Chapter 36: The Mercenary Quest—2
Surprisingly, it was still dusk when we reached the Zakara Mountains, traveling nearly five miles on foot through the forest heavily layered with snow.
The sun wasn’t there yet, but the golden rays that dispersed throughout the sky drew an alluring atmosphere all around. It was pleasant. The true beauty of nature.
The Zakara Mountains were tall, layered with ice and almost touched the dusk sky. They stood as if holding their utmost pride. Each one of the mountains was the same.
From here on, our journey would begin through rocks and stone—but of course, covered with snow—and various traps hidden under those snow and glaciers.
Of course, I hadn’t climbed a mountain before. However, I had a basic understanding of mountain climbing. The easiest paths on a mountain were most likely to be dead-end traps. We had to be careful about that. Besides, we didn’t know where the demon was camouflaging itself. If we were unable to locate its concealment, we might get ambushed.
"Shall we start our journey then, Shika?" I asked as I prepared.
"Wait a minute, Zanthrix." She replied. "Let me take my usual appearance first."
She then changed to her Iceborn appearance. The human-like skin turned bluish swiftly. Then she continued.
"I am an Iceborn. This kind of environment is most suitable for me. Climbing these mountains is no big deal. I can do this effortlessly."
That’s an Iceborn for you. I thought smilingly and said, "It’s good that we can rely on your Iceborn instincts. This way, we can avoid the dead ends spread around the mountains."
"Right of course. I’m capable of much more than simply detecting hidden traps. I can sense changes in the weather too. And right now, I don’t think any obstacle will be on our way."