The Two Ends of the World

Between the glaciers, light and shadow intertwine.

In this frigid world, a solitary and magnificent Mountain Peak stands tall.

It stands like a giant connecting heaven and earth, making everything around it seem insignificant in comparison. The majestic scenery of this solitary mountain range is a declaration of nature, proclaiming the ancient and magnificent nature of the World's Edge.

At this very moment, the sun has just risen in the east.

The snow on the mountainside shimmered silver in the morning light, like a river of stars flowing down to the Mortal Realm.

But this mountain is too high and too big.

Its ever-changing mountain terrain makes it resemble a vast mountain kingdom.

Amidst the steep changes in terrain, many areas remain untouched by snow, naturally revealing the color of this magnificent Mountain Peak —black.

call--

The wind howled through the mountains.

It contains air currents with erratic temperatures, which may melt the snow in the mountains and occasionally freeze wild animals to death.

A dark figure lay prone in a cave on the mountaintop.

With just a breath, the Dragon Beast's power would roam freely throughout the Black Mountain, making it difficult for any living being to survive without its permission.

Splash—

The Dragon Beast swayed slightly, and the soil and rocks slid down into the nest.

The ruler of the world is hidden in the darkness, his enormous yellow snake eyes facing away from the rising sun, gazing into the distance.

Everything that happened on the other side of the world has long since disappeared into the long path of light scattering due to the vast distance.

But the Dragon Beast looked at the pale blue sky.

His eyes, however, held a fear and worry that should not belong to the world's rulers.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

At that moment, a small figure floated up from the foot of the mountain.

He treated the Dragon Beast with utmost respect and expressed concern for his master who had awakened ahead of schedule.

"Your advancement is progressing quite smoothly so far. Why do you want to break away from the rhythm of the world and wake up early today?"

The inner eye membranes of the Dragon Beast close vertically, while the outer eyelids covered with black scales close horizontally.

It no longer looks into the distance.

He responded only in a low voice, but the sound was like a roar and howl from the mountains:

"From the West, humans have entered my world again."

The figure at the entrance to the lair said with absolute certainty, "You need not worry about that. Any weak human who dares to set foot here will only face death. This is an ironclad rule that will never change, whether it has been a hundred years or will be ten years from now."

"Your top priority is to consolidate your Essence and advance to the next level."

"No matter what threats or troubles we face, strength is the key. The Eighth Stage can handle any unforeseen circumstances."

"..."

The Dragon Beast did not answer, but lay prostrate in its nest, completely silent.

Its breathing became long and deep again, and the fierce and chaotic winds in the mountains subsided.

Seeing this scene.

The figure at the entrance of the lair nodded slightly, then turned and went down the mountain.

But the moment his figure disappeared from the mountaintop, the Dragon Beast, which seemed to be asleep, suddenly opened its eyes, its yellow snake pupils filled with resentment and anger.

A powerful Essence was flowing within this ferocious beast, but it chose to lie dormant.

On the other side.

After leaving the mixed wasteland and swamp, Linsey and the girl he rescued embarked on a new journey.

The two walked through a basin, a view of the rift valley region as recorded in the text.

Adding a beautiful face to a journey that was originally meant for a solo traveler is definitely a pleasing sight.

But where there are people, conflicts are hard to avoid.

They also argued within the framework of common-sense rules of the world.

Linsey: "Didn't you ask me to give you a name? Now that I've chosen one, you're not satisfied."

Girl: "What does Link mean? What does Zelda mean? I don't think these names suit me, I'm very dissatisfied!"

Linsey: "So what kind of name do you want that you're satisfied with?"

Girl: "What I'm satisfied with is what I like!"

"..."

"So what exactly do you like?" Linsey clenched her fist, wanting nothing more than to punch that beautiful face. "Elizabeth won't do, Cassandra won't do, Lara won't do, Tifa won't do, Bayonetta won't do, Samus won't do!"

Linsey took two quick steps forward.

He positioned himself above the black-haired girl riding on the Snow Wolf's back, so he could avoid seeing her and getting annoyed.

But the girl clearly wasn't going to let Linsey off so easily.

She jumped off the Snow Wolf's back, ran to Linsey, and looked at the boy in front of her while backing away. "Don't give up like this! Say a few more."

"Maybe I'll find someone I like soon."

Linsey's evil intentions were stirred within her.

He remembered that he had rescued the girl from the Black Scale Lizard Dragon's treasure vault, and a story about a dragon came to mind.

"How about you name Smaug?"

"That sounds nice." The girl's eyes suddenly lit up, but some instinct seemed to make her realize something. "But I feel like this isn't a person's name?"

"Ah!"

As expected, the girl who was backing away in front of Linsey stepped on a stone.

She slipped and fell backward.

Linsey's reaction speed was definitely faster than the girl fell. He grabbed her slender arm as she frantically waved it, preventing her from landing on the back of her head.

Linsey solemnly reminded him:

"Remember to watch your step when you walk."

The girl's ruby-like eyes gazed at Linsey with pure and sincere emotion. "I'm looking at you, aren't I?"

Linsey: "..."

Linsey fell silent instantly.

This amnesiac girl may not know the power of these words.

But for a teenage boy, this answer is like coming out of the gym and seeing a takeout delivery outside.

The destructive power was still a bit too great.

The girl, however, didn't care about such a small detail at all.

With Linsey's help, she steadied herself, kicked away the Snow Wolf that was approaching, and put her hand on Linsey's shoulder.

The two men, arms around each other's shoulders, continued on their way like good brothers.

The girl then shared her thoughts on the naming process. "Linsey, didn't you say that the language I speak is Beast Language, not the Common Language used by humans?"

Linsey nodded:

"That's right, I think it might be because of the environment you were in before..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" the girl interrupted Linsey's explanation. "We're discussing how to name me!"

Linsey shrugged, and his original plan to find someone to chat with on the street was completely abandoned.

The girl smiled and continued confidently, "My intuition tells me that names and language should be an extended system."

"Now that I'm going to name myself, I should look for the rules of writing and language, so the first thing I should learn is the Common Language."

The girl got more and more excited as she talked.

Finally, she released her arm from Linsey's shoulder and even made Linsey stop where she was, and the two of them met each other's eyes in the wasteland.

The girl's jet-black hair danced in the air, her pure and joyful red eyes reflecting the golden light of dawn as she gazed at her companion before her. "Linsey, let's use Common Language."

What word comes to mind when you first see me?