I walked straight along a relatively wide passage.
My body was trembling violently, and my bare feet had gone numb, possibly frostbitten.
Maybe because this body belonged to a previously injured child, it felt like my condition was worsening by the minute.
Did I walk for about twenty minutes?
At last, with the scent of the sea, I heard the sound of waves.
The cavity was connected to an extrely high sea cliff—a spot so exquisitely hidden that it couldn't be seen from atop the cliff or from the seaside below.
Why had the demons been in a place like this?
Were they planning to cross over that ocean?
What could be beyond that sea?
There was a rope, but given my poor condition, I figured I'd just fall if I tried to climb down.
Besides, there wasn't a single piece of wood below the cliff that could be used for a fire.
In the end, I went back into the cave.
I found a place where the wind was a little weaker and dumped out everything in my backpack.
I had to survive first.
I decided to burn everything except the food. By soaking them in oil and lighting a fire, I figured I could warm myself up for maybe thirty minutes.
I sat in front of the small bonfire I'd managed to create.
After a while, I ward myself by the fire, then took out the blue orb.
Its color shimred even more beautifully in the light of the campfire.
Even seeing it like this, it still didn't feel real.
Players all over the world scoured the entire continent, desperate for just one of these.
Although I'd gone through so hardship, I truly never imagined I'd obtain it so easily. If my guild mbers found out, they'd faint.
But sothing was strange.
This cave was supposed to contain the Essence of Rage, so why was this here?
I'd traced the place presud to be where guildmaster had acquired it, so my guess hadn't been wrong.
I racked my brain, pondering the reason.
Had I overlooked sothing?
Or was there sothing I simply didn't know?
Well, information about the demon's essence was extrely limited—only six people even knew about it.
Even those six couldn't properly explain the essence they had consud. guildmaster included.
That ant everything I knew was speculation.
The fact that only six demon's essences existed was just because only that many had been discovered so far, and even the traits were unclear.
Let
theorize.
First, perhaps there was another essence here besides the Essence of Rage.
Second, it was originally a blue essence but turned red because of guildmaster's characteristics. Or, it turns red when obtained by a person.
Third, guildmaster lied.
Fourth, the Rac in the ga and this Rac are different worlds.
5th, all demon's essences were originally blue.
I ca up with five hypotheses.
It seed the second and fifth were the closest to the truth. If the fifth was true, then so was the second.
In other words, all demon's essences start out the sa, but depending on who or under what circumstances they're acquired, their attribute shifts.
Guildmaster beca the Essence of Rage because of his berserker tendencies.
"Ha...!"
My mind felt clearer than ever.
[Rage] [Fla] [Lightning] [Storm], etc.—in truth, the known attributes of the demon's essences were just the nature of the person who consud them.
Guildmaster, who was originally of the rage type, simply gained a trendous power.
That is, there was never really an "Essence of Rage" to begin with.
All demon's essences hiding across the world are just sources of pure strength.
It was only a theory, but I was convinced it was the truth.
Otherwise, there would be no way to explain why there was a blue essence in this cave—unless guildmaster's necklace wasn't here.
If only demon legion commander-class demons left behind the demon's essence, then there couldn't be many.
Rac, the ga, is only twenty years old. But people have lived in this Rac for ages.
So, it's highly likely that soone found and consud it in the past.
Unless a person dies and leaves behind the essence, it'd be hard to count even a handful of essences still left in this Rac.
At most, maybe three or four.
It seems certain that Art Syren of the Syren grand duke's family consud one, and the others must also have been consud—by monsters or people.
If there are any still hidden, they're likely in places as hard to find as this cave.
In the ga Rac, the rest of the demon's essences couldn't be found for over ten years either.
The six places they'd been discovered:
1. Northern Arshaire Continent.
2. Western Arshaire Continent.
3. Eastern Beltern Continent.
4. Southern Beltern Continent.
5. Sowhere on Taiki Island.
6. Northeastern Yan of the island-continent.
That ant the demon legions had invaded worldwide.
Yan, the island-continent, is ho to the Yan tribe—they say their skin and civilization differ from those of white people.
Of the six places, two are in Arshaire Continent. I found one, and Art Syren seems to have consud the other.
Beltern is a hostile continent, so I probably can't go there.
If I look up the regions that waged war with demons in ancient tis, I could roughly figure out where the demon's essences might be hidden.
