Death Mountain

CG Chapter 57: Death Mountain

A wolf leaped forward at astonishing speed, surpassing even that of a fully sprinting horse.

The man riding on its back seemed unaffected by the speed. He held a jerky stick in his right hand while examining the wolf's fur and structure with his left.

'It's interesting to think that even animals can surpass their limits here. This wolf has undergone a process similar yet distinct to my training. According to the books in the library, the only way people can surpass their limits is through undergoing knight training. Does that mean...?' Tom was lost in thought, his musings extending far beyond the boundaries of a single world. Instead, he sought to understand the intricacies and rules a world must follow.

Tom wanted to go to the capital city of Sollaria, which was on the other side of the continent. He needed to go through Danloor, Auroria, or Vennturia to get there. 

While going through Auroria might have seemed like the obvious choice, he decided to deliver the envelope first and see what secrets awaited him there.

According to the map, the place he needed to go was named Alamut; the map had detailed information on the route he needed to follow and warnings marking the locations of the traps.

…

The days came and went as Tom neared Alamut; the least that could be said about his journey thus far was that it was mundane with nothing interesting.

The Wild animals and bandit groups that saw him from a distance riding on a giant wolf ran as far as they could. Most people weren't foolish enough to risk their lives for no good reason.

Unaware of what the future held for him, Tom took his first step on the desolate-looking mountain. 

At first, the mountain appeared ordinary, yet Tom discerned the traps that were skillfully concealed after closer examination. As he walked further, he realized that reaching the summit without the map would be time-consuming. Nevertheless, this didn't imply that he completely trusted it; carefully, he examined each step before taking another.

 'Whoever placed these traps knew what they were doing; if anyone else tried to go through the mountain without guidance, they would eventually become meat skewers.'

Disregarding all of that, Tom continued walking through the rough terrain; however, before long, he suddenly felt the presence of multiple people observing him from the shadows. When he felt the presence, he understood that he finally neared the peak.

He shouted, "I came here carrying an important message. I am sure your leader would be interested in its content."

The figure stayed hidden; he hesitated momentarily, unsure whether to attack or listen to Tom first. He wondered if Tom shouted randomly or if he could actually sense them.

Suddenly, a man covering his face with a mask and his head with a hood jumped out of nowhere in front of Tom. 

The man kept a safe distance between them; this distance would act as a buffer in case Tom decided to launch a surprise attack.

The man didn't underestimate Tom due to his age or the fact there were many against him all alone. These small gestures that even the man might not have noticed made Tom understand that this place was no ordinary one.

As he examined the man closer, Tom noticed a few areas where leather armor might hide.

The man remained cautious, ready to attack at any point. "Put it on the ground; I will deliver it to him myself. If it's as you say, then we can discuss."

"No, I can't do that; according to the instructions I received, I must deliver it myself." Tom shook his head at the man. "As you can see, I came alone and only have my mount with me; I am sure I won't get the chance to do anything even if I wanted to."

A few moments passed in silence, with the two looking at each other.

"Fine, but you must leave your mount and weapons here; they will stay safe and sound with us until you deliver the message."

Tom's face contorted in shock, "What, do you really want me to come in without my weapons? What would I become then? A sheep waiting to be slaughtered?" knowing that if he directly agreed, then those people would become suspicious of him, he played the part of an offended, yet scared person to perfection.

"Sorry, but I can't do that. I am sure your leader would become quite angry if he knew you stopped me here."

The two went back and forth until Tom felt it was about time.

He displayed the face of a desperate person, "If anything, and I mean anything happens to me, then your end won't be good." 

Tom knew that having or not having a sword wouldn't affect the situation much with how things were going.

"I can assure you that nothing would happen to you. I swear on all of the seven gods." The man nodded before signaling with his head to the right.

Noticing his signal, another man wearing the same attire jumped in the middle; he walked slowly near Tom before opening his hand to receive the sword.

Tom huffed while he gave it to him, "Now, can we go?"

"Please follow me," the first man began to direct Tom; he tried to chat with him and make his guard fall. "I am sure the leader would be pleased by your visit." The man didn't acknowledge that the number of people hiding nearby kept on increasing.

The two walked for a while before approaching an enormous ancient iron gate with an engraving of a quote. The quote seemed to have come from some strange language: 'Here is where death lies. This is Alamut. Leave the past behind, for you have stepped into the eagle's nest where either you become…' 

The rest of the quote seemed to have been erased, although Tom couldn't tell if it was due to the corrosion of time or an elaborate act.

The gate slowly opened as if it was about to tell Tom all the secrets it hid. However, he wasn't born yesterday, so he became careful of what might come next.