Lurking at the peaks

One day of training and running later. Deimos is bolting through the forest spotting a mountain range in the far distance..... probably something like 8-10 miles (12.8-16 km) away instead of 2-3 (3-5 km) because the planet is bigger and the horizon is farther.

Cutting a relatively straight path through the trees directly to the mountains, Deimos is getting closer extremely fast. With 12 agility and the Lightning Blitz's flash step at a very crude form, Deimos still bolted to the mountains at an astounding speed.

Around 156 miles per hour (251 km/h) at a base speed, going twice as fast with the flash step technique, it will take a little under 2 minutes to get to the mountains. Crossing them is another issue as the land is not easy enough to maneuver with flash step yet. Its not like she is a master at it instantly. She's only mimicking movements implanted into her memories to make them muscle memory.

After a brief moment Deimos is standing at the bottom of the towering mountains, they don't have snow caps on them for some reason.... and she can sense.... something at the top. It feels powerful but she can't really tell how powerful.

Cautiously Deimos steps foot into the mountain range and begins to scale it. Attempting to use the flash step to boost her speed well. Not that she can keep it up in an area like this yet, she doesn't have enough practice with the technique to be able to react to obstacles at anything close to max speed.

Climbing up the mountain, she still has a good speed. Looking back at where she came from Deimos looks over a massive forest. She is still under the cover of trees and not too high up, but looking through the cracks in the leaf cover she can see how far she has gone.

In this mountain range she probably will have trouble putting her house anywhere too. Looking back up the mountain Deimos continues scaling the side, its not too steep at the moment.... kind of similar to a hike randomly through the woods looking to go to the top of the mountain.

Deimos breaks through the tree cover to a point of the mountain where trees are less common. She can see the top of the mountain from where she is at the moment. The general area is full of cliff edges, with rocks riddling the ground.

Making her way to the final edge of the trees Deimos feels like she is being watched..... looking around and seeing nothing she splits herself into mirage clones infused with qi to be more life like and much easier to keep up from a distance.

Splitting off from her mirage clones she keeps a keen eye out for anything in front or behind her. Cautiously making her way up farther. Catching her breath she sits down on a rock 'Why am I getting light headed.... thats not good... think think think what do mountain climbers do when climbing everest....'

'Oh that's right they take long breaks to get used to the pressure.... god I'm such an idiot' Sitting down for a little while longer Deimos looks for a spot to put her home. Luckily finding a flat enough area she clears large rocks and stones in the area, then she materializes the card and places the house on the flat ground she cleared up.

Going inside and laying down on the bed, just doing her best to keep her breath. With a slight headache and a little bit of nausea.... this has to be related to adjusting to high altitudes. 'I'm sure this won't be an issue when I get to higher realms..... but for now this is making me unwell'

Gathering herself for around 1-2 hours.... Her recovery must have been faster due to her cultivation realm, but she still is taking her time making sure nothing bad happens. Still weirded out by how there is no snow even this high up. She takes a step outside her home for the last bit of sunlight before the sun completely sets.

Deimos sits down and just looks at her surroundings, still wondering why she felt like she was being watched earlier... and if whatever it was disregarded her as weak therefore not caring about her.

'Maybe the reason that the peak of this mountain is not frozen is because of something at the top?' Deciding to return to her home she sits down and cultivates.... still being cautious of anything in the surroundings which is making her cultivation slower.

After a night of uninterrupted cultivation Deimos gets up and does her usual stretches, there may have not been as much progress as usual but safety was a priority. Who cares about cultivation if you're dead right?

Stepping outside her home and recalling it, she makes her final trek to the peak of the mountain. Hiking up the uneven and rock covered ground.... its getting even warmer the farther up she goes. Almost as if something is releasing heat.

Continuing her way up closer to the peak of the mountain she takes a short break again, making sure that she doesn't pass out or anything like that. As she keeps going the heat just gets more and more intense. Now Deimos is just curious on what is up there.

Suddenly she feels as if something is watching her. Looking all around the mountain she still can't seem to spot anything that could be watching her. 'This constant feeling of being watched isn't making me feel better..... sucks to be me I guess heh.....'

Aligning with her mirages, she continues her trek up the mountain. Suddenly out of nowhere, a massive shadow goes over her head.... not her mirages heads but her head. Looking up franticly Deimos spots a gigantic flaming bird fly above her.

It swoops in and lands behind Deimos in its intimidating stature. Opening its large beak it lets out an ear piercing screech.

Spreading its wings and covering itself with insanely hot flames it spoke in a powerful voice "Human I've seen you wandering up my mountain and I must say.... you are bold to set foot in my domain"