Private Hylands Ascent Braving the North with Meat and Metal

[Ueno Mizuki]

Using two Masteries at the same time to gain the benefits of both while negating the downsides was quite a clever trick. Mizuki tried something similar with Hemomancy and Nature Magic, using blood as fuel to reduce the energy cost of growing and controlling plants. To see MAI had achieved something similar with Aeromancy and Astramancy was... well, admirable.

You must be quite good at both Aeromancy and Astramancy then. It probably also helps that you're lighter than most people so there's less weight to negate.

She almost bit her tongue at the end of that sentence. Technically it was a compliment, but it still was commentary on MAI's weight. Was the magia someone who'd take something like that personally? Some people did, but Mizuki couldn't exactly identify them at a glance.

Instead she hurriedly moved on to the other topic, that of the unlocking of the caenis subrace and potential future releases. Shaking her head she raised one hand to point to her ears.

I was part of the siege of Vintergard, on the side of the defenders of course. At the time I was a felis even though I'd done my best to look as wolf-like as possible. (She paused, her expression one of internal strife.) I... found a way to transition once being a caenis became possible.

She didn't dislike what had happened back then, but she was worried that MAI wouldn't be happy with it.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

"Explanation - Because both masteries were with this unit since the very start, this unit has become quite acquainted with them by now."

The starting trio: Magitech, aeromancy, and astramancy. All three of them ended up unexpectedly compatible with each other, which MAI exploited as much as she possibly could. The end result was what she was showcasing to almost anyone she had met, given that it was her normal way of getting around. It was not a conscious choice at the start, but it ended up with her body and build in general becoming one about being nimble and flexible rather than strong, despite her bones of steel. She didn't even really register the comment about weight as something bad.

"Query - Transition? Is that something that often happens in this world?"

Was there perhaps a rare item that could drop from enemies, allowing one to be 'reborn'? Many games had a choice like that available, albeit not easily.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

It was clear to Mizuki that MAI had a solid grasp of her magic and masteries, given how the dronemaster was quick to use those abilities to handle any tasks or overcome any obstacles she faced. As such, MAI's explanation made a lot of sense to her as well.

The other topic was a bit more personal to Mizuki, but she still answered as best she could. The luna wolf scratched her cheek before using that hand to steady herself, knocking some pebbles down the steep slope as her clawed and furred feet dug into the ground.

I don't know how common it is, but it's something that we Travelers at least can do. (She paused again.) My memories are a bit fussy for my own experience, but your UI has an option for it. I don't know of many people who have used it, however: most seem satisfied with what they started out as.

After all, changing yourself to such an extent in a world as immersive as Terrasphere was much more impactful than in traditional games. There were probably those who did it on a whim, but Mizuki imagined that most would agree with her that it was not a decision to be taken lightly.

In my case I ended up fainting after the siege, and when I woke up I was a caenis. It's possible that I used the UI before losing consciousness, but... I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you about it.

A part of her still believed that her transition had been induced by her eating of Snefrid's heart, even though she hadn't heard of any similar effect from other Travelers. The fact that she'd only been half-conscious after the fight meant that she could only guess as to what exactly had happened.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

"I see."

MAI's response was quick and almost dry. To her, it was quite obvious that Mizuki didn't particularly want to share, so she didn't press the subject any further. Though whether that would come across as such, or whether she appeared as outright disinterested, that was to be seen. Regardless, the small opening that was pointed out as another potential place of rest was nearing and the magia was able to float herself up to the cave entrance before her furred companion.

"Seems to lead further in."

It certainly seemed far more spacious than what they used before. An opening wide enough for at least three people to fit in side by side, and before the view was swallowed by darkness, it seemed that the hole led further in and downward. Perhaps it might have even connected to a bigger network of tunnels and caverns, but that was not something the two would explore today. Their destination was higher still, after all.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Given MAI's earlier curiosity her simple response to Mizuki's words was a bit puzzling, the luna wolf raising her eyebrows before shrugging. Maybe the magia had just realised that the caenis wasn't necessarily eager to talk about what had happened back then. Regardless, with MAI scouting ahead it was confirmed that the cave ahead of them was large enough to serve as shelter for the night. Mizuki had already collected enough plants that they should be able to keep a fire going, even if it wouldn't be as neat as the campfires one could make from the bounties of the forests down below.

Let's head inside then. Once the sun goes down the temperature is going to drop quickly.

