Chapter 0098

When Cardis said he was going settle Kataigida and Tempest into their new home, he meant he was going to throw them into their new abode and skitdaddle until the commotion in Eternal Spirit Guild settle down.

Thousands of years ago, Cardis had a hand in creating the Emblemic Mountain Range, the chain of volcanoes situation to the north of the Eternal Spirit Guild headquarters.

The once thriving mountain range filled with verdant forest, rushing rivers and beast of all kinds were destroyed under torrential movement of ashes and lava as the mountains morphed into volcanoes. Fire swept the mountains leaving behind coarse rocks and a desolate landscape where few plants and animals can grow. It had become a barren wasteland only suitable for creatures with an affinity with fire and earth.

Or so the Eternal Spirit Guild led other to believe. The Emblemic Mountain Range wasn’t inhospitable as it seems. Fire and earth base plants and herbs thrive in their new surrounding, growing lush with the thickening mana in the air, transforming the wasteland into a thriving forest once more. Some of the rarest fire base plants can only be found in the Emblemic Mountain Range.

As the plants began to grow it brought along the herbivores, which later brought the carnivores to this new area. Azure Flame Phoenix, Sun Flare Dragons, True Fire Unicorns, Deep Earth Tortoise and many other beast thought to be extinct in the other regions are as commons as weeds in the Emblemic Mountain Range.

Time also filled giant craters with rain water, thereby creating lakes here and there over time.

One of the lakes the Eternal Spirit Guild claim as their own and later convert it to a resident is the Serene Spirit Lake.

Serene Spirit Lake is a large quite lake, about two times the size of Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes on the US-Canadian border and it is somewhat deeper into the Emblemic Mountain Range, far enough to avoid the hectic goings of the Eternal Spirit Guild, but not far enough to be completely isolated.

There are some palatial residences as well as some modest residences along the shores of the Serene Spirit Lake.

Cardis towed Tempest and Kataigida pass all the homes on the shore and flew towards a rustic building out in the middle of the lake.

At first glance, the building could be mistaken for a large boat. After all, what else could be out in the middle of the lake aside from a boat?

On closer inspection, the building looks more like those stilted homes built in the middle of the water thought up by the Southeast Asian resort planners to lure tourist with a novel idea.

Tempest felt fine living in a small hut like structure on the water’s surface until Cardis opened a door on the floor of the hut and toss both Tempest and Kataigida down with a “Be glad I’m giving you the chance to settle in. My lessons are harsh.”

Once Tempest landed and had a good look around, her expression turned dark. “Damn it, I don’t to live in an aquarium!”

An aquarium is an apt description of Tempest’s new home. The walls were made out of Pure Ice Crystals forged in the deepest reaches of the Emblemic Mountain Range by a master craftsman. It is five centimeters thick, looks as clear and fragile as glass yet stronger than steel. Tempest learned about the strength of the Pure Ice Crystal first hand by punching the so-called glass and breaking her the bones in her hand.

The thump sound attracted the fishes that lived in the bottom of the lake. They swam by to see what the commotion was. After a few pass with nothing to show for their efforts, they swam away.

The mastercraftsman knew the Pure Ice Crystal was going to be used for an underwater abode, so he forges it in a manner similar to a one way through mirrors police used to watch an interrogation. People can see out, but they can not see in.

Tempest watched in fascinations as a giant snake, at least thirty meters in length ate a few of the fishes near her new ‘wall’ then quickly dart away as it sense an existence that pose a threat to its life.

Chomp.

A three headed hydra made quick work of the not so quick snake. One head bit the snake’s head off while the other head started chewing from the other end of the snake. Instead of joining the feast, the third head turned toward Tempest, eyeing the reflective surface carefully. It can sense a presence behind the Pure Ice Crystal, one filled with elemental energy that can promote its cultivation by another level or two but the formation surrounding the reflective surface was too strong for it to break through.

With a wistful look, it turned to eat the last bit of the snake then swam away.

“I guess I won’t be bored here.” Tempest said as she began to explore her new home.

The residence is quite large with a bedroom, library, cultivation room and three work rooms that has all the material Tempest would need to raise her charm skills from low level to mid level or even high level.

She can branch out to other professions if she wanted to.

“Is everything to your liking?”

“Gah, you scared me. I thought you were one of the lake monsters out to eat me.”

“You don’t have to worry. There no beast in the lake strong enough to pose a danger to you.”

“It is the principal of the matter!” Tempest complained.

“Since when did you have principals?” Kataigida asked, puzzled. The spirits have always been by Tempest’s side. They’ve seen her grow from a silly little baby to a distorted teenager to a mad torturer as she hunted down those responsible for the death of her sisters to a shadow of a woman once her vengeances was complete.

“I’ve always had principals.”

“The same principals you threw away in the dirt in your request for revenge?” They never see Tempest exhibit the so-called principle of humanity unless it was to her benefits.

“That was an anomaly I tell you, an anomaly! Anyone who saw their whole family got slaughtered would act the same way I would. Aside from that crazy episode in my life, I am a good person.”

“A good person who killed another person because she saw an act of betrayal?”

“So I have PTSD. Prisoners of war have it; why can’t I? It is understandable considering my childhood and what I have been through!”

“A principled person doesn’t compromise their integrity and morals yet you easily justify your actions with superficial reasonings. This isn’t the actions of a principled person.”

“I didn’t say I was a principled person, only that I do have some principles, even though it might be less than normal, it is still there. Anyways, this isn’t about my character. I want to know, what the hell happened by there?!”