Chapter 66: Leaving the Cold Region
Morning arrived quietly. The snow-covered mountains were bathed in pale sunlight, causing countless crystals of ice to glitter like scattered diamonds across the landscape.
Silas woke first. Well, technically, Gromda had already been awake for several minutes, but she was enjoying being wrapped around him like a giant blanket. Chloe sat nearby with her eyes closed, appearing to meditate, or sleep, or freeze the air around her.
Honestly, it was difficult to tell these days. The cave had become noticeably colder overnight, despite the fire they had maintained with great difficulty after their intense... discussion. Fortunately, nobody present seemed particularly bothered by it.
After getting ready to move, the group quickly packed up. Well... Gromda and Chloe packed up. Silas just pointed at everything, and the blankets, cooking equipment, and spare supplies purchased from the system vanished. Even the unused meat vanished. The two girls watched everything disappear into the system storage Silas talked of. Gromda’s eyes sparkled every single time the items disappeared to somewhere.
"Magic."
"It’s not magic."
"Magic."
"It’s a storage function."
"Magic."
Silas gave up. There was no winning against that argument. Meanwhile, Chloe was inspecting the new outfit Silas had purchased for her. It consisted of a dark inner layer, thick winter trousers, reinforced boots, and a heavy coat similar to the ones worn by Silas and Gromda. At first glance, they looked like ordinary cold-weather clothes, but they weren’t. The system had assured him they were far more durable than normal clothing. They could withstand monster claws, rough terrain, and minor mana interference. Pseudo-armor, that’s what they were named. The term sounded ridiculous, but the protection wasn’t. Silas and Gromda could attest to that.
After purchasing Chloe’s set, his CP had dropped to exactly three hundred, a painful loss, but it was necessary. Though the system made it more painful for me. It didn’t miss the opportunity to taunt him.
[Three hundred points remaining.]
’I know.’
[You are becoming poor.]
’I’m investing.’
[That is what poor people say.]
’Shouldn’t I have gotten more for the beasts I killed?’
[You used them all up. Do you think the clothes were 2 CP?]
’Tch! Scammer.’
[It would shock you that I’m the best in the trade.]
’Piss off!’
Silas ignored it. A few minutes later, the three finally left the cave. The snow crunched beneath their boots as they descended the mountain. The journey was peaceful... too peaceful. No monsters attacked them: It was almost suspicious. As they walked, Silas activated Thread Sight.
The familiar glow appeared in his vision while countless invisible threads spread across the world. This time, they were far more than before. His control had improved tremendously over the past week. At first, using the ability had felt awkward; now it felt natural like breathing. He no longer needed to actively analyze every thread. His mind processed much of the information automatically. He could differentiate life signatures, intent, emotion, hostility, species, and even the general nature of a creature. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough.
The world unfolded before him, showing him monsters, plants, mana currents: new, hidden caves, and ancient paths. Everything was interconnected through countless invisible threads. Then he focused on a different objective: his mates, specifically on Mr. Fatars, the irony.
The marked connections appeared instantly. Gromda’s thread glowed brightly beside him while Chloe’s burned with a cold silver-blue light. Mr. Fatars... Silas stopped walking, his eyes narrowing.
"There."
The thread stretched far away, very far away, but unlike before, he could actually follow it. The system seemed impressed.
[Your control has improved considerably.]
’I noticed.’
[At this rate, Stage Two may arrive sooner than expected.]
That immediately caught his attention, but before he could ask further questions, something else entered his perception, a cluster of threads, many of them. They were specifically human threads. Silas focused on them, and information immediately flowed into his mind.
It showed humans and multiple signatures, between awakened, unawakened, fear, stress, exhaustion, and hope. He found a camp. The revelation shocked him. His ability literally made him a freaking GPS.
"Found them."
"Friends?" Gromda looked over.
"Humans. Possibly them," Silas nodded.
Chloe immediately turned toward him.
