Ch.101The Mountain Range of the Ice Dragon

The crowd was massive. It was as if half of a great mountain was filled with people. Everyone eyed each other with suspicion. They kept their hands on their weapons, glaring without pause. Having gathered because of the same rumor, they were all enemies to one another.

Among them were those who gave off a somewhat detached air. These were the ones who carefully observed from a distance, positioning themselves away from the crowd. They were like crows, uninterested in the treasure itself but thinking of the spoils they could claim from corpses after the fighting was done.

At that moment, the crowd began to part. It was because Cheong-ik had appeared. They were one of the Imperial Knight Orders said to possess overwhelming skill. Everyone who had gathered from across the country recognized Cheong-ik.

“There are more people than expected, aren’t there? Didn’t you say it was just a false rumor?” Theo asked. Karnok nodded as if sharing the same thought.

“I did. If the rumor had been true, they would have ordered us to retrieve the treasure, not eliminate the reincarnator.”

“Others don’t seem to think so,” Flora said.

Sae-rin looked around at Flora’s words. She could feel countless gazes. The crowd was so vast that it was impossible to count them all. Their attire and appearances were diverse.

What could this Dragon Heart possibly be to attract so many people? Especially when the imperial leadership had dismissed it as a mere rumor.

“Who knows. Maybe we were wrong,” Karnok said.

Wheeee—

A wind blew in. Not the cold, refreshing wind typical of snow-covered mountains. It was a nauseating breeze mixed with the body odors of many people, the metallic smell of various weapons, and the scent of blood.

Sae-rin frowned. It seemed there had already been fighting among them, even though the treasure hadn’t appeared yet.

“Isn’t that the Empire’s Cheong-ik? Why are they here?”

“It seems the information was true. We should follow Cheong-ik.”

“Cheong-ik moving for a treasure hunt? Talk sense… They’re simply here to eliminate the reincarnator…”

“Are there no other knight orders? It would be impossible for Cheong-ik alone to search this entire mountain range…”

Various voices carried by the wind dispersed faintly. They conveyed diverse emotions—suspicion, caution, goodwill.

Cheong-ik wasn’t the last guest to arrive at the mountain range. As time passed, more groups continued to arrive. From pitiful mercenary bands to knight orders dispatched by entire nations. A diverse mix of people gathered.

“Has anyone spotted the wanted person?”

“Not visible.”

“If you see someone suspicious, don’t hesitate to draw your sword. It’s fine to do so here. You can come up with reasons later.”

At Karnok’s words, all Cheong-ik members scanned their surroundings. Their characteristically sharp gazes quickly swept through the crowd. Those who met their eyes instinctively shrank back.

“Doesn’t seem to be here.”

“Looks that way.”

“What should we do now?”

In response to Flora’s question, Karnok let out a small sigh. After a brief moment of contemplation, he pointed to a mountain across from them and said, “What else? We go that way.”

Sae-rin and the Cheong-ik group naturally began their mountain trek. It was an area untouched by human footsteps. The slope was so treacherous that few people properly climbed it.

Of course, this posed no problem for Cheong-ik. Everyone present was a master at controlling their bodies. Each used their own methods to quickly traverse the difficult slope.

“Don’t stop scanning your surroundings even while running.”

“I know.”

They conversed even while running at high speed. It meant everyone present had that much composure. Sae-rin ran at the very front. The cold air similar to her homeland was invigorating her entire body. She felt strength overflowing throughout her body.

It took less than a day to cross one large mountain. A blizzard swirled behind the backs of the Cheong-ik knights.

On the treacherous mountain path, they frequently encountered human corpses. Without fail, corpses appeared wherever red snow blossoms bloomed vividly.

“Could this be the work of a reincarnator?”

The Cheong-ik members who stopped examined the traces left on the corpses. Human corpses typically contain more information than one might expect. Karnok’s keen eyes read the identity of the opponent from the sword wounds on the body.

“The wounds are torn, as if the sword blade was like a sharp saw. This means… they’re likely soldiers from the Kingdom of Parm.”

Not the work of a reincarnator. If that was the case, there was nothing more to examine. Sae-rin and the Cheong-ik group resumed their mountain journey.

“Wouldn’t it be better if we split up to search?” Theo suggested. He was growing bored since they hadn’t found the reincarnator despite their long trek. Karnok nodded at Theo’s suggestion.

“You said what I was about to say. The mountain range is wide, and the snow makes visibility poor. It would be better to split up and search. Of course, that makes it more dangerous… Is everyone confident?”

Everyone nodded at Karnok’s words. The fact that splitting up was more dangerous than staying together was something everyone present knew. Skilled individuals from across the country had gathered here in large numbers. But they were Cheong-ik. They had survived until reaching at least mid-tier rank. It meant they all had some secret technique to extract themselves from danger if needed.

