Reincarnated as a Failed Villain: Fallen Angel
Chapter 61 Arc 2 - Snowlands

Lucas and dragon Erath were atop the mountain, the only sound the whistling of the wind. Lucas surveyed what lay before him: a vast expanse of sky that seemed to stretch on forever. He then swiveled his head towards Erath and inquired what would be the best long-term solution for a magic catalyst. "What other options do we have?" he asked.

"In the Snowlands, there is a massive meteor made from mana crystals, the size of an entire mountain."

Dragon's words shocked Lucas so much that he almost let go of the head he was carrying. He had no clue that this thing even existed! How did it get here? He wondered how the world had been able to survive a huge meteor without shattering it into pieces.

He looked at Erath and asked, "Did get prevented the catastrophe?"

Erath nodded its giant head, "Yes. A powerful red-eyed deity."

"So it wasn't Isaac," Lucas muttered under his breath while thinking how stupid he must have been not to realize this earlier. It would make sense if a god intervened when the meteoric impact occurred. If they didn't stop it, their planet wouldn't exist.

"Let me explain..." Erath said and began to tell the story about the red-eyed god who saved the entire Lightburn from a massive catastrophe.

Red-eyed thwarted the catastrophe of a meteor shower charged with magical energy by generating an immense anti-gravity field around the meteor. They also constructed a barrier from the dust and shards ejected from the collision. As soon as the asteroid began to enter, Red-eyed summoned an outstretched hand that absorbed all the wicked magic energy in the vicinity until only spotless white mana remained. This mana was enriched with Lightburn, bestowing its people with magical capabilities and mana. It enabled them to study sorcery and mighty battle monsters that emerged through rifts in space.

Once the process was complete, the Red-eyed god vanished without a trace. No one could explain the god's origin or why he had come to help them. In response, the people built temples to honor the red-eyed god, though none remembered his name. Over time, as the memory of the savior faded, Isaac's believers rose to power.

"Ungrateful fuckers." Lucas swore under his breath, and rage bubbled within him. He clenched his jaw as he felt the injustice of it all. In his mind, Isaac had failed in his duty to protect those who had trusted in him, and he felt that the red-eyed god was betrayed. He glared at the sky, speaking through gritted teeth, "I bet Isaac was sleeping like a baby during that time." His shoulders sagged as he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Erath raised his scaly brow and said, "It makes sense that they lost their faith in red-eyed god in time. It was a very long time ago, and he never showed up again."

"Why haven't we heard about this before?" Lucas asked curiously. "I don't think this was explained in a history textbook."

Erath started laughing, "That's because the Holy kingdom deemed believers or the red-eyed god as heretics."

Lucas couldn't argue against that. "So the red-eyed god was erased from history books because of that, huh?" Lucas scratched his head in confusion. But shook his head as he decided not to think about it. He didn't need to meet red-eyed god; he needed the meteorite."Do you know where I can replace this meteorite?"

"Fly to the Snowlands, and search for the temple built for the red-eye god on top of the tall mountain; you won't miss it as it is the only red-eyed god temple remaining in the world," Erath replied. Then he added, "That's the mountain you're looking for."

"Right!" Lucas shouted excitedly. "Thanks, Erath. I'm off. Don't eat the corpses. I'll need them." He jumped into the sky and manifested wings, then flew off into the horizon.

The dragon tensed, his eyes shut tight and his scales rippling with agitation. His keen ears detected Lucas's mischievous laughter, and he murmured to himself, "He's a kid. He's just a kid."

***

A few hours later, Lucas flew towards the Snowlands. When he arrived at the area, he was surrounded by snow-covered mountains and forests. He searched for hours, but none of the mountains seemed to have a temple, so he assumed a magic spell hid it.

"Dammit, should I just ask the locals?" He cursed as he flew towards the small town.

