Glacier Expedition

Tick-tock—

The glacial meltwater fell onto the ice and water surfaces of the tunnel, making a crisp sound.

In the dim, icy world, the faint torchlight, refracted by the surrounding environment, reveals the glacier's wondrous and dreamlike turquoise color.

Accompanied by crystal-clear roads and winding underground structures.

This place is like a dream, a fairyland from a fairy tale.

Linsey and Red had no interest in appreciating the scenery; they were walking carefully, one in front of the other.

Linsey, walking ahead, gripped the Handheld Radar, not daring to miss any changes that came into her perception.

He also checked the map from time to time.

In the area the two had not yet set foot in, the world below Black Mountain remained pitch black, with no terrain yet discovered.

But there is also good news.

The map resumed its normal recording function after they passed through the areas they visited.

This feeling is similar to the Fog of War or map unlocking function in a game. The map can only play its intended role after the player has actually arrived at it.

Tick-tock—

Amidst the sound of melting water, Red followed closely behind Linsey.

Holding the [Wood Poison Javelin], she provided cover for the two while also asking, out of curiosity:

"Linsey, is your investigative ability severely limited?"

Linsey nodded in reply:

"That guy called Dark Abyss dared to do these things under the feet of the Dragon Beast, so he must have taken corresponding covert measures. Even though I have many skills and abilities, I can't escape the limitations of technique in the end."

"It's understandable that we would encounter this situation."

Hong accepted this explanation and continued, "What if we suddenly run into the enemy?"

Linsey replied:

"Then I will let you know in advance."

"Large-scale map reconnaissance is ineffective, but I still have small-scale reconnaissance methods."

At this point, Linsey added, "By the way, I just want to remind you to act immediately when the time comes, without waiting for any other orders."

"Aren't you going to try and extract information?" Red's tone was somewhat teasing. "The Revivalist here know far more information than the guys outside!"

Linsey answered without hesitation, "Then you'd better not even give him a chance to speak!"

Gaining more information is definitely a good thing.

But Linsey knew in his heart that their current situation was far too dangerous. Compared to extracting intelligence, he felt that ensuring the covert operation was the top priority.

The terrain inside the glacier is extremely complex.

Although the meltwater has a fairly stable flow, the winding tunnels and caves are unpredictable. Coupled with Linsey and Red's extremely cautious approach, their journey was significantly slowed.

Almost a day has passed.

They had only traveled about one-third of the horizontal distance within the glacier.

It will take at least two more days to reach the foot of Black Mountain.

Moreover, in order to minimize disturbance, they even stopped all tunnel digging operations.

Unless you stumble into a dead end that you can't get around.

They all made the most of the existing natural terrain to move forward.

certainly.

This situation is not entirely a burden.

A day had passed, Linsey's map had covered a considerable area. At least within the scouted area, they didn't need to worry about being suddenly confronted by enemies.

That night, Linsey led Red to an open area that had been explored on the map, and chose a low-lying ice cave.

There are three tunnels here, leading in different directions into the glacier.

Even if something unexpected happens, they can slip away quietly without making a sound.

Sitting in the freezing ice cave, Red immediately urged, "Linsey, start a fire!"

"I need a campfire to warm myself."

Linsey showed no intention of taking any action.

He simply laid two layers of wood on the ground to ensure he wouldn't sleep directly on the ice that night. As for the red figure urging him on, Linsey simply asked in a flat tone:

"Didn't I give you an accessory that can protect you from the cold?"

Hong reached out and tapped the glacier beside her. "It feels different!"

"Sleeping in a place with fire and sleeping in a place without fire are completely different experiences!"

Linsey decisively refused:

"Torchlighting is already quite dangerous, let alone cooking."

Hong's expression immediately turned ugly.

But soon she realized something else, and her expression turned even uglier.

"Wait! Aren't you going to light a fire?"

"So, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

Linsey's tone remained completely unchanged. "How about eating the Meat Biscuit I prepared? Are you happy?"

"..."

The girl's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Even if I have a thousand reasons not to.

But Red also understood that Linsey was right.

After a miserable meal of awful Meat Biscuit with Linsey, the two of them fell asleep right there on the wooden plank.

Even resting at night doesn't bring peace of mind.

The glacier itself makes some strange squeaking and creaking sounds.

This could be due to the ice blocks rubbing against each other and breaking, the formation of new cracks, or the noise made by the flow of meltwater.

Moreover, some of the ice melted.

Air bubbles trapped inside glaciers can also be released or even burst, which will also produce a sound!

Ordinary people may not perceive it clearly.

But for two awakened beings who are already highly perceptive.

This sound would ring out every now and then, as if the glacier itself was reminding them of the danger here.

Click—

Click click click—

"Whoosh—!" "Linsey, is the sound getting louder?"

"..."

"I think you heard me right."

"But unless you evaporate the entire glacier, there's nothing we can do."

"Those random, nonsensical abilities of yours..."

"I suggest you save your mind and go to sleep."

"But you can't sleep either, can you?"

"..."

The next morning.

The two woke up almost at the same time.

This wasn't because their schedules had become completely synchronized during the long journey, but rather because resting in the middle of a glacier was hardly a pleasant experience.

After a short rest, the two continued on their way.

We continued forward through the ice tunnel we had explored yesterday.

Half a day later, the two entered a larger ice cave once again.

Having explored for over a day, they were quite skilled.

Linsey took the lead, grabbed the radar, and jumped down to survey the environment; Red followed closely behind and jumped down as well.

Click—

Immediately, the ice beneath their feet made a crisp sound.

Linsey instantly turned to look at Red and found that the girl was already a head shorter than her and was falling rapidly downwards.

—The ice here is so thin and brittle, the red ice has crumbled!

The next second, Linsey realized something else.

—I fell down too?!

This ice cave looks perfectly normal, but the structure of the ground is not.

The fragile ice was perfectly fair to the two of them, and they fell downwards through the air, one after the other.

Because it's so far from the wall, there's no way to get any cushioning here!

In a moment of desperation, Linsey immediately pulled out Vine Wood Whip from her bag and lashed it out in all directions.

Swoosh—

Snap! If it were an ordinary whip, it certainly wouldn't be able to get stuck on the smooth ice wall.

But Linsey has the help of the [Game Player] ability.

He equipped the bow and arrow on his Attribute Panel, and then swung the Vine Wood Whip, the tip of which gained the penetrating power of the bow and arrow.

With a soft "plop, "the Vine Wood Whip pierced firmly into the ice.

Linsey then used her strength to pull Hong into her arms, and the two of them leaned against the ice wall.

"There are caves here too? What's going on?!"

The two cursed and stuck their weapons into the ice, finally stopping their fall.

Linsey looked down.

The broken ice beneath their feet continued to fall, and the pitch-black cave stretched endlessly into the distance! "Linsey, let's hurry up and climb up!"

Red was about to leave, but Linsey interrupted the girl:

"Wait, wait a minute!"

"Perhaps we can try going down further."