"Hoh up we go a 30km climb nothing much".
And then he started doing up the snow covered mountain with ice axes in hand, the start was good as slope was not high with a great view and a lot of energy to go but it all started to become difficult as higher up the mountain he got.
Sometimes the slope become soo high he had to climb using ropes and ice axes, sometimes the paths were too narrow to walk with deep cliffs just a misstep away that will take you to the underworld directly, the path to the lake was a challenge itself but it become a nightmare as a blizzard hit him.
'Fuck I was so close to reaching the top just 3 more kilometers'
He lamented as he started searching for a cave to wait till the blizzard end, fortunately he found a small cave with narrow entrance near him, it was more of a crack in the giant rocks than cave but beggars can't be choosers.
'This is just the right size for me, if I was a bit bigger it wouldn't fit'
As he entered the cave he lit a small fire and roasted dried food he came with, while eating he thought of the words the principal said as he lost consciousness at that time
'We don't have much time left to save everything'
"How did he know about the end" was all he could think about as never in the novel it was mentioned that principal Arthur knew about the end of the world in the future.
'Even if this world is the one in the novel there are some difference, but even through many regressions one cannot know everything about the world 'Oliver dismissed his doubts like that and falls asleep after eating.
Sleeping in middle of mountain with no around like that in a world filled with dangers may seem stupid but Oliver was so carefree because in these there are no monsters because of the presence of a higher being here that is the dark dragon egg.
After sleeping for hours and waiting for blizzard to calm down Oliver resumed his journey to the lake called 'mansarovar' lake as the sun was stating to set he finally reached the lake.
It was so beautiful that it was difficult to explain in words, the lake looked like a simmering crystal with setting sun leaving a trail of orange in the lakes blue and emerald surface making a painting on the surface of the lake.
Oliver was lost in the beautiful scenery of the lake and sunset, after a moment he used his watch to click photos of the view as he know he won't see this kind of beauty any soon.
After admiring the lake's beauty Oliver prepared for his mission, he first stripped to underwear, did some stretches than walked in the freezing cold lake following trail left by the setting sun, slowly was began to reach his knees, then lungs, shoulder,head until he was completely submerged in the water but he didn't stop walking, slowly following the path left by the sunlight till it become dark underwater with no visibility just walking on the bed of the lake in straight line.
Suddenly Oliver sensed something change and as he opened his eyes he was not in the lake anymore but in a grassland with nothing except grass as far as eyes can see, he rejoiced as he reached the destination when fog started to fill the lands, grayness completely took over the scenery as everything was covered in gray fog, Oliver again started walking in no particular direction as the gray fog swallowed him completely.
Opening his again Oliver found himself on a dinning table with two other eating while talking and laughing.
"Come on Oliver tell us about you meeting how did it go?" asked a female voice in a caring tone.
"Yeah tell me if those big investors belittle you I will talk to them" said Raj smiling ear to ear.
"Don't do that he finally got his moment let him speak, today is celebrate his successful meeting" chided Jessica as she served delicious food.
Oliver was left stunned as he saw it all, the dining table was the same even the smell of the home was the same, the delicious food made by Raj, Jessica smiling at him and Raj making fun of him everything looked so real, feels so real that he wanted to believe it was real, he never left his world, the meeting was a success and he was celebrating his success with his brother and sister he wanted it all to be real so much but he knew where he was and what this was.
He was still in the fog just standing as if his soul had left his body staring aimlessly somewhere in the fog, it was all in Oliver's mind the dinner, the laughter, everything he so wholeheartedly desired was given to him in form of an illusion, in which he can live his dream endlessly until his body can no longer sustain and he dies.
Oliver slowly got up from his seat and walked towards the door his steps were very slow, he felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders as he slowly drew close to the door.
"Where are you Oliver its you celebration" asked Jessica as she looked at Oliver smiling, looking at her smiling figure his heart ached as he stopped at door to look at them one last time.
"I am going to return, I promise, no matter how far I am, no matter what's stopping me, I will come here one day and then we will celebrate for real" with tears streaming down his face and a smile on his lips he finally said goodbye to them and walked out of the door.
The outside looked dark devoid of any sign of light or life just a completely dark place where aside from the surface he was standing on nothing could be seen or felt, the only way to get to the egg from here is to have the mana guide you, the mana surrounding the egg judges you for any sort of demonic energy or spirit energy if finds you harmful you will never find the egg, even if it finds nothing on you it will lead you around in circles until you lose the will to find the egg only by overcoming the mana here by sheer willpower will one be able to find the egg.
Oliver tries to calm down his emotional state and starts to feel the surrounding mana as he slowly walks forwards and soon he finds a black orb floating in the middle of nowhere.