Since they were stopping their ascent early in the day that wasn't a pressing concern, but neither was Mizuki planning to risk MAI getting exposed to the freezing cold that would arrive together with winter.

While she didn't have MAI's flight she did still manage to reach the cave opening without any difficulties, the only traces of her climb being all the pebbles and dirt she'd pushed off the ledge and the pieces of moss and shrubbery that had been ripped from their spots. Upon reaching the opening Mizuki quickly climbed inside, peering into the dark that spread out before them before shaking her head.

Better to not go to deep. There's danger dwelling in the depths. (She turned her head to frown at MAI.) There's also something called a Living Corpse Wurm that lives in these caves. Since neither of us is wounded we should be fine, but when we wake up tomorrow we'll have to check for signs of infestation.

Living Corpse Wurms were some of the most annoying things the Hylands had to offer. Small, easy to miss, and quick to exploit even the smallest wound. Dealing with them wasn't too difficult if you knew what you were doing, but it was irritating nonetheless.

Pulling the plant matter she'd gathered out of her pouch Mizuki began to gather it in a pile, preparing to create a small fire which would at the very least light up their immediate surroundings.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

As both of the girls found themselves in the cave, MAI simply seated herself against one of the walls and watched as Mizuki got around to making the fireplace. Since she presented herself as the survivalist in this group of two, the magia was more than happy to leave such tasks to the wolf while she rested up a bit. This trip really was a fair bit longer than she had expected it to be at first.

That said, when the topic of Living Corpse Wurms came up, MAI stared blankly at the wolf for a few moments before finally blinking a few times. Without even moving a single synthetic muscle outside of those necessary for speech, she replied.

"Proposal - Rest should be short, and the journey should be resumed momentarily so as not to waste a single moment."

It was rare that she had a nope moment as decisive as this one. Perhaps she didn't enjoy the idea of literal worm parasites going into her body? Who knows, really. Although she then had a more realistic suggestion.

"Announcement - This unit will prefer to not leave its body inside of the game upon logging out. If Mizuki chooses to stay, she does not need to worry about looking over this unit overnight."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki raised an eyebrow when MAI seemingly froze, but when the magia made it clearly she really wanted to have absolutely nothing to do with the Living Corpse Wurms the wildling snorted. She couldn't blame her companion: there were very few people who'd be comfortable with the thought of parasites invading their body and eating their insides. In fact, that was the kind of thing nightmares were made of.

Still, there was something funny at how MAI expressed her repulsion.

I don't think the wurms are actually interested in magia bodies, but I agree.

Ignited the bundle of plant matter took some effort, the luna wolf growling to herself as she finally got the fire going by striking two stones together, the moss and shrubbery quickly releasing grey-ish smoke that rose up to the ceiling and then slid across the surface towards the exit. The fire was, admittedly, minimal: as the sky was beginning to grow dark it was clear that Mizuki's efforts had produced more smoke than flame. However, it did manage to turn what would otherwise have been utter dark into shadows instead, which allowed the wildling to see clearly as she sat down next to MAI and offered her tail so the magia could absorb the magical energy she needed through the furry limb.

Logging out without leaving the body behind is one option... but can you recharge that way? Since, well... it's not like you're exactly close to an energy source if your body is absent.

If they were to treat Terrasphere as a game it was likely that it didn't matter and as long as you logged out next to a source of magical energy you'd recharge. However, Mizuki treated Terrasphere as real, and realistically speaking an absent magia couldn't recharge from a magical energy source.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

A magia's body contained just about 0% organic materials, so if these things were primarily motivated by devouring flesh as their source of sustainance, then that would suggest MAI would be spared. Of course, she didn't even want to give this a moment of thought, nor did she particularly want to risk becoming a target anyway due to how indistinguishable from normal humans she was at first glance.

Making use of the offered tail as a bit of a blanket, she let out a small of a sigh. Perhaps this whole journey was more trouble than it was worth. But then again, it seemed like they were drawing the top of the mountain, so hopefully there was not too long to go from here.

"Answer - Recharge without physical presence in the world is unlikely. The mechanism of recharge is centered around absorbing ambient mana, therefore this process cannot take place if the body does not physically exist."

After a moment, she added a bit more.

