Brain bloom

But the thundercloud insects remained silent.

The altocumulus insect, passing by this place, looked down at the thunderstorm cloud insect and, based on its hundreds of years of insect life experience, offered some suggestions on what was wrong with it.

"Wow! Brother, you're really damn strong! But look at your body... that stinky skin! The mineralization disease is so severe... How about we introduce you to the devil for a secret deal? Sell the mineralized parts? Otherwise, in another hundred years, you'll be completely turned into ore."

The thunderstorm cloud insects remain silent about their fellow humans' good intentions.

Not long after—a dragon came from afar, and even though it had fallen into a deep sleep due to the seal, it couldn't help but wake up and struggled in vain.

It's Daniel, Melia's childhood friend.

The Eer Dragon is one of the most powerful races among the dozens of dragon species.

Although Daniel was in its youth and exceptionally large, compared to the Thunderstorm Cloud Worm, it was merely a small peak in the Cloud Peak. Even in terms of strength, it wasn't confident it could defeat the cloud.

But now Daniel is not as afraid as he was when he first met it; instead, he is full of confidence.

Because its mother is on its back.

The strongest and oldest dragon in existence—"The Primordial Calamity Dragon Who Shattered Truth"—Finanda.

They are also the most powerful hidden force in the Chaos Land, and it is said that they are even stronger than the current queen.

In terms of strength, they are among the very few who can be compared to the ancient Demon King. Moreover, their historical experience is also enough to put them on par with the rulers of the Demon Realm; they belong to the same generation.

This ancient dragon had been living in seclusion after raising Melia to adulthood. But today, it has made a rare appearance.

Fernanda transformed into human form; otherwise, her mere flight across the land would have brought disaster and defiled all living things. Now, she sits on Daniel's back, appearing as a beautiful human aunt of about thirty-five years old.

However, the physical characteristics of the Erlong were still preserved to some extent.

Amidst its long, crimson hair, dragon horns that seemed to pierce the earth stood out prominently. On its back were also a pair of miniature dragon wings, covered with scales and wing membranes, and crisscrossed with thousands of wrinkles.

Each one contains a powerful force composed of several advanced magic spells.

She kept her eyes closed the whole time, not revealing her tender and affectionate gaze.

Because lurking within those dragon eyes lies the greatest danger: the two great destiny magics passed down from the Evil Dragon.

But aside from these dangers, she is actually just a kind and gentle aunt.

“Mom, we’ve arrived.” Daniel conveyed the message with a dragon roar. “That’s the Millennium Thunderstorm Cloud Adult I was talking about.”

"I can feel it, this bug is very strong, and I feel like it would taste delicious if it were roasted."

Daniel's mouth opened and closed, because very few things could be praised like that by his mother. Then, Fernanda said something that Daniel didn't quite understand.

"And that garden of the gods seemed to have scattered ancient, withered petals upon it."

"what is that?"

"That is, rose quartz."

"Hmm... so this is the purpose of our trip."

"I know."

The deep, fierce roar of the dragon and the conversation between the aunt's gentle voice came to a temporary halt. Finanda was observing the thundercloud worm with a very serious expression.

Daniel waited silently, barely daring to breathe, afraid of disturbing his mother. Although she had become much gentler after retiring, she was once a nightmare for the world, with millions of souls easily annihilated beneath her wings…

Those past events deeply affected Daniel from a young age; living in his mother's powerful shadow was no easy feat.

It was originally ordered by Melia to return home to gather various technicians and prepare for the mining work. However, it happened to run into its mother who was out for a stroll along the way, and after a few casual words, it unfortunately became the little Eel Dragon carrying its mother on a trip.

Fernanda was very interested in this cloud worm, and her observation came to a temporary end.

"The relics left by that gravedigger... um, they don't seem to be there. Looks like I came all this way for nothing."

Although her eyes were closed, it did not prevent her from observing and experiencing the world.

"Was it taken away...? By the way, Daniel, wasn't this cloud mine something Ron Stolt traded to the Four Seasons?"

"Who...who is that?" Daniel was confused; it was an unfamiliar name.

"You don't know? It's very famous. It's that devil that looks a lot like an owl, belongs to the classical school, but has always been bound by the principle of trade equality."

“Oh… the ancient demon king. Yes, it was the one who made the deal with the Four Seasons.”

Fernanda nodded, already having the answer in her heart. The tomb keeper's relic must have been taken by the ancient demon king.

This is a reasonable situation. The Ancient Demon King is an old being who, although he has always been an observer, has been observing from the very core. He already knows a great deal about everything in this world.

It wouldn't be surprising if they took that relic with them.

"What a wasted trip... I was hoping to bring the City of Pocket Watches out, but unfortunately, I can only treat it as a tourist attraction now."

"What? What is Mom saying?"

“It’s all in the past now, so I won’t talk about it with you. Daniel, my good boy, take me to the clouds. Since we’re here, why don’t you help little Melia collect some rose stones?”

"Okay, thank you for your help, Mom."

