Chapter 136 The Successor of the End (Part 5)

The two Podrolite boys followed the bear spirit halfway up the mountain and already sensed that the summit was a vast expanse of frozen land.

The days on the ice field may seem short, but they are enough for them to climb to the top of the mountain, as long as the weather remains good.

Tobas was one of the most enjoyable climbers, knowing when to turn left and when to turn right, and that simply climbing upwards wasn't always the right thing to do.

In this light, he certainly possesses the insight of a king.

As for the other one?

For Mien, this snow-capped mountain was full of traps, and every step he took was an ordeal.

Tobas reached out his hand to him: "Are you feeling unwell? I'll carry you."

"No need, I can manage on my own."

"You actually took Xiong Ling's words seriously?"

Tobas's voice was more penetrating than the biting wind; he seemed to be right about everything he said, like a star in the universe with more and more stars revolving around him.

Mien, however, is a true lone star, the most timid and darkest star in the universe.

The group quickly reached the mountaintop. The road sloped up and down, and a well-organized village appeared. Judging from the size and style of the buildings, these were houses built by the Podrolite people.

It is understood that there was a group of escapees before the demon legion invaded the empire.

They lived under the protection of the Northern King, but on one condition: they had to acknowledge the Northern King as their king.

Now that everyone has heard that King Podrote has returned, they are all bringing out the good things they have hidden in their homes.

The bear spirits lit a bonfire, danced, drank, and sprinkled spices, and everyone was extremely happy.

Mien was an exception; his heart had already been burned by what he had said that morning, and he made an excuse to rest early, which even Tobas could not persuade him to do.

The thick curtain of night shrouded the snow-capped mountains, and everyone was immersed in joy. Seeing Tobas's skillful dance moves and everyone dancing around Tobas, how could Mien possibly fall asleep?

He drank some of the spiced soup that Xiong Ling had brought him, and it tasted like wine; he was slightly drunk.

What if no one recognizes Podrolott as the true crown prince?

'Ah! Poor Mien! Please answer me, how will you express your heartfelt grievances?'

'If Tobas were to seize your throne, to whom would you turn for solace?'

'Having barely escaped disaster, they are now being treated like this.'

"Uneasy, aren't you? He's a very good waiter, but this is the North. Royal blood doesn't matter here. Everyone can see who's braver and who's more cowardly between you two!"

All night long, a certain voice kept echoing in my mind, both my own and someone else's.

Mien's heart was burning with rage, as if he were on his deathbed.

The next morning, Tobas came to knock on Mien's door.

"Mien! Mien! I have something to show you! I found this in the snow!"

Mien opened the door and saw Tobas waving a hat excitedly.

This is a bearskin hat unique to the North, with one side higher than the other, and several layers.

Tobas put on the bearskin hat and laughed at himself for looking like a miner, thinking that this would make Mien happy.

Mien simply replied, "A tattered hat. Don't try to cheer me up with something like that again. I am the King of Podrolott, not a child."

At first, Tobas didn't take it to heart, thinking that Mien was just throwing a tantrum. But later he realized that Mien had indeed changed, becoming more withdrawn and timid.

When Tobas went hunting with the bear spirit, Mien hid at home; when Tobas challenged the villagers to a drinking contest, Mien hid at home; when Tobas challenged a bear spirit of the same age to a duel, Mien still hid at home.

Mien's smile vanished completely, and Tobas didn't bother to figure out what the disappearance of his smile meant.

And so, the two Podroloy boys went further and further apart.

One night, war drums sounded at the foot of the snow-capped mountain.

In his dream, Mien saw a large rectangular block of ice sink into the ground, revealing many wooden houses lying horizontally beneath it. Two icy ridges, weakened by the impact of a meteorite, looked like pillars supporting an open space.

The pillars began to melt, turning into water columns. The icy water dripped into the exposed house, then froze again due to the cold air from the ground, like an inverted waterfall.

The vast snowfield was riddled with holes by the meteorite. The only place that was not hit by the meteorite was the tunnel, which was very lucky. It looked like a platform with a ghost face lying on a bench. The trenches on the platform were useless and obviously not used to deal with enemies. A path extended out from under the platform, like a tongue sticking out of the ghost face.

At the end of this road stood a person, and that person looked just like me.

'If you possessed limitless power, would you use it to protect your people?'

'I will use it to punish those who look down on me.'

Strange dreams, strange sounds, I can't tell if it's real or not.

The next morning, many wounded people appeared in the village for no apparent reason. Upon inquiring, it was learned that a demon had attacked the village the night before, and the scene that Mien encountered in his dream was probably due to the influence of the outside world.

Tobas was busy among a large group of wounded soldiers, and he asked Mien to come down and help.

When Mien saw the pools of blood in the snow, it was as if he himself had been seriously injured, and his legs went weak.

In short, he seemed to be more afraid of facing reality every day. Terrifying and absurd enemies were all trying to frame the king. They attacked the village under the cover of night, which was certainly also to deal with the king.

Mien came to a bear spirit with an ugly appearance. The guy had a stick stuck in his back, but the wounded man was gleefully talking about how many enemies he had killed the night before.

"I killed three great demons with one blow."

"Stop bragging. The ones who attacked the village last night were just little devils from hell. Where did this great demon come from?"

"Your eyes have been blinded, of course you can't see!"

"But my ears are still sharp! I can tell whether the enemy is using weapons or spells!"

"Then tell me, how many have you killed?"

"Two thousand swarmed out from under that devil's throne, but I repelled them all!"

"Ha! Your mouth is bigger than the sail on a ship!"

The two noisy wounded soldiers chatted back and forth as if nothing was wrong.

Mien could never get along with the Bear Spirits; they were simply barbarians isolated from the world. Without a doubt, the Northern King who led these barbarians must also be a barbarian.

Tobas was the complete opposite of Mien; he was lively, strong, danced to the tune of the piano, sang like a nightingale, and was as joyful as a magpie.

More and more wounded players are calling Tobas the King of Podrolott.

Mien's face was full of worry, and he covered his face with a headscarf to keep warm. His prestige in the village was gradually thinning, like pages being torn from a book.

Finally, the villagers stopped talking about Mien and Podrolott, and Tobas stopped following Mien. He became a good guide for the bear spirits, a source of joy for the villagers, and many hoped that he would grow into a warrior.

Many days later, the demon legion was accelerating its attack on the northern continent. The Podrote Empire was destroyed, and the Nian Forest and Leviathan Ocean had also fallen. Several outposts in the north were burned to ashes overnight, and the brave northern warriors were either killed or wounded.

The villagers all said that the snow-capped mountain wouldn't last much longer.

So they made a decision to abandon the snow-capped mountains and head to Hyperion, the most fortified stronghold of the Northern King.