"Possibility - Energy reserves may last until the end of the trip even without adequate rest at this juncture."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki nodded as MAI admitted that she'd have to leave her body in this state if she wanted to recharge throughout the night, which meant that she couldn't just avoid the problem of the living corpse wurms entirely. However, when the magia suggested skipping recharging and going through the remainder of the journey with her current energy levels the wildling shook her head.

The last part of the journey is the roughest, so we both need to be well-rested for it. Worst case scenario we might have to rely on your abilities to get past some of the creatures that live around the edge of the plateau.

So far they'd only had to deal with a single harpy, which was already quite fortuitous. But near the top of the Ascent lived earth elementals, and while they weren't always an issue if they did wake up they were much worse than any flock of harpies.

Don't worry too much about the wurms. I warned you about them so you know to check for them tomorrow, but truthfully they shouldn't have any interest in you. As for me... (She shrugged.) I can deal with them.

Patting MAI on the shoulder she glanced towards the entrance of the cave, where the light was quickly fading as the sun sank behind the horizon. The fire before them provided very little light, but it still was a semblance of illumination.

For now let's call it a day. We have more than one world to take care of after all.

A fact which she rather disliked, but it was at least a convincing argument to not waste too much time dithering about whether to leave their bodies behind or not.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

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‎ ‎ 176 / 190

‎Play Sheet

Each time Mizuki mentioned that the path ahead was still far more arduous than what they had already gone through added to the feeling that this whole trip was not necessarily worth it. Of course, that determination would be made by MAI once they finally reached the top and experienced what it had to offer in its entirety. But her displeased visage at the moment conveyed that she was not happy with this wormy situation nonetheless.

"Understood - If this Unit becomes a witness to these creatures, Mizuki will be the one to pay the price for making false promises of safety. The price will be high."

The mechanical girl assured her wolf companion that she was still very much disgusted by the whole prospect, and if she had to deal with it head-on, well... there was a good chance it would take her more than just a few days to log back into the game. Alas, Mizuki was correct that dawn was slowly approaching in the real world where MAI lived, and she could not afford to stay in bed with her dive set all day long.

"Plan - This Unit will resume activity in this world in approximately 15 hours. If this time is ill-suited, some flexibility is possible. Otherwise, this Unit will be logging off."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki could tell that MAI wasn't very happy with the current situation. Most people didn't really enjoy the arduous expedition of getting from Artorea to the Hylands: the Ascent was something people endured, not something they wished to immerse themselves in.

One eyebrow went up as the magia threatened with some kind of price to be paid if the living corpse wurms were to show themselves, the caenis giving her companion a curious look.

I'll hope that won't be necessary then.

Her tone was rather dry, but rather than diving deeper into the topic she shifted her attention to MAI's proposed time to resume their journey. It was still relatively early (since Mizuki wanted to make sure they set up camp before night fell proper), which meant that 15 hours would give Mizuki tomorrow afternoon to resume and hopefully finish this journey.

15 hours should be doable, so I'll see you then.

Raising a hand she patted the magia on the shoulder.

Have a good night.

Once MAI had logged out Mizuki would throw some more of the plants she'd collected onto the fire to make sure it would keep burning. Drawing on her past experiences she calculated how much was necessary to keep it burning until the next morning, finally deciding to use her own magic to add some wood. She'd hoped to avoid it, as using her magic to create plants meant she'd have to eat more to compensate, but keeping the fire burning throughout the night was worth dipping into her rations, especially since they should have the opportunity to acquire more meat the next day.

Satisfied with the results the caenis logged out as well, leaving their bodies to rest together with the slow-burning flame to guard them. As night fell the temperature dropped sharply, although the clear skies above allowed the moon to provide enough illumination that even without the weak flame they might have been able to see.

However, since both of them were offline, this view would remain unobserved.

---

The following day, when it was time for them to log in once more, the skies remained clear, the sun having had enough time to warm up the environment that when they logged in they wouldn't be exposed to the frost that had dominated the night. The fire had burned out hours before, Mizuki's calculations accurate enough that the last pieces of moss had stopped smouldering not longer after the first rays of sunlight had managed to slither into the tunnel. A faint but continuous whistling revealed the presence of winds blowing past the mountainside, squirming past crags and ridges and bringing with them a chill as if to remind the two travelers of the night they'd skipped.

Mizuki arrived a bit late, having hurried to finish her work on Earth before returning to Terrasphere. Unless MAI had moved in the meantime the caenis's tail would still be blanketing the magia, sharing the wildling's warmth and granting an easy source of energy so the synth would be ready to scale the remaining distance.

