《Snowfall》


 Prologue - The Last and First Snowfall

    On her last day on Earth, it snowed.


    Born in the land of perpetual cold, the scenery had become more than just a familiar sight; it meant home. To have it bid her farewell¡­was a blessing.


    So tired she had been, in life, and now that eternal sleep finally come to claim her¡­


    ...She went peacefully.


    ---


    Her first awareness of her new life was the extreme pain of entering the world. In a dream, she drifted to a melody, only knowing but not acknowledging, as if consciousness itself was simply a concept. There, she saw many strange things, ventured through many times and sights; yet remembered none.


    Perhaps that was a lie. She did remember; many things, in vivid fragments of a state where she could not understand the full meaning of what remained within her. She could remember the sensation of that elusive melody wrapped around her being like a delicate cocoon. And - remember, she could, the shadows of her previous life that she could only futily run until death in.


    But all that mattered little, to the pain of life. The natal warmth and comfort which she had resided in for the past few moments was disturbed by the sudden loss of it. Her skin, new and fresh, felt as if everything around her was fire, and the high keening noise pierced the air was drawn out by the searing sensation from deep in her chest. She was sure, at that moment, that death before birth would have been more preferable to the pain of coming into the world.


    The crucible, called life, began to burn once more for her.


    ---


    His child¡¯s birth, should have been assisted by the village midwife. However, a massive blizzard suddenly blew into the mountain valley and completely cut Vel and his wife¡¯s home from the village.


    Ah, not that it mattered that much.


    Vel was first and foremost a learned man, his path lit by the Origin. He had at least learned the theory on how childbirth went.


    Theory.


    Any thought of that flew out with the blizzard at the sight of Rinyan¡¯s pallor becoming impossibly paler as the contractions began to come in earnest. The midwife had given them a bit of instruction, initially, on what to do when Rinyan¡¯s contractions began, but it was expected that the older woman would be around to handle the rest. None of them had prepared for the sudden onset of winter storms, leading to the predicament that they were in.


    Shivering, Vel pulled himself together, and prepared hot water with his magic. Behind him, Rinyan was on all fours on the makeshift bed, a pile of pillows and blankets to help her prop her body up. Though she was trying to keep her voice quiet, he could tell from the small noises and the constant shivering that it was extremely painful. To help soothe her, he used a cloth soaked with the warm water to wipe the sweat on her body and stood by her side as much as possible.


    The labor continued until late in the night, the storm intensifying to the point that Vel wondered if the walls would collapse around them. He found himself constantly on edge, energy gathering around him in case he needed to maintain his wife¡¯s stability.


    A high pitched cry announced the end of the ordeal. At first, Vel did not hear it, for the storm outside had reached its peak, rattling against the ancient wood of the small home. It was not for long though, as he quickly felt Rinyan collapsing forward, her entire body relaxed.


    ¡°Vel¡­¡± Rinyan¡¯s voice was soft, barely audible, but he heard it. ¡°...Please show me¡­¡±


    After arranging Rinyan against the pillows, he went over and realized that rather than one, there were two infants weakly crying in amniotic fluid. A girl and a boy. On the forehead of one of the girl was a small red oval.


    ¡°Rin! They¡¯re twins!¡± In a hurry, he gathered both of them in his arms, not caring of the fluid that was staining his shirt and handed them over to Rinyan. She held them to her closely, her frail arms seemingly smaller than usual against the two bodies. A tired, but satisfied, smile crossed her face as she held them close, allowing them to seek a nipple to suckle on. As they began to feed, the female infant opened her eyes slightly, showing a pair of crescent of gold. Vel couldn¡¯t help but shiver¡­This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful¡­¡±


    Vel only nodded. For now, he did not know if it was a good or bad omen, that child. He would have to cast a small glamour on her to hide the mark on her forehead, at least, until she learned to do it herself.


    ---


    The storm began to die down at dawn, and later in the morning it was completely quelled, leaving the feet of the house deep in a meter and a half of white. The village midwife - Nanna, who was worried - came as soon as it was possible to traverse through the weather with her reindeer. She was a woman in her late 40s and appeared small and stocky. After hearing that Rinyan managed to properly deliver not just one, but two infants, she spent a bit of time giving her a check up as well as helping the couple with some household chores. Vel was fixing up some stew in the cooking area, using meat from the storage of prey he had hunted a few days ago. There was a lot, and the mountain¡¯s cold winters were helpful in keeping them from spoilage.


