Chapter 55 – Karahan (1)

The entrance to the Karahan Mountains was surprisingly well-maintained, more like a peaceful hiking trail than the foreboding path I’d imagined. Food stalls and small shops selling equipment lined both sides of the road, their delicious aromas wafting through the air.

It looked just like the scenes I’d seen in the game. I’d thought those designs were purely for player convenience, but seeing them in real life felt strangely surreal.

The road was filled with determined adventurers heading towards Karahan. Judging by their conversations, they were taking on lucrative quests. Their equipment looked decent, but their skills… well, they seemed mediocre at best. Had my standards gotten too high?

Some adventurers were also staggering out of the mountains, exhausted but smiling as they headed towards Ursphere. What caught my attention most was how many of them were carrying greatswords! I hadn’t seen any greatsword users in Roholon, but here, they were everywhere.

“Uh, sis… Is this what it’s usually like?” Hephaestus asked, looking a bit taken aback.

“It feels more like a tourist spot, right?” Rubia chuckled softly.

“Yeah… It’s so peaceful.”

“It has to be. About 90% of the adventurers in the city are here for Karahan. For the locals, it’s a source of income. Of course, the further up the mountain you go, the less you’ll see of this,” Rubia explained, glancing around before turning her gaze back to me. “Noah, do you want to buy some snacks?”

“Snacks?”

“Yeah, something to munch on as we start the climb.”

Rubia pointed to a stall selling candied fruits and various kinds of jelly. Normally, I’d have nodded enthusiastically, but…

“Hmm…” I ran my fingers over the shard embedded in my greatsword. I was eager to try it out, but I wasn’t sure what kind of side effects or maintenance it would require. In the game, using shards just triggered status effects, so I never worried much. But now that this was reality, I had no idea what might happen…

I did want some jelly, though.

“No, I’ll pass.”

Hephaestus’s jaw dropped, and Rubia quickly approached me with a deeply concerned look on her face.

“Noah.” She placed her hand on my forehead, and a warm energy washed over my entire body. “There’s nothing wrong with you physically… Are you worried about something?”

“Worried…?” What is she talking about?

“Noah, are you feeling really sick?” Hephaestus asked, clasping my hands tightly in hers.

“I’m fine… What are you talking about…?”

Rubia and Hephaestus’s expressions were filled with concern.

“Noah… Tyrant is still sealed. It’s been that way for over 30 years. There’s no need to worry so much,” Rubia said in a soothing tone.

“I-I’m not worried… well, maybe a little…” Of course, it’s impossible not to worry. Even if the seal was strong, it wasn’t like Tyrant was dead. And in the game… the seal had been broken before.

“Anyway… it’s not that, so I don’t need any jelly.”

I quickly turned away, pulling on Rubia and Hephaestus’s hands to start walking again. They resisted for a moment, but with a little more force, I managed to drag them along.

“Noah…?”

“And besides, I’ve made up my mind! I’m going to abstain from jelly for a while.”

Rubia sighed quietly and followed along, while Hephaestus fumbled with something in her pocket.

“I already bought some this morning… Guess I’ll have to throw it away.”

Hmm. If she already bought it, it would be a waste to throw out. I guess I could make an exception… Just one. Or maybe two… No, three at most.

The atmosphere had changed completely. The cool breeze felt refreshing, but the lively energy from earlier was long gone. Only silent adventurers remained, making their way up the mountain.

“We’re almost at the midway point,” Rubia said.

“Whew… yeah,” Hephaestus replied, sounding a little worn out.

“The sun is setting. It would be best to set up camp here, as we planned,” Rubia suggested.

I nodded in agreement. While I could manage moving at night, Rubia and Hephaestus weren’t as well-suited for it.

“So, Noah, how’s the new sword?” Hephaestus asked, glancing at my greatsword.

“Oh, yeah. It’s much better than the one you gave me before.” On the way up, I’d tested the sword a few times, hunting a few monsters that had wandered off on their own. It definitely felt sharper and sturdier than before.

Though honestly… I didn’t really notice the sharpness as much. For me, using a greatsword wasn’t about cutting, it was more about smashing things.

So, um…

“It’s… sturdy!”

“Is that a compliment?” Hephaestus asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course it is!”

“Alright, what else is different?”

Different… Um, let’s see…

“Oh! It’s easier to clean. The blood just slides right off.”

