24 – Snow and Rain

It’s been three weeks since I entered the snowfield to find the witch’s residence.

Seolwon began to show his ferocious appearance.

The fluttering snow falls so much that it is difficult to see ahead, and the accumulated snow becomes a white swamp and catches our ankles.

The chilly air becomes a relentless chill, fading the existence of the thick fur coat enchanted with warmth.

The wind of the snowfield, sharp like a sword, overwhelms us.

The ferocity of the snowfield silenced Rachel who opened her mouth without rest, and we proceeded through the snowfield filled with only the deafening sound of the wind.

There is only about half a day’s distance left to the witch’s residence, but due to the harsh environment, the steps become heavy as you get tired little by little.

The frozen air seeping into your lungs takes away your body heat. The tall white swamp takes away our stamina, and the view where only the back of a person can be seen in front creates anxiety.

Even in this situation, Iris, who has experience in snowfields, checks the map and compass, and silently moves forward to guide us.

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Look back once. Rachel’s complexion looked a little pale. Because of the Dark Elves’ physical strength, which is lower than that of humans, and the environment they have not experienced, she will be the hardest among us.

“Is Rachel okay?”

“Yes. it’s okay.”

She said it was okay, but her voice was noticeably weaker than usual. From morning until the sun starts to come down, eating only simple preserved food, it is natural that it is difficult to walk in a place like this.

Because of this situation, I want to find a place to rest for a while, but I can’t because of the terrible visibility.

I just endure all of this and move heavy steps.

After walking in silence for a while, Rachel opens her mouth.

“Brother, don’t you hear something strange?”

“I can’t hear. What do you hear, Princess?”

“I can’t hear either.”

Me and Iris didn’t hear what Rachel heard, but we can’t ignore it.

Rachel may have heard it wrong, but you should be careful because it was a word from a dark elf with developed hearing.

“Rachel, do you know exactly what I mean?”

“It sounds like the cry of an animal.”

That word is annoying. Because of the harsh environment unique to the snowfield, it is not an environment for animals to live in. I’d like to think she didn’t hear it, but it’s better to think the worst than hopeful.

“Princess, in case you don’t know, I think you should be careful.”

“i get it.”

“If Rachel gets closer, or if you hear any other sounds, say it again.”

“Yes.”

In the midst of getting tired of the harsh environment, the spirit is quickly consumed by being wary of unknown beasts.

Despite being exhausted, the situation continues, and the white world is dyed a little red.

“I think we will arrive before nightfall.”

Iris, who was in the lead, brought out some hopeful news. I looked back at Rachel, who must have had the hardest time with that hopeful news.

“Did you hear Rachel? Let’s try harder.”

“Yes.”

Rachel’s face was still pale, but her voice brightened a little. Looking at Iris’s back with a little relief from that appearance, I walked through the pure white world permeated with red light.

When the red light peaked, the strong snow and wind gradually began to weaken.

When such good news came, an intrusive fact came to us.

“Brother, the cry of the beast is getting closer.”

“Does it look like it’s coming towards us?”

“I think so.”

At Rachel’s words, I pull out my sword from my waist. Iris also drew her sword and looked ahead.

I hear a faint sound in my exhausted but still sensitive ears. The faint sound gradually grows in size.

Rachel called it a beast’s cry, but to my ears it was more like a multi-voiced scream.

As the sound drew closer, the shape of a monster appeared.

A monster with the body of a lion with black spines and the face of an old man with a mane appeared in front of us.

The monster screams and lunges at us.

Iris, who had an aura wrapped around her sword, swung her sword with the force to cut the attacking monster to pieces. Iris’ sword collides with the claws of the monster, and Iris is pushed away.

I burrowed into the side of the monster through the gap she created, but the black spines attacked me like a creature with a will.

It raises the mana that has settled in the body and puts an aura on the sword. The bluish sword collided with the black thorns, and a piercing sound was heard as the thorns bounced off.

I cut the side of the monster in the gap, but the aura that cuts steel only cut the monster’s skin and couldn’t invade more.

