CHAPTER 259: SECRETS OF THE RIVER OF FIRE

The elder shook his head slowly, his wrinkled brow furrowing.

"I’m sorry. We left no written records. When the rivers of fire come without warning, survival is all we can manage. We have no habit of writing things down. Everything is passed by word of mouth, from elder to family head, from generation to generation. This place, Minoan village has never once been attacked by the Aeon, not since ancient times. But even so, the threat of the river of fire has always been with us. There is no place in this world that is truly safe."

Dominic frowned. "Even though the Aeon no longer exist on the surface, you still choose to live here, knowing the danger of the river of fire?"

"The river of fire is made of pure magical energy," the head of the family explained calmly in answer to Dominic’s question. "It is a great source of magic stones. There are even layers where black agate stone that can be mined. In fact, black agate stone itself is a product of the river of fire. The magic stones we use for light—once their power is used up, they become just ordinary rocks. But if you leave them near the river of fire for several years, they would naturally absorb the magical energy again and can be reused. Apart from magic stones, we also gather black agate stone and natural gems to live. This way of life cannot be changed easily. It is who we are. Anyone who dislikes it is free to leave. We will not stop them."

For the people of Minoan village, who had lived here through countless generations, their lifestyle and customs had long become a firm part of their culture. Both the blessings and the dangers of this harsh land were now inseparable from their identity.

"Magma or the the river of fire is made of concentrated light magic," Shiao Yi said quietly. "The layers of black agate stone were likely formed by the river of fire condensing and hardening. That’s why it’s such a strong light-type mineral."

And that’s also why black agate stone gives off those strange waves, he thought to himself with irritation. It’s a real nuisance for someone like me.

"This whole region that was surrounded by the river of fire and the dense layers of black agate stone is a very unusual area," Shiao Yi continued aloud. "In a way, it’s a place protected by strong light magic. That’s why the Aeon that was a beings of dark magic avoided this place. The ancestors of your clan were truly fortunate to have settled here."

At his words, both the elder and the family head smiled broadly and nodded their head in deep agreement. Escaping the disaster of the Aeon and preserving their lineage through the ages was clearly their greatest pride.

"The irregular eruptions of the river of fire happen when the stored magical energy underground exceeds its limit and bursts out," Shiao Yi explained further. "This time, my companion accidentally caused a sudden reaction by striking it with his magic. But the way to prevent future eruptions is the same. There’s a crater just north, beyond one mountain. That’s where the magma I released earlier came out. The mouth of that crater connects to the flow of magical energy that runs beneath this place. The energy should naturally move toward that opening. However, every few years, you should send several people with strong magical power to pour magical energy into the crater. By doing that it will released the extra magical energy from the underground reservoir and reduce the risk of the river of fire reaching this area again."

The family head and the two elders’ eyes widened their eyes in surprise.

"I see! That makes perfect sense!" the family head exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement. "We can’t thank you enough! Thanks to you, we can finally live without fear of the river of fire!"

Unable to contain his joy, the man clapped his hands together and then turned to his son, Koios, who stood silently beside him. He then smacked the boy lightly on the head.

"Hey, you! Show some gratitude! And before that, apologize properly! What were you thinking, trying to snatch something that belongs to someone else? I can understand your feelings, but you picked the wrong target!"

Koios muttered a few awkward words of apology, his eyes downcast. Dominic met them with a cold piercing glare that made Koios flinch again.

Neither of them seemed fully satisfied and the tension between them started to rise once more.

Not wanting the uneasy mood to grow worse, Shiao Yi quickly opened his mouth steering the conversation back to the main topic at hand.

"So then," Shiao Yi said softly, "could you tell us the story that has been passed down through your people?"

The elder nodded slowly and closed his eyes. His wrinkled face took on a meditative calm as though he were reaching deep into the memories of generations that has been long gone and weaving together the story that had been handed down since ancient times.

"In the beginning," the elder began, his voice quiet but steady, "there were two kinds of beings in this world, the hunters and the hunted. The hunters were the Aeon. The hunted were all the living things of this world. The Aeon knew no death. The Aeon were absolute. They were the ultimate predators, it’s a beings of terrible power. Humanity learned the art of magic and used it to fight against them. All across the world, people built fortresses and created barriers and sanctuaries to keep themselves safe. But the Aeon hid in the seas and forests, and whenever they pleased, they would emerge and attack human villages and towns. When An Aeon appeared, the people would retreat into the barrier of their sanctuaries and the magicians would use spells to fight and protect them. Their attacks could only wound the Aeon slightly, driving them back for a time. But the Aeon endlessly consuming everything, it grew larger and larger, and their growth never stopped. Gradually, humanity was pushed to the brink. In the end, only one kingdom remained."