"O-other worlds?"
If Merim still held his composure earlier, now, his jaw dropped and his excitement brimmed.
Meanwhile, both Heron and Lyssa contemplated on this. Elihim has knowledge about other worlds? This information was too much! They didn't even think that there are other worlds.
What other worlds? Other planets or an entirely new reality? Their curiosity is itching.
"Elihim, can you... explain this?" Lyssa pursued, unable to contain herself from wanting to know.
"I can tell you but Sir Merim is-"
But before Elihim can continue, Heron cut him off.
"It's fine. Sir Merim had helped us so much now. He deserves this much information at the very least."
"Ah... I suppose that's true."
Even though that's what Elihim replied, Merim saw his glance and somehow, he heard even though this little devil did not say it: You're getting too lucky.
"No, no, me helping is my obligation, nothing more. I still need to pay for it. For that, I'm willing to provide meals for a whole year, how about that?"
Hearing this made Heron and Lyssa excited.
"If that's what you want, then I shall accept it, Sir Merim." Elihim smiled innocently, however, Merim saw another face on this child, a face more terrifying than the demon in nightmares.
His smile twitched while Elihim continued to tell the tales of other worlds. He was just telling some facts and it didn't much include who he is in his last lives.
Much less Ellie, even the adults were engrossed in his story. Only when Ellie fell asleep did Elihim finished his story.
Afterwhich, Merim said his goodbyes and left. While heading back to the city, he contemplated and realized something.
"I didn't learn much about his powers! Knowing his character, it's definitely his intention!"
However, Merim didn't regret hearing it and paying for it as it was still amusing and interesting to hear. The fact that it is not fiction made it thousand times more diverting to learn.
Heron and Lyssa said goodnight to Elihim and Ellie. After learning a new side to their son, they didn't think he was any stranger than before, they just found out that he was more reliable than they thought.
They felt at ease leaving Ellie to him. After all, Elihim was already a strange child back from the start. Learning that Elihim gained the memories of his past life, it was suddenly clear to them.
But no matter what they learned, they still felt that Elihim is their son which was strange.
After getting home, knowing that they were alone in a solitary house, the two began to have rougher baby-making sessions all night. They are louder than the wolves' howls. Must be because they found the joy in raising children that they wanted another one...
Ehem, anyway, days passed by like this.
Elihim made a much safer road from his cave to his house for Lyssa and Heron to have safer trips. But he also hid the entrance to this path from strangers that even Merim needed help from the couple to get in.
It was complicated and Merim only figured out that there were patterns after going there several times. Because of this, Elihim made a door that has a mechanical password in it that only he, Ellie, and his parents know.
Merim knew that Elihim doesn't trust him that much but he was finding this as Elihim being wary of him which gave him a bit of joy upon thought.
The heat was becoming more evident, burning the land, and killing the crops. Without the crops, the people would need to go out and increase their stocks.
The shore people didn't slack off. Although the flood is the most terrifying, before it and after the heat, there are still the storms, bringing in devastating winds and furious thunderstorms which terrorize everyone. That was why they began to move.
Because of their skin being tanned more than those who reside in the Green Belt, they are easily recognized. Some discriminated against them while some accepted them with warm hospitality. Although as for the latter, sometimes, those who accepted them only wore a sheep's skin and are actually a wolf, readying to devour them.
Meanwhile, in Hramm City, they have yet to receive any Shore People as they are near the Death Palace. A place that is more terrifying than the flood. Also because moving under the heat for too long can be deadly, even for Imagis.
The only reason why they moved this late when the heat came was that these shore people were stubborn. Living a rich life besides the sea and instead of hunting for games which would endanger their lives, they only fish, this made them not want to leave the White Boundary.
The heat, a catalyst to such a catastrophic event like the flood, is not something that is expected. It comes suddenly and only the animals would tell the humans by looking at their behaviors. Just like how ants know when the rain is coming, some animals know when the heat is coming.
Now, the share people suffer from moving under the heat. If they have Imagis with them, they had it easier. Those who had not, obviously, found it harder.
Months flew by... after the heat comes in the storm which is the advent of the flood.
But before the storm fully enters as the heat subsided, back to the Hramm City, the Emeralkan Academy had issued their once-in-a-while event where they would send their students to help the city amass their food resources.
This not only trains their students but also gains the support of the city residents, taking in a good part of the taxes.
Anyway, with that in mind, the principal of the academy, one of the so-called Seven Wonders of the West Green, Hilbert Grenzen came to show himself with other Academy Elites to oversee the safety of the students.
"Good morning, precious students of my academy. Today, you will have the opportunity to refine yourself and your will! You will hunt near the Death Palace and camp there."