“Achoo!”
Faster one runs, faster stamina runs out and thus faster the coldness comes.
Weed and Avelon were buying their own misfortune.
Just like that, during the day, when it’s relatively warmer they walked; during the night they rested in a cave or at the bottom of a hill to take refuge from the wind.
Every night Weed showed off his cooking skill.
“Fish stew with plenty of garlic!”
It sounds terrible but in reality it’s a stew that tastes great.
The stew gave warm a feeling throughout the whole body.
If they didn’t even have such food, it would’ve been crazy to move while they had a cold.
Sometimes when the cold got worse because of the weather, they ate meat soaked in wine.
Countless stars shone in the unusually clear night sky.
The mealtime was the only time when they could rest and get rid of some tiredness from the harsh traveling.
Then one day after finishing their meal in a cave, Weed tried to take plates like usual.
Dalgrak.
But Seoyoon suddenly took away the plates from him.
The wooden plates that Weed created himself with currency used in Versailles Continent carved on it!
He carved in the picture to not forget that he should never forget to gain money even when he’s eating.
Weed raised his head. Seoyoon’s clear eyes were looking at him.
"........"
Weed’s chest hurt.
‘So she’s taking away my precious plates just like this. She has some good eyes for items.’
They’re not the best silver or gold plate set.
Just simple wooden plates good to hold food in.
According to rumors, there are some with jewels on them.
Verjua plates which had a price of over 6000 gold.
Unless it’s someone with overflowing money, they’re not plates that anyone can use.
Like this, good plates are often expensive.
Weed made plates himself to save money, but Seoyoon took even that from him.
But that was Weed’s delusion.
Seoyoon wasn’t trying to take it away from him.
Without saying anything she took it outside and wiped it with snow.
Seoyoon washing dishes!
Since she always got food from him, she was in her own way showing gratitude.
Bingryong!
He gracefully opened his wings and flew around the sky.
Then when he saw a monster, he landed and attacked whatever he saw.
“Kurarara!”
He fell down from the sky and viciously stumped on monsters or bit them.
There was almost no monsters left where Bingryong attacked.
It was to hunt for meals, but it was more to increase experience and fighting ability.
“I can’t stand anyone stronger than me! To be able to open my wings under this sky and over this earth, I need to be stronger.”
Bingryong knew by himself that he was a great being, but the fact that he couldn't even move his own body properly was very painful to him!
Since Bingryong’s Fighting Spirit was high, ordinary monsters froze right away.
Bingryong didn’t overlook anyone and hunted even those monsters.
Monsters gain skill experience and experience through killing.
Since it was possible for him to become even stronger depending on the effort put in, Bingryong did not rest.
“A stronger monster! To make myself stronger I need a stronger opponent! Appear, an opponent who can make my heart shake!”
Bingryong’s roar shook the ice covered earth.
The Northern region’s strong monsters
There were plenty of boss level or strong monsters in each ice mountains.
By level, there were many over level 400 here and there.
Furthermore, in the Forest of Massacre, strong monsters that are usually very hard to meet formed a food chain and lived there.
“Kuwuwuwu!”
In the ice mountain, Bingryong stumped on weak monsters and when boss level monster really appeared he opened up his wings.
“Then see you later.”
Bingryong was a coward unlike his huge size.
Therefore, if he met an opponent similar to him or stronger than him, he ran away. He was growing in such a way.
Weed walked while clearing the snow busily.
“Alveron, just a bit more.”
“Yes.”
Last night lots of snow fell.
Thanks to that, it was harder to walk with snow piled up to their knees.
Serious cold doesn’t get better easily.
Their stamina dropped easily, so they took turns to move forward.
“Weed-nim I’m sorry. I can’t continue anymore.”
Weed and Seoyoon can manage somehow, but Alveron who was a Priest became tired easily.
“Oh well. Let’s rest for a bit.”
Progress became slower because of Alveron.
Walking on cold, frozen land consumes lots of stamina.
Alveron who had weak stamina, couldn't walk much under normal circumstances either.
But since there’s a pile of snow, he’s having more difficult time.
Around them, there were only wolves who wandered around, looking for food.
‘There should be a way. A way to move faster. We need a transportation method.’
On the Versailles Continent there are various transportation methods.
Most popular method are horses!
They’re traded commonly in towns or cities. Moreover, there are professional horse trainers.
A great horse that follows owner’s command well, or a fast horse like lightening.
Due to horses that can be used even in battles, transporting time between hunting grounds or towns could be reduced.