    ¡°The two infants are very healthy, but you should keep watch on your wife¡¯s condition. She lost a good deal of blood and should keep to bed rest for the next week or so and eat well.¡± Nanna spoke while Vel gave her a warm bowl. Her eyes were twinkling. ¡°You did a rather good job, want to try being my assistant?¡±


    ¡°You flatter me,¡± Vel grinned, knowing it was just a joke. ¡°But I¡¯m sure it was just luck. How is the village?¡±


    ¡°The storm was a strong one, one of the larger trees near the village was split, so the men have been busy moving it out. Thankfully there wasn¡¯t any damage that won¡¯t be repaired within a few days.¡± Nanna scooped some of the stew and ate a spoonful. While Vel and Rinyan were considered outsiders to the village, Vel¡¯s vast knowledge and surprising tracking ability had come in handy many times. Rinyan was also extremely skilled with crafts and medicine, and her bright smile and soft beauty was like a small sun in the dark and cold north. It was no small wonder that the couple managed to endear themselves to the normally closed off villagers.


    ¡°Once Rinyan¡¯s comfortable, I¡¯ll head over and give a hand.¡± After covering the lid of the pot, Vel went off to get ready for the trip over to the village, leaving Nanna in the kitchen area.


    Nanna remembered when the couple first appeared. The two of them were foreign sights in the land of ice and snow and were not familiar with the environment. It was as if they were fleeing something from deep in the southern lands.


    As she had spent most of her life within the northern areas, she rarely saw people who looked like Vel, and as for Rinyan, it was a first.


    Vel was like the people from the western areas in the south, his appearance a mixture of softness and hardness that was very pleasing to the eye. His skin, unlike the colorless Hakkur, was a warm copper tone, and his eyes were like sharp fragments of amber that sometimes were bought by her people from rare traveling merchants to make beautiful jewelry. Though his hair in the dark appeared as a deep russet, in the sun, she had seen it shine brightly, like the color of blood against snow.


    Rinyan, though, looked more like the Hakkur in skin. Her entire body appeared almost colorless, and if she wore white, Nanna was sure she would have a hard time discerning her from the snowy landscape. The only color that appeared on Rinyan was the tinge of pink on her cheeks and the bright violet-blue of her eyes, invoking the stories of spirits that Nanna listened to when she was a child. When she first saw Rinyan, she was sure her hand would pass right through her; yet when she touched Rinyan¡¯s skin, it was as solid and warm as any human¡¯s.


    Finishing the bowl, Nanna placed it in the sink and traced the symbols carved onto the edge. It flickered for a moment, and water suddenly ran from the faucet.


    The other major service that Vel and Rinyan provided the village was ritualcraft.


    Anyone with a consciousness could utilize magic on a small scale; however, the creation of magical tools required the ability to understand the theory behind it. Though Nanna had once dreamed of going to the south and bringing back ritualcraft knowledge, the steep price for such education and the organizations that dominated the regulations made it impossible, and she could only give up.


    When Vel and Rinyan appeared, it was their ability to imbue ritualcraft into objects that opened a foothold for them in the village. In return for the home and land they now lived, Vel and Rinyan outfitted the village homes with basic magic tools that severely improved the life of the villagers. In addition, Vel turned out to be an extremely good shot and tracker, rivalling even the more seasoned hunters in the village; ever since they appeared, the Hakkur clan that inhabited the village had only seen fortune.


    Filling up another bowl full of stew and pouring some warm milk into a cup, Nanna climbed upstairs to the room that Rinyan and her infants were resting in. The estate that had been given to the couple had been rundown for years, yet now it was beautifully restored. She couldn¡¯t help but spend some time glancing around every time she came. It was easy to see that the couple loved the place dearly.


    Rinyan was cooing at the two bundles in her arms, her body propped up with pillows. She was covered with layers of furs and blankets and appeared to be in danger of being lost in them.


    ¡°Nanna!¡± Rinyan looked up to see the midwife enter, her large eyes sparkling as she greeted the older woman with a bright smile. Gently, she shifted her body, so that the bundles were visible. ¡°They¡¯re sleeping so peacefully.¡±


    The two infants stirred a little at their mother¡¯s words. Nanna set the stew and milk onto the small table next to the bed and bent over. The two had been cleaned and dried off before being neatly swaddled in some clean linen. The girl, like her mother, had a small white tuft of hair, while the boy had a dark, almost black, one. The girl seemed to react, her eyes opening slightly to reveal a golden tone - like her father.


    ¡°Have you thought of names for them?¡±


    Rinyan smiled. ¡°Yes, the little girl is Rhina and the boy is Rhiyun.¡±


    As if reacting to her name, Rhina¡¯s eyes opened, staring at Nanna with a steady gaze. The midwife couldn¡¯t help but shiver a little.

