Niflheim, “Whatever it is, it has to be better than waiting around here.”
Izroth returned his Sword of the Storm to its sheath before removing the Scorched Inferno’s Fang from his inventory.
Izroth, “Is there anyone who can use the skill Diminish Friction?”
Sanctity, “I-I can use it.”
Sanctity was one of the players chosen by Menerva, who made it to the second line during Izroth’s test. She was one of the few support players of the 9th Division who specialized in player buff and cleansing magic.
Izroth, “Good, that’ll make what I have in mind a little easier. Bellum, can you alter the base element of things?”
Bellum, “…It is possible. However, there is a limit to what I am able to modify.”
Izroth, “How about changing fire to ice?”
Bellum, “That is achievable. I am not sure what you have in mind, but I should warn you that my skills consume mana based on the total mass of whatever I am altering.”
Izroth, “Cooldown?”
Bellum, “As long as I possess mana, there is no issue.”
Izroth, “Then, listen closely. We’re going to…”
Izroth explained his plan over voice chat; however, the more he spoke, the more the members of the 9th Division were puzzled.
This… Could it really be considered a plan?
Even though he mentioned the plan he had in mind was a bit reckless, wasn’t this well past that? More importantly, would something like that even work?
Menerva, “I see. It is certainly plausible, but… It is a rather unorthodox approach.”
Niflheim, “Unorthodox? Aren’t you being a bit too kind? Though I have to admit, this idea takes me back to when I was a kid. Let’s do it.”
The moment Niflheim finished speaking, Izroth’s figure started to flicker in and out of existence.
Izroth, “Then, get ready, everyone.”
Zeeeut!
In the blink of an eye, Izroth was already more than ten meters away from where he previously stood as he moved swiftly with his Flickering Steps active.
Without slowing down a single step, Izroth ran north in a straight line. And, with every step he took, a flaming imprint was left in the ground. However, it was not a normal imprint.
In actuality, Izroth was not only running in a straight line but also taking four quick steps side by side, making sure that they were perfectly connected to the steps behind them.
Ultimately, this created a makeshift path of scorched earth in Izroth’s wake.
After running for nearly ten seconds, Izroth put a good distance between himself and the 9th Division.
Izroth, “Now.”
When Izroth gave the command over voice chat, something unusual started to happen with the scorched earth path created by the passive effect from his Scorched Inferno’s Fang.
The flaming scorched earth began to transform into a smooth sheet of ice. This was the work of Bellum’s skill.
It did not take long for the ice to start to catch up to Izroth. When he realized this, Izroth used the active effect of his Light Feather Footwork to gain a temporary movement speed boost, immediately placing some distance between himself and the ice.
It was not long before his Light Feather Footwork wore off and his Flickering Steps was almost at its end.
Swoosh!
Just as his Flickering Steps came to an end and the ice was about to catch up to him, Izroth raced out of the vicious winds and heavy rains into a land that was relatively peaceful in comparison. He had reached the other side of the Cave Mortem Monsoon!
Izroth, “Start.”
…
When Izroth gave that order, Sanctity activated the AOE buff skill Diminish Friction on the members of the 9th Division. As its name implied, it reduced the level of friction one would typically experience.
The instant Sanctity used Diminish Friction, Niflheim arrived at the point Izroth mentioned in his plans.
“Ha… This crazy guy. Well, let’s hope this works…!” Niflheim said to himself as he started to run forward with a crowd of Monsoon Death Shades not too far behind him.
Woosh!
The next moment, Niflheim leaped into the air and landed on the sheet of ice as he slid down the path created by Izroth and Bellum. In addition, thanks to the Diminish Friction buff used by Sanctity, Niflheim soared at speeds comparable to him using a skill like Unimpeded Rush!
The next player up after Niflheim was Champion. As he saw Niflheim speed away on the sheet of ice, he was left dumbfounded. It was actually working!
“This is insane…! But, I hate to admit it—it looks like a good time! Here I go!” Champion roared as he followed in Niflheim’s steps.
At first, he nearly lost his balance after leaping onto the sheet of ice; however, he managed to catch himself at the last second and slid along at an incredible speed.
“Woooooo hooooooo!” Champion cheered as he raced down the ice.
Soon after Champion, one by one, the other members of the 9th Division made their way onto the path of ice. A few of them embarrassingly fell while trying to run and jump onto the sheet of ice like the others; however, they had no choice but to swallow their embarrassment, get back up, and take a more reserved approach.
…
A few moments later…
Swoosh!
The last member of the 9th Division slid out of the Cave Mortem Monsoon.
“I thought I was going to die…!” One of the players commented.
“Hey, at least you didn’t fall over…”
“Are we going to have to do that again when we leave Tempest?”
As the last player arrived and everyone was chatting among themselves, Menerva did a final headcount to make sure that no one was missing from their division. As for the Monsoon Death Shades, they could not leave the confines of the Cave Mortem Monsoon and ended up disappearing back into the depths of the chaotic environment.
“Everyone is accounted for. Fortunately, there were no casualties.” Menerva stated as she walked next to Izroth.
“You weren’t kidding about it being reckless. It’s a good thing everyone has pretty decent balance; otherwise, some of them may have been left behind to fend for themselves.” Niflheim noted.
“It’s fine. I did not plan on leaving even one person behind. If it came to that, I would have gone back for them personally while the rest of you continued with the mission. That’s all.” Izroth said in a carefree manner.
Izroth knew that his method was fairly risky; however, the payout was worth it since, in the end, everyone was able to emerge safely from the Cave Mortem Monsoon.
Izroth took one last look at the massive area boss that stretched far above.
‘One day, I’ll return to this place. When that time comes, the Cave Mortem Monsoon will be a thing of the past.’
In truth, Izroth would have liked nothing more than to find a way to confront the Immortal Ruler Morsanus. But, the mission he was entrusted with was his top priority.
Besides, it was an area boss. It was not as though it would be going anywhere soon.
“According to the Realm Chart I secured, if we continue to head north from our current position, we’ll run into the nearest Tempest outpost city. If we want to avoid that, we’ll have to take a small detour and head to a small outpost close to the Tempest and Malentansium border. That should be the same place where Tempest forces are preparing to march into Malentansium to aid in the protection of the Night Lord’s Crypt.” Niflheim explained.
“How long will it take to reach our destination?” Izroth asked.
“If we move at a normal speed, around half a day. But, if we move with a bit of urgency, since everyone here has consumed an Ocean Spring Pill, it can be half that amount of time.” Niflheim answered.
“Then, we’ll have to move with some urgency. It will be a little troublesome if we have to follow Tempest forces into Malentansium before we strike. However, it also won’t be in our favor if we directly attack their outpost. Since that’s the case, we’ll have to arrive just before their departure and find the right opportunity to strike.” Izroth stated.
He then turned to face the members of his 9th Division and continued, “Everyone, we are now in hostile enemy territory. Every person you see is likely a foe. I have said it once before, but I will remind everyone here again. Keep your wits about you, and whatever you do, do not lower your guard. We are moving out.”
