Chapter 36: Igniting the Heart’s Flame in the Wind and Snow
Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Igniting the Heart’s Flame in the Wind and Snow
The cold snap returned early the next morning.
Wind and snow shrouded the mountain forest like a white veil, mercilessly punishing any fool who dared to travel in this weather.
But neither Jon nor Reya, who was now awake after a night’s rest, had any intention of waiting for the storm to subside. They set out immediately after eating and drinking.
Jon led the way, forging a path. The CRUNCH of his steps crushing the calf-deep snow was the only sound besides the howling wind.
He was carrying a large bundle of golden carapace, tied securely with thick rope, yet his gait was steady. His expression was as cold and calm as ever, betraying none of the frustration he might have felt from his failure to create a new Skill.
After all, since last night, he had recovered from the jarring letdown of being forcefully kicked out of a profound state of insight. He had come to realize a simple fact: whether in the game or on the real Yino Continent, creating one’s own Skills was no easy task.
Once he understood this, managing his state of mind wasn’t difficult.
Besides, Jon had a hunch—
’When that moment of inspiration strikes again during the fight with the Scorpion Mother, my chances of successfully comprehending the Skill will be much higher!’
It was just like in the novels he’d read: for the protagonist to master a peerless technique, the timing, the place, and the people all had to be perfectly aligned.
With that thought, he felt much more at peace.
’The time just isn’t right yet. No need to rush.’
He might have been at peace, but the person following behind him was restless and uneasy.
Reya, carrying her bow and quiver, a short knife, and a cloth bag of odds and ends, trudged along the path Jon had carved, her steps uneven in the deep snow.
Her flame-red hair danced beside her fair cheeks, a few stray strands blown about by the wind, sticking to skin slightly flushed from the cold.
But she paid no mind to such trivialities, her green eyes fixed on the unshakeable, mountain-like figure ahead of her.
’Mr. Jon...’
Just looking at him made the girl’s whole body feel hot.
This wasn’t just because Jon had given her a venison soup with Chu Blood Grass before they left, ensuring she wouldn’t suffer from hypothermia in the blizzard. It was also because of her own troubled heart.
The battle with that hideous scorpion yesterday had been thrillingly dangerous, but the memory had started to fade after a night of rest.
At least then, she’d had a knife in her hand and the special potion Jon had given her.
Once she crossed that mental threshold, the fight itself hadn’t been so difficult.
What truly unsettled Reya was what had happened afterward.
In a hazy state, she had felt a pair of hands—strong hands—carefully touching and pressing against various vital parts of her body.
Her chest, her abdomen, her back, her thighs...
Although she knew he was just checking for injuries, the shame of being touched by a man still made her burn with heat.
And... as she recalled it now, the distinct sensation seemed to linger, as if those hands were still roaming over her body.
’Mr. Jon’s hands... they’re so strong...’
’But how could he have been so calm? Is my body... not attractive enough?’
These shameful thoughts—the kind one could never speak aloud, the kind utterly unbecoming of a lady—made Reya subconsciously pull her cloak and animal skins tighter. She hardly dared to raise her eyes to the tall, straight back in front of her.
And yet, she couldn’t stop herself from looking.
’Is this Mr. Jon really, as he claims, just an "Ordinary" Adventurer?’
She had met many conceited young noblemen, but none of them possessed an aura like Jon’s.
Brave, composed, silent, and powerful... He was as captivating as a Knight stepping out of a Legend.
’If he claimed to be the scion of some great noble house, who would ever doubt him?’
And yet, he took no pride in these excellent qualities, as if they were completely ordinary.
This air of mystery made Reya want to probe deeper, yet at the same time, she felt an instinctive, inexpressible awe.
Awe and curiosity, shyness and fluster, lingering fear and excitement...
These disparate emotions intertwined and clashed within the heart of the future Flame-haired Princess, leaving her feeling lost. She didn’t know how to face her savior, or what to say to break the heavy Silence.
She, who was normally so good at conversation, could now only follow silently in the man’s footsteps, matching his every move.
The blizzard seemed to intensify.
Jon suddenly stopped.
Reya, lost in thought, nearly crashed into the bundle of carapace on his back.
"Not far ahead to the east is where you were ambushed. Do you want to go see?"
Jon’s voice was like a drum beating in his chest—deep and penetrating. It carried clearly to Reya’s ears even through the blizzard, startling her.
The shouts of her guards, their dying screams, and the despair of her own suicide attempt all came rushing back.
But for some reason, standing behind Jon now, she found she had the courage to face it all rationally.
’These are things I must bear, things I must resolve!’
After a moment of thought, the red-haired girl shook her head, declining Jon’s suggestion.
"No... Mr. Jon, we don’t know who those attackers were... They might still be lying in wait nearby..."
"It’s too dangerous to go now. We should take a detour, and be as stealthy as possible..."
Jon glanced back at her, his expression unreadable, but he said nothing more than a simple, light remark.
"Alright. The snow’s getting heavier. Stay close."
With that, he resumed forging the path, his body now shielding the girl from more of the wind and snow.
Reya hurried to keep up.
For a moment, the two seemed to fall back into the silent rhythm of their journey.
But after walking for a few moments, Reya’s faint voice sounded again from within the blizzard.
"Mr. Jon... If I wanted to become as strong as you... what should I do?"
"Become stronger?"
Jon stopped, a strange feeling rising in his heart.
’A future Sun Saintess, a walking cheat code who levels up faster than the players, is asking me how to get stronger?’
’Isn’t that getting things completely backward?’
But on second thought, he could understand why Reya would ask.
She had just experienced the bandit ambush and then witnessed him single-handedly kill the rock scorpion. These events had caused a subtle shift in her mentality, sparking a desire to fight back.
It was only human.
If he had gone through the same thing, he too would have desperately sought Power—to resist, to fight, to seize control of his own Destiny. So why wouldn’t Reya? She had been influenced by the teachings of the God of the Blazing Sun since childhood, a firm believer that good always triumphs over evil.
In truth, though, she didn’t need to ask anyone else for the answer.
Because even without Jon, she was destined to find her own path in the near future and advance by leaps and bounds.
But since she had asked him, he might as well set her on the right path a little ahead of schedule.
’Let me just do what the players once did...’
The curious thought swirled in Jon’s mind.
’In a way, is this history repeating itself?’