Twenty minutes passed since everyone started to ready themselves for the trailblazing expedition. I stood now dressed in a thick black jacket with an equally thick white shirt underneath, complete with black gloves. Basically, my entire attire was made to combat the cold. Some would criticize my bland choice of colors, especially March, as I saw her eyeing me like she was displeased and questioning my choice of clothes. In response, I just shrugged and showed I had no care whatsoever. I knew damn well that planet was gonna be cold as fuck.
Speaking of cold...
"March, Stelle, aren't you guys gonna wear something more... I don't know, more fitting in a literal ice planet?" I pointed out, especially eyeing their exposed legs for only a moment until I leveled up to meet their gaze to avoid any misunderstanding that I was a pervert.
March raised a brow. "Says you, who looks like you're going to a funeral. Even Dan Heng is more stylish than you, and that's saying a lot."
My eyebrows twitched at her statement, but I maintained a calm, collected look as I retorted, "At least I'm fully prepared for the cold." That reminds me, do they have heat packs here?
"Well, at least I have more fashion sense," March argued back with a glare.
"I don't think that's gonna help the cold," I gave her a deadpan glance.
March sighed as she placed her hands on her hips. "Geez, can you not be a party pooper for once?"
"I'm not," I snorted.
"Yes, you are!"
"Not."
"Yes."
"Not."
"Yes."
"Not."
"Yes."
"Not."
"Not."
"Yes." I blinked after realizing my mistake. Goddamn it, I fell for it the second time.
While March and I continued to throw comments at each other, Stelle, on the other hand, began to say something, to which I redirected my attention towards her. March did as well, as we were both curious about what she was about to say but paused after one word, looking unsure what to say. "I..." Then her face took a determined look. "I can do it," she proclaimed while curling both her hands into fists.
I stared at her for a moment. "What exactly?" I asked.
Stelle smiled and was about to explain, but I cut her off.
"Never mind. It's better if I don't know," I replied. I saw her shoulders slump as her smile faded as quickly as it appeared.
I took a side glance to see Dan Heng staying silent.
"If you want to say something, say it," he said, without bothering to open his eyes.
"Still mad at me?"
His right eye shot open. "Who says I'm mad?"
"You are mad."
His face grew puzzled for a moment before he let out a small sigh. "If this is an attempt to annoy me, then it's working."
I chuckled. "Glad to hear it." Shifting the conversation, I asked again, "Himeko mentioned you were gathering data or something?"
Dan Heng's face turned thoughtful before speaking. "I went through the data in the Express database, and it seems the environment on Jarilo VI has undergone drastic changes in the past few centuries. It wasn't frozen to begin with."
"So you're saying they're experiencing an ice age?"
Dan Heng nodded. "That's one way to put it, but it's mostly because of a Stellaron rather than a natural occurrence, considering the spatial obstacles that the star rail has encountered. I've conducted a preliminary survey and found that there's one area with relatively normal temperatures on the surface of the planet."
"A civilization?" I asked, feeling skeptical. Seeing the world was basically on ice, shouldn't humanity be wiped out? Though, considering if this was a highly advanced civilization, there might be other possibilities that they would survive.
"Very likely. The temperature is just about enough to consider humanity's survival," Dan Heng nodded.
"What do you think our objective is in this?" I questioned.
"Find the Stellaron and dispel its effects."
"How long would that take?"
"If we go by past experiences, it could take anywhere from days to months."
I whistled. "How long was your last one?"
"A month," he replied without missing a beat.
"....."
"If we encounter some deadly situations and get tangled up in some unnecessary stuff, then probably a lot longer."
"I think you've probably jinxed us." I laughed, yet that laugh showed no happiness, more like it acted as a coping mechanism. Seeing they were protagonists, trouble was bound in some way or the other, and I just happened to be in the way. I proceeded to pat him on the back and could feel his piercing gaze on me. "Come on, let's see what March and Stelle are talking about over there."
Dan Heng sighed. "We should be going soon."
