Chapter 76 - Steps.

''Cold!'' Luna cried out as her whole body became stiff.

Isaac took deep breaths, trying to increase the blood flow. He moved his shoulders up and down rhythmically.

A cold air left both of their mouths while their lips were slowly turning into bluish color.

''I-I-Isaac.'' Luna said with a shaky tone, ''I-It's cold!''

Isaac moved his hands around Luna's cold and soft body, trying to increase the temperature of her body.

''L-L-Let's move.'' Isaac said with a stutter. It was hard to utter proper words because of all the cold.

Luna hugged Isaac's body tightly and started moving up the stairs.

They walked all the way to the fourth step, but they had to take a quick stop because their legs were about to have frostbite!

''M-M-M-Make the fireball circle around our legs.'' Isaac gave instructions, while Luna did as he told.

The fireball started warming up their legs, but that caused their upper bodies to feel even colder.

''L-Let's move faster,'' Isaac said with his rough breathing.

Luna shakily nodded, and they started moving even faster, but after 10 steps, it started becoming even colder.

'T-This seems impossible!' Isaac cried out, and he started feeling Luna's soft body becoming very weak in his arms.

Luna's eyes started becoming drowsy, which made her movements slightly slow and sluggish.

Isaac had to slow his pace, but that made it even more unbearable to continue. The end of the stairs seems to be unbelievably far!

The distance was impossible to be crossed! It was like he was climbing a mountain without any safety equipment, and when he finally defied death and reached the peak, just for another mountain to pop up in front of him, which he had to climb as well, but it was a hundred times more difficult.

For some reason, he hasn't lost any HP since he started climbing. He thought he would be already 0 HP, but he hasn't lost even 1 HP.

But, the pain he is feeling is more real than anything he has felt in this game so far.

They slowly reached the 20th step, but there were still 2980 steps left. That thought alone made every fighting spirit vanish.

Isaac's long and beautiful white eyelashes had a tinge of ice forming, which made it even more difficult for him to keep blinking.

When Luna was about to take a step to the 21st step, she suddenly missed her step and was about to fall down, but Isaac instantly trapped her in his embrace.

Her 165cm tall body was looking very fragile and weak, but she still had a sweet smile on her face as she had her face buried in Isaac's chest.

''N-Nice adventure.'' She said with a slight giggle.

Isaac wryly smiled, ''N-No more adventures, g-gotcha.''

Luna slowly lowered her body and sat down on the 21st step, while the cold wind made her beautiful black hair flutter in the wind.

Isaac sat next to her, with his face being paler than usual, and with his pinkish lips turning into the blue.

Luna wrapped her arms around Isaac's waist, trying to absorb every part of the warmth.

Isaac closed his eyes and felt every part of his body screaming in pain. His fingers didn't even move anymore, while his toes had frostbites forming.

''H-Honestly...'' Luna managed to utter the words she wanted to say, ''T-This has been quite fun.''

Isaac chuckled, ''I-I don't know how your mind is w-w-working... W-We w-will freeze to d-death.''

Luna rubbed her cheek with Isaac's arm, ''T-T-This was probably m-most f-fun I had in l-long time.''

Her eyes started slowly closing as her breath started slowing down.

Isaac looked at her and saw her closing her eyes.

The fireball slowly started vanishing, and the rest of the warmth suddenly disappeared.

Isaac looked towards the direction they came from, he could probably run there in less than 10 seconds and enter the familiar warmth, but there is a voice saying to him that with this attitude, he can never change as a person.

He has had enough of being weak!

He has had enough of being a protected individual who, according to outsiders, can't do anything by himself!

Isaac slowly stood up, his bones cracked, and the ice which had started forming on his legs started crumbling apart.

He put his left arm below Luna's legs and put his right arm below her torso. He slowly started carrying her sleeping figure and took the first step at the 22nd step.

''Ahhh...'' He groaned in agony, but he slowly started getting the hang of the rhythm and started moving steadily.

23rd step...

24th step...

26th step...

30th step...

40th step...

50th step...

After reaching the 50th step, Isaac's skin started slowly peeling off. If his family would be seeing it, they would be screaming in terror as Isaac's beautiful face had skin peeling off.

But Isaac didn't care slightest.

His face showed his absolute determination.

50 steps done!

2950 steps left!

For many, they would have quit in the 20th step, maybe way earlier even.

Luna's sleeping face had a small smile like she was having a great dream.

But, even she had some signs of frostbite that appeared all around her neck and face.

Isaac took another step and reached the 51st step.

His face became emotionless as he continued walking the stairs. His movements became almost robotic-like.

He didn't look forwards while he was walking, instead towards Luna's innocent sleeping figure, it made him distracted about pain.

Her sleeping face caused Isaac to have a small smile, while his flesh around his feet started peeling off, which made his feet very sensitive, and every step almost made Isaac cry, but he knew if he cried even one teardrop... The tears would freeze instantly, which would make him half-blind.

Without even realizing it, he arrived at a step that looked slightly different from the rest, instead of being bluish-colored... It had a tinge of red.

Isaac took the step, and instantly his body was covered in warmth.

The area around him started distorting, and the thousands of steps in front of him disappeared.

[Congratulations Player Wraith!]

[You Reached 100th Step in Mountain of Illusions!]

[Rewards: Meeting with Goddess Hecate!]