Chapter 312

Unexpected bonds were formed with people I hadn’t anticipated, but my work was far from over.

I pushed through the harsh weather and fierce beasts and monsters, climbing steadily toward the mountain peak.

Even as the violent blizzard raged, I pressed on. Thanks to my thick fur, the cold wasn’t much of a worry for me.

But there was one thing I absolutely had to keep in mind. Especially in situations like this, where being furry was essential.

“Ugh…”

During my mountain trek, I stumbled upon a river. I submerged myself in the water and let out a refreshing sound.

Olympus isn’t a volcano. So the river wasn’t hot; it was cold enough to freeze my flesh.

However, at this moment, I was nearly immune to the chill. The cold felt more refreshing than anything.

[Traits]

• Wilderness Instinct (???)

• Tenacity (SS+)

• Steel King (SS)

• Poison Resistance (SS)

• Cold Resistance (S+)

• Digestion (S+)

• Dexterity (A)

[Skills]

• Ambush (Ex)

• Throwing (Ex)

• Martial Arts (A)

• Weaponry (B+)

[Abilities]

• Red Magic (Ex)

• Rampage (Ex)

• Regeneration (SSS)

• Thunder (S)

It’s been a long time since I’ve opened my status window. While soaking in the river, I stared blankly at it.

The only thing I gained here was one thing: the Cold Resistance trait.

Cold Resistance is just that—resistance to the cold. Thanks to it, I could endure the biting chill unarmed.

‘But if my fur disappears, will my Cold Resistance go away too?’

I was a bit curious about that, but there was no need for an experiment right now. I flipped over.

The reason I was soaking in the river was simple. Hygiene.

Even living the rawest life possible, the notion of hygiene felt valid, especially in times like these.

‘It’s annoying when fur hardens due to blood.’

It was quite common for blood to freeze solid within my fur. Because of that, I made it a point to wash myself at least once a day.

‘But doesn’t that make my fur freeze in the water? Well, if I use magic for protection, I can dry it all before it freezes.’

That was one of the techniques I learned from Rize before coming to Frozen.

‘Didn’t think I’d be protecting my fur instead of my body.’

After giving myself a decent wash, I headed toward the peak. Fortunately, the blizzard had died down just in time.

It seemed like today, I could reach the summit without any issues. That was just my personal wish, though.

‘I wonder if Grandpa is doing okay…’

Each step felt heavier. Just counting the days, nearly two months had passed.

The Academy break would soon come to an end. Winter break at the Academy is much longer than summer break.

Of course, I had no intention of being back in class right on time. I planned to stick around until I found Sehon Ice Grass.

But as time passed, my heart inevitably grew restless. It’s a natural feeling for any human.

‘…I probably won’t remember.’

Having passed over a month, I was sure I had been completely forgotten. I stared down at the ground, lost in thought.

If I lose about a month’s worth of memories a day, then right now, I must have lost nearly 50 months of memories.

I recall that Rod took the position of Academy President about five years ago. He’s likely still in that role.

But if Rod’s achieved ‘mastery’ until now had declined, it might plummet dramatically at some point.

Seeing as Red Magic was barely holding my soul together, what if it dropped to blue…?

“Hah…”

I let out a deep sigh. A white breath puffed into the cold air.

It feels a bit odd to say this, but my heart felt like it was slowly sinking.

I’ve climbed countless mountains until now, yet nothing I sought has turned up.

If I finish exploring the remaining peaks and find nothing, what will I do then?

Would I have to return empty-handed, or wait until the herbs bloom?

-Thud.

“Huh?”

Just as I was walking while staring at the ground, I felt something soft on my head.

Looking up, I could tell it was something larger than me from the shadow it cast.

“… …”

“… … ”

It was covered in pure white fur, with a face resembling a mix between a monkey and an ape.

Especially those protruding fangs sticking out of its lips were a striking feature. It looked sharp just by seeing it.

But what about its physique? Its long arms looked like they’d almost touch the ground with just a bit more length.

The pale blue skin slightly exposed gave off a chilling vibe, and it held a large club in its right hand.

“… …”

“… …”

“…Pook.”

Who the heck is this? I stared blankly at the creature looking down at me with an unimpressed expression.

It was unlike any monster or spirit I had seen before. It looked fierce, but unlike other monsters, it didn’t seem hostile.

With it standing this close without attacking, I felt certain. So I became even more curious.

‘Was its name… Yeti?’

A far rarer specimen than that bear that used lightning before. It’s roughly in the same position as Porori in the Chaos Forest.

Intelligent and generally doesn’t harm humans, as long as they aren’t intruding on its territory.

“Pook.”

“… …”

“Pook. Pook.”

-Thud. Thud.

The Yeti muttered something and patted my shoulder as it passed by. It didn’t seem like it wanted to fight at all.

I was more flabbergasted. I watched the Yeti’s retreating figure, striding confidently.

‘Did I just get sympathy from that thing? No way. Before that…’

It seems I was treated as a ‘kindred spirit.’ Otherwise, the Yeti wouldn’t have acted like that.

Being treated as one of its kind by a monster is quite the absurdity. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the ridiculousness.

The very fact that the Yeti even spoke to me is laughable. Though I can’t quite grasp what it said, it sounded like encouragement.

An unexplainable emotion bubbled up from deep within me.

