“Bah. If you had not bound me, we would not be in this mess. What kind of idiot lets a Yeti release its death roar? Every child knows you must sever the vocal cords first when fighting them in the snow!”

  “Did you chew through your bandages?”

  A still-bound necromancer pushed his head out of the backpack where he was being kept. Around him, there was almost nothing but snow, spilling in through the windows and threatening to crush the two of them inside.

  “Of course. I am the great Vesperus Mortis. Such feeble bindings could never hold m...”

  Before Vesperus could continue shouting, Rusty wrapped several more bandages around his face, cutting off the rest of his words. They were trapped inside the cabin, with Rusty using his shield and halberd to dig them free from the snow. The Yeti’s death had triggered an avalanche, a fact that his new summoner was only now explaining to him.

  ‘That was close.’

  Rusty thought to himself as he continued to dig, compacting the snow in places with his shield, as free space was tight. Luckily for both him and the necromancer, Rusty was a creature that never tired. After nearly half a day of relentless digging, a tunnel leading outside was finally complete.

  “Huh… hello there…”

  Once he was outside, what he saw was not just one Yeti but a whole crowd of them. Rusty froze at the mouth of the tunnel and slowly lowered himself back inside before he could be discovered. He paused for a moment, then carefully pushed his helmet back out to assess the situation. There, he spotted seven monsters that had clearly been drawn in by the noise the first one had made.

  ‘I should have used the life detection skill first…’

  After digging mindlessly for half a day without stopping, he had made a blunder that almost cost him dearly. Luckily, these monsters did not seem skilled at detecting intruders, or perhaps his metallic body was not something they would identify as prey. Nevertheless, he did not fear these foes.

  The creatures were around the lower D rank, something he could deal with easily. The real danger lay in their death shouts, which could trigger avalanches and alert even more Yetis to his presence. After switching weapons, he grabbed his bow and arrow. From within the hole he had dug, he notched the arrow and focused.

  “Let’s take care of one first.”

  After confirming his target’s position, he rose up quickly without hesitation. He aimed at one of the Yetis and released the arrow. It glowed red as he activated a skill to increase its power, and moments later, it struck its mark perfectly. The arrow pierced the monster’s neck, right where its vocal cords were located. Rusty watched it try to cry out in protest but fail, then collapse to the ground, twitching.

  “So it does work.”

  That confirmation was enough. He burst from his hiding place with shield and sword raised. The Yetis were startled by his sudden appearance and roared before charging at him. Rusty did not hesitate. He rushed forward to meet them, his body well-suited for fighting in the snow, as his reduced weight kept his feet from sinking too much.

  The first Yeti reached him in five long strides, snow exploding beneath its fists as it swung wildly. Rusty ducked under the blow, stepped inside its guard, and slashed upward with his sword. The blade bit deep into the creature’s throat, sawing through muscle and tendon. The Yeti’s eyes bulged as it tried to roar, but only a hiss escaped before it toppled backward into the snow.

  “That’s two.”

  He pivoted immediately, shield raised just in time to absorb a second Yeti’s charge. The impact sent a shock through his frame, and he used the force to propel himself backward, landing atop what remained of the cabin’s roof, now buried beneath snow.

  Twilight energy surged as he began fighting in earnest. The monsters were slow and heavy. Their attacks were powerful and ferocious but clearly telegraphed. After dodging a few swings, he adjusted to their patterns with ease. His sword flashed, stabbing and slashing at exposed necks. The Yetis tried to scream as they suffered fatal blows, but no sound ever came. Before long, only one remained.

  “Come on. You’re the last one.”

  The final Yeti stood before him, its eyes burning red with fury. Rusty expected a reckless charge, but instead it threw back its head and released the same thunderous roar that had triggered the avalanche earlier and summoned reinforcements.

  “Why you!”

  Rusty charged, but the roar had already done its work. The Yeti lunged at him, and after only three exchanges it fell, lifeless, into the snow. The damage, however, was already done. More monsters would come. No new avalanche followed, but staying meant an endless fight, and eventually the paladins would catch up to him.

