Chapter 97 : Chapter 97

Chapter 97 - A New Power (1)

“Cough!”

Artier spat out the water he had unknowingly swallowed and stood up.

The first thing he did upon getting up was to look for Collie.

“Phew… Thank goodness.”

Collie was lying unconscious beside him. Fortunately, there were no visible external injuries.

“By the way, where am I? I’m sure I hit the bottom of the lake.”

Artier stood up from his spot and checked his physical condition.

Water was still dripping from his soaked clothes, but he was clearly standing in a space with air.

Woooong…

Looking up, he could see the bottom of the lake beyond an unknown translucent ceiling, and he noticed confused fish fleeing in all directions.

‘At the bottom of the lake… a place like this?’

Beside him, the culprit who had dragged them here, the shark-like Hellmorph, was flailing and expressing its bewilderment.

It was sure it had finished them, but to fall into a space where it couldn't operate.

“Is this also fate… or something like that.”

Artier muttered so and looked at what was in his hand.

[Mithril Rebar (Magic)]

Attack Power 15~18

Options: Does not rust, Defense +5, 10% additional damage to evil-attribute creatures.

A Mithril rebar.

Everyone had been flabbergasted, wondering how one could use such a thing as a weapon.

But without even this, he would have been sliced in half by the Hellmorph’s teeth.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

As he lightly spun it in his hand, the sound of the wind echoed.

Artier, who was spinning the rebar here and there as if handling a long staff, naturally swung it towards the Hellmorph’s head.

Thwack!

[You have leveled up.]

“If it were outside, it would have been nothing, but really… Cough!”

[Your body has been frozen.]

[All stats are reduced by 10% and you take damage per second.]

[At 5 stacks, your body will be paralyzed for 5 seconds. Currently at 1 stack.]

He shouldn’t have been happy just because he could breathe again.

His body was ice-cold, and his health was continuously dropping. Moreover, upon closer inspection, the structures here were all made of frigid ice.

At this rate, he would die of hypothermia even if he did nothing.

“Collie, wake up.”

Artier shook the collapsed Collie.

The weakly closed eyes showed no sign of opening.

“…”

Suddenly, fear crept in.

Come to think of it, how long could a dog hold its breath?

“Collie…! Collie!”

Artier hastily rubbed Collie’s chest area and blew air into his nose.

He repeated this several times.

‘No, the most certain way to remove the water in his lungs is…’

[Using Telekinesis.]

Artier focused his mind and infused mana into Collie.

He checked several times how the liquid, not blood, inside Collie’s body, in his lungs, was blocking his airway.

He couldn't deviate from the path, nor could he fail to control his strength. If he failed at either, Collie’s insides would be injured.

Artier’s fingertips moved more delicately than ever before.

Before long, water droplets slowly began to flow out through Collie’s nose.

“Cough! Cough cough!”

How much time had passed?

Seeing Collie cough and spit out water, Artier hastily withdrew his hand.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh… Where is this?”

Collie shook off the water and looked around.

He looked confused, but at least there didn't seem to be anything wrong with his body.

“I don’t know either. Let’s dry off first.”

Artier hastily took out some branches from his inventory and made a simple bonfire.

It seemed it would take a long time to dry their completely soaked bodies.

“Is this under the lake?”

“It seems so. Do you feel anything?”

“…I feel a curse of the ice attribute.”

“A curse?”

When Artier asked back, Collie nodded his head.

“Actually, there was one thing I didn’t understand since we arrived here. No matter how much this area is in the north, a lake that is frozen all four seasons is impossible.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. Because even the spirits of ice need time to rest.”

The process of the seasons circulating in this world was the result of a power struggle between the spirits of ice and fire.

The further north one went, the colder it got because there were more ice spirits, and conversely, the further south one went, the hotter it got.

But no matter how dominant the spirits were in a specific region, spirits, like people, needed periodic rest.

That was the reason why even the north had a faint summer, and the south had a trivial winter.

“Can’t the ice spirits just take turns using their power?”

“That would not be natural.”

Collie let his ears and tail droop and stared intently at Artier.

Even though he was in his dog form, he felt like he could see a word in his expression.

The word ‘Seriously?’.

“It would be a big problem if that really happened. Does the master want to experience a snowstorm all four seasons or a drought without a single drop of rain?”

“Ah… I think I know what you mean.”

“Anyway, that’s why it’s abnormal for this lake to be constantly frozen. Though now I think I know the reason why.”

Collie and Artier looked at the large door visible beyond.

The gate, carved from ice that reflected various colors, was emitting a chilling cold that gave one goosebumps just by looking at it.

“So the lake was eternally frozen because of a curse?”

“That’s right.”

“Should we go?”

Artier looked at Collie and asked.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go and see.”

“Really?”

