Private Hylands Ascent Braving the North with Meat and Metal

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki's concerns were proven justified as she noticed that her companion was feeling the effects of being surrounded by a thick fog in cold weather. The luna wolf might be doing fine, but MAI definitely wasn't. She imagined that once they broke through the clouds things would get easier for MAI, but they'd first have to break through.

I'd rather not take any risks.

Coming to a halt she turned around to face the dronemaster.

The fog will get thicker before we're above the clouds, so sticking together would be better. I can either carry you or you can climb on my back.

Either way the priority was to make it easier for Mizuki to move quickly. With how thick the fog was getting it wouldn't be long before they'd have a hard time seeing each other with only a few meters between them. Not being able to see the path ahead also made things a lot more dangerous, as a careless step could lead one of them slipping and falling down. Mizuki was familiar with this and trusted herself to be able to handle it, but she'd be a lot more comfortable not having to look over her shoulder to keep an eye on her companion.

Since you can make yourself weightless carrying you should be easy.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

Mizuki was not wrong, MAI did indeed have the ability to essentially make herself weightless with her abilities. Although as they came to a brief halt, it felt as if she froze to the ground as well. After a few moments of thinking, the magia's entire body, as stiff as a stone statue, suddenly started floating up like a balloon filled with a bit of helium. And with a rather stiff motion, the girl extended one of her hands to the fullest.

"S-status report - This unit turned itself into appropriate cargo. M-movement allowed."

Mizuki was free to grab the woman by her hand and start sprinting ahead, dragging the machine girl behind like a slowly deflating balloon bought from the one terrifying clown in the mall. Since her ability to control gravity was engaged, it was unlikely that she'd be able to bump into anything or the ground itself.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki had expected MAI to let herself be carried like normal, or to just climb on her back. What she didn't expect was for the magia to start floating, leaving the luna wolf blinking for a second before she realised that they didn't have much time to waste on being surprised.

Let's hurry up then.

Still, it'd be easier for Mizuki if she didn't have to hold onto MAI's hand. Turning around she lifted her tail at the same time that she dropped on all fours, the furry limb slipping between MAI's thumb and fingers before the tip extended to wrap around her wrist as well, making sure it wouldn't slip out of the magia's grasp while the huntress did her thing.

Now that she no longer had to look over her shoulder Mizuki began to move a lot faster. In fact, to hurry things up she decided to abandon the path for a while, heading straight for the sheer cliffside that had been at their side for the entire journey. Sharp claws dug into stone as she climbed upwards, ignoring the sensation of water droplets freezing into small dots of ice on her face. Even if her fur was protecting her from the worst of it she was still slowly being covered in a thin layer of ice, which would sap her strength if allowed to linger for too long.

Still, now that she could ignore the path and climb straight upwards things were progressing a lot faster, and it didn't take long before the fog began to lessen again, a sign that they'd gotten halfway through the clouds and were on their way to clear skies above.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

It was certainly quite the experience. Probably a good thing that the girl wasn't prone to getting motion sick, else this ride would have been quite different with all of the wobbling caused by the tail as MAI became far more animalistic in her approach to scaling the mountain. It would have been quite the sight to behold as well if the magia wasn't borderline stuck in place, partly because of the cold but also because of the tail that wrapped around her. Although some would call that 'heaven' instead.

As they finally broke through the clouds, the Sun's warmth would finally greet them as there were no longer any obstacles to get in the way. Or at least MAI hoped that there were no giant flying monsters that could eclipse the sun and cast a dark shadow upon them. She'd probably see once she would be released.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki was the first to see the sun again, which now shone brightly as the layer of clouds that sheltered the world below was no longer blocking the celestial light. It wasn't an abrupt transition: the fog got thinner, the world above became brighter, and then the fog was almost completely gone and she was looking at clear blue skies above, with only the occasional high-altitude cloud marring the otherwise startlingly bright view.

She didn't linger to watch, however, as she wanted to get MAI out of the cold as quickly as possible. With a ferocious expression she kept grinding, occasionally kicking down dust and pebbles with her clawed hands and feet as she quickly ascended the black and grey wall that had been accompanying them for the entirety of this journey. Above them it extended quite a ways still, but now they could see the top, still far, far above them. A ridge of irregular stone shapes that could have been mountains in their own right formed a crown around the top of the Hylands, the final barrier the two of them would have to overcome.

