CHAPTER 259.1 - THE ICE TOWN 2

「I-I thought I'm going to die for real…」

「I'll never go to this forest again, EVER!」

「Hang in there Kinako! KINAKO!!」

We set out on our way home, battered and bruised, through the twilight-lit frozen town.

The hunt in the forest stretching beyond the town was a complete success in achieving all its objectives.

Two deer resembling Jaja, one herbivore similar to a cow, and five-horned rabbits. We managed to secure a considerable amount of meat.

In addition, we secured some birds for scouting. Six gray, crow-like birds and one pure white owl. The owl was quite large, and I initially thought it might be a monster, but since 『Echo』 worked on the first try, it seemed to be classified as an animal.

In addition to this, combining the materials and cores from the monsters we defeated along the way resulted in a greater harvest than expected. However, to be honest, this hunt could hardly be called a complete success.

The reason being the danger level of this forest surpasses that of the town. In fact, it was one of the most hazardous areas I've encountered, even compared to my past dungeon experiences.

『Orlfrost』: Large snow-gray wolf with two heads. Since it resembles an ice-attribute version of Orthros, I gave it a fitting name. It wasn’t a boss, but rather a wild creature living in the forest, and as such, it naturally led a pack of snow-gray wolves. Despite appearing early on, it possessed strength equal to or greater than the Orthros that once served as a boss, along with precise leadership skills to command its pack effectively.

Thanks to Kyouko’s lucky critical hit, we somehow managed to take down Orlfrost, causing its pack to scatter… But when we later encountered a massive horde led by two Orlfrosts, we had no choice but to flee for our lives. We barely managed to escape by spreading poison swamps and toxic smoke everywhere.

『Armor Polar Bear』: Monster I had a history with. The snowy mountain version of the Armored Bear. Its white fur makes it look just like a polar bear, but it is covered in an ice-like light blue carapace. It didn’t breathe ice or grow ice claws or anything like that, but its sheer physical strength and relentless nature—once it sees you as prey, it won’t give up—make it an extremely troublesome monster to encounter.

We had no trouble taking down the first one. However, maybe because the environment here suits them, they just kept appearing one after another. I lost count of how many of them we ran into. Were they actually pack animals? At one point, we were attacked by about ten at once, and things got really bad. Our formation broke, and Kinako ended up isolated, facing an Armor Polar Bear one-on-one. For a moment, I seriously considered whether we had no choice but to abandon him.

Upon a closer look, the Armor Polar Bear—basically a real grizzly bear armed with armor—seemed far stronger than Kinako, who honestly looks more like a mascot suit character. And yet, somehow, Kinako won the battle. It was a tough fight, and he did take some injuries, so Hayama-kun stayed by his side the entire way back to our base, looking like he was on the verge of tears.

『Spike Mammoth』: Mammoth-type monster we spotted during our scouting. It had two long, distinctive mammoth tusks and thick, powerful legs that stomp across the snowy terrain. Its broad back is lined with large, spike-like protrusions, giving it a menacing, post-apocalyptic appearance.

Facing an opponent with a massive build that even Grimgore would struggle against, we naturally had no intention of taking them head-on in a melee.

I had planned to ignore it, but this mammoth turned out to be unexpectedly aggressive. It came charging at us on its own. The sight of its massive body rushing forward was even more overwhelming than roirops.

What should we do? Can Kyouko’s advanced attack magic stop it in one shot? It seems impossible—Just as that thought crossed my mind, in the very next moment…

『Crimson Rex』：A bright red Tyrannosaurus. It was about the same size as the black Thunder Tyranno I once encountered in the forest and was powerful enough to go head-to-head with a Salamander in battle.

Perhaps as a result of adapting to cold climates, this creature was covered in feathers like a bird rather than scales. Its appearance closely resembles the feathered Tyrannosaurus reconstructions often seen in recent theories suggesting that dinosaurs actually had feathers instead of scales.

And then, it attacked the charging mammoth from the side. Its massive red body should have stood out in the snowy forest. However, none of us noticed its presence until it suddenly burst out from the trees.

Anyway, as soon as the Crimson Rex appeared, we retreated immediately. Its target was the mammoth, not small fry like us.

But just to be safe, we also set off a smoke screen as we managed to escape from the battlefield between the Crimson Rex and the mammoth.

