Chapter 313

Climbing a cliff that’s nearly vertical is no walk in the park.

One slip and you could plummet to your doom, and stopping halfway? Not an option.

On top of that, there’s a blizzard howling like it’s auditioning for a horror movie. Nothing about this is easy.

‘Still, it’s better than that monument.’

In terms of height, this cliff is way taller than the monument. But the monument doesn’t have magic power.

One of my strengths is my massive magic power, and I can use it all here, so I don’t look tired at all.

I’m just tense, worrying about slipping. I would be so bummed if I fell after making it all the way up here.

Not just bummed—I’d be furious. Even if I get pissed, I plan to climb all the way to the top.

– *Thud!*

“Ah, damn…”

A pile of snow just fell on my head. I wasn’t knocked off, but it definitely annoyed me.

It seems like the higher I go, the more snow tumbles down. I really hope that’s just my imagination.

‘The yeti said there’s a strong guardian up here, right?’

Reaching the top of the cliff won’t be the end of my troubles. I’ll still have to face the guardian that exists up there.

I have no clue how strong the guardian is, but since it’s guarding the Sehon Ice Grass, it’s gotta be pretty powerful.

If luck isn’t on my side, it might be as strong as the Blue Guardian. Spirits are also classified by color levels.

‘I might not know much about the Olympus Mountain Range, but the Volcano Region is definitely a must-visit.’

The Volcano Region is a place I have to go at least once for the story. There are items I need to get from there.

But not the Olympus Mountain Range. At least the Frozen Principality is important there, but Olympus is just a secondary concern.

All I’ll really get out of it is filling the monster encyclopedia. I barely recognized the yeti I just met.

‘It’s probably gonna be pretty similar to the Volcano Region.’

Anyway, I need to prepare for the chance I might meet the Blue Guardian.

Thankfully, spirits are usually the weakest and have clear weaknesses, so they shouldn’t be too tough to handle.

If their core is smashed, that’s game over. So as long as I have space-related skills, most of them go down in one hit.

What good is a tough shell if I can just slice through it with one swipe?

‘The main thing I have to watch out for is the stage.’

I looked up at the cliff.

Its sheer walls still obscured the peak, but it seemed a bit narrower up there.

If a spirit really puts its mind to it, it could shove me right off the edge. This is the part I need to be most careful of.

After all this climbing, if I fall off the edge… I’d burst into tears. I’m dead serious; it’d make me lose it.

– *Rumble!*

“Huh?”

Just as I was about to refocus and start climbing again, suddenly, an earthquake began to shake the ground.

I almost lost my grip and fell, but I caught myself just in time. Things were already looking bad; this is the worst.

‘No, wait. Instead of an earthquake…’

I looked up, half-expecting. It was the pile of snow that had fallen earlier.

There’s something worse to worry about than an earthquake. Snow, in particular, is incredibly sensitive to vibrations.

And sure enough, it didn’t take long before the worst natural disaster reared its ugly head.

– Whoooooooosh!!

An avalanche larger than the pile of snow I dodged was cascading down the cliff.

It’s debatable calling this an avalanche since it’s a cliff, but from my perspective, it definitely is.

There are even icicles mixed in, likely shaken loose by that little tremor earlier.

“Freaking hell…”

Before I could even finish cursing, I sprang into action. I’m not folding under this natural disaster after climbing all this way.

So, I have to hold on. I dug my magic claws in even deeper.

If I dig in too much, I could end up sliding down from the force pushing me outward.

And this is where the issue arises: my Red Magic output is stronger than other types. Controlling it here is tricky.

Thank goodness I have Ragnarok; if I didn’t, I’d almost have given up totally by now.

‘This isn’t enough.’

*Crunch!!*

I wasn’t satisfied with just that—I even sunk my teeth into the cliff. I could bite through rocks with my jaw strength.

Now, there’s nothing left to do but wait. I clung to the cliff like a cicada on a gnarled tree.

– Crash!!!

A massive pile of snow came crashing down like a waterfall right over me. I slipped a bit but managed to hold on.

Even when icicles whacked my head and the pressure pressed painfully on my limbs, I persevered.

I don’t know how long I held on. Suddenly, the weight of snow above me vanished.

I blinked, looking up. There were no more snow piles pouring down.

‘What the hell?’

That initial quake wasn’t a real earthquake. It ended way too quickly to be one.

Maybe it was just a short, sharp vibration. With how vividly it shook the cliff, something must be going on up above.

What if the guardian predicted my arrival and woke up early? That’s the only hypothesis I’ve got right now.

