Barbarian Quest

Chapter 150

Gizzle blinked. His eyelashes were frosted over and had turned white. The wind beating against his face felt like it was freezing the surface of his eyeballs. His toes had lost sensation, surpassing mere pain.

'Everything is white.'

He gazed at the snowy expanse. These were the white peaks he always only saw from afar.

Gizzle clutched his cloak with trembling hands. He felt nauseous and dizzy. Each step made the world spin around him.

"There are no such things as evil spirits..."

Gizzle had climbed one of the countless peaks of the Sky Mountains. The ground below seemed incredibly distant and tiny. The sky viewed from the peak was much clearer and purer.

Swoosh.

He stretched his palm upward. His fingertips couldn't reach all the way to the sky.

'So much for the name Sky Mountains.'

The sky remained a place untouched by human hands.

"Huff."

He took a deep breath, alternating his gaze between west and east.

'A new world.'

He looked west again. His homeland stretched endlessly.

'Home.'

Gizzle blinked again. His body trembled incessantly. His teeth chattered, making a clacking sound.

'Urich, you turned your back on your homeland to head to the new world.'

He lifted his quivering fingers to force his eyelids wide open. His body was in agony, but his heart was at peace.

'I've also seen the same landscape as you.'

Gizzle scooped up a handful of snow and melted it in his mouth. After wetting his throat, he looked up at the sky that looked ever so high.

"If there are indeed people living beyond the Sky Mountains... where is the destination for our souls? Where are the spirits of my father and ancestors...?"

There was no answer. Only the wind blew. The sky was as indifferent as ever.

'I guess Ill know when I die.'

Gizzle walked to the edge of the peak. It was time to make a decision.

'West and east. Home and the new world.'

Gizzle twitched his frozen lips. He pushed the corners of his mouth up with his fingers, forcing a smile.

"I'm not like you. I won't abandon my tribe. I am the chief, after all."

Gizzle turned his back to the east without regret. He went back down the way he came.

'A defeated chief, enemies beyond the mountains, enemies right in front of my eyes, a powerful warrior vying for my position.'

Pain was the only thing that was waiting for his return. He could already hear the tribe's reproach. He, as their chief, had failed to protect them. No matter who blamed him, Gizzle had no excuse. The crushing weight of duty and responsibility was enough to make anyone want to flee.

Step, step.

Gizzle walked down, stepping on the snow. He didn't shirk his responsibility. No matter how torturous or painful, he was the chieftain. To do his best in his role until his last breath: that was Gizzle's honor.

* * *

Urich followed Gizzle's trail. As it was a mountain range devoid of human traffic, finding Gizzle's tracks was not difficult. He followed the trail of broken branches, as tall as a person, and the trampled underbrush.

Signs of camping and fire were scattered around. Urich looked up.

'It's getting higher. The Sky Mountains are not easy to climb without any preparation.'

Urich gritted his teeth.

To cross the Sky Mountains, one needed both luck and skill on their side. Even Urich, with his exceptionally robust physique, had to risk his life each time he crossed the range.

'I feel dizzy.'

Urich tapped his forehead and continued climbing. Gizzle's path was obvious. There were only a few climbable paths from Gizzle's campsite. He must have avoided the steep terrain, and taken the gentler paths.

"I don't think this worked out in my favor at all."

Urich muttered to himself. He was now stepping on the snowy path.

'I will become the chief through the tribal council. It shouldnt be like this. Don't die on me before that, Gizzle.'

Gizzle, the son of the tribal chief, had always been Urich's rival since childhood. Although Urich opposed Gizzle, he did not hate him. Sometimes he found Gizzle annoying and irritating, but they were brothers raised in the same tribe.

"It's cold."

Urich rubbed his hands and looked at the sky. It was a clear day without a single cloud.

Fordgal Arten caught me.'

He remembered the first time he crossed the range. Captured as a prisoner, he was dragged to the peak without knowing anything. Thinking back, it was a feat to have crossed the mountains alive. Urich had broken through the mountains with nothing but his vigorous body.

"Im not trying to brag, but it was only possible because it was me. Keke."

Urich always trusted his body. His flesh and blood had never betrayed him. His body endured any injury and wound, moving as much as Urich wanted.

'And I don't betray my body either.'

Though Urich lived a libertine life, he never neglected his training. There was just one time when he let his body and senses rust with alcohol, drugs, and women, and at that time, Urich exploded in unbearable rage.

'If I betray my body, my body will betray me.'

Urich pounded his thighs and continued to climb the rugged rocky terrain.

He had reached midway up the mountain range. Urich gathered dry wood and lit a fire. He planned to rest here before continuing. Higher up, it would be hard to light a fire due to the lack of wood.

"Phew."

Urich grabbed and struck the flintstone. After a few tries, the tinder caught fire. Urich protected the flame and transferred it to the gathered wood.

Crackle.

Urich extended his palms to warm his body. The heat seeped deep through his skin.

Rest was important. He needed to dry his wet body and shake off the cold seeping into his bones. Urich rested more than enough, almost feeling like he had rested too much.

After a short nap, Urich set off again. Gizzle was still nowhere to be seen.

