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Celyon and the team welcomed me back with enthusiasm. They all thought I had perished from the giant bird’s breath.

“Where have you been all this time? Are you alright?”

Instead of answering Celyon’s question, I gazed up at the night sky. The clouds floating above were quickly drifting away. I realized they weren’t clouds at all, but rather Raben swimming through the sky.

“Well…”

As I trailed off, the sky began to brighten. The sun started rising over the gigantic snowy mountains. The sunlight pouring down from the heavens spread through the world at a rapid pace, coloring everything.

I smiled silently. Who would believe the things I had seen and experienced over the past few hours? My only proof was the small short bow slung over my back.

“I went on an adventure.”

“Adventure…? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Of course not.”

“Um… Still, it would be better to go back and take a closer look.”

Celyon began to lead me and the team back to the Base Camp. The pleasant sound of crunching snow underfoot scattered around us.

*

Upon arriving inside the Base Camp, I found myself facing the bird that had shot ice breath at me. Though at the moment, it was lifeless and all its parts were disassembled.

The disassembled bird was stored with feathers, meat, and separated bones and claws. It seemed that the wing I had cut off couldn’t be found.

Celyon immediately began checking my body for any injuries I might not feel or any strange diseases I might have contracted.

“Hmm… How can you be unscathed?”

“Isn’t it that horse that protected me? It’s a horse that can fly in the sky.”

Celyon tilted her head in confusion as she gazed at me, and the others around her wore similar expressions.

They each began to speculate on why I was unharmed. It seemed they were frustrated by my lack of a definite answer.

“That’s right. The Nightmare protected me.”

“Oh, see? I told you I was right.”

“It really is an intriguing creature…”

Only then did the people begin to nod as if their questions had been resolved.

Once their questions were cleared, they prepared to ask another one, but I wanted to rest a little. I gave Celyon an awkward smile and said, “Celyon.”

“Yes?”

“I’m a bit tired…”

“Oh, sorry. Do you want to sleep for a bit?”

Celyon personally made up a sleeping place for me. It was a makeshift bed made by stacking thick leather and blankets on the cold cave floor, but in this situation, there was no better place to sleep.

“If you feel anything unusual in your body, make sure to tell me immediately.”

“Yes.”

*

When I woke up from where Celyon had prepared my resting place, the sun was high in the sky. It seemed that only a few team members were around, meaning Celyon had taken them out for exploration.

“Where did Celyon go?”

“She went out to look around.”

Just to be sure, I asked the remaining team members, but I received the answer I expected. Getting up from my spot, I borrowed a nearby bow and another person’s quiver and headed outside.

Though I had never trained in archery, I couldn’t just let a gifted item go to waste. I stepped out in front of the Base Camp, set the quiver down in an appropriate spot, and took up the bow.

The bow was light and sturdy, and the string attached to it also felt strong and elastic. I didn’t have any expertise in bows, yet I could tell it was crafted specifically for me.

The refreshing breeze swept up the surrounding snow, creating waves of white. I brushed the hair that was blowing in the wind out of my face, picked an arrow from the quiver, and tautly drew the bowstring.

An expert archer might laugh at how I looked. My posture was all over the place, and my fingers were gripping the bowstring however I wanted.

Yet right now, it was the best I could do.

Using all the physical prowess I had gained, I pulled the bowstring taut, but the sturdy bow remained perfectly intact.

Determined, I concentrated my mana to enhance my body. The moment my body responded to the sudden flow of mana, the crest of a great warrior distinctly emerged.

As the concentrated mana caused the red scales to sprout on the back of my hand, I aimed at a distant tree and released the bowstring.

Piiiing-!

Once the pulling force disappeared, the taut bowstring quickly propelled the arrow forward, shooting it out as if it were exhaling a rough wind.

It was the shot of someone who had never fired a bow before. Unsurprisingly, the arrow traced an unstable trajectory and flew far from the tree I had aimed at.

However, just as it flew away, the trajectory abruptly curved in a strange manner and struck the tree perfectly.

“Hah…”

A white puff of breath escaped my mouth in shock. I looked down at the bow I was holding.

