21 Eris 287 Zea.
Four days into Ferderuchus, and the forest still refused to relent. Seriously, this forest is unbelievably vast. The scenery we encounter changes every day.
Today's hellscape? A fungal wonderland. Mushrooms towered like umbrellas for giants—crimson caps flecked with gold, ivory stalks thicker than tree trunks, clusters of luminescent blue nodules pulsing in the gloom.
If I recall correctly, this month should mark the beginning of summer outside. However, due to the irregular seasons over the past few years, the trees that provide nutrients to these mushrooms are slowly dying, leaving only a few.
Fortunately, not all the mushrooms here are unfamiliar to us. Some mushrooms we've seen and eaten before are also present, like rock mushrooms, giant puffballs, gypsy mushrooms, white mushrooms, and many more.
Then, my stomach growled.
"Fleda," I whined, poking a meatypuffball with my boot. "When can we eat these?"
She adjusted her pack, unfazed. "When we find another shelter. I'm not cooking in this."
"But imagine them roasted! Or boiled!" I clasped my hands. "Ehehehe... Grilled mushrooms... Boiled mushrooms... Spiced broth... How delicious it all sounds..."
"You're drooling," Fleda deadpanned, brushing past. "And delusional."
"The past few days, we've only eaten hard bread. My mouth is all rough because of it. It's about time we tried some proper dishes."
"Fine, fine. I'll do it. Let's just search for—"
A frigid gust sliced through the humidity. The forest's muggy breath vanished, replaced by a cold so sharp it stole the air from my lungs.
"W-what the—?" I stammered, hugging myself.
The mushrooms... gone. The trees... gone. Around us stretched an endless white void, a desert of snow under a leaden sky.
"We're still in the forest, right?" Alruna spun, her voice rising. "Where are the trees?!"
"Impossible," I muttered, fumbling for my map. "The exit's miles off."
"Then, what is it? Could this be some kind of anomaly caused by mana overflow like other parts of the forest?"
"Could be it."
We scrambled into our winter gear, swaddling the horses in thermal blankets. Otto nuzzled my hand, his breath frosting the air.
"It seems we have no choice but to keep moving. Stay close." I ordered, squinting at the barren horizon.
After walking for a few minutes, we encountered something unthinkable.
"T-there... Is that a living creature...!?"
The ground trembled. A shadow loomed before us—a mountain of white fur and bone. Its identity was a huge white moose. Its size was unreal—at least fifty pedes tall—with milky white fur and golden yellow eyes. Its antlers sprawling like glacial spires.
"By the gods..." Fleda whispered.
The giant moose directed its golden eyes towards us, glowing with primal hunger. It lifted its enormous leg, intending to trample us.
"Scatter!"
Reflexively, I spurred Otto's reins to move as quickly as possible.
BOOM!
Its hoof flattened the snow where we'd stood seconds prior. Powder erupted into smoke, making it impossible to see anything around me.
"Fleda! Alruna! Are you alright!?" I screamed.
"Cough, cough! We're okay, sis!"
From the information I gathered using my Ambient Sense, it seemed Fleda and Alruna were behind me, a bit far off.
The giant moose was still clearly detected near me. But it didn't give me time to rest. It swung its massive leg again and tried to run towards me.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Because of its enormous size, each step it took was thunderous and shook the ground beneath it.
I managed to avoid its charge thanks to Otto's agility and my detection ability. Strangely, it could see me clearly amidst the smoke. Was this part of its power?
Perhaps due to its size and weight, it only followed its momentum and didn't turn toward me or Fleda and Alruna. I ran back to the others, regrouped, and planned to devise a quick strategy to defeat it.
"Fleda! Alruna!"
"Sis!" Fleda's voice trembled with relief. "Thank the gods you're okay!"
"Forget that," I spat, tasting frost. "We need to take that thing down. It's controlling this frozen wasteland—its mana is fused with the snow."
"Alright!" Fleda nocked an arrow, her hands steady despite the chaos. "As usual, I'll support you from behind with my bow."
"...Then I'll join Adele." Alruna clutched her ribs. "My glaive should be useful in situations like this."
"Good. Aim for the legs. Topple it, then strike the heart." I gripped Audiganus tightly. "Alruna—flank left. I'll take right. Fleda, keep its eyes busy!"
"Understood." Alruna nodded.
"Don't try to charge on your own, okay? Stay close to Alruna no matter what." Fleda gently touched my right hand that held Audiganus.
"Don't worry, just focus on your task."
Just as we finished discussing, the giant moose stopped running and looked back at the three of us. Within seconds, it bellowed, frost swirling around its antlers. The giant moose charged, hooves cratering the ice.
"Alright, everyone! Let's go!"
At that moment, I didn't know that attacking its legs was a fatal mistake. Nevertheless, we ran blindly toward the giant moose.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Fleda's arrows, infused with wind mana, streaked like comets. One pierced the beast's nostril.
ROAR!
It faltered, shaking its massive head. This was an opportunity.
"Now!" I lunged, Alruna mirroring me.
Just as we were close enough to strike the moose's legs, Fleda shouted.
"YOU TWO! LOOK TO YOUR SIDES!"
"—Huh?"
CRASH!
A jagged ice boulder slammed into us mid-sprint. The world spun—sky, snow, pain. I skidded across the ground, armor splintering.
"Cough, cough!" I rolled onto my knees, blood soaking through my tunic. Alruna lay nearby, her breath ragged. "Alruna! You okay!?"
"...Don't worry, I'm fine..." she wheezed, clutching her side.
"Let's get up firs—ugh!"
