Chapter 402: Journey to the Far North

There were indeed true gods curious about Donald’s secrets, and even some from the dark and evil factions harbored ill intentions. However, given Celt’s recent great victory, the Church of the Dawn Lord would suffer significant losses, so no one wanted to anger that powerful deity.
Intervening at this time would undoubtedly be seen by that mighty and domineering higher god as taking advantage of him.
Thus, both Celt and Donald were currently in a relatively stable period, free from interference from external forces. But after this period, the lands to the north would face considerable challenges!
Half a day later, Donald led his group to meet Celt I north of the Green Cloak Forest, at Mount Izumo—the closest mountain to Dalaran.
“Beyond the Izumo Mountains lies the eastern part of the Great Snow Mountains, followed by a vast frozen plateau. It is said that many plateau tribes live there. After crossing that plateau, which is as large as the entire northern region, we will finally reach our destination—the Far North Ice Field!”
“We might encounter some fierce creatures along the way, but those won’t be a problem for us. The real obstacles are the storms and icy weather that could arise in the Great Snow Mountains and the Far North Ice Field. It is said that when such natural disasters strike, even demigods must take cover. If we encounter them, it could delay us for a while!”
Donald learned these details from Arthur, his tracker from the plateau tribes. Arthur himself had not seen some of these things but had only heard legends told by his elders.
After all, though the plateau tribes were fierce and generally stronger than the Celts, they were still mere mortals who dared not provoke such terrifying natural disasters!
Everyone present understood. In the vastness of the world, even the gods could be troubled by naturally formed environments. After all, compared to the power of a vast plane, ordinary true gods seemed insignificant!
Perhaps only powerful god kingdoms, on par with a complete plane, could rival higher gods like those, but even then, it was only against ordinary planes. As the center of the multiverse, the Primary Material World had an immense spatial extent, and no single higher god could fully control it!

For this mission, aside from the Abyssal Demon Forger in the half-plane, Donald only took along Carlisle, Chikofield, and his teacher Messehl. After all, the danger level of the Ancient Archmages’ Tombs was far greater than that of the Dual-Legged Dragon Swamp Ruins—those were great archmages capable of challenging the gods. Though their absolute strength might not rival that of true gods, the powers they could wield came from this very world! So, the level of danger was evident; those below legendary status would be of little use and would instead need protection from Donald and his group.

The old mage was an unexpected asset. As the most knowledgeable about various magical entities aside from Chikofield, and with a strength comparable to a legendary mage who didn’t use legendary spells, he proved to be a great help. As for Nozdormu, since Dalaran was already under the gods’ gaze and unexpected situations might arise, he was ordered to stay behind and safeguard his territory.

Considering possible weather conditions, Donald chose to travel by magic ship. With its sturdy hull and powerful magic arrays, as long as it was anchored to the ground, even fierce storms would be unable to harm it. Soon, the magic ship flew into the clouds above the Izunumi Mountains, heading north. In the blink of an eye, it crossed the Izunumi Mountains and arrived in the Great Snowy Mountains region.

From here, looking down, there was a stark contrast with the Izunumi Mountains. While the Izunumi Mountains were characterized by numerous peaks, deep ravines, dense forests, and a humid climate, giving rise to vast vegetation like the Green Cloak Forest and the abundant Izunumi River, the Great Snowy Mountains were rugged and steep, covered in snow year-round, with thin air and extreme cold. Not only was it uninhabited, but even wild animals were rare.

The snowy mountain region had towering peaks, deep ice, and numerous obstacles. Though the sight of clustered peaks and connected snow-capped mountains seemed magnificent, it was a true death zone for ordinary people. Between the Great Snowy Mountains and the Izunumi Mountains lay several highland lakes with crystal-clear water, as transparent as glass or mirrors. These lakes and the eternal ice and snow on the mountaintops were likely the sources of the Izunumi River system.

Donald and his companions were fortunate; after passing through the Izunumi Mountains and the Great Snowy Mountains, they encountered no accidents and successfully reached the Frozen Plateau. Inside the ship’s cabin, a defensive barrier shielded them from the cold winds at thousands of feet above, making them feel as stable as if they were on flat ground.

Through the crystal ball projection in the control cabin, everyone could observe the surroundings outside the magic ship in a 360-degree view. Looking ahead, vast expanse of snow-covered land stretched beneath the mountains. Although vegetation was sparse, hints of green amidst the snow gave it a lively appearance, presenting a magnificent highland landscape to all.

“Look over there!”

At his words, everyone turned to the direction Carlisle pointed. In the distance, they saw a cluster of dark dots. After the magic ship sailed for some time and got closer, they realized those dark dots were actually a human settlement.

Compared to the human houses in the south of the mountains, the buildings here were more sturdy and solid, almost all built of rock, allowing them to withstand the harsh cold and snow in the highland region.

Donald adjusted the crystal ball to zoom in, enabling them to observe the human settlement up close. The people here had fairer skin than the Celts, with most having black, brown, yellow, or red hair. Their features were slightly darker, but they didn’t differ much from ordinary humans in the main world.

The only difference was that these highlanders were generally tall, with an average height of over seven feet—each one surpassing even basketball giants by Donald’s standards from his past life!

Even compared to Donald’s height, which was above average due to his divine bloodline, he was still half a head shorter than these highlanders.

The old mage Mersel, upon seeing the life of these highlanders, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Legends are indeed true! There are also human descendants in this world of ice and snow!”

Celt I, who had concealed his holy light and now appeared like an ordinary person, provided an explanation.

“Highlanders certainly exist, and they have always existed. They arrived in the northern lands even earlier than we Celts. It is said that when the great archmage Lord Sera explored the environment of the Northern Continent, these highlanders had already been living in this harsh land for thousands of years! According to Sera’s research, the origin of the highlanders likely dates back to the early days of the archmage era, when humans mixed with the descendants of giants. Due to their reclusive nature and physical differences from ordinary humans, they migrated to the desolate Northern Continent, which was then inhabited by trolls and similar creatures.”