‘In this kind of coldness, all horses will freeze to death. Even if they survive, they wouldn’t be able to run well.’
Horses are made to run well in plains as a basis.
To run on snow and ice covered land would be too much.
Then, an idea appeared in Weed’s head!
‘That’s it! Why didn’t I think of it earlier? There’s saying chicken instead of pheasant.’
Wolves were wandering about.
When they meet Seoyoon or Weed they slowly go away. There was exceptionally a lot of wolves in this area.
Weed pleaded Seoyoon.
“Please help me catch wolves around this area.”
Seoyoon silently pulled out her sword thinking that it was for meat.
But Weed’s request was something bit different.
“You have to catch it without killing. But if possible, beat them up so they’ll think dying is better.”
"........"
Seoyoon took out her sword and beat up the wolves just enough.
To hunt wolves they didn’t even need to use skills.
Woof! Woof!
If monsters have intelligence, they choose to run away when against an impossibly stronger opponent.
When life dropped, scared wolves started to run away.
Seoyoon chased after wolves and broke their legs without any hesitation. It was to immobilize them.
Wolves sliding on an ice rink.
After becoming unable to fight, they were only waiting to die.
Then Weed approached them.
“Oh my, you poor things doesn’t it hurt?
Wolves showed cautiousness.
It was human. One of the humans who made them like that approached them.
But Weed did not kill the wolves.
He applied herbs to the wounds and bandaged them.
Grrrrr!
Most animals would feel thankful.
But still, wolves did not abandon their violent side.
When their body recovered, they bared their fangs to bite off Weed.
Like a wild animal, it couldn’t trust a human.
Weed backed up silently.
“Look like you’re better, I will be going. Someone of your kind may be in pain somewhere after all.”
Usually he would hunt wolves down with joy, but Weed backed up without getting too greedy.
Grrr, Gr Gr Gr!
Wolves tried hard to stand up using their four legs.
It was time for them to go back to the base.
Then Seoyoon came again. Then she beat up the Wolves without a word
Like that, the Wolves got beat up and Weed cured them for several weeks.
So one hits, then one cures to make them feel thankful to them.
lick lick.
A young Wolf looked at him and licked his hand.
“Yeah. Good boy.”
Weed touched the wolves head.
He gave him a specially dried fish
Now, most Wolves wagged their tail.
Sometimes they showed their stomach.
They’ve been tamed!
They came to follow Weed.
But still, there were some who did not accept Weed until the end.
In a way, those were captain level of wolves.
Those kinds of ones Weed silently took them to the back of the hill, holding their neck.
“Hoohoohoo, you good boys. You must be hurt a lot. Then I should treat your wound with even more care.”
I think it’s better to treat you over there than here.”
Soft smile and caring eyes!
There is no way to know what happened there, but when Weed came back his bags were a bit more packed.
The amount of meat and leather increased.
To the wolves, nightmarish events were happening.
GhingGhingGhing!
Wolves cuddled up to Weed when he returned, not knowing anything.
Alveron and Seoyoon felt a chill going up their spines, but Weed only had angelic smile on his face.
“Yes, you cute little things.”
They were wolves that already got used to Weed’s touch and food.
“Eat lots.”
Weed gave wolves more than enough food.
When wolves were eating, he quickly made something using wood and monster tendon.
“I should make the bottom with steel blades to make it move forward easily and I should tie the tendon three times so wolves can’t get away.”
The object Weed made using his Smithing and Sewing skills to the fullest!
Even when it was put over their bodies, wolves did not resist at all.
Then it was completed.
Sled led by wolves!
It had different a shape from the chariot.
Tens of wolves lead from the front in a group, and the sled was made to slide over ice.
Since it was low, there was less resistance from wind, and because there were no wheels, it could slide over ice.
He made transportation that fit to the Northern region.
Weed commanded wolves to move forward.
The sled moved fast, sliding over snow and ice.
It gave incomparable joy to horse riding or any other transportation.
Fast enough speed and stability!
Alveron and Seoyoon could relax and enjoy the scenery.
Still, even if there’s a sled, moving during the night was risky.
Not only were there strong monsters, the Versailles Continent was very unpredictable, so if they got swept away by a blizzard, it would be hard to survive.
At times like that, they needed to rest in warm caves.
Awoooooo!
Remorseful cries of wolves that rings every night.
After four days like that, they could arrive at the Valley of Death soon.
Weed first checked the geographic shape of the valley.
‘ It’