Chapter 354 - Three Thousand Kilometers to the Mountain
As a means of long-distance travel, [Rocket] is an exceptionally good skill.
Of course, that's based on the premise that my special title, 'Acrobat,' and its enhancement effect, [Crown Crown], allow me to ignore the self-inflicted damage that serves as its cost.
To be able to use it repeatedly at no cost, as long as one doesn't mind their health gauge being permanently in the red, could be described as having both feet firmly planted in cheat territory.
But, when it came to traveling solo as a physical bullet, there was one fatal flaw.
"…I'm bored."
My vision was basically the blue of the sky or the white of the clouds.
Even if I tried to look down at the ground for a change of scenery as I raced through the air, my high-speed movement rendered my sight useless, capturing everything as nothing more than 'lines.'
On top of that, just flying in a straight line, with the assistance of the [Maristake Boots], simply required me to alternate my feet while the skill was active.
There were no ups and downs on this journey; there was only sky.
My sense of time was starting to blur, but fortunately, this world was a game, and I was a player. Thanks to the user interface, which performed its duty clearly and reliably even amidst the hazy scenery, I could keep perfect track of the elapsed time and my current location.
To avoid dying from an unexpected accident, including slip damage from the strain, I was keeping the output of [Rocket] somewhat throttled. Because of that, I couldn't quite break the four-digit kilometer mark in a neat hour, but I had passed that major milestone a while ago.
At first, I had been pumped up by the thrill and exhilaration of flying through the sky with my own body and no tricks, but unfortunately, that excitement had completely fizzled out in less than ten minutes.
I mean, I can't see any scenery or anything. There's nothing to enjoy.
Maybe I should have just invited Sora… but then again, she's really focused on her training, and this material gathering trip is completely for my own personal reasons…
Speaking of which, the catalyst for this solo expedition was—
"—There's a mountain range? Or a sacred peak? Way, way, waaaaaaay north of the city, and apparently, there's an enemy there that drops some interesting materials."
"…What's this all of a sudden?"
"It's about your clothes. I'm very happy that you like them, but it's embarrassing to have you in a stopgap outfit forever, so let's finally get you an upgrade."
"Stopgap? Hey, from what I've researched, this set is more than top-tier—"
"You can't be satisfied with 'top-tier' when you're a ranker!"
"Seriously…? I mean, far from being embarrassing, I'm actually quite proud of this gear."
"It's embarrassing for me as the artisan to have you running around in something half-finished! Stop complaining and go get the materials!!"
—And so, I was kicked out on this errand by the [Milmarinus] herself, who is serious and proud when it comes to her work.
Not that I mind. It's true that I'm extremely fond of my current [El-Gran Series], but if Nia, the one who made it, is offering to create something new, then I'm honestly happy about it.
The only problem is that the material she's requested with a firm "just go get it" for this new creation is dropped by a target that is a 'phantom-level' rare enemy.
About three thousand kilometers due north from the safe area.
Among the many peaks that form the mountain range lies one—the [Eternal Ice Peaks of Extreme White]. The 'feather' of the 'lord' said to inhabit its frigid summit is the main objective of this expedition.
It's only phantom-level in name; apparently, anyone can encounter it. What raises the material's rarity to 'phantom' status is the extreme difficulty of reaching the lord's lair.
An enemy that drops a 'feather' and lives at the summit of a frozen mountain… It's easy enough to imagine what makes it so difficult without hearing the details.
When it comes to facing the 'lord,' I suppose you could say this request is suited for me.
The problem is—
"…Am I going to freeze solid?"
—the question of whether this avant-garde avatar, with its complete lack of VIT, can hold up against an extreme environment that supposedly makes even veteran conquerors shake their heads and say, 'I don't want to go there.'
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"S-s-s-s-so c-c-c-cold…"
And so, I've arrived. The [Eternal Ice Peaks of Extreme White]. A place where, if I were to carelessly use water magic, I'd probably be flash-frozen along with it. The [Eternal Ice Peaks of Extreme White].
A howling snowstorm raged, reducing my visibility to nearly zero as if it were its natural right. Just like the journey here, there was no scenery to speak of.
Blizzard and ice—that was all I could see.
On top of that, I was wearing a fluffy, cold-proof coat over my [El-Gran Series] that Nia had lent me with the terrifying annotation 'don't ask the price,' and even with the protection from a cold-resistance potion she had also forced on me, it was still this cold.
To be precise, it wasn't so much 'cold' as it was a 'too cool' body temperature… but perhaps because of the gap between my superhuman avatar, which usually felt neither heat nor cold, now feeling a chill, my body couldn't help but shiver.
…Wait a minute, there's a debuff icon with an ice crystal mark lit up.
Does that mean this shivering and the slight numbness in my hands and feet aren't just my imagination, but a distinct system-based disadvantage?
In Arcadia, extreme cold and heat can be mitigated depending on your VIT stat, so it might be possible to offset this with a proper build and the same level of cold-weather gear.
The snow, which came up to my knees, was something I could ignore since I was used to it, but this wind was something else. It would be wise to avoid jumping or leaping around carelessly until I got my bearings.
Which led to the problem…
"Wait, isn't this a really bad matchup for me…?"
With my one trick of jumping and leaping sealed, could I actually overcome the many obstacles that awaited me on this extreme mountain climb?
…Something's wrong. Now that I think about it, this is nothing but problems.
Hey, Nia-chan???