I heard his footsteps behind me. I sighed as well. "...That too."
We eventually made our way towards the two of them. As we got close enough, I could hear some bits of their conversation.
"We won't know unless we have a look ourselves," Stelle was talking.
"To be honest, I'd be kind of annoyed if I found out that was my homeworld. It looks freezing, and pretty girls aren't frost-resistant."
When I heard that, I couldn't find a better way to intercept their conversation. "Pretty girls? Where?" I said loud enough for them to hear. I turned my head around, and when I looked back at them again, I saw an annoyed expression on March while Stelle remained expressionless.
"Funny," March rolled her eyes at me. "Anyways, you two are just in time. We should really decide when to take off."
"About now," Dan Heng said.
"Great! The sooner, the better!"
"So how exactly are we going in there?" I asked.
"A shuttle, duh," March replied.
I blinked. "A shuttle?"
"Of course," March said. "How else were you planning to get down to the freezing planet, by walking?"
"I don't know, can you?"
"..."
+++++====+++++
Yeah, I really regretted using the shuttle. Even in my past life, I wasn't good with boats or ships. The motion of going up and down in waves always upsets my stomach in every way possible, and apparently, my body didn't care that shuttles were supposed to be different from boats. I mean, it can fly, right? As soon as we lifted off from the Express and headed towards Jarilo-VI, my insides began to twist immediately. Dan Heng did warn that those who are new to shuttles may experience nausea. Guess he was right after all. Before long, my face had turned an unfortunate shade of green. I could feel myself holding back the snack I had just eaten before the flight. I really shouldn't have eaten that.
Stelle quickly took notice of my situation and tried to help by rubbing my back while also humming in a soft tone, but it didn't do much. It honestly felt like it lasted an eternity, and by the time we touched down and the doors opened, I bolted out and immediately threw up beside the shuttle. Not caring anymore.
"Ew! Couldn't you have done that farther from the shuttle?" March's voice rang out in disgust, her face scrunched up as she watched me empty my stomach. Like I said before, I don't care.
I didn't answer, still feeling the effects of the motion sickness going through my head. Instead, I turned toward Stelle, pointing at her accusingly. "How are you fine?" Could she have experience in using shuttles? That could explain it.
She simply shrugged. "It wasn't that bad."
I let out a bitter chuckle, straightening myself up. "Wasn't that bad, huh?" Bullshit.
My eyes scanned the landscape; it was a desolate stretch of snow as far as the eye could see. Nothing worthy to note up ahead. I frowned. "So, where exactly are we?" I turned to the most attentive and probably the brightest among the four of us with a questioning look.
"We're apparently kilometers away from the nearest civilization," Dan Heng answered, pulling out something from his pocket. It was a small, triangular device that opened up a small circular hologram of the planet. He zoomed in, and four dots could be seen, which I assumed to be us.
"If my calculations are correct, then we should arrive there in an hour at most."
"....."
"You really landed us that far? Couldn't we just, you know, land at the destination instead of a snow wasteland?"
Dan Heng sighed as he crossed his arms. "Well, if it weren't for that Taikiyan stadium accident." He shot a pointed look at March at that last bit of pause. March appeared to flinch at that mention.
"Uhm, Dan Heng—why don't we—"
"March here," Dan Heng continued, ignoring her protest as the girl in question shook his arm, but that didn't prevent him from speaking more, "managed to crash the shuttle into a stadium during a previous mission. Thankfully, no one was injured."
I opened my mouth. "For some reason, I could see that happening."
"Hey! I'm not a bad driver! Stop saying that I am bad, Dan Heng, you know it was all an accident," March cried out with a tinge of red on her cheek. Pretty sure she was embarrassed by that information. "Let's just say that landing and crowds don't mix well together, hahaha." Her laugh seemed forced.
"Unless you enjoy two weeks of community service."
"I said drop it," March pouted at Dan Heng, who appeared indifferent.
"Don't worry, March." I flashed her a smile.
