episode_0156

“…!”

CRAAASH!!!

A foot descended from the sky. While that might sound ludicrous, the outcome was anything but. Was it trying to say that the landslide right after the gate’s creation was mere child’s play?

The giant’s foot stomped, splitting the mountain range cleanly in half. Not just a small hill behind some neighborhood, but an actual mountain.

“Lee Hyunjin…?!”

Whether by a twist of fate or the giant’s aim, the foot landed near my coordinates.

Cheon Soyul, hanging from a distant tree branch, looked back at me, her eyes trembling.

‘Damn it.’

Of all things, I was caught right in the landslide. One wrong move and I could be swallowed by the earth and suffocate. Lightning seemed etched in Cheon Soyul’s eyes. Seeing her about to rush towards me, I subtly mouthed something.

‘Don’t come.’

“…!”

It was a silent message, conveyed only by my lips, but she probably understood. Cheon Soyul paused for a moment, grinding her teeth, and then froze in place. Good.

“Good obedient girl…”

I gave a wry laugh and clenched my fist. Of course, I hadn’t simply refused Cheon Soyul’s help without a plan.

I close my eyes. Then, I summon my mana.

CRACK, CRAAACK!!

The frigid energy emanating from my palms began to cover my entire body, freezing it. Just as I often did to enemies, this time I was turning myself into an ice statue. This was the only way to survive that monstrous pile of earth and sand.

Soon, my body was encased in a solid block of ice.

CRUNCH!

And then, the landslide roared. Beyond my obscured vision, Cheon Soyul’s troubled expression faintly flickered.

*****

“…”

Hmm.

Hmph.

I hummed, unable to even blink. Ah, of course, I couldn’t make a sound, so it was all internal.

‘Now what?’

It was a moment where my head became complicated. Of course, I wasn’t such a low-level ice mage that I would die just from being frozen.

Still, the situation had definitely become tricky. Why?

Because now I couldn’t get out on my own.

…

…

…

‘Ah, shit.’

Right… I’ll confess honestly. It wasn’t just complicated or tricky; it was so frustrating that I felt utterly screwed. Ice magic wasn’t always so convenient. Freezing one’s own body still retained its inherent properties.

In other words? I was now trapped in this block of ice, unable to move a single finger. My ice resistance was sufficient, so it would probably melt on its own in about three or four hours.

But could I really pass that much time without any trouble? The monsters won’t take this opportunity to attack, right?

‘I think I could probably endure B-rank monsters, at least.’

Monsters are monsters. If it’s a B-rank monster, no matter how hard it tries, it won’t have the power to break my ice.

But what if it’s an A-rank monster or higher?

That’s when it would really become problematic. If I reacted well the moment the ice shattered, I might survive, but a person thawing out from being frozen couldn’t be that quick.

‘…For now, I’ll do my best with my current state.’

I wanted to frown, but even moving those simple facial muscles was impossible. Resigned, I twisted my body while still fixed in place, broadening my field of vision as much as possible to look around.

It felt a bit like being rolled up in a blanket and tumbling around. Freezing myself was a novel experience, being my first time, but it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

‘Hoo.’

Swallowing a sigh, I slowly began to survey my surroundings. It seemed clear I was still within the mountain range… Had I been pushed deeper than before? The shapes of the trees, and the overgrown weeds around, gave off that impression.

The scent of nature, proving it was clearly unmanaged.

I swallowed dryly and strained my ears. Hoping to hear something, and praying it wasn’t the presence of monsters, I amplified my hearing as much as possible.

CLANG… CLANK… SWISH…!

‘Sword sounds.’

Soon, I caught a specific sound. No doubt about it. A sharp metallic clang, accompanied by the cutting sound of flesh being sliced. An Awakened one? There were monsters that used metal weapons, so I didn’t let my guard down completely.

But my concerns proved unnecessary… The person who soon appeared before me was someone I knew well. Lee Seo-ssi, with her short, medium-length hair tied up, was cutting down dog-like monsters.

“Kugh…!”

Those dog-like beasts weren’t particularly strong monsters, but when they swarmed, it was a different story. Lee Seo-ssi was already sweating profusely, seemingly struggling quite a bit. She had minor scratches all over her body, and her pants near her thigh were completely torn. She seemed to have gone through some hardship.

-WHIMPER!

Still, the fight didn’t drag on. As if to prove she was a bona fide soldier, Lee Seo-ssi skillfully wielded her dagger and struck down the last remaining dog-like monster.

“Haa, haa. …Hmm?”

