At noon, Grandmaster Varka led the team into Dragonspine Mountain, while Lisa stayed behind at the base camp to assist if needed.
As they entered the mountain, the cold hit them immediately.
The first group of adventurers who had lost contact had already entered the mountain several days ago. If there hadn't been any natural disasters or attacks by powerful monsters, they should still be somewhere in the mountain without any immediate danger to their lives.
Adventurers, in this kind of environment, are usually well-prepared. They typically carry several days' worth of food, water, and heating devices, so surviving for a few days shouldn't be an issue. But time is of the essence now.
The key question was: what caused the loss of communication, and why couldn't these people come down from the mountain?
Although they had already gotten some idea of where the adventurers might have gone, the wind and snow had long since covered their tracks, making it difficult to locate them.
The snowstorm began to pick up.
Such snowstorms were not rare in Dragonspine, but this one felt different—more unsettling.
The cold wind and the falling snow hit their faces, and Yuxie surveyed their surroundings.
Although he had come to the mountain a few times with Eula before, this was his first time venturing so deep into Dragonspine.
"Everyone, stay close and don't fall behind!" Grandmaster Varka shouted from the front. "According to the plan, we'll head to the Starglow Cavern first."
The biting cold wind was relentless, and before them stretched an endless white landscape.
The entire team moved through the white expanse, leaving behind a trail of footprints that was soon buried by the wind and snow.
"Captain, this weather is really strange. The snowstorm on Dragonspine hasn't been this intense in years!" one of the knights shouted.
"If it weren't strange, the previous teams wouldn't have lost contact," Varka responded. "Stay sharp, and no one should fall behind!"
"Understood!" the knights replied in unison.
With Varka in command, all the knights felt confident.
For the Knights of Favonius, Grandmaster Varka was the backbone of the team. Although he was sometimes carefree and difficult to read, everyone trusted that when it counted, Varka would not let them down.
The snowstorm continued to intensify, the visibility dropping further, and the sky grew darker.
Braving the harsh conditions, the team drew closer to the Starglow Cavern.
In such weather, the cavern was an ideal refuge from the wind and cold, and it was a place many adventurers made a point to visit when coming to Dragonspine.
The scenery inside the cavern was breathtaking, and many came to the mountain specifically to witness its beauty.
"Wait, do you hear something strange?" one of the knights suddenly asked.
The howling winds masked most of the sounds, and most people shook their heads.
"My hearing has always been excellent. The doctor said my hearing is several times better than normal. I definitely heard it. It's a rumbling sound..." The knight's face grew pale.
Yuxie calmed himself and perked up his ears to listen.
Indeed, as the knight had said, the rumbling sound grew louder and louder, as if some massive creature was moving quickly.
Those who didn't have good hearing still couldn't detect the noise, but those with sharper senses—including Varka, Jean, Kaeya, Amber, and Eula—all had their faces change in an instant.
"A landslide! It's a landslide! Find shelter, quickly!" Varka roared.
A massive wave of snow slid down from the mountain like a tidal wave, and everyone quickly moved into action, but it was still too slow. The landslide was faster than they had anticipated.
As the snow came crashing down, there seemed to be no escape. Varka drew his sword with determination.
Yuxie also unsheathed his blade, Cloud Cutter, in an instant.
The white blade and the white wave collided, cutting through the air with a loud whistle. The collapsing snow was split in two, and even the wind was cut open.
The landslide came to a halt. No one was swept away by the snow.
[Skill: Asura Flash (Rare Level)]
The time spent training wasn't enough. Yuxie's Asura Flash was still at a relatively low level, and the strike that split the avalanche had drained much of his stamina.
Varka wasn't in much better shape. He leaned on his sword, breathing heavily.
"Captain! Yuxie!"
The Knights of Favonius rushed to their sides.
Eula quickly supported Yuxie, her expression full of concern.
"How are you?" she asked.
"I'm fine. I didn't expect to run into something like this so soon after entering the mountain," Yuxie said, adjusting his breathing.
"Yuxie, thank you so much," Varka said, coming over with Kaeya's help.
"No need for thanks. Let's keep moving. The people trapped up here can't wait much longer," Yuxie replied with a smile.
"You're right. Let's continue!" Varka ordered.
"Wait, Captain, look over there..." Jean suddenly pointed to a spot, her pupils shaking slightly.
The group followed her gaze, their expressions changing.
In the snow, a hand was sticking out. The sleeve on the hand was green, suggesting it belonged to someone from the Adventurers' Guild.
The knights immediately rushed over, digging through the snow.
An adventurer had been buried by the avalanche, likely swept down by the earlier landslide.
"There's no pulse," one of the knights checked the adventurer's vital signs. "The body's already stiff... they've probably been dead for a while..."
The news silenced everyone.
The situation was worse than they had imagined.
At that moment, no one knew if the others trapped on the mountain were on the brink of death themselves. They had to find them quickly.
"I know this adventurer. We had a few drinks together at the tavern before... I never expected..." One of the knights said, his expression solemn.
"The corpse is strange, it's unsettling," Kaeya said, stroking his chin as he frowned.
Just as Kaeya had said, there was something unusual about the adventurer's body. His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the exposed skin was incredibly dry, not typical of someone who had died from the extreme cold of the snow mountain.
"It's as if... his life was sucked out," Amber suddenly said.
Amber's words were apt. The adventurer looked as though something had drained the life from him, leaving nothing but an empty shell.
"It seems that the situation on the snow mountain is more complicated than we thought," Varka said. "Everyone, we must hurry!"
After temporarily securing the adventurer's body, the group set off again.
Yuxie looked up at the mountaintop. The snowstorm obscured his vision, and he could only vaguely make out the blurry summit.
In the midst of this hazy scene, Yuxie suddenly thought he saw a figure standing at the peak.
He immediately became alert.
But before he could warn the others, the figure disappeared.
At the same time, the wind and snow suddenly intensified.
The chaotic wind blew in all directions, and the icy gusts seemed to carry tiny blades with them.
"Everyone, be careful! There's someone on the mountaintop!" Yuxie shouted loudly.
Visibility dropped sharply, and Yuxie's voice was scattered by the wind.
Then, in the next instant, the storm stopped abruptly, without warning.
Yuxie paused, scanning his surroundings.
Everyone was gone. He was the only one left.
Above him, a massive skeleton spanned between two mountains.
"This is... Wyrmrest Valley?"
End of chapter
I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to those who support me on this journey. Your contributions make a real difference!
As a Patron, you unlock:
Exclusive access : Get 270+ advanced chapters ahead of everyone else
Exclusive shout-out : Receive a special shout-out every chapter as a thank you for your support!
Your support not only fuels my creativity but also helps me grow on this community. If you're not a paetron yet, consider joining us.
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz