"Nawdren, I have another question."
While Nawdren, Astaria, and Riona were walking, Riona questioned.
"What is it?" Nawdren asked back.
His response was quite rude, however, Riona let it slide and questioned.
"The Barrier, why do you sound so sure that the Barrier is weakening?"
"…"
Nawdren turned silent.
"You said you assumed this happened just because the Blood Contract has been annulled, but no matter how much I think about it, that reason is too weak for you to act like this.
What is the actual reason you think that way?" Riona questioned.
"…I failed to become an 8 Star beast," Nawdren answered.
When she heard this answer, even Astaria, who was walking further stopped and turned towards the two of them.
Nawdren continued,
"All of this might just be because I am incompetent, but we the Flying Lynx, none of us has ever 'failed' to become an 8-Star Beast."
"What are you trying to get at?" Astaria walked towards him and questioned with a frown on her face.
Something was wrong.
Nawdren didn't reveal full information before.
"Haven't you wondered why the strongest Stage one can reach in this continent is just the Emperor Stage while there are ridiculously stronger stages outside this continent?"
"Is it because of lack of knowledge or inadequate cultivation techniques?"
Astaria wasn't sure herself.
"Do you really think that's it?"
Nawdren spoke.
"Don't play any riddles, answer properly," Riona warned.
"The Barrier that protects this Continent also limits the Mana."
"Limits the Mana?"
"Yes, the Mana we have here is not dense enough. That is the reason none of you humans can go past the Emperor Stage. In this part of the world, Emperor really is the True peak.
However, the same was not true for us, Flying Lynx.
We are biologically different from you.
The Mana we require to become an 8-Star Beast is lesser compared to Mana you humans require to become an Emperor.
For me to not become an 8-Star Beast,
There is a high chance the Mana Density of this world is being affected by something."
Nawdren spoke with a serious look on his face.
"But if the barrier is weakening, shouldn't the Mana density increase?"
Astaria questioned.
"The Barrier's construction is not that simple.
This Barrier shouldn't have weakened in the first place.
Me failing to become an 8 Star Beast and the Annulment of the Blood Contract, I refuse to believe these two are not interrelated."
"…"
Astaria turned silent.
Nawdren wasn't wrong.
"That means that the chances of the barrier weakening are a lot higher than we think," Riona spoke with a solemn look on her face.
Nawdren didn't say anything.
Riona then turned towards Astaria and questioned,
"Should we really unite the 4 nations?"
"What do you mean?" Astaria narrowed her eyes.
"If the barrier is weakening, then the people from the main world will for sure come to our continent as well. There is no way they will leave out a free land like ours. It doesn't make sense for us to unite the 4 Nations, since they will eventually take it away from us."
Riona or even Astaria, none of them had doubts.
If the people from the mainland come for them, defeating them is impossible, it was not even a discussion.
They barely defeated Nawdren, who is not even a True Sage and there is a high chance that the people from the mainland have cultivators who are at an even stronger stage than Sage.
Fighting against them was simply suicide.
"It's been 100 years since Nawdren realized that something was wrong with the barrier, however, even now, the barrier hasn't been destroyed. Don't forget, Roone still managed to an Emperor.
If the Mana Density was diminishing, he wouldn't have been able to do so.
Of course, there are chances that he is right but even then,
We still don't know how long the Barrier will hold on.
It could be a month or even 500 years.
We don't even know if the people from the mainland are even interested in this place.
Planning based on something so unpredictable seems stupid."
Suddenly, Arvina walked towards them and spoke.
Riona started thinking.
Arvina's words made sense.
Before this war, she didn't even know something like a barrier existed and it was weakening. She should only plan with the best interest in her mind, if something happens later, she should think about it later.
Riona glanced at Arvina and nodded,
"You are thinking too much."
Suddenly, Astaria spoke up.
"Hmm?" Arvina and Riona frowned.
"It doesn't matter if the barrier is weakening or not.
The people from the mainland, they may or may not come for us,
But we for sure are going for them."
Astaria spoke with a confident smile on her face.
"All we need to do is find a new ruler for the Skyfall Kingdom."
"Huh?"
Riona and Arvina frowned.
"What? Why are you two looking at me like that?"
"You are not planning to take Nux and his wives with you… are you?"
"Are you serious? Of course not.
I am not taking them anywhere, I will be going with them."
"They…?"
"Mhm, all of them have already decided to leave this continent."
"How do you even know something like that?" Arvina questioned. She was there will them when the truth about Yrniel was revealed and she didn't see Nux and others talking about it.
A small smile appeared on Astaria's face and she just shook her head,
"I just know."
She then glanced at Nawdren and her expression changed,
"Now as soon as I defeat this bastard on my own, we all will leave."
"Sure. Go ahead, you can order me to lose any time you want, I would follow it.
As long as it makes you feel good."
Nawdren shrugged, indirectly taunting Astaria.
"Heh. Don't get ahead of yourself.
Don't forget, you started running away in the middle of our battle like the scardy little bitch you are."
Astaria retorted with a calm, confident look on her face.
Nawdren suddenly turned silent.
He quickly recalled the time when Astaria's sword had started shining and it cut through his sword to wound his chest.
He still has that cut on his chest.
Astaria then looked at Nawdren and narrowed her eyes,
"You seem to know what that move was,
Now answer me,
What it was, and how do I master it?"
"…"
Nawdren's expression changed.
