For the next two hours or so, the group crossed the snowy region at a steady pace. The uneven terrain and the rocks made it hard to navigate even on horses, but they were able to keep moving fast due to the immense stamina the horses possessed.
They moved way faster than they expected. As the sun moved across the sky with them, the group finally reached the end of the mountain range. All the colossal pillars of nature stopped behind them as they merged with a large, snowy plain that stretched far.
“We’re getting close,” Arthur muttered as he exhaled a steamy breath. “How much left do you think?” He turned to look at Isla.
“We should be very close.”
“Very close but… I can’t see any massive towers or buildings in the distance. Shouldn’t the capital be massive?” Herculia asked.
“Now that you mention it, that is indeed very weird,” Emmy muttered. “Shouldn’t we see the legendary tower from afar?”
The group had heard of the great shards and that they were inside horrifyingly tall towers. The introduction of the game had shown them one of the towers and it was incomprehensibly tall. Yet, if they were truly close to the capital and the tower was indeed there, they should’ve seen it from hundreds of kilometers away let alone when they were this close.
“…” Isla frowned as she felt something weird well up in her chest. Things were off. “We should get rid of the horses here and continue on foot.”
“… You’re right,” Arthur muttered as he jumped down from the horse and looked around him. ‘I’m feeling something weird. But, I can’t understand what it is.’
His senses weren’t really capturing much information even though he was feeling really off. This was the first time he experienced such a thing and he didn’t know how to explain it.
After leaving the horses behind, the group started walking through the snowy plain quietly. Their eyes looked around curiously. The area was completely empty and quiet as if it was stopped in time.
It didn’t take a few minutes for the group to get very far into the plain. Looking back, all that was left behind them were long stretches of snow that had no end.
“This place reminds me a little of that misty forest. The two have similar vibes.” Danny said. “Except there isn’t any fog here.”
“You’re right, it gives the same vibe. But, I’m not as terrified here… Just a little weirded out.” Herculia muttered.
“So this is what the outside world looks like, huh?” Finlay muttered in awe as he looked around him. After living for so long in that forest, he and his friend were finally able to see the outside world for the first time. It was as majestic and beautiful as they imagined.
At some point, however, something weird happened. As Arthur and the others were walking, they suddenly smashed into something.
“Huh?” Arthur frowned.
“What was that?”
The group stopped as they looked ahead of them. But, there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was the same large plain they had been walking through for the past several minutes.
Arthur curiously extended his hand forward to examine the space in front of him. That was when he felt it against the tips of his fingers. An invisible yet solid flat object stopped him in his way. Tapping on it, he felt several ripples move across the entire object.
“… An invisible barrier…” Arthur muttered in awe.
The others tapped it curiously too, feeling its smooth and even texture.
“It almost feels like touching… glass. Very fragile glass.” Emmy said.
“Why is there an invisible barrier here?” Herculia asked as he put his fist against it.
“It’s most likely here to protect the capital,” Isla replied as she traced the barrier with her hand as far as she could reach. “It seems to be stretching in all directions, even up.”
“To protect the city? Hmm, that makes sense. But, how are we going to pass through?” Danny tapped the invisible wall as he spoke.
The group went completely silent as they contemplated their options. But, it didn’t take a second before they heard a loud bang.
*BOOOM*
“My hand is in!”
Looking to the side, they saw Arthur’s hand submerged into the wall. But, what made the sight confusing was that his fist didn’t appear on the other side, and instead vanished completely as if he lost his limb.
“What are you doing, Arthur?!” Emmy panicked.
“Hm? It doesn’t hurt.” Arthur frowned. He can still clench and move his hand even though he can’t see it anymore. Then, the realization came to him. “Is this wall an illusion too?”
“An illusion?”
Without answering, Arthur shoved his other hand into the barrier and the two vanished. ‘That’s it! This thing isn’t only a barrier, it’s also hiding whatever is behind it and replacing it with a stretch of land… Just like a mirror that reflects light.’
Arthur didn’t know how this thing existed but he finally understood why he was feeling off. Because most of this vast plain was nothing but a facade and the true place was hidden behind this barrier.
“Follow me, guys.” He said with a smile as he started walking into the barrier.
“Hey, Arthur! Wait!” His companions were naturally taken aback by what they were seeing. That was until Arthur vanished completely from sight.
“… And there he goes on his own.” Danny facepalmed.
“Sigh, let’s go. It seems that Arthur had found the way.” Isla said as she pressed her fist against the barrier and pushed it forward, getting through with relative ease. Then, she slowly submerged herself into the barrier and vanished like Arthur.
One by one, the group walked into the barrier. When they all disappeared, the entire place returned to normal and the barrier magically fixed itself before blending perfectly with the atmosphere again.
***
Arthur slowly opened his eyes after passing through the barrier. All the cold wind he felt before vanished as if it was never there and the temperature rose up to a comfortable level.
“Hm, what is hap-” Arthur didn’t even finish the sentence as his eyes took in the scene in front of him. A scene so mind-blowing that he found himself in a complete trance. Even after traveling thousands of kilometers and going to many places that looked majestic, nothing could compare to what he witnessed at that moment.
It was a true moment of complete awe.
The Capital Of Glory… The city he had heard about from Nina was the heart of the human territory and its strongest point. It was the Last Empire’s most vital organ and so naturally, its true appearance was simply like a dream. The city appeared completely covered in snow. Its beautiful, almost shining white colors blended slowly into one another.
Arthur stood on a cliff, looking at the city from afar. Yet, all he could see was a section of it that stretched as far as the eye could see. Countless buildings filled the place, cutting through it were complex systems of streets and alleys and large plazas. In the distance, Arthur saw a horrifying large structure, standing tall like a shadow over the city.
It was so far away that he could only see a vague image of it, yet… The feeling it inflicted upon his heart was like nothing else before. That behemoth of a structure was… The divine tower where one of the great shards was.
All Arthur could hear at that moment was a simple ring mixed with the noises coming from the behemoth of a city.
[Ding!]
[You have discovered a new area!]
[The Capital Of Glory, Fourth Region: Frost Fall.]
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3