‘Damn it. Thanks a ton.’

How pitiful must I have looked for a monster to give me such kindness? I let out another deep sigh.

On the outside, I might have looked like a monster too, but I was being treated like one of their kind.

Would anyone believe this story if I returned to the Academy and told them? I couldn’t help but chuckle at that thought.

‘…Wait a second.’

I abruptly stopped in my tracks, a sudden thought popping into my head that seemed absurd yet plausible.

So I immediately turned around and followed the Yeti. Despite its size, catching up wasn’t too hard.

“Hey. Hey.”

“?”

The Yeti turned back, regarding me with a puzzled expression. That expression was surprisingly human-like.

I quickly picked up a stick and started drawing on the ground. I remembered faithfully what Sehon Ice Grass looked like.

As I started sketching it in the snow, the Yeti knelt down. It seemed genuinely sweet for a creature of its size.

“Have you seen anything like this?”

“Pook…”

After finishing my drawing of Sehon Ice Grass, I asked the Yeti. It stroked its beard upon seeing it.

Every action it took felt so human-like. Was it gradually stepping into the realm of spirits like Porori?

The Yeti gazed at the drawing for a long moment before nodding its head and then looking elsewhere.

It pointed its club toward the peak of the tall mountain.

“Pook.”

“Is it up there?”

“Pook.”

Roughly translated, that means as far as it remembers, that’s the case.

It warned me to be careful as there’s a powerful guardian protecting it. But I seem strong enough to handle it.

“You’re a really good guy, aren’t you?”

“Pook.”

What are we? Friends? Why would I be your friend, damn it.

Those words almost slipped out of my throat, but I held them back. I’d just have to hope it gives me something to eat on the way down.

I waved goodbye to the Yeti and started moving on. It even waved back at me.

‘Is this what they call fate?’

If it was fate, then so be it. I let out a small laugh.

But even with this stroke of fate, the difficulties remained. I couldn’t help but feel dazed as I gazed at the peak the Yeti indicated.

“This is just absurd.”

It was a daunting cliff. Just looking at it sucked the breath out of me.

But I couldn’t give up. Using my axe as climbing gear, I began to ascend slowly.

I used the Red Magic on my remaining limbs to turn my fingers into claws. The magic consumption was heavy, but I’d manage.

‘But what if that creature was lying?’

Let’s think about that later. At least it wasn’t lying about this.

“Whew. Whew.”

I began scaling that towering cliff.

*****

The real life of the Yeti, unlike the rumors circulating lately in Frozen, is quite simple.

Humans tend to fear it, so it avoids provoking them and wanders around Olympus.

Sivar had caught on to some extent, but the Yeti currently reigns as the predator of the Olympus Mountain Range.

So normally, it should be wary of other predators (Sivar) showing up from different territories, but the Yeti didn’t do that.

“Pook.”

That’s because of Sivar’s usual diet. He never properly disposed of the beasts he hunted.

Heart, liver, lungs, and such. He mostly ate high-calorie organs, leaving the tastiest meat behind.

Above all, its instincts as a monster told it that it bore no ill will towards Sivar, almost wandering aimlessly.

It even felt a sense of kinship. Being covered in pure white fur gave the impression of having found a kindred spirit.

Not to mention that it held Ragnarok in its right hand, almost like it was wielding a massive club.

“Ah, so that’s where Yeti is.”

“Pook?”

While aimlessly wandering through its territory, the Yeti perked up at a sound from ahead.

There was no sign of presence, so it promptly entered a defensive stance, fixing its gaze ahead.

Unlike the kindred spirit (Sivar) it had met just moments ago, this creature lacked fur. It was a human.

The Yeti usually stayed away from human areas, but if a human intruded first, that changes everything.

“Puuuuuuuk!!”

The Yeti revealed its threat. With its long fangs, it suddenly looked much more fearsome.

However, despite the Yeti’s threat, the human didn’t seem fazed at all. Instead, they looked somewhere else.

“Then that means there’s Sehon Ice Grass over there…”

“Krrr…!”

“Hey, could you possibly step aside?”

-Rumble!

Even the human’s polite request couldn’t sway the Yeti. A weak rumble was heard from the sky.

The human looked up at the sound of thunder. The sky appeared overcast, likely due to the blizzard.

“Ugh… I don’t want to kill it, but…”

“GRAAAH!!!”

Threatening didn’t work. If that’s the case, it left them with just one choice: to kill.

The Yeti let out a fierce roar and charged at the human, lifting its massive club high.

As soon as the human was within striking distance, the Yeti brought the club down.

-Kaboom!!

The moment the Yeti swung its club down on the human, a faint bolt of lightning crackled. This indicated it was on the brink of entering the realm of spirits.

Normally, it should’ve immediately raised its club again, but the Yeti froze in place as if time itself had stopped.

“Hmm~ Hmm-hmm~”

The human it had targeted now stood behind the Yeti. No, more accurately, they walked forward, completely ignoring the Yeti.

They even hummed a tune, exuding an air of leisure.

-Swoosh

Moments later, a joint in the Yeti’s neck appeared, and then…

-Thud!

Its face separated from its body, landing on the ground while keeping a savage expression.

The predator of the Olympus Mountain Range fell victim to a human, defeated in a flash.

“I just want to take care of my body.”

The human wore a mask with a smiling face.

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