Black blood oozes out from between the cut hides of the monster, and a terrible smell rises and melts the snow. Seeing that figure, I backed off and covered my nose with a cloth.

“It looks like the blood is poison, so be careful.”

“i get it.”

Iris responded by confronting the monster in front, and Rachel muttered with her eyes closed while holding the dagger in her hand.

That figure doesn’t match the current situation, but thinking that she has something on her mind, she fixes her sword.

Attack the side relentlessly to distract the monster. The thorns respond to my actions. The thorns that were not cut even by the aura were enough to hinder my actions, and the tired body and not much mana gradually caught my ankle.

It’s embarrassing. It’s not like I’ve never met a monster that wasn’t cut by an aura, but every time I did, I exhausted myself and killed it with a long battle. Now that is impossible.

If we went to a long-term battle while deprived of our stamina in the snowy field, we would rather dry up and die.

Meanwhile, Iris also began to be on the defensive. I gave up on attacking the side and joined Iris.

Unlike thorns, the monster’s forepaws are heavy with one shot.

Ignoring the sound of my body screaming, I do the best I can.

As the battle between the dead lines continues, the wounds gradually increase on the monster’s body. Whether it’s because of the poison smoke coming out of the monster’s wounds, or because my body is tired, my body becomes dull.

My body became dull, and I couldn’t react to the thorns digging into my side following the monster’s forepaw attack, so I gave up my side.

The darkened snowfield turns red again. the pain comes

Ignore the pain and check your body condition.

Fortunately, there are no broken organs or bones. However, blood flowed quickly from the exhausted body.

The mind is clouded. The body of the monster looks blurry.

I’m barely avoiding the attacks directed at me, but even this will end soon.

power drains from the body The strength of the grip holding the sword was fading away. Legs are about to loosen up.

Iris’s voice is heard. Even his voice is blurry.

A handful of light shines in a world where everything is blurry.

The light creates a blue flame and envelops the monster. The monster screams and struggles, and the dagger with blue flame marks its end.

Rachel said the end of the monster. That scene caught my eye clearly.

“May you have a restful rest.”

Her voice was a bit muffled as she spoke to the doomed monster, but I could still hear it.

There was no shady or mischievous look in her appearance as she announced the end of the monster and prayed for rest, and was solemn and holy.

As I was looking at the different appearance of Rachel, a blurry Iris approached from the blurry world.

She hands me a bottle of something red in my mouth. It’s a familiar scent.

The bitter scent of the potion, like an extra life on the battlefield.

I sniffed the scent and forced my neck to swallow. No matter how much I drink, the bitter taste and smell bother me.

I feel the exhausting pain from the punctured wound. I was relieved that this was proof that this terrible pain was recovering.

While feeling the pain and being relieved, rain falls from the sky. cold. cold and hot

In the blurry world, that strange rain falls little by little and drenches me. I stretch out my hand to stop the rain. The faint warmth felt through the gloves is pleasant. I want to feel a little more detail.

Thinking so, I took off my gloves with little force and reached out my hand again.

It’s warm. It’s a warmth that I always thought was warm.

Beyond that warm warmth, cold rain flows down. A sad sound is also heard.

Beyond the warm warmth and rain, I see her looking sad. He looks so sad that he wipes away his tears.

Even though it’s sad, a corner of my heart warms.

This is how she wiped my tears on the night when I got a new chance and let go of my old life…

The memory makes you think or feel strange.

Shedding tears with just one laugh, hurting alone and pushing it away…

I was afraid that I was not sure that I could lift the curse, and that I was not sure that I would be happy.

The tears she shed when she pushed it away confirm that I love her once again.

as I knew Looking at her showing a new look, knowing that I also fell in love anew, but now I’m looking at that fact.

I laughed because it was funny, because it was stupid.

After laughing like that, I wipe away her sad-looking tears and stroke her hair.

“Don’t cry.”

I fell asleep for a while without being able to honestly express my feelings.