There weren't many buildings except for the small houses scattered along the side of the road. The whole place reminded Lucas of a postcard picture taken during the winter season, complete with colorful trees covered in fluffy white blankets and bright blue skies above them.

Lucas landed down gracefully next to the house, his strong frame silhouetted against the evening sky. He reached up and rapped his knuckles against the wooden door three times. He waited patiently, his hand hovering in midair. After what seemed like an eternity, the door creaked open, and a woman stepped out. She wore thick woolen clothes that obscured her form, though Lucas could tell she was a few inches shorter than him. Her long brown hair spilled over her shoulders in a ponytail, and her skin was pale and almost luminescent in the evening light. Her features were sharp, giving her an air of a warrior rather than a housewife.

She wore heavy boots over her feet, making her appear taller than her height. In addition, she also carried a wooden sword strapped onto her waist, probably used to hunt animals. "Who are you?"

"I am Lucas, a traveler passing by." he bowed. "I am a little lost. Could you help me by telling me where is the mountain of the Red-eyed god?"

"Red-eyed god?" Her eyes widened when Lucas asked the question, and her complexion grew pale. She detected the abnormal mana coming from Lucas and exclaimed, "W-What?" She quickly looked around the yard to make sure no one else was paying attention, then pulled Lucas into the house.

"W-What's wrong?" Lucas asked, confused by the sudden change of events.

"My name is Alena," she answered with a shaky voice. "Please follow me inside." Once they got indoors, Lucas noticed that the interior was much warmer than outside.

Alena led Lucas down the hall, stopping at a room full of old furniture. She pushed open the door, leading Lucas in. Inside, Lucas found himself staring at a man lying on the bed. His body was completely frozen, his limbs stiffened, and his eyes wide open. "Is this your husband?" Lucas asked in shock. Despite feeling the soul within the body, Lucas couldn't sense a single sin within that frozen person.

"No, this is my son. My husband died five years ago."

"What happened to your son?"

"C-Curse of Medusa. H-His body is basically dead, but his soul is trapped in his body." Alena spoke quietly, then she grabbed Lucas's arms and, with tears in her eyes, asked. "A-Are you the red-eyed deity? P-Please... Send his soul away."

Lucas didn't answer; his mind was racing around the thought, 'Dead. Soul was trapped in a dead body.' Then Lucas's smiled widely as he muttered. "This is fucking perfect!~"

Alena stared blankly at Lucas, her mouth half open.

Then Lucas grinned evilly, "I might be able to help your son."

"T-Thank you!" Alena hugged Lucas tightly. "Let my son rest in peace."

"Oh, but I prefer reviving his body." Lucas returned the hug gently and whispered in her ear. "Your son will be reborn."

"Y-You mean he's going to live again?!"

"E~xactly." Lucas playfully added.

Lucas couldn't contain the excitement coursing through him. He had been searching for this opportunity for so long, and now, he had found it. Carefully, he began to piece together the corpse, concentrating on replaceing any signs of a soul lingering within it. It wouldn't take much to send the flesh of this deceased person back to life, but one wrong move and the entire mission would be ruined.

Lucas' eyes widened, and he rubbed his hands together eagerly. "For that, I need to enter the Red-eyed god's temple. Would you help me replace it?" He peered expectantly as if he hoped the answer would be yes.

"Y-yes, I can do that." Alena quickly nodded.

Lucas surveyed the terrain, trying to locate a map. "Do you have a map?" he inquired. "I've been scouring the mountains, yet I can't seem to locate it - I'm not sure why."

"Absolutely," Alena said as she stepped away from Lucas to the desk. She opened a drawer and withdrew a map, returning to Lucas with it. She placed her index finger at the mountain situated in the center of the Snowlands. "This is where it is. The last followers of the Red-Eyed god concealed it to prevent it from annihilating by the Holy kingdom."

"Can you take me there?"

Alena nodded, her eyes gleaming with hope. "You can use my husband's horse. It's big enough for two."

"Thank you!" Lucas bowed. "Please