Chapter 11: The fog has been lifted

Lina moved forward cautiously visually scanning her surroundings. She navigated the route she'll take by examining the condition of the landscape as she carefully looked around her.

'The more burned and chaotic the surroundings, the closer I am to my goal,' she told herself, she used the devastation of the surrounding as her guide.

It hadn't been long since she set out toward the crash site, but then, an oppressive heaviness began to slowly settle over her. The air also grew thinner with the more she moved towards her destination.

"Huff… huff… w-what is this?" she gasped, as she struggled to breathe in air. "It's getting so hard to move forward… and it's so much warmer than it was earlier."

The combination of humidity, altitude, and heat radiating from the ground made every step more burdensome. Her body was aching for rest as she had been moving for hours. Feeling parched, she dropped her bag to the ground and pulled out a waterskin. She took a small sip, the cool water soothed her dry throat, she then wiped her lips before putting it back in her bag.

Then she took off some of her animal hide clothing, as she adjusted to the rising temperature around her and she pressed on.

As she pushed forward, her eyes caught something on the side, it's a large silhouette through the fog, it was a massive wolf-like figure emerging from the hazy landscape.

"...M-mountain d-deity," she stammered, as her voice was trembling with fear.

Her legs buckled on their own, and she knelt on the ground, she can hear her heart pounding in terror. She removed her bag and placed it beside her to now show any sign of disrespect, then she began to bow low in submission.

"I-I pay my respects… t-to the moon guardian of the Lunar M-mountain," she managed to squeeze out these words, though her fear made her voice quiver.

The giant wolf was now fully visible, it towered over her at a height of more than 30 meters. Its glowing eyes emanated a powerful aura of mana, it's whole body was radiating authority.

When it spoke, its voice was deep yet it was distinctly feminine. "Return, child of man. This mountain does not welcome you at the moment. A being has fallen from the heavens, and though the moon has welcomed its arrival, I cannot yet judge whether it is friend or foe as for that reason, Return!."

The wolf's words struck Lina like a lightning. Her journey, which she thought might end without so much as a glimpse of her goal, now had a new, startling revelation.

'It's not an object… but a person?' she thought in her mind, her determination reignited. This revelation further fueled her resolve to move forward and see it to the end.

'I cannot stop now,' she thought firmly, she used all of her energy summoning her courage. Then Lina looked up at the towering wolf, her eyes brimming with determination.

"F-forgive me… but I cannot go back now," she said, her voice became steady despite the fear that gripped her.

The wolf tilted its head, she was clearly surprised. Most mortals would have already fled or obey her commands without question.

"For what purpose do you wish to continue?" the wolf asked, her tone was slowly sharpening. "If it's death you seek, I shall grant it to you here and now."

Lina's heart raced as the wolf's words pierced her like a blade ready to cut her down. She hastily shook her head and clarified her intentions of why she was here, her voice was trembling but resolute.

"I-I do not seek death… I seek freedom. I want to escape my oppressors, my own kin wishes to rid of me," she explained, her voice was growing steadier as she spoke.

The wolf listened to her and was silent for a moment, her glowing eyes narrowing slightly while looking at the girl. Then she let out a low growl, it was almost like a laugh.

"…So you seek freedom from your oppressors? your own kind? How laughable you mortals are. Your kind has never changed, not only do you enslave your own kind but also the other races. Corruption always festers like an infectious wound in every society, and no matter how often it is cut away it will always return."

The wolf stopped laughing and her gaze bore into Lina's soul, but then it softened. "Very well. I shall let you pass. But do not forget this, I have warned you, and this'll be a test if it's dangerous or not."

Tears welled in Lina's eyes as she fell forward, she pressed her forehead to the ground in gratitude. "T-thank you, o great being," she said, her voice was shaking with relief.

"Very well," the wolf replied. "Go, and continue to your journey."

The giant creature turned and walked away in all fours, then disappeared into the mist as if it had never been there.

Lina sat frozen for a moment until the Mountain guardian disappeared, she was still trembling all over her body, before pulling herself together. Her life was safe, for now. She then took a deep breath and exhaled, she packed up her belongings, and resumed her path toward the crash site.

Lina finally reached her intended location. The surroundings had significantly transformed as sharp stones protruded skyward resembling that of a skeletal structure of the land and adjacent areas also displayed signs of severe devastation. The ground unearthed uncommon and rare minerals, some of it still emanating intense heat that made it challenging to approach. The atmosphere was heavy with moisture and elevated humidity that adhered to her skin like an additional layer.

She stopped to a safe distance from the wide crater, she gazed toward its direction with a mix of awe and caution. While the hazy steam rising from the impact site obscured her view, making it difficult for her to discern what lay ahead.

"I can't see much… even with the help of nature's energy," she muttered. " Then I should find a safe place to set up my tent."

After some searching, she spotted a large, protruding rock that had somehow remained intact amidst the destruction caused by light. She pushed and shook it to ensure it wouldn't collapse under her weight, and once she was satisfied, she began setting up her tent, she put down her bag and took out the items which she'd stolen from the chieftain's house.

As she unrolled the animal-hide tent, something unexpected slid out, it's a knife. Its blade was obsidian, sleek and sharp, and it had been wrapped in thick hide to prevent it from cutting through the tent which she borrowed.

"This is… the tribe's relic, what's it doing inside the rolled tent?," she whispered, while holding up the relic with wide eyes.

Her thoughts raced. "The chief must be furious that it's missing… but it's too late now," she muttered to herself while gripping it tightly. "If it's already with me, I might as well use it," she reasoned.

Then once her tent was securely set up, she focused on making the interior livable. She bundled some animal hides to create a makeshift pillow and mat, creating a space that, while it looked simple, was cozy enough for rest. After all she had endured, her body demanded some rest. Lina lay down trying to relax herself, her muscles aching but her mind was at peace, and soon she drifted into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, the sun had begun to rise, it casted long shadows over the ruined landscape. Lina stepped outside her tent and looked at her surroundings. Though much of the area had been reduced to rubble and ash, she spotted some leftover wood, some even charred and brittle, she began gathering it to be used later. And among the debris, she also noticed peculiar glowing rocks with nature's energy, their deep red hue pulsating faintly. She then carefully uses sticks to handle them, wary of their heat.

She then brought her findings back to her camp and began preparing a fire using the red rocks that looked like a burning coal. As she was arranging the wood and glowing rocks, a sudden gust of wind swept through the area, she shielded her face and head by tucking it between her knees and covering her head with her hands. The force of it was so strong that it lifted the fog and cleared the air around her.

Startled, Lina stood up and turned toward the crater's edge after fog was lifted. Her heart raced as she took cautious steps forward, the now-clear view revealed the mouth of the crater in sharp detail. She hatested her pace until she reached the edge of the mouth of the crater, while catching her breath, she gazed down into its wide depths.

At the very center of the massive crater, something had caught her eye. She narrowed her gaze, and channeled mana into her eyes to sharpen her vision.

And there it is, at the heart of the destruction, she saw.

"It's… a person?" she whispered, her voice was trembling in disbelief.

A figure lay motionless surrounded by smoldering rocks and glowing embers. It was difficult to make out the features from distance and the hazy surrounding, but the sheer presence exuded an undeniable aura.

Lina's pulse quickened as she saw the figure. After coming so far, and enduring so much, she finally stood at the precipice of her goal.

End of chapter