 Chapter 1 - The First Few Years

    For a long time, her mind drifted amongst a vague cloud, stuffed full of cotton. Other than the periodic pains that could be recognized as hunger, it was difficult for her to understand the world around her. Yet, there was something she could understand - a sensation of silvery cold, like a bubbling spring - that grew quicker than all her bodily senses, extending outwards like small tendrils and giving her an awareness of the world around her. Perhaps, because of that, it was possible for her to withstand the first one half year of her life without going crazy, trapped within a lump of flesh that she could barely even move.


    As time passed, the black and white world bloomed gradually into colors and her mental acuity improved by leaps and bounds. By one, she rarely ever cried and always appeared to be staring at something curiously.


    The home she reincarnated into much different than what she was used to. In her past life, she spent a good deal of it in subpar rundown apartments or motels she never had the chance or inclination to become attached to. Her birth home, was decent, but that was marred by her living situation of being the mistress¡¯s daughter. The luxury of a multi-story penthouse that popped off of interior design magazines meant nothing if the main lady of the house couldn¡¯t stand anyone that wasn¡¯t her blood child. Ah, no, the home she was reborn into, felt closest to those beautiful old Norwegian homes that she often saw in charming winter themed cartoons. The interior appeared to be constructed from a dark and heavy wood, covered in various furs and rugs. The place her parents slept reminded her of large decorative wooden boxes crossed with four poster beds. When one was inside the house, it was very easy to forget how cold the exterior was.


    She didn¡¯t spend this period alone, either. Very early on, Rhina noticed someone else, other than the two adults, next to her; a person that brought security to her heart. From the memories of the past, she understood - they were her twin.


    They, given the name of Rhiyun, was by her side since birth. And they forged an impossible connection with her, sharing sensory information from the moment they took breath. The two of them existed next to one another, like how they were when they were first in the womb. To not be with Rhiyun, was something she could not imagine.


    How time worked in this world differed from time in her previous life. One year equalled to 10 double moon cycles, one month lasting around 50 days; however, each day was divided into nine major periods equivalent to around three hours in her past life. It was further split into two one and a half hour periods, making up 18 medium periods within a day, before finally splitting into another three minor periods, equal to 30 minutes each, making 81 minor periods. A year here totaled up to around one and a half times the length of a year in her previous life.


    Around the age of one, Rhina managed to walk. Rhiyun copied her, and soon the two were giving their father heart attacks as they began to explore the home, vanishing from the playroom that they were kept in. By two, Rhina could to discern the language used by her parents and those that visited them, slowly comprehending the unfamiliar tongue. By halfway through two, she exhibited great interest in learning, and her parents taught her some basics of the language, which she quickly soaked up thanks to the mental acuity of a toddler. Soon she could read, and by 3, she could keep up conversations with her parents.


    Rhiyun imitated everything she did, and easily managed to keep up. Though Rhina benefited from her previous life¡¯s memory, Rhiyun had none of it, making her wonder if he was the real genius between the two. The two of them shared everything, and no secrets were kept between them.


    The 3 year old Rhina also began to learn something else...


    ...magic.


    She first witnessed magic when her father cast something upon her, hiding the small red oval resting upon her brow. Her father called it glamour, a simple cantrip anyone could perform to hide something small. When he cast it, the sensation that existed with her since the time of her birth felt something, like a small flowing breeze. The flow settled upon her forehead, erasing the mark and only leaving behind smooth and white skin, as if such a thing never existed in the first place. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Soon she realized the house itself did something similar, constantly inhaling something like a living being. In return, it expelled warmth that heated the floors and rooms. Every time her parents used a modern amenity around the house, Rhina found herself feeling a pull. The phenomenon was visible everywhere around her, as long as she watched carefully.


    ¡®Maybe, I could do something like it also?¡¯ Rhina picked up a small colored wooden block, focusing. She mimicked what her father did and tried to pull at the flow, intending to cover one side of the colored block. As if listening to her bidding like an eager child, the flow wrapped entirely around it, causing the block to vanish from sight. Rhina dropped it in surprise, knitting her eyebrows.


    Rhiyun bounded over, discarding the book he was reading, pulling a blanket after him. Though he had a weaker sense, he also felt the small tug and became curious of what his sister could be up to.


    Rhina pointed at the place where the flow had a noticeable disturbance. Rhiyun kneeled down and placed his hand upon it, stopping right above the floor, at the same height of the block. He frowned a little, and suddenly split the flow, revealing the wooden block.


    The two played like this, Rhina hiding something and Rhiyun unmasking it. Sometimes, they would switch roles, both of them becoming increasingly more proficient.


    Downstairs, Vel was quietly preparing dinner, unaware of what his children were up to. Rinyan had gone outside to gather medicinal herbs - much to his chagrin - leaving him with the little devil twins. As much as he loved the two, without Rinyan¡¯s ability to quell them, Vel wasn¡¯t sure if his hair could remain the well conditioned auburn it had been for a long time. Letting out a long sigh, he washed his hands and wiped them off, preparing himself to call the two down for their meal. Ah, he definitely aged more dealing with them than he ever did in the imperial court.