Blinking several times to realign her perspective Mizuki would sniff the air, then check whether they'd had any visits from the parasites she'd mentioned the day before. A quick inspection told her that, fortunately enough, their lack of injuries and the smell from the smoke had been sufficient to ward off the nasty critters.

If MAI had yet to return Mizuki would wait for the magia to open her eyes, but if she had arrived before Mizuki and already gotten up the caenis would nod and give her a friendly smile.

A good day to you. It seems we've been spared the corpse wurms, so we should be good to go after I've had something to eat.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎

The responsibilities of the real world were perhaps too kind, allowing the girl ato arrive in a timely fashion, perhaps even a few minutes early. As such, when Mizuki would arrive, she'd see MAI still sitting in place and covered by her tail, but with her eyes fully opened and seemingly staring at nothing right ahead. Though the moment the magia sensed any movement, she stopped focusing on the UI, invisible to others, and give a nod back to the caenis, together with a displeased look.

"Request - This unit would appreciate it if Mizuki would stop reminding this unit that such creatures exist in this world."

It was about the last thing she wanted to hear about after logging in, especially given how much she struggled to actually get into the game after she recalled the threat of her body being infected upon entry. If that were to happen... perhaps instantly overloading her core and turning herself into a giant fireball would do the trick?

Thankfully it didn't have to come to that, and as disappointing the new lack of a fluffy blanket was, MAI was willing to embrace the cold one more time to finally get to the peak and hopefully not be disappointed by the result after such a treacherous journey.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

There was something mildly amusing about the fact that MAI had apparently been waiting for Mizuki to return before getting up, giving the impression that she wasn't willing to give up the comfort of the caenis's fluffy tail before it was time to move on. The huntress blinked in mild confusion as the dronemaster asked her to stop talking about the corpse wurms, but nodded without complaint.

We won't have to worry about them for the rest of the journey.

And depending on how they approached the challenge they might not have to think about them at all on the way down. Usually when someone descended from the Hylands they moved almost as slowly as when they ascended, or even slower, but given that both of them were capable of flight... The way down might take mere hours at most.

But that was something to think about later. Getting up the caenis would move towards the exit of the tunnel they'd taken shelter in, looking out over the landscape far below them.

It's not the night sky, but you might enjoy this view.

Unlike yesterday there weren't a lot of clouds, which meant that as they stepped out of their hiding hole the land of Arcia spread out far below them. Right below there were the foothills and the forests that hugged the edge of the Ascent, and to the east there were the vast plains of Astorea and Falderen, rivers snaking their way through the green as bright blue lines. To the northeast there was the mountainous region of Providence, and between Falderen and Astorea a large mass of dark green known as the Brisshal Forest separated the two nations, and to the north Lake Horatio glittered in the sun, signalling the border between Astorea and the giant Tangleweaves.

Beyond the land there was endless blue, Ilmea's Lament girding Falderen's coast before giving way to the deeper blue of the deep seas which no sailor had managed to cross yet. If one squinted they might be able to deceive themselves into believing they could see something at the other end of the watery expanse, or perhaps see some small shapes hovering above.

To the southeast there was a shimmer in the area as a magical barrier tried to contain the disaster that was Norfova, a craterous land clad in an ominous dark red haze. While realistically speaking they were too far away to actually feel the magic that had bled into the land even the sight of it from so far away could still make you shiver, an instinctual awareness that there was something deeply wrong with that place.

The view to the south was better, but only marginally so. Naru Canyon brought an abrupt end to the fields of Astorea, a sharp cliff plummeting into what had once been the home of an ancient threat, and still not a place one would visit voluntarily. Even from up here it was impossible to see how far down it actually went... if it ever ended at all.

The floating lands of Tertoria had their own clouds partially obscuring them, but with a careful eye the bridges that connected the multiple landmasses were still visible, as well as the endless chasm above which the endomed kingdom resided. While not as aggressively malevolent Calamity Deep was still not a comfortable sight, and Mizuki herself wouldn't waste too much time looking at it.

