V1. C7. 5 Years Later

Roughly a hundred miles northeast of the once grand Stoneheart kingdom, now known as the E.S. (East/South) Alliance, is a mountainous region known as the Treacherous Peaks. For lack of better term, the townspeople surrounding the region can only regard it as such due to the numerous beasts that roamed those mountains. The Treacherous Peaks spanned about 150 miles from end to end, and created an almost crescent shape if one were to look at it from above. The mountain range tended to leave an ominous feeling of being surrounded to those who were within the centroid of the range. In the middle of the numerous mountain peaks is a single mountain taller than the rest by a significant margin, if one were to climb to the top it would take roughly sixty days for an average human. This mountain had a name for itself, Lonely Mountain. Surrounded by thin clouds, approximately fifteen miles into the sky, was the peak of Lonely Mountain, and at that peak, a light so bright one could see it for miles flickered on and off, as if lighting a torch and putting it out again.

This was a phenomenon no one has seen within a thousand years and still haven't been able to solve the mystery of the flashing lights, nor given a name to.

In a small village roughly twenty miles away from the Treacherous Peaks, a man in a dark worn out cloak gazed up at Lonely Mountain from the comfort of a small bar's porch. With a grungy beard and sunken eyelids, one would guess this man was in his forties, but would only be surprised to find out he was not even thirty. The only thing to prove his age was the complexion of his skin and the burning gaze from his piercing black eyes that gave off a sense of power and zeal. These eyes belonged to none other than the self-proclaimed wanderer, Neon Stoneheart.

As Neon continued to gaze at the flickering lights he wondered what mysteries those lights could bestow upon him if he were to commit to the journey up the treacherous Lonely Mountain. Multiple options were thrown back and forth in his mind, 'Was it worth it to go through multiple life and death battles with the beasts that lurked within the mountain range? What if the lights are just some phenomenon with the energies of the world and have no other significant meaning? I still haven't found the culprits nor any clues behind the attack five years ago, wouldn't this just be a waste of my time?' Neon grasped his head in his hands, rubbing his temples with his palms and trying to calm down his thoughts as he struggled to get rid of the images of the carnage from five years ago. Images replayed over and over in his mind, flashes of blood and piles of limbs haunted his conscience, and worst of all and the sight that came up the most was his wife and son.

'Sir? Sir? Are you ok?" a concerned high pitch voice came from the entrance.

"Huh- wha? Oh, ya… I'm fine," Neon responded rather quickly to the lady who he recognized as a waitress and followed with a quick request, "Can I have another drink?"

"Of course Sir, but before I go, may I ask what had you shaking and mumbling to yourself just a moment ago? Drink too much? Hehe," the waitress curiously asked while still trying to lighten the mood.

'I was mumbling again huh?' thought Neon and he shrugged his shoulders towards the waitress, "Must be the alcohol, but that won't stop me from having another haha!" Neon attempted to change the topic.

"Must be huh? Alright Sir I'll be back with your drink in just a moment," *clunk* she closed the front door to the bar to grab a drink for Neon.

As Neon was waiting for his drink, a beam of light seemed to be shining directly in his eyes almost blinding him. Looking in the direction of where the beam came from, he found himself looking directly at Lonely Mountain. Taking that as a sign that he should investigate the peaks mysterious phenomenon he teleported out of the village, while still leaving a stack of coins on the table.

"Here's your drink Si- huh?" the waitress stopped in her tracks out the door to see leaves floating back onto the ground where Neon was once seated and the coins on the table, "Where did that man go?"

Outside of the village Neon walked for a bit after teleporting to his current location just to clear his head. 'Surely that was a sign right? I'm trusting my guts on this one,' Neon fortified himself and he continued on towards the base of Lonely Mountain, walking and jumping through space every few miles until he finally made it to a supposed pathway leading to the top of the mountain.

Already sensing multiple beasts not even a mile into the climb Neon readied his sword while hastening his speed up the mountain. Although Neon could spatial jump most of the way up the mountain, he knew that there were beasts strong enough to sense his element and chase after him so he would only use it sparingly. The strongest known beast was known to be a level 6 Sky Lion, known for living in higher altitudes to give itself an advantage as it swooped down on its prey from above using it's wind element and wings for extra speed. This was a beast Neon did not want to encounter at any cost, since a level 6 beast's strength would be equal to a Divine Gold cultivator and beasts naturally were blessed with higher physical power.

Neon had finally made it up more than halfway to the peak without many difficulties other than a few mere level 3 Silverback Wolves, and feeling impatient he teleported to roughly 3 miles below the peak. *ROOOARRRR*

Neon shivered as a roar so deafening it could pierce the skies was heard less than a mile away "Son of a---"