Chapter 62.1 - EPISODE 62 (1/2) – RUINS (1) (1/2)

The reason why the Sälen Kingdom did not expand its influence on the land of the northern barbarians was simple.

“Because it’s hard to live here.”

They didn’t stop at Thunderdoom Fortress just for no reason.

There were two main reasons why the land of the barbarians was difficult to live in. One was the harsh natural environment, and the other was the monsters that appeared everywhere.

“It’s cold and barren, and there are many monsters, so it’s not a place for people to live.”

That was why the barbarians strike the northern border every few years. The north was hard to live in, while the south was habitable.

It was to find a better place to live.

“Haa…haa…this is tough. There’s really nothing but snow as far as I can see.”

Cordelia panted as she left deep impressions of new footprints on the pure white snowfield without a single footprint.

At first, she liked that it was beautiful, but its beauty was only for a while as she began hating the snowfield that spread out endlessly while she walked.

The environment in the land of the barbarians was really harsh.

The village of the Great Storm tribe was still a bit livable, as it felt like a village located in the northernmost part of in Count Hræsvelgr’s territory.

However, as soon as they left the village area, it was slightly like a worse version of Frost Anvil.

Blizzards ruthlessly stormed as heaps of snow piled up everywhere.

Had it not been for the Winter Protection, it would have been difficult to even breathe properly.

“The barbarians are…haa…really…haa…the reason…haa…is…”

Living in this environment naturally made them stronger.

No, the weak would not survive in the first place.

Unlike Cordelia, who was gasping and saying whatever she wanted to say until the end, Jude closed his mouth and just checked their direction with a compass.

They were in the northwest direction from the village of the Great Storm tribe.

After measuring the distance in his head, Jude soon sent a hand signal to Cordelia.

“What? Do we have to go a little longer? Hasn’t it been…haa…like that…haa..since a while ago?”

Jude responded with a hand signal again instead of answering, and Cordelia lost her temper.

“Ah, fu-! It’s better if you just say it with your eyes!”

It was easier for her to understand than a hand signal she didn’t know about.

‘It’s amazing when I think about it. How did you do that? Is this like an animal’s instinct? As expected of a beast, huh?’

“A beast?”

Cordelia somewhat comprehended Jude’s gaze and hit him hard on the back.

Jude continued to speak with his eyes.

‘It’s really just a little further. Can you see that slightly raised side over there? There is a way down there. An underground cave, I think?’

Seeing Jude’s gaze, Cordelia frowned and groaned as she repeated her question. Because his words were too long, it seemed that she couldn’t properly understand it.

“Uh…so there’s a way down there?”

‘That’s right.’

“F*ck, just say it yourself. Talk in words. Say it in words, Daddy!”

“Yes.”

Jude briefly responded to her whining and began to take the lead again, and Cordelia gasped for breath and continued following Jude.

In terms of physical strength, the relationship between the two was completely reversed due to the Sunflower.

And around 5 minutes later…

Jude and Cordelia finally reached the entrance of a huge cave.

As Jude had said, it was a large cave that stretched downwards, and it was like the entrance to a dungeon.

‘This place was in the original story.’

There seems to be something – now that that short line in the game had appeared in front of them, it was impossible for them to not enter this place.

Jude swallowed down and had a small smile. Because his heart was beating at the thought of going to a place he had never been before and taking a step towards the unknown.

Unlike Jude however, Cordelia strongly reacted in surprise as she stood in her spot and then said.

“Say, let’s get in there quickly. I don’t want to be exposed to a blizzard again. It would be better once we get in.”

“…But there’s no romance.”

“Romance and so on is worthless if you’re not warm and comfortable. What kind of romance is that when we’re freezing?”

Cordelia rapidly spit out words without dreams or hopes as she quickly made a magic light and took the lead as she began to go down.

“Be careful.”

“Yes, you too.”

As soon as they started going down, Jude naturally took the lead. He was three steps ahead of Cordelia. He could feel Cordelia openly gazing at his tail, but from here on, it was not the time to stop and walk side by side.

He stood in the front line and protected Cordelia who was in the rear.

He became a shield that would protect Cordelia from any danger.

“A little reliable, huh?”

“Ha?”

“No, your tail is cute.”

Instead of getting angry, Cordelia laughed and looked around with a little curiosity because the blizzard had disappeared.

The cave that led downwards had a very high ceiling, and strangely enough, it widened as it went downwards.

“Uh…I think I’m getting scared.”

Nearly 30 meters down, the cave became so large that it could not be seen with her small magic light.

A dark and humid cave where one had no idea on what’s around.

The sound of water droplets dripping from afar seemed to be heard regularly, and soon, the sound of a buzzing bug was heard.

“Cordelia, can you increase the light a little more?”

“Yes, wait a second.”

Increasing the intensity of the light naturally increased the mana consumption but securing their visibility of the surroundings was a priority.

When Cordelia added more mana to her spell, the magical sphere that emitted the soft light doubled at once, and the light intensity was more than tripled.

Paa-!

At that moment, the light devoured the darkness as if they had turned on the light in a dark room. The surrounding landscape was revealed more clearly, and at that instant, Cordelia almost screamed.

There were dozens of pairs of eyes in all directions.

A surprisingly large number of monsters were watching from the sides of the walls and ceiling, and she wondered why they had not noticed so far.

“Cordelia! Begin!”

Jude instantly shouted and Cordelia immediately understood it. She turned around and stood back to back with Jude, while Jude clenched both of his fists instead of drawing out the Eastern Warrior’s Sword.

The numbers were estimated to be around twenty to thirty at most.

Fortunately, the monster itself was a known species to them.

“Snow Goblin!”

“Live in big groups! White skin with a bluish glow! Blue eyes!”

“Obviously ice attribute!”

“Poisonous nails and teeth!”

“Timid and seriously coward personality! If they’re a bit disadvantaged, they run right away!”

Jude and Cordelia shouted in turns.

However, they had no choice but to correct their words.

“Hey! Their eyes are red!”

“Fallen version! If they have that, they won’t run away!”

“Berserk Mode!”

The situation had changed for the Snow Goblins who had been corrupted due to their exposure to the power of Belial, the overlord of corruption.

They were poisonous species who rushed and fought until the last one died.

“Here it comes!”

“Believe in me!”

When Jude cried out, Cordelia confidently shouted as the Wind’s Wing Arrow in her waist flew into the air. Immediately, she used the Witch Transformation and then yelled.