The Hylands themselves are shielded by the Godwreathe, so this is the best opportunity to enjoy this view. (She'd take a minute before stepping out of the tunnel fully and turning around to gaze upwards.) This last part of the trip is the steepest. Since you can change your gravity and you've had time to recharge your batteries it shouldn't be an issue, but let me know if you're having difficulties.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎

The comfort of a warm fluffy tail was a difficult thing to give up indeed. Alas, all pleasantries had to have their end, but thankfully, MAI did manage to shut Mizuki up about the damn worms. Just recalling their very concept made the girl's skin crawl and break out in goosebumbs... if that were a possible thing that could happen for the magia and their artificial being. Instead, the girl just shook her entire body in brief disgust before trying to force her thoughts elsewhere, and, ultimately following her wolf companion toward the cave's entrance.

". . ."

MAI simply let the view wash over her. It was nothing short of magnificent, breathtaking, unrivaled... an experience unlike anything she could possible have back in the physical world. She was not a very outgoing person, and she certainly was not into extreme sports, such as climbing of the highest mountains in the world. And yet, she still got the feeling that even if she were to be placed on top of such a mountain back on Earth, the view would be nowhere near as wonderful as it was here.

One could even create a whole map based on what was visible from here, all the way to the horizon and the curve that came with it. There was a saying that witnessing the world from such distance helped put things into perspective - put aside petty squabbles and focus on the big picture. But that was something MAI had already achieved, at least for the most part. So, instead of having an existential moment, she simply remained and enjoyed it for as long as they would stay.

But just like her rest with the fluffy tail, even this moment had to come to an eventual end. And with it, their ascend resumed once more. At this point, it was impossible for MAI to determined if any of this was really worth it, but if they were close, or at least close-ish to the top, she had to see it through by this point.

"Understood - This unit will make use of its shifting gravitational field to not get in the way and scale the last part of the ascend without any additional trouble."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki remained silent as MAI took in the view of the world before and below them. For someone who traversed the Hylands it wasn't as impressive, but the first time was something that had to be savoured. She imagined that the sensation was similar to what mountain climbers on Earth experienced, although here they had the advantage that the world they surveyed was one of adventures and fantasy.

Although that crimson haze to the southeast was possibly more disturbing than awe-inspiring. Mizuki imagined that eventually that would have to be addressed, even if they'd been ignoring it ever since they returned to this world.

Good. Now just to hope we don't wake up any of the earth elementals that reside at the top. They can be rather difficult to handle.

It wasn't like Mizuki wanted to discourage MAI from enjoying the journey or considering it worthwhile, but part of any adventure was the dangers you encountered along the way. The luna wolf took a deep breath and nodded towards MAI before visualising a path upwards.

Let's get to it then.

With those words she began to climb, sharp and sturdy claws helping her gain purchase on rock and dirt. While there were still narrow pathways which allowed for one to take a breather most of the way up now consisted of sheer mountainside. For someone like MAI who could just shift her gravity and walk upwards like it was nothing this was probably not a serious challenge, as the terrain was at least smooth and reliable.

Mizuki had to rely on her skills and abilities, honed on climbing this exact same mountain quite a few times before. With large claws and strong limbs the wildling scaled the mountain a lot faster than one might expect, breathing steadily even as the wind began to pick up, making her mane rustle behind her.

Above them the mountain seemed to stretch on forever at first, but as they made their way upwards MAI would see that the end was getting closer. At the top of the climb, at the edge of the Hylands guarded so fiercely by the Ascent, a crown of smaller mountains adorned the plateau beyond, permafrost adorning their peaks Above those peaks the sky was a brilliant and clear blue, with the sun shining its clear light upon the dark stone and pure snow, making the latter glimmer and gleam along with small patches of frost adorning the many ridges and clefts forming the mountain's texture.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎

From their own accounts, astronauts looking down on Earth from Space had their entire perspective of things change once they gazed upon the score of the planet, their tiny existence put into perspective. MAI imagined that it was a somewhat similar feeling to the one that permeated her own self as she gazed across the scenery that unfolded before her. Only perhaps less overwhelming and life-changing...

"Query - should it not be possible to escape if an encounter becomes unavoidable? Can such live-forms move efficiently in such a steep environment?"

The question was accompanied by the mechanical girl climbing in her own way, as she had already showcased the day prior. Hopping from one stone to another, her body floated through the air with grace as if unaffected by the tugging ropes of gravity. Nay, she simply needed to touch down on the occasional to propel herself higher again.

She couldn't help but wonder if all of this would go faster and easier if she just did the same for the wolf, but Mizuki already rebuked that before, with her worry that the magia would run out of energy before the finish line. Given how far along the path they were at this point, that felt rather unlikely... but at the same time, there was always the possibility of unexpected surprises.

