Chapter 11 – The Boundless Snow (3)

On the first day of starting the journey toward the first ember.

The snow dyed the whole world white, the wind was cold enough to cut through flesh, and the snow piled on the earth was so thick that it sank up to my knees with every step.

However, unlike the expectation that it would be a long and arduous journey, I caught a glimpse of hope.

‘I walked 10 km in just half a day. The marching speed is faster than I thought.’

The departure time was noon on the 2nd, and the current time was midnight transitioning to the 3rd, meaning I had advanced 10 km in 12 hours. It was an encouraging achievement that could not help but raise my expectations.

Click—!

Pausing for a moment, I took out a brass compass with ornate patterns from my chest. It was something I had borrowed from my father’s study; it was not an ordinary compass but a magic engineering compass, and peculiarly, it had two arrows of different colors inside.

‘They said the red one indicates the direction, and the blue one indicates the direction of the destination.’

As it had the name magic engineering attached to it, it was no simple compass. In addition to the basic function of indicating the four cardinal directions, the magic engineering compass was a device that also incorporated a guiding function.

‘To put it in modern terms, it’s a navigation system.’

It could be said to be an indispensable item if one wished to make their way through this boundless snow that caused one to lose all sense of direction.

Spin—

I stood straight so that the red arrow pointed north, then read the compass.

‘It’s not completely the same, but it’s almost the same direction.’

The two arrows overlapped but were slightly misaligned, pointing in the same direction.

The direction pointed by the blue arrow was, of course, the ultimate destination, the Immortal Embers, and that direction was still north, the same as the Eternal Magic.

‘Even after coming this far, almost nothing has changed…’

The fact that the Immortal Embers was in the north was something I had known since departure. However, now that I had walked 10 km, I expected the direction of the arrow to have changed slightly, but it did not at all.

The arrow had only deviated slightly, very slightly, from the north. It still could not escape that direction.

‘No wonder the weather gets harsher as I go.’

It was natural that the weather grew colder the closer I got to the Immortal Embers. Because that meant I was also getting closer to the source of the disaster, the Eternal Magic.

Looking at the figure of 190 km displayed on the indicator representing the remaining distance at the very bottom of the compass, I exhaled a cold breath and put down my backpack.

“Haa… Let’s rest here for today first.”

I took out my entrenching shovel, dug a pit, crawled inside, and curled up. Although I still had physical strength left, this was the coldest time of the day, between 00:00 and 06:00, when the temperature dropped rapidly.

To preserve physical strength and use it efficiently, marching during this time slot should be avoided as much as possible, and it should be used as rest time.

‘At this rate, I will arrive safely. I don’t have to worry about being late.’

‘The application deadline for the qualification exam is noon on the 15th. The time remaining for me now is exactly twelve and a half days.’

Based on that calculation, 15.2 km a day would be enough, but I walked 10 km in half a day. By simple calculation, it meant I could go 20 km a day, which was 4.8 km over the target.

‘Did I start too early? I should make a plan of what to do when I arrive.’

It meant I could afford to be relaxed.

However.

“17.9 km. As expected, 20 km is too much.”

On the second day of the journey that I had started so confidently, I had only walked 2.7 km more than the target.

“15.2 km. It’s a close shave, but… I walked as much as I needed to.”

On the third day, in just three days, the travel distance was reduced once again to the target of 15.2 km.

“13.9 km…”

On the fourth day, only four days after departure, my daily travel distance fell short of the target.

“Ha, haha…”

A dry laugh escaped me. I was utterly pathetic for having had such a complacent thought on the very first day.

Whoosh—!

My physical strength was rapidly consumed by the weather that grew progressively harsher, my vitality was not the same as before even after resting, and my recovery rate slowed down day by day.

‘I understand why the boundless snow is called the land of the slow grim reaper. Death was slowly approaching. From the very moment I set foot on the snowfield…’

Everything felt on the snowfield was leading me toward death, that fleeting end.