"The academy group?"
"Most likely."
He followed the threads, and the signatures were only a few kilometers away now. Even better, they weren’t inside the snowy region. The camp appeared to be located near the edge of the frozen lands where the environment gradually transitioned into rocky hills and sparse forests.
Silas couldn’t help smiling. After an entire week, a whole week of monsters, near-death experiences, intense sex, and absolute nonsense, he had finally found other people. Unfortunately for those people, they were about to discover that the missing S-Rank student had returned, and he wasn’t alone. He now came with an ice queen and a seven-foot-tall orc girlfriend. Somehow, Silas suspected the explanations were going to be difficult, not as if he was obliged to explain anything to them.
If anyone crossed him, he would just beat them up, awakened or not. The three continued their journey through the snowy lands. The mountains gradually became smaller. The endless sea of white slowly gave way to rocky terrain and patches of vegetation. They were leaving the frozen region, and Silas led the way confidently. His eyes glowed faintly every few seconds as Thread Sight remained active.
The human signatures were becoming clearer and clearer. At this rate, they would reach them before evening, possibly. Gromda seemed happy simply following beside him. She occasionally kicked snow piles for no reason. Sometimes she punched boulders. Sometimes she picked up random rocks and carried them around before throwing them away.
Silas had stopped questioning her actions days ago. Meanwhile, Chloe walked beside him quietly. Her long white hair danced behind her with every gust of wind. The transformation she had undergone was still shocking. Even now, looking at her felt strange. After several minutes of silence, she finally spoke.
"What are you going to tell them?"
"About?" Silas blinked.
"Gromda."
"What about me?" The giant orc immediately looked over.
Chloe ignored her.
"The teachers and the students." She pointed at the seven-foot-tall orc walking beside them. "What happens when they ask about her?"
Silas thought for exactly three seconds before a mischievous grin slowly spread across his face, the kind of grin that usually preceded disaster.
"Let’s see who dares to ask."
"..."
"..."
Gromda tilted her head while Chloe just stared at him.
"You can’t be serious."
"I am."
"Silas."
"What?"
"They’re definitely going to ask."
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"Maybe they value their lives."
Chloe rubbed her forehead. A habit she had somehow retained despite becoming an ice queen.
"They are going to ask."
"They can try."
"Silas."
"What?"
"You brought a seven-foot-tall orc woman out of nowhere."
"True."
"You disappeared for a week."
"Also true."
"You returned with two girlfriends."
Silas paused. "...When you say it like that, it sounds suspicious."
"It is suspicious."
"It really is," Even Gromda nodded.
Silas looked betrayed.
"I thought both of you were on my side."
"We are."
"We are."
"Then why are you agreeing?"
"Because it sounds suspicious."
"Very suspicious."
Silas clicked his tongue. Traitors. The system appeared.
[They have a point.]
’Not you too.’
[You vanished for a week and returned with an orc wife.]
’Girlfriend.’
[The distinction isn’t helping.]
Silas ignored it. Ahead, the human threads became stronger. He could now distinguish individual signatures. He could practically feel the camp. They were close, or so it seemed. His smile slowly faded, not because he was worried. Quite the opposite. He was excited.
After a whole week, he couldn’t wait to see their faces, especially Mr. Fatars and the students, those who had spent years calling him Pinky. The image alone almost made him laugh.
Beside him, Chloe noticed the grin returning. It somehow looked even worse than before.
"You’re planning something."
"No."
"You are."
"No."
"You absolutely are."
Silas looked offended.
"I would never."
Gromda looked at Chloe.
"He is planning something."
"He is."
"Definitely."
"Definitely."
Silas sighed dramatically.
"I am surrounded by doubters."
The two women ignored him. Far ahead, beyond a rocky ridge and a sparse forest, dozens of human threads glowed brightly. The camp was finally within reach, and somewhere in that camp, forty-two exhausted students and teachers were about to receive the biggest shock of their lives.