Such info is probably known only by high-rank nobles.
Let's take it slow.
I only found this demon's essence because I was lucky with the location, but finding another seems impossible for now. Sa for anyone else.
After sorting out my thoughts, drowsiness washed over .
The fire had already gone out.
If I dozed off like this, I'd definitely freeze to death.
I curled up and bundled my coat as tightly as I could.
If this body were an adult's, I could endure sohow, but I had no idea how much longer this frail body would last.
I'd already pushed it to the brink.
/ / /
At so point I dozed off.
I don't know how much ti had passed, but my body was frozen stiff. For a mont, I thought I was dead—my body so paralyzed!
'Ugh... I can't fall asleep...'
Even trying to cry out, my mouth wouldn't open. Even when I ground my teeth, my eyelids kept drooping.
Was this hypothermia? My dying body couldn't overco it by willpower alone.
"Get a hold of yourself... If you fall asleep, you die...."
Forcing myself to speak was useless.
My body drew closer to death, and only my mind struggled to survive.
After struggling so hard to find the demon's essence, if I died like this...
Should I use the demon's essence?
Should I endure by using mana's power?
I tried to be cautious about gaining power, but what's the point if I die now?
I'll just use it here. Whatever the power is, however I gain it—I just have to survive!
"Uaaaah..."
I strained to move my body.
Really, only after using up every ounce of my strength could I finally move my arm.
Then, I reached toward the demon's essence.
My arm trembled violently. The blue orb was beside my knee, but my hand couldn't quite reach it.
No matter how desperately I stretched, my arm just kept falling lower and lower.
'Please!'
Even my mouth had frozen shut.
Now my body had lost all sensation.
Just being able to extend my arm was already a miracle. But that was all. My arm wouldn't reach!
Thud.
My arm fell, unable to stretch any farther.
'Ah!'
It was a mont of utter despair.
I had no more strength left.
Maybe I shouldn't have even tried reaching out.
My body was tilting over, slowly.
Ah, so this is how I die.
Such a aningless end.
Thud.
Crunch.
My frozen body collapsed onto the ground.
I heard so noise—but it didn't matter now. Is this how death feels? My body felt hot.
The wind was raging. My body shook. Sowhere in my paralyzed body, I felt a strange power.
It felt both searing hot and icy cold.
Was I dreaming?
Or was I just feeling weird as I died?
Why was a storm raging through my body?
A flash of light.
I felt my body floating like a feather.
It didn't matter anymore. This mont was just so peaceful.
/ / /
Caw. Caw.
Caw. Caw.
I heard birds chirping sowhere.
Was I still alive?
It felt like I'd just taken a deep, restful sleep.
I opened my eyes easily.
Lying down, I looked up.
It was the cave where I'd collapsed.
What?
How did I survive?
I sat up.
I'd definitely been close to death, but now my body felt light.
My clothes were the sa, and there were still icicles hanging from the ceiling.
But had it suddenly turned to spring?
Why was it so warm?
No, perhaps I just wasn't cold anymore.
"Huh?"
I'd taken off my coat.
Did I sleep in this freezing place without a coat?
Why had I taken off my clothes?
I put on my coat again as if shedding an old skin.
Once I put on the leather coat, it actually felt hot. I must've taken it off while sleeping from the heat.
Even with icicles hanging from the cave ceiling, I felt hot?
I was so confused, I just looked around.
Now I realized—the demon's essence had vanished. At first, I thought soone had stolen it, but that wasn't it.
I had consud it.
I don't know when.
Whether it was a dream or a hallucination I couldn't tell, but I'd definitely eaten it.
I don't rember how I gained the power.
Anyway, it seed I survived thanks to mana.
That familiar power of mana was surging throughout my whole body.
I had no idea how strong it was. Didn't even know what kind of power.
I stood up.
Now that it was bright outside, I had to look for my companions.
Whatever power I gained, I'd figure it out later...
The mont I took a step—
I was startled.
My footprints were left behind.
Bare footprints, leaving white frost.
What was this?
I pressed my hand against the wall—sa result.
Wherever my hand touched, white frost appeared.
I pressed my hand and injected a bit of power.
At that mont!
Crk-crk— With a harsh, cracking sound, coldness swept out. The wall froze over instantly.
The ceiling and floor too. Everything around
froze—except for my body.
Coldness was emanating from my body.
What...what had I beco?
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
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