"Nawdren, I have another question."
While Nawdren, Astaria, and Riona were walking, Riona questioned.
"What is it?" Nawdren asked back.
His response was quite rude, however, Riona let it slide and questioned.
"The Barrier, why do you sound so sure that the Barrier is weakening?"
"…"
Nawdren turned silent.
"You said you assumed this happened just because the Blood Contract has been annulled, but no matter how much I think about it, that reason is too weak for you to act like this.
What is the actual reason you think that way?" Riona questioned.
"…I failed to become an 8 Star beast," Nawdren answered.
When she heard this answer, even Astaria, who was walking further stopped and turned towards the two of them.
Nawdren continued,
"All of this might just be because I am incompetent, but we the Flying Lynx, none of us has ever 'failed' to become an 8-Star Beast."
"What are you trying to get at?" Astaria walked towards him and questioned with a frown on her face.
Something was wrong.
Nawdren didn't reveal full information before.
"Haven't you wondered why the strongest Stage one can reach in this continent is just the Emperor Stage while there are ridiculously stronger stages outside this continent?"
"Is it because of lack of knowledge or inadequate cultivation techniques?"
Astaria wasn't sure herself.
"Do you really think that's it?"
Nawdren spoke.
"Don't play any riddles, answer properly," Riona warned.
"The Barrier that protects this Continent also limits the Mana."
"Limits the Mana?"
"Yes, the Mana we have here is not dense enough. That is the reason none of you humans can go past the Emperor Stage. In this part of the world, Emperor really is the True peak.
However, the same was not true for us, Flying Lynx.
We are biologically different from you.
The Mana we require to become an 8-Star Beast is lesser compared to Mana you humans require to become an Emperor.
For me to not become an 8-Star Beast,
There is a high chance the Mana Density of this world is being affected by something."
Nawdren spoke with a serious look on his face.
"But if the barrier is weakening, shouldn't the Mana density increase?"
Astaria questioned.
"The Barrier's construction is not that simple.
This Barrier shouldn't have weakened in the first place.
Me failing to become an 8 Star Beast and the Annulment of the Blood Contract, I refuse to believe these two are not interrelated."
"…"
Astaria turned silent.
Nawdren wasn't wrong.
"That means that the chances of the barrier weakening are a lot higher than we think," Riona spoke with a solemn look on her face.
Nawdren didn't say anything.
Riona then turned towards Astaria and questioned,
"Should we really unite the 4 nations?"
"What do you mean?" Astaria narrowed her eyes.
"If the barrier is weakening, then the people from the main world will for sure come to our continent as well. There is no way they will leave out a free land like ours. It doesn't make sense for us to unite the 4 Nations, since they will eventually take it away from us."
Riona or even Astaria, none of them had doubts.
If the people from the mainland come for them, defeating them is impossible, it was not even a discussion.
They barely defeated Nawdren, who is not even a True Sage and there is a high chance that the people from the mainland have cultivators who are at an even stronger stage than Sage.
Fighting against them was simply suicide.
"It's been 100 years since Nawdren realized that something was wrong with the barrier, however, even now, the barrier hasn't been destroyed. Don't forget, Roone still managed to an Emperor.
If the Mana Density was diminishing, he wouldn't have been able to do so.
Of course, there are chances that he is right but even then,
We still don't know how long the Barrier will hold on.
It could be a month or even 500 years.
We don't even know if the people from the mainland are even interested in this place.
Planning based on something so unpredictable seems stupid."
Suddenly, Arvina walked towards them and spoke.
Riona started thinking.
Arvina's words made sense.
Before this war, she didn't even know something like a barrier existed and it was weakening. She should only plan with the best interest in her mind, if something happens later, she should think about it later.
Riona glanced at Arvina and nodded,
"You are thinking too much."
Suddenly, Astaria spoke up.
"Hmm?" Arvina and Riona frowned.
"It doesn't matter if the barrier is weakening or not.
The people from the mainland, they may or may not come for us,
But we for sure are going for them."
Astaria spoke with a confident smile on her face.
"All we need to do is find a new ruler for the Skyfall Kingdom."
"Huh?"
Riona and Arvina frowned.
"What? Why are you two looking at me like that?"
"You are not planning to take Nux and his wives with you… are you?"
"Are you serious? Of course not.
I am not taking them anywhere, I will be going with them."
"They…?"
"Mhm, all of them have already decided to leave this continent."
"How do you even know something like that?" Arvina questioned. She was there will them when the truth about Yrniel was revealed and she didn't see Nux and others talking about it.
A small smile appeared on Astaria's face and she just shook her head,
"I just know."
She then glanced at Nawdren and her expression changed,
"Now as soon as I defeat this bastard on my own, we all will leave."
"Sure. Go ahead, you can order me to lose any time you want, I would follow it.
As long as it makes you feel good."
Nawdren shrugged, indirectly taunting Astaria.
"Heh. Don't get ahead of yourself.
Don't forget, you started running away in the middle of our battle like the scardy little bitch you are."
Astaria retorted with a calm, confident look on her face.
Nawdren suddenly turned silent.
He quickly recalled the time when Astaria's sword had started shining and it cut through his sword to wound his chest.
He still has that cut on his chest.
Astaria then looked at Nawdren and narrowed her eyes,
"You seem to know what that move was,
Now answer me,
What it was, and how do I master it?"
"…"
Nawdren's expression changed.