    Climbing the stairs, he noticed something off. The flow that normally cycled gently throughout the household like a stream, suddenly had small eddies. At first, Vel thought someone from his past life managed to follow them all the way to the far north and froze. However, thinking it over...if someone was pursuing them, it wouldn¡¯t be someone so unskilled that they couldn¡¯t hide their magic.


    The alternative though...Vel frowned. It couldn¡¯t be, could it?


    Reaching the top of the stairs, he walked through the open frame of the playroom and took a step. Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced up his foot, causing him to let out an undignified yelp and he staggered backwards.


    He looked down quickly, trying to find out what he stepped on. Yet, there was nothing there.


    Vel narrowed his eyes. No, there was something there.


    The flow cocooned around a small shape. Further on, more were scattered around the entrance. He heard the sound of childish giggles, but saw no one.


    ¡®Is this how they¡¯re going to play...¡¯


    Stepping through, he avoided the hidden objects, keeping his steps even and kicking the ones in his way or appearing to nearly avoid them. Clasping his hands behind his back, he looked up, speaking in a very obvious tone. ¡°Oh dear, I wonder where my cute little son and daughter have gone to?¡±


    There was no response, only a small laugh.


    ¡°I guess...the sweet pastries I prepared...is all for me.¡±


    Vel turned around and quickly jogged out of the room, hearing small yelps as the two twins accidentally stepped on the invisible blocks.


    Or, rather, one.


    Vel only heard Rhiyun¡¯s voice, and felt a disturbance of flow pass by him. Even if they were talented -


    - to be able to constantly monitor the flow, should have been a difficult task.


    By the time he thought through all of this, Rhina already had a large head start. However, just as he was about to go after Rhina, Rhiyun burst out crying. Pursing his lips, Vel went over to where Rhiyun fell down and picked up the small boy, the magic dispelling as he easily uncast it. He wiped the fat tears off of his son¡¯s round cheeks and blue-violet eyes with a sleeve, gently rocking him in his arms. Rhiyun rested his head against the crook of Vel¡¯s neck, still sobbing audibly. The flow that cloaked the rest of the blocks in the room dissipated, revealing the colorful hand painted blocks Vel and Rinyan traded from the village woodcutter a few months back.


    Patting Rhiyun¡¯s back, Vel missed the devilish smile on his young son¡¯s face.

 Chapter 2 - Dear Idiot Father, Were Only 3 (Basic Overview of the Worlds Magic Mechanics)

    The next day, Vel woke up early to clean up and put away the toys in the playroom. The once disorganized space glittered in the dawning light, with only the rosey bookshelves and beautifully handcrafted chests left to hint of the room before. In the middle, he arranged a comfy rug made from the skin of a large winter bear that Rinyan brought back last fall, and placed a lavender crystal at its center. The crystal gave off a muted glow that was barely reflected against the shiny white fur.


    Last night, after Rhiyun had stopped crying, Vel came down to learn that Rhina had made her way through a good portion of the pastries he prepared, absconding with an equal amount for Rhiyun.


    Consequently, the two had been too full for dinner. After Rinyan heard about what the two rascals did, she laughed so hard that Vel was worried she¡¯d fall off her chair. Vel was less than amused, though, his fine eyebrow twitching as he looked at the two guilty little toddlers. For children so young, they sure were brave. Rhina and Rhiyun looked at their feet, unable to meet their father¡¯s gaze.


    His upper lip twitching a little, Vel announced that from this day on, Rhina and Rhiyun would begin learning magic. Properly.


    The two were then put to bed, and woke up to the playroom being neatly cleaned up and the curtains pulled wide open. Initially, Vel wanted to wait until they were at least around 7 or 8 to begin teaching them...nevertheless, ignoring early talent could lead to danger of improper control and over exertion, leaving with him no choice but to start early. If his children got hurt¡­Vel¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.


    After breakfast, Vel bid Rinyan good luck on her day and had Rhina and Rhiyun file up the stairs to the playroom. The two didn¡¯t seem to react much to the changed landscape, making Vel wonder if the two really were 3 year olds or not. Back when he was still in the imperial court - he caught himself before his mouth pulled down into a huge frown.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be teaching you two some basic rules of magic and how to properly manage your body.¡± Vel attempted to sound stern as he patted the two on the head. ¡°If you two do well, I¡¯ll make something delicious.¡±


    This got their attention. Due to the lack of proper trade routes, sugar was hard to come by in the north. Sweet things had to be made from berries or from sap of specific trees. Vel¡¯s handmade jams and preserved fruit were extremely popular, not just among the twins, but the whole village too. Often, during festivals when he contributed some of the jars of preserves, Vel found himself being proposed to by the men and women of the village, much to his chagrin.


