Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Witch's Cabin (1)
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“……A witch?”
I’d never heard any stories about a witch living in the Silver Mountains. I looked at Khalid with a puzzled expression. Of course, Khalid didn’t seem like the type to lie. He frowned for a moment, then scratched the back of his head.
“Yeah, it’s not a well-known tale. No one who enters the witch’s cabin ever comes back out, so the rumors can’t spread.”
“What about you, Khalid?”
“I was with Tontra.”
“I see…….”
“The witch’s cabin might be there, or it might not. If it’s not, you’re lucky. But if it is…….”
“If it is?”
“Just ignore it and keep going. As long as you don’t go inside the cabin, you’re fine.”
“Ah.”
“That witch is nasty. As bad as Agni, that old coot.”
Agni—the lord of the western magic tower. It had been a while since I’d heard that name. Agni was no slouch as a mage himself, but for him to be in the same league as a “nasty” one?
‘And if the mad mage Khalid is saying this much…….’
Better stay on guard.
“By any chance, do you two know each other?”
“Huh?”
“The witch and you, I mean.”
“…….”
“Was that too rude?”
“Plenty.”
So they do know each other. And it didn’t seem like just acquaintances—more like something special?
“She’s a real pain in the ass.”
If the most difficult person I knew was calling her difficult, just how bad could she be?
“That’s exactly what caught Tontra’s interest.”
“Ah, so that’s why…….”
“Yeah. That’s how she gets to live in these Silver Mountains.”
“She has Tontra’s permission.”
“And Tontra has the witch’s.”
With that, Khalid brushed past me. Looked like he didn’t want to talk anymore. I wanted to pry further, but I didn’t follow him. No point poking at a touchy mage’s nerves.
First things first, I should tell the others about the witch’s cabin.
“Um…….”
“Shh!”
Just as I opened my mouth, Aquila shushed me, pressing a finger to her lips. What? I gave her a confused look, and then, out of nowhere……
-Rumble rumble rumble……
-Kwaaaa……
-Roooar……
A massive vibration shook my entire body, accompanied by a terrifying sound like the prelude to thunder. Goosebumps prickled down my back on instinct. Chilling. This noise……
“Golems.”
Aquila’s whisper confirmed my guess. I peered toward the far end of the valley she pointed at. Amid the swirling snow, what had looked like ordinary cliffs until moments ago were breaking off from the mountainside and slowly moving. Thud, thud, thud, thud……
And there was more than one. The Silver Mountains had the valley in the center, with gray golems on one side and navy golems on the other, fighting over territory. Damn it all, their battle was starting right now.
-Gulp.
I held my breath and watched the frightening yet awe-inspiring scene. The others did the same. Seeing mountains fighting each other like this, I suddenly understood exactly how myths were born and passed down. It was that intense…… that grand.
“Aquila, what do we do?”
Elle asked Aquila. Aquila replied without taking her eyes off the golems.
“See those biggest ones over there?”
Where Aquila pointed was the heart of the battle. The largest gray golem and the largest navy golem were slamming their shoulders into each other. Elle nodded. “I see them.”
“Once those two are smashed, the fight will take a primary break. That’s when we hurry through this section.”
“How long until they break?”
“No telling until they do.”
“So until then, we…….”
“Wait.”
Aquila pulled jerky from her pouch and stuck a piece in her mouth, clearly not wasting the wait. Ah, we hadn’t had lunch yet. Smart move. I followed suit, pulling out my own jerky.
“Even if they don’t break, the fight stops at sunset. Golems only activate when the sun’s up, basically.”
“The opposite of trolls, then.”
I muttered around my jerky. At least they stopped at night—relief there. Trying to break up a golem war would’ve been a real headache……
“If it doesn’t end by sunset, we camp outside the valley tonight. Then at dawn when light breaks…….”
“We cross quickly.”
Aquila nodded. The golem valley wasn’t that long. Hustle from dawn to noon, and we could make it like she planned.
