Chapter 310

Olympus was tall. And freaking cold.

It was so cold that saying it was just cold didn’t even cut it. It was the kind of cold that could make you curse like a sailor.

After all my preparations for this climb, I quickly realized that clothing was useless.

And to make matters worse, I ran into a strong monster halfway up, and my clothes got completely shredded. I forced myself to wear the torn rags, but there’s only so much you can handle.

“Ugh…”

I let out a long sigh, and my breath puffed out in a heated cloud. But even that breath quickly fell to the ground.

The cold was so brutal that even my breath froze. Sweat droplets froze in an instant, making me feel like an ice cube.

Here I stood at the mountain’s peak, surveying my surroundings. I was on the highest of many mountains.

‘Nothing here either…’

It had been about a month since I set out to find Sehon Ice Grass. Yet, I hadn’t found a single thing.

In contrast, my body had grotesquely transformed. Rather than saying I transformed, it felt more like I ‘adapted’.

What used to be smooth skin was now completely covered in white fur. Not just my face, but my whole body.

‘What am I, a yeti?’

I had no idea when it happened. I was wandering aimlessly, and at some point, this transformation took place.

I knew my body was strange, but who would have guessed it would turn out like this?

Even in the Chaos Forest, I had only grown fur, maintaining a somewhat normal appearance.

But now, I looked like a full-on monster. At least my palms and soles were still hairless.

– Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle.

Having obtained nothing, I started descending. Snow was piled high, but I walked over it.

This was a technique I learned from Rezero. I had found it useful from the beginning till now.

By the way, I wasn’t wearing shoes. They had completely fallen apart, so I was moving barefoot.

If I had to point out any semblance of humanity left in me, it would be the Ragnarok in my left hand and the bag Eli had given me.

Nothing else mattered, but I desperately protected that bag. I had to ensure it didn’t break after finally finding some Sehon Ice Grass.

Of course, everything was covered in fur, so it looked similar. I wasn’t cold, but still, it was uncomfortable.

‘But I can’t just go down to the village.’

The mountain range extended from the midpoint. The village lay beneath it.

Considering that Frozen was primarily a mining area, it was only natural for there to be villages at the foot of every mountain.

Sometimes they were even cities, and I had to sneak past them.

‘How am I supposed to walk in looking like this?’

Ideally, I had planned to head down every fortnight. At the very least, I wanted to shower.

However, since everyone treated me like a monster, I had no choice but to escape. Couldn’t I just use the common language?

Nope. Unless you were an Academy student, the common language wasn’t mandatory. Most people didn’t even know it.

So I ran away to avoid any unnecessary trouble. There’s nothing good that comes from being known.

Honestly, I just hoped absurd rumors wouldn’t spread, so people wouldn’t come up looking for me.

‘Time is running out…’

Plus, I was getting increasingly anxious. A whole month had passed.

I had expected it to take a while, but I had a feeling it might take longer than even that.

If that happened, Rod would forget me more and more, and in the worst-case scenario, he might revert to a fetus state.

Given that a month had already passed, he probably had forgotten me by now. I didn’t want to accept that, but I had to face it.

This troubled heart of mine was fueling my determination, pushing me forward. There were still many untouched mountains ahead.

‘How many are left? Three, maybe?’

Over the past month, I had charged through the peaks of countless mountains. Of course, all of them were empty handed.

Especially at each peak, powerful monsters waited like guards, and defeating them was no easy task.

The problem was that most of these boss-level monsters turned out to be spirits. With nothing to eat, I ended up consuming essences, which had made my fur grow wild.

‘What am I, a Zerg or something…’

Eating essences makes you evolve. Just like Zergs do.

Even if it wasn’t Zergs, there are plenty of things that evolve in real-time. That’s the problem.

Anyway, right now, what I needed to do was descend to the mountainside. I trudged downwards.

All the mountain peaks pierced through the clouds, and for once, I even got the chance to touch the clouds directly.

I didn’t want to see that sight anymore. Still, I meticulously surveyed the area around the peak, just in case.