Fortunately they weren't at that point yet: after some minutes Mizuki found a patch of horizontal ground, climbing towards it and standing up before turning around and looking at MAI. It was still cold up here, but now they at least could bask in the sunlight, which should offset the temperature somewhat and help melt the frost that had accumulated on their bodies.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

Once they had finally stopped, MAI managed to slip from the tail's hold and get back onto her own two legs. They felt a bit wobbly after a ride like that, but there was no way the magia was allowing herself to fall into the snow. And even if it was still cold, it was much better than inside of the clouds, Shielding her golden eyes from the direct sunlight for a moment, she looked around. The view certainly was quite different with a sea of fluffy clouds stretching near endlessly in front of them.

"Grateful - This unit appreciates the help. Has Mizuki exerted an unreasonable amount of energy for this act?"

The wolf seemed always worried about MAI's energy levels, but both of them clearly had to worry about that sort of thing. After such a physically straining feat, there was no way Mizuki could just shrug it all off... right?

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Her tail returned to its usual shape once Mizuki no longer needed to use it to remain attached to the magia, the luna wolf herself turning around to look out over the view. What before had been a blanket that separated the land from the heavens above was now like a fluffy layer that spread out before them, dour grey replaced with heavenly white. In the distance the clouds were breaking up, but from their position they couldn't see what lay below.

The sun was still high enough for the heavens to remain blue, but Mizuki could tell that they only had a few hours left at best before twilight would come, at which point they'd have to find a place to rest for certain. In fact, it was probably better to find a good shelter sooner rather than later: an early stop might slow them down a little, but taking too long to settle in for the night could have much more dire consequences.

Her thoughts were interrupted by MAI's words, Mizuki blinking before looking at MAI with her mismatched eyes. It had taken something out of her to get the both of them out of the layer of clouds that quickly, although she hadn't really noticed it until her companion asked her question. Her breathing was heavier than before, and her tail was drooping.

Not unreasonable, no. (She took a deep breath before continuing.) I'll be fine, but make sure to dry yourself if you can.

To emphasise her words Mizuki ran her hands along her hair and her fur, brushing off the melting frost.

That said, we should consider setting up camp for the night soon.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

Just as Mizuki said that they should both try to get rid of the moisture that still stuck to them, she snapped her fingers and suddenly became encased a tiny blue explosion of energy. Once it faded, the girl was perfectly dry and ready to take on the world as it unfolded in front of her. Though she figured there would be questions so she answered preemptively.

"Explanation - This unit used Chronomancy to return itself into a prior non-wet state. Time-space snapshots of reality are created periodically."

Well, that last bit was just useless info to Mizuki. The important thing was that neither of them would be freezing to death that easily. Although the girl did feel a bit bad about her wolf friend having to sacrifice clearly a significant enough portion of her energy just so they could get past one part of the journey faster.

"Understood - This unit will keep an eye out of caves and can probably also light a flame by calling down a thunderbolt if there is any wood present."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki almost jumped back when suddenly a blue light enveloped MAI, briefly obscuring her from the wolf's vision before dissipating to reveal the magia as pristine as she had been before they ended the cloud layer. She would have asked questions, but MAI quickly explained before she had the opportunity.

...Huh. That's handy. Does that also work for serious injuries?

She knew only a little bit about Chronomancy, but it would explain why it was considered a support Mastery. Mizuki nodded as MAI suggested looking for a cave, although she blinked when that was followed up by a suggestion to call down a thunderbolt to create a fire.

There should be caves further up ahead, so that would be a good place to call it a day. I don't think we need to bother with the lightning, though: more important is collecting fuel for the fire. (She shook her body to get rid of the last droplets of water.) I can create a fire as long as we have something that burns.

Survival skills were essential for someone like Mizuki, who chose to live like an adventurer in this world. Turning away from the beautiful vista before them Mizuki looked up at the mountain that still loomed before them, then headed for a ridge leading away from their little platform and further upwards.

The terrain will be rougher from here on out. It'll probably be easier for you to keep using your Astramancy so you don't have to worry about falling.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎Play Sheet

That was a pretty obvious follow-up question, but MAI had to probably disappoint Mizuki in that her rewinding powers were not as almighty as time fuckery was in some other games or media.

"Answer - Chronomancy can rewind wounds, but if they are too severe, then multiple rewinds are necessary. Rewinds take both time and energy."

In other words, just like regular healing, it wasn't something that could be spammed to get a person back into shape in an instant, as unfortunate as that was. The same effect could be applied to the area that surrounded MAI, as well as other people, but that was a bit more advanced, and the magia tended not to do so unless there was a serious need for it.

As fuel for the fire was mentioned, she blinked a few times as she stared Mizuki dead into the eyes.

"Warning - This unit's clothes are off-limits."

It was meant as a joke, but somehow she could imagine Mizuki actually burning her clothes if it came down to it. She did have plenty of fur left, after all...

