Chapter 125 - Frozen Wasteland

“How come you get to go through the portal, but we gotta sit here with our thumbs up our butts?” Montgomery complained while he leaned against the bathroom wall.

Blake pointed to the constructor and his laborers as they worked to upgrade the Goldwater Lake faction hall to level two. “Because I’m paying you to protect those workers. And, I really don’t want to know what you do when you’re bored.”

Jeff chuckled.

Montgomery, however, ignored Blake’s snide comment and continued to grumble. “Yeah, but how am I supposed to catch up to you if I’m stuck here babysitting? Don’t get me wrong, the pay’s nice, but I need experience too.”

“You’ll get plenty of experience. A few more days won’t make much of a difference,” Blake assured him.

Montgomery huffed and stalked off toward the perimeter.

He’s a lot more ambitious than I remember.

In Blake’s previous timeline, Montgomery was far more laid back. The ex-firefighter was far more interested in relaxing at the tavern and chasing women. It always seemed to fall on Blake or Rajesh to push the duo to greater heights. This time around, however, he seemed to be highly motivated all on his own.

I wonder if it’s because I’m so far ahead of him?

While Blake was only a single level above his friend, his titles and achievements gave him a massive boost. Montgomery and Jeff had begun to accumulate their own achievements, but they were lesser versions, and provided only half or a quarter of the benefit Blake received. 

Okay, time to see what kind of scenario this is.

Blake adjusted the bow looped over his shoulder, unclipped the spear on his belt, and entered the red, swirling portal within the utility closet at his newest expansion town. Weapon in hand, he was immediately sucked into the void, but was only present for a moment before he was presented with an objective.

Rescue at least five captives from enemy forces in under five hours.

Damnit! These are the worst.

This was the first time Blake entered this portal, and had no choice but to complete it at an even level. Since he would fight level two opponents, he would receive far less nano for his efforts. 

Normally, he would easily steam roll through an even level scenario. However, this type of objective complicated everything. Even though he was confident that he could slaughter whatever weak monsters were present, all they had to do was kill their hostages, and Blake would be stuck on the alien planet forever.

Good thing I practiced stealth. I just wish I had one of Oliver’s scent washes.

Blake’s Spatial Storage was filled with attribute boosts and two healing potions made by his brother. He had not thought to bring the useful scent washes, and mentally kicked himself for his lack of foresight.

Suddenly, he was ejected from the void and his body began to fall. Bright light immediately assaulted his eyes, while cold air burned his exposed skin. He braced himself to hit the ground while he squinted to make out the environment through the glare.

Is that snow?

All he could see was an endless field of white. The bright alien sun reflected off the frozen wasteland, which further limited his vision. Finally, he hit the snow, and his legs sank three feet into powder before he finally came to a stop. 

Before he did anything else, he used Oblate Mind Sense to scan the surrounding area for threats. When it failed to return a result, he finally relaxed, and assessed his situation. 

Okay, nothing visible but snow. No tracks, no structures, and the sun either just rose, or it's about to set. 

There were no rocks or mountains in the distance to break up his view. He seemed to have arrived on an endless, flat plane that stretched to the horizon. With no obvious direction to travel, he set off at random. 

His progress was slow, as each step he took, his legs sank into the snow up to his knees. Regardless, every minute, he used Mind Sense to ensure there was no ambush which awaited him.

Just how big is this scenario?

Blake continued to consult his map, as he trudged across the frozen landscape. After thirty minutes of travel, he finally hit the boundary. He estimated that he had arrived off-center, and had trekked in the wrong direction. Luckily, the sun was noticeably lower in the sky, which meant darkness would soon follow.

They have to be underground. There’s no way they’re on the surface, I would’ve seen them.

With a limited amount of time remaining before dark, Blake decided to take a risk. He used both charges of his Charged Guided Spatial Step to teleport himself straight up into the air. While forty feet was no great distance, it easily allowed himself to observe the entire bounds of the scenario.

There!

He spotted a large opening in the distance that sank into the ground. As he began to fall, Blake noted the location in comparison to the sun, and angled himself to face it. When he finally landed, his entire body sank through the snow, and he was forced to climb out of it. 

Okay, this is taking way too long.

Once he climbed atop the surface, Blake cast Alacrity on himself and attempted to sprint across the surface. At first, every step he took sank at least a foot into the snow. However, moments later, he picked up enough speed that he began to glide across the surface.

Blake laughed in delight.

