Kays Translations

Chapter 33 "Weather Manipulation"

"Oh...!"

Huh?

Where is this...??

Brriiinnnnggg!!

With a swaying sensation, Klaus's consciousness awakened.

It seems he regained consciousness on the driver's seat of a cart.

"Oh, it's been a while, so I was a bit disoriented for a moment."

Klaus, who regained consciousness near the 'Shinonome Deep Mountains,' compared the surrounding terrain with his past memories.

(From here, the entrance should be about two minutes north.)

"Thanks for your hard work!"

Brriiinnnnggg!!

He lightly patted the donkey's neck as if to say, "We've arrived," and then tied it near the entrance of the field.

"Huh? Wait, something feels..."

Brrrr!

Suddenly, he realized his body was completely chilled, and he shivered.

"Whoa...! So, cold!"

The characteristic drizzle that always accompanied the 'Shinonome Deep Mountains' was there...

Yet, for some reason, it felt colder than before.

"The location should be correct..."

This was a dense mountainous field.

It was relatively popular due to the abundant availability of animal-type monsters and natural materials.

However, due to the late hour of his arrival today, there were fewer adventurers around.

"That's strange... It's sparse, but... something feels off?"

There was definitely something strange.

"Huh? Hey, you—are you planning to enter the mountain now?"

"Y-yeah, that's the plan. Why?" 

An adventurer preparing for camping near the field entrance noticed Klaus and called out to him.

"Stop, stop. I won't say anything bad, but it's better not to push yourself today."

"Huh? Why? It's a bit late, but there's still plenty of daylight left, you know?"

There were still 2-3 hours until sunset.

It wasn't the ideal time to enter the mountains, but he had a light made from magic stones (large) at his disposal.

Being a lower-tier hunting ground, it shouldn't be that dangerous as long as he was cautious... or so he thought.

"That's not it. Take a look at the top of the mountain."

"The top...?──Whoaahhh?!"

As he was told, Klaus looked up.

At the top of his gaze, 'Shinonome Deep Mountains' was crowned with white.

"Sn-snow?! Snowfall at this time of the year?!"

"Yeah, it's unexpected snow. Honestly, it's unbelievable... it was so warm until yesterday, you know?"

Saying this, the adventurer, shivering in the cold, began preparing a campfire.

Upon closer inspection, there were several campsites at the foot of the mountain.

It seemed they had all been forced to descend due to the lack of cold-weather gear.

In mountainous fields, long hours of activity for hunting and gathering were common, making weather conditions their greatest enemy.

"Th-this can't be real! I've never heard of snow falling at this time of year!"

He couldn't believe his misfortune.

It felt as if the weather was being malicious, as if...

Wait?

"...Weather?"

Weather, if I recall correctly...

"N-no, it can't be..."

It can't be...

A member of the 'Special Bonds Special Force' with a unique skill.

Chail...

His unique skill, if I remember correctly...

"[Weather Manipulation]..."

No, no.

There's no way he'd go this far just for interference, right...?

After all, it's not just Klaus here, right??

Even if Gain and the others are complete jerks, there's no way they'd go that far, right...?

"Brrr... So cold, so cold. It's like someone deliberately made it snow!"

"Well, it was sweltering hot in the morning, right? Just for today, probably."

"I'm freezing! Let's have a drink already! Achoo!!"

Ignoring Klaus's suspicions, the adventurers continued at their own pace.

After all, adventurers not involved in the promotion exams were quite relaxed.

But Klaus didn't have that luxury.

Even in this situation, he had compelling reasons to move forward.

"Hmph. Just some snow...!"

Don't underestimate it. My unique skill is!!

"──It's quite impressive, you know."

"Hmm?... Hey! You, don't tell me you're planning to enter the mountain?! Stop, stop!! If it's snowing, they'll come out—"

(They? I don't know what you're talking about, but thanks for the warning. But I can't afford to stop now...!)

Ignoring the adventurer's advice, Klaus activated [Automatic Function - Auto Mode].

"Entering the mountain for a short time should be fine..."

Wrapping himself in a thin cloak and covering his mouth, Klaus took a deep breath.

"Hey! Listen to what people—"

Status Open

Bzzz...

Skill: [Automatic Resource Collection]

※ ※

《Resource Collection: Krumel nuts x5》

⇒ Collection time “00:23:33”

※ ※

"All right! It's nearby... Let's complete the first quest."

"Hey, don't be reckless!!──... Oh, never mind!!"

While the meddlesome adventurer was fussing behind him, Klaus paid no attention and activated 'Automatic Resource Collection'.

Fortunately, due to the sudden drop in temperature, the movements of monsters were also subdued.

(Phew... If this is Chail's doing, it backfired...!)

Skill: [Automatic Resource Collection]

"..........──Activate."

"Oh, I caught up—"

Just before losing consciousness, Klaus caught sight of the exhausted Merim at the corner of his vision.

(He's a tough kid...!)

In that moment, Klaus couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy as he saw the warm robe covering Merim's face.

──Suddenly, his consciousness drifted away, just like when he used his usual [Automatic Function].

And when he realized, he had five Krumel nuts in both hands!

"All right!! One quota achieved!!"

He felt relieved at how easily he obtained the item. 

The surroundings seemed familiar; meaning he hadn't climbed very deep into the mountain.

