Chapter 360: A Frozen Town
The night was devoid of its usual romantic charm. Instead of moonlit blossoms, the only companions were the howling winds and falling snow. In the blink of an eye, the night had passed, leaving behind a pristine, cloudless morning.
With the first rays of sunlight, the world transformed into an endless expanse of white. It was a sight that could easily blind ordinary mortals, for the real world and the realm of gods shared the chance of snow blindness.
William pushed open the window of his second-floor room and took in a deep breath of the crisp, icy air. The coldness was invigorating, and there was something magical about the air in this snowy landscape.
Annie, on the other hand, had spent the entire night awake in her bed. William had never practiced before, and he was uncertain whether it would leave him feeling more refreshed the following day.
However, it didn't seem to be the case. Annie, a night owl by nature, had skipped both sleep and breakfast. As William rose from his slumber, she finally crawled beneath the warm quilt.
Observing her peaceful sleep, William decided to let her rest a while longer and have her wake up at noon. After all, time was not of the essence.
William had ample time on his hands. The task of uncovering the necessary information was estimated to take a month, and it could be either quick or elusive, depending on luck.
So, for now, Annie, the luckiest of them all, could afford to sleep in. Where she Pointed, he would go. It was as simple as that. As for whether this metaphysical approach to finding task clues was feasible, one might as well ask the goddess of luck how she became a deity.
The goddess of luck and the goddess of doom were among the few major deities who had never met their end, and they certainly didn't lead uneventful lives. Even Moses had claimed that luck and misfortune were forms of magic he had encountered.
In other words, luck was a gift or a learnable form of magic. It was just incredibly challenging, a realm most ordinary people couldn't even approach.
First and foremost, one needed the talent for it. Moses, for example, had successfully crossed that threshold due to his innate talent.
William, on the other hand, would find it exceedingly difficult to learn luck magic in his lifetime. Perhaps, if he were on good terms with the goddess of bad luck, Py, he might have picked up some misfortune magic as well.
…
Noon arrived, and the group departed from the snow-covered town. Following Annie's guidance, Olaf led them northward.
The snowstorm from the previous night had been massive, completely burying the already treacherous roads beneath layers of snow. Walking was no longer an option, so they resorted to flying.
This, however, left Olaf thoroughly amazed. The white horse that had been frozen overnight turned out to be a unicorn with wings and seven rainbows.
"These fellows have a magical creature like this with them. Where did they come from? And does that mean the girl riding the unicorn is a pure virgin?" Olaf couldn't help but ponder.
He cast a few glances toward the handsome prince, insinuating his thoughts, but William remained unperturbed. He wasn't the type to engage in such trivialities.
So, after flying for hours, they reached a small town where Olaf, panting from exhaustion, was finally allowed to catch his breath.
Though the higher-ups were still in the early stages of mastering flight and thus didn't possess the greatest speed and endurance, masters could remain airborne for extended periods.
Yesterday had been an exception due to the snowstorm.
Once everyone had settled down, they couldn't help but notice something peculiar about the town. In a place known for its hunting, there was an eerie silence. Even the usual barking of dogs was absent. Something was amiss.
Despite the streets having been cleared of heavy snow, dark stains were still visible in various places. A closer look revealed that those stains were, in fact, dried black blood.
Of course, there were still people in the town, timid civilians who peered from behind doors and windows to watch surreptitiously. The local garrison, a small group of soldiers, was the only official presence. Their middle-aged leader asked with respect, "Are you the demon hunters summoned by ARAT?"
"ARAT?" Olaf was about to reply when he turned his gaze toward William.
Coincidentally, during his highness's flight, he had come across the frozen corpse of a junior Professional. William had retrieved the body from his space ring.
This unexpected sight caused an uproar among the onlookers. Even some of the townspeople who had been hiding indoors couldn't resist coming out to gaze at ARAT's lifeless form.
A middle-aged woman, robust and loud, used the Lion Roar skill to declare, "ARAT was frozen during the snowstorm yesterday! His mother-in-law came to claim his body!"
Her voice carried far, its resonance akin to that of some Professionals. However, in a town like this, anyone with a loud voice could act as a makeshift town crier.
With her proclamation, the town came alive, and many people emerged from their homes. They were no longer wary of the flying Professionals.
In this small town, everyone was either related or acquainted with one another. Recent unusual events had stirred concerns, and ARAT's death was the first of its kind in many years.
"Thank you for returning ARAT's body to us. I… will provide the compensation first." The town's garrison captain hastily retrieved silver coins from his pockets, supplemented by contributions from the other soldiers. He extended the coins toward William.
He couldn't bring himself to believe that ARAT had met his demise at the hands of those possessing space-realm treasures. Besides, ARAT had planned to return to the city to find demon hunters the day before, citing the approaching snowstorm as the reason.
The stubborn man had insisted he couldn't freeze to death, claiming to be a child of the ice and snow world.
But now, it was too late for such arguments. He lay lifeless, cold and motionless.
If ARAT hadn't perished on the mountain, his body would have been entirely concealed by the snow. William graciously declined the townspeople's kindness and did so with ease. He inquired with curiosity, "What has transpired in this town? Where did the blood come from? And what peculiar event prompted Mr. ARAT to summon a demon hunter, even at the peril of a snowstorm?"
"It's a long tale, but I believe it's crucial that we be on our way. Time is of the essence, so I'll keep it brief. It appears that there are monsters in town, slaughtering numerous hunters' reindeer, hunting dogs, poultry, and livestock," the garrison captain succinctly relayed.
William and his companions were left speechless. The captain had certainly condensed the narrative. It was hard to discern anything of significance from such limited information, and no task notifications had been triggered.
