007. Eternal Ice That Never Melts
2022.04.07.
A few days later.
Near the Forest of Death on the eastern edge of the Gana Continent.
A sound of bones crunching echoed through the area.
Crunch.Crunch.
Bin, with his black hair, strode forward, stepping on countless skeletal remains.
He had come here for one reason: to find the relic weapon known as Shabest, slumbering in this place.
Shabest. A superior weapon infused with chilling frost, crafted by a dwarf of exceptional skill.
Unlike in the past, weapons made by dwarves were exceedingly rare compared to ordinary ones. The dwarves had vanished from the world.
The reason for their disappearance remained a mystery.
As Bin recalled Shabest, a sudden smile crept across his face.
An image of a certain dwarf flashed in his mind.
"I wouldn't mind seeing my master from my younger days... He must be hunched over now, shorter than before. What a stubborn old man."
In his previous life, the dwarf Ront had taught the one-armed Bin the art of crafting.
Bin smiled at the thought of meeting him again.
But his expression soon turned bittersweet.
"Though he'd probably never recognize me now."
The "one-legged blacksmith" Ront. Among the most skilled dwarves, he was a master craftsman—and the very one who had forged Shabest.
Bin's reminiscence was brief. He pressed on along his path.
His reason for seeking Shabest was simple.
Frostbite.
The three-headed dragon Cerberian.
To face that beast, he couldn't ignore its breath attack.
As he pondered ways to counter the breath, Shabest had come to mind.
In his previous timeline, someone else would have claimed it first.
But things were different now.
"Regression has its perks, in more ways than one."
Thanks to his memories from before, Bin knew Shabest had been unearthed from the "Shobe Cave" near the Forest of Death.
He even remembered the hidden anecdotes and cryptic clues.
One such tale went like this:
Ront, ever the womanizer, had ventured into the Shobe Cave—only to flee for his life, using the shiny Shabest, a harpy favorite, as bait to escape.
It had been discovered near Bascon lands, so the memory stuck vividly.
But one problem lingered.
He didn't understand the meaning of the riddle-like clues.
"What the hell do 'eternal ice that never melts' and 'hungry yeti' even mean...?"
With no way to decipher them further, he decided to chase the harpies blindly.
Maybe that'll lead me to the Shobe Cave? A vague hope.
The enigmas left his mind in a tangle.
"I have no friggin' clue..."
Bin ruffled his hair in frustration with both hands.
But he couldn't give up now.
He had stirred the pot.
'After messing with Billy and Shirley, Willie will come sniffing around for sure.'
With Shabest, he wouldn't lose to Willie Bascon.
Bin recited the riddle once more in his head.
'Eternal ice that never melts and a hungry yeti... Hungry...'
Repeating "hungry," his stomach growled right on cue.
Grrrrowl.
Bin stared blankly at the absurdity.
'...'
But it made sense enough. He'd been bushwhacking since morning without a bite.
His pallid face clutched his belly as he scanned around.
Nothing but brush and trees—no food in sight.
He wandered the undergrowth briefly.
Then something caught his eye.
Atop a tall tree, red fruit like oversized apples gleamed enticingly.
Head-sized, ripe and luscious. Saliva pooled unbidden in his mouth.
Bin pondered how to snag it.
"No other way around it, I guess..."
He glanced about, then drew his Bow Sword.
A curved blade shaped like a wild boar's tusk.
As it appeared, Bin's power surged from 8th-class knight to 6th-class.
Thanks to the innate "Boar's Might" within the Bow Sword.
Stooped from hunger moments ago, Bin now straightened tall.
Empowered by the boar's vigor, he swung at the tree.
Thwack!Thwack!Thwack!Thwack...!
Like a lumberjack felling timber.
Soon, the massive trunk tilted and crashed down.
Thud!!
Dust billowed, but Bin ignored it.
"Definitely not the same as before."
He admired the Bow Sword with quiet pride.
A normal blade would've taken over a hundred strikes.
But this? Ten swings, tops.
Bin approached the treetop where the fruit hung.
Two crimson orbs dangled from a single branch, mouthwatering in his starved state.
As his hand reached out—
A harpy swooped in before his eyes.
In a flash, its long talons snatched the branch.
