Chapter 151: Chapter 150: The Strange Ghost

The next day, there was still no sun in the sky, only vast expanses of dark clouds and shimmering auroras.

The group left the snow hut and continued their ascent, heading for the nearest pass on the World’s Roof. They planned to enter Snow Deer Valley quickly.

Colin followed behind Kase.

There were few trees on either side of the path, just rolling snow-covered hills.

Sunlight glinted off the vast expanse of white snow. Thankfully, their goggles spared them from the threat of snow blindness.

’As a materialist, if Ghosts truly existed in this world, then Colin would have to accept it. He’d try to treat them as just another type of living creature.’

’But... if he were honest with himself, there was no way he could remain composed if he came face-to-face with a real Ghost.’

With mixed feelings, Colin followed his companions, slowly approaching the pass in the World’s Roof.

It was only when they were standing right at its base that they could truly appreciate the towering height of the mountain range.

The peaks on either side of the pass pierced the pitch-black clouds. The change in elevation was so abrupt that it made one wonder if the pass below was a natural formation.

The closer they got, the more ferocious the surrounding gales became.

Shrieks echoed from all directions as the wind tore through rock crevices. Countless ice pellets, carried on the gale, pelted their bodies and faces. The stinging cold made it impossible to see the path ahead.

Colin had to grab his hood to keep it from being torn off by the wind.

They lowered their heads and trudged upward, one step at a time.

Halfway up, Colin suddenly heard Orelia shout from behind him, "Mr. Colin, Mr. Kase, I’m going to be blown away!" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

He looked back and saw the young Tiefling with her head tilted back, looking as if she was about to be blown over. Colin and Kase quickly grabbed one of her hands each and continued onward.

After struggling through the snow for what felt like an eternity, just as Colin—his face numb from the wind—was debating whether to put on his Helmet, the gale in front of them suddenly died down.

Having been pushing forward so hard, they all stumbled a few steps and tumbled right into a snowdrift.

Colin struggled to pull himself out of the snow.

The roar of the howling wind was now behind them. The breeze ahead was much gentler.

He looked up ahead.

The sky was the color of pale, dark clouds, threaded with hazy bands of light. At a glance, it looked like a shattered sheet of ice.

Snow-covered hills of all sizes were scattered in a picturesque landscape. Patches of snow-laden forest dotted the scene, and frozen rivers snaked through it like silver ribbons, connecting several equally frozen lakes.

Villages were scattered between the rivers and lakes, and he could faintly make out a few ant-sized figures moving among them.

’There are still people living here, even with the winter calamity being so severe?’

Colin was rather surprised.

Judging by the number of refugees in Thousand Masts City, he had assumed this place—the very source of the calamity—would be a living Purgatory.

’Then again, it made sense if he thought about it.’

’This region was always cold, so it was sparsely populated to begin with. The refugees in Thousand Masts City must have come from farther south, from places where life was barely sustainable. The winter calamity had frozen their crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and forcing them to flee even farther south.’

’The population here was probably small enough that they could subsist through the calamity.’

"This is where I was born. What is it those Wandering Poets say? ’Born and bred here,’" Kase said to the two with a smile. "I really wish I could bring you guys here in the summer. We’d have a fantastic time."

"Once this is all over, we can find a chance to come back for a visit," Colin said.

Orelia, though shivering from the cold, smiled and said, "I’ll look forward to that!"

With that, the group started heading down.

The snow was so thick that even Kase couldn’t be sure where the path was, so they just picked a direction and walked.

They continued down until they reached the woods at the foot of the mountain.

Colin couldn’t help but ask, "It’s all barren rock out there. Why are there trees growing here?"

"If you’re asking me, I’ve got no idea how Lady Rime does it," Kase said casually. "Same way I don’t know how she makes snow fall from the sky."

THWAP!

He suddenly felt an impact on top of his head, like someone had slapped it.

Colin reached up and felt a few fragments of packed snow.

’A snowball?’

"Hm? What was that?" He rested a hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist and scanned the area, but he didn’t see anyone.

Kase glanced back. "Probably just snow falling off a branch."

He hadn’t taken two more steps before another snowball smacked him on the head.

This time, Colin didn’t just take it. He vigorously shook the small tree nearest to him.

This only served to shower him with snow, but something small fell out as well.

Colin, expecting a squirrel, looked down to see a tiny Snowman with hands, feet, a nose, and eyes. A cold mist radiated from its body, and its eyes glowed with a faint blue light.

’This is a legendary Cold Light Walker? A real, actual Ghost!?’

"Something fell out, Kase!"

As he shouted, Colin flung the leather cover off his Giant Sword and instantly entered his Sword Dance stance.

He stared intently at the tiny figure struggling in the snowdrift, unable to get up, eager to see what this Ghost was capable of.

Snow had landed on Kase’s head too. He was about to complain when he turned around and saw the creature, and he just laughed.

"Isn’t that a Snow Elf? You guys are really lucky to run into one as soon as you got here." He waved a hand at Colin. "Put your sword away! They’re not aggressive, usually!"

"Running into a squirrel that throws snowballs? I guess that is good luck," Colin said sarcastically. "What exactly is this thing?"

"They’re spirits of Nature. They like to mimic what mortals do. It was probably just playing with you," Kase said.

As they spoke, a whole crowd of Snow Elves suddenly rushed out from nowhere. Some were bare, while others wore clothes made of leaves. The little creatures held up twigs and shards of ice, circling the travelers like an army parading with its weapons.

Some of the smaller Snow Elves clambered up Kase’s and Orelia’s legs to sit on their shoulders or backpacks.

A few even grabbed Orelia’s braids and started swinging back and forth. Judging from the Tiefling’s expression, they weren’t heavy enough to hurt her.

"So... what do we do now?" Orelia asked, unsure how to react. She had more Snow Elves on her than anyone else.

"Just go about your business. They’ll leave on their own after a bit. If they’re in a good mood, they might even leave a gift."

Kase said over his shoulder as he walked, "Speaking of which, they’re also the ones who carry out Lady Rime’s punishments. The one I got, for example. Of course, these little things are all governed by the Gods. They don’t have a choice in the matter."

Colin fell into step behind him.

A few Snow Elves got on all fours, acting as warhorses, while others rode them. The riders conjured snowballs out of thin air and pelted Colin with them, having the time of their lives.

’These little things are pretty aggressive,’ Colin thought. ’Is it because I’m not from this world?’

The Snow Elves followed them for a while before disappearing as quietly as they had come.

Colin suddenly felt a chill on his chest. He reached down and tugged at his collar, discovering a new necklace around his neck. On it hung a talisman shaped like a small snowball.

[Feast Talisman]

[Create Food and Water: Creates enough food and water for fifteen people in front of the user. The food is guaranteed to spoil within twenty-four hours. It has three uses and can only be used by its recipient.]

"Kase, what is this?" Colin asked, holding up the necklace.

"That’s their gift. A little trinket that can perform Cantrips," Kase said. "Your luck’s not bad. I, on the other hand, can’t expect anything from them."

From behind them, Orelia felt around and cried out in delight, "Oh, great! I got one too!"

’So, does this mean we don’t have to worry about starving for at least six days in an emergency? This thing is actually pretty useful.’

Thinking about it that way, Colin found the little Snowmen to be a lot less annoying.