He accelerated faster and faster, until he barely left a footprint in the powdery snow. Unfortunately, fifteen seconds later, his Alacrity ended, and he returned to normal speed. Without the boost, Blake was still able to remain aloft, but it remained a constant battle. A minute later, he used the chi spell again, and easily glided along the snow.

Finally!

Just before his Alacrity expired, he arrived at his destination, and skidded to a stop. A ten-foot diameter tunnel in the snow appeared before him. It descended at a thirty-degree angle for at least fifty feet before it disappeared into the darkness.

Please tell me I don’t have to do this blind.

Blake had not brought a match or any glow sticks. However, even if he had, they would have quickly given away his position. That could lead the captors to eliminate their hostages, and he would fail his mission.

When another Mind Sense revealed no nearby threats, he took a deep breath, held his spear tightly, and began his descent. After a few steps, the powdery surface turned to ice, and his feet no longer sank into the ground. Strangely, the deeper into the tunnel he traveled, the warmer the air seemed to grow.

His eyes slowly grew accustomed to the darkness, and he was surprised when he could see faint illumination ahead. The smooth, icy tunnel sloped downward for another hundred feet, before it transitioned to jagged rock with loose scree.

Large crystals embedded within the tunnel wall sparkly faintly with light. At first, he assumed they were illuminated from within, but when he cupped his hands around one, it darkened immediately. 

I guess it’s just reflecting light from deeper within.

Blake quickly used another Mind Sense, but it once again failed to reveal lifeforms near him. As he travelled deeper, the crystals grew brighter and began to project rainbow patterns on the stone. A few hundred feet later, the prisms sparkled brightly, and he found himself within a rainbow of color.

Once again, he found himself squinting as he attempted to see through the brightness. Finally, he cupped his hands around his eyes, and was able to see beyond the immediate area. 

Wow.

Just a short distance ahead, the tunnel opened to a massive cavern. In the center, jutting from the canopy, a giant spherical pearl blazed like an artificial sun. Its rays reflected off the thousands of crystals embedded upon the roof and walls of the cavern, which glimmered as an iridescent sky.

As he approached the hollow, he found that he was near the ceiling of the expanse. Hundreds of feet below was a primitive alien city, filled with small creatures. They walked between buildings, hauled carts filled with rocks along roads, and swung pickaxes to mine for ore.

What are they?

Blake saw that they were short humanoids, who wore baggy clothes, but was too far away to make out any details. When he tried to use Analyze on the creatures, that also failed.

I guess I’m going in for a closer look.

He was not too worried about being discovered, as he would be easily hidden within the glare. Chiselled into the wall of the cavern were hand holds wide enough for his boots, spaced just a foot apart.

At least I have a way back up.

While he could climb down the entire height of the rock ladder, that would take over an hour. Instead, he held tightly to his spear and stepped off the cliff edge. Wind whistled past his ears as he plummeted to the ground below. What felt like hours of free fall was in reality a little over four seconds. 

Just before Blake hit the jagged ground, he found a clearing below, and used a Spatial Step to teleport safely to it. His momentum was cancelled, and he became stationary instantly, with no ill effects.

I love that spell.

Now that he was on ground level, he used his Mind Sense to locate the nearest life form. Dozens of minds were revealed, but he focused on the closest. Blake crept through the giant stalagmites toward his target, careful to remain hidden. After he traversed thirty feet through the rocky terrain, he poked his head out from behind a ten-foot tall spike, and his prey was finally revealed. 

The alien was around two and a half feet high, thin, and rat-like. Its hairy body was covered by a burlap sack, and what looked to be a metal pot sat atop its head. A two-foot hairless appendage peaked out from under its clothing. The monster’s whiskers twitched, and its tail swished from side to side as the diminutive creature focused intently on the ore before it.

Its arms glowed with chi, and after a moment, the rodent-like being swung its pick at its target. An explosion of rocks resounded. When the dust finally cleared, it dropped its pick and clapped its three fingered hands together as it squeaked in celebration. 

While it danced in glee, Blake used Analyze.

ColoColo Level 2

Chi

Physical Power - Very High

Physical Stamina - High

Physical Resistance - Average

Magic Power - Low

Magic Stamina - Average

Magic Resistance - Low

Huh. I finally saw one in person.

Despite his ten years of experience, Blake had never battled against a ColoColo. Fellow combat teams had told stories of the rat-like creatures, but he had never crossed paths with one. From what he remembered, they were physically weak and focused almost entirely on magic. The vast majority of ColoColo utilized mana as their energy of choice, and specialized in the manipulation of stone.

