Chapter 150: Third-Year Mission Activity (3)
The Eternal Gorge lay within the Thousand-Year Mountains. That went without saying. A gorge was terrain carved out by mountains, after all. Even so, there was a reason the barbarians distinguished between the two.
First off, the gorge itself was massive. It couldn't compare to the Thousand-Year Mountains that connected the Empire to the northern continent, but purely in terms of area, it dwarfed most kingdoms. On top of that, the deeply sunken landscape funneled all the northern continent's frigid air into one spot. As a result, the gorge's interior was dozens of times colder than the mountains themselves. The reason it was called the Eternal Gorge was that it froze even time—or so the saying went. Of course, that was just a figure of speech; it earned the name because it preserved its frozen state forever.
All these factors led the barbarians to treat them as separate places. To them, the Eternal Gorge was a place of dread. But with solid preparation, it wasn't impossible to enter. And that's how we made it in too.
"Watch your step. The gorge floor is slippery."
A barbarian's advice. But contrary to that simple warning, it was far beyond just slippery. The long-neglected snow had frozen solid into ice.
He pointed down into the gorge next.
"Fall in there, and even we'd have a hard time finding you."
His fingertip indicated a chasm so deep the bottom vanished from sight. We were traversing about midway up the gorge walls, not the floor below—and for good reason. In the worst spots, it hit absolute zero, a realm no human could casually enter. Even monsters steered clear.
We explored the gorge for roughly five hours. No major finds. The scholars just fiddled with the magic devices in their hands, grumbling away.
"Location should be right around here..."
"If not for this cold..."
The devices were trackers designed to locate traces of the ancient kingdom. Relics from northern continent kingdoms turned up occasionally, and their unique mana wavelengths allowed for these gadgets. But the Eternal Gorge's chill froze mana itself. Signals kept cutting out.
"Let's take a break."
I made the suggestion. We'd pushed non-stop, and everyone was beat. The scholars looked okay on the surface, but inside? Stamina spent, propped up only by endless curiosity.
They accepted right away. The expedition set up a temporary camp nearby and rested.
"Rana, water. You too, Princess."
"Thanks, Kyle."
"Thank you."
I tended to them first. In a gorge full of unknown threats, Rana and Ariel were worth more than my own life. They were the protagonists, after all.
But I didn't stop there. I built a fire to chase off the cold and handed out rations to restore energy. No telling when we'd move out again, so max out stamina whenever possible.
Then the others. The adventurers gnawed jerky and chugged water like pros.
Checks done, I returned to Rana by the fire. She leaned into me.
"It's tougher than I thought, Kyle..."
"Just a bit longer. Dinner in a few hours—we'll head back to camp then."
Was it too much for her? Rana, who never complained, sounded drained. If she was like this, the other students were a lost cause. Once we stopped, exhaustion etched their faces.
But this struggle was theirs to conquer. That's what graduating the academy and entering adulthood meant. Tiranis assigned these missions for that reason.
Of course, I could help. That's how the world worked—mutual aid.
"Rana, copy me. Gather mana in your fingertips..."
I taught her a trick perfect for times like this. Handy at her current level.
"Whoa... fatigue's gone."
"Don't overuse it. Five times a day max, or it stops working."
"Gotcha."
Her face brightened as she nestled against my shoulder. A few adventurers and barbarians wandered over, curious, and asked for the rundown. No reason to hide it, so I shared freely.
"Ooh, neat trick..."
"Thanks."
Grateful nods, satisfied returns.
Finally, the students approached for lessons. That's when I felt eyes on me—Ariel.
"Something wrong, Princess?"
"That technique... you invented it?"
"Something like that."
I answered, but her stare lingered. The lingering physical pull from her made it grating.
"If you explain why, I'd appreciate it."
"N-no, it's nothing..."
She looked away, but the sidelong glances kept coming. I sighed inwardly and rested more.
The group broke for about an hour. We were gearing up to resume when—
"Hey! Guess what I found!"
A man sprinting from afar—the scholar who'd stepped away earlier. Something clutched in his hand.
Back with the group, he showed it off.
"Check it—an ancient kingdom relic from the ice floor...!"
Ariel's eyes flew wide.
"Drop it NOW!"
"Huh? What the—"
Her urgent shout had me inspecting the relic. An engraved magic circle. Archaic design, mismatched with modern systems, but readable. A trap. Explosion type.
It started glowing. Detonation imminent.
I snatched it and hurled it into the gorge depths.
KABOOM!!
Flames erupted skyward, the ground quaking like an earthquake. Thankfully, no further damage.
"Phew..."
"Hah, damn..."
Ariel and I exhaled in relief. Without her warning or my quick toss, we'd all be dead.
"......"
"......"
Silence gripped the expedition. They'd grasped the razor-thin escape.
Ariel turned to the scholar. "I get you're thrilled about the relic, but please be more careful..."
RUMBLE!!
The ground heaved—far worse than before.
"Everyone back! That blast must've—!"
Ariel shouted. I yanked Rana rearward first. About to pull the princess from the gorge when—
"Ah..."
The ground beneath Ariel caved in.
"Fuck...!"
Curse flying, my body was already lunging. A plunge that deep meant certain death.
"Grab on!"
"G-got...!"
She barely snagged my hand. As I hauled her up, my own footing crumbled.
"Shit..."
Bent low, tough to react. Magic deployment lagged in the cold; mana sluggish. Debris rained down, hindering me. Protecting her limited wild moves.
We tumbled into the abyss together. I crushed her close, twisting to take the fall on my back.
"Kyiiiyle!!"
Rana reaching out—that was my last memory.
Kyle vanished into the gorge depths. The barbarians had warned about that place repeatedly. A fall there meant no survival. Death, plain and simple.
Rana couldn't accept it. She surged mana, unfolding a summoning circle. Had to save him before it was too late.
But a barbarian gripped her shoulder, halting her.
"It's fine, girl. No worries."
"But..."
He pulled a magic device from his pouch.
"Normally, instant death down there. But look."
It was the position tracker and life-sign indicator issued to the whole expedition. Two lights blinked on the display.
"How bright?"
"Very..."
"Exactly. Still shining. Means alive. Perfectly fine."
Not every inch of the depths was human-proof. That's why some survived falls occasionally.
"And with his skills, I doubt he'd die."
The gorge taxed even barbarians. Yet he'd strolled it casually, excess energy to spare. No way such a man perished easily.
"So back to camp, gear up, and rescue. The sooner, the better odds."
The barbarian rallied the expedition. Rana saw the logic and followed. But she couldn't tear her eyes from the gorge until it faded from view.
"Kyle... you have to be alive..."
Her voice thick with worry, she headed to camp.
Drip, drip. Liquid tickled my cheek. Awareness snapped back, last memory flooding in.
I opened my eyes, scanning surroundings.
"Phew..."
Ariel lay unconscious right beside me. Unharmed, luckily. My back ached instead.
I shook her gently.
"Princess, time to wake up."
"Ungh... ah!"
Her eyes flew open like mine. But recovery lagged—dazed from the impact.
"Wh-where...?"
I glanced around at her question. A structure caught my eye—an ice fortress, alien to modern architecture.
Instinct screamed its identity, even if the setting never specified.
"Looks like... we found the ancient kingdom."
Somehow, Ariel and I had stumbled on the very prize the expedition sought.