"Even though there's snowfall in the 'Shinonome Deep Mountain,' it seems limited to the vicinity of the mountaintop. ...In fact, it looks like the monsters are struggling with the cold more than we are?"

This is... Perhaps it's an unexpected opportunity, isn't it?

...Probably, other hunting grounds have been seized by the Gains. 

However, fortunately, they couldn't handle "Shinonome Deep Mountain", or maybe there are other reasons, so it hasn't been normalized.

Instead, they are likely causing interference by using Chail's unique skill, "[Weather Manipulation]," to make it snow.

If normalization hasn't occurred and the hunting ground's field status is maintained, there is still a significant possibility of collecting quest items in "Shinonome Deep Mountain".

"The problem lies in time, snow, and the level of difficulty in obtaining the items, doesn't it?"

The only quest item that can be collected here is the elusive Phantom Nut.

However, the tricky part is that Phantom Nuts grow on trees in high mountains.

In other words...

"They are only found near the summit, aren't they?"

Just to be sure, when I checked the collection time with "Automatic Resource Gathering," it was approximately two hours.

Most likely, the majority of that time is spent on moving to the top of the mountain.

While contemplating what to do, there...

"Hee hee... It's tough!"

"...You?!"

Melim caught up, panting heavily.

Seriously?! How fast is this guy...

No, more importantly...

"Idiot! Hurry and turn back! It's dangerous ahead!!"

"Ugh, shut up! You're the one walking in front of me!"

This guy...

"I won't babysit you on your quest, and I have no intention of becoming your friend even if you tag along!"

"I-It's not like I wanted to be with you on my own accord..."

Ugh, whatever! Do as you please!!

I don't have time to deal with this guy!!

"I've warned you! If you keep following, I can't guarantee your safety."

It's genuinely dangerous ahead.

In all likelihood, the journey will be barely manageable amidst the heavy snowfall.

One wrong move, and it could turn into a death march...

"Ugh...!"

Merim trembles uncontrollably.

He wears a robe, but it's not suitable for traversing snowy mountains in such light attire.

Moreover, he's completely exhausted from this minor climb.

Could it be that he's not cut out for being an adventurer in the first place?

I don't know how, but it seems like he has enough achievements to take the promotion exam...

"I've said my piece! The rest is up to you!"

That's right...

There's no time to waste on this guy.

Let's quickly get our hands on the Phantom Nut.

"I-I..."

"─Activate!"

As soon as the skill cooldown ended, Klaus unhesitatingly activated "Automatic Resource Gathering”.

※ ※

《Resource Collection: Phantom nuts x5》

⇒ Collection time “02:19:45”

　

※ ※

At that moment, the field of vision blacked out, and consciousness briefly flickered back.

And then...

WHOOSH!

"Ugh...!"

Instinctively, newly opened eyes shut tight.

In that instant, my eyelids began to freeze.

"H-How cold...!"

Struggling to open his eyes, Klaus fumbled to put the Phantom Nuts he presumably had in his bag. He began to feel around blindly to assess the situation around him.

It seemed he was inside a grove, but the wind howled mercilessly, bringing with it a blizzard that seemed to pummel everything in its path.

"This is bad...! I-Need... a fire..."

He instinctively crouched down, hastily creating a simple snow trench. He scraped together twigs from the ground and attempted to start a fire, exposing his face just above the ground.

Despite casting the low-level spell, "Ignition Fire," the fire proved stubborn in catching.

"C-Come on! Fire! Fire!"

Ku…….

But the blizzard intensified rapidly as he struggled.

This was bad... really bad!!

"Fire...! Come on, fire! Damn it!!"

The tinder must have been damp.

There was absolutely no sign of the fire catching.

(Should I just make a quick descent down the mountain...?)

Exposed to the freezing cold to the point where his fingers lost sensation, Klaus's thoughts began to blur and fade.

As if to deliver the final blow,

"[[[Gaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!]]]"

Instinctively, Klaus's trembling back spurred him into hastily initiating detection with his senses.

"Oh no! Am I surrounded...?!"

In his frantic search, Klaus completely captured the sight of creatures that had clearly detected him.

Moreover, they seemed to be opponents he had never encountered before, making it difficult to discern their intentions using his sensing abilities.

(Damn it...! Normally, I would have immediately started scanning the surroundings...)

The extreme cold made him curse his own simple mistake.

But even before that, his thoughts wouldn't come together! It felt as if his brainstem was numb from the cold.

"Ugh... Wh-What do I do?!"

Unable to retreat or advance, Klaus was paralyzed with fear. 

Decisions he could usually make instantly eluded him. This was a clear sign of impending consciousness decline.

In the worst possible scenario,

Being surrounded by enemies was an eventuality that shouldn't have occurred...!

Especially while operating solo!!

"No...! C-Calm down... Calm down, me."

Right now, the priority was to do his best; regrets could come later!

(Shit. At a time like this, if only I had a friend I could trust my back to...!)

A fleeting image of Melim's noisy presence flashed through his mind, but he shook his head to dismiss it.

More importantly, he needed to assess the enemies first...

"[[[Gooaaahhhhh!!!]]]"

Thud, thud, thud...!

"Ah, ah..."

Oh no...!

This is bad──!!!

[[[Gooaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!]]]

Zap, zap, zap!

Shouting with a volume that pierced through the blizzard was a massive figure, entirely white...

Th-These guys──?!

Huh,

"Gi-Giant Foot!!"

Thud!!!

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