  He leapt back into the hole he had come from and shoved the Necromancer fully back into the backpack. Rusty knew that if he untied the man now, he would never hear the end of it. Especially after learning the hard way that a Yeti would call for help if too many of its kind were killed in front of it.

  With everything in mind, Rusty did not linger any longer. After glancing at the map, which had the cabins and peaks clearly marked, he made his way through the hole and back outside. Snow shifted beneath his boots as he abandoned the half-buried cabin and followed the narrow mountain trail upward, then sideways, then down again, letting the terrain swallow his tracks. Behind him, distant roars echoed between the peaks, but he would not stop anymore. He knew that fighting these monsters was pointless.

  It was not because he could not fight them, but because doing so would only hinder his progress. What he lacked was a summoner who worked with him, and it was not as if he gained any experience from the battles. Running away was simply the most logical choice. So he ran as fast as he could, never stopping at another cabin. The necromancer inside his backpack continued to wiggle, but as long as he was alive, that was enough.

  One day passed, and the Yetis continued to chase him, spotting him here and there. While his smell was not appealing to them, his shiny twilight frame stood out against the snow like a sore thumb. Eventually, he put on the priest robe he had taken earlier, allowing him to blend in better, though the trek through the snowy mountains remained brutal.

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  The second night came quickly, but this time there was no rest in a cabin. He pushed through the snowstorm and never stopped. Even when his joints began to freeze, he kept moving. As long as he did not stop, he would not fully freeze, as the magic animating his body prevented it to some extent.

  Several times he spotted Yetis in the distance, and they chased him for hours, but eventually they tired while he did not. It took nearly three days before he finally saw the sun again, and the snowy mountains were at last behind him.

  “Mmmph… mmmph!”

  Once the second hurdle was behind him, Rusty finally allowed Vesperus to breathe some fresh air. The man did not look too good, and it was clear that the vitality he had absorbed from that last paladin was almost gone.

  “Just let me go…”

  He sounded defeated now, pleading instead of complaining. What he did not know was that Rusty needed to deliver him to their destination. Otherwise, the entire mission would fail, and that was not something Rusty would allow.

  “Do not worry. We just need to cross that lake, and then we will reach the forest. How bad can it be?”

  Before Vesperus could answer, Rusty covered his mouth again, and they continued onward. Luckily, the man was not fully human and did not need to eat or drink much. Rusty could hold him prisoner for weeks without food, and he would still survive. In a sense, he was the perfect carry-on for the living armor.

  Soon, they arrived at the shore of the Lake of Stormy Serpents. For a moment, he paused at the water’s edge and took in the scene. Gray waves lashed against uneven rocks, whipped into a frenzy by a wind that howled like some mythical creature. This was the first time he had seen such a vast body of water, and it made him wonder if this was truly a lake or some kind of ocean.

  “Mmmph!”

  Vesperus’s muffled protests came from the backpack. Rusty ignored him and focused instead on the nearby abandoned shacks and what appeared to be a large number of boats. Most were destroyed and filled with water, but a few looked usable, tied to the shore as if someone had left them there for later use.

  “Hmm…”

  Rusty moved forward to examine the small boats scattered along the shoreline. He had never seen one up close in his life, nor did he know how to use it. His only knowledge came from books he had read and fragments of memories from his two guides. From what he could recall, he needed a boat with paddles that could be placed on either side. Finding the right equipment was not easy, as much of it had been ruined by something unknown.

  He crouched beside the wreckage, scanning each vessel. Many were splintered beyond repair, their wood warped and slick with moss. A few smaller boats were surprisingly intact, though they were missing essential parts like paddles or rope. He tapped the side of one that looked promising. The wood groaned softly, but it held.

  “Good enough, I think?”

  The boat he chose was a small wooden one with a single paddle missing. The remaining paddle was tied to one side, and there was a place to sit where he could use it.

  “I just need to find a similar paddle and some rope to tie it together.”

