Freezing winds howled amidst the jagged peaks and split terrain of the mountain pass. Snow had started to gather, which was strange, as it was supposed to be the tail end of the summer season. He had trekked through the foothills of the Purple Secluded Forest first, encountering the same D-rank Archnids he had once struggled against. Now, he made quick work of them, the Chain of Heart wrapping and crushing their chitinous bodies with efficient, brutal ease. Lucid had, in a sense, leveled up.
Continuing through the thinning forest, he had hiked up a steep, rocky incline until the sun was no longer visible behind the thick blanket of clouds. The snow at his feet, which had been an ankle-deep nuisance, began to climb past his knees, a stark warning that losing the path here would mean a slow, freezing death. He had expected a trail, but the snowfall this season seemed unusually heavy. He looked up, and a bitter breeze of howling wind stole his breath. The world was a foggy, white-grey void, as obscured and featureless as his own shrouded face.
He continued, managing slow, deliberate steps. The cold was biting, but the thick wool-lined coat and heavy travel cloak Karmen had provided were doing their job well. That was, until he reached the true altitude of the mountain pass. He was climbing now, the air growing thin and sharper. Lucid was no ordinary human at this point, even if he appeared to be one. Through Alice's shared power, when he was enhanced by that instinctive green glow, he exhibited the characteristics of an Enlightened—greater strength, resilience, and perception. However when that passive ability was off, he felt much weaker, more vulnerable, like a normal human. But through it all, Alice's sustaining presence was constant, a low hum of power that kept him going.
"Are you holding on, Lucid?" Alice whispered, her voice strained inside his head from the effort of maintaining the enhancement against the oppressive environment.
"Yes," he said under his breath, not wasting any more words or energy.
By now, he was walking on snow that had a faint, rusty red tinge to it. He was not at the peak yet, but fine red powder, like mineral dust, sifted down from the higher cliffs above, mixing with the falling snow. The Red Mountains. When he was preparing, Karmen had warned him. The mountains were unforgiving. They were nicknamed 'Red' because of a twin moon phenomenon. One of the two small moons that hung in the sky was slowly decaying, losing chunks of its reddish mineral mass. These fragments burned up in the atmosphere, raining down over this continent as a fine, harmless red dust that coated the mountains. It was not dangerous to inhale, but it gave the range a eerie, blood-stained look. Often, it was called the Red Mountains of Death. People brave enough to conquer them and explore every crag sometimes never returned, meeting their end either by the Unfaithful beasts hiding in the rocky clefts, or by the frigid cold, falling from steep ledges, or being buried by sudden avalanches.
It sounded scary, but that was the reputation once you reached the higher altitudes where the dust settled thickly, coating the snow in a uniform crimson. Lucid was not quite there yet, though signs of it were present in the snow around him like scattered drops of paint.
"I suggest we take a break here, Lucid," Alice ventured, her tone tentative.
"Are you stupid?" he shot back, his mental voice sharp with fatigue and focus.
They were in the open, fully exposed. No cave or alcove was visible where they could take refuge. Lucid had experience in expeditions from his previous life on Earth, during large-scale rift clearances with his team. Harsh environments demanded harsh pragmatism.
"I will freeze to death if I stop moving here," he clarified, his thought blunt.
Alice fell silent, shocked by his directness. "I, I was merely suggesting something. Forgive me for my imprudence."
"Imprudence, my ass. Say nothing unless it is of utmost importance," Lucid thought, his mental tone unforgiving.
He seemed harsh, but survival in a place like this stripped away politeness, pleas, and suggestions. You spoke only what was critical. Any further, unnecessary words could waste precious energy or distract from the immediate danger. The sky was growing darker. Though the sun was invisible, the ambient light was leaching away. Lucid needed to find shelter for the night. The breeze, already sharp, was growing colder, cutting through his layers. Alice's passive enhancement did little to protect him from the elemental chill. He was starting to shiver.
Making his way along a treacherous ledge, he spotted it. On the side of the mountain face, a small, dark hollow, the open mouth of a cave, was just visible. He felt a surge of relief and pushed towards it, making huge, exhausting leaps through the thigh-deep snow. He half-ran, half-tumbled down a small dip and rolled slightly into the cave's mouth, out of the direct bite of the wind.
"Ouch," he grunted, pushing himself up. It was quite dark inside. He opened his satchel, his fingers numb, and took out a flint and a pocket knife. His old instincts and muscle memory came back instantly. Soon, a small but steady flame sparked to life from a bundle of dry tinder he had wisely packed at the top of his bag.
