DIVINE CONTINENT

Ice Phoenix reared like a true god of this summit, disallowing anyone to pass. Lynne felt his entire body quake as his veins were slowly invaded by strange chill. That same chill ran down his spine as he looked at this majestic beast in front of him. Dammit! Old man, if you tricked me, I’ll shave your damn beard ten thousand times!

Naturally, Lynne didn’t consider fighting this creature even for a second. However foolish he may act at times, he was not a madman. Even if he didn’t know what Evolutions in a creature represented, just looking at the sheer size of this bird was enough to deter him. However, the reason he so boldly came forth when the other three ran back was because of the treasure he was given by the Principal Seed – Heaven’s Writ.

Without thinking any further as he saw the beast slowly approach him, he immediately took out small, battered parchment out of his Pocket Ring and infused it with Mana as he pointed it at the majestic beast. As if it had seen something truly dreadful, the bird immediately howled in deep-seated agony as it slowly began walking backwards.

Creatures who didn’t have innate, special bloodline would require to undergo at least three Evolutions in order to obtain human-like intelligence. In order to be able to grasp human tongue, though, they had to undergo at least seven. However, even though Six Evolutions Ice Phoenix was unable to talk, the creature was well aware what this small parchment represented – he’d have to become a slave to this weak youth and serve him unquestionably.

Its high pride would simply be shattered, and the bird wouldn’t allow it; yet, there was nothing it could do. The parchment glimmered slightly with the golden light, whereas soon after a blinding array bolted out of it and entered Ice Phoenix’s body through its head. The proud creature howled and roared, but it was useless. That small array had already begun infusing with its own soul and life essence, and there was absolutely nothing it could do.

At the same time, Lynne began feeling strange sensation. Since similar array entered his own body, he could feel somewhat alien existence in his mind. However, a mere moments later, it felt as if he was enlightened as he could see this existence in full clarity – Phoenix’s mind and his were connected on the deepest level. With but a thought, he could make it so that Phoenix’s body imploded from within. He could, naturally, also release the creature, but only an idiot would do so.

“Despicable human!!!” strange, hoarse voice echoed within his mind; Lynne immediately realized it was the Phoenix, who was clearly disatissfied with how things progressed. “How dare you enslave this Lord?!! I’ll destroy you!”

“Heh,” Lynne lightly chuckled as he listened to the bird’s threats. “You’re but a damn bird. What lord? Screw your lord! You dare act arrogant in front of me? Watch me torture you till your eyes are even bluer, you damn bird!”

“You dare!!!”

“Dare?! I’ll dare you ancestors, you damn bird! Shut the hell up you chunk of useless ice!” although the bird was proud and arrogant, who underneath the sky could act more arrogant than Lynne? With skin as thick as anything else in the world, he was unrivaled in that department. “You should be thanking me you useless bird! With me, at least you’ll see some of the world and actually amount to something! Humph, a chunk of ice dares act arrogant in front of this granddaddy? Come back in ten millennia!”

“You--” although the Phoenix was angered beyond belief, the creature had realized that this insignificant-looking boy in front of it was perhaps ten times more arrogant than he was. Besides, what good could come from arguing with this human? If he truly angered this boy, then perhaps the boy would truly kill it.

“Good bird, good bird,” Lynne smiled joyously as he saw the Phoenix give up. “You don’t have to worry. You’ll just be my mount, you won’t have to fight my battles!”

“Blegh!” the Phoenix coughed deeply, completely astonished by the brat’s words. Mount?! Mount? Such proud existence would be used as a mount?! “Y-you… you…”

“Ah, I understand,” Lynne’s arrogance suddenly disappeared as it was replaced by a symphatetic look and soft voice. “You, a grand bird that poops ice treasures, will be a mount to this insignificant brat who couldn’t even put a scratch on you… ah, I truly lament your fate~ but, who to blame? Fate? Me? Gods? You? Ah, blame is but an escape; it is best you accept your role, lest I began desiring to see bird’s threshold for pain. Ah, what lamentable fate…” Shameless!! Ice Phoenix truly couldn’t fully process the events that unfolded. The creature understood the principle of the strongest, so even if it was used as a mount by some despicable human, it could bear it as long as the human’s strength vastly outstripped its own. However, how could it bow its proud head to this shameless, arrogant and useless brat?!

“If you release me, I’ll grant you riches--”

“Riches and diamonds I do not desire,” Lynne lied; with each said word, it felt as if a dagger had struck his soul deep. How could he not desire riches and diamonds? That’s practically all he desired since the day he was born! “But, such amazing mount – even if it’s a damn bird – is hard to come by! You are shining all over, and I have no doubt women will love you! As so, I shall name you Wingman!”

“I already have a name, you despicable human!”

“That name sucks and is unfitting of you.”

“You don’t even know what it is!”

“I don’t have to,” Lynne shook his head. “Wingman suits you best; you are a man, and you have wings, and you shall wing women to wing me! It all falls into place perfectly!”

“Blegh!” the bird coughed again; it simply couldn’t understand Lynne, or even begin to. “You are utterly despicable! Shameless! Devious! I have never see anyone worse than you in my life!”

“Ah, you flatter me too much,” Lynne acted bashful as he lowered his head slightly. “But alas, I am not interested in men, especially those as cold as you. He he.”

“….”

There was nothing the bird could do. It had lived for almost three hundred years and had seen many things in its days, from bloody wars, despicable acts of betrayal, to the joy and happiness of life. It had seen treasures beyond compare, lands as beautiful as heavenly gardens, rivers glistening like sun and mountains surmounting the sky; yet, never in its life had it ever met someone quite like Lynne. To be more precise, no one ever even came close. Even if someone was shameless, there was usually a limit, when even their thick skin couldn’t handle any more; yet, it appeared that this young brat before it had no limit, that he could spew nonsense and bullshit until the stars dry of their shine. How could it possibly compete with words?