  Since the remaining paddle was secured to the side, it gave him a clear reference for shaping another. He moved quickly along the shore, sorting through debris. Amid broken planks and tangled fishing nets, he found a piece of wood similar in size and shape to the existing paddle. Fortunately, the boats were built in much the same way, so finding a suitable replacement was easier than he had expected. Soon, he tied everything together and set the backpack in front of him.

  Just as he was about to push off from the shore, a familiar sound resounded through the air. A horn echoed from nearby, the same horn the paladins used.

  “They caught up to me?”

  Rusty started panicking and quickly began paddling, only to discover that it was not as easy as it looked. The paddles were not identical, and the boat itself was poorly balanced. As a result, he moved in a zigzag pattern, which made everything more difficult. To make matters worse, he was not even sure where he was going, and the name of the lake kept bothering him. If some large serpents jumped out of the water, he would not stand a chance. If his body filled with water, he would sink to the bottom and likely fail the mission instantly.

  “...”

  “Mmmph! MMMMPH!”

  “Fine, I’ll let you speak, but only if you help me through this lake. Do you agree?”

  “MMMMPH!”

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  With a heavy heart, he opened the backpack and removed the bandages blocking Vesperus from speaking. He was not sure if the necromancer would be of any use, but now that they were already on the lake, there was no escape. He was also certain the man still wanted to live, so perhaps he could help.

  “Haaa… you finally realize that you need my greatness to guide us through this Min—”

  The necromancer was about to launch into one of his monologues, but when he saw Rusty clench his fist, he stopped himself.

  “I… I mean, Rusty…”

  “Do you know a safe way through this lake? Oh, and the paladins have caught up to us.”

  After a brief pause, Vesperus looked behind them and spotted the paladins descending from a hill. They were charging toward the shore, and it was clear they had noticed Rusty crossing the lake in his small boat.

  “Blasted religious zealots!”

  He cursed, then turned back to Rusty.

  “Yes, yes. I know a way through this lake. As long as you follow my instructions, we will not be attacked by the creatures living in it. Ha, those idiots probably do not know the way either. They will all die here if they follow us!”

  It sounded promising, and at this point, Rusty did not really have a choice.

  “But first, how about you unbind me…”

  “Not happening. You are not helping me paddle. Just tell me where to go, and I’ll consider it once we are safe.”

  Vesperus scowled at the response, but he still chose to help. There were specific magical currents within the lake that masked boats from the serpents below. As long as Rusty stayed within those currents and moved through certain paths, they would remain safe. For once, the necromancer proved to be useful.

  Soon they were off, beginning another journey that would take more than a day. The paladins followed after them. Some used the small boats along the shore, while others waited for proper vessels to arrive.

  Storm clouds filled the sky, and the rain never let up. Rusty followed Vesperus’s instructions exactly, keeping within the magical currents that pulled and pushed him in different directions. The man had been right. Rusty watched as massive serpents devoured several paladin boats, while his own passage remained undisturbed.

  Still, the journey was far from safe. The constant rain and the small size of the boat forced him to scoop out water with his helmet. He paddled using his body while controlling the helmet with his limb control skill. It floated beside him, steadily clearing out the rainwater.

  One day passed, then another. Enormous serpents appeared, each one ten times the size of his boat. At one point, a colossal serpent coiled around a large paladin ship that was still pursuing them. Thanks to his summoner’s expert navigation, this proved to be the easiest obstacle so far. After two and a half days, they finally reached the far end of the lake, standing before the so-called Deathly Primeval Woods.

  This was the final hurdle before the mission could be completed. Yet they were not alone. Another large paladin ship loomed close behind them.

  “What did you even do to make these people so angry?”

  “I'm not sure... it must all be some kind of big mistake!”

  Vesperus spoke from inside Rusty’s backpack, his voice trembling on the edge of tears. The ship was enormous, and even the great serpents had failed to bring it down. The people aboard were powerful and numerous, far more than Rusty could handle on his own.