Chapter 249: Glacier Exploration
Chapter 249: Glacier Exploration
Tick... Tick...
The dripping sound of melting glacier water echoed on the icy surface and water below, creating a crisp melody.
In the dimly lit world of ice, the faint glow of the torch reflected off the surroundings, revealing the glacier's enchanting, dreamlike turquoise hue.
Along with the crystal-clear path and the winding underground structures, the place seemed like a fairyland from a fantasy.
However, Lindsey and Hong had no intention of admiring the scenery; they moved cautiously, one after the other.
Lindsey, leading the way, held a Handheld Radar, carefully monitoring any changes in his perception.
From time to time, he also checked the map.
The area below Black Mountain, where they had not yet ventured, remained pitch black, with no terrain detected.
But there was a silver lining.
As they moved, the map regained its normal recording function in the areas they had passed.
It felt like a game's fog of war or map unlocking feature; the map could only function as intended after players physically reached a location.
Tick... Tick...
As the melting water dripped, Hong followed closely behind Lindsey.
Holding a Poisoned Spear, she provided cover for both of them while curiously asking, "Lindsey, is your scouting ability severely restricted?"
Lindsey nodded and replied, "That guy, Dark Abyss, must have taken corresponding measures to hide these things under the Dragon Beast's feet. Even with my diverse skills, I can't escape the limitations of my abilities."
"It's understandable that we're facing this situation."
Hong accepted this explanation and continued, "But what if we suddenly bump into enemies?"
Lindsey responded, "I'll let you know in advance."
"Large-scale reconnaissance on the map is ineffective, but I can still do small-scale scouting."
At this point, Lindsey added, "By the way, I just need to remind you to take action immediately when the time comes, without waiting for further orders."
"Aren't you planning to extract information?" Hong teased, "The Revivers here definitely know more than those outside!"
Lindsey's answer was resolute, "Then you better make sure he doesn't even have time to speak!"
Gaining more information was undoubtedly beneficial.
But Lindsey was well aware that their current situation was extremely dangerous. Compared to information extraction, maintaining stealth was his top priority.
...
The internal terrain of the glacier was intricate.
Although the melting water flowed in a relatively stable pattern, the winding tunnels and caves were unpredictable. Additionally, Lindsey and Hong's cautious progress significantly slowed their journey.
After nearly a day,
They had only traveled about a third of the horizontal distance within the glacier.
It would take at least two more days to reach directly beneath Black Mountain.
Moreover, to minimize noise, they even halted their tunnel-digging activities.
Unless they encountered an unavoidable dead end,
They relied on the existing natural terrain as much as possible.
Of course, these circumstances weren't entirely detrimental.
After a day, Lindsey's map had recorded a substantial area. At least within the detected range, they didn't have to worry about suddenly encountering enemies.
That night, Lindsey and Hong retreated to a spacious area on the map and chose a low-lying ice cave with three tunnels leading in different directions within the glacier.
Even if something unexpected happened, they could quietly slip away unnoticed.
Sitting in the icy cave, Hong immediately urged, "Lindsey, start a campfire!"
"I need a campfire to warm myself up."
Lindsey showed no intention of moving.
He simply laid two layers of wood on the ground to avoid sleeping directly on the ice. As for Hong's urging, Lindsey calmly asked,
"Didn't I give you an accessory to resist the cold?"
Hong knocked on the glacier beside her, "It feels different!"
"Sleeping in a place with fire and without fire are completely different experiences!"
Lindsey firmly refused,
"Lighting a torch is already risky, let alone starting a fire for cooking.
Hong's expression immediately turned grim.
But soon, she realized something else, and her expression became even more unpleasant.
"Wait! No fire?"
"Then what are we eating tonight?!"
Lindsey's tone remained unperturbed.
"How about the meat crackers I prepared? Are you happy now?"
"..."
The girl's eyes widened, and her mouth opened, but she couldn't get the words out.
Even though she had a million objections in her mind.
Hong also understood that Lindsey was right.
Reluctantly, Hong ate the terribly-tasting meat crackers with Lindsey, and the two of them fell asleep directly on the wooden boards.
The night's rest was far from peaceful.
The glacier itself emitted strange, creaking noises.
These sounds could be from the friction and fracturing of ice blocks, the formation of new cracks, or the flow of meltwater.
And after some ice blocks melted.
The air bubbles trapped within the glacier would release or even burst, creating additional noise.
Ordinary people might not perceive these sounds clearly.
But for two Awakened individuals with heightened senses.
These noises would echo every now and then, as if the glacier itself was reminding them of the danger within.
Crack—
Crack, crack, crack—
"Lindsey, is that sound getting louder?"
"..."
"I think you heard right."
"But unless you can vaporize the entire glacier, there's not much we can do."
"What about your ideas?"
"I suggest you save those thoughts and get some sleep instead."
"But you can't sleep either, can you?"
"..."
The next morning.
The two of them woke up almost simultaneously.
It wasn't because their schedules had synced after a long journey, but because resting within the glacier was not a pleasant experience.
After a short break, they continued their journey.
They proceeded forward in the ice tunnel they had explored the day before.
Having explored for more than a day, they were quite proficient.
Lindsey took the lead, holding the radar and jumping down to scout the area, while Hong followed closely behind, jumping down as well.
Crack!
Instantly, the ice beneath their feet emitted a crisp sound.
Lindsey turned his head towards Hong, only to find that the girl had dropped lower than him, her body rapidly falling downwards.
The ice here was thin and brittle, and Hong had fallen through!
The next moment, Lindsey realized something else.
"Am I falling too?!"
This ice cave appeared normal, but the ground beneath them was not.
The fragile ice treated them both equally, and they fell one after the other into the air.
Being far from the wall, they couldn't even use it to cushion their fall!
In a panic, Lindsey quickly drew a vine whip from his bag and swung it outwards.
Whoosh—
Smack!
An ordinary whip would have struggled to wrap around the smooth ice wall.
But Lindsey had the aid of his 【Game Player】 ability.
He equipped the bow and arrow on his attribute panel, and when he swung the vine whip again, the tip of the whip gained the penetrating power of the arrows.
With a puff sound, the vine whip firmly embedded itself into the ice.
Lindsey pulled on the whip, bringing Hong into his embrace, and only then did they manage to stop their fall, clinging to the ice wall.
"This place has caves too, huh?"
The two cursed, each driving their weapons into the ice to finally halt their descent.
Lindsey looked down below.
The shattered ice they had broken through continued to fall into the pitch-black cave with no end in sight!
"Let's climb back up quickly," Hong said, ready to leave, but Lindsey interrupted her.
"Wait, hold on!"
"Perhaps we can try going down instead."
(End of Chapter)
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