"Do your feet hurt?" Natsuki embraced Yukino and whispered, "Stretch them out to warm them up."
"No need," Yukino gently shook her head, "Taking off my boots is too much trouble."
"Trouble is better than foot pain."
Natsuki firmly grasped Yukino's calf, then took off the girl's snow boots to help warm her feet.
The effect of the Emblem of Life was limited; it could be used for warmth, but it was difficult to warm the entire body.
Seeing Natsuki directly take action, Yukino pursed her beautiful lips and said nothing more.
The two quietly embraced for a while. The wind and snow outside the cloak still showed no sign of stopping. The world was a vast expanse, making it impossible to distinguish directions.
Natsuki broke the silence and whispered:
"I suddenly remembered the Stormwind Mountain Villa dungeon. It only happened a few months ago, but it feels like a very, very long time ago... Yukino, do you know what my biggest gain from that dungeon was?"
Yukino subconsciously asked:
"What was it?"
Natsuki smiled and said:
"It was successfully establishing a bond with Yukino."
Yukino: "..."
Shameless!
This kind of talk is just garbage talk to deceive innocent girls, isn't it?
It must be!
But Yukino's heart rate was involuntarily quickening.
People can deceive others, but they can't deceive themselves.
Yukino had to admit that there was indeed an emotion called 'happiness' quietly spreading within her heart.
She used to be unable to understand those girls who were easily coaxed by men with sweet words, despite having received compulsory education, their intelligence seemed to remain at the child level.
But at this moment, even knowing that Natsuki's words were sweet nothings meant to coax her, she couldn't help but feel happy because of them...
This isn't good, very bad!
Yukino took a deep breath, cast aside her romantic feelings, and with a stern expression, said:
"Stay quiet, don't talk!"
Natsuki said pitifully:
"The night is long, and not talking is too boring."
...You shut up!
Wind and snow lashed down.
Behind the rock that barely provided shelter from the wind, Natsuki and Yukino embraced each other, warming each other with their body heat.
After an unknown amount of time, the wind and snow finally began to weaken.
"It seems the wind and snow are stopping," Natsuki whispered.
"Mm."
Yukino softly responded.
"Hiding from the blizzard with Yukino on the world's tallest mountain, formed fifty million years ago, gives a rather amazing feeling of the world's marvels..."
Natsuki spoke while taking off the scarf Yukino used to block the wind and snow.
In the darkness, they could barely see each other by straining their eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Yukino instantly understood what the boy in front of her wanted to do.
They weren't even dating...
He was that Garbage-kun, who openly had a harem...
Countless reasons for refusal surfaced in her mind, but her body had already honestly made its choice.
Yukino slightly tilted her pretty face upwards, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and then quietly closed her eyes.
Natsuki lowered his head and gently kissed the girl's soft, tender lips.
Icy cold.
Soft and yielding.
Irresistible.
After an unknown duration of kissing, the blizzard finally came to a complete halt.
"Phew..."
Yukino placed her hands on Natsuki's chest, gently pushed him away, then turned her head, wiped the silver thread from the corner of her lips, and said, slightly out of breath:
"The wind and snow have stopped, we can continue moving."
"Wait," Natsuki was a little flustered, "Yukino isn't scolding me?"
Yukino tilted her head slightly and said:
"Why would I scold you?"
"Usually when I kiss you, you scold me," Natsuki said seriously, "Now suddenly you haven't said a single word to scold me, I'm a little flustered."
"Heh," Yukino crossed her arms, unable to resist her sharp tongue, "So Garbage-kun has a special fetish for being insulted?"
Natsuki smiled: "Exactly, that tone and look, I'm relieved."
Yukino: "..."
Pervert!
He's definitely a pervert!
Yukino sighed, covering her forehead, then put on her goggles and windproof scarf, then put on her snow boots and stood up:
"The wind and snow have completely stopped, we should just push through and complete the challenge."
Mount Everest after the snow was exceptionally quiet, truly so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Natsuki also stood up, stretched his limbs, and said cheerfully:
"Yukino's energy is full, running to the Mount Everest summit in one go is no problem."
Yukino's pretty face hardened, just about to warn Natsuki to restrain himself, when she suddenly heard a faint call from behind.
"Hmm?" Yukino turned her head to look back, "That voice... sounds familiar?"
Natsuki squinted his eyes and looked over, seeing a crouching figure in the darkness below. After carefully distinguishing for several seconds, he said in a deep voice:
"It's the couple we chatted with earlier."
Yukino also recognized them, her gaze quickly becoming serious, and she said without hesitation:
"Let's go take a look."
"Mhm."
"..."
