Chapter 59 The Sky Horse

R​ead​ ​on KatRe​adi​ngCa​fe​

In this world, monsters don’t form independent ecosystems.

They merely function as part of the system, moving within fixed boundaries and repeating predetermined actions.

The Big Giants that attacked the Panto farms were no exception.

Though we had exterminated them for now, given time, they would respawn, and the Panto warriors would have to fight them all over again.

That was simply how this world was designed.

Of course, there was a way to prevent monster respawns—discovered by a rather eccentric player.

This player wanted to show off the monsters he hunted, but carrying around corpses was cumbersome. So instead, he used monster hides and byproducts to create bizarre art pieces, signing them with his username.

Strangely, when these art pieces were placed in respawn zones, monsters stopped appearing there.

No one knew why. No one cared to find out. The only thing that mattered was that it worked.

Following this method, Isolin and I, along with the young Panto warriors, began crafting sculptures from the ant shells.

“Put the legs there! Make the antennae higher!”

“Hyahh!”

“Hiyohh!”

Under Isolin’s direction, the Panto hammered away, assembling the ant shells onto giant logs we had rolled into place.

Soon, a massive, ant-shaped monument towered over the farm.

By the time we finished, it was deep into the night. Even the crickets and nocturnal birds had gone silent as we returned to the village.

“Good work, everyone! You are now free from the threat of the Big Giants!”

“Wooaahh!”

“Long live the Goddess!”

The Panto cheered, raising their hands in celebration. Their faces glowed with happiness.

After spending a day in the Panto village, Isolin, Liza, and I prepared to leave.

“Farewell, Goddess!”

“We will always await your return!”

“Sniff… Goddess…!”

The children sniffled, their faces crumpled with sadness. Isolin turned away sharply—an action that might have seemed cold, but I could see her eyes were red-rimmed.

Liza strode ahead.

“Alright, shall we head to the next island?”

“Where to this time?”

“Since we found your friend on the Island of the Dwarves, the others probably aren’t too far. I’m thinking we go to the Patchwork Cloud Island next. We can refuel the Skyhawk while we’re at it.”

“Patchwork Cloud Island?”

Liza smiled mysteriously, refusing to elaborate.

Honestly, she was so stubborn.

Isolin, who had been eyeing Liza curiously, suddenly tugged my sleeve.

“Who is she?”

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t explained Liza to Isolin yet. As we walked toward the parked Skyhawk, I filled her in.

“Wow, she’s amazing!”

“Ahem!”

Liza puffed out her chest proudly at the praise, her white shirt buttons straining dangerously.

She lifted both of us into the Skyhawk (even though we could’ve jumped in ourselves—it was nice being cared for).

If I had an older sister, would it feel like this?

“Skyhawk, launch!”

With Liza’s energetic shout, the engine roared to life, and the Skyhawk ascended into the sky.

“W-We’re flying! We’re really flying!”

Isolin flailed her short legs in excitement.

As we left the dense forest behind, the sea of white clouds stretched endlessly before us. Unlike before, Liza increased our altitude, putting distance between us and the clouds.

Isolin’s large pointed hat flapped wildly in the wind. She clamped it down with one hand, staring in awe at the clouds below.

“Woah…”

“Better not stick your hands out. There might be monsters.”

Liza gave Isolin the same warning she had given me. Isolin immediately yanked her hand back.

Soon, the endless white gave way to a kaleidoscope of colors—red, orange, yellow, swirling together in a vibrant display.

The Skyhawk descended toward them.

I tensed.

“W-Wait, didn’t you say monsters hide in the clouds?!”

“Ah, only the white ones. These colored ones…”

Liza lowered the Skyhawk further until it landed smoothly on the cloud’s surface.

“…are too solid for monsters to hide in.”

“Wow…”

[New Area Discovered: “Patchwork Cloud Island”!]

The moment my feet touched the ground, the notification appeared. Gripping Isolin’s hand, I took in the dazzling, multicolored landscape.

Everything on this island was made of clouds. Birds with fluffy cloud feathers flitted about, and sheep with cloud-like wool grazed, bouncing lightly as they moved.

Liza pulled out a large fuel canister and a small device.

“No one lives here, so we won’t have help like the Panto. We’ll have to search on foot.”

“R-Really?”

“Yep. I’ll be collecting clouds for fuel. Want to scout the area?”

I nodded, and Isolin and I set off across the spongy terrain.

“Whoa… The fluffiness changes with the color!”

“The blue ones are slippery…”

Each colored cloud had a different texture—some firm, others slick.

“Gladie! Nyongmom!”

“Gladie! Nyongmom!”

We called out, our voices echoing across the expanse. Some clouds shimmered in response, shifting hues or vibrating faintly.

“No answer…”

“Maybe we should go deeper.”

I glanced back at Liza, who was busily gathering clouds.

“Probably best to wait until she’s done…”

Isolin crossed her arms, nodding. Then, her eyes suddenly widened.

“Hey… Is that an arrow?”

“Arrow?”

She pointed toward a dense grove of cloud trees. There, embedded in the fluff, was something distinctly out of place—an arrow.

[Grapevine Arrow]
Commonly found near Fox Tail.
Carries a faint grape scent.
Attack Power +1

“No way…”

Liza had said no one lived here. So if this arrow was from Fox Tail, only one person could have left it.

Gladie had to be here somewhere.

“Gladie’s arrow! I can smell Gladie!”

Isolin sniffed the arrow excitedly, practically vibrating with energy. She looked ready to bolt into the forest.

But going alone was risky. Without knowing the terrain, we could get lost. And if strong monsters lurked deeper in, Isolin and I might not handle them alone.

We should wait for Liza to finish—

THUD-THUD-THUD!

A massive shadow loomed over us, accompanied by the sound of hooves and a gust of wind.

I whipped around just in time to see—

Isolin, gone.

“Isolin…?”

She had been right beside me. I called her name, but no answer came.

Then—

“KYAAAAAAH!”

Her unmistakable scream rang out from above.

I looked up.

A giant horse, its body wreathed in mist, galloped away—with Isolin dangling from its mouth like a ragdoll.

“NOOOO!”

I sprinted after them, but my short legs were no match for the horse’s speed. Choking back tears, I turned and ran toward Liza.

This was bad. Really bad.

Vrslop_translator