‘No way someone came here ahead of me.’

It’s cold as hell, there are annoying strong monsters everywhere, and no food in the Olympus Mountain Range.

Aside from adventurers like me hunting for legendary herbs, no one’s stupid enough to come this deep.

In the distant future, the Frozen Principality might delve deeper for mining, but that’s a problem for another day.

“Ugh.”

Taking a deep breath, I resumed my climb. Luckily, I didn’t slide back too far this time.

I could see the cliff starting to taper off, and hope was beginning to flicker back to life.

‘… what if there’s nothing there?’

Anxiety crept in alongside that flicker of hope. After all this suffering, if there’s nothing at the end, the disappointment would be insurmountable.

But I couldn’t give up. Gritting my teeth, I persevered onwards.

Eventually, I reached the top of the cliff, and my expectations soared to the max.

Even with my limbs aching, the dopamine in my brain was distracting me from the pain.

Now, all that’s left is to check if there’s any Sehon Ice Grass…

“Ugh. Ugh. Mmm.”

“…?”

What am I even looking at right now? I froze in disbelief at the reality before me.

Lying in front of me was what looked like a golem, which I assumed was the guardian, sprawled out on the ground. It was huge and looked incredibly strong.

But the real eye-catcher was the ‘person’ lounging casually on top of it.

Yeah. A person. The last thing I expected to see in this desolate place.

That person was sitting proudly on the guardian’s remains, happily munching on a blade of grass.

“Chomp chomp. Huh?”

“…”

“What’s this? A human? I thought I saw something else, but it’s just you.”

The person’s words didn’t register in my ears. I was too busy observing their figure.

They wore a mask with a smiling face, and it looked like they weren’t even cold, dressed in a ridiculously light outfit for this climate.

The outfit had a distinct purple hue, and the hair peeking from beneath the mask shone like gold.

I couldn’t even tell if this person was male or female. They had a vague, slightly disheveled voice.

‘Who… who is that…?’

I realize I know them. After all, they’re a character deeply connected to Luna.

Why on earth is this person here? But more importantly, there’s one pressing question.

What are they eating right now? I can’t see any bags or packs containing supplies.

In other words, they apparently devoured something that was lying around after taking down the guardian. That’s the most likely scenario.

Despite the chaotic situation, I slowly raised my hand. The reality was so shocking that my hand trembled without my consent.

“Um, what’s that…?”

“Huh? Oh, a human? I didn’t even realize.”

“Right now… what you’re eating…”

“What? Eating?”

The masked stranger tilted their head in confusion and asked me back.

“The Sehon Ice Grass? Are you referring to Sehon Ice Grass?”

“…”

Yes. That’s it. My only glimmer of hope.

As soon as I got confirmation, I dropped my arm limply. Then, I plopped down! Right onto my knees.

When people get mad, they often lose their rationality. Especially when faced with a harsh, unbelievable reality.

But what happens when overwhelming despair crashes in? The anger that was about to explode fades away.

In its place? An abyss of despair so profound it makes the ocean look shallow. That’s exactly how I felt right now.

‘Grandpa… I should’ve saved you… but…’

I couldn’t think of anything. Just that thought kept swirling in my mind.

The figure in front of me seemed to read my thoughts, tilting their head in confusion.

“Grandpa? Oh, were you planning to give it to your grandpa?”

“…”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea. But what should I do? I ate it first.”

Even when they spoke teasingly, I didn’t care. The world was just too cruel.

I used to like this character, but now my regard for them had plummeted to an all-time low.

[Faith is increasing!]

“… Huh? Wait a sec. You’re not hinting at…”

As faith grew, the masked figure seemed to blurt something out. It was already too late for me to care.

Unable to contain my rising despair, I lost control of my emotions.

What’s the fitting response to despair?

Sadness. Or sorrow.

“Gah…”

“No, wait a minute.”

[Faith is increasing.]

Feeling something, the masked figure jumped down from the guardian in a panic.

“Ugh… I didn’t see this coming! I just thought you’d come here!”

[Faith is increasing!]

Tears began to well up in my eyes. The masked figure frantically called out to me.

“Don’t cry! Stop! I didn’t mean it like that! How about… maybe a candy?”

[Faith is increasing!!]

I bent forward and started crying. The masked figure gently patted my back in consolation.

“Ughhh…”

“I-I’m sorry!! Don’t cry! Please!!”

My sorrow erupted like a volcanic explosion.

[Faith is increasing!!!]

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