The great dark lake was so profound that a single glance could send an inexplicable dread surging through one's heart. In the wind, the sound of some colossal entity slapping the water seemed to echo from the depths, yet upon closer inspection, nothing could be seen.
Shade poked the campfire with a long tree branch. After a moment's thought, he took a ring from his pocket
"The [Plague Doctor's Ring]. It can grant immunity to certain special diseases. Wear it; it might be useful later. To activate it, rotate the face of the ring counter-clockwise. There's no need to refuse; my physical constitution is likely stronger than yours."
Iluna naturally did not refuse. After accepting the ring, she asked Shade if he still had her Sun Holy Symbol brooch. Upon receiving a definitive answer, she began to discuss the topic of the Ever-Youth Leaves with him.
Snowflakes drifted down from the black sky, swaying in the wind before landing on their shoulders. Dull thuds occasionally echoed again from within the Great Marsh, followed by low, haunting *ong~* cries, though no one knew where they originated. The pitch-black lake water reflected the firelight, rhythmically slapping against the shore, the shimmering reflections revealing the silhouettes of the girl and the outsider beside the campfire.
Even though she was about to be forced into a grueling battle, Iluna believed she would remember this moment—sitting by the campfire with Shade beside the dark lake in the depths of the Great Marsh during this brief respite.
Compared to the four people on the dead flats during autumn, this time, it was only her and Shade.
Twenty minutes was not long, and Shade kept a close eye on the time. As the time was about to cross from the deep night of Wednesday into the early hours of Thursday, he stopped his discussion with Iluna regarding the special rules for the Chosen of "Wisdom and Knowledge." He pulled the Time Key—which had only one use remaining—from his chest
"I won't save this for use during the battle."
"That's for the best. I wonder if that witch from the past will be able to help you."
Iluna rested her chin on her right hand, watching Shade's profile illuminated by the firelight, only to find that he wore a very melancholy expression
"If I can witness her ascending to the peak of the mountains, I believe she will certainly be able to help me."
He sorted through the relics and special items that he could not bring to the past and placed them temporarily on the ground. Then, he pulled out the door-shaped pendant from his chest; snowflakes landed on it, melting instantly from Shade's body heat
"See you in three seconds, Iluna."
Shade temporarily handed [The Night Watchman] to Iluna, who took the sword
"See you in three seconds."
Shade inserted the wooden key into the lock of the miniature door, watching as the "massive" wooden key was "sucked" into a lockhole as small as a needle's eye
"May the World Tree protect me within time."
The miniature door opened, and white mist from within entwined around Shade. By the time the white mist dispersed, Iluna could only see the small door lying on the ground.
"One."
She counted silently in her heart at the spot where Shade had been. The campfire danced in the wind, and a vast shadow covered Shade's former position. Suddenly, a strange laughter echoed in her ear—a laugh so full of temptation that Iluna's previously steady heart suddenly grew restless.
"Two."
She heard the sound of water, specifically the sound of a human hand splashing. The sound was very close, and the longsword in her hand almost instantly flared with a silver light that nearly illuminated the night.
Iluna immediately raised her sword and turned toward the dark lake nearby. As she stood up, aided by the light of the sword and the reflection of the water, she saw a beautiful woman's head emerging from the dark surface of the lake.
*Plop~*
At that moment, she could almost hear the beating of her own heart. Iluna could not describe how beautiful that face was; even in the dim light, it remained as captivating as if it were under the sole spotlight of a stage. However, it seemed to be a beauty that was unnaturally so.
"Three."
The rune of [My Heart is Pure, My Sword Smites Demons] lit up. The girl, holding her longsword high, walked toward the water as if intending to cleave the dark lake surface with that silver blade.
Shade was about to return.
(Miya is running...)
[Outsider, you have stepped into the "Time Corridor."]
[Message from the Ancient God "Father of the Infinite Tree":]
[Winter, Year 903 of the Fifth Epoch, Northern Continent, Silver Mountains.]
[Event: Lost in the Snowy Mountains.]
[Duration: Forty minutes (3/3).]
[You have obtained additional information.]
[The gaze of the Father of the Infinite Tree watches over you.]
[The trial given by the Ancient God of Time shall continue.]
[Assist the deity 'Maiden of Winter' in escorting the lost souls to the mountain peak.]
[The Father of the Infinite Tree shall grant you rewards: Thaumaturgy - Binding Light, Incantation - Flying Flower Spell.]
Taking a step forward into the vast white mist, Shade plunged directly into the snow.
"This again."
Wrapped tightly in layers, Shade complained. Although it was still cold, it felt strangely less freezing this time, likely because the shores of Lake Pantanal were not particularly warm to begin with.
