Section B Chapter 5: The Bottom of the Cliff (Cyberdart)
In extreme panic, the quick-reacting elves swooped downward, trying to divert before their bodies fell to the ice: compressing the height to a certain level that would not be life-threatening.
Flapping its wings with all its might, the elf's body leaned to the right against the wind—there was a high slope on the ground with more snow than elsewhere.
However, due to the resistance of the wind, the speed of Nallo's dive was completely inferior to the speed of the flesh's fall. Nervously glancing at the body that was about to land, the elf had no choice but to transfer the body in advance - he forcibly twisted the mana net and performed a quick spell cast.
The falling flesh below transformed into a flickering emerald glow, and Cyberdart's vision was replaced by a blurred turquoise halo, followed by a brief loss of consciousness.
The green light transformed by the flesh dissipated evenly and quickly, and in the faint light that emitted, Cyberdat replaced Nalor in the place of the demon: his distance from the ground was already quite dangerous, and if it was all about two seconds at night, the elf's body would have shattered on the ice.
As soon as he opened his eyes, the elf's back felt the tremendous impact of the landing. Gasping for air and enduring the severe pain of the fall, Cyberdart's first reaction was to reach out and check that the ribs were still intact: they were very angry that they were not broken.
Luckily, the backpack cushioned some of the impact force. The snow on the high slopes bears most of the impact.
Looking at the ice beneath the slope, the elf lying on its edge felt a little afraid: he had just almost died at the bottom of the cliff......
The heart beat violently, and the elf, whose fear had not yet dissipated, gasped.
The side effects of rapid spellcasting are already being felt. With a violent headache, he felt that the mana net in his whole body was gradually weakening, and the strength around his body was exhausted.
Enduring the feeling of detachment, Cyberdat tried to get up, but fell to the ground. And it was then that he realized that his left foot had been twisted.
This is already the best result...... With a sigh, the elf pulled up his trousers.
Through the touch of his fingers, he felt more and more uncomfortable: this time the sprain was very serious, and it had already hurt his tendons...... I'm afraid that there will not be a month that will not heal.
The road ahead is not easy...... The elf rubbed the twisted joint with his right index finger, confirming the misalignment.
After finding the misalignment point, Cyberdart grabbed his left foot with both hands and quickly reversed it.
There was a "click", and the sound of bone reset was heard. Trying to twist his left foot, Cyberdat gritted his teeth: the bones were still in place.
Swing your left foot straight and press it down with all the force. After another crunch, the elf finally felt the knuckles fully put in place.
As soon as he breathed a sigh of relief, the elves immediately had many doubts.
How did I fall...... I've stepped back to a safe distance when I'm possessed, huh?
With that thought, he looked overhead. But his eyes couldn't reach the top of the cliff surrounded by snow and fog and darkness—he knew it was futile, but he still wanted to see something.
I was definitely thrown down by someone...... The elves gasped: the first thing that came to his mind was the man who was eavesdropping on the tower.
But why did he kill me?
The more he thought about it, the more bad it became, and a terrible thought came to his mind: had something happened to Sister Lusa.
I really didn't check if there was anyone else behind me...... The elf remorsefully repented for his carelessness: in that case, he could approach behind him without deliberately concealing his steps - the sound of the wind was an excellent cover.
But how did he find me...... Could it be that you are following me all the way? The elf squatted down the slope and slid down the slope: But this shouldn't be? After more than 20 days, I won't find a stalker?
Thoughts have begun to get confused, and the severe headache caused by the rapid spell casting prevents the elves from continuing to think deeply about the problem.
Looking around, Cyberdat saw the mist shadow of the ice sculpture from his left-hand side. Dragging his tired body and injured left foot, he limped slowly and slowly there.
Damn, if only I had some ointment...... Sebodat lamented that he wished he could reach the Divine Wood Forest soon, where there would be enough herbs to make him into an ointment.
Feeling colder, Cyberdart shivered: when he had just fallen on the snow, too much snow had gotten into his clothes.
I don't know if it was psychological, but the elf felt more and more that the cold air behind him was causing him to panic: probably from the stalker.
But as he progressed, the more he felt that the panic did not come from the people who were trying to kill him—it was simply from the cold and darkness around him, but that alone it made his heart palpitate.
Looking back at the vast ice field behind him, the increasingly terrified elf didn't understand what he was afraid of—he seemed to be more afraid of the cold wind and the ice field itself than a specific enemy.
Maybe I'm too suspicious...... Cyberdat sighed and moved on: he probably hadn't recovered from the shock yet, or he was worried about the presence of black ice here.
However, no matter how much he comforted himself, he still couldn't settle down: the environment around him had been disturbing his mind. Involuntarily, he reached behind him to make sure his bow and arrow were still there.
After a little steady, the elf tried to speed up his pace. However, the stinging pain in his ankle dispelled his thoughts.
Gradually, the ice sculptures got closer and closer. But the closer he got to them, the more uneasy he became. For a moment, he heard whispers around him—he tried to convince himself that it was just the wind.
He wasn't sure if he was wise to do so. However, now that you've come here, you can't hold back on anything—even if you just want to head west to the Divine Wood Forest as soon as possible, you'll need to go through them.
In the snow and fog, the spectacular scene of tens of thousands of ice sculptures is getting closer and closer. For a moment, Cyberdat even had the illusion that it was a living army, slowly marching.
Walking to the nearest row of ice sculptures, Cyberdat stopped nervously. He could hear his heart pounding.
At first glance, all the soldiers frozen in ice looked unusual, and their expressions did not have the horror of seeing something terrible. However, it is precisely this point that makes people feel that - why do these people not even have the slightest expression when they are frozen in ice, let alone a gesture of dodging?
Leaning closer to an ice sculpture, Cyberdart tries to see inside. However, the environment around him was too dim for him to peek into.
The Bachelor said he had seen the corrupted skin of the ice sculptures with his own eyes...... Cyberdat remembered many legends about black ice.
Staring at the ice sculpture, Cyberdat felt a little creepy—he couldn't describe where the fear he had just held came from.
Walking forward, Cyberdat passed through more intact ice sculptures. However, the further forward I went, the more the chill grew.
I need to get out of this place quickly...... Sebodat's body trembled a little: he had come here to see the spectacle of the frozen army, but when he actually came, he had no interest in it.
He was just scared and wanted to run away...... Cyberdat couldn't understand his actions, but he was uncontrollably terrified.
After turning back again because of uneasiness, with a slight click, the elf suddenly tripped over something and fell to the ground. The sharp pain in the left foot signaled another sprain.
Damn, the injuries have to be re-examined......
He stood up in pain, and in front of him was what had tripped over him—a rod stuck in the ground.
An ice statue in front of it had broken for some time, and the soldier who had been frozen in it was now staring at Cyberdat with cold blue eyes, letting out a familiar whisper.
With a thud at its feet, it pulled out the iron that had been frozen in the ice for millennia.