Either way, she continued alongside her fanged companion, casting the occasional glance at her to ensure both were staying close to one another and climbing without issues. As for the elementals that were mentioned... she figured it would be better to trust a canine's nose and eyes for danger detection.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

MAI's suggestion of simply fleeing from the earth elementals if they became hostile was reasonable. Mizuki was more focused on making sure she didn't accidentally put her weight on an unreliable piece of mountainside, but she still answered the dronemaster's question even as she climbed.

For earth elementals this environment is ideal. Their control over dirt and rock means they don't have to worry about falling like most people do. (She grunted.) That said, they are slow, so if you're attacked by one running away is considered the best option, especially since they're very tough. The problem is... (Another grunt.) That their habit of hibernating near the top of the Ascent means that it's difficult to both run away from them and reach the top.

The path upwards was straightforward, if taxing. Mizuki's superhuman physical abilities allowed her to make good progress without exhausting herself, but for those whose abilities weren't geared towards survivalism and tracking it would have left them breathless quite quickly. Well, except for people like MAI, whose unique talents allowed them to bypass the challenge through other means.

Perhaps Mizuki was a bit too conservative when it came to using MAI's powers, but she didn't want to risk anything. From her perspective manipulating gravity itself to the extent that it would allow one to move about as if weightless had to drain energy, even if the dronemaster herself seemed quite confident that it wouldn't be an issue.

The good news is that earth elementals tend to leave you alone as long as you don't mess with their territory. As long as we're careful us passing through shouldn't provoke them.

Given that it wasn't exactly easy to visibly alter an environment primarily made of rock and soil that usually wasn't an issue: from what Mizuki had heard earth elementals only really got angry when some overconfident adventurer decided that they might as well carve a path into the mountainside or something.

The path upwards remained steep, the two travellers having to rely on their magic and claws. While there were other paths which were a bit safer they would also have slowed them down significantly: now that they were closing in on their destination Mizuki wanted to reach it, even if that meant forging a path straight upwards rather than moving from cliff to cliff. Along the way large boulders stuck out of the craggy surface of the Ascent, but Mizuki made sure to stay away from them, even going out of her way to circle around one that would otherwise have gotten in her way.

As time passed the sun bore down on them, and even though the air this high up was chilly enough to make Mizuki's exhalations turn white the heat of the sun was equally present. But the crown that adorned the Hylands, the ring of mountains, was also getting closer until it took up most of the sky above them.

Mizuki came to an abrupt halt as she felt the mountainside tremble, small rocks and pebbles shifting and tumbling down to either get trapped in different crags or to keep falling, creating a chorus as if countless dice were rolling across a stone table. Looking down and to the side, she saw that one of the boulders had begun to shift. Rather than falling, however, its shape began to change: crags in its surface turned out to be the outlines of limbs, as a vaguely humanoid shape unfolded.

It'd probably be best if we hurried.

The elemental didn't immediately turn to the two. In fact, it didn't appear to register their presence at all, shambling across the steep surface in a different direction. As Mizuki had explained before it didn't seem to be hindered by the terrain at all, even if its approach was vastly different from MAI's: where the magia used her powers to defy gravity entirely the earth elemental instead seemed to be anchored to the mountain. Each step it took made the mountainside tremble weakly, Mizuki closing her eyes and batting above her head as more pebbles and rocks came down.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎

The obviously synthetic eyes of a machine rested on the caenis for a little bit as MAI listened to the other girl's words. Everything she said made sense, of course. But on the other hand, the two of them were hardly individuals that adhered to common sense.

"Correction - reaching the top is difficult for those bound to the world's laws. This unit is not."

A small attempt at a bit of a self-praise and to point out that her abilities were rather well-suited for this ascend. Hell, if the wolf wasn't so adamant about not wasting MAI's energy, she would have been more than willing to perform some stunts that would potentially help them get higher faster. But no matter, she continued to float next to Mizuki while occasionally touching down onto the vertical wall with her feet, as if she needed to leap off of the cliff for her float to work.

Doing this for a good part of the day gave her little joy, though. Especially as she had to watch her companion struggle(?) with the climb. Well, she knew that even with all of her own special powers, Mizuki towered above her in terms of physical prowess, but still. The caenis was seemingly used to this and probably had plenty to occupy her mind, always finding a new rock or small crevice that would help her get further ahead. But MAI? It didn't exactly take much concentration to keep up her abilities, so her mind was left to wander.