Without hesitation, the two quickly turned around, stepping on the snow that had frozen into solid ice, and approached the couple they had encountered. The wife was barely able to stand, but the husband had already collapsed on the ground, his life hanging by a thread.
This couple had also chosen to climb without supplemental oxygen, carrying only two oxygen tanks as backup. When the blizzard suddenly hit, the woman, in her panic, lost one oxygen tank, and her husband gave up his own.
As a result, they barely survived the blizzard, but he had already lost consciousness.
"Natsuki."
After hearing the situation, Yukino quickly turned to look at him.
Natsuki nodded, naturally understanding Yukino's meaning, and handed over an oxygen tank.
"Thank you, thank you both!"
The woman wiped away tears as she thanked them, fumbling to open the oxygen tank, desperate to save her husband's life.
"Let me."
Seeing how much the woman's hands were shaking, Natsuki crouched down, removed his gloves, and placed the oxygen mask over the man's face. Unfortunately, despite the oxygen supply, the man remained unconscious.
"He'll quickly show symptoms of hypothermia while unconscious." Yukino frowned slightly. "We can't delay. We need to get your husband back to camp for medical treatment."
"I—I know, but… but I can't do it alone…" The woman wiped her eyes, her face full of pleading. "Can I beg you two…?"
Anyone who climbs Mount Everest knows the saying: above 8,000 meters, there is no morality.
Even if someone collapses at your feet, you have no obligation to help, because once the altitude exceeds 8,000 meters, every movement pushes your physical limits. Trying to save someone could very well cost you your own life.
This unwritten rule applies not only to ordinary climbing teammates but also to specially hired Sherpa guides.
Some time ago, there was news of a financially independent woman in her forties climbing Mount Everest. She collapsed from lack of oxygen at over 8,000 meters, lying alone in the cold snow. In her despair, she was discovered by two fellow climbers.
Her compatriots gave up their climbing opportunity, risking their lives to rescue her and bring her back to camp, only for her to refuse to pay even a few thousand dollars for the life-saving effort, causing a public outcry.
In fact, it wasn't that the woman was stingy, but that she encountered a climbing 'unwritten rule'—no rescue above 8,000 meters.
The woman had hired a Sherpa guide at the time, but the guide, after weighing the pros and cons, chose to abandon her, leaving her alone to await death in despair.
When people are in despair, they don't remember any unwritten rules; they only remember the fear and resentment of being abandoned. So, after being rescued, she directly shifted responsibility to the guide team, not that she couldn't afford the money, but that she believed the guide team must bear the responsibility.
The woman in front of them also knew this unwritten rule.
Asking Natsuki and Yukino, two minors, to help rescue her husband would likely result in everyone dying, but he was her husband, with whom she had spent every day. She couldn't just watch him die.
So the woman could only cry, covering her face, and intermittently plead and pray, seeking that tiny glimmer of hope.
"Natsuki?"
Yukino turned to look at him.
"I'll do it."
Natsuki took off his backpack, handed it to Yukino, briefly stretched, and then reached out to pull the unconscious man up.
Given Yukino's personality, she wouldn't be able to stand by and watch an ordinary person die when their life was in danger.
"Th-thank you!"
The woman was overjoyed, wiping away tears and thanking them gratefully, stumbling as she prepared to help.
She hadn't really held much hope. They were merely strangers, and rationally, the most correct course of action for two high school students would have been to turn and leave. Gambling their lives for a stranger was too foolish.
Yukino supported her and said softly:
"Natsuki alone can handle it."
"No," the woman quickly shook her head. "My husband weighs ninety kilograms, plus the weight of his gear. One person simply can't support him."
Anyone who has had a drunk family member knows that a person's body becomes incredibly heavy when they're drunk. And this was an adult male with a lot of gear; even three people together might not be able to lift him.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
However, the next second, the woman watched in shock as Natsuki effortlessly hoisted the man onto his shoulders, his movements appearing easy and natural, as if he hadn't expended any effort at all.
"H-how can this be…?"
The woman's eyes widened, her face filled with an expression of utter disbelief.
For an ordinary person at an altitude of over 8,000 meters, just being able to move themselves is already incredible. How could he so easily carry an adult male?
"He is a bit heavy." Natsuki's tone was relaxed. He turned and said, "Yukino, let's head back to camp."
"Mhm."
Yukino nodded slightly, supporting the trembling woman, and followed behind Natsuki, descending the mountain together.
As the saying goes, going up the mountain is easy, but going down is hard.
Among the adventurers who tragically died while climbing Mount Everest, more than half of the accidents occurred during the descent. Going down is more difficult and dangerous than climbing up.
