***
=+=
My watch, which I placed on the side table, vibrated with an annoying beep. I hated waking up early. I did in both worlds, but I could do nothing. I sighed, then went to take a shower in the bathroom. It might be my last shower. Who knows?
I stretched out a little, gathering some clothes first. While under the warm water, I started to think. I reviewed all my decisions since I came into this world. I realized I had used my time poorly. Should I have turned into a protagonist and trained hard from day one?
Would that make a difference anyway? I got out of the bathroom after 20 minutes. I wanted to spend more time since it might be my last, but the constant knocking on the door from five minutes ago was starting to bother me.
I agreed with Loana to leave at seven o'clock. She offered me, with 'good' intentions, that I move using a portal, and I did not refuse. The person from yesterday, the shadow, is probably waiting for me now.
As I expected, I saw him when I opened the door. He came early. Are they so eager for my death?I noticed his emotionless eyes staring into my soul, and the items I requested were in his hand.
Storage ring and Mana Stone. Using the storage ring required a minimal amount of mana, but I wasn't lucky enough to have that. So, I will rely on this mana stone, which is also engraved into a ring.
I put the two rings on the same finger and ensured they were connected. This way, I will be able to remove anything quickly.
"The items you requested are available; you can check-"
"There is no need." I interrupted the shadow; I didn't have to worry about being scammed right now since We signed a contract. No one can survive breaking a soul contract, no one. This rule was currently in my favor.
The shadow took me to the gates room at the far end of the palace.
"Mountain of fog, which section?" The shadow looked at me, and I didn't hesitate.
"On the opposite side of the goblins' domain. I'd prefer you get me as close to the north of the mountain as possible."I thought about it a lot before I went to sleep. Undoubtedly, the north is the best and most accessible area to pass.
The next few minutes passed very slowly. I was nervous, and my irregular breathing clearly showed that.
"You can come in."
The shadow spoke in the same emotionless tone, but his eyes were filled with killing intent. If I don't go in now, he'll have the right to kill me. I sighed and walked towards the gate at a steady pace.
"There is a map in the ring. If you exit the mountain successfully, it will lead you to the nearest human city."
That was the last thing I heard before the magical waves of the portal swallowed me.
***
=+=
Portals are said to affect those who use them the first few times negatively, and that theory has now been confirmed. I looked at the ground, where I vomited for a few minutes, and I couldn't help but feel a little disgusted.
"I still haven't had breakfast and don't remember eating dinner yesterday. So, where the heck did this come from?" I took a deep breath and pushed all unnecessary thoughts to the back of my mind. Focusing on the ring in my hand, I took out some food.
I asked the shadow to pack a lot of meat and vegetables, firewood, and tools to start a fire. I'm still on the mountain's edge, and there aren't many dangers, so I decided to eat something now. I was careful not to overeat since running with a full stomach was equivalent to death in such a place.
I wasn't planning on fighting anyway, so all I'll do is run and run and some more running. I looked at my bracelet. The mountain creatures return to their normal state at seven a.m. and go wild at midnight.
After checking the clock several times, I finally decided to go in. I grabbed the
—--
Name: Pendant of Certainty
Rating: F+
Type: Accessory
Description: The gem in this bracelet glows if it senses danger near the user. The higher the light, the greater the threat.
—-----
I put it on my neck and made sure it was stable. Then I took out
.—-----
Name: Lantern of the North
Rating: G-Type: Accessory
Description: The lamp glows blue when the user faces north.
—-----
I looked at the mountain in front of me. To be more precise, I looked at the fog in front of me...Due to the intensity of the fog, the mountain was not even clear... its total area was the size of a western city, and the fact that this fog completely covered it sent shivers all over my body.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the fog.
=+=
I must pass six trials to obtain the martial art, and Mist was the first. To pass this task, a person must achieve mental clarity and overcome the illusion of this fog. Whoever fails will wander in the fog forever, going in circles until they die at a random spot, either by suicide or by monsters.
Of course, I tell mental clarity to go to hell;
Well, I just stole Darian's chance without remorse. It's not like he would have used it for anything good anyway. He will soon get the best martial art in terms of attack.
Amid my thoughts, the red lights of the
****
Starhold Palace… A man in his twenties appeared atop the palace, a common landing site for helicopters. He descended from the sky like a meteor, landing squarely on his feet. His anger was palpable as he glared at the nearby elevator.
"How dare you!"
The man moved quickly, breaking the sound barrier, and appeared in front of the middle-aged woman, separated by a few centimeters.
"What are you talking about?" Loana shook her head as if she was clueless, knowing precisely what the man was saying.
"Why did you resort to such cheap tricks? Couldn't you do it legally!" The man spat everywhere while screaming. He was angry, that's for sure.
