Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 254 Left Home Young, Returned Old

Casalorn, born from an ancient, savage icefield tribe, was the eighteenth king of the Icefield People and the strongest among all the Icefield People kings.

He even accomplished something that no previous king of the Icefield had ever done: he marched south and conquered the Ignivas, who occupied the warm lands. For the Icefield people who had been fighting the Ignivas for an unknown amount of time, this was undoubtedly a remarkable feat. However, no one expected that this so-called victory was actually a treacherous trap set by those who worshipped snakes.

The Ice People did indeed win, but their warriors were corrupted, and even their Eagle God was killed—all thanks to the evil schemes of the ancient serpent.

So, in his final moments, Casaloran prayed to the stars.

He was willing to give anything, no matter who it was, as long as they could give him strength and cleanse him of evil and sin.

This was a desperate roar born of having nowhere else to turn; even Casaloran hadn't expected any hope.

But just as Casaloron was about to die...

He actually received a response.

The one who responded to Casaloron was a being called the God of Courage, a deity dwelling in the sea of ​​stars. This unknown being greatly admired his courage and was even willing to grant him the qualification to become a chosen one.

It was at that time that Casaloran learned that there were actually gods in the starry sky.

It was at that time that Casaloran realized how vast the world truly was.

It wasn't the world beneath his feet, but the world above the stars, whether you call it the sea of ​​stars or the universe, it was the true all-encompassing place—compared to that endless vastness, the planet beneath his feet, the world he thought was vast, and the achievements he thought were so proud of, all seemed so insignificant.

But this did not inspire any awe in Casaloran; instead, he saw an opportunity in it, a man who had always been a fighter against all odds.

That was an opportunity to gain power, an opportunity to slay his enemies. As long as he could prove his bravery to the god of courage time and time again, he could gain unparalleled power. And after gaining power, he would return one day, and at that time, he would slay all evil and sin, avenging the blood feud of the Ice People.

And now, he has finally returned, returned to his hometown, returned to the planet that gave him birth and nurtured him.

Of course, he also returned with a mission.

"Should we fight against the demon army of the God of Destruction...?"

Feeling the divine message from the God of Courage in his mind, Casaloron remained expressionless.

The demon army of the God of Destruction, though it sounds terrifying, is only average to him—indeed, he has too few warriors under his command, and it would be somewhat difficult for him to fight against the demon army.

However, the God of Courage also had another plan: he could unite with the local natives, and in fact, the alliance with the local natives was even more important than the war itself.

“Just like you, Casalon, the beings on this planet possess incredible potential… and that’s why there will always be evil gods who want to exploit them, even suppress and destroy them.”

"As for you, Casaloran, your task is to bring courage to them, to your fellow countrymen... Although they may not be your people from back then, they are still your fellow countrymen, and even your descendants."

"To give them courage, to guide them onto the right path, is something only you can do, Casaloran, only you can do it."

The oracle of the God of Courage still lingered in his mind. It should be noted that the God of Courage had almost never spoken so much before, which was enough to show how much the God of Courage valued him and how much goodwill he had for this planet.

"I will certainly live up to your trust."

Casaloron raised his arms toward the stars, then pounded them on his broad chest.

This gesture is a custom of the Ice People, symbolizing a vow made with one's life, a vow that one would go through fire and water for it without hesitation.

After all, the God of Courage was right. He had experienced firsthand how evil gods could wreak havoc on the planet's inhabitants. That wicked ancient serpent had manipulated the southern Ignivas, corrupting many Icefield Warriors and even killing their worshipped Eagle God. And this was the second thing he needed to do besides his mission: to kill that evil serpent and avenge the blood feud of that year.

"However, compared to personal matters... the divine decree of the God of Courage is more important."

Casaloan thought to himself.

"Besides, that giant snake is just a snake after all. Who knows how much time has passed? It might not even survive..."

The thought in my mind came to a halt.

Just because, at the moment Casaloran raised his head.

The giant snake's figure had already come into his sight.

Compared to back then, the giant snake seemed to have become even larger. Even from such a distance, it looked like a small mountain. Comparing it to the image in his mind, Casaloran even thought he had mistaken it for something else. After all, no matter how he thought about it, a snake could not possibly grow to such a size.

But after carefully examining the patterns on the giant snake, Casaloran was certain that he was not mistaken.

This is the giant serpent, the one that killed the Eagle God back then. That giant serpent has become even larger, and it even appeared brazenly in front of him!

"kill!"

Casaloron immediately drew the spear from his back, preparing to pierce the giant serpent's head.

However, just as the sharp spear was about to be thrown...

Those chosen champions who should have belonged to him rushed over and hugged him, stopping him from getting close.

Not only were the chosen champions stopping him, but even the divine oracle resounding in his heart was preventing him from moving. The raised spear was clearly ready to be thrown, but he couldn't throw it at all.

only because……

"Is this snake also considered a creature of this planet? Should I bring it courage too?"

Casaloan had never felt so absurd.

"Are you kidding me?"

However, the voice that echoed in his heart, from the God of Courage, was not joking at all; it even sternly warned Casaloran not to act rashly.

"If your personal grudges cause the creatures of this planet to turn directly to the God of Mystery... you know the consequences."

The oracle from the god of courage has never been so severe.

This made Casaloran take a deep breath.

"...Okay, I won't kill him."

"However, as long as it's a fair competition that doesn't result in death, then there's no problem, right?"

(End of this chapter)