The forest had been devoid of any human presence for an insurmountable time. It was deep, dark, and dangerous. It was also the home of orcs, but they were completely different than any other orcs Princess Lilisain was familiar with. No traces of civilization nor language could be found among them, and they led entirely barbaric lives as predators of the forest. The same was true with the monsters.

Monsters weren’t afraid of Lilisain, even though she was armed with various weapons and reeked of oil and steel. Thus, she was forced to struggle day and night while slowly making her way northwest with none but the constellations as her companion and guide.

Ten days later, Lilisain was finally able to escape the forest with her weary body. She arrived in front of a huge lake in the shape of a crescent moon. However, what she felt was despondence rather than relief. What had been waiting for her challenge was a giant white mountain. It was taller than any of its other brothers in this world, including the mountains of Eland, and the simple sight of it was suffocating. The peaks of the mountains were dressed with thick clouds,...