……

The woman's figure was soaked with rain. Her face was beautiful, but her expression ruined it. She seemed to be in great pain, yet she still gritted her teeth and revealed a maniacal smile.

Dandelion knew who she was... she had seen her more than once.

She is someone who has experienced the "final journey," the strongest in the Peda Empire... and perhaps even the strongest assassin in the world, Bais.

"Can you treat my leg?" Her leg was wrapped in bandages, but even the bandages were rotting, a shocking sight.

"No, you almost killed my slave."

“But we didn’t kill the Four Seasons. We’re not enemies now.” She gave a smile that was as innocent as a child’s, but it sent chills down your spine.

"—The wolf of the Peda Empire, you've already received the message?" Melia asked, her tone laced with a merciless threat. "The one-legged wolf, what else do you plan to do?"

Sensing something was wrong, she strode out of the cabin, still tying her hair up. Her hair was elegantly loose, and she was still playing with the ribbon in her hair.

If Bys showed any sign of hostility, the ribbon could become a weapon piercing her throat. She stood behind Dandelion, wary of this notorious assassin.

Although Byss had his leg broken by Wish, he still managed to spread a large number of highly effective and targeted rumors in Silvermoon City, demonstrating a terrifying ability.

"Ahem, Queen of the Demon Banshees... The Rain Wizard told me that I don't need to worry about winter anymore, and it was you who helped... We're no longer enemies, are we?"

"That's how it is in theory."

"So, please treat my leg? I still want..."

She paused, and her expression softened for the first time without her noticing. She was no longer a blade of slaughter, but a blank sheet of paper that would only cut a finger, covered with pleas.

"I still want to go back to China to see my old friends one last time."

"partner?"

"Twenty years ago, my companions on the 'Final Journey'... the Rain Wizard, and Aureliano."

Melia wasn't familiar with the story, which piqued her curiosity, while Dandelion seemed to know quite a bit about it.

Consider it casual conversation while waiting for the siege and extortion, and also a way to wrap up this unsatisfying war. Dandelion started talking during a break while tending the grapevines—

……

The story told by Bais involves two other figures: the Rain Wizard and Aureliano. Although they have bad reputations, they are still worthy of being called legends.

This is also a legendary story that adventurers often talk about over tea and after meals—

In the Peda Empire, there is an ancient but extremely infamous tradition known as the "Final Journey".

The previous emperors were incompetent, and the country suffered hardship year after year due to the brutal seasons. However, the higher-ups still left a traditional path for the poorest people at the bottom of society.

Whenever someone in the slums manages to survive the winter through sheer willpower, they are recruited by the king on a journey promised "bread for every meal." This journey, ostensibly to "give you a better life," is in reality a brutal battleground for the poor.

These recruits will embark on a three-day journey, walking on foot to reach their desired life.

But they were told that there was only one spot available.

In other words, the goal is to have these people raise poisonous insects and fight each other until only one person remains.

Those who survive to the end and complete the final journey will be trained by the previous generation of assassins. After countless hardships, they will become the fiercest wolf in the entire country.

This assassination technique, passed down through generations, has always been a nightmare for other countries.

Bais – is the one who emerged from the last “Final Journey”.

She was trained smoothly and became the strongest assassin in history. But she was not the ultimate victor; rather, she was a loser. At that time, she was just a child and could not possibly defeat anyone.

The winner of the final competition was actually Aureliano, the current king of the Peda Empire.

He loved fighting, just like everyone else in the Peda Empire. Fighting was instinctive; he felt no discomfort in smashing enemy bones, tearing open hearts and drawing blood.

But what he sought was definitely not to quietly slit someone's throat.

Instead, it's something far more spectacular.

That harsh winter turned Aureliano's hair gray, but it also forged a body that was unafraid of the cold. His passing was inevitable, yet he believed he shouldn't become a wolf enslaved by the state.

Anyway, this is the final journey, there's no turning back.

"Kid, if you don't pass, you're dead anyway."

He told the last person he defeated that the one lying on the ground, gnawing on the mud, was a boy. He had somehow stolen several water magic books and become a very clumsy, low-level mage.

"Boy, you died when I defeated you. But now, I'm going to reverse your fate and give you back your life. In that case, how about we take a gamble?"

"gamble?"

"Yes, I've heard that those who pass this bullshit tradition can meet the king and swear allegiance... Since he is the king of this country, he must have been mentally prepared to be killed and replaced. I don't want to be enslaved by anyone."

"You can't do that."

"So... this is a gamble. If we fail, we'll feed the fish. If we succeed, the emperor, high and mighty, will be the fish feeder."

Finally, this gray-haired man who called himself Aureliano truly ended this tradition.

Volume 1, Chapter 217: Apologies and Expressions

"Back then, I was just a child who knew nothing. Even though I managed to hide in the warm fireplace of a nobleman and survive the not-so-harsh winter, I was still caught and made to fill in on that trip."

When Baisi took over Dandelion's words and recounted the story with pain in her eyes, her expression gradually became filled with nostalgia for that time.

After all, for her, this somewhat faded memory was the starting point of her life.

She once hated it all, but later, following their ideals, she became grateful for it all.