– Grrr…

On my way down, the biggest problem emerged. I rubbed my empty stomach.

The most dangerous thing in Olympus wasn’t the monsters or the cold. It was starvation.

There simply wasn’t any food. I would have been happy to eat insects or worms, but there weren’t any to be found.

Even when I trekked to dense wooded areas, few beasts could fill my belly.

There were wolves, sure, but they were too damn quick. If they spotted me, they scattered in all directions.

‘I need to catch a predator…’

But I really didn’t want to eat a humanoid monster. It just tasted horrible and was chewy.

If it’s tough enough for my teeth, you can imagine how tough it is. Hence, food was a massive issue.

‘Is there even a clueless bear wandering around?’

Bears are excellent meals anywhere you go. They know they’re predators.

Confident as they are, they often act cocky and end up getting squished.

– Grrr…

And right now, as I lumbered down, I heard a familiar sound echo in my ears.

I turned my head and found a bear covered in white fur glaring at me.

It bared its fierce teeth, showing a menacing grimace.

It was clearly a threat, ready to attack at any moment. Being a bear in a cold region, it was also huge.

– Sizzle! Sizzle!

“Whoa?”

But that wasn’t all. Sparks flickered weakly around the bear.

It looked like some entity was entering the spirit realm, similar to Porori. Or maybe it was a mutation.

But what did that matter? Holding Ragnarok, I approached the bear slowly.

*Sluurp*

I felt like I was finally about to feast, licking my lips.

I didn’t forget to tap Ragnarok in my palm as well.

“Grroooough…?”

At that moment, the bear finally realized something was off.

******

For the people of Frozen, mountains are a very crucial part of their environment. You could say they solve most of their daily needs thanks to the mountains.

They endure the cold by cutting wood or mining coal, and support their economy through mining.

Thanks to this, people of Frozen possess strong physiques, regardless of gender. There’s even a saying that they start climbing mountains at the age of three to brave the bitter cold.

In a way, they are similar to the Tartar tribe. Both tribes became civilizations after once being savages.

That’s why, when news of issues arising in the mountains gets out, they’re quick to respond.

If they don’t solve the problems, they’ll obviously starve to death.

“Quickly! We need to hurry! We have to kill that bear!”

A lady cried out, wearing a fur hat embroidered with the emblem of the blue bear, Frozen’s symbol.

She was also dressed in a bear-skin coat, and as she marched forward, her silver-blue hair flowed beneath her fur hat, her face slightly cold but passionate nonetheless.

Above all, the huge axe she had slung over her shoulder gave a clear indication of her terrifying strength.

“Your Highness, there’s no need to rush…”

“What do you mean by that, Sir Perez? The common folk must be trembling in fear as we speak! Let’s go!”

“…Yes.”

Sir Sara Perez, a knight dressed similar to her but in darker blue, sighed inwardly.

The reason why a professor like her was at Frozen was simple. She had returned home for a holiday to celebrate an anniversary.

Once a commoner, she caught the eye of the prince and rose to knighthood, eventually becoming a professor at the Academy to elevate Frozen’s reputation.

‘Should I call it good or bad…?’

Sara glanced at the energetic figure of the princess, Reyna de White, striding eagerly ahead with her massive axe.

The princess of Frozen, cared for deeply by the royal family.

Typically, people from Frozen are few with words and seldom smile, but Reyna was different.

Perhaps because she lived a life filled with love, she was full of vibrant energy and undeniably strong.

How’s her love for the common folk? When crises arise as they do now, she prefers to take matters into her own hands.

The more she took things into her own hands, the more the family, including the prince, felt stressed out, but Reyna didn’t care one bit.

‘What a fate I have…’

And thus, Sara endured the hardships of serving Reyna as her knight. At least, she was thankful that nothing bad had happened.

No matter who Reyna was, she was still young enough to just be starting at the Academy. She wouldn’t be experienced enough, represented through her actions.

Especially since her likable character made it impossible for Sara to resent her, she could only trail behind in silence.

“Is this it? The place where the bear appears?”

It was when they reached the mid-point of the mountain range connecting to Olympus. Reyna looked ahead.

