No matter how much you research or how long you live, it is impossible to know everything about the world.
And considering most of my actions were based on the little knowledge I had from the game, it itself alone makes it unstable.
This is how it goes. Even the smallest things that you have missed may have a significant effect on the world.
And this was exactly what was happening right now.
SWOOSH!
The echo of the explosion still reverberated through the mountains as I sprinted, the force of the blast still resonating in my ears.
RING!
I was having a hard time keeping my balance, and the pain from the earlier impact throbbed with each step, but the urgency of the situation propelled me forward. My wounds were healing rapidly anyway, and only pain was in the way.
‘I can’t afford to lose even a second now.’
BOOM!
Another explosion shook the mountainside, and I instinctively shielded myself from the falling debris.
SWOOSH!
The mountainside loomed above, and I focused on the one possible location I could reach before the avalanche descended.
‘Fuck.’
Dread seeped into every fiber of my being, the urgency of survival heightening my senses.
As I ran, the mountain presented a series of life-threatening challenges. Cracks in the snow-covered ground, hidden rocks, and the ever-present threat of loose snow beneath my feet made each step precarious.
However, thanks to my trait [Perceptive Insight] and all the explorations I had done in dungeons, it made it a lot easier for me to notice those little details that would possibly cost my life.
“Haaah…..Haaah….”
The air became thin, and the cold seeped through my clothing, intensifying the struggle for breath.
Once again, the low constitution was dragging me down, but at this point, I couldn’t care less.
RUMBLE!
The ground was still shaking from both the clash of monsters and the approaching avalanche.
As I raced against the time, I also needed to check the map from the time to see if I was on the correct path.
Let alone waste any second being slow; if I even went in the wrong direction for a second, things would go awry.
‘I am close.’
At the very least, the map revealed a glimmer of hope. Though I wasn’t sure the destination was correct, I couldn’t afford to doubt at that second.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The smoke of the approaching mass of the snow and rocks had already reached me, covering my vision.
‘Eyes of Hourglass.’
‘I have at most five seconds.’
Estimating the distance, I pushed myself to the limits.
‘Four.’
SWOOSH!
My feet dug into the snow, the boots strengthening my foothold.
‘Three.’
The debris and the smoke became a lot more dense, and breathing became impossible.
‘Two.’
Holding my breath, I clenched my legs and pushed myself against the pressure from the avalanche, pulling me downwards.
‘One.’
My eyes hourglass slowing the time, I could see the huge mass of snow almost reaching me, but at the same time, right before me was a small crack.
A crack where the snow wasn’t entering as if something was blocking it from entering.
‘It is here.’
The lack of oxygen from holding my breath and the tiredness of my body were already taking its toll, putting my consciousness on the verge of the brink.
‘Don’t stop.’
With one last push, as the avalanche overwhelmed me, I was able to reach the crack with my hand.
CLENCH!
I clenched my hand, then pulled myself into the crack, and following that was the familiar feeling of myself getting sucked into the portal.
******
THUD!
I hit the ground, feeling like the world around me was still shaking, even though there were no physical tremors anymore.
The abrupt transition from the chaos of the avalanche to the unfamiliar ground left me disoriented.
“Haaaaah….haaaaaaah….”
As I struggled to regain my bearings with heavy breaths, the shaking world slowly started returning to its original state.
As my vision slowly cleared, I found myself in a different landscape altogether.
The air felt different, charged with a sense of foreboding. With each breath, I could sense a shift in the atmosphere.
‘This is the right place.
The crack, the lifeline that saved me from the avalanche, was actually my destination from the start.
‘As expected, math never disappoints.’
The adrenaline’s effects slowly calmed down as I stood up.
The world around me had already taken its shape, revealing a place unlike any I had encountered before.
The sky above was dark, not because it was night but rather because it was filled with thick smoke. The oppressive atmosphere contrasted sharply with the icy mountains I had just narrowly escaped.
‘It is hot.’
The heat in the air was palpable, a stark departure from the cold of the mountains. The ground beneath me felt different—smooth and worn. It was hot, but the dark landscape felt smooth at the same time.
FUSH! FUSH!
From points around me, the ground pulsated and rumbled, and suddenly, heavy, pressured water erupted like geysers.
The water cascaded in rhythmic bursts, creating an eerie dance against the backdrop of the smoky sky.
Around me, the ground seemed to writhe, and a river of lava flowed as if it were a liquid, weaving its way through the rugged terrain.
The heat emanating from the molten rock added to the oppressive atmosphere, making each step precarious.
In the end, it was a landscape that was a lot different than the entrance, casting a stark contrast.
‘I should rest at first.’
