After collecting the intel I needed from Tom the Menace, I immediately went back on the road. The information he provided was valuable, albeit delivered with a sense of exasperation and disbelief.
Tom's descriptions replayed in my mind as I rode for the rest of the afternoon. The treacherous terrain, the lurking beasts were not mere challenges but potential death traps. Yet, the thought of passing through Meley was far more unsettling. I couldn't risk going there.
As I traveled, the landscape gradually shifted, the muddy road of Bellmoral giving way to a gravelly path. The sun began its descent into the horizon. Nightfall approached, and I decided to ride for a couple more hours before eventually making camp in a small clearing off the main path, sheltered by a cluster of ancient trees. I dismounted, setting up a simple campfire to ward off the evening chill.
To keep my mind from drifting back to Tom's parting words about how foolish I was for wanting to take that road, I prepared and enjoyed a modest meal, then immediately went to sleep.
In no time it was the morning again.
I woke up with Veilleuse-01 grazing nearby and set to organizing my stuff so that I could finally take my leave. Once done, Veilleuse-01 greeted me with a soft nicker as I mounted her. "Let’s go," I said, and with those words I set out again, soon reaching the intersection where the road split in two. One path veered to the left, leading while around the mountain, while the other continued straight and into the mountains.
The former, however, was too long; traveling while on the latter would take much more time through the mountains and was evidently much less rough to travel. The latter route was clearer, well-trodden by frequent travelers.
Looking at the towering mountains cloaked in clouds, I murmured to myself, "Well, I’ve chosen this… what ought to be done ought to be done."
I urged Veilleuse-01 forward along the only path that could be mine here. The mountains loomed above, their peaks disappearing into the thick mist.
As I advanced toward the path that clearly led me up the air grew friskier, and within a couple of hours I began encountering snow. Thanks to my base cold resistance, the cold was not much of a problem thanks to my Ice Immunity ability. However, hearing Veilleuse-01 clatter loudly against the hard, rocky ground was deeply unsettling; snow is slippery terrain.
Despite being significantly shorter than the route through the valley, which took about a week and a half, this pass through the mountains would still take about two to three days on horseback, including rest time, to make it through. However, remembering Tom’s warnings about the monsters in the mountains, I realized that taking a shortcut might not be as smart as I had initially thought.
Based on the intel I’d gleaned from Tom, one of the last handlers to have taken this road and survived, I had a rough idea of what kinds of monsters I might encounter. However, this information was based on him alone, and I was not as prepared as I had hoped to be.
There were two main reasons for this. First, when there, Tom hadn't spent much time studying the monsters; his primary focus had been on making it out alive. Second, while he could describe the monsters, the metrics he used to gauge their strength were vague at best.
Handlers conventionally categorize their missions into four levels of difficulty: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. There was also a fifth level, Mythique, equivalent to impossible. These levels were determined by factors such as the length, duration, and expected strength of the monsters encountered during the mission. Similarly, handlers classified monsters using terms like Minor, Moderate, Challenging, Severe, Catastrophic, and Mythic.
While this system worked well on paper, allowing handlers to gauge their chances against a monster, it often fell apart in practice. Many handlers couldn't accurately identify monsters similar to one another, especially under the stress of an encounter. This was exactly the issue with Tom's descriptions. He neither knew the monsters' names nor their levels, offering only vague descriptions of their appearance and a very vague assessment of its strength.
To be fair, I had expected too much from him, considering the rumors of his reputation. Without the [appraisal] it’s unfair to expect a person to be able to determine a monster's race and even less level, but I'd expected a little more from a man known as a "local legend," among his fellow handlers.
At least combining Tom's vague descriptions of the monsters with my own extensive knowledge on monsters as a Dungeon Master, I was able to form a decent idea of what I might encounter. This journey seemed manageable so far, but it wouldn't be entirely accurate to say it was devoid of monster encounters. Well, all thing considered I think the more correct term is sighting rather than encounter.
High above, in the dense cloud cover, I spotted the silhouettes of large bird-like creatures. Without my [Eagle Eyes] skill, they would have been invisible to me. Even with the skill, I couldn't discern their details to identify them. Tom hadn't mentioned anything about these creatures, which I doubt he even noticed, so I had no idea what they could possibly be. All I could do was proceed with utmost caution, keeping an eye on both what lay ahead and what loomed above.