The wound in my left rib made it difficult to stand upright. The cut wasn't deep, but the pain was intense.
Desperate, I removed my damaged armor and teared a strip from my cloak to bind my ribs, creating a makeshift bandage. Although the pain didn't disappear entirely, it was enough to stop the bleeding.
We locked eyes with the giant moose for a moment. Unexpectedly, the beast was able to use Ice Law, its body surrounded by an icy belt that resembled a malevolent halo.
"Sis!" Fleda's scream cut through the ringing in my ears. "Thank goodness you're both safe!"
"Ah, Fleda. What about Otto and Sten?"
"They are hit, unfortunately." She gestured to the horses limping behind a snowdrift. It seems they've got injuries on their bellies and thighs.
"Damn it! So we have to fight this monster on foot?!"
Fleda dismounted, her hands gently helping me and Alruna back to our feet.
"Stay calm, Sis. This isn't like you."
"...Ah? ...Really?" I took a deep breath. "...Ahem. I'm sorry, Fleda. It seems that this sister of yours has lost her patience."
Fleda was right. I'd lost my usual composure—too rattled by seeing her and Alruna in danger.
Calm down, Adele. Think.
The moose-monster's abilities crystallized in my mind: blinding speed, Ice Law, and environmental control. Its frost-laden breath had turned the forest into a glacial wasteland, sapping our stamina by the second. In the worst-case scenario, we might actually die from the cold.
Wait.
When Alruna and I attacked its legs, it responded with an Ice Law. Assuming it had the same anatomy as a moose, targeting the underbelly—where the skin is thinner and less protected—might be the best idea. Its size was its weakness, if only it didn't have Ice Law.
"Hey, you two," I whispered, rallying the others. "I have a plan. But it's a very risky one."
"...Better than dying here with no plan." Alruna gazed me with a serious look.
"Okay, listen up—"
...
"—That's roughly it. Any questions?"
Silence. Fleda and Alruna seem to understand the gravity of the situation. They have no choice but to agree.
"Okay. No questions then. Everyone, get into your positions!"
"Yes!"
The three of us quickly assumed our designated positions. This time, Alruna at the front, me in the middle, and Fleda at the back. With only one horse left to ride, we decided to use it as the spearhead of the plan.
Alruna lunged first, her boots glowing with Wind Law.
"Ventus, nolite obdurare sub pedibus meis!"
She shot forward like a comet, floating and leaping through the air.
"Fleda! Now!"
"Okay!" She pulled her bowstring. "Nullam resistentiam!"
Thwip!
Fleda used her archery skills combined with Wind Law to shoot down each of the ice chunks flying towards Alruna. Despite the considerable distance, each shot was precise and flawless, completely shattering every of it.
"Keep going, Alruna!"
A shard grazed Alruna's arm, but she didn't falter.
"Lumen terebramus acuto in caelum!"
Her glaive erupted in emerald light, a spectral blade extending from its tip. With one mighty swing, she managed to sever the beast's front legs. A strong gust of wind surged from Alruna's direction, marking the first time I witnessed her unleash her full power.
ROAR!
The colossus crashed to its knees, ichor steaming in the snow.
Now, it was my turn.
If you ask who benefits most from this snowy desert, it's not the monster—it's me. Everything here is a form of water: snow, ice, and melting droplets. This environment has fully charged the mana in my body, ready to be unleashed.
However, mana and the body are separate; while having abundant mana is advantageous in battle, my body won't endure these conditions for long.
I spurred Helmo beneath the beast's quivering bulk. No single drop of my mana remains, all of it poured into our only hope of escaping this hellscape.
"FORTITUDO OMNIA VINCIT, ITA EST AQUA!"
The snow around us liquefying into a swirling arsenal—a glistening storm of death.
"IMPETUS!"
They struck as one—three hundred fifty two swords made from frost and water. The beast's hide tore like parchment, ichor geysering as blades pierced its heart, throat, and eyes.
It continued to lurch forward, momentum carrying its gargantuan body toward us. With the situation as it was, finishing it off would be easy. It was time for the final blow.
I veered Helmo right beneath its collapsing mass.
"Die, you frozen abomination!"
Helmo kept running at full speed. I raised Audiganus high, cleaving its exposed belly. Blue blood gushed out, splattering me with guts the size of tree trunks. But it didn't stop me from driving my sword deeper. I burst free as the corpse fell under its own weight, shaking the earth.
My head felt dizzy, my body ached, and I couldn't feel my arms. I had used up all my mana. After giving everything I had, I leaned against Sten.
"Thanks, Helmo. For not dropping me."
Neigh.
I smirked. It felt like Helmo understood my words. His step became gentler, carrying me towards Fleda and Alruna.
"Sis!"
Fleda ran towards me in a hurry—her braids frayed and cheeks flushed—as if my time left in this world was running out.
"Are you hurt?!"
"Just... tired," I mumbled, forcing a grin. "These are not my blood."
She scowled. "Of course! I know well that your blood is red, not blue. But... don't make a stunt like that again. Right, Sis?"
I got goosebumps. Fleda looked at me with an unusually long smile on her lips. Another hour of scolding session, I suppose.
"Y-yes..."
"Fleda! Help me tooo!" Alruna shouted towards us. She was lying on a pile of snow with her beloved glaive.
"Okay, okay, hold on!" Fleda's anger dissolved into a light giggle. "Rest. I'll handle things."
"Thank you, Fleda. Truly."
"You're welcome."
As Fleda lowered me onto a mossy log, exhaustion dragged me under. The last thing I heard was her dragging Alruna's body across the snow, her voice fierce and fond.
***