Sporting a white fox fur coat, William continued with a smile, "Please, provide us with more details. We are not in a hurry. If possible, I may even be able to assist you in resolving this issue."
"Really? Without payment?" inquired the middle-aged woman who had shouted earlier.
"Well, no payment required. After all, I seek justice and light…"
Before he could finish his thought, the middle-aged woman, who was quite imposing, interjected, "I'll speak, I'll speak. Hunter, step aside. The adults are trying to help you. Step aside."
She proceeded to recount the story: "It all began when ARAT returned from a hunting expedition in the Western forest a month ago. He had captured a formidable beast. What was it called?"
"A polar bear," the hunter captain interjected.
The middle-aged woman nodded in agreement, "Yes, that's it, a massive bear with a coat of white fur all over. It's still alive, my goodness! It's alive, and it's seeking vengeance against us…"
As she spoke, the woman Pointed behind William in terror, almost fleeing from the scene.
The onlookers turned to look, only to find an elderly man, Old Leather, sitting in a corner, puffing on a dried-up cigarette.
However, from behind, his appearance bore a striking resemblance to that of a polar bear.
The hunter captain sighed and ignored the fleeing woman. He continued, "In theory, ARAT, as a junior Professional, lacked the capability to hunt and kill such a powerful beast. People here suspect that he stole the polar bear from a monster."
"But ARAT, in a bid to prove his strength, recklessly hunted down the polar bear. He never returned. We believed he had met his end in the forest. It wasn't until seven days ago that he returned."
Hunter's expression took a fearful turn as he continued, "Since his return, he's been speaking incessantly, but we suspect he encountered something extraordinary, something we dare not inquire about. Strange occurrences began to unfold in the town. Reindeer, hunting dogs, and even some of the horses in civilian homes perished inexplicably."
"At first, some believed these deaths were due to freezing. People even considered consuming them. However, when they bled the carcasses, they discovered the presence of black blood in the reindeer and horses. What's even more alarming is that these deceased animals came back to life, including the polar bear."
"But these resurrected creatures lack substantial combat abilities, and we've managed to eliminate them," concluded William.
William raised an eyebrow and asked, "Has anyone been injured?"
Hunter replied firmly, "No."
However, one of the soldiers nearby appeared restless, and his gaze wandered, avoiding eye contact with William and the others.
Hunter's inquiry and insistence led to the young man reluctantly biting his lip and tearing open his chest's clothing, revealing a wound.
The bite mark resembled that of a canine, yet the injury had turned black, with the darkness gradually spreading across half his chest.
Witnessing this, many townspeople began to disperse in fear, casting peculiar glances at the young man they once knew.
William raised an eyebrow and considered that if so much time had passed without task notifications, perhaps Annie's fortune had yet to reveal the mission's information.
He reassured them, "Don't worry; inform me if any of you are injured, and I will help. Otherwise, if you're infected by this black blood, you'll become a dark creature, a monster driven solely by aggression."
Hunter hesitated but observed William's demeanor and realized he was not the type to deceive. He clenched his fist and pulled the young soldier closer, pleading with desperation, "Sir, please help him. He's still young, only 20 years old. He's exceptionally talented and has the potential to become a high-level Professional. Please don't let him perish."
The young man remained silent but, in response to this scene, bit his lip and tore open his chest's clothing, revealing a wound that exuded a chilling air.
A dark, canine-like bite mark had manifested on his chest. However, the wound was not red but black, and its expansion seemed to be accelerating, consuming nearly half of his chest.
A few moments later, the young man took a deep breath, and the wound rapidly healed, while the black blood gradually reverted to its original crimson hue.
Ignoring the townspeople's expressions of gratitude, William's primary aim was to earn enough favor through this act to receive more information about the mission. Thus, he continued, "Tell me, have any of you witnessed the monster?"
"No, the monster is incredibly fast, and we haven't been able to catch a glimpse of it," replied Hunter. "But from the footprints left behind, we deduce that it's a quadruped creature, not small in size. Each paw features four sharp claws. We don't understand why it hasn't attacked humans."
William was about to inquire further when the middle-aged woman who had earlier fled returned and asked, "Does this mean you won't charge us anything for your help?"
"Indeed, no payment is required. I seek justice and illumination…" William began.
Before he could finish his sentence, the middle-aged woman interjected once more, "Alright, enough talk. We accept your help."
The middle-aged woman shared more details about the situation: "After ARAT's return from hunting in the Western forest, he brought back the polar bear. It's a massive creature with pure white fur. However, the bear didn't survive its captivity; it perished."
"ARAT was determined to prove his strength, so he hunted down the polar bear once again. This time, he succeeded and returned to the town. However, strange things began to occur. Reindeer, hunting dogs, and even horses started dying mysteriously. At first, people believed they had succumbed to the cold, but when they bled, they discovered that their blood had turned black. Even more astonishingly, these dead animals came back to life, including the polar bear."
"ARAT claimed that he had stolen the bear from a monster, and it seems that the creature is now seeking revenge on the town."
As the middle-aged woman recounted the events, William's expression gradually changed. It seemed that this mission was unlike any other. It wasn't a mere curse; it was something far more sinister.
He began to suspect that this curse might be connected to a spatial overlap, an occurrence that would explain the presence of
the poisonous fog. Such an overlap typically transpired in the later stages of the game, and the records were clear on its devastating effects.
William pondered the situation, realizing that he couldn't take this mission lightly. It was time to send a message to The Blue Frost Empire and make arrangements to leave the area promptly, regardless of whether the locals wanted to cooperate or not. The danger appeared to be far greater than he had initially anticipated.