As I ventured deeper into the pass, the cold intensified and the sky darkened, making it even harder to see the creatures overhead. The ground fog thickened to the point where an ordinary person wouldn't be able to see beyond their arm's reach. The ground was treacherous, a mixture of loose rocks and patches of snow that crunched and shifted with each step. The dense mist enveloped the path, forcing Veilleuse-01 to take more cautious and deliberate steps. Fortunately, I could still see well enough to continue, but the cold stinging my eyes was becoming a nuisance.
Suddenly, as I proceeded forward I stumbled upon something wooden partially buried in the snow and mud. At first it was just a dark, misshapen shadow against the monochrome landscape, but as I approached, the outlines of a broken carriage emerged. The wheels were splayed out at odd angles, one half-buried in the frozen ground while another leaned against the twisted remains of the wooden frame. The once-sturdy body of the carriage now lay shattered and open, its ribs exposed like the carcass of a long-dead beast.
The metal hoops that once supported a canopy were bent and twisted, sticking out like the remnants of a skeletal hand reaching for the sky. Snow had settled in the crevices of the wreckage, creating a stark contrast against the dark, rotting wood and rusting metal. Tattered remnants of fabric fluttered slightly in the cold breeze, whispering tales of the passengers who might have met their fate here.
The more I advanced the more I realized that it wasn’t just one carriage, but several of them.
This sight could only mean one thing: I was getting to the monster-infected and thus the most dangerous part of this pass. As if understanding that as well, Veilleuse seemed hesitant at proceeding forward. I was about to give it a firmer order when something else caught my attention. This time, it wasn’t at my feet; it came from ahead into the fog.
Peering into the distance, I heard a low, sibilant hissing noise, akin to the sound of dry ice reacting or cold air escaping from a narrow gap. Veilleuse-01, sensing danger, went into a sort of instinctual frenzy. I tightened my grip on the reins, struggling to maintain control for a moment. Somehow, I managed, though it took every ounce of my strength and focus. As I did, allowing my focus to get back on whatever it was that frightened him like this, deep into the fog I saw silhouettes finally coming into view through the fog, making me immediately understand what I was dealing with.
"Tsk, already!" I muttered under my breath.
I promptly dismounted Veilleuse-01, drawing my Staff of Impotence and summoning a high ice wall around Veilleuse to protect and most importantly, to prevent the horse from running away and leaving me behind. The wall erected, I put a dozen meters between it and me to make sure Veilleuse doesn’t get involved in the incoming confrontation. I then put my full focus back to the fog ahead and the approaching silhouettes. Activating my skill [Frost Burst Detonation], I summoned three ice balls. The shapes in the fog didn't look like anything that could be reasoned with, so I launched one of the ice balls toward the incoming creatures. Once close to the silhouette I had it exploded, like a fragmentation grenade, sending sharp shards of ice flying in all directions. The shockwave reverberated through the narrow passage, echoing off the walls with a deafening roar.
I questioned the wisdom of using such a skill in this confined space, but there was no time for regrets. I peered ahead to observe the aftermath of my attack, frowning when the hissing noise ceased and the silhouettes seemed to vanish into thin air.
The notification from my identification skill made things clearer. It was now certain that my attack hadn't eradicated the creatures; they had simply become invisible.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Remembering the details of these monsters, a speculation formed in my mind. Raising my staff, I activated my ice magic. Just as I anticipated, the creatures reappeared out of thin air, rushing toward me.
The creature—no, the creatures stood tall and ethereal, their forms shrouded in an otherworldly mist that ebbed and flowed like smoke in the wind. Their elongated limbs and fingers ended in sharp, claw-like appendages, adding a menacing aspect to their otherwise ghostly appearance.
Each face was a haunting visage, with hollow eyes glowing an eerie blue, casting a malevolent gaze that chilled the soul. Their bodies, though seemingly insubstantial, appeared to be composed of swirling shadows, with tendrils of dark mist constantly shifted around them. The lower halves of the creatures tapered off into wispy, vaporous trails, giving them an almost serpentine grace as they moved. Despite their spectral nature, the creatures exuded an aura of intense cold, as if the very air around them was being drawn into a frigid void.
