Chapter 367: Old Capital of Sevington, Involved Parties and Thoughts

"Has this place been fucking buried under snow ever since the Seiwentan people vanished?"

Gazing at the city before him, now almost entirely entombed in ice and snow, Wang Yu found it hard to believe. This was the former capital of Seiwentan; even if the people were gone, the infrastructure should have remained in reasonably good condition.

That the Alestrians had failed to make any use of this capital was simply baffling. Though he had heard whispers of the situation here, standing before it, Wang Yu could not help but voice his disbelief.

"It is no wonder Alestria was able to crush Seiwentan. The environment here is far too brutal. Even if such a climate could forge fierce and valiant warriors, the disparity in resources was ultimately too vast."

He shook his head, finally grasping why the site remained undeveloped. In truth, Alestria had made many promises regarding this city, allocating plots of land here to those who had rendered meritorious service, yet the construction had never been completed.

The reason was simple: Alestria did not need a city that could actually be settled. No matter how large a city, it would eventually be filled. What they needed was a pie in the sky, set in a land of bitter cold. As long as the pie remained, they could keep dangling it before others.

To possess a territory of one's own within the kingdom was an irresistible lure. Even knowing the land was frozen and that the promise might never be fulfilled, there were always crowds willing to gamble, willing to stake their lives on it—not to mention the fools who lacked the capacity to think at all.

It was a business with a ten-thousand-fold return. As long as the old Seiwentan capital sat there, the Alestrian royal family could use it to dupe countless people into dying for their cause.

At the very least, the travelers, adventurers, and free men of the kingdom were more than happy to trade their labor for such a "generous" reward.

"And in the end, this is all they get?"

Stepping out from the Eden Seed space after a chat with Edward, Zig commented with a sneer.

The old capital of Seiwentan appeared before Wang Yu as a desolate, ruined husk. As noted, it was almost entirely buried in snow. Located near the foothills of the Saint Anna Snowfields, it was battered year-round by blizzards sweeping down from the peaks.

Once the magical arrays that had shielded the city from the wind and snow were destroyed in the war, there was nothing left to protect it. With no one to inhabit it, the old capital of Seiwentan had been slowly and completely swallowed by the elements over the passage of time.

Previously, Alestria had made no effort to develop the capital. It was occupied only by the occasional adventurer who wandered in, or by unfortunate Alestrian officials who had been ostracized or had committed some error and were inexplicably exiled to this post.

Most adventurers who actually arrived, only to witness this scene of desolation and the harshness of the environment, simply turned around and left.

The unfortunate officials, however, lacked the authority to abandon their posts without orders, fearing even harsher punishment. They could only endure their days in misery, praying for their ordeal to end and for the kingdom to finally begin construction.

"My father has already begun moving forces this way to start development. In a few months, the Northern Duke’s territory will be relocated here. Once we are far from the royal capital, some matters will be easier to handle," Edward said.

"So be it. We don't need to stay long anyway; we must hurry to the Endless Sea. Ultimately, this is just a transit point. I will take a look at this 'City Beneath the Ice' you mentioned, and then speak with that entity connected to the Dragon-Worshipping Cult."

Wang Yu nodded. He couldn't care less about the state of the city; it was none of his concern. As for the debt owed by the Alestrian royal family, he would settle it properly once they returned from the Endless Sea.

Passing through the city—which was almost entirely buried in snow, save for a few areas cleared as temporary outposts—Wang Yu and his companions reached the foot of the Saint Anna peaks. From afar, they could see a massive, gaping hole in the sheer, icy cliff face of the towering snowfield.

Inside that colossal cavern, a vast number of buildings were faintly visible, partially encased in ice, stretching deep into the glacier. It was impossible to tell how many there were.

The scale of this sub-glacial city, by Wang Yu’s estimation, rivaled the old capital of Seiwentan, and the style and layout of the architecture differed greatly from anything of this era.

"This frozen ancient city appeared suddenly. A mercenary investigation team on a mission discovered something amiss when a group of humans who could transform into beasts attacked their camp in the old Seiwentan capital. During the investigation, they found this place, which served as their lair."

"We have not yet fully grasped the situation here, but one thing is certain: this city beneath the ice is connected to souls. It is releasing fragments of them."

Edward introduced the frozen city that had suddenly manifested beneath the Saint Anna Snowfields.

"Soul fragments?"

Wang Yu rubbed his chin, a thought forming.

"Yes. These souls are absorbed by newborns in the snowfields, forming a second soul within them. As they grow, they manifest the traits of a twin soul, but the second soul is devoid of all reason—a wild, bloodthirsty existence."

"Under specific conditions, these people undergo beast-morphing, their bodies mutating into beast-like entities that uncontrollably slaughter and devour all living things."

"Why this ancient city is releasing soul fragments, and why this phenomenon is occurring, we do not yet know."

Edward explained the situation to Wang Yu. In reality, this newly discovered ancient city was not an isolated case. Similar events had been occurring across the continent recently; ruins buried by time were resurfacing everywhere.

"Souls affecting the physical body? That is quite interesting. It aligns with the assessment of my friends in the Sky Mechanical City: the continent is not at peace. We are living in an age of turmoil."

Wang Yu had anticipated this; there had been signs for some time that the continent was descending into chaos.

