Inside Gallop River Temple, Landen and Shuyun, the Panda-kin legendary martial monk, were received by the river god Neoxina.
At the dining table, Oskaya, a High-Rank Finless Porpoise Priest, spoke with the two on the demigod's behalf. "Lord Landen, thank you for bringing Magic Furnaces to Meiyan City. Our river god has heard that you have completely taken control of the entire Gallop Plains?"
Oskaya had a rounded figure and rather delicate skin. Half of her upper body emerged from the water as she dined with Landen and Shuyun, with only a broad square towel draped over her chest. The slightest movement exposed the full, enticing curve of her cleavage.
She spoke at an unhurried pace as well, like a noblewoman who had just finished swimming, without the slightest trace of a High-Rank's majesty.
"Yes, we have recovered the former territory of the Gallop Kingdom." Landen nodded, while wondering why this river god had personally appeared.
"Then you have already seen my people's settlement on Black Horse Lake?" Oskaya glanced at Landen and asked with a smile.
Hearing two unfamiliar terms, Landen could not help frowning. "Black Horse Lake? Your people?"
"Yes. Several dozen kilometers south of Moonfall Lake lies Black Horse Lake, the second-largest lake on the Gallop Plains and the largest gathering place for our river beast tribe." As Oskaya spoke, droplets on the table gathered into a map of the Gallop Plains. A long, narrow lake appeared upon it—the very lake Neil had encountered while expanding northward.
Oskaya tapped the lake's location and said with narrowed, smiling eyes, "There are two lakes on the Gallop Plains: Moonfall Lake and Black Horse Lake. During the seven hundred years of the previous Gallop Kingdom, the Human Race and my people never encroached upon each other. Humans found the northern