The valley they were in wasn't particularly wide. Its walls were lined with starlight-like glows, so their vision wasn't obscured. The main problem now was deciding which direction to take to find the correct path.
After Aila carefully examined the surroundings, she noticed that the fluorescent light on the left wall was slightly brighter than on the right. Though the difference was subtle, it was just enough to be discernible.
After a brief discussion, the two decided to head toward the brighter end. Better light would make it easier to spot any anomalies in their surroundings.
And so, they set off along the shimmering stone walls, their feet sinking into the deep, heavy snow with every step.
Fortunately, Midir used his Power of Creation to insulate them from the bizarre environment. Otherwise, they would have likely collapsed from exhaustion under the extreme cold in no time.
As they walked, Midir’s gaze was drawn to the dazzling rocks beside him. He couldn't help but reach out, feeling their unique texture and luster.
“Aila, can you tell what kind of stones these are? They look quite beautiful. If we weren't in this situation, I’d really like to chip off a few pieces to study.”
Aila grew interested as well. She tapped the wall with the short sword she had just forged, attempting to scrape off a shard for inspection. To her surprise, the blade didn't even leave a white mark on the stone wall.
Refusing to believe it, she tried several more times in succession. In the end, she only managed to strike a few sparks with the tip of the blade. The stone wall remained as smooth as new, while the blade—made from precious materials—now had several chips in it.
“This... how is this possible?” Aila stared at the short sword in her hand and then at the undamaged wall, her heart filled with shock.
“As far as I know, even the hardest materials shouldn't be completely unscathed after that. If only Ronald were here. If he knew about such a novel material, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep for days out of excitement.” Aila shook her aching hand and put the short sword away.
Midir felt a surge of curiosity. He clenched his fist and punched the glittering wall without hesitation.
What happened next surprised them both—Midir’s fist actually left a shallow indentation in the surface that even a blade couldn't mar.
He immediately realized that the Power of Creation covering him was at work. Just as it neutralized the elemental stripping effect of the environment, it could also damage the mountain walls.
“Could it be that these walls are condensed directly from the Power of Creation? But that doesn't feel quite right...” Midir muttered to himself. He struck several more times, finally peeling a small shard away from the wall.
Strangely, as soon as the shard was detached from the rock face, it lost its original brilliant luster. it became dull and lifeless, looking no different from an ordinary piece of crystal.
Midir knelt down, picked up the dim crystal shard from the snow, and examined it closely.
“Hmm... these stones lose that special glow once they’re removed from the wall, becoming quite ordinary. Perhaps the walls here are so sturdy because some kind of power connects them tightly into a single entity.”
“Who knows? This place is strange enough as it is. We should keep moving... wait, what’s that over there?” Aila was mid-sentence when her attention was caught by something not far away.
Ahead was a corner in the rift valley. At a glance, it looked no different from any other spot, but following Aila’s gesture, the two saw a small rectangular entrance inside an indentation in the wall.
Because points of starlight also shimmered inside that doorway, it appeared exceptionally blurry. If Aila hadn't noticed it by chance, they might have walked right past. While they didn't know what was inside, it was clearly not a natural formation.
The two immediately walked toward the door. Upon approaching, they found it was indeed a small doorway, with a height just enough for Midir to walk through.
Aila focused her senses at the entrance for a moment. After confirming there was no scent of danger, she nodded to Midir and stepped inside.
Stepping through the mysterious door, they were surprised to find that it wasn't the exit they hoped for, but a simple, humble room.
The interior furnishings were minimal. There was only a single crystal bed that appeared to be carved directly from the rock wall, emitting a faint cold light that blended with the surroundings.
“Someone... lived here? Someone could actually live in a place like this?” Aila said, looking around the simple room with disbelief.
However, Midir did not respond immediately.
From the moment he stepped into the room, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over him like a tide, enveloping him completely.
He closed his eyes and tried to remember, attempting to dig up fragments associated with this feeling from the depths of his mind, but everything remained chaotic and disordered.
Soon, his gaze fell upon the passage at the entrance. He could vaguely discern traces where a magic formation had been carved. The style was somewhat similar to the flame barrier he had cast earlier—likely an attempt to provide warmth. However, in this environment, such a formation shouldn't have worked at all.
As he continued to examine the familiar formation, a cry of surprise came from Aila.
“Midir, come look at this!”
Aila was crouching by the edge of the bed, looking at a pattern near the headboard. Although the marks weren't deep or particularly artistic, it was clearly a star and a crescent moon.
“Isn't this...” Midir paused when he saw the pattern. Before he could say more, Aila took out the identity badge of the Starry Moon Shadow adventurers group from her bag and placed it gently next to the pattern.
The two designs sat side by side. Aside from differences in size and precision, they were nearly identical. In that moment, the air seemed to freeze as both fell into deep thought.
“How can this be? Someone from my adventurers group has been here? But I’ve never heard of this! I should have gathered all the records I could find. It’s impossible for me to have missed such important information.”
Aila muttered softly as she stroked the cold pattern on the wall, seemingly trying to uncover more information from it.
“These definitely aren't recent marks. I think this room has existed for at least several decades. Think again—is there any old information?” Midir suggested from the side.
Aila thought long and hard but still couldn't find any similar information. She looked up at him and said, “It shouldn't be. Dad and the others didn't keep much information about the Valley of Ice. Everything I could find, I’ve already shown you. You should remember, right?”
“Then, is it possible that this information was deliberately hidden?” Midir’s brow furrowed deeper as he proposed a bold hypothesis.
“Hidden?” Aila’s eyes flashed with surprise. “If Dad and the others did it, then it’s certainly possible. But why hide information about such a dangerous place? It wouldn't benefit anyone...” She scratched her blonde hair, looking somewhat restless.
Seeing this, Midir didn't interrupt her thoughts. Instead, he silently continued to observe every detail of the room. However, aside from the crystal bed carved from the rock, there seemed to be nothing else of note.
Rate on N.U.
