The young man had just begun his journey when he felt the palm of his hand burns intensely.
"Mmm... I've been waiting for this moment for weeks... Tell me where I need to go..."
Atlas clenched his fist tightly, concealing what was inside, and waited patiently for an answer.
The burning grew stronger and stronger until it ceased altogether...
"Is that all? You promised me a new destiny... You can't let me down..."
The fingers sank into the flesh so deep that blood began to pour out.
A brief instant of despair assailed him, but suddenly, he heard a faint voice ringing in his mind: "Oh... My Chosen... The time has come... ten years have passed since our fated encounter, and today, a red moon will light up the world, bringing with it the benevolence that this corrupt universe has denied you... Go to the city of Inflamed Chalice, and from there, follow the road toward the Mountain of Emerald Leaf... Let yourself be devoured by its stony mouth because the answers dwell in its heart... follow the signs that fate has left for you, and you will find what you are looking for... what will free you from your curse..."
The young man's body trembled, shaken by that voice, and tears of joy gushed from his eyes.
"It has been so long... Finally, I hear your voice again..."
His grip loosened, showing what was hidden inside his palm.
A lot of blood had come out, but it was impossible to hide the emerald symbol from the eyes of the world.
Surrounded by the calluses and scratches accumulated over the years, right in the center of the palm lay a slight protuberance in the shape of a beautiful four-leaf clover with emerald leaves.
That symbol had been in his palm since that fateful day on top of the Lonely Mountain. The only thing left behind by that mysterious existence.
It might have seemed crazy to listen to a stranger's voice, especially given how they had come in contact, yet sometimes desperation leads people to commit reckless acts.
While aware of the risks, he had reached a point in his life where he was willing to take that gamble and face any danger along the way.
Atlas waited anxiously to hear the voice again, but the shred of power in his body suddenly vanished as the burning in his palm passed.
"Damn... it took years, and that's the only thing she could tell me..."
He was a bit disappointed but not wholly dejected because he had heard about the Mountain of Emerald Leaf, and even a person in his state could reach that place without encountering any mortal threat.
It was as if luck was helping him, a rather strange thing considering his situation.
He had to reach that place before the next night. Luckily, there was more than enough time.
Invigorated by the hope he had just found, Atlas descended the mountain at a fast pace, reaching the bank of the stream that fell directly from the top of the Lonely Mountain.
Filling the enormous space within the flask was a prerogative, so he paused briefly.
The young man let the cool water flow inside when his hand got close enough to the water's surface.
In the absence of Chaos Energy, he could not activate the latent power of the artifact. Still, that thing could work automatically because there was a particular Chaos Rune inscribed on its surface that automatically gathered energy from the external world.
Clearly, the object in his hands was no ordinary water container but a precious artifact.
The materials it was made of and the precious runes within it were still a secret, but the name chosen by his grandfather lent a certain charm and aura of mystery to the little object.
Flask of the Immortal Camel.
This was the name his grandfather had called it. It was an arrogant name, to say the least, but definitely apt, considering what he knew about it.
In addition to being able to store an extreme amount of water, one of the Chaos Runes inside could mutate the water, making it more saturated with energy. It could be said that each sip was equivalent to a small amount of Chaos Stone.
A valuable object for martial cultivators at the primary stages, clearly with a Chaotical Core.
Unfortunately for the young man, it was only helpful for quenching his thirst and tempering his body, but no less essential, as it had saved him on more than one occasion.
Just like the Alchemy Realm, the Artifact Realm was categorized following a proper rank.
A Mortal Artifact was the lowest one. Then followed the Martial Chaos Artifact and the Primordial Artifact.
The Flask of the Immortal Camel was a precious Primordial Artifact.
After almost a minute, Atlas resumed the path toward the mountain's base, and in another hour, he reached the nearest village.
The Mountain of Emerald Leaf was too far from his home since it was located on the other side of the continent.
So, Atlas decided to use the Teleportation Formation, located in the center of the village.
That type of formation allowed two locations in the world to be connected. Still, there were three limitations: a limit on the number of people who could use it at the same time, the cooldown time between every usage, and the distance between them.
Indeed, he had to use not one but more than five formations to reach the other side of the continent. He needed two hours, undoubtedly faster than going there on foot or through chaos creatures.
Obviously, using such gateways was not free but demanded a substantial payment to the city's representative, who had erected it.
Usually, only major cities, capitals, and imperial cities had the privilege to hold a formation of that kind. Yet, in this tiny village, one of those precious things existed thanks to Atlas's grandparents and their friends, who built it many years ago.
Indeed, the existence of this mystical object had helped Atlas multiple times and, right now, could rapidly bring him toward his destination.
Nevery was one of the numberous villages of medium-sized in the World of Oblivion. The young man used to wander through its small streets to stock the kitchen with exotic spices or to scout out items needed for his travels.
Of course, this was not the only motivation that most often led him there.
In fact, there was a much more compelling reason...
The stalls of the traveling merchants!
Unique sources of surprises for the luck-kissed Atlas.
Atlas quickly passed among the dozens of stalls along the street, trying hard to control that irrepressible impulse slowly drawing him toward those succulent treasures.
Fortunately, the promise of that being was much more enticing, and in no time, he reached the long line placed in front of the formation. He could have arrogantly stepped forward and skipped the long line before the portal, but still, he wasn't the type to do something like this, even in this kind of situation.
In the end, Atlas waited patiently for his turn for about fifteen minutes.
The guard assigned to collect the toll couldn't help but be surprised by his appearance: "Mhm?! Little fellow... where do you want to go today?"
Obviously, the guard knew the young man well. After all, his grandparents were two of the village's six founders, and they had met countless times since he was a little boy.
"Hello, Uncle Hudson... I'm going back to the city of the Inflamed Chalice..."
"Oh... that's very far from here... did you prepare everything for your trip?"
"Mmm... I'm ready, uncle. Don't worry."
The young man's grandparent and their friends governed over this village differently from the other lords. Indeed, they were respected and loved by the villagers who, over the years, had found a safe home in the middle of this vast land where the gelid temperatures and chaotic creatures ruled and threatened their lives.
Clearly, the young man's situation wasn't a secret, and many in the village cared for his well-being.
Under the curious eyes of the crown, composed mainly of travelers and merchants, Atlas approached the platform and waited for the formation to reach the maximum number of people.
Soon, black energy started to emerge from the platform. It started slowly, but then it rapidly turned into a ferocious vortex that devoured the platform and the people on top in no time.
Atlas felt the energy land on his body and knew that once everything was done, his life would have inevitably changed for the better or the worse. Still, he didn't run and closed his eyes without a second thought, greeting the village of Nevery for the last time as Atlas, the Miner...