The surroundings were entirely covered in snow, except not ahead. A sprawling forest lay before them.

The bears from that forest frequently descended into the villages, causing havoc. They were too strong for the citizenry to handle.

“My lady, it’s best to leave this to the knights…”

“No! If I don’t step up, the people won’t trust us! I may suck at studying, but at least I can do this well!”

“…”

Sara had no words. In reality, Reyna had no talent for studying.

To be precise, she loathed studying. She’d rather move her body than memorize a single letter.

Fortunately, she managed to memorize the common language needed to enroll at the Academy. Although she still wasn’t very good at it.

‘Surely, she’d do better than Sivar…’

Suddenly, a famous figure from the Academy flashed through her mind. A hot potato and a celebrity in his own right.

Even though she hadn’t witnessed him during the anniversary, rumors said he showcased bizarre techniques.

I wondered, who’s better at the common language, Sivar or Reyna? Those pointless thoughts began to swirl in her head.

– ROAAAAAR!!!!

Just then, a thundering roar pierced their ears.

It was definitely the cry of a vicious beast. Both women drew their weapons without a moment’s hesitation.

“Sir Perez.”

“Be careful. It’s coming.”

– THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

Just as Sara finished speaking, the ground began to tremble more violently. Yet, they couldn’t even see what was causing it.

Considering that, they could deduce it must be enormous. Reyna nervously stared at the treeline ahead.

– CRACK! BANG! CRASH!

Trees beyond the forest began to collapse. It was clear something of a heavy build was lumbering through.

Eventually, the forest’s trees fell apart as a gigantic, roaring beast emerged.

– ROAAAAAR!!!

It was a bear the size of a house, no, even larger. Covered in white fur and bearing sharp claws.

Sara couldn’t help but widen one eye as she watched the bear rush towards them.

Because there was something strange about the bear. First, its fur.

‘Is that… blood?’

The blood stood out vividly against its white fur. But more concerning was the look on the bear’s face. Beneath its fierce appearance lay a deep sense of ‘fear.’

It was the frenzy of an animal trying to escape from a stronger predator. It was tucking its tail as it looked back.

But in that moment, they had no time to worry about that. Desperation was overrunning the bear as it charged toward them.

“My lady! It’s dangerous! Behind me…”

– CRASH!!!

Before Sara could even finish her words, a loud sound rang out as something struck the bear.

Even though the weather was only lightly snowing, that dull thud echoed like thunder.

– KAWWW!!!

Simultaneously, a scream erupted from the bear. Apparently, the powerful strike had sent its massive body tumbling forward.

And it fell right in front of Reyna. She stared at the downed bear in shock.

An axe was lodged in the bear’s back. A sight that would send chills down anyone’s spine.

Just when Reyna was at a loss for what to do, a shadow appeared above her.

– Swoosh

“…Huh?”

Reyna looked up, her head tilted back.

A white furball glided through the sky.

Its red claws glimmered in the light.

– SWISH!!!

The soaring white creature landed right behind the bear.

Upon landing, it plunged its red claws deeply into the bear. The beast roared in resistance.

But the more it struggled, the more merciless those claws became. The creature slashed with those crimson claws over and over again.

– STAB! WHAM! SLASH! SPLASH!

With each stab, blood gushed out, and the bear’s resistance intensified.

Reyna watched this scene unfold right before her eyes, and her expression grew increasingly blank.

The white creature was getting smeared with the bear’s blood, turning it a deep crimson. What a brutally gruesome sight.

– THUD!!!

Finally, it seemed to hit the bear’s vital point, as it trembled violently before coming to a rest. It had died.

The white creature retrieved its claws from deep inside the bear’s body. They soon morphed back into an ordinary pair of hands, though still patchy with fur. All that remained was the blood, dripping steadily.

“…”

“…”

In the thick silence that enveloped them, the creature raised its head and locked eyes with the party.

The first one to make eye contact was Reyna. Though her face was covered in fur, she greeted it respectfully.

“…Hello?”

She had no choice but to acknowledge it.

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