Within a bizarre experience, all five senses were stripped away, and the field of vision became an endless expanse of white.
After several seconds, the skin began to feedback signals of cold, and Weilin could gradually open her eyes.
Before her lay a boundless, frosty, ice-covered, vast mountain range, swept by cold winds.
Everything on the island seemed magnified dozens of times over. The smallest trees were over a dozen zhang tall, and the tips of the larger trees directly brushed against the world barrier at the apex of the firmament, spreading out icy branches and snowy leaves that blotted out the sky.
Flowers and grass grew larger than the shrubs of the outside world. Thin icy mist drifted among the crystalline ice flowers and grass, and the air was unbelievably pure, a single breath could make one feel transcendent…
“So, this is the top of the firmament…”
The Genesis Ballad mentioned that Genesis Islands float at the very end of the sky. In other words, this was the zenith of the heavens. Above this, there was no longer any ‘sky’, only the empty ‘void’, or what could be called ‘Chaos’.
“I’d actually like to see the edge of this island… from the edge, could one see the sky?”
Weilin thought this, but Airi’s expression was one of complete surprise.
“…Everyone has already started hunting Snow Demons and Snow Beasts. Weilin, aren’t you in a hurry at all?”
“What’s the rush? We have you, don’t we?”
“I… I’m new to the Snow Kingdom. I don’t know the average strength here, so I can’t guarantee I can get the championship or even the top ten…”
“The championship is a must,” Weilin stated without room for doubt.
“Then there’s even less time to lose!”
The two were already the last to arrive. Those who had entered early had run so far ahead that not even a shadow was visible. Out of nearly ten thousand people, only a scattered few dozen remained nearby, still discussing which direction to take.
“No rush. I want to go see the very edge of this island first. It’s rare to come to such a beautiful place. What’s the point of just burying your head in monster hunting without looking around a bit?”
Weilin was a romanticist.
Unless absolutely necessary, she truly didn’t care much about things like competitiveness or maximizing profit.
“Alright…”
Even her employer said so, so Airi could only agree.
Thus, under the stunned gazes of the remaining dozen or so people—as if they were seeing a ghost—Weilin and Airi did not advance deeper into the island. Instead… they headed towards the distinctly opposite direction of the island’s edge.
“That guy really does have too much money, hiring someone just to take a walk, huh?”
A young man who recognized Weilin sighed with feeling, then turned and patted his companions on the shoulder. “Don’t stare anymore, you guys. If we don’t hurry, we won’t even get the broth.”
One hundred Gold Coins per Snow Essence. With effort, their well-equipped standard four-person party could earn several hundred Gold Coins per person, or even more. This was an opportunity that only came once a year!
But…
That Ranger, just by stepping forward a little, had gotten three hundred thousand Gold Coins from Weilin—wealth they might never earn in a lifetime of struggle!?
Why was the gap between people so huge?
Everyone thought, if they had tried their luck and applied for the bodyguard job earlier, they might have been the ones striking it rich overnight. Then they wouldn’t need to risk their lives hunting Snow Essences.
Though, they didn’t even meet Weilin’s requirement of “Level 40 or above,” so they hadn’t even been qualified to apply.
?
【Ding! You have visited the Island of Illusory Snow and Flowing Ice for the first time. Your experience has increased. Achievement Points +100】
The teleportation point was already located on the outermost perimeter of the island, so the distance to the island’s edge was unexpectedly short. The two went against the flow, chatting as they walked. After about ten minutes, they could make out the silhouette of the island’s edge.
Seeing it and reaching it were two different things.
The Island of Illusory Snow and Flowing Ice was no smaller than the thousand-year-old Illusory Snow City.
“Walking there is too slow. I’ll teleport ahead. You speed up and catch up as soon as possible.”
As Weilin spoke, her form had already vanished from Airi’s side, reappearing a thousand meters directly ahead.
Airi: ?????
What the hell, how come your teleportation range is so insane?!
Airi thought she was hallucinating and quickly rubbed her eyes. Then… oh no, it was worse. Now she couldn’t see anything at all. She wasn’t sure if that tiny, flickering black dot about ten thousand meters away was Lega Weilin…
Weilin was the first to arrive at the island’s very edge.
It was much as she had imagined. Below was an infinite sea of pale clouds. Above, the sky mixed with all sorts of dark, unidentifiable colors, which was this world’s barrier—shielding it from the chaotic void beyond.
How unscientific!
Earth was a planet, with an infinitely vast universe beyond its sky. But the Divine Crystal Continent felt like it was a bizarre, enclosed space, kept in captivity by some kind of species.
【You suddenly wanted to visit the edge of the island. Clever you felt as if you were touching upon the true principles of this world. Your experience has increased again. Achievement Points +200】
More than some true principle, what Weilin was more interested in was this Achievement Point System…
One could say, Weilin’s desire to come to the island’s edge wasn’t a whim. It was to test the Achievement Point System.
From the very beginning, there had been constant prompts. When she first performed an Enchantment, Cooking, or Alchemy; when she accepted Elizabeth and the other Crystal Companion White Mice as Retainers… she’d been gaining Achievement Points.
Including two days ago, when Reki handed Weilin the true ‘Cloudstride Celestial Card’, there had also been a prompt.
【You have acquired the continent’s first Cloudstride Celestial Card obtained through the sublime might of money. Achievement Points +800】
Now, even gaining life experience could be a basis for acquisition. Weilin felt she was close to understanding the mechanism for gaining Achievement Points, but the question was… What’s the damn point?
The game certainly had an Achievement Point System: reaching certain thresholds granted various rewards and titles.
…But after transmigrating, this Achievement Point System had completely mutated.
【Hint: Total Achievement Points: 3650】
She had a feeling that if it grew a bit more, something might happen.
“Ha… ha… F-Finally… caught up to you! Weilin!”
At that moment, a young girl’s breathless, urgent cry came from behind. Airi had arrived, late.
Weilin turned around, looked at the girl who had rushed over, riding the wind and snow, then simply walked past her, heading straight into the island’s interior, and said:
“We don’t have much time left. Come on, let’s go hunt some monsters.”
“EH?!?!” Airi was dumbfounded. If she’d known, why hadn’t she just waited where she was? “You’re impossible! You’re the one who said you wanted to see the island’s edge!”
“Yeah, I saw it.”
“Then… what about me!! Me—!! What about me, what about me—!!”
“Your what?” Weilin asked, equally baffled.
“I practically killed myself getting here, and you just leave like that?! No… even if you didn’t want to look at the edge’s scenery with me, couldn’t you at least let me rest a bit?! I know, taking money means doing the job, but… but… Lega Weilin! You’ve gone too far! You think money can buy everything, including friendship?!”
Lega Weilin was stunned.
She looked at Airi, who had finally poured out her true feelings, loudly protesting the injustice. Then, Weilin was almost moved to tears. Momma, she thought, someone finally said that to me!
“Let me tell you something! Yes!”
“Huh?”
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【Oh, by the way, the Five Great Elements cannot exist as a Divine Crystal on their own. Erasing the world’s ice and snow wouldn’t be that huge an impact, but if the most basic water or fire were to vanish, that would be catastrophic.】