‘I must never stop until I meet my daily target.’

Realizing that the shadow of death was tailing me, I did not stop walking even though the time entered 00:00. No, I could not stop.

Because with this kind of complacent mental state, I would never be able to reach the Immortal Embers.

It was the moment I tightly buttoned my clothes against the whipping icy wind, barely taking a step with feet that refused to move.

Clatter, clatter—!

…!

Beyond the darkness, an unidentified noise echoed across the snowfield. An artificial noise that could absolutely never be created naturally…

‘What is it? What kind of equipment is that? With a noise like that, it’s definitely the sound of an engine.’

No matter how hard I listened, I could not grasp the identity of the noise. In the game, I had memorized all the sound effects for each piece of equipment, so I could identify them by hearing the startup sound for just a split second.

‘Damn it, the game and reality are too different in this aspect!’

Reality and the game were so different that, for the current me, there was no way to know what that noise was. As of now, this reality still contained far more things I did not know than things I did.

‘Is it raiders? What should I do? There is no suitable place to avoid them, and the sound is too close for me to dig a hole and hide.’

It felt as if a siren were wailing inside my head.

Where on earth could I hide on this completely white snowfield, and how long would it take to dig the ground?

However, my ability to act, having reigned as a dictator hundreds of times, moved faster than the speed of thought.

Click.

Out of tension and fear arising from the unknown target, I drew my magic gun at a near-instinctive speed.

Click—clack—!

Inserting the magazine, disengaging the safety lock of the trigger, pulling the slide to chamber a round, and finally raising the handgun to eye level with a two-handed grip to align the rear and front sights.

Since it was an emergency, I placed my index finger on the trigger, pulling it slightly to reduce the slack so I could fire at any moment.

Just in case, I hid my body in the snow in a kneeling position.

“…”

Focusing all my senses toward the direction of the sound, I held my breath.

‘Ten magic bullets in one magazine, and the top round was on the right.’

‘I must count how many bullets are left. This world does not show how many remaining bullets are in the magazine at the bottom of the screen.’

I only hoped that the raiders did not exceed thirty.

Because with the magazine in the holster and the one inserted in the gun, I had only three magazines in total, which was thirty bullets.

“…”

Just like that, under the suffocating pressure, how much time passed as I waited for the enemy’s appearance?

Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter—!

Finally, I could spot a white shape rushing from afar, making a roar that put a cultivator to shame.

‘Is that… an off-roader?’

As soon as I realized its identity, I quickly lowered my hands, disassembled the magic gun and the magazine, and put them back into the holster.

‘They are not enemies. Those must be people from the Immortal Embers heading to our embers.’

I was one hundred percent sure. As far as I knew, that could not be a raider.

According to what I heard at the tavern, they were a group that expanded their power by plundering rather than developing, so it was next to impossible for them to possess equipment requiring high-level technology like an off-roader.

And above all, that off-roader…

‘The pattern symbolizing the Immortal Embers. It’s the flame of the sacred fire.’

On the hood, a sculpture of the flame of the sacred fire was mounted like an emblem, just like the three-pointed star emblem on a 21st-century car.

However, the reason I did not lower my guard was that while it was certain they were not raiders, I could not be sure they were allies either.

‘Although the Immortal Embers is aiding our embers, isn’t that purely because that magic engineer back then valued Demian?’

‘On the contrary, because of that flimsy connection, others might look down on the unconditional aid given to our embers.’

‘They are coming this way. I must see how they act before deciding my attitude.’

As if they were indeed heading toward our embers, the off-roader, whose path overlapped with mine, slowly came to a halt about five meters away.

The dazzling headlights shone on me.

“…”

I raised my hands. Doing something unnecessary might provoke them. Since it was a harsh world, they might be carrying weapons.

Soon, from the passenger side of the off-roader, a white-haired man who looked like a pretty boy poked only his head out of the window.