March looked at me suspiciously."...Are you even trying to be reassuring?"
"..." I was being sincere! Well, whatever.
I coughed. "Anyways, what about you, Stelle? What can you say about our dear Miss Accident here?"
"Hey!"
Stelle thought about it for a moment before saying, "I believe everybody has a chance to improve."
I stared at her in shock. Well, I certainly didn't expect that answer from her. Where was the Stelle that I knew? Could it be that we brought an imposter?
March's face lit up as she immediately wrapped Stelle in a tight hug. "Muuu, I knew I could count on you, bestie!"
Stelle tried to push March away but to no avail, as her efforts only resulted in March squeezing her tighter, much to her panic. Seeing that, she turned to me with a pleading look as if saying, 'Help me.'
I just shook my head and gave her a look of pity as I started walking away, following after the already fleeting Xianxia boy. You dug your own grave, Stelle, dug your own grave.
+++=====++++
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to nearly an hour. Well, 40-ish minutes, but it felt longer as we trudged through the snow, much to some difficulties in the way.
"We're almost there. Judging from the coordinates, it should be up ahead," Dan Heng announced as we navigated through a wide gap between two large rocky walls.
"Achoo!"
"Are you okay, Ethan? You don't look so good," March asked, glancing at me with concern.
"I'm—ACHOO!—fine," I rubbed the snot from my nose. Despite wearing thick clothes to combat the cold, it was like I wasn't wearing them at all. Yet looking at the three of them, they appeared fine without any trouble, like the cold didn't faze them at all. I couldn't help but furrow my brows at this, not minding that my eyelashes were basically frozen solid right now. "That said, how are you guys fine?"
"It isn't that cold," Stelle pointed out.
"Not cold, my ass," I shot her a skeptical glance, barely managing to keep my teeth from chattering. I would believe that if I wasn't basically shivering like I was naked in Antarctica. Damn winter planet.
"Everyone, stay vigilant. We don't know enough about this world," Dan Heng reminded us as he led the group forward with his usual calm demeanor. A perfect leader material, to be honest.
"Aye aye, Captain—ACHOO!"
"You're too much of a worry cat, Dan Heng. Between the four of us, nothing will stand in our way. I have my six-phased ice powers, Stelle with her Stellaron, and Ethan with his…well, uhm, watch and you with your…uh, mysterious past and all." March's words trailed off, unsure of what to continue, and then she quickly changed the topic as she sharply turned her head at me. "Ethan, have you figured out how to use that watch of yours yet?"
"I have the idea, yeah."
"Great! Will you show it to us? Pretty please?"
"Uh, maybe later."
"Why not now?"
"It's cold—ACHOO!"
"How does it have anything to do with anything?!"
I ignored her and glanced at Dan Heng, who had come to a sudden stop. "What's the holdup?"
"Fragmentums. Despite the place not being corroded yet, they're still here. I fear the Stellaron may have a greater influence than I originally thought." Judging from the tone of his voice, the situation wasn't looking too good, yet we were only here, not even an hour had passed. At this point, I was not surprised anymore. I wouldn't even be surprised if there was a giant robot attacking us later on.
"Okay, you lost me at Fragmentum. What's that?" I asked, still behind him.
"Look ahead."
I did what I was told and peeked over him. In the distance, not so far ahead, I saw what looked like a bird, though larger than an average bird, but the strange thing was it was blue in color like it was made up of crystals. It wasn't as scary as I previously thought it would be.
"That's a Fragmentum?"
"Correct. It's a monster made out of Fragmentum, to be precise," Dan Heng affirmed with a nod.
"How dangerous are they?" I asked, eying the bird-looking Fragmentum with a curious look.
"Depends on their size and capabilities."
"So you're saying there are more, bigger, and different than that?"
Dan Heng's silence was enough confirmation. Great, what a great discovery.
"Ohhh, I got an idea. Why don't we let Ethan deal with this? Won't this be the best opportunity for us to let him showcase what his watch can do?" March suggested with a smile.