Bin gaped in stunned silence.
"......"
Harpies. 7th-grade monsters with bird lower bodies and women's torsos.
This one fluttered in the air, red hair whipping wildly.
It smirked at Bin.
Infuriating, no matter who saw it.
"You little...!"
Bin ached to snap its wing bones.
But a big issue: it could fly.
No bow, grounded—he was helpless. Frustration boiled.
Then he recalled the sword wind from his fight with Billy and Shirley.
He switched the Bow Sword to his left hand.
Gripping his bandaged right fist, black energy welled up.
Shiiiing.
"Eat this!"
Whoosh!
A black-infused sword wind tore through the air toward the harpy.
Larger than before.
The harpy blinked in shock at the incoming strike.
"......!"
It beat one wing hard, dodging sideways.
Swish—
It sighed in relief.
"Phew..."
Bin clenched his right fist again and swung at the harpy.
It flinched, recalling the prior attack.
But contrary to Bin's intent, no sword wind flew.
Even at 6th-class, chaining them was beyond him yet.
But Bin wasn't one to quit.
Fueled by rage, he slashed relentlessly at the ground.
"I'll keep going till it works."
He flailed wildly, swinging every which way.
The harpy snickered at the spectacle.
"Pfft."
Treating him like a court jester for its amusement.
"Hee-hee. Hee-hee."
Mocking him, relying on its flight.
Bin fixed it with icy, murderous glare.
"Laughing...?"
"......!"
Those eyes promised devouring her whole.
Chill rippled through the harpy at the killing intent.
Sensing danger, it whipped around and fled.
"Where do you think you're going...?"
As Bin pursued—
Something clutched in its opposite talon caught his eye.
"A gem?! Thought it was ice at first glance...!"
His mind sparked, fixating on the "ice" clue.
A grin tugged his lips.
Like a knot unraveling.
"Looks like you just solved one of the riddles for me."
Bin dashed after the harpy.
* * *
Near the Forest of Death.
Jagged rocks littered the ground.
Bin hid behind one, watching the harpy.
Oblivious to him, it glanced left and right.
Checking if her pursuer from before was still coming.
Seeing no Bin, it flew to a nearby rock and pressed its head against it.
'Why's it rubbing its head on the rock...?'
Bin puzzled over the bizarre behavior.
Against expectations, a miracle unfolded.
The rock shimmered like a mirage, and the harpy slipped inside.
Bin's jaw dropped.
'It went into the rock...'
Now he understood why no one had found the Shobe Cave before.
He scanned around, then moved to the exact spot.
A broad, massive boulder. Looked utterly real.
With skeptical eyes, Bin stepped forward tentatively.
"......!"
Incredibly, his foot passed right through.
'Something's inside.'
Convinced, Bin strode into the rock.
* * *
Inside, darkness enveloped him.
But ahead, in the gloom, a brilliant light shone.
'What's that?'
Step. Step.
Following the glow, Bin emerged into an unexpected sight.
'This place is...?!'
Crystals glittered everywhere, like stepping into a temple.
Who had hauled so many here? Or did they form naturally?
As awe welled up at the mystery—
A flock of harpies dangled upside-down from the ceiling, deep in slumber.
Bin held his breath, fearing they'd wake.
'If all those woke up, it'd be a nightmare. But looks like I found the right spot.'
His certainty solidified in this eerie space.
He scanned for riddle clues.
Then something seized his gaze.
A massive crystal statue in the center.
Shaped like a monster's head.
Mindful of the sleeping harpies, Bin crept closer.
It felt like the key to this enigmatic place.
Bin couldn't stop marveling at the statue before him.
'Who knew a spot like this hid at the edge of the Forest of Death...'
Every feature, every hair—crafted with a master's soul (?).
His past self might've matched it, but now? Far beyond his skill.
Whoever carved it brimmed with lifelike vitality.
'The "eternal ice that never melts" clue must mean these crystals. So the "hungry yeti"...'
Chin on his hand, Bin pondered.
Sudden realization hit—he spun around.
The crystal statue's red eyes snapped open.
Its mouth gaped wide.
Bin smirked coldly at the beast.
"Knew it was you. The hungry yeti."
