Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Journey to the Demon Realm (5)
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“Ugh, can’t breathe…”
“Let’s get down quick.”
Having barely reached the summit, we took a short moment to look around before immediately starting our descent.
Even for us, who had entered the superhuman realm, it was tough to endure for long in a place this high up where oxygen was scarce.
“Plants!”
Vine quickly summoned some plants and crafted ski gear, handing it out to us.
She herself hopped onto the latest model of plant intelligence board, where the plants moved on their own.
Vine handed me and Marey the ski gear. Daisy and I prepared to head down, just like on the way up, with one person held in our arms each.
I was demonstrating basic moves and explaining them to Marey and Daisy, who had never skied before.
“If you do anything risky again this time, you’re dead…”
Rainy, who was paired with me once more, left me with that truly terrifying threat.
In response, I tugged on Rainy’s cheek, who was wearing the cute furry hat Vine had made.
“Got it.”
“This is fun.”
As expected of Marey and Daisy, whose athleticism was beyond superhuman, they picked up skiing in the short lesson time and effortlessly pulled off advanced maneuvers.
“You’re naturals. Let’s head down.”
Thrilled to have recruited those two, we began our full descent from the 10,000-meter height on skis.
Pababap.
The mountain’s steep slopes made our speed pick up fast. To keep from losing her, I patted Rainy, whom I held in front, and skillfully navigated downward.
“This is fucking awesome!”
Daisy’s cheers echoed from below, where she was keeping a safe distance.
She seemed to have already gotten hooked on skiing.
“Ugh…”
Unlike the cheering Daisy, Laura, nestled in my arms, had gone pale as a ghost and looked like she was dying.
But hey, if even one person’s having fun, that’s good enough, right?
Swooooosh.
It felt like over 20 years had passed since the last time I’d skied, across my past and present lives, but this cheat-level body adapted instantly. I could pull off high-difficulty moves I’d never dreamed of before.
I boasted proudly to Rainy, who was trembling in my arms.
“How’s this? I’m killing it, right?”
“Worst ride ever…”
“Try enjoying it. Might be fun?”
“I think I’m gonna puke…”
“…I’ll drive carefully.”
After messing around for a while, I felt my head cool off. To preserve Rainy’s dignity, I eased up on the speed and prioritized stability.
Sloooowly.
We were descending steadily, if a bit slower than Daisy and Marey’s group.
Rainy, who had been blankly staring at the scenery from my arms, suddenly went deathly pale.
“Ra…Raden!”
“What?”
Rainy urgently pounded on my back.
Thinking her hand felt awfully hot, I turned my head—and chills ran down my spine.
Far off, in a spot so high it was barely visible, a mass of snow was cascading down.
An avalanche—the number one killer of mountaineers.
“Kyaaah!”
Rainy let out a high-pitched scream, and I quickly assessed the situation before shouting down to Marey and Daisy below.
“Avalanche up top! Watch out below!”
Worried my voice wouldn’t carry the distance, I was relieved when they nodded and picked up speed—they’d heard me.
Confirming they were descending safely, I pulled Rainy behind me and drew my sword.
“Sh-shouldn’t we run too?”
A terrified Rainy suggested fleeing, but I lightly shook my head.
“No point. We can’t outrun that thing.”
On a gentle slope, maybe, but this mountain was so sheer it felt like a 90-degree drop.
The snow was pretty dry too.
In conditions like this, avalanches could hit 300 km/h.
Even I couldn’t dodge crevasses while carrying Rainy and outpace it.
Better to brace and endure the snow head-on.
Thudududung.
No sooner had I thought that than the avalanche closed in.
“Close your eyes.”
I gently covered the trembling Rainy’s eyes and curled around her protectively.
Woooong.
I maxed out my mana and holy power, planting my legs firmly.
“Strength, Holy Shield.”
Gratefully, Rainy—still shaking—layered on multiple buff spells and shields.
Kugugugung!
With a world-shaking roar, the avalanche hit full force.
Thudududuk.
The shield activated instantly, resisting the snow, but the sheer weight piling up crushed it in moments.
It was no ordinary scale—maybe an entire peak had collapsed.
Snow buried everything around the shield, blocking out the light.
“Oxygen’s gonna run low.”
Already thin at this altitude, it was getting worse.
“Hah… hah…”
I could hold out even in space, but ordinary Rainy was already gasping from oxygen deprivation.
The snow over me? Once the avalanche stopped, I could punch through easy. But if Rainy’s brain got damaged from lack of oxygen first? Disaster.
“Hup…”
I stroked the struggling Rainy and held my breath.
With limited air in this tight space, I wanted to ration it all to her.
Kugugugung.
The avalanche dragged on, and Rainy—who’d been full of anxiety—started giggling dazedly.
The moment unease hit me.
…
The outside went quiet. Without hesitation, I scooped up Rainy and tunneled upward through the snow.
Giggling from oxygen shortage meant her brain functions were declining.
To save Rainy, I had to escape ASAP.
Single-mindedly climbing to save Rainy, I suddenly heard.
“Raden!”
“Rainy!”
Women’s voices calling from above.
They were safe—thank goodness.
Pababat.
Energized knowing I was nearly out, I burst through the snow vigorously.
“Huff… huff…”
I laid Rainy down first, and she greedily gulped air.
Her eyes clearing as she breathed steadily—crisis averted.
“…That was insanely deep.”
Laura peeked into the hole I’d climbed from and whistled.
Looking down, the tunnel seemed bottomless.
We must’ve tumbled into a deep crevasse during the avalanche.
“Phew… Nearly went to meet the goddess.”
“I did and came back.”
“Crazy…”
After a quick oxygen break, Rainy recovered and sat up.
Relieved, I glanced around.
No idea how far we’d tumbled—from mid-mountain with thin air, now oxygen was plentiful here.
“About 3,000 meters, I’d say.”
Daisy scanned around and gave her curt estimate.
If she was right, I’d rolled nearly 2 km…
Ugh, never again.
“Ah, try this.”
“Ah…”
Seeing Rainy covered in Vine’s summoned plants, being fed soup by Nania, I decided it was time for a break.
The demon king’s castle was next after the descent—might be our last rest, so worth a long one.
I approached Vine, our party’s chief engineer.
“Vine, we’re resting here. Help make a campsite?”
Other parties had to chop wood and pitch tents—tedious stuff.
Our all-purpose engineer Rainy could snap her fingers for luxury digs.
“One sec.”
As expected, no big deal. Vine closed her eyes and worked her miracle, growing plants in the snow-covered mountain.
I was thinking she should be classified as a spirit user, not an archer, when—
Crunch. Crunch.
Footsteps approached through the dry snow.
“Ambush…?”
The resting party members sensed it and naturally readied for battle.
With our fatigue high, it’d be a tough fight—I tensed up.
Groooar.
The sources appeared.
Snow-white fur.
Massive builds.
“Yeti…”
The legendary creatures had arrived.