Chapter 9: Mountain Village’s Lord
The hunters watched, a mixture of profound shock and burgeoning awe etched onto their rugged faces. Before them lay Kaelthar, not merely a monstrous beast, but the undeniable deity of this mountain range. Born from the very primordial essence of the world's nature, he was the silent, colossal guardian who kept the towering peaks in check, his vigilant presence the unseen force that sustained the very life pulsating through the mountains. Legends whispered of his fierce, unyielding territoriality. It was said that centuries ago, when a chieftain, arrogant and blind with ambition, dared to lay claim to the mountain for himself, Kaelthar had not struck the chieftain directly. Instead, with a raw, primal roar that shook the very foundations of the earth, he had struck the mountains themselves, causing fissures to rip through the stone and echoes of his power to reverberate for miles, a potent, undeniable display of his absolute dominion over the peaks.
"Then... Just how strong is Lord Ri-hyun, to have subdued such a being?" one grizzled hunter breathed, his voice barely a whisper, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and newfound reverence.
"Only those at the unparalleled level of a Warlord would be able to contend with Kaelthar's sheer, untamed power," another replied, his voice laced with the gravity of the statement. The implication hung heavy in the air: Ri-hyun was, by their very reckoning, a Warlord, a force of nature in human form.
"Immediately, help Lord Ri-hyun! We must aid him in whatever way we can!" a third hunter bellowed, breaking the spell of stunned silence.
With a newfound surge of purpose, the hunters, their collective strength straining, carefully lifted Kaelthar onto their shoulders, a strange procession as they returned to the village, accompanied by the enigmatic Ri-hyun. The entire journey was conducted in a hushed, reverent silence, the weight of what had transpired settling deeply within their minds.
Upon their arrival back in the small, bustling heart of the village, Ri-hyun, his expression a mask of calm concern, immediately sought an update. "How are the two right now?" he inquired, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the village elders.
"They are still unconscious, my lord," came the solemn reply from Remus, the village elder. "Ciro's condition isn't in a serious state, due to his naturally robust physique, but the deep burns he sustained will still require a considerable amount of time to fully heal."
"Then what of Ael?" Ri-hyun pressed, his voice betraying a hint of urgency.
Remus's brow furrowed with a mixture of bewilderment and alarm. "His energy is going berserk, my lord. It is our first time witnessing anything of this magnitude. It is as if he is being boiled from within, his internal energies warring against each other."
Ri-hyun paused for a beat, his keen senses already perceiving the chaotic internal struggle within Ael. Without a word, he knelt down with practiced ease, his palm gently but firmly coming to rest upon Ael's chest. A subtle ripple of energy emanated from his touch. "Leave us," he commanded, his voice low but firm, brooking no argument.
Remus, a man of deep understanding and unwavering loyalty, immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. He swiftly issued orders, instructing everyone in the vicinity to not approach the small, humble house where Ciro and Ael lay, an invisible boundary of solemn privacy descending upon the dwelling.