Dreu’s party had an easy time getting enough food to last a week. The most dangerous creatures in the forest were coyotes and they stayed far from the demonic creatures. The local deer and rabbits put up little resistance, making them easy to hunt down. There were also plenty of berry bushes within a short distance of the cave entrance. When the group returned with everything, Ragellon took the lead in preparing the meal. As she cooked the food, the honey badgers all woke up.
I see! They can sleep through any noise but even they cannot resist the smell of good food.
The young man watched as Ragellon evenly distributed the food to everyone present according to their size. The honey badgers got more but, after a bite, they no longer showed the same excitement over the food anymore. They studied the food as though they were fed something so foreign they couldn't identify it.
Is it normal for the food to be so tasteless now? I didn’t even realize I wasn’t hungry.
Hearing Olgron’s complaint, Dreu shared what he learned from Bayard regarding how his summoned units interacted with food. Upon learning all he could, the honey badger leader announced that he wouldn’t need to eat anymore since it was no longer necessary. This should help ensure their supplies lasted longer which meant less time was needed for hunting and foraging. The honey badgers still finished their meals, claiming that they weren't putting the food to waste. With their meals eaten, the honey badgers all excused themselves as they went exploring for a bit. Trusting in their abilities, Dreu allowed them to go. With his stomach filled, his focus was on Zraiw.
“What’s on your mind?” asked the swan who had just finished his meal.
“Can you tell me more about the underworld and the mythical realm?”
“That’s a big topic. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“How about alchemy furnaces and weapon forges? And the raw materials you put in them?”
The swan looked surprised at the topics mentioned and inquired deeper in the matter. Dreu shared what happened to him, summoning Jaded to prove that he was telling the truth. The swan, after hearing and absorbing everything, went into deep thought. When the young man thought the swan wasn’t going to say anything for a while, Zraiw spoke up.
“I find it unthinkable that you were able to go to the Mystic Training Realm. It’s a realm that’s desired by many starting out in their alchemic or blacksmith profession. As you probably noticed, you gained a forge and alchemy furnace for free along with plenty of training. That alone is worth more than many treasures in either the mythical realm and the underworld.”
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“This realm had velos that come from the underworld and Jaded supposedly can be from the underworld and the mythical realm. What’s the relationship between the two places?”
“You can say the mythical realm and the underworld are like light and dark.”
The swan explained that the two places were similar in many ways. The inhabitants of both realms relied on a lot of external factors to make them stronger. Due to differences in the two realms, the inhabitants went in different directions on their focus. The mythical realm was far more fertile and thus plants took up a larger proportions of the materials used. Alchemy furnaces played a bigger role as the pills made with the plants were very powerful.
“In terms of recipes, the mythical realm contains better ones because they have so many more ingredients available to them and have more opportunities to experiment.”
Zraiw then explained that the underworld possessed more creatures that were hunted for everything, especially the monster cores. While monster cores were acceptable ingredients for pills, they were far more useful when making weapons, armor and anything else made from a forge.
“The divergence in paths also meant that those from the mythical realm are more proficient at magic while those of the underworld rely more on conventional combat with weapons and armor.”
Hearing the swan’s explanation, Dreu was able to start connecting the dots of the two realms. Zraiw’s comparison of the two realms to light and dark wasn’t exactly correct either. The denizens did what made sense which was to survive where they lived. The training realm gave him a taste of what those in both realms aimed for.
I don’t know which I like more. The raw material I obtain might have a big impact.
Thinking about Bayard and one of the demonic creatures, he could see how both routes would benefit them. Armor could be worn by all of them, though the ones for the demonic creatures would be more challenging to make given that their shape and sizes differ so much. As for the pills, Olgron might have learned that eating wasn’t necessary for him anymore but pills could still provide him with buffs useful in combat. If they were indeed as strong as Zraiw described them, then the pills might even unlock hidden potentials of this demonic creatures.
“I’m assuming that the raw materials and ingredients are only obtainable in those two realms?” asked Dreu. “I recall you saying that this realm lacked any of the high grade stuff.”
Zraiw stated that their current realm wasn’t ideal for an alchemist or a blacksmith. Therefore, the beings and creatures in this realm were, on average, weaker than their counterparts in the other two realms.
“That isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” added the swan. “It means those born weaker have a better chance of surviving here. Both the mythical realm and the underworld treated the weak very poorly. Those born weak are almost always discarded immediately, not even given a chance to achieve their full potential.”
I would belong to the weak, wouldn’t I? I never unlocked my powers until my adulthood. It must be awful to not be given a chance to live.
Dreu thanked Zraiw for spending the time explaining so much about the mythical realm and the underworld. The young man then asked the swan how he could get back home.
“I don’t know,” replied the swan simply.