I stared at March with a contemplative look. She was right by any means. I haven't really tested out what my watch can do. Seeing the Fragmentum monster to be so small, it can't be that dangerous, right?
In the end, I nodded in agreement. "Alright."
"Yay!"
I took a deep breath, pulling my sleeves to allow my watch to be in full view. 'Let's see. Just do it like before,' I told myself as I turned the dial case and the lightning symbol appeared immediately. I took another intake of breath as I muttered, "Elemental Form Lightning."
"....." Nothing happened.
'Uhm, Jarvis, buddy?'
[Ethan will require a clear and loud activation call in order to confirm the Choice of Elemental]
'You want me to say it louder? Really?' I really don't want another bunch of people calling me a chuunibyou after seeing the process of how I transform. Ugh, the embarrassment.
"Are you doing okay over there, Ethan?"
"I'm fine, just thinking," I gave a sigh, pulling myself together. There was no avoiding it, so I might as well try. I cracked my neck and raised my wrist a tad higher as I shouted,
"Elemental Form Lightning!"
Then boom, a surge of electricity began to spread all over me. As it disappeared shortly after, my outfit changed just as I expected, with a few notable differences. The yellow part of the color was a lot more noticeable and appeared to stand out with a bigger lightning mark on my clothes. My gloves also received a change.
"Woah, what was that?!" March's excited voice reached my ears, which was shortly followed by Dan Heng.
"That was…unexpected."
"Cool," Stelle muttered.
"How's that? Pretty cool, right?" I wore a smug grin as I saw their surprised expressions. Without needing to hear their response, I turned to face the Fragmentum monster. Seeing I was in an open area, unlike in the Astral Express, I might test a few things out, especially on how versed I can manipulate lightning.
In doing so, I shot my palms forward and tried to redirect where the electricity was going in my mind. In an instant, a bolt of lightning shot from my hand, striking the Fragmentum with precision. It didn't stand a chance as it disintegrated almost instantly.
I blinked, tilting my head. Forget the surprise, I was disappointed by the outcome. I honestly thought it would require more than one attack, but it was down only with one? Did I let out too much strength? I began pondering if controlling how much power I could exert was possible.
"SO YOU CAN SHOOT ELECTRICITY NOW?!" That moment of thought quickly dispersed. I jumped in surprise as March's loud voice came closer behind me.
I turned to meet her excited gaze head-on and answered, "Yes and no. This watch allows me to turn into various elemental forms, not just lightning."
"Is that so…can you use all of them?" Dan Heng asked. Like the rest, he was curious.
"Uhm, well, about that...they are locked, and I can only use this form for now," I said, scratching the back of my head sheepishly. I caught a glimpse of Dan Heng's disappointed expression and saw Stelle inspecting me with a blank expression.
"You can change back, right?" Stelle asked, lifting her face.
"Yep," I nodded, and in doing so, I reverted back in a second.
Stelle's eyes widened as she stared at me in surprise.
"See?"
"That's pretty efficient and convenient," Dan Heng noted.
"Yeah!" March agreed with a nod.
"I know, right?" I agreed, nodding while also looking around. "So was that all of them?"
"I highly doubt it. There might be more up ahead," Dan Heng warned, lifting his face and looking towards a specific direction.
"....Say, can I call dibs?"
+++====++++
"He can be fast too?!"
"March, it's lightning."
"But…that's unfair!"
I proceeded to blitz my way toward the steep hill in my lightning elemental form. Seeing I was on top in just a span of two to three seconds, I reverted back to my original form and watched as they began walking up the hill. I patiently waited for them, humming a soft tone of my favorite song back on Earth until they finally arrived.
"Get that grin off your face, it's annoying," March grumbled, an annoyed expression plastered on her face. I'm pretty sure she was angry due to the fact that I arrived without any effort.
"Heh, sorry Grandma," I couldn't help but add a tiny bit of salt into the wound.