We watched the golem war in silence.
-Kwaaaaaang!!!
-Crack…!
-Kuuuung!!!!
Rocks cracked, shattered, and tumbled in a scene that inspired fear yet exuded majesty. So this was what mountains fighting meant. I forgot to chew my jerky, staring blankly.
-Kwaaang!!!!!
The gray golem’s fist slammed into what I guessed was the navy golem’s solar plexus. The accumulated shock tore off one of the navy golem’s shoulders, sending it crashing down off-balance. Smaller golems got crushed underneath, shattering. Spine-chilling.
“Now.”
Aquila whispered. With the victor clear, time to move. We followed her along the valley’s edge. Barely enough for one person. One slip, and it was a deadly drop—my back crawled at the thought.
“Huff, huff…….”
Snowy paths were nothing like forest trails. Even I was winded, so the others must’ve struggled more. Actually, only Aquila and the goats were walking properly.
-Grgrgrgr……
After the most precarious cliff, just as I stepped onto open snowfield again, a strange tremor hit. Golems? But the fight was over. I looked at Aquila. Her green eyes were wide with alarm.
“Aquil…….”
“Avalanche! Run!”
Avalanche?
I looked up. White mist spread from a distant ridge like fog. Suddenly, a movie scene flashed in my mind. A man climbing a snowy mountain to escape mafia threats, only for their gunshots to……
‘Trigger an avalanche.’
Bang, bang, bang, bang…… The echoes of those shots. Snow piled silent and heavy collapses at the slightest vibration. One avalanche wiped out the protagonist’s enemies. Felt satisfying back then. Not so much now!
Should I use [Forest Protection]? The hemispherical plant shield is rock-solid, impenetrable. Downside: only fits two or three. At least Elle and Aquila……
“There! A cabin!”
Damn, Elle was faster. Way faster. Before I could act, her sharp reflexes had her fling open the cabin door and dive in. Aila followed, then the goats, Aquila, and Lloyd.
“…….”
“…….”
In that instant, Lloyd and I exchanged glances.
‘That’s the witch’s cabin, right?’
‘Yup, witch’s cabin.’
……No choice. Everyone else vanished inside. With Tontra asleep or whatever making the mana waves unstable, even a witch couldn’t pull off anything too crazy with cabin “magic,” right? Thinking that, I bolted for it. Khalid did too, leaping in with his golem. He beat me by a hair, so I slammed the door shut last.
-Bang!!!!!!!!
-Rumble rumble rumble!!!!!!!!
Avalanche hit the moment the door closed.
“Huff, huff…….”
I braced my back against the door, shoving with all my might to keep it shut. Felt the snow roar past the cabin. Only after the vibrations stopped did I come to, looking up. Whew, close call!
“Phew, ha…….”
Pitch black inside. Panting, I pulled a dawnstar fruit from my pouch. Soft light spread out.
“……Huh?”
Dawnstar light wasn’t magical-strong, but enough to illuminate every corner. Yet……
‘No one…… here?’
I’d clearly seen everyone enter with my own eyes, but the cabin was empty. Like I’d jumped in alone from the start.
That wasn’t all.
‘The walls…….’
Cabin was a tiny single room. But when I peeled off the door and took a few steps……
‘No walls.’
Gone. I’d seen them ten paces away. Tried going back—door vanished the moment I turned away, unreachable.
‘Damn…….’
Endless darkness.
I walked to find something. Weird—walked and walked, nothing. No walls, nothing. In this tiny cabin……
I’d been walking ‘ten minutes.’
-Giggle.
-Giggle giggle.
-Giggle.
And now, giggles echoed around me—man? Woman? Unclear……
‘Not a guts test.’
I swallowed dryly, veering from the laughs. Door gone, so opposite direction to the end.
If the owner set a trap, smash it.
“……Let’s go.”
I strode forward with purpose.