After calming down, the creature re-examined Lynne again, as it was blinded by fury before. If he was going to serve someone, then he had to know who exactly that someone was. However, as he began inspecting the inner workings of his body, the creature was stunned, and its fury was washed away by a seeming river of astonishment. The purity of Mana, the density, the incomparable two forces hiding within the depth of the boy’s soul… the bird was certain, but it didn’t wish to believe. The bird concluded that this brat had quite amazing talent, but it still couldn’t – or rather didn’t – want to believe that the brat had succeeded in something that was akin to a legend on this continent.

“Y-you are following two Origin Paths?!!” the bird exclaimed through their mind connection. The moment Lynne heard it, his body stiffened as his gaze grew cold, staring at the bird.

“How do you know?” he asked in a voice akin to devil’s rather than youth’s.

“Ha ha,” the bird laughed all of a sudden. “I finally have you! If you don’t release me, I’ll tell everyone! Ha ha!”

“Oh?” Lynne arched his brow, mischievous smile dancing on his lips. “How will you inform others if you can’t speak?”

“Heh, as if something like that can only be done through speech.”

“Ah, you break my heart...”

“Heh, you should have thought about that before insulting me!”

“To think I’ll have to kill my mount on the day I got it, you truly are breaking my heart...”

“Yes, release me and-- wait what?! No, no, no!” as if reminded that its life was in Lynne’s hands, the bird’s arrogant expression and voice immediately disappeared. “Young Shi--- I mean Young Lord, I was but kindly joking; I would, naturally, never, ever, ever, in the history of ever, disclose my Master’s secrets! I vow on all seven heavens!”

“Ha ha ha,” now it was Lynne’s turn to laugh. “Damn bird, relax. If you wish to spread my secrets, by all means, do so. Question is… who will ever believe you? Following two Origin Paths… such figures can only be found in ancient legends, and most still believe they are just fairy tales. Hah, you truly have a bird brain…”

“Ugh...” the bird had ugly expression, because he knew it was exactly as Lynne said. Even if it spread this through the corners of the world, who would believe it? Perhaps some lunatics at best.

“I’m still interested in how you found out,” Lynne probed; after all, this was a heavy matter. He simply couldn’t disclose his secrets, as only two other souls in the entire world knew about it in exact detail: the monkey and his Master. “Care to share your secrets?”

“Ah,” the Phoenix sighed softly. “I may as well,” it took a deep breath before continuing, even if it was using its mind to speak. “I am not from this continent,” Lynne’s mind shook suddenly as he heard those words. “To be more precise, I’m from neither of the Two Major Continents. I’m from a much smaller one, guarded by pinnacle existences. While much smaller in size, it is far stronger than anything the other two could offer.”

“Since my birth, I was taken by Master Wu,” sense of longing, respect and awe could be heard in the bird’s voice. “However, hundred years ago or so, my Master decided to ascend. As I was still too weak, he freed me, and told me to travel the world and that, one day, he’ll come back to find me. However, I knew it was impossible. While my Master’s talents were otherworldly, when compared with other monsters from that continent, my Master appeared very ordinary. He followed a single Origin Path, so even ascending to Grand Realm for him was akin to the greatest trial he could ever face…” the bird shook its head slightly as it continued.

“The reason I was able to tell you followed two Origin Paths was because I had met many monsters back on the continent,” Lynne’s heartbeat quickened; many?! Here, this is but a legend, and there’s it’s ‘many’? Where exactly is this place?! “There’s always a trace that the two paths release, but unless one is versed in them, it’s impossible to detect. It’s probable that I’m the only one on this continent capable of it. Ah, your aptitude is much better than my Master’s, and I have a feeling much more lies beneath your skin… I guess serving you isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

“What’s that continent’s name? How come I’ve never heard of it?” although Lynne was stunned, he was also suspicious. Something so major, one would think there would be an entire library dedicated to it.

“What, you think ordinary people could even think up that continent? All pinnacle existences from your legends would have probably gone there, but once they arrived, they’d learn they were but ants. However, once you arrive there, you can never leave… not unless you become strong enough. As for its name… I guess you could call it Divine Continent.”

“Divine Continent…” Lynne inhaled a gasp of cold air as he muttered.

“Don’t be mistaken,” the bird continued as if it read Lynne’s thoughts. “No one there had reached the coveted Divine Realm within Magus path. Merely, the continent is called so due to innate yearning. While those in Grand Realm are plenty, from my knowledge, in the past one hundred thousand years, no one had managed to reach the Divine Realm.”

“What?!!” Lynne was shocked even more by that knowledge. “So many pinnacle talents, yet no one could reach this Divine Realm… just what the hell are the requirements?!!”

“My Master theorized that reaching Divine Realm would require one to follow all 7 Origin Paths,” the bird mused as he saw Lynne’s shocked expression. “So, if I were you, I wouldn’t think too much about measly two.”

“… damn bird, you’re already two hundred years old and you’re barely gone through Six Evolutions. If my talents are akin to dog shit, then what about yours?”

“You--”

It was at this point that Anna, Elynal and the monkey had finally returned. As they ran like mad down the mountain in fear of being caught, they paid no attention to their behind. However, as they noticed that Lynne didn’t follow them, and that the bird was nowhere to be seen, they gathered enough courage to come back to the summit. However, once they reached it, Anna and Elynal immediately fell on their knees; atop the bird’s bead sat a youth. Fairly handsome, but not overly so, with a tinge of courage and ancient wisdom imprinted between his brows. He sat proudly, looking down onto the world, while the bird remained silent. That youth, naturally, was Lynne, and he was riding Six Evolutions Ice Phoenix as if the creature was a horse.