“Hey, what are you? Looking at your footprints and appearance, you seem to have come from the south. Are you from some nameless embers?”

The man scanned me with an interested gaze, as if looking at a monkey in a zoo, and shouted. Although I felt an inexplicable goodwill in his voice.

‘You never know. There is no need to bet on something uncertain.’

Since I could not know from that whether he harbored any hostility toward our embers, I raised my guard to the maximum.

Having finished assessing the situation, I quickly made a decision on how to act and began to speak slyly.

“My name is Charles. I am a member of a recently collapsed embers, and I am heading to the Immortal Embers to take the Novice Magic Engineer Qualification Exam.”

I lied about everything, from my name to my origin.

Revealing my origin would only build up hostility, and if I revealed my real name, I might be linked as a blood relative of Demian Vale, the source of their resentment, and face some disaster.

‘It might be an overreaction, but… there is no harm in being careful.’

With just a single whim of theirs, I could die in vain. Because this world was a place where killing a person and covering it up was far too easy.

Once a corpse was made, the snow would swallow it before the next day arrived; that was the kind of place was.

As I waited in a polite posture, an answer came from the other side.

“You are going to the Immortal Embers? In that state, all by yourself?”

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“Do you… know how far it is from here to the Immortal Embers?”

I knew. Since I had a magic engineering compass.

However, I had to hide it. If a mere member of a collapsed embers possessed such an item, it would arouse suspicion.

“I don’t know well. I only know that I need to go north, but is it very far?”

“Ha… haha! They say ignorance makes you brave, but I’ve seen all kinds of crazy bastards. The Immortal Embers is another 143 km from here. Why don’t you just beg me to kill you instead?”

The man spoke as if he were looking at some crazy bastard, but his hearty laughter made it seem like he was going crazy with amusement at this situation.

‘What is so funny? Is he a psychopath?’

He had now begun to burst into roar after roar of laughter. I could not understand that bizarre reaction, but then again, there was no need to understand it.

Because whatever the reason, the only thing that mattered was the fact that my answer had pleased him.

“Right… So, Charles, are you confident?”

Holding his stomach and laughing for a long time, he wiped away a tear and asked. However, unlike at first, the momentum felt from his expression was infinitely intense.

Just like when Jeremy Scott glared at me…

“If I put my life on the line, won’t I arrive somehow?”

I also answered with utmost seriousness.

Since someone riding in that precious off-roader and overflowing with such spirit could not possibly be of ordinary status.

However.

“Who asked you that?”

“Then…?”

“The qualification exam. I am asking if you are confident in passing the exam.”

…!

He was not asking whether I would arrive alive at the Immortal Embers or not, but whether I was confident in passing the exam.

I was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected question, but…

“I am only going to retrieve it.”

“What?”

“My level has already surpassed the novice grade, but since only the great Immortal Embers holds the authority to officially certify the qualification of a scholar, I am merely going through the trouble to retrieve the qualification I deserve.”

Quickly regaining my composure, I smiled leisurely and retorted.

“Hmm, you look young…”

At that, the man narrowed his eyes, swept his tongue over his lips like a snake, and threw something at me.

“It’s a magic engineering compass.”

“Thank you for your grace. I will cherish it.”

I thought he was giving me something great, but a magic engineering compass… I was completely deflated, but I bowed and expressed my gratitude.

After all, goodwill was goodwill.

However, that was my misconception.

“Do not misunderstand. I am not giving it to you, I am lending it. So, make sure to arrive alive. That is an order.”

“…Yes.”

I blurted out that I would.

By the way, who did he think he was to speak informally to me since earlier, and now even give orders?

At the moment when a sudden surge of resentment made me contemplate demanding an explanation.

“As soon as the exam is over, come find the leadership. If you give them my name, Heimdall Arcadius, along with the compass, they will let you in.”

…!

I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.

Heimdall Arcadius.

The youngest son of Odin Arcadius, the leader of the Immortal Embers, was none other than him.