“In any case, it’s more dangerous to swim up and out. Didn’t our bodies stiffen up in an instant? That must have been the effect of the curse.”

“Ah…”

The water of the lake was unnaturally fast in stiffening their bodies.

If their bodies became paralyzed, the telekinesis magic would also be released, so if things went wrong, they could drown.

“Then let’s go.”

The two waited until their wet bodies were sufficiently dry before getting up.

As Artier took out the rebar and spun it lightly, Collie showed extreme disgust.

“Are you really going to use that as a weapon?”

“I don’t want to, but I have no other weapons left.”

“You might as well take my dagger.”

“It’s fine. A dagger is too short.”

Didn't the longsword bought from the same shop shatter with a single bite from the Hellmorph?

His trust in that blacksmith had already hit rock bottom.

Clank!

The door opened automatically as soon as Artier touched it.

When Collie created a Light spell and sent it forward, a strange corridor with chains connected to various parts of the ceiling came into view.

The two walked quietly down the corridor.

Both Artier and Collie felt that something was strange. In this wide corridor, there was no sign of people, let alone traps.

“What is this? Is there nothing here?”

“The energy of the curse is felt from up ahead. But… is this vast palace empty?”

Artier carefully examined the style of the palace.

He was sure he had seen a similar architectural style in the setting book of this game.

That was probably…

“It’s the Gostera style.”

“Gostera? What kingdom is that?”

“It’s not a kingdom, it’s an empire. The legendary empire that is said to have ruled the world for 1,000 years before the Warring States period.”

‘And it’s a symbol of over-technology.’

In <Cross Destiny>, if some advanced and scientific technology appeared, it was safe to assume it was the technology of the Gostera Empire.

The game company must have considered it a very good tool, as they used it here and there, to the point where later, one would praise the technology of Gostera just by breathing.

It was to the extent that users who got tired of it gave it the derogatory nickname <Cross Gostera>.

“Even before the Warring States period?! Then isn’t that almost 2,000 years ago?”

“That’s right. But you can never ignore it. It’s known that the magic and technology of that time surpassed ours today. Even their downfall was said to be their own doing.”

“Ugh… Why did humans with such outstanding abilities meet such a strange end?”

“I don’t know either.”

The game company didn't elaborate that far.

Besides, it didn't matter if he didn't know.

The important thing was this.

“Anyway, creatures you can’t even imagine will pop out of this palace, so it’s better to be careful.”

“For example, what is there?”

“For example…”

Clatter.

Artier stopped his feet as the armor displayed next to him flinched.

“…Something like that?”

[Lv.37 Living Armor (Medium)]

Clatter, clatter.

The armor spun the halberd it was holding once and then bent its joints at a bizarre angle that a human couldn't show, getting off its stand.

The number of armors that came down like that was over twenty.

“Uh… uh, uh? Ugh?”

Collie had broken down.

Passing the creaking Collie, Artier took a step forward and took out the rebar.

“Look at this. Creatures that surpass modern golems are installed as mere security devices for a castle.”

Artier generally maintained a level about 3 levels higher than others on average. But every single one he saw was 5 levels higher than Artier.

It was clearly not a place to visit at this point in time.

‘But conversely, that means the reward will also be at a level that can't be received at the present time, right?’

To survive, one must always be ahead of others.

And to get ahead, one had to learn to get along with the extraordinary.

“Collie, don’t step forward, just support me from behind.”

“Are you going to fight those things right now?”

“It’s possible.”

Artier spun the rebar and smiled faintly.

“At least, with the two of us, it’s possible.”

“…”

Collie could feel Artier’s confidence through the contract.

There was a basis for that confidence. He couldn't understand it, but for some reason, he felt that way.

Collie sighed and stepped back, returning to his boy form.

Then he took out the staff from the Sage’s Tower.

“If the master seems to be in danger, I will rush forward immediately.”

“You belong in the back. Your skills are also focused on support magic, aren't they?”

“That is because the master desires that. I…”

Collie hesitated and then grumbled as he averted his gaze.

“I want to fight alongside you at the front.”

“Then do that.”

“Pardon?”

Why are you worrying about something like that?

Artier’s expression was saying that.

“Support me in the way you want, not the way I want.”

“B-but isn’t that a disqualification as a summon?”

“Why? You’re my companion, not my weapon, right?”

“That is…”

At Artier’s words, Collie froze as if he was shocked.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

As he was about to add a word belatedly, Artier confirmed the Living Armor that had come right up to his nose and lowered his stance.

‘It can’t be helped. I’ll have to correct my words after the battle is over.’

Whoosh!

The rebar, spinning fast enough to make the sound of the wind, struck the chin of the Living Armor approaching head-on.

Clang!

With the sound of metal crushing, the fight began.

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