Standing still for a moment, wiping away sweat, she soon turned her head towards me. It seemed she had looked in my direction unconsciously, but from my perspective, it was perfect timing.

“…Eh.”

-Excuse me, Lee Seo-ssi.

The moment our eyes met and Lee Seo-ssi froze, I used the sound-type ability I received from Seo Harin-sunbaenim to create sound waves and convey my words.

-Could you perhaps get me out? If you strike it with mana, it should break easily.

“…”

-Oh, but be careful not to stab too deep, or you’ll stab me too…

“…”

-Um, Lee Seo-ssi…? You can hear me, right?

Slightly flustered, I adjusted my mana. Strange, the sound waves should be emitting properly. Is she not hearing me well? For a moment, I doubted my magic control, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“W-what is it? Lee Hyunjin-gun? Why are you in a place like this? And in that… state.”

Soon, Lee Seo-ssi, having recovered from her stunned state, approached me, flustered. And as she drew her dagger again, a small flame erupted from the blade, and I quietly admired it. Internally, of course. I’d thought it looked like a pretty good sword from the first time I saw it, but it seemed to be a magic sword after all.

Lee Seo-ssi raised her dagger.

CLANG!

The moment she struck down, the block of ice encasing me shook violently. The flame on the blade also burrowed in… It seemed I had chosen the right person. My earlier worry about whether she could break my ice well, given she wasn’t a magic-user, was completely unfounded.

CRACKLE…!

Soon, with a sound similar to shattering glass, I was freed from my ice statue state.

“Cough, cough!”

“…Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes.”

Lee Seo-ssi offered me her hand. I took it and vigorously stood up, then, with a slightly awkward expression, explained the situation. I was near the impact zone when the giant kicked, and unfortunately, I got caught right in the landslide, so this was the only way.

“Th-that’s a really tough method.”

Lee Seo-ssi, after hearing everything, showed quite a bit of exasperation… but still looked at me as if I was amazing. Well, even I thought covering myself in ice was a brilliant idea.

“…Hmm, so.”

I scratched my cheek for a moment, then cautiously spoke while looking around.

“Where exactly are we? It seems we’ve been swept quite deep into the mountains.”

“…Yes, I think we’ve been swept quite deep.”

Lee Seo-ssi replied with a troubled expression. She seemed to have a concrete understanding, and continued her explanation.

“I used my detection ability earlier, and it’s definitely a place I’ve never set foot in during my time as a defense squad member.”

“…So, are we stranded?”

At my half-joking, half-serious remark, Lee Seo-ssi let out a small laugh.

“Well, with an S-rank gate appearing, is being stranded in the mountains such a big deal? We’ll probably be taken down by monsters before we even reach the foothills.”

“Don’t worry about the monsters. Unless it’s that ridiculously large giant, I can probably handle them.”

As I said that, I extended my finger towards the eerie presence I felt.

THWACK!

-SQUEAL…

Focused blue mana shot out, piercing an orc. The large brute, letting out a pig-like death rattle, collapsed with a THUD!

“…Indeed, you’re right.”

Seeing that sight, Lee Seo-ssi let out a hollow laugh. It seemed to contain a hint of futility, and then she looked at me anew.

“There’s a six-year age gap between us, but somehow the gap in our Awakened abilities seems to be reversed. At this rate, couldn’t you get the Archmage title soon?”

“I don’t think it’ll be too difficult.”

“…You’re really full of confidence.”

Lee Seo-ssi clicked her tongue, but I was serious in my own way. That Archmage title, it didn’t seem like such a big deal after all. Soon, either I’ll get it, or Cheon Woohyuk-hyungnim will get it first. Wouldn’t one of us?

Anyway.

“First, I think we should look for a place to rest, Lee Seo-ssi.”

Slowly loosening my stiff body from being frozen, I spoke to Lee Seo-ssi. With a slight gesture, I pointed to the sky. The mountain night sky had already grown dark.

“If we keep going like this, it’ll get cold in the blink of an eye. For all we know, spending the night in the mountains won’t be very comfortable either…”

“Mmm…”

Lee Seo-ssi’s expression darkened slightly, perhaps realizing that the sun had set. Anyway, now that we’re ‘stranded,’ perhaps we should prioritize being wary of the night wind before worrying about monsters. I have ice resistance, but… Lee Seo-ssi doesn’t, does she?

“Hmm.”

I looked around a bit more, then, at the perfect moment, spotted a natural hiding place and tapped Lee Seo-ssi’s shoulder.

“Lee Seo-ssi, over there.”

“Yes?”

“There’s a cave.”