『Gogma』：These guys really are everywhere… So, we spotted a Gorma unit in the forest as well. Their range of activity often overlaps with ours, so we usually eliminate them on sight. But this time, we had no choice but to escape on the spot. The reason being because they were being led by not just one, but two Gogmas.

A single Gogma boasts the strength of a boss-level monster. They were elite among elites within the goma's society.

With two Gogma in a single party, it was undoubtedly an elite force. Most of the goma in the unit were govu, with only a few regular gima present.

Their equipment was clearly well-prepared, and with that formation, they could easily hunt in this forest. In other words, they had superior combat strength compared to us at the moment. Engaging them head-on was something we absolutely had to avoid.

『Ice High Elemental』: Just as we had escaped from the monster showdown between the Crimson Rex and the Spike Mammoth and begun our retreat from the forest to return to the Fairy Plaza, this thing appeared.

It looks like an ice giant. Ice Golem might be a fitting name for it. However, since we know it was an elemental-type ice monster, its official name was Ice High Elemental.

I initially thought that since elementals were spirits, maybe Hayama-kun could talk to it and work something out. But since that didn’t work, I realized once again why they’re treated as monsters. According to Hayama-kun, even among spirits, some are willing to listen to people, while others wouldn’t communicate at all. To us, they might seem like the same kind of beings, but their essence was fundamentally different. It was probably as big a difference as that between humans and goma.

Anyway, since the Ice High Elemental was clearly an untamed beast, we had no choice but to defeat it. Multiple three-meter-tall ice giants came at us, along with a swarm of 『Ice Elemental』—those same violent snowmen we often saw in town. They all rushed toward us as a group.

For us, who were exhausted from the continuous battles and retreats in the forest, it became a rather tough opponent.

We somehow managed to defeat them and break through, but with the commotion attracting a pack of Snow Ash Wolves, we truly went through a life-or-death ordeal to make it back here.

「But since we gained enough rewards to make risking our lives worthwhile, let's call it a win.」

First of all, we had secured enough food for the time being. With the deer, cattle, and rabbits we hunted, we had more than enough meat.

In addition to this, we also obtained food supplies from searching the houses around the Fairy Plaza. We found vegetables, beans, what appeared to be preserved food from the start, as well as flour and other essential food ingredients.

In addition, the practical test confirmed that spices and cooking oil could still be used once thawed.

This frozen town was a hidden gem when it came to food procurement, even easier than back at the School Tower, with a wide variety of supplies available. It was likely because the entire environment where humans once lived had been perfectly preserved in a frozen state.

「The monster materials are of high quality due to the strength of the creatures, but collecting them in large quantities is far too risky. We’ll have to use them carefully.」

I miss the time when the whole class was together. If we had the full team, we could have hunted monsters in this area safely and efficiently.

There was no point in wishing for what we don't have, that was the basic rule of dungeon exploration. The important thing was how to make the most of the precious materials we risked our lives to obtain.

「Hmm… Since the pocket heater turned out well, there's no need to upgrade our fur equipment.」

Facing the materials lined up at the entrance, I groaned as I pondered about something.

「Okay then, let's start with our weapon.」

Especially Hayama-kun's. The Red Lance was an excellent weapon that allows even amateurs to easily and effortlessly gain firepower, but it was far too shabby to conquer this zone.

What Hayama-kun needs more than that is specialized equipment that allows him to make full use of his abilities as a spiritualist. Most of his power is still a mystery, and how much we can draw out or enhance it may be the key to our success.

Unless we acquire new abilities, the combat potential of Kyouko and me is already maxed. In terms of growth potential, Hayama-kun shows more promise.

So, since I wasn’t sure which spirit would be best, I went ahead and made a specialized piece of equipment with as many attributes as I could prepare.

『Fire-Wind Ring』: Firelight Iron was used for the pocket heater, and Windlight Iron was used for the air launcher. This bracelet was made by combining these two light irons, which I had already worked with as materials. I believed that using lightstone materials, which could serve as a dwelling for spirits matching their attributes, and making it into something Hayama-kun, as a spiritualist, could wear regularly, would be the key to successfully housing a spirit. After all, Hayama-kun always keeps his lighter, smartphone, and water bottle close to him.

Since Hayama-kun himself couldn't use any elemental magic, equipping this bracelet wouldn’t allow him to cast offensive spells like the Red Lance. However, if a spirit takes residence in it, he should be able to wield both fire and wind powers.

He was wearing it on his left wrist, like a watch.

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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

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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

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