    Eying his children, Vel sat down, taking from under his arm a rather dusty and worn book and some parchment that he and Rinyan had made earlier during the summer months. In truth, he had a portable interface that could do the same job, but he prefered using books and paper.


    Surprisingly, the two were very attentive and enthusiastic. Little hellions, they might be, but when it came to something they were genuinely curious and interested in, they transformed into peaceful little angels. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the twins were his children, he was sure he would have been, without a doubt, fooled. However, he was surprised at the depth of understanding the two had managed to achieve in their small lifespan...Ah, but he wasn¡¯t a researcher anymore.


    No. His job, now, was to teach his two children who sat diligently in front of him.


    He gave the two a lopsided smile ruffling the top of both of their heads. Rhina looked a lot like Rinyan, while Rhiyun looked more similar to him; Rhiyun¡¯s blackish hair was beginning to fade into a deeper red. He never thought he would be able to love deeply in any way, but now he had found something to protect. The twins looked at him oddly, curious of what their father might beup to.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± Vel held gestured to the two to give him a hand. Holding the two small palms that were easily lost within his larger ones, he spoke. ¡°Na-rhi and Yun-rhi, what do you feel?¡±


    Rhina could clearly feel the pull of a flowing sensation that seemed to circle throughout her father¡¯s body. At the point where their hands touched, it tugged, gently, like a lazy river. Rhiyun sensed it too, butnot as strongly as what Rhina felt.


    ¡°A river.¡±


    ¡°A stream.¡±


    The two small voices spoke in unison. They were rewarded with a smile from their father.


    ¡°Very good. The flow of magic the two of you felt is something that all living creatures carry. The system it occupies is the main instrument for magic casting. All energy flows and is connected to the Origin, where it flows to and from. All living beings can influence this flow and bend it to their will; a phenomenon called magic.¡±


    Vel pulled out a small coin from his pocket. Focusing on it, Rhina and Rhiyun noticed the flow from Vel¡¯s body encircling and raising the coin, causing it to levitate. Then, the energy suddenly surged, and the coin bent, collapsing back onto the rug, feeling a bit warm to the touch. The flow around it grew stronger, for a moment, but quickly dispersed into the surrounding energy.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°That is area manipulation. By using your own energy, you can alter the world around you. It is a power anyone can use intuitively; even so, the amount of effects one can do is dependent on the person themselves. Think of it as a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it gets.¡±


    Vel levitated the coin once more, this time doing something different; instead of bending, the metal of the coin changed shape, metamorphosing into a small ball. The flow around the ball, minus the energy that kept it suspended, did not change. When their father gestured to them to touch it, it felt acutely chilly.


    ¡°What did you think happened?¡±


    Rhiyun looked Rhina, as if asking her. The little eyebrows on Rhina¡¯s face furrowing together. After a moment of thinking she responded, slowly.


    ¡°Did you...use the energy in the coin?¡±


    Vel grinned.


    ¡°Bingo~ It''s called origin manipulation. It¡¯s what the two of you were playing with yesterday. While area can only affect things physically, someone skilled with origin manipulation can not only alter the physical structure internally, but do things like drawing out certain elements and even changing the property.


    ¡°But, origin manipulation is a little special. Unlike area manipulation, it requires inborn ability. If someone doesn¡¯t have it, they don¡¯t have it. Most of the time, people are born with partial or unique origin manipulation abilities that increase their affinity for something or give them an ability to do something others can¡¯t. The most basic allows for efficient utilization of magic, by ¡®requesting¡¯ energy from a different source. And while you can do things that area cannot, your power is limited by the surrounding energy.¡±


    Rhiyun chewed on his bottom lip, having a bit of difficulty understanding what his father said; however, Rhina acted like she understood everything. Vel grabbed a piece of parchment and drew out a diagram to help further elaborate. Rhina pointed at it and quietly explainedthe process to Rhiyun. After a moment, he nodded, finally understanding.


    ¡°A good magic user must understand that both types of manipulation are necessary. Often, people find themselves mixing the two kinds of magic together. The range that origin manipulation can channel varies upon the kind and affinity that the person has with it. The largest general range I¡¯ve heard a person having without using their affinity or area ability was around thirty meters or so radius, but usually the average should be around 5 meters at most. Although the area can be increased with the use of ritualtechnology to up to several times the original, depending on the quality and make of the tool.


    ¡°This aspect, while it can be trained, grows a lot slower than area. Depending on ability and creativity, it can be expanded depending on your ability to cast conjunctively with area.¡±


    To help the twins understand, Vel continued drawing on the parchment, giving a stickfigure example of what wa going on. His drawings had a technical flare to it, with exact lines and shapes. It was the first time in Rhina''s previous and current life where she had seen anyone draw such them so perfectly.