Ignoring the newly discovered city for the moment, Wang Yu had another objective. There was an entity here connected to the Dragon-Worshipping Cult, and they needed to converse with him.

In a temporarily constructed but sturdy wooden cabin at the foot of the Saint Anna Snowfields, they met the individual. He was a young man, appearing even younger than Wang Yu, with unremarkable features but strikingly vivid red eyes.

"Greetings. My name is Light Servison. It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency the Archbishop."

The man greeted Wang Yu with great enthusiasm, clearly well-informed about his status as an Archbishop.

Wang Yu had never sought to separate his own identity from that of the Archbishop of the Night Church. In fact, that was his goal: to bind the public perception of himself to the role of the Archbishop.

In this way, whenever those with ulterior motives analyzed his actions, they would likely link his motivations to the Church, thereby misjudging his true intentions.

"Hello. Just call me Wang Yu."

This young man, who happened to be traveling near the Saint Anna Snowfields, had been discovered by the Lady of the Night after joining the Church. Certain traits he possessed made him stand out to those who knew what to look for.

Wang Yu’s Chariot power could not directly penetrate or observe the bodies of "living" beings, but his own blood could sense the peculiarity of the blood flowing through the young man sitting opposite him. It carried traces of dragon blood; the red in his eyes was likely a result of this.

After a brief pause, the young man stated his request with firm resolve.

"Lord Wang Yu, I wish to find a dragon connected to me. Its name is Caesar. The blood within me was a gift from it."

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. He knew the man was linked to the Dragon-Worshipping Cult, but it seemed the connection between Light, the Cult, and the dragons was deeper than he had imagined.

"That is not a problem. If I can make contact with it, I will inform you through the prayer communication network. In fact, there has been news of it recently. But first, I would like to learn from you about the Dragon-Worshipping Cult."

With Evie’s help, Wang Yu used the prayer communication network to transmit the footage of the battle near the Fading Love Peaks to the young man.

As for contacting the dragon, it was difficult. Wang Yu and his team could not reach Aerielian; it seemed she was intentionally avoiding them. Furthermore, the prayer communication network, while convenient, was not suitable for dragons.

The events they had endured made them highly sensitive to the word "faith." It was unlikely they would ever worship the Lady of the Night.

"Thank you for the information. The reason I have been wandering is, in fact, closely tied to the Dragon-Worshipping Cult. Revenge and discovery are my goals."

Light expressed his gratitude. In all these years, this was the first time he had received news of Caesar. He then began to recount his relationship with the Cult.

From his story, Wang Yu learned that Light had originally been a member of a noble family in a kingdom further north—not the north of Alestria, but the north of the continent.

About seven or eight years ago, Caesar had appeared in the sky, battling the Dragon-Worshipping Cult. After clearing his enemies, the dragon was severely wounded by a special attack and crashed into their family estate, destroying several buildings. Light’s family had provided aid, allowing Caesar to recover.

Once the dragon regained its strength, it left behind some dragon blood for Light and offered him some guidance as a reward before departing.

But shortly after, the Dragon-Worshipping Cult appeared abruptly and slaughtered Light’s entire family in their search for Caesar. Now, the only survivor was this young man who had managed to escape with his life.

"It seems the activities of the Dragon-Worshipping Cult began much earlier than we thought. Judging by their area of operation, they are indeed spreading from the Endless Sea toward the interior of the continent."

"In other words, the Cult appeared near the Endless Sea to hunt dragons. Because Alestria, where Zig is located, is relatively inland, the Cult appeared much later, and information about them has been scarce."

After a brief analysis, Wang Yu realized that the seemingly sudden organization had actually been gathering intelligence for some time; it was only because they targeted dragons exclusively that information about them remained so rare.

If Wang Yu utilized the Night Church, which was already expanding, he might be able to obtain much more information regarding the Cult.

"By the way, is your inner path called the Beast Spirit Walker?"

Wang Yu suddenly asked.

"That is correct."

The opponent nodded, activating their inner potential as spectral beasts composed of battle aura manifested around them, prowling in a rhythmic circle.

Birds, bears, tortoises... the nature of their power was to command the souls of beasts, transmuting them into various forms of battle aura to serve their own ends. The sense of déjà vu made Wang Yu want to press a hand to his forehead; having already encountered a cat wielding the Gate of Babylon in the elven capital of Liahim, he was now facing an otherworldly Udyr. Truly, the world was vast and full of wonders.

Gazing at the beasts manifesting from the aura around Light, Wang Yu felt more than just astonishment; a flicker of contemplation stirred within him. He had witnessed many inner potentials—possessions by vengeful spirits, cities consumed by infernos, and countless other manifestations—but the nature of this particular power sparked a vague, nascent idea.

"Setting aside the absurdity born of my own personal biases, their inner potential is quite unique. Given this form of expression, perhaps it could be utilized in such a way... what is it, truly, that dictates the inner potential possessed by different individuals?"

Unable to reach a definitive conclusion, Wang Yu let the thought rest, tucking the fleeting inspiration away for later. He bade farewell to Light and Edward and resumed his journey. Once they crossed the Saint Anna snowfields, they would reach the Endless Sea, where the Merfolk, with whom they had already made contact, were waiting for their arrival.