CHAPTER 254.1 - EVIL SPIRIT II

A few days had elapsed after we built our base at the foot of the mountain.

On the riverbank stands a luxurious base surrounded by a 5-meter-high protective wall, featuring a stone-walled "tofu house" complete with a large public bath. It was a lavish construction that fully utilised the earth magic techniques honed during the Yamata no Orochi campaign.

Thanks to this, even though we're not in Fairy Plaza, we could stay in a building that provides more than adequate safety.

In such an environment, preparations for mountain climbing were progressing smoothly.

Since the preparation went very well, we were taking a break today.

「Look, take it!」

Said Hayama-kun as he threw the white frisbee in my hands.

Chasing after the frisbee, which soars at just the right speed, height, and distance, was one person and one creature: Rem, with her white hair flowing behind her, and Beniwo, wagging his red tail enthusiastically.

「Yelp Yelp!」

「Take it.」

It was Rem who caught the frisbee that was 10 meters ahead.

「Nice catch. Good job.」

Then, running back together with Beniwo, she handed the frisbee to Hayama-kun who was smiling as he patted Rem.

Hmm, looking at him like this, Hayama-kun comes across as quite the fine young man. He was the disappointing type the moment he spoke, a bit of a clown, but when he kept his mouth shut, he was actually pretty good-looking. Souma-kun and Tendou-kun were just on a whole other level. In addition, Sakurai-kun was also incredibly high-tier. Given the environment of Class 2-7, it was no wonder he ended up getting overshadowed.

「Let me throw it next, Hayama-kun.」

「Sure, but don't throw it too hard, alright? There's a perfect balance when it comes to throwing something like this.」

「I got it already.」

Randou-san took the frisbee with a huge grin on her face.

「Heyaaaa~!」

With what seemed like quite a lot of effort, she threw it in the completely wrong direction.

「Woof woof!」

「Wa~it.」

Even so, Rem and Beniwo happily started running after the flying frisbee.

「Maan, how peaceful.」

「Pugugu.」

I gently stroked Kinako's fur as I murmured to myself.

I was lying face down on Kinako's back, relaxed and absentmindedly watching the peaceful scene unfold before me.

It was a serene atmosphere as if we had simply come on a regular hiking trip or camping.

We were in a place that could easily transform into a dangerous zone, with roirops charging out of the forest, so we maintained a minimal level of alertness with traps and surveillance from the corpse doll.

The atmosphere was so relaxed that it felt like we'd get scolded for letting our guard down in a survival situation, but we were not born-and-bred survivalists who've endured harsh environments all our lives. People need rest and moments of peace for their hearts to find solace.

And now was the perfect time to take a leisurely rest—right before we embarked on the journey of climbing the mountain.

「Everyone gets along so well that it puts my mind at ease.」

With just a crudely made frisbee I crafted from leftover bones, the excitement was shot through the roof. Hayama-kun and Kyouko were laughing uncontrollably, and Beniwo was wagging his tail so vigorously it looked like it might fall off from sheer joy.

Rem showed no expression, giving off no sense of enjoyment whatsoever, but even so, I felt human-like emotions and feelings were being conveyed to them. That’s why I’m truly grateful for Hayama-kun and Kyouko, who can laugh freely and play without hesitation.

As the caster, absolute obedience was given, so I knew that I was the last person who could say this. However, I believe Rem's growth held significance precisely because she interacts with other humans without such restraints.

I didn't want Rem to turn into a cold-blooded killing machine.

「That's why we should get along with each other too, Kinako-kun.」

「Pu, pupupu…」

When I whispered those words into his bunny ears, Kinako let out an indescribable groan.

It seems Kinako had a hard time dealing with me. Apparently, the power of the necromancy spell that turned the roirops into a corpse doll frightens him.

Rather than something like that, I feel he should sense more danger from Randou-san, who possesses more direct offensive power. However, there might be something instinctively terrifying about me that he perceived.

「Well, you'll get used to it eventually. We're already friends, right?」

「Pugaga, pupu」

The weekend passed by in such a relaxed manner.

===

And then, the next day.

「Yup, this is the limit I guess.」

「Ah, welcome back, Kotaro.」

When I woke up with my eyes wide open and sat up, I heard Kyouko's voice as she lazily lounged around, refining iron ore using a transmutation circle.

「How's the result?」

「Not yet.」

「I'm beat.」

Saying that Rem, who had been lying beside me, got up and jumped onto my lap like a cat. When I stroke her silky silver hair, the young Rem remains expressionless, showing no trace of happiness. However, I selfishly interpreted her lack of expression as a sign that she was happy.

「There must be a limit to scouting using your offshoot.」

Unlike dungeons guided by the will of the gods and a magical compass, this was just a natural mountain range. Choosing the wrong route could lead straight to getting lost.

Furthermore, since this was a natural field, the difficulty adjustment features found in dungeons did not apply. Salamander included, there was a high possibility of encountering highly dangerous monsters that we couldn't hope to fight.

That's why I started climbing the mountain right from the first day using 『Twin Shadow』 to investigate the safe route and monsters that inhabit this mountain.

At first, I only sent my own offshoot.

After that, I brought Rem along with me, a black skeleton I had casually created as a bodyguard.

During the third investigation, I rode on Jaja, a herbivorous creature resembling a mix between a deer and an alpaca, which I had turned into an undead mount.

All three of the advance reconnaissance attempts ended in total annihilation around the point where they were about to reach the middle of the mountain.

