Chapter 169 - Wyvern defeat mission (3)

After leaving the village, we entered the forest and started following the path indicated by the old man. He assured us that this route would quickly lead us to the place where we could climb the mountain range and find the cave that the Wyvern had chosen as its home.

Since we left, we haven't encountered any monsters along the way. The old man informed us that, although this forest is part of the same one we explored when we first arrived in this world, this place is generally avoided by monsters. The proximity of the mountain ranges makes the winter here quite harsh, which keeps most creatures away from the region.

"This must be the ascent the old man mentioned" 

Saemi commented, observing the path leading to the mountaintop. Like she said, there seemed to be a path that stretched all the way to the top of the mountain range. Although the old man mentioned that the path led to the top, I had my doubts about whether we would actually make it there. However, seeing it in person, I could understand the basis of his belief. There was a problem, though, that we hadn't taken into account.

"...Doesn't this mountain range seem much bigger than when we were observing it from the village? It would probably take us more than three days to reach the top" 

Aoi mentioned. As Aoi said, the path to the top was steep and narrow. It would likely take us several days to climb since we would have to be very careful not to fall. Now I understood why the Wyvern chose this location as its home.

"In fact, I believe I can take us up there in a matter of minutes" 

I said. Hearing my words, they all looked at me in disbelief. Well, I couldn't really blame them. I hardly ever used this power since it was quite complicated in various ways, so I guess it's normal for them to have forgotten.

"What do you mean by that?" 

Instead of explaining with words what I would do, I just smiled and snapped my fingers. A black mist began to surround my body. Although I couldn't see from the outside, the mist probably started to expand, becoming larger and taking shape. In a few seconds, my field of vision completely transformed.

Looking around, it was clear that I was much larger than before, allowing me to see much greater distances. Looking down, I saw Saemi, Ana, Fujiwara, and Aoi; they were all looking up at me with surprised expressions on their faces.

The first to snap out of the trance was Ana, who slowly started coming toward me. Although I couldn't fully see my body, I should look like a Wyvern right now. I lowered my neck slightly, putting my head in front of Ana's body.

Slowly, Ana's hand moved up to my snout. As this happened, I remained still, aware that, even though I didn't want to scare them, my colossal size might make them a little uncomfortable.

"Ma-kun, you've gotten so big" 

As I contemplated this, Ana exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement as she stared at me. For some reason, I felt like she saw me as an incredibly rare creature that she had just won in the lottery.

"You don't usually use this, do you? To be honest, it's a bit scary, since you got so big all of a sudden"

Said Aoi as she approached. Fujiwara, on the other hand, seemed more curious than frightened, watching me with interest.

"I've always wanted to ask, but never had the chance. What's it like transforming into monsters? Do you feel different?" 

Hearing Fujiwara's question, I began to ponder this issue. Truth be told, it was hard to say how I felt. Although I was certainly a Wyvern now, in a way, it felt like I was somewhere inside the Wyvern form, controlling it or something similar. It was a strange sensation of being both inside and outside my own body.

I guess the feeling is quite similar to when you're controlling a video game character, the only difference being that I became the character itself. It's like I'm playing a game, but at the same time, I'm part of the game, a surreal and unique experience. 

(Not much, I suppose... I believe the fact that I'm no longer human contributed to this)

Hearing my words in their minds, they all looked visibly surprised but quickly composed themselves. They probably realized I couldn't speak while in this form. The most I could convey were some grunts. 

(Anyway, climb on me. Let's fly to the top)

Following my words, all the girls approached me. When I lowered one of my wings, they began to climb, using my wing as a sort of ladder. They all mounted my back, holding onto the small spikes there. 

(Are you all ready? Although I won't be flying very fast, you better hold on tight)

As soon as I said those words, I felt the grip on my scales becoming firmer, indicating they were all ready. Confident that we were prepared, I started flapping my wings, creating a wind that followed our course as we took flight.

Despite my body feeling incredibly heavy, you'd be surprised at how light I actually am. Of course, I'm not saying to compare me to a feather, but my mass was considerably smaller than it appeared. This lightness was probably what allowed me to fly despite being so large.

While flying to the top of the mountain range, a chilly sensation from the mountain wind began to clash against my scales. To be honest, I wasn't feeling that cold, but I couldn't say the same for the girls. Except for Ana, who has always been cold-resistant, probably due to her power.

Aoi, Fujiwara, and Saemi were shivering, keeping their eyes closed as we ascended. The higher we went, the more intense their agitation became. Quickly, I flew as fast as I could to the cave, and upon landing, I started walking towards the entrance. 

(We've arrived)

Saying that, I lowered my wing again to create a ladder for the girls to descend. Now, all we had to do was find and defeat the Wyvern.