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki had certain expectations when she asked MAI that question, and she wasn't disappointed by the answer. As MAI herself had pointed out while this world was quite amazing in some ways it did seem designed to prevent any particular collection of skills from completely overshadowing others. As such, Chronomancy being too energy intensive to completely negate injuries was par for the course.

About what I expected then. Still, good to know that we're both capable of tending to wounds should the need arise.

MAI's next comment did catch Mizuki by surprise. While it was true that in times of emergency one had to sometimes sacrifice their clothes for the sake of a fire Mizuki didn't think their situation was dire enough to even start considering that. Hell, worst came to worst she could just eat some more and compensate for the lack of fire by further boosting her metabolism while providing warmth to MAI.

As such, her reaction to MAI's words was to blink several times before shaking her head.

I wasn't planning on it, so don't worry about that. (She looked up at the wall that still awaited them.) So far we've been doing pretty well, and even if we were in dire straits it'd be my clothes that go first. But let's focus on making progress for now.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

If there really was still quite a bit of way to go, then it was true that they should get going. Since Mizuki was a bit too stunned by MAI's bad joke, the magia went ahead and lightened her step once more, hopping a bit forward as an indication that they could get going. She really did not expect either one of them to lose their clothes on this expedition, so all was well.

"Query - What sort of fuel for a fire can be found in this area?"

She didn't exactly see any trees growing around them, but maybe they were a bit more hidden. Aside from wood, however, she had absolutely no idea what else they could use unless they were to directly dig for coal underneath them... yeah, no, that thought was rather stupid. But even regular wood would probably be a bit wet in this kind of weather...

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

The path forward was rougher as Mizuki had said. Rather than a clear path they had to make do with whatever patches of ground they could find which were horizontal enough that they didn't need to climb to pass them. The luna wolf had to move more carefully here, planting her furred feet firmly to ensure she had grip and often using her hands to help steady herself.

Grass, shrubbery, moss. It's not as effective as burning wood, but it works if you can gather enough. As long as we can find a cave for the night it should be enough. (She paused for a moment before shaking her head.) Another reason why travellers who want to play it safe take animals with them that can climb and carry luggage.

When she was by herself she could ascend the mountain fairly easily, but even if so far their journey had been fairly smooth she could still feel that having company meant there was more to keep in mind. Still, having companions also had its own benefits.

The stuff that grows this high up is really tough and difficult to burn, but it does keep burning for quite some time. The main issue would be preventing the smoke from messing with... my lungs and your ventilation.

The sun slowly slid down towards the horizon, for the moment still warming them up with its rays but promising that if they didn't hurry it'd be evening before they found a place to stay.

There's a lot of caves in the mountainside, however: I was told that dwarves used to live inside.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

All things that could be gathered along the way or in an actual cave, MAI supposed. Probably not worth worrying about too much, then. If there were some along the path, then they could grab it. If not... well, she left that to Mizuki to solve. Although it already felt like she once more had an unfair advantage, simply being able to hop across the terrain with her low-gravity mode. She didn't even have to worry about slipping. She did consider asking if the wolf girl wanted to be put into this state as well, but given the prior refusal, she stopped before she even started.

"Reassurance - There is no need to worry about smoke inside of a cavern. This unit can deal with that, no matter how deep into one we go."

Perks of aeromancy, she supposed. Even if a cave didn't have any natural draft, she could simply create one and force said smoke outside where it would be harming no one... hopefully no one.

But as dwarfs were mentioned, a certain spark of excitement seemed to have appeared. Even the girl's voice suddenly sounded far more energetic and interested in this specific topic.

"Query - This game has a race of Dwarfs?!"

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Following her own advice Mizuki began to look out for any kind of foliage that they could find. Given that they were high enough that some of the snow here was permanent there wasn't much, but as they kept going she began to fill her pouch with long blades of sturdy grass and scrapings of moss. The occasional shrubbery made her halt for long enough to harvest it, tearing it out of the stone it had rooted itself into. It was clear that this wouldn't compare to a campfire made with branches and twigs, but it should work for their purposes.

Most of the caves slope downwards, so as long as we place the campfire closer to the entrance than our own position we should be good. Of course, any trick you've got to help is appreciated.

So far MAI had made it clear that while she was curious about this world she wasn't exactly passionate, which made her response to the mention of dwarves all the more surprising. Mizuki looked at the magia who was now talking with a lot more energy than she'd been using before, mildly surprised before she turned her gaze back to the moss she'd been scraping off the stone.

So I've heard. I haven't seen any, but there's some stories that mention them and it's said that if you go deep enough into this mountain you'll find the remnants of their city inside. Do dwarves interest you?

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

Perhaps she should actually elaborate out loud so Mizuki wasn't stuck in the dark, trying to plan out a layout for their camp when they didn't need to be nearly as careful.