「Those fu*king vultures…」

The territory around the middle of the mountain was the home to a flock of hawk-like monsters. From that point onward, the precipitate cliffs become more prominent, making it an ideal location for them to build their nests and hunt prey down at the base of the mountain.

I called the vulture-like monsters that actively attacked me "Red Vultures." They had a rusty reddish-brown hue colored feathers and large beaks shaped like serrated saw blades.

Their size was about the same as an ordinary vulture, but by Earth standards, that was already a sufficiently large bird of prey. If a flock of those things came swooping down at me, I definitely wouldn’t stand a chance.

「But if we all go together, we might just manage, right?」

「Yeah, we’ll manage somehow, rather I don’t even think a fight will be necessary.」

The Red Vultures may aggressively attack me when they spot me, but it had been confirmed through recent observations that they were naturally cautious and timid creatures.

They didn’t target a group if it reached a certain size, even if they outnumbered them.

They always target only one or two stray individuals. The rest were actively scavenging for corpses.

In other words, if we all go together, they would probably ignore us and let us just pass by.

But when I went alone, they were like 「Yeehaw… Fresh meat has arrived!」.

「Having my reconnaissance constantly interrupted is super annoying.」

In a game, they would definitely be that type of low-tier enemy that everyone dislikes.

「Well, doesn’t that leave us with no choice but to go all out? We can’t take our time.」

It was just as Kyouko had said. While there was no need to rush ahead, we couldn't afford to keep preparing either. We need to draw a line somewhere.

「Then, let's ask Hayama-kun once he returns.」

This party wasn't under my sole rule. I made sure to ask everyone's opinion before deciding the next course of action.

Meaning that after I asked Hayama-kun after he returned at night,

「Okay, let's climb the mountain.」

===

With the majority of the party in favour, the mountain climbing had been decided, and we were finally ready to take on the towering mountain before us.

Despite the failure of reconnaissance due to the Red Vultures, our preparations are all set.

「Hmm, this cargo capacity is amazing. If I wanted to buy a car, I’d definitely go for a bigger one!」

With satisfaction, I gave a firm pat on the neck of the eerie, red-streaked roirops.

This roirops was turned into an undead creature with the expectation that it would serve not as a combat unit, but as a pack beast to carry large quantities of supplies.

There was no way we could get over such a large mountain in just one day. It would definitely take several days to climb, which means we’ll need supplies for that many days. Up until now, we've been on flat terrain, so we could set up a base and go hunting and gathering in the surrounding area.

But here, there was a high chance of encountering dangerous monsters like salamanders, and the terrain was precipitous, making it hazardous to move around. Once we start climbing, we couldn't count on resupplying on-site like we did before.

Furthermore, near the mountain's summit, there was clearly a thin layer of snow accumulating, and it didn't take a genius to imagine how cold it must be. We’ll need warm clothing for everyone and bedding that would allow us to sleep without freezing to death.

I’ve at least seen images of Earth’s mountaineers in documentary programs and the like. They were always carrying massive loads on their backs, barely managing to keep moving forward.

On Earth, that might be sufficient for climbing mountains, but in this other world, mountain climbing where battles with monsters were a possibility, was not feasible if everyone had to carry such heavy loads.

With already bulky gear and several days’ worth of essential supplies, including spares, my own body alone wouldn’t be enough to carry it all. That’s where a large vehicle like the roirops comes into play.

「Can it really carry this much load?」

「Corpse dolls are powered by magical power, so there’s no physical fatigue to worry about. Plus, roirops are monsters that inhabit this mountainous region, so they have excellent climbing abilities.」

I understood its full specs.

Thus as a result, I knew that the roirops were the best choice for the baggage carrier.

「How's the feel of riding Jaja?」

「Since it's kind of similar to horse riding, I still can't get used to this.」

「Alfa is much better than this.」

「Well, we cannot afford to use it now.」

Just being able to ride something was considered a luxury.

The herbivorous Jaja might be more timid than a horse and not suited as a riding beast, but turning it into a corpse doll eliminates those issues. I could even make it walk carefully to minimize the swaying of its back.

Even though I called it mountain climbing, it’s not like we had to scale those steep slopes on our own feet. Just traveling from the base involves walking a considerable distance. So why not ride a vehicle instead? That was a better choice.

This mountain climbing was particularly dangerous. Speed was essential, and reducing personal fatigue was just as important. Getting attacked while gasping for air after trudging along steep mountain paths was no joke.

Thus I prepared a Jaja for all of us as a vehicle.

Making saddles, stirrups, and equipment to carry loads for roirops and three jajas required quite a substantial amount. I used nearly all the hides of hunted monsters and almost all the refined iron from large skeleton swords.

But seeing the climbing team line up and start walking, it was clear that all the effort put into making everything was worth it.

「It's kind of quiet, like casual hiking.」

After leaving the riverside base and traveling for almost an hour, there haven’t been any monster attacks, and we were making good progress.

===

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My first CN project, why waifu though? Well, coz the main heroine's job is buying soy sauce till the end of act 1

New Project:

Harem, Hero, Demon King, Seven Deadly Sin, Seven Virtue, Sacred Beast, Sword and Magic, Dystopian Future, DESTINY PROJECT HAD IT REALIZED!, Dungeon, Dragon, 72 Demons, Reincarnations

===TN: Those Who Can't Wait For more Jil-kun's, I've Uploaded Advance chapters in Fox–HERE and in PATREON(cheaper 10/$10) with a paywall of course===

More and Cheaper(10/$10) Advance Chapter :

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