The navigation within the Devil's Triangle was by no means an easy task for the two children who sailed through its murky waters.
Even when using the mystical map within the captain's cabin and one provided by Cauron Thorn, their journey was no mere boat ride.
Having already broken through into the otherworld, leaving Strava behind alongside the anomalies that terrorized the living, they waited for the crossover point to appear on the horizon.
With the ship self-correcting itself and the cannons primed for any possible terror attacks, the two were able to relax near the bow.
Neither dared speak about the futures they had seen after activating the Ghostship's self-defense system; discussing the mysteries they had witnessed would certainly only sow more fear and anguish than their silence could ever muster.
Therefore, the subject had been dropped, and regardless of the unexplainable anomaly that had overcome them suddenly, they had reverted to the same roles they had back on their first voyage together: that of a scholar and that of a sailor.
"According to legend, the Southern Continent didn't always exist; rather, it was formed in the greatest war the world had ever seen."
Eleanor scribbled words into the Ghostship's deck, attempting to alter one of the ancient runes; however, after each sizable divot was made, it would simply reform and prick her with mana.
Of course, there was a source to such mana differing from that of the vessel itself, that being the blond-haired boy who groaned each time he felt his core drained away.
"A war greater than the one six years ago? I didn't think such a thing was even possible. Though… If it resulted in the formation of a continent, then perhaps it could've been a war between deities."
Thinking back to the Old Man's rant about his battle with a bald monk, he sighed and returned his gaze out into the distance while listening to the girl continue.
"The legend specifies a beast of endless frost against three legendary heroes who sacrificed themselves for the world, so I'd doubt that the gods were these people."
Her gray eyes reflected the World Between, its cosmic splendor something she had long since come to terms with.
"Well, regardless of what the Southern Continent is, and how it was formed, I'd still prefer not to stay within its waters too long."
Aaron chuckled coldly.
"While they might've hunted the Apex-terrors that breached the Abyss and settled into the seven safe seas, both the Sea of Polar Storms and the Sea of Chains remain unexplored. The former has far greater numbers of those hellish sea critters."
Tapping his metallic leg against the deck to prove his point, he watched as Eleanor continued to stare off into the distance.
"You see something?"
She blinked, as if snapped away from a dream.
"No… It's just that this place reminds me of my time in the Great Beyond."
Her expression faded into that of a frown, yet not one of sadness, but rather that of a softness that the boy couldn't describe.
"Most people in our world will never see a sky as beautiful as this…"
For one who had grown up in the second-largest industrial capital in the world, only behind that of Blackport Ridge, she was well-versed in the sheer destruction caused by those who sought to fulfill their own self-interest.
This world, one that encompassed the known universe and every being within it, even the gods, was natural, raw, and overflowing with beauty.
Aaron's turquoise eyes glimmered at the sight of the priestess before him, the masterpiece of the stars coating her appearance in color.
"One day, I'd like to share this view with all people."
With those words, she craned her neck and smiled at the boy, an unwavering determination hidden behind a grin of gold.
…
Krrch!
The sight before Aaron Grimstall's eyes was like nothing he had ever seen before.
Whether it be the tightly compressed, but still powdery mixture of white snow that covered the landscape, the sharp cliffs and mountains that split the sky, or the frozen ravines that dropped down into endless darkness, there was nothing familiar about the Southern Continent.
The gateway from within the World Between had left them only half a kilometer from shore, allowing them to dock relatively easily without much time left alone in the dark blue waters.
Preparing for their journey with heavy coats, gloves, and snow boots, they hadn't been worried about the feeling of frost that now overwhelmed them.
On his back, the strange orange egg that the Naelith had sacrificed itself for stayed completely silent, not releasing even a single mana fluctuation as if attempting to hide itself.
On his own face, however, it felt as if ice-covered needles had stabbed themselves into his pale skin, eating away at the body heat he naturally produced and dropping his temperature into dangerous territory.