"Elaboration - This unit refines its ability to fly with Aeromancy. As such, this unit can direct wind into the cavern and use it to force smoke away from us and out of the cave in a safe manner. Our position in regards to the campfire will not matter."

Even if she were to log off for a while, once she created specific air currents, the process would become more or less automated, so there was no need to worry about the continuous use of her mastery to do this. Not to mention that it was not even particularly intensive, unlike the lightning-bound half of Aeromancy.

"Observation - Dwarves were not an available choice during character creation. This unit is curious about any unique race that is not available to those from the outside. And dwarves are often interesting."

Perhaps that was something she could try to focus on later... finding those that dwelled beneath the earth.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

I hadn't noticed that you were using Aeromancy to refine your flight. (She admitted after the magia explained herself.) That'll come in useful if needed, but it's also a good idea to keep the campfire closer to the exit to ward off any beasts that might try to prey upon us while we're asleep.

The problem with Terrasphere was that being asleep in this world was like being in a coma: no matter what happened, your body would remain fast asleep as long as your spirit was on Earth. If there ever was an argument that would convince Mizuki to abandon Earth it would be that she really didn't like this unnatural sleep.

But that wasn't important right now. She'd done this before, and while extra safeguards had to be put in place it was perfectly doable to compensate, barring extreme circumstances. For now Mizuki finished filling her pouch, now having enough greenery that she was confident the fire would last through the night, even if it wouldn't be very bright or hot.

When we're setting up camp I'll create a barrier to make sure nothing bothers us while we're resting. If you can use your magic to make sure the smoke goes away from us that'll be good.

If one looked closely they'd indeed see that there were quite a few spots where the stone of the mountain seemed to curve inwards, revealing small holes that descended who knows how far into the depths as dark prevented anyone from looking far inside. Right now Mizuki was leading them to one she was familiar with, large enough for people to comfortably reside in.

You're not wrong. The fact that we've not met any dwarves yet makes me believe that we Travelers won't be able to become dwarves until we do. (She thought back to her own past.) Back then we also couldn't become caenes until we encountered them.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎Play Sheet

As MAI floated around, she turned and did a little twirl with her entire body as if to demonstrate something.

"Statement - When completely deprived of gravity, a person becomes hopelessly stranded, floating away from any surface that could aid them. While this unit can change gravitational pull to help with this, it is not very precise, so this unit resorts to creating small winds to push this unit where she needs to go."

People could fly using aeromancy alone, but combining it with astramancy like this ended up being more energy efficient and, in a way, also cooler. After all, one was a simple flight, while the other was weightlessness that allowed for many tricks or maneuvers. Although she tilted her head quizzically when Mizuki mentioned the past of the Caenis.

"Query - Does this mean that people could choose to be a beastfolk, but not caenis specifically, or was the beast race locked entirely? This concept is interesting and new to this unit."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki frowned in mild concern as MAI showed off her aerial prowess, the small magia floating and spinning as if she was weightless. Which, thanks to her magic, she effectively was. She didn't say anything however, instead just keeping a careful watch until the dronemaster was done with her demonstration.

I imagined you'd shift the gravity to fly around, but I can imagine how using wind to propell yourself would make things a bit easier. (She raised an eyebrow.) Is it easier to control two types at magic at once then?

She herself often combined her magics, but she didn't see it as casting two different things at the same time. Instead it was more that for her the various ways her magic worked all flowed together into one collective skillset.

The two of them were getting closer to the cave now, Mizuki relaxing a little as it looked like they'd reach it well before the sun went down. The journey had been more eventful than when she did it alone, but so far no serious accidents had occurred.

Before the shutdown you could only choose to be a felis, the cat-type beastfolk. Our first encounter with caenes was when a group of them had been enlisted to help lay siege to Vintergard during the conflict between Astorea and Falderen. After we successfully beat them off the caenis race became unlocked. (She cocked her head.) I'm assuming that in the last four years the other types of beastfolk also began to show themselves, which is why there's now many more options.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

"Explanation - It is more efficient rather than simple. With enough training, it becomes possible to use two simple aspects instead of one energy-consuming aspect."

In other words, it was more efficient for the girl to do it like this than trying to fly exclusively using aeromancy where she would burn through her energy faster, having to constantly upkeep the winds that were carrying her. The same went for astramancy as well, of course, but there was the added difficulty of precision when it came to control over gravity.

"Query - Mizuki must have joined after this siege then? This unit thinks it to be a curious system that benefits players that join later, rather than those who joined at the start."

Unless there was some secret way that she didn't know of that allowed people to change their race, it very much seemed like those who came late to the party had more options to choose from.

@Ueno Mizuki