Volcanoes, snowfields.
This was the opposing ecological system of ice and fire on the Dragon Sleep Continent.
The entire continent was covered by the Snow Demons' power, burying the land beneath thick ice and snow and turning it into an endless snowfield that stretched beyond sight.
But the birth of dragons tore through the snowfield's seal.
Volcanoes rose from the ground one after another, spewing scorching lava. This was the dragons' roar. The power of dragonfire rolled outward with the lava, and heat began radiating in every direction from the volcanoes, creating warm oases.
The Shadowflame Grand Duchy had been founded in this way alongside the birth of the Shadowflame Dragon nearly four hundred years ago.
The Shadowflame Dragon's power continued to grow, and the nation's territory expanded with it.
Yet the main territory still clustered around the volcanoes. Farther away, as wyverns were born one after another, the solid ice around the volcanoes began to melt, forming warm lands like Glimmering River Valley.
At the edges of the warm lands lay the transitional zone between ice and fire—the caves.
"This is the Ice Cap, my lord." Katie held up a torch and acted as Russell's guide. "The Ice Cap above our heads has been sealed for countless years. Do you see that fracture line? Inside the line, the Ice Cap is unbreakable. Outside it, it can melt at any time."
"Because of the warm season?" Russell asked as he walked.
"Yes. Once the warm season arrives and the temperature rises, the Ice Cap outside the fracture line melts and cracks apart. If you're careless, it can even crush people to death. When the Ice Age comes and temperatures fall, the Ice Cap freezes over again, blocking the cold currents while keeping the caves warm."
Under the torchlight, the Ice