You’re a weird one. 

For whatever reason, this creature not only used chi instead of mana, but chose to enhance its physical attributes. It either chose to buck tradition voluntarily, or had no choice in the matter. Either way, it was incredibly weak, and posed no threat to him.

Blake teleported behind the lone ColoColo, and wrapped his fingers around the monster’s snout. It immediately squealed in alarm, but the sound was muffled in his vice-like grip. Once it realized it could not escape, it activated Strengthen. Its Physical Power doubled, yet it still failed to escape Blake’s grasp. After ten seconds of struggle, the ability was cancelled, and the ColoColo collapsed in exhaustion. 

“Ready to cooperate now?” Blake whispered while on his knees.

It stiffened in fear, but did not attempt to escape a second time. Instead, it slowly bobbed its head up and down in an exaggerated manner.

Blake leaned closer to its ear. “In just a moment, I’m going to release your snout. If you scream, I’ll snap your neck before you get so much as a peep out. Bob your head again if you understand.”

This time, it immediately repeated the gesture.

Blake relaxed his grip on the creature’s head, and moved his fingers to the thin neck which supported it. 

“Good. Now, where are the captives? Answer quietly,” he warned the alien.

“I’m right here,” it squeaked in fear. It then gestured to its right and left. “We are all forced to mine, or we are punished.”

Wait, this is one of the captives? Good thing I didn’t kill it.

“How many other captives are there, and who is forcing you to mine?” Blake asked.

“Just me and my pack-mates,” it answered. “There are five of us who have chosen to reject mana. Our leaders hate the other energy types, they punish anyone who chooses them.”

No wonder they’re almost all mana users, anything else is punished.

Blake was about to ask why it didn’t just choose mana and avoid punishment, but he realized it did not matter, and he did not care. He needed to quietly extract the ostracized ColoColos and ensure all five lived.

I can’t believe it. If I had killed even one of these freakin’ miners, I’d be stuck here forever.

Blake mentally cursed the Architect, but was not at all surprised when it refused to respond to his displeasure. It had put in him a situation where his superior strength meant almost nothing. Instead, he was forced to investigate the situation quietly. If he had not refrained from killing, he might have doomed himself forever.

I’m not out yet.

“I’m going to rescue you all,” he informed the sapient rodent. Blake then released his hand from its throat and pointed at the cavern wall. “See those hand holds? That is how we will escape. There is a tunnel at the top of it that will lead us to the surface. I want you to…”

“Escape is impossible,” it interrupted him with a hiss. It raised its thin arm and pulled back its sleeve to reveal a metal bracer. “See this? If we leave the cavern, an alarm sounds and guards are sent to retrieve us. Then, we are beaten for weeks until we beg them to let us mine.”

That sounds like they’ve tried to escape before.

“How far can you go before the alarm trips?” he asked.

After he released the creature from his grasp, it slowly turned to face him. “There are many tunnels that connect to our home. Some lead to the surface, while others lead to other clans.”

“Well, the Architect wants me to ‘Free the five captives’, and I only have another four hours left. Will it count you as free if we reach the surface?”

It shook its head. “There is nothing but ice and snow on the surface. No, I must reach another enclave.”

Blake sighed and rubbed his temples.

Of course it wouldn’t be that simple.

“How far is it to the nearest enclave?”

It slumped and looked to the ground. “If we hurry, we could reach the Bright Spark clan in just over four hours.”

Over four hours?!

Blake’s heart began to pound within his chest, and he swallowed to keep the bile down.

“I don’t have that long. Please tell me there’s a faster way. Is there some kind of transport we can use? Maybe I can carry you all in a basket?”

“No enclave is closer,” it assured him. “But speed is not the problem. There are many guards between the clans. It will be impossible for us to fight them all. They will raise walls around us to trap us until reinforcements come to finish us off. Even if we somehow get past them, there is The Great Barrier to contend with.”

“What’s that?” he asked hesitantly.

“An impassable metal barrier separates our clans. Within it is a labyrinth of traps and creatures. After generations of war, it was constructed by agreement to keep the peace. Any army that enters will be a shadow of itself once it emerges.”

“Isn’t there some other way? A different clan?” Blake asked desperately.

It shook its head dejectedly. “I am afraid not. Barriers stand between all clans.”

Damnit! 

Blake looked to the sky and mentally cursed the Architect.

What the hell is wrong with you?!  How is this fair?

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