It was the year 1697, and the City of Oasis had been forged from the heart of the Twin Peaks. It was created not by the empire, but by Valerian and his people—a testament to his will and the unyielding spirit of the exiled Hammer household. Duri, or Empress Armada, had made a critical miscalculation. She believed that by banishing Valerian, she would instill fear and keep his loyal subjects bound to the empire. Instead, her best artisans, inscription masters, forge masters, and four royal guards had all followed him into the treacherous Cursed Lands. They were among the ten who had sacrificed their very life essence for the survival of their future—a child named Azuma.

  After finding the safe haven of a massive cavern, carving a city into the twin mountains was a task of great pride. With a formation master, a forge master, an artisan, and an inscription master at their disposal, it was a task of surprising ease.

  Valerian stood on a high balcony, his gaze sweeping over the city below. A soft smile touched his lips. If anyone from the outside world were to see this place, they would doubt they were in a cave at all. Looking up, he smiled at the golden, humming "suns" that Sou had conjured and hung from the ceiling—a perfect imitation of a clear sky. Robust homes were built into the rock face, flowing around natural waterfalls that now fed into a complex, but elegantly designed drainage system. They had even made provisions for channeling excess water from the waterfalls into subterranean reservoirs. This was life. This was home. The old wounds in his heart, which had festered for so long, were finally starting to heal.

  Only 100 people followed House Hammer into the Twin Peaks. Their city was built deep inside one of the mountains, with a single, small, and now-sealed entrance. The only other way in was through a powerful waterfall, a path nearly impossible for monsters to navigate. The artisans' ingenious plan had completely hidden the city from the outside world. Any monster that did wander by would be rendered powerless by formations in the City or shredded by the traps at the entrance. With weapons and armor forged by their masters, the four royal guards could easily handle the occasional monster visit, making even a Rank A monster an easy kill.

  "Azuma! Where are you?"

  The voice, Antheros's, echoed with a familiar strain of worry. "Seriously, the kid never stays in one place! Honey, have you seen him?"

  "I saw him with the scout team," Valerian said, his smile still on his face.

  "Again? Why did you let him leave?"

  "He's with Anya. He's safe. Don't worry."

  "He's only three years old!"

  Valerian’s smile faded into a look of thoughtful awe. "Remarkable, isn't it? When I was three, I was barely walking. But him... he's so strong. If only he had the Star..."

  "Quit your yapping," Antheros snapped, her voice breaking a little. "I'm happy with the way he is. I don't want him to risk anything. He's just three, darling. Promise me you won't let him leave this place until he's at least fifteen."

  Seeing the worried plea on his beloved's face, Valerian couldn't bring himself to speak. Ever since the near-death incident with the cobra, she had become so clingy. She never let Azuma out of her sight. Though ten people had shared their life essence to save the child, Antheros had given the most, and her body had taken a severe toll. He had even used her life essence again when the Hammer household was in peril after entering the Twin Peaks, further deteriorating her health.

  Now, she couldn't use any high-tier spells without costing her life, and her estimated lifespan was a mere 85 years from that day—a tragic fate for a champion who had reached the highest peak of human evolution. A normal human with an active mana core could live for 600 years, and even dormant ones averaged 200. If she had the Star, she would have evolved into a superior species and lived for over 1,000 years. This didn't bother her much, as she had saved something more precious than her life, and she would do it again in a heartbeat. But what truly saddened her was the thought that she might not see her child grow, let alone her grandchildren, grow up. That was the real reason she never let Azuma out of her sight.

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  "Kids will be kids," Valerian said, the familiar words feeling hollow even to him. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him. Now, let's go hunting."

  The Satellite City - Hunting Ground

  The Twin Peaks, as the name suggests, were two mountains. The City of Oasis was in one, and the Satellite City, their hunting ground, was in the other. A special formation, set by Valerian himself, allowed for travel between the two places, but it came with its own restrictions. The formation was located in the hunting ground, transporting people to and from the city. This kept the populace safe from monsters and demons. The transportation formation could only be entered by those with a specific key, a unique tattoo on their body. If a monster were to somehow activate the formation, it would be instantly shredded before reaching the city. No other living thing could enter without the tattoo.

  This was a prime example of the Hammer household's ingenuity: they could turn the world's most unsafe place into the safest.

  The four royal guards, along with Antheros and Valerian, were in the hunting ground, waiting for the scout team to return. They were discussing their plans when the scouts finally appeared. The scout, a young boy with a serious face, reported: "A dozen Rank D monsters and a couple of Rank C monsters are near the waterfall. No variants seen, and no Rank A monsters."

  "We can take action," Anya said, stepping forward.

  Standing silently near her was a handsome young boy, fully equipped with Grade A armor and a beautifully crafted short sword. He looked like a ten-year-old, but he was only three. He looked brave and determined, but inside, his heart was a terrified drum, and tears welled up as soon as he met his mother's glare. He looked to his father for help, but Valerian conveniently ignored him. Azuma sighed, knowing a lecture was coming as soon as the hunt was over.

  Antheros finally tore her eyes away from her son and gave the orders. "Ready the formation! Take position and wait for my command!" Anya sent out the signals. Everyone entered a bunker and waited. Anya then mixed a special liquid into the water to attract the monsters.

  Thanks to the champion’s expertise, they knew the terrain well and used the flora and fauna to their advantage. The liquid was a nectar from a special flower that grew in the Cursed Lands. Antheros would lead a squad to safely gather the flowers, and then the nectar would be extracted.

  Tasting the sweet nectar, a dozen monsters began to enter the hunting ground through the waterfall. All fifteen were in a pack.

  "This will be a problem," Anya said, her eyes fixed on the new arrival. "A Rank A monster has entered."

  "No worries, we can take him," Dhruba Kul Rai, the fourth royal guard, said with a confident smirk.

  Antheros’s voice was calm and steady. "Alright, everyone, get ready. Not you, Azuma, you stay put!"

  Valerian, on cue, began chanting, activating the formations one by one.

  First formation: Climate Control. A wave of unnatural cold slammed into the cavern, dropping the temperature to below zero. Since the monsters were fully soaked from their journey through the waterfall, their bodies began to freeze. Monsters were creatures of instinct with sharp motor skills; their only distraction was food. By reducing the temperature, their reaction time was cut dramatically.

  Second formation: Mother Earth. Without warning, massive earth spikes erupted from the ground directly beneath the monsters.

  Third formation: Sky Dive. At the same time, jagged spikes fell from the ceiling of the mountain, raining down upon the monsters.

  After the three formations were activated, all the Rank D monsters were dead on the spot. Two Rank C monsters were fatally injured, but the earth spikes did little damage to the Rank A monster.

  "Charge!" Dhruba yelled.

  He went straight for the Rank A monster while the heavily injured Rank C monsters, unable to move, were dispatched by a very angry Azuma. It was a tough fight, but they killed the Rank A monster with zero casualties. Antheros, seeing her son defy her yet again, was furious and already planning to ground him for the rest of his life. After twenty minutes of battle, the hunt was over. The dead monsters were swiftly transferred into storage bags.

  The Fifth Formation, Transportation, was activated, bringing everyone back to Oasis. A moment after they disappeared, the Sixth Formation, a time-triggered one, activated. It caused a new cascade of water to flow through the hunting ground, cleaning away all the blood and smell. This kept the hunting ground hidden. The water also contained a special toxin that repelled monsters from coming back.

  The plan was working perfectly, and so far, they hadn't encountered a single demon. Demons are evolved monsters with sanity. They can learn spells and are far more perceptive of their environment, making them difficult to trap. Furthermore, demons aren't edible, so fighting them offers no reward.