"This isn't scientific… it's too unscientific." Watching Natsuki's swift figure, the woman shook her head in shock and couldn't help but look at Yukino. "Is your boyfriend a monster? His stamina is just too exaggerated."
In the woman's original estimation, the three of them should have worked together to support him, and every step would have to be taken carefully, recovering their strength, inching their way to camp.
But the reality was that Natsuki carried the man alone, walking ahead with swift strides, showing no signs of strain or struggle, and even had enough composure to remind them of the conditions underfoot.
Yukino's lips twitched slightly, and she replied softly:
"He usually… exercises a lot."
After some arduous travel.
The group finally returned to camp.
There were two resident doctors at the camp. Seeing Natsuki carrying the man in, they were shocked but quickly came forward to help, taking the man to warm him up and treat him. Because the rescue was timely, the man quickly regained consciousness.
"Thank you all…"
The woman wept with joy, continuously thanking Natsuki and Yukino.
Yukino offered a few comforting words, not lingering, and soon left with Natsuki.
Walking out of the camp.
"It's completely dark now." Natsuki looked at Yukino and said softly, "Do we continue the challenge, or rest at camp for the night and wait until tomorrow morning?"
Yukino was startled: "Eh?"
Natsuki explained:
"Wingsuit flying requires clear visibility. It's so dark now, wingsuit flying would be very dangerous, unless… we drink another Witch Potion."
"..."
Hearing about the Witch Potion, Yukino immediately recalled the previous huge side effect and couldn't help but bite her lip, hesitating.
Honestly, she really didn't want to have sore shoulders and not be able to see her shoelaces again.
But staying to rest also had many inconveniences.
The camp area was very small, only enough to maintain basic survival needs. The air was stuffy and full of smells, and many people were talking loudly and chatting, making it impossible to rest properly.
After hesitating for a while, Yukino quickly made a decision. She pulled her scarf up to cover her mouth and then said:
"We don't know if there will be a blizzard tomorrow. Once a blizzard appears, there's no difference between day and night… Let's drink the potion."
Natsuki took out a bottle of Witch Potion and handed it over, smiling:
"Then let's drink a potion."
"..."
Yukino silently took the potion, only hoping it wouldn't have any more side effects.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
The two drank the potion and continued towards the summit.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered challengers who had chosen to give up. Most were supporting each other, their legs trembling, taking one step and gasping for three. Natsuki and Yukino, going against the flow, inevitably attracted attention.
Climbing all the way, the two finally reached the very top of Mount Everest. Looking around, the entire world was vast and expansive, with the highest point directly beneath their feet.
Once at the summit, all other mountains appear small.
"We finally climbed up."
Natsuki spread his arms and shouted, fully expressing the exhilaration in his heart.
"Don't be so loud." Yukino lightly patted him, reminding him, "Be careful not to cause an avalanche."
"Yes, my deepest apologies." Natsuki lowered his voice and then suddenly looked up, saying, "I can see the stars."
"Eh?"
Hearing this, Yukino instinctively looked up, and the boundless, brilliant galaxy instantly filled her vision. The awe from the ancient cosmos made her slightly dazed and mesmerized.
Indeed, the night sky in Tokyo was completely different from the night sky at the summit of Mount Everest.
Tokyo's sky could only be described as having stars, but the sky before her was truly a galaxy, with countless sparkling stars, too many to count.
Natsuki turned his head and looked at the girl's perfect profile as she gazed intently at the sky. He couldn't help but lean in and gently kiss her cheek.
"Yukino, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Yukino snapped back to reality and glanced at him:
"I refuse."
Natsuki then said:
"Then please marry me after we graduate high school."
"..."
Upon hearing the marriage proposal, Yukino neither answered nor complained, but instead looked up again at the brilliant galaxy above.
Life is only a few short decades. Compared to the ancient, eternal galaxy, it's not even a tiny speck of dust. How should this brief life be lived to leave no regrets?
Natsuki continued beside her:
"If Yukino doesn't say anything, does that mean you implicitly agree?"
Yukino crossed her arms over her chest and said in a cool voice:
"Don't talk, be quiet."
"..."
The two quietly watched the cosmos for a while, then Natsuki took out his phone and took photos with Yukino, checking in. Next, he opened his backpack, took out the wingsuit flying equipment, put it on, and prepared for the final wingsuit flying challenge.
For ordinary climbers, simply returning safely to camp after reaching the summit would be cause for celebration. To attempt wingsuit flying would be pure recklessness.
But Natsuki and Yukino, as players, naturally had ample confidence.
