Chapter 76: Returning to the Cliff's Edge
Chapter 76: Returning to the Cliff's Edge
As someone who had reached the Border of Worlds on multiple occasions, even before the establishment of the town, An Rui was one of the first to set foot in this world as part of the Expedition Team.
He had a keen sense of timing when it came to journeys, and on the fourth morning, he brought Lin Sai to this snowy field.
It had been nearly half a month since Lin Sai's last visit to this place.
The vast land was covered in a blanket of white snow, and cold winds blew through the air, creating a desolate and lifeless scene.
"It's so cold..."
They had barely spent half an hour in the snowfield when An Rui furrowed his brows and asked Lin Sai, who was by his side:
"When you came here to explore before, was the temperature like this?"
An Rui's unease was rapidly intensifying.
Based on Lin Sai's previous description, he had expected some level of danger due to temperature changes, but the current situation far exceeded his expectations.
It was freezing! Not only would it be impossible for humans or animals to survive here long-term, but even magic beasts infused with Essence would struggle without resistance to the cold.
Driven by his concerns, An Rui acted swiftly and urgently.
Just as Lin Sai was about to respond to his question, An Rui jumped to the side of a pine tree covered in ice and snow and delivered a powerful punch.
Crack!
The pine tree emitted a sound of unbearable weight and collapsed, raising a cloud of snow that severely obstructed their vision.
They waited for several seconds until the white cloud gradually settled.
Before Lin Sai and An Rui, the dry and lifeless heart of the pine tree was revealed.
Previously buried under the heavy snow, the true state of the plant was unclear.
In reality, the tree had frozen and died long ago.
"..."
Seeing this, Lin Sai realized that he had misjudged the situation.
He had described this snowy field as a frigid dead zone, but even that wasn't accurate enough.
The Ice Badger Claw Pendant that Lin Sai wore provided excellent protection against the cold, leading him to underestimate the true threat of this snowfield.
At that moment, Lin Sai put the Ice Badger Claw Pendant back into his Portable Bag.
Once the protective effect of the accessory faded, the freezing cold immediately returned, sweeping over them.
Lin Sai's estimation of the temperature being around minus thirty degrees was accurate.
However, in addition to the low temperature, the air was filled with a chilling aura that permeated their lungs, making the already cold weather even more terrifying. Calling it an ice-cold life prohibition zone wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"..."
Lin Sai lowered his head.
He knew that he would have to wear the Ice Badger Claw Pendant again in the future, as there was no reason to give up the advantage it provided.
But this experience also taught Lin Sai that in new environments, he must pay attention to details that he might have overlooked due to his Gamer abilities.
He reflected on this internally.
Lin Sai didn't make excuses or blame his equipment for his mistake; instead, he candidly admitted his error:
"Uncle An Rui, I'm sorry. This was my misjudgment."
"I have good resistance to cold weather, and I'll be more careful in the future..."
"It's nothing," An Rui reassured Lin Sai, waving off his apology. "It's just a bit colder than usual. Your discovery of this snowfield serves as a timely reminder for the town."
With that, An Rui led Lin Sai deeper into the snowfield, following the same route Lin Sai had taken previously.
Soon, they encountered the snow pit that Lin Sai had dug to examine the corpse on his previous visit. After a few days, the snow had mostly filled in the pit, leaving only a subtle depression to indicate the past excavation.
Lin Sai pointed this out.
An Rui immediately pointed to the nearest depression in the snow and confirmed:
"Was the corpse discovered here?"
Lin Sai nodded in agreement.
An Rui promptly stepped forward and kicked the ground with his foot.
The Fifth Stage Warrior's movements were swift and powerful, and the fresh snow, which was already not sturdy enough, was soon kicked up into a cloud of white mist, revealing the back of a Fire Fox's corpse beneath.
"Come on up!"
An Rui reached down, grabbed the Fire Fox's back, and pulled the entire corpse out from beneath the snow, still fresh and lifelike.
The Fire Fox's appearance before death was vividly preserved.
The fleeing leap and the terror in its beastly eyes remained, capturing the scene of its final moments.
This thing was not light.
But in An Rui's hands, it felt as light as a toy.
He held the corpse in his hand, staring at it closely for a while, his brows furrowing deeper.
"Ah..."
An Rui sighed.
He tossed the Fire Fox's corpse to the side, burying it in the snow, once again stirring up a cloud of white dust. With certainty, he said:
"As I thought, it wasn't an ordinary cold current that caused this fellow's death, but the change in Essence within it."
This was consistent with Lin Sai's guess.
However, An Rui's attitude at this moment made Lin Sai certain that he had a more specific means of perception.
Lin Sai asked curiously:
"Uncle An Rui, I found these corpses before, but I didn't have the means to examine them. How can you hold it in your hand and immediately see the problem?"
An Rui immediately explained:
"All Awakened, as long as they can refine their skills five times and become Ascenders, will naturally have the same clear perception of Essence as me."
A Fifth Stage Ascender...
In this regard, Lin Sai, as a Gamer, had a clear understanding of his status.
As an Awakened, his level had progressed from the initial First Stage Newbie to the current Second Stage Game Enthusiast.
But to reach An Rui's Fifth Stage, it would likely take a long time and effort.
"Is there no other way to obtain this ability?"
Lin Sai casually asked, expecting An Rui to shake his head in denial, but he nodded instead:
"There are other methods as well."
"Merchants, messengers, artists, or appraisers have an inherent advantage in perception and can acquire the corresponding ability in advance."
"..."
Alright, it was still a skill that Lin Sai couldn't acquire for the time being.
His Essence had already locked him into the role of a Gamer.
However, he could consider combining his perception ability with the Appraisal skill for goods in the future, which might open up new development prospects.
The two ended their conversation and continued their journey deeper into the snowfield.
On the snowfield, it was no longer convenient for An Rui to carry Lin Sai using his previous method.
With his exaggerated strength and speed, rushing forward with someone in the snow would only make them both look quite disheveled.
The distance to their final destination wasn't too far.
So, the two switched to walking, starting to make their way forward through the thick snowfield.
During this time, Lin Sai also took out some wood and made a pair of wooden sleds for An Rui.
Like this, on the same night, the two persevered and reached the edge of a cliff, where they saw the Climbing Celestial Vine extending downward into the pitch-black void.
The frozen vines were no different from when Lin Sai had left before.
During this time, the cold wind blowing up from below was once again identified by An Rui as containing a certain influence of cold Essence. The reason for this interference was the source of the Essence, and the wind only had an indirect and subtle effect, which was why Lin Sai hadn't noticed it before.
"..."
The two stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down in silence for a few seconds. Then, An Rui suddenly spoke:
"Lin Sai, you wait here like before."
"I'll go down and come back as soon as possible."
As he spoke, An Rui prepared to move down the vines, entering the Black Mountain World.
But just at that moment, Lin Sai called out from behind:
"Uncle An Rui, I want to go down with you!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