Taking out my coat, I felt the strain from the long climb and that last heavy run finally taking its toll on my body.
GULP!
Gulping a stamina potion and a mana potion to replenish my reserves, I sat on the ground, masking my presence.
‘Raven, come out.’
The first step was to scout, as I was in a vulnerable state right now.
FLAP! FLAP!
With the Raven flapping its wings, I started exploring the dungeon inside, looking for any presence of monsters.
‘Vision Sharing.’
After my bond for a while, I was able to use the vision sharing without any discomfort. As my perspective changed to birds, I could see the landscape and could grasp the details a lot more.
‘Hmm….Same as in the game, Magma Serpents.’
The first type of monster came into view: Magma Serpents. They naturally navigated the rivers of lava, their scales shimmering in the molten glow.
‘Peak Rank-5 monsters.’
Even though they seemed weak, in reality, they weren’t. The monsters had a strength rivaling the Magma Wyrm we had seen in the mock dungeon before, and their numbers weren’t alone.
Right now, to subdue all those monsters, at the very least, a veteran high-ranking Hunter, possibly a B-rank, was needed.
As I observed, one serpent slithered through the lava, basking in the intense heat, while another lay coiled near a ledge, its eyes fixated on potential prey.
‘And then, Geyser Stalkers.’
The second type of creature emerged, revealing the elusive Geyser Stalkers. These ground-dwelling predators blended seamlessly with the surroundings, utilizing the erupting geysers as both camouflage and cover.
‘Potentially marked mid-rank-4 monsters, but their strength is mostly reliant on camouflage and surprise attacks.’
They stalked the landscape with patient precision, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. In a sense, they were the ones I could take one-on-one, but considering the landscape, that would mean I would become the prey of Magma Serpents.
However, in the end, my goal here was never to fight with monsters.
After all, this place wasn’t a location that I meant to conquer right now since the Hikama Mountains alone was a place that was meant to be explored when the player reached higher levels.
Which I was certainly not. Thus, I had only one option and goal.
‘Avoiding confrontation and reaching the final destination.’
And that was only possible because of the [Unknown’s Armor] I had gotten from the Blackthorn’s vault. After all, a high-ranking monster had an intuition and instinct that couldn’t be compared to the previous ones I had encountered.
“Huuuuf…..This is enough.”
Taking a deep breath, I readied myself, looking at the road ahead. Things were going to get hard, but it was manageable.
As I activated my trait, I slowly blended into the shadows.
********
In a room that smelled like luxury ornaments, a girl with blazing red hair sat on the ground.
The room was wide, almost as if it were a house itself. Countless different rare materials covered the room; even one of them was enough to feed a simple household for 20 years.
“Hissss…..”
The girl released her breath, filled with fire, as she sat in a meditating position.
“I am bored.”
Opening her amber eyes, she mumbled. Staying in this state for a while just to improve her control over her magic was alone a boring and monotonous act.
TOK! TOK! TOK!
At that exact second, the door of her room started being knocked.
“Enter.”
CREAK
The door creaked open, and a maid in a pristine uniform stepped into the room. “Young Miss Irina, the Madam is summoning you,” she announced with a gentle bow.
Irina sighed, her fiery hair flickering with the movement. “Can’t she see I’m busy? What does she want now?”
Her relationship with her mother was a little…..Complex.
Knowing this, the maid hesitated for a moment, then responded, “It’s about a matter concerning the upcoming gala. She insists on your presence to discuss the arrangements.”
Irina groaned, clearly uninterested in the affairs of the upcoming event. Even knowing this, her mother still had never let her have the fun, saying one day she was going to inherit the family’s business.
At the same time, she also knew this was just an excuse her mother gave to maids to call her, and knowing her personality, Irina already knew why she had called her for.
“Fine, fine. Let’s get this over with.” She rose from her meditative position, her crimson gown flowing around her like a cascade of flames.
“She is waiting for you in her office.” The maid bowed her head as she waited for Irina to walk over the place.
Irina simply followed the maid through the lavish corridors of the mansion, each step echoing with the opulence that surrounded her.
‘Annoying.’
The grandeur of her surroundings didn’t match her disinterested demeanor.
As they reached her mother’s office, the maid was about to knock gently before opening the door.
“You may enter.” However, a refined voice came over the door even before she could knock.
CREAK!
The door opened, making a creaking sound.
Inside, a woman with striking red hair and amber eyes sat behind an intricately carved desk. It was as if the room was decorated in the same manner as the Irina’s; it contained countless luxury ornaments and rare magical artifacts all around.
The woman’s expression was stern, a reflection of the responsibility she carried as the head of the household, but at the same time, the pressure emanating from her made it very hard to look her in the eye.
“You are here.”