    ¡°The next important thing that the two of you need to know is the art of combining the prior two kinds of magic into objects - Ritualtechnology.


    ¡°Like the word itself, the art is composed of ritual and technology. Ritual magic is the process of arranging various conductive components like an input/output system that results in a final effect. Before, it took time to arrange these, and could siphon the energy from its surroundings to form effects, making it an extremely effective way for people without much area or origin manipulation to rival powerful magic; however, if the person miscalculated the energy cost, it would often have heavy rebound consequence. As a result, being able to effectively use this kind of magic discipline required years of study.


    ¡°With innovations during the pre-First Cataclysm era, people learned how to standardize and mass produce magic tools that could utilize ritual magic without need of prior calculation, giving birth to the first major technological revolution. Now, anyone could use ritual magic without the years of study that it once required, causing an explosion of progress and increased standard of living. I¡¯ll go more in depth with the whole topic later if the two of you are interested. For now, I¡¯ll explain the energy source that is used to fuel ritualtech.¡±


    Then he picked up the crystal that he had set down earlier, passing it to Rhina who then gave it to Rhiyun. The size of the crystal was roughly around ten centimeters in length and two and a half centimeters wide at the thickest part. It felt warm in her hand and gave her a sensation of a beating heart.


    ¡°That¡¯s a piece of crystallized origin. It¡¯s a dense lattice structure of stabilized origin energy. Normally, it¡¯s mined from veins in the earth, but can also appear within certain beasts with high magic capacity or in plants with varying degrees of purity, graded from the lowest, F at 10%, to the highest, SSS at 99%. It¡¯s used to fuel most types of ritual magic and ritualtech, although it can also be used raw to help power a magic user who is talented with origin manipulation. Depending on the purity and the power of the spells that are used, it can last from as little as a single use to years. F grade crystals the size of this chunk will often vaporize and leave only the impurities after a mid-level spell while an SSS grade crystal is often passed down as family heirlooms.¡±


    Vel then took out a small object that looked like two hexagonal pyramids joined together at the base and was no longer than the firstjoint of Rhina¡¯s pinky finger. It had a slightly similar appearance to the lavender crystal. When she squinted, she could see swirls of pearlescent white intruding into it. Vel held it up, letting the sunlight that streamed through the window fall upon it.


    ¡°This is an energy storage unit. Anyone can use it and store energy into it with area. Due to its construction, it can be reused over and over, and is a lot more efficient than just jamming a crystal into the socket. The commercial maximum storage is around 40% - the same amount of a C grade crystal; the military grade units from the Granv¡¯el Empire and the Solace Republic can go up to 75% - A grade - but distribution is heavily controlled...¡± At this point, the information that he rattled off continued to contain less and less context, to the point that Rhina had difficulty following. Wasn¡¯t the first time supposed to be an overview? Why was he going into so much arbitrary detail?


    ¡®Hey, at least take your kids¡¯ ages into account, old man.¡¯


    At this point, Rhina wondered if her father actually realized the physical age of the two kids in front of him. Was this what someone would call an idiot father? No matter, she continued listening while supporting the slowly nodding off Rhiyun.

 Chapter 3 - White Hound (A Brief Overview of the Conflict Between Hakkyel and the New Da-en Kingdom)

    Tyzeka was an austere and meticulous man.


    He appeared, in the simplest terms, unremarkable. Perhaps it was his light, average face that made no impression, or maybe muddy brown hair and dirt colored eyes. Even when he spoke, his voice seemed to carry an underlying buzzing sound, making it difficult to pay attention to. He took care in his wardrobe, often wearing muted colors and clothing that made his appearance fade, like a shadow. In all physical aspects, he appeared rather ordinary.


    Yet, because of this, Tyzeka became one of the Granv¡¯el Empire¡¯s best trackers. He spent many years cultivating his current persona, melding into the masses and leaving no trace of himself. His skill and record became so renown that his nickname became the ¡®White Hound¡¯. And like a spectral bloodhound, he hunted his prey to the ends of the earth, never letting them escape.


    Nevertheless, recently, he found himself growing steadily impatient.


    For the first time, Tyzeka ran into difficulty with tracking down his prey.


    Eight years ago, a ritualtech engineer dared to defy the Amethyst Emperor, taking away with him a top secret weapon and vital research data. Due to the sensitivity of the research data and power of the weapon, the Empire could only send out a special undercover unit to chase after him.


    After three years and multiple false leads, the unit returned to the Empire, empty handed. It was as if the engineer had vanished into thin air.