"Grrr," March growled at me as she sent me a glare.
"Enough, you two. There's something up ahead."
That got my attention. "Oh, another Fragmentum? Count me in."
In the past minutes, I had killed over four or six of those Fragmentum birds. There wasn't really much of a challenge to begin with, but it was enough to help me get used to my elemental form. Unlike before, I had much better control over my fast speed, which I called Lightning Blitz. Sounds cheesy, I know.
"I don't think it's a Fragmentum," Dan Heng replied, pointing to something up ahead. I narrowed my eyes in the distance and saw what appeared to be snow stacked atop each other, forming a small hill.
We walked towards it, and as we got closer, we heard a voice that was shivering in the cold. We shared a look amongst each other before March spoke out.
"Hey, get outta there, or you'll shiver to death."
"....." The shivering stopped.
"Holding your breath won't help."
"..." Another silence.
"I got this, March." Dan Heng stepped in. "If someone's got their head stuck in the sand, or the snow in this case, they just need a helping hand." He pulled out his spear and stabbed a part of the snow without any hesitation.
"Yeowch! My butt!"
From the snow, a man burst forth. He was tall, lean, light-skinned, and had dark blue hair. Also, he had a weird outfit altogether that I couldn't quite explain other than he was certainly fashionable. I expected him to be angry and look at us with fury in his eyes, but instead, he looked at us with a calm look.
"You didn't have to be that harsh, you know~." Never mind, it was not a calm look, but rather a look one would have when enjoying pain. What was that word? Masochist? "In fact, was that even necessary? Is crawling around in the snow a crime these days? I mean, come on, surely it doesn't warrant a spearing," the man said, pouting.
"You want to be electrocuted instead?" I asked, crossing my arms. I might have thought about that idea or two if Dan Heng decided not to intervene.
He looked at me, blinking in surprise. "Ohh~ aren't you a quirky one, but I'm pretty sure a death sentence is too much."
I raised a brow. "I didn't mean it that way—"
"Anyways! But then again, how can I blame you? I mean, I caught you off guard. It had to happen…you could even say I deserved it, huh? Besides, I've made a gallant group of new friends as a result." The man smiled while looking at us. I couldn't help but send him a questioning glance.
"When did we say we're friends—" I began but was interrupted for the second time, much to my annoyance.
"Ahem, is Captain Gepard around? H-He's an old friend of mine."
"Who?" March asked the man, who looked at her in surprise.
"Wait, you're not the Silvermane Guards? Well, why didn't you say so?" The man's cautious tone suddenly shifted to one of joy. "Turns out we're on the same side after all!"
Seeing him laugh suddenly confirmed one thing. "..." Yep, I don't trust this guy.
"So are you gonna introduce yourself?" I asked impatiently, narrowing my eyes at him.
The man looked at me and nodded. "My bad~ Ahem, A pleasure to meet you. The name's Sampo Koski."
"Sampo…I'm Dan Heng. This is March, Stelle, and Ethan," Dan Heng began introducing us one by one. March gave a cheerful wave, Stelle a short nod, and me with my…well, I'm not so much of a greeting type of person.
Sampo clapped cheerfully. "Excellent! I'll be sure to remember the names. I never thought I'd run into friends of the same line of work out here in this frozen wasteland."
"Wait, what do you mean by work—"
"Sigh, business is bad these days, but fear not, Sampo Koski isn't interested in hoarding. There's enough treasure to go around, so let's get rich together, hahaha."
I sent him another annoyed look and decided not to speak. I felt like he was doing it on purpose just to annoy me. Much to my expectations, he spoke yet again.
"Say, why don't we join forces? I have reliable intel that the main strength of the Silvermane Guards is being deployed in the front line. This is a golden opportunity, don't you see it?"
"...."
"What business are you talking about?" Stelle was the one who voiced out this question. I backed it up.
"That's right. How can we know to trust you? What if you're some thief on the run?"
