Damon didn’t even stop to respond. "Like it? I love it. You might’ve just saved me weeks of grinding." His laughter echoed through the valley as he vanished behind a cluster of shimmering blue ferns.
Kate let out a sigh, dropping her shoulders and finally relaxing. They had been through a lot and this felt like a much needed break. She crouched beside a stream, dipping her fingers into the crystal-clear water. "It’s warm," she murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. "Geothermal activity, maybe? But how does something like this exist in the middle of an ice field?"
Mark nodded. He too let out a big breath and directly jumped into the inviting water.
The last person on the other hand... Aurora was standing with her head bent low at the moment so no one could see her expressions. But the look on her face was not the one of her usual self.
Anger! Rage! Annoyance! Her hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned white, and her nails bit into her palms. Aurora’s shoulders trembled, not with cold, but with seething emotion.
The moment Damon’s eyes had lit up at Azuna’s words, the moment he had laughed so openly with her, every time she called him Master, she simply could not take it anymore. Who the hell was this woman and where did she come from?
Aurora did not like it one bit. Blood God was hers and hers alone. Just like how she was his and his alone. Who was this woman who had suddenly barged into their lives and now ruining everything?!! She should just die already!
Damon suddenly looked at Aurora, sensing the blood lust coming from her. He frowned and walked over to her after pocketing the herb he had taken out a second ago. "What happened? Are you fine?" He asked with worry.
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