    Left with no other choice, the Empire assigned their best trackers with the task. Tyzeka had been called in by his superior one evening, and handed a chip without word. The little chip contained all the data gathered by the unit, as well as specific sensitive information on the weapon that the man absconded with.


    Even though much of the information had been censored...ah, to think his homeland was working on something so terrifying.


    A wry twists of his lips suddenly broke his carefully crafted dull illusion. It wasn¡¯t his place to criticize the Grand Empire of Granv¡¯el¡¯s ambition.


    To think, even five years later, he would still be chasing the engineer¡¯s shadow.


    Karvelis. It wasn¡¯t an uncommon name. During the early days of the Granv¡¯el Empire, the god-hero, Karvelis Faxine, along with the first Amethyst Emperor, united the 11 States into the Central District, establishing the foundation. Karvelis then went on to becoming the head of Granv¡¯el Empire¡¯s state ekklav, honoring the 10 gods. According to the old legends, Karvelis¡¯s power came from being the Avatar of the god Rhavt¡¯el, the Overseer of wisdom and civilization.


    Thus, it would be more correct to say, the name existed as one of the most common within the boundaries of the Empire.


    Normally, be it the most common or least common, it still wouldn¡¯t be much of a trouble for him to track someone down. No, the problem stemmed from the thorough mechanizations of not just one person. Likely speaking, this Karvelis received inside help, though when Tyzeka voiced his assumption, the response they gave was simply: Impossible.


    At this point, he couldn¡¯t be sure if the withheld information carried some vital clue or if he missed something. The research branch, which heavily involved itself in the investigation, held too much pride and politics for any query he gave them to be effectively answered.


    Pulling out a cigarette, he lit the end with his finger and took a long drag.


    With the evening came the slowly growing flow of clients into the pub he sat in. Most people barely threw him a glance as they walked by, so much that he was quite sure that even the barmaids forgot he existed.


    Closing his eyes, he leaned back on his chair, tapping the end of the cigarette into the provided ashtray.


    Hell, the hunt didn¡¯t even have a proper photo of the engineer to go off with. The multi-complex facility of the Research Branch had a camera in every corner both hidden and visible - minus the top secret levels. Yet - even that was tampered with. The only things left behind were nothing better than anecdotal descriptions given by the staff that matched a majority of the citizens of Granv¡¯el.


    But he was Tyzeka, the White Hound. Once he caught a scent, he never let the prey go. It was a matter of pride.


    As he ruminated on his situation, the seat across him filled. A stocky man in his late 40s sat down, the low light of the bar bouncing off the silver in his dark hair. He dressed in thick skins of many wild beasts stitched into clothing common among the northern clans. Without directly looking at Tyzeka, he waved over a barmaid and ordered some common beer. Though his occupation stated reindeer herding, his real job was to operate as Tyzeka¡¯s eyes in the far north.


    The two sat in silence while the noise level increased noticeably, the man¡¯s stern face, weathered from decades of cold weather, remained expressionless as he took a swig of alcohol.


    Tyzeka flicked over a card, which the man caught. His face broke into a wide, toothy grin.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one that knows proper manners these days.¡±


    Tyzeka raised an eyebrow incredulously. The man in front of him wouldn¡¯t know manners from a dunghill, let alone proper ones. If the man knew what the hound thought, he acknowledged none of it.


    Leaning in, he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Lately, there has been an increase in ritualcraft ability and technology in one of the Hakkur settlements. Though the village is known for being notoriously tight lipped towards outsiders, one of the clan¡¯s herders boasted loudly about it. No one seems to be inclined to say how they got it though...considering how heavily controlled ritualcraft knowledge is in the neighboring Da-en Kingdom.¡±


    The initial conflict between the Hakkur and the New Da-en Kingdom dated back to early after the Second Cataclysm. After the devastating event, a huge portion of the Old Da-en Kingdom became heavily affected by the neighboring origin poisoning of Shii¡¯el. Due to the heavy fracture of leylines from the Second Cataclysm, which originated from Shii¡¯el and expanded to various other areas of the continent and planet, a curious phenomenon of hyper-dense origin sinks appeared, constantly pulling heavy amounts of energy from the environment and making the zones almost uninhabitable for all life except the most hardy. Song Seers declared that the Will of the planet itself willed it, out of sorrow and rage towards what humanity had done. It seemed that the land absorbed and expelled origin at an almost equal amount, transforming into a domain of perpetual cold.


    When in low concentration in the atmosphere, origin energy caused little to no issues. Only when the energy concentration passed a certain break point in density would the true danger begin to occur. In heavy concentration and high purity, the energy would become unstable, clinging to interference in order to stabilize itself in a crystalline form. Should any living creature attempt to enter a high density zone without proper protection, they would soon quickly find themselves crystallizing from the inside out, until they became little more than living statues that origin would attempt to latch onto. Frankly, it could be considered a fate worse than death.


