As the blizzard weakened, Ryan slowly looked at his exhausted companions. Their breathing was heavy, rising and falling rapidly as they clung tightly to him.
Ryan let out a deep sigh, gently patting the head of his small companion before turning to the disheveled-haired apothecary. He couldn't help but remark with dry humor, "I've seen plenty of rags, but you could be their king." he said with a muffled laugh.
She looked back with tired eyes."It's impressive. You can still make jokes even after coming back from death's gates. Your childishness is truly unbelievable." she said, simply sighing as she gave him space. He slowly stood up and looked around. Now the clearing made much more sense. The region existed within glacial caves and should certainly display the same traits. However, defying natural laws, it had once exhibited a warm and cozy climate.
But that was over.
The trees were made of rigid ice, and the snow resembled marble, while the flowers looked like beautiful glass crystals. The once-flowing river could now be walked across with both feet, and every one of its fish could be seen preserved in glacial stone.
For eternity.
Ryan soon took a deep breath and exhaled, a freezing cloud leaving his mouth. It was still far too cold for him to survive alone in that place. And the temperature didn't seem like it would stop dropping anytime soon.
He quickly returned to his group as they huddled closer together, preserving heat.
"What's the plan?" the apothecary asked half tired, half desperate.
"To leave, as quickly as possible. Before the cold kills us through sheer exposure." Ryan said with regret. If it weren't for the threat of the cold, he could have waited for the transfer time to end on its own.
He had been so close!
[ Time Until Completion: 14 Hours ]
Only 14 hours and he could finally leave this place!
He coughed dryly, returning to reality.
"The climate here is unbearable. The only logical choice is to leave as fast as possible." He immediately grabbed the notebook again and began tracing routes away from there. "There are a few exits nearby. Not close enough, all far from ideal, but it's what we have for now."
The apothecary nodded, and they soon woke the slave and set off toward the nearest exit.
"This is frightening." the slave commented, seeing the many remains of beasts completely frozen. Each of them looked almost alive, if not for the white layer of ice and snow that mummified them.
"That's what would've happened to us moments ago." Ryan said expressionlessly. "If things were a little different, It would be them staring at us. And soon after they'd be eating our flesh… Beasts have no mercy, after all. Only we have compassion for one another. It's always good to remember that." He continued leading the way naturally.
The number of mummified bodies was truly terrifying, enough to make even him shiver. After all, not long ago, he had been doomed to become one of them.
At last, the group stopped in front of the cave entrance, sunlight gently touching it. The scene looked ordinary, except for one detail that made them all grit their teeth. There was a thick barrier of ice.
"It's frozen." the apothecary murmured, bringing a hand to her chin. "Do you think your bombs can handle this?" Ryan didn't need to be asked twice and immediately threw one.
The impact made the cave tremble intensely, sending dense dust into the air and over the group. But when they could finally see through the cloud, they couldn't help but sigh.
"If we make a few dozen more, maybe…" he said, seeing the structure was almost intact. "But I think it's better if we go around." The others nodded.
As they advanced, the same scene repeated more and more frequently. Countless entrances had been blocked by thick ice, preventing entry and exit, as the deadly freezing wind invaded the interiors and claimed lives one by one.
Eventually, they sighed.
The temperature inside the cave kept dropping to increasingly dangerous levels, making even the apothecary tremble intensely. Not even she was used to that level of cold.
"Enough!" she said in the corridors leading to another entrance. "All the exits are sealed. We have no alternatives. We need a new and better plan. And believe me, whenever I say a better plan, cutting someone open and sleeping inside their guts is already much better."
The slave shuddered, hiding behind Ryan, who simply shrugged. "Congratulations, you've got two nights of warm guts to sleep in. And then what?!"
"That's exactly why I want a plan!" she sat on a rock, muttering under her breath. "Your head's been pretty useful so far. How about making it work a little more?" Ryan clenched his teeth before sitting down.
"Thanks for the advice, but it's already working at its maximum capacity." he said, staring at the ceiling in silence, while the apothecary stared at the ground.
The atmosphere between them seemed to worsen as quickly as the cold seemed to intensify, poised to claim their lives. A cold silence settled over them.
Until someone broke the silence.
Suddenly, the slave spoke taking a courageous step.
"We found a Legacy site in the tunnels." he said firmly. "The master of that Legacy allowed us to take the trial." A chill ran through Ryan as the apothecary looked up sharply.
"You shouldn't have said that…" he muttered, and the apothecary frowned.
"Wow, how nice. The two little girls are keeping a secret from this auntie." she clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. "Why did you do that?!" She rested her face on her hand.
"I'm not doing it." Ryan said firmly. "No matter the reward, I prioritize my safety."
The apothecary looked him up and down before speaking again, her eyes resting on the dozens of wounds as she slowly stared into nothing, trying to recall how he had gotten each of them.
"For someone who plays it so safe…" she looked him up and down again. "You take quite a few risks."
"I didn't have a choice before!" he shouted, crossing his arms. "This time, I can look for an alternative. For example, where has your tribe been all this time? Don't you have family? Friends? No one is going to rescue you? Were you perhaps a recluse?"He chuckled softly. "It wasn't what it seemed when I met you the first time, you had dozens of little friends that time, didn't you?"
This time, the apothecary fell silent, mouth slightly open, before shaking her head and laughing. "That's not a subject for outsiders. Especially ones as insolent as you!" Ryan laughed loudly.
"Well, your subject isn't for outsiders either. I'm not taking that trial. Case closed!"
They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, then ignored each other's presence despite the increasingly cold wind. It was then that the slave again, stepped forward and asked:
"I assume there's no harm in telling us about the Legacy?" he asked the apothecary.
She glanced at him, sizing him up with some disappointment, but still sighed and said:
"This is the most mysterious Legacy I know. It has existed here forever, in perfect condition. Completely immaculate. Its gates are closed to all non-challengers, but it's impossible not to notice that behind them there's a staircase leading to a temple at the highest peak of the Uriel Mountains. At that peak, there are a hundred statues of warriors, lined up." She swallowed hard, and from here on her description reflected her real experience.
"There's an immortal guardian among them. Every day, he walks across the mountain, interacting with the animals and the vegetation. Every single day, he watches us over his imposing shoulder, he seems to recognize each one of us… That guy can see everything that happens from up there, no matter how far away it is... He looked straight into my eyes once. His gaze felt like it was piercing my soul, judging every aspect of it, like a god of good and evil…" She began to laugh quietly. "It didn't take him long to reach a verdict, I was never a good person and I knew it. Even among my own people, they always called me a demon. A demon among demons." She laughed."He then drew a bow the size of a tree and fired faster than sound, causing a deafening explosion. And all I could do was tremble, fearing for my life and begging forgiveness for every single one of my sins as he executed me. Then, with a thud, a giant bear fell beside me, a stone arrow piercing straight through it."
She brought a hand to her face, completely pale. "That was one of the very few times I felt true fear." She shook her head. "No… terror is the more appropriate word. Endless terror"
"I would only accept that challenge as a last resort." She then faced the slave. "but I believe we are in this kind of situation."