“Huh? I didn’t do anything special for that.”

“What…?” But it felt different. It wasn’t holding onto blood like it used to.

“Are you just making stuff up because you don’t know what else to say?”

“N-no! I mean it… It’s really good.”

Hephaestus gave me a strange look. “I did widen the blade a bit. Judging by how you fight, it seemed like you rely more on deflecting than dodging.”

“Oh, really?” I inspected the blade more closely.

“And I reinforced the cross guard. Unless you’re trying to stop an avalanche with it, the sword won’t break anytime soon.”

Hmm… Yeah, I had no idea.

“…I figured you wouldn’t really understand, but that still stings a bit,” Hephaestus sighed, clearly a little disappointed.

I felt a twinge of guilt. I reached into my pocket to offer her some of the jelly I had left when Rubia spoke up.

“Oh right, Noah, you haven’t used the shard yet, have you?”

“Uh, no… Unfortunately, no.” There hadn’t been a situation where I needed it. Of course, I could have used it, but all the monsters we encountered so far were easy to deal with. No need to risk any side effects just to kill something trivial.

“It’s not unfortunate. I’ve been telling you all along—I get a strange feeling from that shard. There’s something about its energy that feels… off. It’s different from other shards I’ve encountered.”

“Hmm…” I gently touched the shard embedded in my greatsword. It didn’t feel eerie to me, though. In fact, it made me want to laugh, for some reason.

“Well, you’ll probably have to use it at some point. But I’m worried about the aftereffects,” Rubia said.

“It’s okay. You’ll take care of it, won’t you, Rubia?” I smiled up at her. If I remembered correctly, the penalty from the shard’s “Thirst” effect was something Rubia could handle. Even if things went wrong, I wouldn’t die!

“…That’s true,” she admitted reluctantly.

“I trust you.”

I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“Haah… Alright. I trust you too. But don’t overdo it,” she said, squeezing my hand back.

Warmth flowed through me from her touch, driving away the chill in the air and replacing it with a cozy feeling.

When I tilted my head in confusion, Rubia smiled and explained, “Your hands were cold.”

“Oh… Thanks…” I stammered, blushing slightly. Why did I always get so flustered when she smiled like that? It was weird…

“Should we camp here, or move up a bit further?” Rubia asked, effortlessly switching topics.

“I’m fine with anywhere,” Hephaestus said.

“Me too…”

“Alright, then let’s set up here. That big rock over there looks like a good spot.”

“Whoa, it’s huge!” Hephaestus exclaimed.

“Wow…” I murmured. The rock Rubia pointed at was massive, easily 50 times my height.

Rubia led me by the hand while Hephaestus followed with a mischievous grin on her face. What’s up with her?

I tried to ignore Hephaestus’s odd expression as we reached the rock.

“Up close, it’s even bigger,” Rubia remarked.

“Yeah… Why’s it so huge?”

It wasn’t just 50 times my size—it was more like 100 times! It was absolutely enormous.

“This spot is perfect. Hephaestus, can you set up the tent? Noah, keep watch. I’ll start preparing dinner.”

“Got it!” Hephaestus said, pulling a tent from her bag.

“Sure,” I replied.

Hephaestus got to work setting up the tent, while Rubia raised a protective barrier with her holy power and started a fire.

As for me…

“Ugh… It’s so high…”

I climbed up the rock, struggling a bit, but determined. Sure, I could just sit at the bottom and extend my senses, but where’s the fun in that?

Once I reached the top, I sat cross-legged, feeling proud of my little achievement. I could sense Rubia’s barrier and Hephaestus’s excitement as she finished setting up the tent. Rubia, on the other hand, gave a reluctant smile at Hephaestus’s antics.

Then Rubia looked up at me and called out. “Noah! We’re having barbecue for dinner!”

Barbecue!

“Sounds good— Uh, I mean, sounds great!” I tried to shout back, but my voice didn’t carry as well as hers.

So instead, I raised my arms above my head and made a circle, waving enthusiastically.

Rubia smiled and nodded, while Hephaestus continued to proudly show off the tent.

Feeling the warmth of our little group, I extended my senses outward, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere.

But then…

“Huh…?”

Not far from us, I sensed a woman staggering toward us, covered in blood.

And behind her… A horde of monsters was chasing her down.