Date: Unspecified Time: Unspecified Location: Myriad Realms, Lil. Red Storm, Seed World, Trophy Section, Duel Realm, Crafting Sector, Crafting Colosseum, Inter-realm city, Sector DS0909, Chaos Dwarven District, EGGG Workshop. There were three critical reasons why Wyatt chose not to reveal to the Froslings exactly how he planned to help them thrive in Winter Valley.
First, Wyatt was well aware that not all Froslings shared Moon's idealistic view of loyalty to their race. Among them were those who were content—or even eager—to remain subservient to the Snow Elves. If the Froslings had truly been united in their determination to resist, the Snow Elves, no matter how influential, would never have bent them to their will. If they had a united front they would rather break then bend. But the current state of the Froslings—with no land to call home and scattered in Snow Elven territory—was proof that some of them had already betrayed their race bending to their oppressors will. After all, a stick that doesn't bend breaks. Wyatt couldn't risk his plans being sabotaged by such individuals.
The second reason was population. While Wyatt was wealthy, sustaining the entire Frosling race in Winter Valley until the promised Frozen Utopia was built would drain an enormous portion of his resources. Such an investment was illogical and impractical. To ensure success, he needed to filter the Froslings and focus only on those who would bring value to his endeavor.
Lastly, Wyatt demanded absolute obedience. He didn't have the time or patience to deal with politics or power struggles within the group. For his vision to succeed, there could be no questioning of his authority, no games or hidden agendas. In a venture this audacious—with the many Dark Races in the Dark Realm who would go above and beyond to oppose the Froslings claiming Winter Valley—absolute obedience was non-negotiable.
Those brave—or desperate—enough to gather their families and assemble at Winter Valley, waiting for him with unshakable faith, were the ones he sought. Their willingness to trust him completely, to risk everything for a chance at a better future, demonstrated the devotion he demanded. And for that devotion, Wyatt would reward them. He would deliver on his promise of a Frozen Utopia after they helped him claim Winter Valley—one of the thirteen deadliest places in the Dark Realm—as his own.
"All right. Head to the most reputable auction in this sector and sell that Frosling corpse puppet I gave you. Make sure they broadcast the sale across the inter-realm network. If they don't, you'll never make it home after leaving the Duel Realm," Wyatt instructed Moon, his tone firm but not harsh, as he gestured for her to get moving.
"Yes, Master. I understand," Moon replied with a bright, ear-to-ear smile. She took a few steps toward the workshop's exit but suddenly stopped and turned back around, flashing a seemingly random, almost giddy smile at Wyatt like a starstruck teenager.
Wyatt furrowed his brows, confused by her behavior. "What is it?" he asked, his tone edged with curiosity.
Caught off guard, Moon scrambled for an answer and blurted the first thing that came to mind. "Master, I didn't give you a copy of the Frosell Title Demon Core method. I'll send it to your Demon Codex now."
"I'm pretty sure I can find a copy in the Infinity Library," Wyatt replied casually. Knowing the Snow Elves' he had no doubt a version of the Frosell method would be available in the Infinity Library.
"No, Master. That's the outdated version. I'm sending you the latest version now," Moon explained, her voice tinged with urgency. "Over generations, my race's elders have refined the method several times, making it more suitable and easier to learn for our people. I've just shared it with you."
Before Wyatt could respond, Moon turned on her heel and hurried out of the workshop, her face flushed with shyness as she caught sight of the knowing smiles shared between the chaos dwarven uncle and niece duo.
"What's wrong with her?" Wyatt asked, perplexed, as he watched Moon's retreating figure. The dwarves, who appeared to have finished their interview and were now preparing to join the Egg Guild—Biore just did, under the alias 'PeerlessCrafter' as for Dulas—
"Yep, something's definitely off with her," Dulas said, nodding. It irked Wyatt that the one time he actually wanted her to explain something in detail, she decided to keep it to herself. Meanwhile, Biore had already moved on, completely forgetting the incident as he eagerly spammed Ezra with texts. He couldn't wait to start learning from him.
Dulas, on the other hand, was still trying to make sense of Moon's behavior. She couldn't fathom how Moon could develop feelings for Venera without even knowing his full name, species, or home—let alone seeing his face. To Dulas, falling for a talking mask seemed absurd. She could understand seeing Venera as a mentor or elder-brother figure, but a romantic interest? That was beyond her comprehension. She thought Venera was incredible, but she couldn't imagine ever feeling that way about him herself.
"What's wrong with you? Why haven't you joined the guild yet?" Wyatt asked Dulas, brushing off any further thoughts about Moon. She was an adult; she could handle herself. His focus needed to be on these two. They were young and, in many ways, still sheltered. Sure, Biore had been mistreated by his own people, but he couldn't deny the opportunities his race had given him despite his misfit status.
"I can't decide on a cool username," Dulas admitted, scratching her head in frustration.
"Ugh, not this again," Biore groaned, rolling his eyes. He walked to the other side of the workshop, still waiting for a reply from Ezra. With every second of silence, his frustration grew.
These two might have been among the most talented crafters in the myriad realms, but they were still kids. Watching them, Wyatt shook his head and thought of Susan. She'd know exactly how to handle them—she always did. Not that Wyatt couldn't manage, but this gave him a perfect excuse to ask Susan to return to the Seed World. He missed her terribly. But he needed to tread carefully. He wanted to give Susan space to figure things out for herself. Not to forget his promise to Corey.
"All right, you two," Wyatt said, clapping his hands to get their attention. "Let's get to work. I want this workshop up and running as soon as possible."
Returning from the Inter-realm city, Moon awoke in the VIP box of the colosseum. Her gaze immediately fell on the physical body of Venera. Walking up to it, she paused, her hand instinctively rising to his mask. Her fingers reaching of its edges, traced it gently, her eyes warm and filled with unspoken emotion. Then, with deliberate care, she knelt, taking his right hand in hers and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. "I won't let you down, Master," she whispered, her voice resolute.
Rising to her feet, she turned sharply and left the box with firm resolve etched into her every step. Heading straight home, she summoned her demon codex and called for an elders' meeting. Rest wasn't on her agenda—she had long forgotten what it meant to take time off. In a world that despised her kind, she knew they couldn't afford the luxury of idleness if they wanted to rise above insignificance, to be someone, to matter.