They are ice specters, their forms shrouded in frost, eyes glowing with a malevolent blue light. There are six—no, seven of them. I unleash a barrage of icicles at the approaching specters. Some of the icicles connect, bringing several of the specters to a hissing halt, while others pass through them like punches through fog.
Tom had warned me about these creatures. He had explained that if I wanted to pass through the Pass, I needed to be prepared for the ice specters.
In this world, corpses left to rot in the wild could spawn a specific classification of monsters, undead. This was why it was customary to never leave a corpse unattended, be it human, monster, or animal. Corpses had to be properly buried or, even better, cremated to prevent the spawning of undead.
Ice specters were a form of undead, born from people left to die and rot in a frigid environment. This place, with its harsh cold and many abandoned bodies, was a perfect breeding ground for these creatures. Understanding this, I aimed my staff, ready to confront the threat head-on, as the ice specters closed in.
Conventionally, the sight of these creatures might cause a person to panic or at least feel fear in their heart. But the sight of them evading my attack and the identification skill revealing the exact level of the skill they used only brought a smile to my face.
When I was told there would be ice specters, I was barely moved. I was all too familiar with this kind of undead. The only possible variable that might have made me uneasy upon learning about the specter’s presence was their level, but now, knowing the level of their intangibility skill, there was nothing more to fear.
"7 Level 15s, huh?" I muttered, eyeing the approaching specters.
As they closed in, I sent one of my two remaining ice balls hurtling toward them. They exploded with a powerful shockwave, reverberating through the narrow passage once again.
Undead monsters, much like most types of monsters, don't have much liberty when it comes to their path of strength evolution. Unlike sentient races, which can choose classes, monsters can’t. Their evolutionary path, which is their equivalent of the sentient races' class system and leveling up, is much more straightforward.
For example, one ice specter won’t be all that different from another ice specter. Monsters of matching, species and level will generally have the same skills and abilties, and status as each others. Sentient beings, on the other hand, not only have classes but also levelable attributes to make them individual. A mage might be completely different from another mage, and this difference becomes even more pronounced upon reaching class specialization thresholds. The only thing that might lead a monster to be different from its peers is usually a difference in levels, but even then, it’s just a matter of catching up. The only instance where an actual difference might appear is when titles are involved, for they can bring unconventional change to anyone.
Learning the level of the ice specter’s intangibility skill through my identification skill allowed me to easily guess the overall level of the ice specters I was dealing with.
Even with their numbers, I was confident I could handle them. I just had to be clean and swift about it.
Charging into battle metaphorically of course, I unleashed a barrage of icicles with my ice magic. Though I had promised myself to fight like a proper Hexcaster going forward, now was not the moment for hesitation. With the uncertainty of what lay ahead, it was best to rely on my good old ice magic and cryospells.
<...>
Some of the specters evaded my salvo of icicles, either by having their forms become elusive or by simply becoming intangible, allowing the icicles to pass through them. Others screeched under the damage as the ice pierced their surprisingly fragile corporeal forms.
Ice specters, much like all specters, were considered very problematic due to their well known use of [Intangibility]. This skill granted them the ability to negate most common forms of damage.
Additionally, they possessed common specter skills like [Evasion], [Draining Touch], and [Incorporeal Strikes]. At their level, as an ice-related creature, they also had access to [Evanescent Invisibility] and a handful of ice-related skills.
"The key to defeating ice specters," I thought as I moved, "is exploiting their weaknesses, or to be exact, their skill’s weakness-flaws."
Despite intangibility sounding like a game-breaking skill, it had plenty of flaws. One significant flaw was its operational limit; it was a skill that could not be maintained eternally by specters. It had to be activated and then reactivated after its time limit expired. By knowing the creatures' level, I could easily guess how long they were able to maintain their intangibility—five seconds. Knowing this, I remained patient, counting from the moment I saw the ice specters activating their intangibility skill.
"Three, two, one..." Upon reaching zero, I unleashed yet another salvo, one that I had precisely timed.
The ice specters that hadn’t previously used [Intangibility] managed to avoid the salvo of icicles, but those that did were taken apart. The creatures disintegrated upon impact, their icy remains scattering across the frozen ground. Two were down, but that left me with three more lunging at full speed towards me.
