Between the monsters

Leo exhaled, watching as his breath formed a frosty mist in front of him. The mountaintop was bitterly cold and the thin air made it difficult to breathe, but Leo kept his lips tightly sealed. He didn't dare risk speaking.

Snore...

Only a few hundred feet away from Leo, massive monsters lay sprawled across the mountaintop. The dragons, guardians of the entrance to the Valley of Dragons, were all sound asleep.

Their bodies were enormous, and their scales shimmered in various colors, like a dense forest of armor. The challenge of passing through them without waking any of them up seemed nearly impossible.

"..."

With slow, cautious steps, Leo approached the first monster. He made a wide circle around it, carefully treading on the snow to avoid making any crunching noises.

The slightest sound could awaken the dragons and spell certain death for Leo. He also knew he couldn't rely on his Mana, as the dragons were highly sensitive creatures that would detect his presence immediately.