Chapter 446 Welcome To The North (2/2)

”To become stronger, you shouldn't stay in the forest to fight berserk dragons and beasts. You must walk out of it, for the wastelands, snow plains, deserts, and abyss—every single part of this world awaits you. To witness the other champions under the sky, and feel it with your body—that way only would you understand the true meaning of nature.”

”Nature itself is definitely neither just forest or plants.”

With those words, the aged Grand Elder rose, appearing incomparably imposing as he straightened himself.

”I have a spot in the procession who would follow her eminence the Nature's Magister to the Northern Empire. You could go have a look, to experience the style of the universal greats within your own generation.”

Starfall Year 834, the 1st of March, Moldavia, the North.

At present, violent winds were moving black clouds that threw a gloomy shadow over the mountains and the plains. Blizzard that covers the sky was pouring, the cold winds engulfing heaven and earth along with dry air, turning all water residue into ice and blanketing everyone with biting child.

The March blizzard was the last snowstorm in the North during winter, as well as the coldest. Winds of frost would billow from the Lost Sea across ice plains, mountains and wastelands before being eventually barred by the Ural mountain range, shaping into a huge blizzard that shrouds the entire north.

In its midst, a team that was out of their element with this world journeyed through the snow.

There were less than twenty of them, but all of them appeared to have Gold-tier ability. They were riding dragon-blooded warhorses provided by the Imperial Military, and at its center was a plain wooden carriage pulled by drakes.

The wooden carriage was brimming with life—even in this snowy day, jade-color leaves were still crawling out from the roof, with each leaf bearing a complete Nature Rune and each branch forming a complete Nature Spell.

That carriage alone was also an extraordinary object that surpasses Gold tier. Along with the abilities of the escort's Gold-tier abilities, they were a sufficient force to invade a small nation.

The snowy wind swelled, blowing off the hood of one of the riders and revealing his pointed ears.

It was a band of elves, heading towards the heart of the Great Ajax Mountains—the Great Ajax Volcano.

Ira hurriedly pulled up his hood again and tightened the collar of his windbreaker.

”My goodness,” he complained quietly. ”Hasn't it been snowing for three days? Why won't it stop?”

Beside him, Grand Elder Madalla shook his head. ”Three days? My good child, the Northern Lands is the at the very northern edge of this world. Blizzards here are counted in units of months.”

The blue-haired elf stopped talking immediately, directing his horse and following the team in dismay instead.

In his journey with the diplomatic team of her eminence the Nature's Magister, the young elf unequivocally felt his own shallowness before.

The highlands of the West Mountains, along with the deserts and blizzards of the Northern Empire were completely different environments from the damp forests of the Far South. On this land that he experienced incredible discomfort, Ira could not help admitting that his ability had most assuredly plummeted.

Indeed, if he fought against local aces of the same level as himself, the match would be decided in five seconds.

—I've been arrogant and complacent before, ignorant and narrow-minded.

Ira honestly admitted his own shortcomings. Still, he was a prodigy amongst the elves, and he understood what he lacked—his adaptation towards the world and his understanding of Nature. When this journey ends, his ability would definitely improve after experiencing this vast world, and it would not be difficult for him to pursue Gallandro whom he once admired.

But what counts as a 'great' that Master mentioned? He thought curiously.

And in that very moment, Ira promptly lifted his head to looked around him in surprise. He sensed the surge of a hot wind—the warm breath was coming from the front, shrouding the entire band.

Boom!!

The skies that had been covered in black clouds became in darker. Lightning and thunder flashed across the cloud layers, the rolling clouds completely covering all source of sunlight and dumping the world into darkness.

The band of elves, who had been shuffling ahead, stopped.

The sound of blizzard and gales gradually turned into the dripping sounds of rain—floating snow that covered the skies had actually turned into a downpour in seconds.

The droplets were not cold; they could even be described as warm. As it showered across the icy plains of southern Moldavia, a bolt lightning blasted across the darkness, illuminating the entire world for all to see. With its light, Ira could hazily see that there was an enormous silver radiance up front.

Orderly footsteps that trembled the land soon followed.

Band after band of elite armored knights were riding robust dragon-blooded warhorses, leading almost two hundred silver steel puppets as they arrived before the elven procession. They stopped on both flanks of the elves, as if to escort them.

There were even knights among them who were riding winged horses. All of them, with no exceptions, had arrived before the threshold of gold. Naturally, they were no match for the Gold-champions amongst the elves, but these were a team of elves handpicked from their entire race, while they were just the forces of a single territory.

Ira watched the sight in astonishment. The excellence of the knights and the might of their presence made him feel that the Elven Court itself was nothing special, but his attention soon was attracted by other things.

For example, those cries that could be heard from the sky above amidst the thunder.

It was the immeasurably long call of a dragon, appearing alongside the lightning, echoing in the thick of the clouds.

Looking towards the gloom, Ira could somewhat see a tremendous figure that poked out of the clouds from time to time, revealing part of its body.

With black scales that seemed to absorb all light and a smooth but ferocious body, the black giant dragon that had unusual wings that resembled skeletons was carrying a huge steel halo as it weaved in an out of the buffeting winds and lightning. The scorching bolts would be completely absorbed whenever it hit its shell, leaving no hint of a scar.

The hot winds were getting stronger. At present, the weather was no longer chilling, instead more akin to torrential rains during a scorching summer. The golden gem on the black giant dragon's chest was emitting light like the sun, illuminating half the land beneath the sky.

”My goodness… Was it the power of that giant dragon that turned the blizzard into a downpour?!” Ira Ellis mumbled in bewilderment. It was the first time the youth had seen a power that could change the weather. Furthermore, the golden crystal on the black dragon chest that shone like a sun terrified him, for the elf knew that the frightening energies within could kill him instantly several times over.

The old elf beside him, however, shook his head solemnly.

”No. It's not the dragon.”

He stared in awe at the clouds behind the black dragon.

As a Supreme being, Grand Elder Madalla could naturally see things much more clearly.

If the incredible life emission that could change entire weathers was a sun burning intensely, then the dragon was just a beast of burden pulling its carriage.

At the same time, a man's voice rang across the skies, muffling the gales.

He spoke to the elves, with a deep and distinct voice that suppressed the sounds of rain and thunder.

”Your eminence, Nature's Magister.”

”Welcome to the North.”