In that moment, two of the ice specters spat out ice spikes, creating sharp ice formations that erupted from the ground, aiming to impale me, while a third ice specter, who went for a physical attack, was getting dangerously close. With a clear mind, I held out my hand. The last remaining ice ball began rising up, and as the ice spikes and the ice specter were about to reach me, I activated the ice ball’s detonation effect. The explosion knocked everything backward, but I, sheltered from the effects by Ice Immunity, just stood there as if the equivalent of half a dozen grenades hadn’t exploded in my face.
I wasted no time. I immediately adjusted my grip on my Staff of Impotence, ready to take advantage of the opportunity created by the last [Frost Burst Detonation] ice ball. The ice specters caught in the explosion were momentarily vulnerable.
"One," I muttered, as the first specter shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Two," I counted, as the next fell, its ghostly form dissipating, leaving a semi-liquid poodle to the ground.
"Three," I whispered, watching the last one disintegrate under my assault.
Before I had time to rejoice, the three specters I had halted with my initial attack rejoined the fray. They seemed to lunge at me as if avenging their fallen comrades, though I knew better. These were monsters, undead no less. Concepts such as empathy were foreign to them.
At first, I considered taking down the remaining three as I had the others, but a thought made me hesitate.
[Warning]
Hex incompatible with target!
[Warning]
Target cannot be Harvested!
"I should've expected that outcome," I muttered, bitterly noting the consecutive notifications. One could not infuse final memories and emotions onto an undead nor harvest final memories from them.
My brief distraction allowed the ice specters to close in on me. I quickly activated my ice magic, erecting consecutive square ice walls between myself and the specters. With each step back, another wall rose. I erected three of them.
To reach me, they had to either go around or pass through with their intangibility. Whatever choice they made, I was ready to welcome them. I had already activated Hexed Frost Lance conjuration, summoning four lances that hovered around me, ready to be unleashed.
I counted the seconds, waiting for the moment they would become tangible. The first specter passed through the ice wall, lunging at me. I was still at "two" when it reached a two meters distance from me. I was at one when it raised its claw up for an incoming swing.
As its claw swung down, old reflexes from another incarnation kicked in, prompting me to use my staff to block the swing. It was about to be a contest of strength between me and the monster, but before the blow connected, my mental count reached zero.
I unleashed one of my lances, instantly obliterating the undead bastard.
In that moment, the two specters that had flanked me emerged. With a swift motion, I extended my arm, pointing at each one in turn. The lances hovering around me shot forth in the directions I indicated, disintegrating the specters on impact. Their icy forms shattered into shimmering puddles, radiating a cold, blue hue as they dissolved.
"One last to go," I said as I obliterated them with my lances. "And that's the last one," I counted, smiling in satisfaction at the sight. It could've been a better fight, but not bad at all, I self-praised.
"It's just a shame that Legacy of Agony was useless in this fight," I muttered. "I would've loved harvesting memories from these creatures."
If I were able to harvest the memories of the people these creatures spawned from, no doubt I would've had valuable emotional and memory content to impart into my next victim.
for the fact that it didn’t work on these creatures, highly suggested that the ability most likely just does not work on the undead.
I stood there, staring at the puddles left behind by the fallen undead creatures, when the sound of Veilleuse-01's neighing broke through my thoughts.
"Alright, alright, I'm done now. I'm freeing you..." I began, but halted as a sense of dread washed over me.
The sound of his neighing wasn't the usual annoyed tone I was used to when he was trapped in the ice wall I had erected to protect him. This was different. It sounded like a neigh of despair, filled with pain and terror.
Panic surged through me as I hurriedly turned toward the wall where the sound came from. Something was happening beyond the barrier. The sounds of despairing neighs and the sickening noise of flesh being torn filled the air, creating an ominous atmosphere. I was about to unleash my last lance to shatter the wall when a screech echoed through the pass, followed by a burst of flames from within the ice, shattering it and sending a powerful gust wave outward.
The shockwave sent me flying backward, though I managed to land without injury. "Tsk, what the fuck was that?" I muttered, pushing myself up and looking towards the source of the explosion.
My eyes widened in horror. There, standing over my bloodied and immobile steed, was a large, somewhat humanoid black figure. Its presence exuded a malevolent energy that made my skin crawl.
"Veilleuse-01, noooooo!"