The first snow of the season had begun to fall, delicate flakes drifting from the gray sky and vanishing the moment they touched the cobblestone path. A gentle chill lingered in the air, brushing against the skin like a quiet reminder that winter had at last arrived.
Below, the small town nestled in the mountains seemed to exist at its own pace, almost frozen in time. Its narrow streets moved with a slower rhythm than the world beyond, where life flowed softly and without rush.
In these high regions, however, the seasons always came early, and winter had already begun to lay its quiet claim.
....snow has started to fall...
Ash thought as he walked slowly, dressed in a long black coat that reached almost to his knees. A plain hat shielded his head from the light snow that was beginning to fall, while a pair of gloves rested in his hands.
He carried a grocery basket, filled neatly with bread and vegetables, the faint smell of freshness rising from it as he moved along the cobblestone pathway.
All around him, people dressed in winter clothes passed by, their steps steady as they carried on with their everyday tasks and activities. Though the streets were not empty, there was still a certain sparseness in the air.
Its almost been 15 days...
Ash thought quietly as he turned around the corner and continued to walk. Fifteen days had passed since the vacations began, and in those days many things had happened.
The first of them was that Ash and Elysia had bought a house far from the larger cities and human settlements, hidden quietly in a town that was neither famous nor well known. The town was called Serenity Falls, named after the waterfall that flowed gracefully down from the mountains nearby.
The best thing about this town was its location, nestled deep within the mountains and surrounded by endless greenery.
Soon, however, all of it would be covered in white as the snow thickened and full winter took hold. Snow was falling even now, but it was very light.
Ash’s reason for choosing such a place was not rooted in strategy but in a personal wish carried from his previous life, a longing for peace. If he were to be honest, the past fifteen days spent there had been among the happiest moments of his life.
Yet beyond the quiet happiness, he had not forgotten his goals. Alongside setting up the house, Ash had also been investigating, carefully seeking information about the Hollow Mother and the Rune present in the Dwarven Continent, while doing everything possible to remain discreet.
After the fall of their city, the dwarves had closed their gates to outsiders. To most, it seemed an act of anger or stubbornness, but the higher authorities of the other continents knew there was a far deeper meaning behind their sudden withdrawal, one not meant for the common people to understand.
Ash had also traveled to the Dragon Continent during those days, where a deceptive peace lingered now.
Yet beneath that calm, change had already begun. The ancient dragons who had slept for centuries were slowly awakening, and the news of it had left Ash unsettled. Events that should have taken much longer were happening too fast, and the knowledge he carried from the novel was beginning to lose its worth.
The awakening of the dragons meant uncertainty. They could choose sides, and if that happened then perhaps another war for dragons would be inevitable.
No one could say for sure, not even Ash.
During his travels he had also met the Unicorn Queen and little Eric who was not so little now, yet Solareth had not returned from his venture to the Neutral Continent. His location was still unknown, though his survival was certain. The Queen possessed a Soul Lamp that still burned, a silent sign that his life had not yet ended.
Which brought him quite a bit of relief as well.
He then asked her about Snow. It was the first time he had gone there after the serpent hatched, since he had not found the time earlier, and now that he finally did, he learned many shocking things.
Firstly, she had no idea what a Primordial Serpent was, because according to Solareth, the egg belonged to a Divine Serpent, not a Primordial one.
What shocked him even more was what she confessed afterward. She told him that the moment she laid eyes on the baby serpent, she felt an inexplicable urge to bow and kneel before it.
The reason for that feeling was unknown, yet because of her overwhelming strength she was able to resist and shake off that call with ease. But she was still shocked nonetheless.
After Ash returned, he thought about it for a long time. No one knew about him possessing the Runes, except perhaps Ray or the World Tree, so it was not something anyone else could guess.
But Ash had a suspicion...
When I placed the egg into my Soul Space, I remember its appearance change and countless runic symbols appeare across its surface...there is a possibility that the Runes within my soul affected the egg, and because of that it evolved from a Divine Egg into a Primordial Egg.....
It was the only explanation that made sense.
Looking from this perspective, many other things also became clearer, such as the reason behind Melissia losing control over her powers and being frozen in place because of Snow.
Speaking of Melissia...
Ash could not help but feel angry when he learned how badly Elysia was hurt. He had thought that after helping Melissia overcome her grief and sorrow, even guiding her to awaken her bloodline, she would be able to move forward. Yet instead of gratitude, she had brought pain to Elysia, and that truth made his blood boil.
