CHAPTER 529: TRAVEL AND NON-TRAVEL TRAVEL CHAPTER FORTY-NINE MOUNTAIN ROAD_3

Originally, they thought they could enter the mountains before the first snow, but just like the early-arriving autumn, the cold swiftly took over the land and sky. This year’s sun was extremely unstable, unbearably hot for some time, and now it seemed a bit lifeless.

Luckily, the first snow each year was never too heavy, and aside from urging everyone to speed up, it caused no other troubles. Since neither the Witch Demon nor the Demon Statue needed to eat, and they didn’t experience fatigue, Lynch assigned them to pull the cart. With the help of these two, they could now travel up some of the steeper slopes, and at night Norton could control the horses to continue moving forward.

When the clear day finally arrived, the group was surprised to find that they were so close to the Ridge Mountains. The air was now cooler and cleaner, and although the Ice Furnace Peak was still a distance away, it no longer looked like a castle atop the clouds. The heavy snow not only cleared the fallen leaves from the ground but also refreshed the air.

A not very wide path appeared before them, covered with unmelted snowflakes. To their delight, there were no traces of any creatures disturbing this natural creation; no Beastmen, nor Dwarves had passed through here. From now on, the cart became a burden and could not continue with them any further. Though the five horses were quite thin, they were still too cumbersome for the rugged mountain roads. The group had to bid farewell to their means of transportation and release these horses into the wild.

"Goodbye, steeds." Knight Macken slapped the rump of a fat horse: "Beware of the gray-green Beastmen, this vast expanse of hills is enough for you to survive."

The cart was simply left by the roadside as there was no need to dismantle it. Even if it didn’t collapse under the weight of the winter snow, it couldn’t escape the washing away of spring snowmelt. The group traveled light, starting their climb up Ice Furnace Peak.

"This year’s snow seems particularly abundant, it seems this summer didn’t melt enough of the snow layers." Morgan carried a lot, yet didn’t seem tired at all. "But no one should rush; the terrain here is very dangerous. Many of the mountain passes have howling winds passing through, very sudden, but their force is like a waterfall crashing over you. If you don’t stand firm, you might roll down all the way to the base of the mountain. By then, even if you were a piece of sturdy iron, there wouldn’t be any trace of your ’bones’ left."

"Note: Norton can fly, so Norton is not afraid." The Demon Statue took another package off Lynch’s shoulder, placing it on its own tentacle. It closely followed the Mage, constantly attentive to the surroundings.

The group initially moved at a relatively fast pace, but the higher they went, the more rugged the road became. To reach the summit of the steep cliffs, the Dwarves carved steps into the cliff. The winding path nearly disappeared in many places, with snow blocks mixed with loose stones brushing past their heads, whistling by. They had winds blowing from the sides, above, and below, forcing them to hug the rock face to maintain their footing. Not a word was spoken all day; opening one’s mouth would allow the biting cold wind to rush in, rendering the tongue numb instantly. By nightfall, the situation worsened as clouds blocked the faint starlight and moonlight, leaving only Lynch’s magic wand to light the way. They had managed only half the journey and had to spend the night midway up the mountain, with an icy mountain wall on one side and a bottomless abyss on the other.

"Morgan, how do you live in such a perilous place?" Lynch asked, covering his mouth with a cloak as he leaned closer to the Dwarf.

"This is nothing!" The red Big Beard fluttered in the wind, but it could block the snowflakes from blowing into his mouth: "We Dwarves are tenacious warriors, this environment is nothing. In fact, if we had moved faster, we could have reached the entrance to the mountain cave today."

Heiss knocked his jaw to shake off the ice and snow from it. He couldn’t emit any heat to melt the snow, but he also wasn’t hurt by it. Only little Soka shivered, refusing to leave Zilvra’s arms.

"Falling asleep in the snow is very dangerous; you might never wake up." Lynch said: "Right now, we need a shelter from the wind and a bonfire!" He caressed the stone wall, seeming to feel out the rock’s pattern. His slender fingers swept swiftly over the ice. "Here it is!" he exclaimed and began chanting a spell no one could understand. The rock face collapsed like it had been struck by a powerful siege cone, but not a piece of rubble fell. Lynch was using the power of the Creation Law to alter the terrain, compressing the stone’s volume to make it tougher while leaving enough space inside.

"Alright, this size should be sufficient." Lynch jumped into the curved rock cave first; although they had to crouch, inside they were free from the harassment of the wind and snow. The group quickly followed, not wanting to linger in the cold wind. Morgan fished out strong liquor from his backpack, hurriedly taking a swig before passing it around. Except for the Mage and two who couldn’t drink at all, everyone drew enough warmth from their leather bags. Even Soka felt revitalized after swallowing the aromatic, warm liquid, with a newfound lightness in his limbs.

Campfires were the most cherished luxury at Ice Furnace Peak, thanks to the dry wood Morgan carried. Lynch’s Spatial Bag was full of supplies and medicine, and now it was time to clear it out. They huddled in the cave, stuffing themselves with food. The day’s climb had worn everyone out.

"Is there really no easier path, shorty?" Zilvra’s previously pale skin now shimmered like an ice sculpture as she clutched the cloak bestowed by the Elf Queen: "I don’t have your thick fat, this weather is unbearable for me."

"Don’t worry, Zilvra, it will warm up soon." Morgan sat at the cave entrance, chatting cheerfully: "It won’t be long before we reach the warm caves, where the furnaces can melt any metal, let alone a bit of snow and wind!"

Knight Macken was neither a Dwarf nor had he received a cloak from the Elf Queen, yet clad in metal armor he showed no signs of frostbite. The rosy firelight reflected on his face, not dancing within his eyes. Knight Macken’s thoughts wandered elsewhere, oblivious to everything around him.

In the cloak’s shadow, Lynch observed Knight Macken. For a man over sixty to endure the cold better than the stout Dwarves was unusual, making the Mage suspicious. Throughout the journey, Lynch tried indirectly to uncover all the mysteries surrounding the Knight, but Macken seemed to anticipate every trick, keeping silent without any slip of the tongue.

"Must unravel this mystery before leaving the Dwarf Kingdom." The Mage added another log to the fire, resolving in his heart.