Already familiar with this strange snowy mountain, Shade took a mouthful of snow, then climbed out of the snowdrift to look around. Beneath the mottled black sky, the highest peak of the snowy mountain seemed to be right before his eyes.
"Oh!"
One could even say his current position was just below the final snow slope of the highest peak. During Shade's absence, Miss Chloe and her party had moved at a staggering speed.
"The view from the summit is probably different from the view within the mountains," he whispered to himself, huddling his body as he surveyed the vast expanse of white. The vapor of his breath dissipated in the gale.
He was very familiar with this white environment; after all, the Great Marsh region was similar. However, the mental pollution and blizzards of the Great Marsh were far less severe than those here.
Wrapped in heavy clothing, his eyes scanned the surroundings through the gaps in his hat, cloak, and scarf. Under the mottled black sky, the snowflakes shimmered with a silver light. Aside from the sound of the wind, there seemed to be nothing here.
"Where did they set up camp this time?"
Looking around from where he stood, he decided to head upward first
"Or, will the one waiting for me this time still be that deity?"
He climbed upward with difficulty against the wind and snow. This time, he wasn't walking along a ridge, but truly climbing a mountain. Shade had not forgotten that his true goal was not to reach the summit, but to find the witch's party. He constantly looked left and right, while asking "her" if she saw any signs.
Even though he had seen prominent markers or lights in less than ten minutes during the previous two trips, this time, even after accelerating his pace, Shade saw no sign of Miss Chloe's party by the tenth minute.
"There are thirty minutes left of the forty."
Thus, he quickened his pace and headed back down from the heights, eventually almost scrambling back to his original altitude. This time, Shade chose to search downward, and not far below where he had appeared, he spotted a dilapidated camp nearly buried by the accumulated snow.
There was no campfire, and certainly no light or warmth. The expensive tent Shade had brought, sponsored by Miss Galina, had been crushed by a third by the blizzard. As Shade brushed away the snow covering the tent and squeezed inside, he saw Miss Chloe, Madame Marques, and the unnamed man, each curled up in a dark corner of the tent. The three of them had their eyes tightly shut, with frost clinging even to their eyelashes
"What happened here?"
He gripped Miss Chloe's hand nervously. The short witch was huddled in a blanket, her hands as cold as ice. Testing her breath yielded no result, so Shade placed his hand on her neck.
[Still alive.]
Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He checked the other two; their conditions were not much better. Madame Marques's face was pale and bluish, while the man whose name Shade still didn't know was leaning against the tent wall with his eyes closed, his life nearly at its end.
"Miss Chloe~ Miss Chloe!"
Picking up the short lady again, Shade tried calling out several times, but the silver-haired, red-eyed witch gave no reaction. Her body temperature was extremely low; when Shade held her in his arms, he felt as if he were clutching a large block of ice.
There were remnants of a campfire in the center of the tent, so Shade lit it again, using his mental strength to make the flames surge instantly. Yet, the firelight brought no warmth, nor did it restore the three people to normalcy. They were clearly alive, but none could react to Shade's arrival.
[This area is special; you cannot use fire to affect the ambient temperature.]
He tried calling out a few more times, still with no response. These symptoms were similar to when a Ring-wielder suffered a massive mental blow, causing their mental strength to contract and forcing them into a semi-comatose state. Or rather, it was a bodily self-protection mechanism similar to a vegetative state to prevent immediate loss of control.
This meant that shortly before Shade appeared, they had encountered an enemy that exerted a significant influence on their emotions and psyche.
"The enemies they encounter are all of this mind-affecting type."
This further corroborated Shade's guess about the current situation.
He didn't have much time to stay, and he didn't believe he had the ability to carry, drag, or pull three people up the distant peak. Thus, holding Miss Chloe, he carefully stepped out of the tent and stood barefoot in the snow, looking into the distance
"God! Are you still there! Your believers need help."
All three people in the tent claimed to be believers of the winter deity, the [Maiden of Winter].
To prevent another avalanche, Shade didn't dare shout too loudly, but his voice still echoed under the empty sky. However, the deity did not respond. Helpless, he could only return to the tent for the time being to search for anything that might be useful.
The food he brought last time had been consumed, leaving only some scraps of vegetables that were more durable in cold weather. As for personal belongings, just as Shade suspected, "the witch's servant" Madame Marques and the man who had stolen the All-Encompassing Impermanence card had no luggage.
Aside from her own clothes, the former had a single boot—the boot of Madame Marques's original master. In the latter's pocket was [All-Encompassing Impermanence: Darkness], a card Shade knew all too well.
Miss Chloe had a small bundle that she had originally used as a pillow under her head. Upon opening it, he found two books, two notebooks, and some miscellaneous items. The sundries included rings, casting materials Shade could not temporarily identify, paper and pen, a lady's hair accessories, scented powder, and so on.