"Come now, friends. I can understand the mistrust, but there's no need for the charade. Then again, I know the rules. Vigilance is the name of the game in our profession. It's my fault for letting my enthusiasm and sincerity get the better of me," Sampo said somewhat in a somber tone. "Anyway, a meeting like this has to have been written in the stars. Ask me anything you like—I won't skimp on the details. Still, make it snappy; you're never more than ten feet from a Silvermane Guard."
"I have a question," Stelle raised her hand.
"Of course, Miss Beautiful, ask away."
"Who are these Silvermane Guards?"
Sampo blinked in surprise. "You really don't know? All of you?" We shook our heads. Sampo appeared convinced and began to explain. "The Silvermane Guards are Belobog's soldiers, enforcers, and police. Let's just say they're not the most flexible people…and they like paying visits to folks in our time of work."
Everything that came out of the guy's mouth was confusing as hell. It was not just me; everyone looked at him strangely. Words were deemed unnecessary as he was quick to update based on our expressions. He sighed. "Seems like you really are new to this business. To be young and naive again, ignorance is sure a bliss." He sighed, shaking his head. "As a senior in the field, which I'm sure you don't mind, I'll give you some guidance, which, of course, is free of charge."
"I'll pass," I said right into his face after seeing him winking. For a grown-ass man, he sure is childish.
"Rejecting me that early? Come on, friend, don't be like that." He pressed on, leaning his face closer to mine.
I wasn't afraid to show my disgust as I furrowed my brows. "Why don't you just take us to the city then? It'll be better than any guidance you will offer."
Sampo took an offended look. "Oh my, aren't you good with words? I'm starting to like you already." He smiled playfully, giving me another wink, which I cringed back from. "The city, you say? Hmm, already? I haven't even started trading yet. But showing you the way is easy enough, buuuut it would cost—"
Sampo paused for a moment as if his eyes caught something dangerous. I really didn't need to guess who he saw to get that frightful.
"B-But it would be my pleasure! Kindness is, after all, Sampo's middle name. Follow me, friends, and keep quiet. We don't want to get spotted by the Guards." Sampo laughed as he took the lead forward.
"Are we really sure we can trust this guy?" I asked Dan Heng, still staring at the blue-haired guy. Everything about him just screamed red flags to me, and I hate red flags. They can either cause death or bad luck.
"If there's a better option, I would have taken it. So far he's the only person who is quite reliable for giving information about this world," Dan Heng replied, judging from his face. I don't think he trusts this guy either.
"That is true."
"I can hear you guys, you know~"
I sighed as we began following him.
"So why are you hiding from the Silvermane Guards?" March proceeded to ask Sampo.
"Uhh, I was just storing a few relics away from prying eyes, nothing serious. If it weren't for the uncompromising nature of our civil service, there'd be no need for secrecy," Sampo replied.
"So you are a criminal?" I questioned warily.
"Criminal? Me? Such awful words for a good-natured person like me. I would never! I tell you, never!"
"Yeah, that's bullshit—"
"Ethan, language!"
"...."
"But that's enough from me. What about you guys? Where are you from? I don't
mean to pry or anything. I just care about my friends! No pressure…"
"We're—" March began to say.
"Wait!" Sampo suddenly interrupted, pointing his finger at March, who jumped in surprise at that sudden action. "I changed my mind! Solving puzzles is also the name of my game, so it would really ruin the fun if you spoil it, you guys understand that, right?" He placed his hand below his chin. "How about this? Since we're a bit far away from our location, why don't I share some tips and tricks from your dear old friend Sampo."
"Do we really have to?" I asked with a sigh. Dan Heng appeared to agree with me on this one. For Stelle, I couldn't really tell with her blank expression most of the time.
"Come on, it's better than having silence on the way, don't you agree with me, pink-haired girl?"
"Yeah!" March agreed.
Damn it, March.
I rolled my eyes, seeing Sampo begin to talk about his so-called tips and tricks with an eager March. I felt like this was gonna be a long and tiring walk.