His first instinct was to march straight to her and give her a proper beating, regardless of her being a girl or her father being a Saint. He was no longer that powerless boy from the day he first transmigrated. Now he had countless ways to act and even more ways to make others pay for their actions.
Though... he never acted on that anger.
.....the reason being.....Elysia.
She stopped him. She asked him not to do anything, and even though his heart still burned with rage, he let it go, at least in front of her.
If not now then sometime else...
Ash was, in truth, a rather petty person. Being his enemy was the same as becoming haunted by a ghost, one that would never leave until it was completely exorcised.
And so, Melissia’s name, which had once been removed, was written back onto his list of debts to be repaid.
Not long ago, Ash had completely wiped out all the Shadow Rats that infested the empty mine. He had not simply killed them, but destroyed the entire mine itself, leaving nothing behind but cold corpses and ruins.
Another matter in these past fifteen days was the Semi-Divine beast.
Ash went there daily, not because he chose to, but because he was called—summoned every single day by none other than the Whisperer.
...there are a lot of things to do...
Ash had truly been busy. So busy that he spent most of his time inside his Soul Space, where the flow of time slowed to a crawl.
There he rested, cultivated, and handled all kinds of work that required focus but not his physical presence. After that, he would spend hours training with his sword, from the first light of dawn until it was finally time for breakfast.
Once they ate, he took Elysia to the academy training grounds, where she practiced all day under the guidance of Saint Alice, who appeared for a moment and vanished after giving her instructions, while Ash divided his time between the military base and his own investigations into the Hollow Mother.
But today, their supplies for breakfast had run out, which was why he had come to the town market to replenish them.
As he turned into another empty alley, its corners covered in darkness and shadow, Ash did not hesitate.
Instead, he welcomed the silence, embraced the darkness around him, and vanished from the place.
Appearing a few mountains away, Ash arrived at the cliff of a solitary peak, where a lone house stood quietly against the backdrop of the sky. Built of wood and other materials, it was a two-story building with everything one could possibly need. In fact, Ash still did not know how the Human Association had arranged it, but somehow the house had been made ready for use in just a single day.
It was clear that an Awakened must have constructed it, because such speed was impossible for any ordinary worker.
Without bothering to open the door, Ash appeared inside.
He carefully took off his shoes and walked slowly toward the kitchen. There, he saw Elysia cooking, the warm and inviting smell filling the air.
The aroma reminded him of the days when she had cooked for him before, back when they lived together and shared the same bed.
Ahem...not that type of sharing bed...
Ash thought as he blushed lightly.
Even though they had lived so close, even slept side by side, they had never crossed that line. After all, they were still children.
..I don’t want to be a criminal...
Of course, no one would ever charge him, and in this world there were no such rules, yet both he and Elysia felt comfortable with waiting.
They had agreed it was better to give it a few more years.
Moving without a sound, Ash placed the basket of ingredients on the table and hugged Elysia from behind.
She was not startled. Instead, she leaned into him gently. It had become normal for her, something she always expected, because no matter where Ash went, whenever he returned he would hold her in the same way.
"You are early, and you did not use the door again," Elysia said while stirring egg and rice in the pan. The mixture sizzled, filling the kitchen with a delightful aroma.
"Doors are boring."
Ash muttered as he buried himself in her presence. Her soft hair carried a fragrance that seemed otherworldly, and when strands brushed against his cheek, paired with the warmth of her skin, it brought him such peace that food itself felt unnecessary.
Elysia was more than enough.
"You know that I can’t teleport anywhere like you, right?"
Elysia spoke with a touch of annoyance in her tone, though to Ash it only sounded cute.
"Now, go get changed. The breakfast will be ready soon with the vegetables you brought."
Hearing her words, Ash gave her a small peck on the cheek before pulling himself away. In the next instant he teleported directly into his room, changed his clothes quickly, and appeared at the dining table within minutes. From his chair, he quietly watched Elysia continue cooking, the movements of her hands carrying a rhythm that felt like home.
As he gazed at her, his thoughts drifted for a moment...
I have to go to the military camp after this....I heard Ray is coming again....
Ash didn’t know why, but Ray insisted on visiting that place again and again. He himself only went occasionally, not staying all day but often going on alternate days.
Ash, however, had no such freedom. His task was unique, and so he had to report there every single day.
Before his thoughts could wander any further, the food arrived.
****