Not that this was much different from the usual. She was just that kind of person, one who would often daydream. Although, in this specific instance, the memory of the harpy incident was still rather fresh in her mind and trying to creep back in. It took some effort to shake off that abhorrent memory. The one true distraction came in the shape of an elemental that started seemingly waking up below them as they reached a certain height. MAI turned around even as her body continued moving upward, eyes locking on the monster as if she were scanning it.

"Announcement - According to preliminary analysis, this Unit's energy should be powerful enough to dislodge a portion of rocks the elemental is anchored to, sending it tumbling down if the need arises."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

MAI's statement that the difficulties of this ascent didn't apply to her, thanks to her ability to simply ignore the laws of physics and fly upwards, made Mizuki grin, even if it would be difficult to see with her dedicating her own energy to the task of climbing the mountain the normal way.

You're not wrong there, although I'd still advise caution when dealing with earth elementals.

While she didn't doubt the dronemaster's abilities those stone-shaped creatures were no joke, especially in this environment. MAI might be in a better position to deal with them than most given her abilities, but that didn't change the fact that a single earth elemental could ruin an entire expedition if angered.

But we're almost there, so let's focus on finishing the ascent.

She could tell that for MAI this journey had been more a challenge of tedium than anything else, barring the episode where she'd been left rather traumatised with Mizuki's rather brutal method of dealing with a hostile harpy. As someone who was experienced with this environment and the dangers present in it the wildling didn't exactly feel guilty about what she'd done, but in hindsight she could've been a bit more careful.

Once the one earth elemental woke up Mizuki would wait for it to have moved a bit further away, enough at least that she wasn't constantly being bombarded with pebbles and the like. The suggestion of sending the earth elemental did give her pause, the wolfkin considering the idea before shaking her head.

It hasn't paid any attention to us yet, so let's keep moving. Once we get far enough we should be outside its territory anyway.

After that she kept moving onwards, growling to herself as some last pebbles bounced off her skull before rolling and falling down the mountainside into the landscape far, far below. The fact that they were now within the territory of the earth elementals meant that they were also getting close to the crown that adorned the Hylands.

Sure enough, after another half hour of climbing Mizuki reached a point where she could stand on her hind paws, pushing herself upright and looking up at the path in front of them. This far up any flat surface was almost permanently covered in snow, meaning that her hind paws were also crunching some of that freezing carpet. Hylands's crown had an irregular edge, mountain peaks pointing upwards towards the heavens at irregular intervals. However, in between there was also plenty of space to move onwards, the lupine traveller stretching before pointing towards a ridge above and in front of them.

Once we reach that point we should be able to see the Hylands proper. We can either stay here or enter the valley beyond: the night sky will be filled with stars either way.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎

For someone who was eager to just deal with the Harpy from before the ol' bloody way, Mizuki sure seemed hesitant to engage the elemental. That was probably a good indicator of how strong such a monster could be. Granted, the environment was not exactly in favor of the two girls, either. Fighting on a vertical cliff-face without any ability to fly would likely be a death sentence. And while MAI could remain afloat, the caenis decided that even she should not engage.

In the end, it was nothing more than a mild scare. Something to spice up the final leg of their journey. Though... speaking of spicing things up... as Mizuki effectively admitted that they were more or less at their destination, the mechanical girl figured that her energy reserves were more than enough for this one last bit. Nodding, she landed next to the wolf briefly and leaned in.

"Understood - In that case, this unit can expedite the last portion of this journey. Please, do not be alarmed."

MAI moved to grab one of Mizuki's hands by the wrist, a moment in which the girl could feel the earth's grip onto her slip away. Just about any movement would push her away from the snow-covered rock and into the endless so of nothingness that was the empty air. And just like that... MAI would spin in place and toss the caenis upward.

The resistance provided by the space around her provided little, slowing her down only once she had traveled a substantial distance from the ground below. Naturally, the magia followed closely after. It'd be an unpleasant experience to be stranded mid-air with no way of propelling oneself forward. With bright artificial wings suddenly glowing behind her, MAI had no such issue as she flew in any direction she desired. It took just another push before the two of them would be flying right toward the point that Mizuki had singled out before, poised to land there any moment.

@Ueno Mizuki