The warm ambiance of the fire met his skin as he held his hands close to it. The heat enveloped him, a defiant pocket of warmth against the frigid howl outside. He sat cross-legged, daring to remove his soaked outer cloak and the damp top layer of his tunic, hanging them near the heat.
"Sorry for the way I acted back there," he said aloud this time, his voice rough. "I tend to be like that when I am focused. In survival mode."
She spoke, her tone gentle. "It is alright. I understand. I do not have any of the experience that you wield. And I also tend to get overly protective." She offered a soft, mental laugh.
Lucid chuckled in response, the sound dry.
He fumbled further in the satchel, taking out his equipment. A pouch of coins. He loosened the drawstring and peered in. Gold coins glinted in the firelight.
"Is that what is in it?" Lucid muttered to himself, surprised.
The pouch held no more than fifteen gold coins, but they filled it nicely. He remembered the basics of this world's economy. Copper, silver, gold, and platinum. A handful of copper could pay for a stay at Rebecca's inn for a couple of days. A handful of silver could buy fresh travel gear and a decent weapon. A single gold coin could cover a month's rent for a place like the tavern. A handful of gold could buy a small house. Platinum, he had never seen nor heard mentioned in practical terms. Karmen had given him a small fortune.
He unfolded the map Karmen had provided. It showed a trail of lines marking a path through the mountains. He could see Tyriana on the far left, the jagged teeth of the mountains in the middle, and on the right, his destination marked with a confident red cross.
He emptied the satchel further. He found a check-like paper with an official wax seal. It was a letter of credit and passage, stamped with the Valerius seal. He was to show it to the master of the Sky-Dock. It would pay his voyage fare and, according to Karmen, had other uses once he arrived in the Kingdom of Vex.
He also placed the small communication pendant on the ground beside him. The alarm he was supposed to press in case of dire danger or any run-ins with The Chapeu. It was supposed to alert Karmen, but Lucid did not trust it. He did not know what would actually happen if he pressed the button, or who else might be listening.
He searched the satchel and discovered other useful items. A small, wrapped bundle of medicinal herbs. A coil of strong, thin rope. A whetstone. And some jerky.
It was not a filling meal, but when traveling up a mountain, especially in a frigid environment, anything edible was a treasure. He ate it slowly, savoring the salty toughness, followed by one of the hardy traveler's biscuits Rebecca had given him.
"Are you well rested, Lucid?" Alice chimed in after a period of comfortable silence.
"Not quite. I need to plan my next moves," he replied, studying the map again by the firelight.
"Oh, I see."
"I always wondered what food tastes like," Alice said, her voice wistful.
"Well, food," he replied, then realized how unhelpful that was.
She chuckled. "Well, that much I guessed. But what is the form? The taste? The smell of it?"
"Oh. Oh, wow. Poor you. Does it not get depressing there?" Lucid asked, fully realizing the sterile, abstract nature of her existence.
"Well, not really. I do not get hungry. I am always aware, as long as there is Fate Essence to sustain me. But it gets mundane. Boring at times."
"Do you wish to have a mortal shell, that of a human, my blessed maiden?" he asked, half-teasing, half-serious.
Alice gave a faint gasp of laughter. "I suppose, my dear mortal. The things you do every day to stay alive, the routines that occupy your mind, they intrigue me. The simplicity of needing to eat, to find shelter, to feel the cold... it is all very vivid."
"Oh," Lucid sounded more thoughtful. "Well, I will help you experience that, in a way. And in return, how about you help me find my way home as well?"
He felt her perk up, a sensation of warm, eager attention. He could envision a faint, approving nod, the outline of a chin, a collarbone, and hair flowing like an ethereal individual observing him from just behind his shoulder as he sat cross-legged in front of the campfire.
He stood up abruptly.
Something did not feel right.
Lucid had grown more attuned. He could now feel the subtle resonance of Fate Essence in the air around him, a skill that had helped him navigate and avoid the dens of Unfaithful beasts in the lower slopes. But this sensation was different.
He could feel a dimly glowing pulse of Fate Essence nearby. It was faint, flickering weakly, like an ember threatening to be extinguished. It felt... threatened.
He reacted instantly, pulling on his still-damp cloak and fastening his travel gear, confronting the cold wind as he stepped back to the cave mouth, leaving the safe bond of the fire behind.
"Lucid, it is not safe out there now," Alice gasped, her voice laced with worry.
"I know," he thought back, his eyes scanning the swirling snow and darkness.
"That is why I am headed out."