“Then form groups excluding me. Three people per group.”

At Karnok’s order, several members flocked toward Sae-rin. However, there were those who approached even faster—Theo and Flora. As the trio who had been together since joining reunited, the others sighed and backed away.

“Sae-rin is always popular.”

“I know.”

She knew without being told. Sae-rin was well aware of the extent of her popularity. As Karnok walked away with an awkward expression, the remaining members scattered in all directions, taking it as their signal.

“This position. It’s been quite a while.”

“Feels like our first mission.”

With Sae-rin at the center, Theo and Flora ran on her left and right respectively. Just as Sae-rin had grown stronger, the two had also continuously grown stronger. Black and white mana scattered like flower petals beneath Flora’s feet. As her study of the Pel family swordsmanship deepened, its traces began to manifest outside her body.

The same was true for Theo. Blue lightning occasionally flashed around his body. They were children who had passed through adolescence and begun to step into the realm of adulthood. As their skills increased, so had their height.

Only Sae-rin maintained her previous appearance. She increased her speed to avoid the shadow looming over her head.

As they climbed toward the mountain peak, the blizzard grew fiercer. Now they could barely see what was right in front of them.

Clang! Kwang! Chang!

“It’s him! He’s appeared again!”

“Stay calm! Don’t scatter!”

Various weapons clashed as shouts erupted. The sounds of battle approached instantly along with the blizzard. Sae-rin’s group naturally came to a halt.

“Should we turn back?”

“It might be the reincarnator. Shouldn’t we check it out first?”

Theo and Flora exchanged opinions. Their gazes naturally turned to Sae-rin, asking her to choose between their views. Sae-rin raised her hand in support of Flora’s opinion.

“Let’s check it out first.”

Step—

The three moved toward the battlefield.

As the hazy blizzard receded, their surroundings gradually became visible. The first thing that came into view was red blood splattered across the pure white snow. A group of people had their swords pointed at a man wrapped in fur.

However, the fur-clad man seemed to have the advantage. He maintained steady breathing while gliding across the white snow. Whenever his hand moved, screams inevitably followed. He would grab the staggering bodies trailing red blood and disappear into the snow.

His movements resembled those of a beast. In fact, they were no different. Predators of the snow fields often used such methods when hunting.

‘Strange yet familiar.’

Sae-rin immediately placed her hand on her sword. It was a situation where the corpses of her tribespeople might be moving about. Having discovered a suspicious scene, she couldn’t simply pass by.

“What should we do? Wait?”

“He doesn’t seem to be a reincarnator…”

It was then that one of the group members huddled together with swords drawn noticed Sae-rin’s group and shouted:

“Cheong-ik! It’s Cheong-ik! Hey! Help us! This guy is a reincarnator!”

Strangers were requesting help. If it was certain that the opponent was a reincarnator, they should readily assist. However, the three didn’t move.

Instinct told them that the fur-clad man was not a reincarnator. It was just that Sae-rin alone felt a strange sensation. As Sae-rin’s group remained motionless, the group that had requested help began to move.

They started approaching with urgent movements. If they wouldn’t lend a helping hand, they intended to forcibly involve them in the situation. The expressions of the three naturally distorted.

Before the other two could step forward, Sae-rin moved ahead. She gently raised her right hand. The mana spreading from her hand swept through the scene.

Woong—

The principles of the Formless Flying Sword technique detected and pulled out ice frozen solid within the snow-covered field. A shower of icicles descended between Sae-rin’s group and the approaching crowd.

Kwagagak—!

“Wh-what…!”

“Magic! It’s magic! There’s a mage in Cheong-ik!”

The approaching group had no choice but to stop, screaming. Large icicles blocked their path. As they stood frozen, the fur-clad man pounced on them from behind, accompanied by a white blizzard.

“Aaaaargh!”

It didn’t take long for silence to settle over the white mountain. The fur-clad man wiped away the red blood and glanced at Sae-rin’s group through the icicles.

“His eyes look fierce.”

“But he doesn’t seem hostile.”

“You. What are you?”

The fur-clad man didn’t answer the question. After maintaining silence, he threw back the fur he had been wearing. The face revealed was that of a middle-aged man.

‘Not one of the tribe people…’

An unfamiliar face. That was somewhat of a relief. As Sae-rin let out a sigh of relief, the fur-clad man spoke.

“Go back. It’s not too late yet.”

“Not too late? What do you mean?”

“If you don’t leave, Kashpa’s wrath will freeze everything.”

That was the end of it. With a suddenly strengthened wind, a pure white blizzard enveloped the fur-clad man. Then, he vanished.