Loana raised her hand and spoke with the Same tone.
"He did it himself." Seeing her hand raised, dozens of shadows appeared around them. Each one released extreme pressure, forcing the man to calm down. Before he could speak, Loana preceded him.
"Like I said, he did it himself." A copy of the contract appeared in her hand, and she didn't hesitate to show it.
"Is this real?" The denial was explicit on the man's face. Who wouldn't in this situation?
"As I told you, Alios, everything happened as he desired. Please calm down and refrain from any unnecessary actions." Alios gritted his teeth, wondering what trick Loana had used this time.
"Explain from the beginning."
"That's exactly what I intend to do."
***
=+=
The situation is terrible! Very terrible! I tried to look back, only to be punched hard in the face, causing me to run faster. Dozens of children made of stone chased me. These were the protectors of the mountain's first layer.
They have bulletproof skin. Their blows are capable of shattering bones. That hit still hurts badly. I was careful not to lose
I can't run any longer...
"Finally!" I screamed out loud when I saw a tall tree. I climbed on it as if my life depended on it. Well, it did. Stone children cannot climb due to their weight and relatively weak grip. I felt safe, but it seemed that I underestimated the danger of this mountain...The stone children jumped on each other's shoulders, gradually climbing over each other until they were almost as tall as the tree.
Well, that's bad...?I sighed as I pulled out a black cylinder with a skull drawn from the storage ring. I burned the end of the dangling string with a lighter and threw it away without the slightest hesitation.
My body started transforming a while ago. {Monster Form}.
My monster form has no combat advantages but helps me use 100% of my physical strength. Before the bomb exploded, I jumped with all the strength my feet could muster, the hope of escaping them already filling my mind.
'stupid…' When I felt a hand holding my hair, I suddenly thought I had forgotten all about my long hair...I returned the lantern to the storage ring and clasped my hands around my head. I wasn't afraid of the monsters; damn, they are the least of my worries now...
A fiery explosion covered the entire area, and I couldn't escape it...With the last drop of consciousness, I stuffed a full potion into my mouth. I hope I don't die.
—--
'This is bad…' I muttered while looking at the fog above me. The sky was unclear due to the fog; my right looked like my left, and my left looked like my right. The bottom is like the top; everything is the same.
I started to regret drinking the potion as the flames competed with the potion in a high-octane tournament. What's worse is that the potion kept me awake.
'I will shave my entire head if I survive this; I will become bald!'
I hated everything: my inexperience and stupidity. I'm not in a fucking game! I'm in hell right now! I realized one of my mistakes only half an hour after entering this mountain... I still treat everything as if it were a game.
'Is this snow?' I raised my hand, barely moving. The climate here changes several times a day—winter and spring pass in the beginning, then summer and fall. When fall sets in, it becomes a living hell; even people standing on top of the world can forget about getting out unscathed.
Wait...red light! Fortunately for me, the
I immediately realized what was happening. Snow… red light? I grabbed the
At four meters tall, with eyes as blue as snow, I could guess his white fur was soft just by looking. Mythical creature, the snowy yeti…A blind creature that can only see red and blue, its supernatural hearing compensates for its poor eyesight.
A snowstorm follows this creature wherever it goes. It seems that the mountain winter has not yet begun. It is just the yeti. I didn't breathe, I didn't move, I didn't blink. I just looked at him. The motherfucker did not move for ten whole minutes. I would've already blinked if I didn't use {Monster Form}.
The yeti saw the flames, heard the explosion, and came running to search for a prey. Unfortunately, the
Indeed, my body has far exceeded that of ordinary humans, but I am still a human. Ten minutes of holding my breath was the maximum, especially since I hadn't developed this side of myself before...
The yeti slowly raised its foot, ready to crush my head, turning it into a bloody pulp. However, it seems that I am destined not to die... not yet, at least...One of the stone children emerged from among the corpses of his brothers. It seems like it was lucky enough to survive the explosion.
Although they did not appear so, the Children of Stone were not just statues; they were as intelligent as ordinary children and had real emotions. It's just that their desire to kill forces them to move as it dictates.
The stone child unleashed a rock of rage and oppression, and by doing so, he saved me. The yeti lowered his foot and slowly walked towards his new prey. I took advantage of that moment to run towards the
My wounds still hurt, badly hurt, but there's no other choice. I took out another potion and stuffed it into my mouth. This was the best I could do. The effects of the potion began to appear on my body. Unfortunately, I can't drink another one despite my huge supply.
Otherwise, I'll risk increasing my immunity to potions. The traces of snow began to disappear after a quarter of an hour of running. I exhaled, and my fears of the Yeti went away with it. I can relax a little here...These were my thoughts one second before my left foot completely disappeared.
For the sake of God...
I was overcome with pain that I could not imagine before.