It had just snowed heavily, and the world was utterly silent, even the strong winds had died down, making it perfect for wingsuit flying.
Natsuki put on his flying equipment, turned to Yukino, and asked:
"Are you ready?"
"Mhm." Yukino nodded seriously. "We can go."
Natsuki took a deep breath and said:
"Then… let's go."
As his voice fell, Natsuki moved his feet and jumped down from the highest point in the world.
Yukino followed closely, leaping down after him.
The thrill and excitement during this period go without saying. Fortunately, although the process was thrilling, the final outcome was very good, and the two successfully passed the final extreme challenge.
"Finally finished." Natsuki rolled to a landing, dissipating the impact, then stood up and clapped his hands. "Suddenly, I feel a sense of relief."
Yukino let out a long breath and said softly:
"Me too."
The Ozaki Eight's fun quests required flying all over the world to undertake extreme challenges, demanding a huge investment of time and energy, and were even more difficult than many dungeon quests.
More than half a month had passed since they left Tokyo by plane. Looking back, it had been quite a long journey.
Natsuki helped Yukino brush the snow off her, and said expectantly:
"I've already received the notification that the game's challenges are complete. After investing so much time and effort, if I get a trash skill in the end, I'll definitely give it a bad review."
As Natsuki spoke, he opened his quest panel to collect his rewards.
"You have successfully completed all challenges of the Ozaki Eight. You are about to receive the final reward."
"Reward distribution… Distribution complete."
A brand new skill appeared on the skill panel.
[Limited Skill: Evolution]
"Tsk, the name looks super ordinary…"
Natsuki clicked his tongue lightly, then continued reading, quickly raising his eyebrows.
[Attribute: You can designate any skill to break its limits and evolve. You can only evolve one skill at a time. During evolution, the skill's level will be additionally increased.]
[Please note, Evolution cannot be applied to Gold Legendary skills.]
[This skill is bound. You cannot Copy and Paste it to others, but you can use it on others.v
[Skill Cooldown: Twenty-four hours.]
[Note: Join the glorious Evolution!]
"This skill… is pretty good."
Natsuki's eyes brightened.
Although the name was unremarkable and the cooldown was super long, making it a standard support skill, it could designate a skill to undergo extreme evolution.
Based on the literal meaning, it seemed to additionally raise the skill's level by one.
As is well known, skill levels in the game generally only have four levels, without specific level divisions, but are distinguished by different colors.
First are white skills, the most numerous and common, many of which are useless skills that are not normally used, such as Water Bullet Technique, Silver Tongue, and so on.
Then there are blue-level skills, such as Sayu's Divination, Yukino's Detection Skill, and so on.
Next are purple skills, such as Chika's Seize and Eliminate Evil, Miss Kaguya's Shadow Walker, Sin Mushroom, Psychic Power 100%, and so on, all of which are at this level.
Finally, there are the rarest Gold Legendary skills.
Among them, equipment-bound skills or title skills stand alone, forming their own system.
"Designating a skill to evolve, can it evolve to the Gold Legendary level?"
Natsuki was not clear about the specific effects of Evolution, but it did not prevent him from looking forward to it.
"The rewarded skill is quite good…" Natsuki said, displaying his skill panel, then looked at Yukino and asked curiously, "What is Yukino's skill?"
Yukino slightly pursed her lips and displayed her skill panel:
"See for yourself."
[Limited Skill: Cooldown Reset]
[Attribute: You can designate any skill to instantly cool down. You can only reset the cooldown of one skill at a time.]
[Please note, Cooldown Reset cannot be applied to Gold Legendary skills.]
[This skill is bound. You cannot share it with others through Copy and Paste scrolls, etc., but you can use it on others.]
[Skill Cooldown: Twenty-four hours.]
[Note: Jojo, this is my last Hamon!]
"It's actually a combination skill." Natsuki's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "It seems Yukino and I are indeed a match made in heaven."
No wonder the extreme challenge's fun quests could be completed by two people, because the final ultimate reward was clearly a pair of combination skills.
One for extreme evolution, one for cooldown reset, it was like an Ultraman who could only be a true man for three minutes suddenly being able to last six minutes, completely capable of changing the outcome of a battle.
Yukino folded her arms across her chest and said expressionlessly:
"There's a limit to talking to yourself… It's time to go back."
Natsuki said excitedly:
"We still don't know the specific effect of Evolution. Do you want to try it out?"
Yukino stepped forward and walked up the mountain:
"If you want to stay here and brave the cold wind, then stay. I'm going back first."
"Then forget it." Natsuki followed Yukino and shamelessly said, "I don't want to stay for even a second in a world without Yukino."
"Shut up."
"…"