If the Sea of Dreams was that of a crop-growing, agricultural haven where snow never fell, and the fertile ground never lost its nutrients, then this hellish environment was the complete opposite.
"How do people survive here…"
He could see his breath as he spoke, the mist flying away with the harsh tundra winds trying to rip them apart.
Eleanor emitted a faint warmth through her trace divinity; however, even that wasn't enough to protect her completely.
Her ears had turned a vibrant shade of red, while her already pale skin was bordering on turning blue.
"DO YOU HAVE THE MAP!?"
She was forced to shout as the howling wind interrupted any normal speech.
"MAP? THE ONLY INSTRUCTIONS SIR KUROGANE GAVE ME WERE TO HEAD TO THE PLACE WHERE THE MOUNTAINS PART!"
Aaron responded to her question quickly with the vague words of the Marshal who had been sworn into exile.
『Quite the cruel man for him to tell you nothing about where you now stand… My former wielder wouldn't have allowed a pupil to be guided astray like this.』
Ignoring the muttering of Penelope, the boy scanned the distance, looking for any connection to the words that Kurogane had told him.
It's just hills, plains, and non-parting mountains!
Grinding his teeth together, he glanced back at the shivering Eleanor, and then at his own trembling hand.
Regardless of whether it's because of these storm-like conditions or simply our location here, we need to find shelter…
There was no direct path towards anything that could act as such a thing, but he knew that if they couldn't get away from the frost soon, they'd be consumed before they could even meet the exiled Marshal.
"LET'S HEAD INLAND! THE STORMS NEAREST TO THE COAST OUGHT TO BE THE WORST, SO THE FARTHER AWAY WE GET, THE BETTER IT'LL GET!"
With his voice barely audible, he could only barely confirm she had heard him when she gave a weak nod.
Soon after, they began their trudge through the hill-bound tundras, their snowdrifts as vast as any desert and as desolate as the sea itself.
…
C-cold…
Aaron's eyes were half frozen shut, snow covering his face and devouring any ounce of heat he had left.
Any attempt to expel mana resulted in painful contractions of his core, something that shouldn't be affected by the cold in the slightest.
C-could it be the storm?
Ever since they had landed on the shore, a polar storm had been rampaging like a typhoon above them with gusts of wind similar to that of Mount Evermore slamming against their small forms.
I-I've never heard of a storm that can hinder mana, though…
As the thought raced through his mind, his foot collided with something hard, almost metallic in feeling.
"Ack!"
Eleanor reached out to catch him as he stumbled backwards, her hands falling onto his shoulders.
Successfully saving the boy from stumbling into the nearly meter-thick snow, she shook her head and continued forward.
Aaron, however, frowned at her moving form.
She was freezing to the touch… Her weak divinity must be failing as well…
There was no doubt in the boy's mind now: they needed to find shelter fast.
If they couldn't, then they might not survive the storm, let alone make it to where the mountains parted.
I-I wonder what I tripped on though…
Subconsciously touching the side of his temples to activate his Mana Vision, he prepared for the same symptom that had occurred upon the use of Forecast and Doppelganger.
Yet this time, something else entirely appeared before him.
"W-what the—"
His breath hitched as a structure beneath the snow made itself known.
From what he knew about his ability, Mana Vision couldn't see through a lifeform or anything too closely connected with it.
Therefore, as he stared downward at what should've been bare, unobstructed ice and rock, he was halted by something incredible.
A-are those… scales…?
"AARON! ARE YOU DONE STARING AT THE GROUND YET!?"
Eleanor's shouts broke him away from the sight below his feet, a shock of unnatural warmth spreading throughout his body.
A continent that legend says formed from nothing…
He wasn't certain, nor did he have any evidence to prove it, but from what he had seen, he couldn't quite disregard that myth.
Deep within his bones, he could feel a presence, whether it be living or not, watching him as if he were a mere amusement.