CH 62

There was a certain location at the foot of the mountain range behind the village.

It was considered a sacred land even before the village was established, and was a place that no man or even beast would approach.

Long ago, the Yeller tribe was afraid of the threat a certain “Wendigo of the snow” that lived there represented.

They tried everything they could to appease its soul, but to no avail.

Eventually, one of the tribe’s priestesses took action and volunteered to become a human sacrifice.

She went to the sacred land where the Wendigo of the snow resided, and disappeared into that silvery white world.

No one knew what happened to her after that.

The day before she went to the Wendigo’s abode, she left a note that was almost like an oracle.

It said “Make an altar dedicated to the Wendigo of the snow in a cave within the sacred land.”

She specified the location, how to reach it, and the tools and procedure needed to get there safely without being attacked by Wendigos along the way.

Aware that she would never return, she entrusted the future to her tribe.

As per her instructions, they made talismans and special totem poles as protective measures against the Wendigos, and as they set them up, they went to the cave and built an altar in it.

And as she instructed, the final element they placed on it was an empty “stone coffin”…

The purpose behind it was still a mystery.

Back to the present.

Now that she was geared up for the trial, Hydra was walking through a raging blizzard.

Even in summer, this mountain range was always covered in snow, and the fury of this blizzard was tremendous.

In fact, there was a rumor that a certain hidden treasure lies deep within this sacred land.

Word had it that at some point, many adventurers and research teams came to explore the area in search of it, but none of them had ever returned.

Since then, no one ever set foot on this place, and it later became a legend passed down through generations in the village of Benjamin.

Hydra was here to challenge this “legend”, and surpass herself.

[Uugh, what a snowstorm… It’s like a different world out here.] (Hydra)

Even though she equipped herself with protection against the cold back in the village, the strength and intensity of the snow and wind seemed to hinder her progress.

Even so, with the physical and mental strength she had accumulated in the village, she pressed forward, one step at a time so as not to get lost, to the sacred land.

The starting point of the sacred land was marked by totem poles, which stood at regular intervals all the way to the deep end of the area.

Eventually, she found the first totem pole, and then the next one in this white world.

It was hard to spot because of the snowstorm, but she also found the next totem pole after that one.

It seemed that all she had to do was follow them in order.

However, the only absolute requirement was that she never deviates from the totem poles.

It’s a good thing there are landmarks. Still, the fact that no one ever returned from here means that… (Hydra)

One thing came to her mind.

It was about the “Wendigo”, a creature far more terrifying than any monster.

They were residing in this sacred land.

As they were far beyond the reach of even monsters, to say nothing of humans, Hydra was in a panic like never before.

Everything, including this environment, was an enemy to her.

[…I must go. I have to overcome this. To surpass myself… get stronger… and see him one more time.] (Hydra)

She cautiously stepped into the sacred land.

She could faintly hear the crushing of the snow.

She checked her surroundings with just her eyes, but saw nothing unusual.

As long as she followed the totem poles, she would be safe.

She patted her chest a little bit, then walked along the totem poles and deeper into the sacred land.

The view offered by the sacred land did not differ much from the previous scenery.

The only things that stood out in this silver world, aside from the totem poles, were mostly dead trees and snow-covered rocks.

[So far- Whoa! …so good, but at the same time, I feel creeped out. I wonder why… I didn’t have this sensation until now.] (Hydra)

The sensation that someone was watching her.

It did not feel like killing intent or hostility.

It was as if someone was just staring at her from inside the blizzard.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she felt like on the verge of going crazy.

Because she was the only human in the area.

No one else was supposed to be here, yet there was definitely someone who was clearly observing her.

And she was too afraid to look back and around her.

[B-Better move on… Just follow the totem poles, and you’ll be fine. There’s no problem whatsoever.] (Hydra)

While suppressing the waves of emotion that threatened to well up from within her chest, she stomped through the snow.

As the snowy wind coldly blew across her neck, she spotted a gaping black hole in the white landscape ahead of her.

It was a cave.

The totem poles continued in that direction, meaning that this was her destination.

Convinced that a treasure had to be hidden inside it, Hydra bravely marched forward with renewed energy.

Inside the cave was a dim rocky space isolated from the silver world.

As she left the white world and entered the dark and earth-colored space, she was now away from the cold wind and snow.

[…Looks like the path ahead goes in a straight line. And I thought there would be some traps waiting for me.] (Hydra)

After she made up her mind and marched further in, she arrived at an altar with several totem poles lined up.

On the altar was a stone coffin, the sides of which were marked with letters faintly glowing with mana.

It was the alphabet of the Yeller tribe, and since Gendar had taught her a bit of their language, she was able to read them, though only a little.

[“I”… “Eternal”… “Wendigo”… “Servant”… “Union”… “Great”… “Contract”… I think I’ve got the key points down. But what do these writings mean…?] (Hydra)

The funerary box had no lid.

Inside was the corpse of a woman dressed in traditional clothing.

However, it looked much too well-preserved to be called a corpse.

Her skin is lustrous and smooth, as if she had just fallen asleep.

Her long black hair spread out beneath her flesh like a bed sheet.

She was truly the sleeping beauty of the cave.

And in her arms was a sword that she was holding with great care.

[Who is this woman? Let’s see… If I remember correctly, the objective of the forbidden trial is to obtain the treasure hidden deep in the sacred land, but… Is this it?] (Hydra)

Hydra then turned his attention to the sword.

The golden scabbard and sword guard still retained the same brilliance as when they were first manufactured.

Hydra carefully picked up the sword lying in the coffin, in the corpse’s arms, and pulled it out, exposing its blade to the open air.

[How pretty… Double-edged. Slender, yet extremely sturdy. Ah, there’s an inscription engraved on it. …These are hieroglyphs from the Yeller tribe. “The tear of the soaring panther, Tecumseh”? So this sword is named Tecumseh? …Is this the famous treasure sought by many?] (Hydra)

She wielded the sword as if doing a martial arts performance.

The wind generated by it sounded different from all the swords she had handled before.

Most of all, it fitted perfectly in her hand.

[…Is this supposed to grant me more power and wisdom? I don’t feel any different for the moment, though.] (Hydra)

Just after she sheathed the sword with these doubts in her mind, the walls of the cave shook at once.

It sounded like the room was being compressed by a strong force.

[…Looks like I spoke too soon. I should’ve known! This whole trip until I got the sword was far too lenient to be called a trial! The moment I got it is the moment the real trial begins!] (Hydra)

The sword reacted by glowing faintly.

It seemed to be warning Hydra of the impending disaster.

The journey up to this point had been tough, but it would be even tougher from here on out.

[I take this sword in my hand, and… What should I do? What am I supposed to-… DO!?] (Hydra)

The dead woman suddenly appeared in her field of vision, and she went stiff.

She opened her eyes and stared at Hydra.

Their gazes met.

The look in her eyes was definitely not the gentle gaze she sported during her lifetime, but something far more different.

What she was directing at Hydra was like the look of a genuine bird of prey, so to speak.

With her eyes still fixed on her, the corpse slowly raised itself up.

Without blinking even once, she crawled and slipped out of her stone coffin.

Then she went on all fours; and approached Hydra as sharply and slowly as a panther.

There was no trace of humanity in her frozen expression.

With one step backward at a time, Hydra moved away from her.

However, this was still only the beginning of the forbidden trial.

The woman who was encased in that stone coffin was none other than the priestess of the past.

And with her awakening, another creature began to move.

────The Wendigo of the snow.