    Thus, to no one¡¯s surprise, the Da-en Kingdom withdrew and abandoned its eastern edge, expanding westwards and northwards.


    However, to the west, the Kingdom encountered severe resistance from the now named Constellation Alliance city states and eventually, after suffering heavy losses, decided to concentrate their forces northward against the less centralized Hakk¡¯yel. Although majorly protected in the south by the Olmesa mountain range, many of its southwest steppes and mountain valley settlements soon fell under Da-en control, cutting out an important ancestral nomadic herding land of the Hakkur, becoming the Da-en New Kingdom. For centuries, most of the skirmishes were minor, as the northern zone of the Olmesa lived up to its other name - The Blue-Silver Aegis, Urlil-Zeite Axoa.


    Even so, it could not protect against the first major conflict; the senseless slaughter of a Hakkur clan.


    On the eve of the first day of the month Men¡¯yui the Dreaming Will, 60 years ago, the Da-en Imperial Soldiers marched through the Sixth Branch mountain pass. There, they came across the Yangur clan trade city and promptly slaughtered a majority of the Yangur Hakkur. In a single night, Da-en not only gained a strong foothold in the Olmesa mountain range, but also the enmity of not only the clans allied with the Yangur, but those that saw the slaughter as inhumane and cowardly. In the span of five years, the Da-en Kingdom gained control of a majority of the mountain passes and all of the commonly used ones, cutting off the central Hakk¡¯yel from most their south west trading routes. The conflict would go on for another five years or so, the Hakkur unable to properly defend due to the lack of heavy centralization.


    Eventually, the governing body of Hakk¡¯yel, relented, bled out by the vicious tactics, and called for a diplomatic peace treaty with Da-en. Yet, this would only add oil to the fire. Da-en sent out one of its princes as an ambassador to negotiate terms with the Hakk¡¯yel representative body, only to be killed en-route to the largest city of Hakk¡¯yel - Ulzar. Four days after, in outrage, the Da-en Kingdom invaded through the seven major mountain passes, enforcing an ethnic cleansing policy. The renewed conflict would last for three years, leaving 1/4th of the Hakkur population dead.


    Perhaps, the sorrow of the Hakkur became too much to bear for the gods. For the massively succeeding Da-en to suddenly find their good fortune overturned shocked the continent, which had, until then, been watching quietly from the sidelines.


    The appearance of an Avatar.


    Reportedly, she appeared weeping, under the ascending star of Ia, bathed in blood. Embodying Ia, Will of Life and Death, the girl became a mass of vengeance that consumed Da-en soldiers and driving the army back. Although Da-en had secured allies prior, no one dared to lift a finger; after all, what fool would dare incur the wrath of a god? The ire which Da-en had drawn upon themselves could only be resolved by the Da-en Kingdom alone.


    The Ia Avatar passed into the Da-en Kingdom, bringing mindless death in her wake, until finally, at the cost of a massive amount of lives and several talented generals, she was driven back to the Olmesa mountain range and killed. Her death deviated the natural flow of Origin, birthing a powerful surface leyline and strengthening the Urlil-Zeite with the flow expelled by Shii¡¯el.


    Effectively, this sealed off Hakk¡¯yel from the New Da-en Kingdom, preventing large future invasions; however, it also caused the effect of sealing off almost all of the mountain passes.


    Compared to the loss of trade routes, it could be said that Da-en suffered more. The conflict led to the death of many intelligent generals and a vast amount of human resources - specifically the strategist who was responsible for the Kingdom¡¯s success. Two years after, the Da-en Kingdom suffered from a major, unforeseen epidemic, further adding insult to injury. The government, in order to maintain power, placed the blame upon the Hakkur, relying on centuries of discrimination. Because they had lost much during the recent conflict, the Da-en Kingdom found themselves forced to allied with the Granv¡¯el Empire in order to maintain stability. Even though a toddler could see who was the wrong one in the conflict, the Da-en Kingdom continued to operate with heavy Hakkur discrimination to this day.


    Taking another draw from his cigarette, Tyzeka narrowed his eyes. It wasn¡¯t surprising that ritualcraft knowledge would appear in Hakk¡¯yel. Although its trade routes on the Da-en boarder were sealed off, there were still the Constellation alliance and the Northwest trade routes that connected the the neighboring one. Although the country lacked centralization, the inner Hakk¡¯yel was rich in various resources such as ores and Origin veins. It could be reasonable to assume that a group interested in trading for those resources would exchange ritualcraft knowledge, something the Hakk¡¯yel did not have much of.


    And it could be reasonable to assume that the engineer may have been among them.


    ¡°Do you know what settlement the man originated from?¡±