I knew that expert archers could shoot arrows in curves, but there was no way I possessed such skills.

Half-heartedly, I sent another arrow flying. Since it was pure physical prowess without any mana used, the speed of the arrow was slower than before, yet it resulted in the same outcome once again.

It was a direction where hitting the target was absolutely impossible. The arrow I shot had flown diagonally away.

Yet, the flying arrow suddenly changed direction, as if it had encountered a strong wind…

Wind?

With determination, I nocked three arrows simultaneously onto the bowstring. Though they were a bit too big for my small hands, I pulled back with strong force, managing to send off all three arrows.

Fwoosh-!

The three arrows were shot off quickly, flying in random directions. Some soared into the sky, others to the right, while a few began to fall after a decent flight.

But they all shared one ending. Suddenly, the trajectories of the arrows bent and struck the tree I had aimed for.

I tightened my grip on the bow. Was it really not just an ordinary gift?

It seemed I had received quite a significant treasure.

*

My life in the cold snowy plains lasted about a month. I encountered many monsters and documented the appearances of the monsters that had perished within the massive ice.

Time flowed swiftly. I endured through occasional storms of mana and frigid blizzards.

Thus, I arrived at a place that could be called the end of this world.

“Huh…”

“I’ve arrived at the end of the world…”

Celyon and the team’s voices echoed in disbelief. The refreshing winds swept up the surrounding snow and carried it toward the end of the world. Just like the barbaric land of Greenfall I’d seen before, an endless sky stretched out here as well.

It felt like someone had declared this place to be the end of the world. The neatly cut snow-covered terrain met the pure white clouds, creating the illusion that a path lay beyond.

Naturally, there was no path beneath, and if one were to step out, they would fall beneath the endless sky.

I was quite curious about what lay beneath, but there was no way to find out at this moment.

[■■■-!]

At that moment, a familiar cry echoed from beyond the clouds. The sound that enveloped this area signaled the arrival of a giant creature.

As Celyon and the others tensed up, a massive tail emerged from beyond the distant clouds.

Widespread, it resembled a gigantic mountain, and as it swung toward the clouds, it forcefully pushed the pure white clouds away with a strong gust.

Whaaa-!

A wind blew from the end of the world. The breeze stirred up by the great whale Raben created waves of white clouds.

The waves that formed surged forward with the wind, enveloping everyone gazing at the end of the world.

“This is…”

“Amazing…”

Various team members exclaimed in awe, reaching out toward the clouds that flooded their surroundings. Despite their fluffy appearance, the clouds merely slipped away through their fingers.

I watched that scene and took out a small notebook to leave a brief record.

*

The time to return to the original continent approached. Not all areas of this land had been illuminated, but if I missed the opportunity to leave now, I’d have to wait another six months.

They say the meetings of adventurers are spontaneous, and departures are light, right?

Many of my team members, including Celyon, expressed their disappointment about my choice to leave, but they didn’t try to stop me. Instead, they overloaded me with gifts, insisting I take them on my journey.

“Are you going to stay, Celyon?”

“I plan to stay for another year or so.”

“I hope we can see each other again safely.”

I boarded the ship with the Nightmare. Just as there were people leaving, there were also newcomers arriving.

I looked at the Pioneer Base along with the Nightmare. The new recruits were moving efficiently under their team leaders, and sturdy wooden boxes were continuously being transported into the ship.

The first-time meeting newcomers marveled at the Nightmare’s appearance. With a size far larger than an ordinary horse and adorned with sparkling crystal stones, some even questioned whether it was a monster.

While I could explain the details, there was no need to. After all, they wouldn’t believe me anyway. I merely stated that I had made the horse’s armor from the crystal stones I acquired in this land.

Numerous minerals and monster materials from this land were loaded onto the ship, with scholars and adventurers returning to the main continent trailing behind.

Once all preparations were complete, the sails unfurled, and the ship began to move.

Cutting through the blue sea, the ship sped onward. As time passed, the image of Monster Island grew more distant, eventually fading into a mere dot before disappearing altogether.

I continued to gaze at the place where Monster Island had been until it had completely vanished from sight.

 

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