'If he went up to that peak... it'll be hard to catch up to him.'

Urich had also hurriedly climbed the range without proper preparation. A life-threatening section was in front of him.

"Gizzle."

Urich looked up to see a smoke. Not far away, someone had lit a fire.

"Hey, Gizzle!"

Urich advanced, shouting. His voice echoed far as it bounced off the rugged surface of the mountains.

Hes not answering.'

Urich exhaled a steamy breath and grabbed his axe.

'Worst case, it could be another expedition.'

He crept forward with bated breath, keeping his body low. Instead of approaching directly, Urich climbed higher and then descended from above. It was a tactic to mask his location.

'I see him.'

Urich lay flat and approached slowly.

Silently, only the campfire burned, without any movement. Urich peeked out, rolling his eyes.

"Shit."

Urich jumped up and ran. Beside the fire lay Gizzle, huddled and trembling, despite the fire nearby.

'The cold has already seeped into Gizzle's body.'

It seemed Gizzle had barely managed to light the fire in the cold and then fallen asleep. Urich gathered more wood to fuel the fire.

"Gizzle, wake up. You can't sleep like this."

Urich tapped Gizzle's cold cheek.

"Urich... you are my evil spirit."

Gizzle mumbled with drowsy eyes. His vision fluttered, distorting Urich's image.

"Stop talking nonsense. Bite on this and open your eyes."

Urich put stones in the fire. Once warmed, he placed them near Gizzle. Whenever the fire weakened, he ran to gather more wood.

Thanks to Urich's dedicated care, Gizzle's color gradually returned. His numb skin started to tingle with a tickling sensation.

"Damned bastard."

As his consciousness returned, cursing was the first thing Gizzle did. The person who saved his life was none other than Urich.

Why did it have to be Urich?

Urich, who was dozing off after getting Gizzle back to a stable condition, opened his eyes at Gizzles voice.

"Why did you climb the mountain? Climbing it without any preparation is madness, you dumbass."

"That's none of your business."

"Hah? Is that how you talk to the person who saved your life?"

Urich crossed his arms and laughed. Gizzle was speechless and just scowled.

"When did you return to the tribe? Ugh, I didnt think Samikan would let you go."

Gizzle spoke but then gasped for air. His mind was alert, but his condition was still poor.

"I made an oath of brotherhood with Samikan."

Urich stirred the campfire with a stick and tossed a heated stone to Gizzle.

"Are you out of your mind? You became brothers with Samikan?"

Despite Gizzle's anger, Urich remained calm.

"In exchange, I secured the release of our hostages. Our women and children were returned to the tribe."

"If you dont take revenge on Samikan and the Blue Mist Tribe, our deceased brothers wont rest in peace."

"The dead dont matter to me. I only care about the living. The dead cant say nothing."

Urich added more dry wood to the fire.

"And that's all? Just by making a brotherhood oath, you freed the tribespeople?"

"There was also the condition that I become the tribal chief."

Upon hearing this, Gizzle drew his dagger. He tried to stand but collapsed, feeling pain in his foot. As his body warmed, his damaged soles screamed in agony.

"Are you after my position? You must have come with that intention from the start!"

"Think whatever you want. I'll take you back to the tribe and hold a formal council meeting. Whether by vote or combat, I'm going to get that chief seat."

It didn't make sense. If Urich wanted the chief's position, he could have just left Gizzle to die. Naturally, Urich would become the next chief, having recently risen in prominence.

'But that's not our way.'

Gizzle understood Urich. Although he disliked Urich and kept him in check, he never banished him. That was a warrior's pride.

"Let me help you. Lets go home, Gizzle."

Urich extended his hand, and Gizzle, stumbling, leaned on Urich's shoulder.

Supported by Urich, Gizzle walked. He looked back and muttered.

"I climbed up to that peak over there."

"Thats pretty impressive. If you managed to go up there without any proper preparation, maybe next time you could cross the mountain range."

"Hah, I wont climb again even if you told me to. People should keep their feet on the ground. Its wrong to covet the sky."

Gizzle laughed aimlessly, and Urich sneered.

"You sound like an old man. 'Crossing the Sky Mountain will bring a curse!' 'Oh, you mustnt break the taboo!' Bullshit."

"I wont hand over the chief's position just because you saved my life. Many warriors still follow me. The elders and shamans will support me over you."

"Then Ill take it by force."

"You'll regret underestimating me, Urich."

"Sure, sure. You've always been all talk. 'Dont mess around, Urich!' 'Im the son of Chief Stezo!' 'I, not you, will be the chief!' all that talk."

Gizzle suppressed the urge to stab Urich in the heart. He sighed and looked down. The gentle slope ended, and a steep, rugged path appeared.

"Get on my back from here. You cant go down with that leg, even with help."

Urich crouched and patted his shoulder. Gizzle, preferring to jump off a cliff than to be carried by Urich, reluctantly complied.

"Ugh."

Gizzle clenched his teeth and grunted.

"What are you doing? If you want to beat me, you have to stay alive to return."

Urich laughed and beckoned, flicking his finger at Gizzle. Gizzle extended his arm around Urich's neck. Even with a grown man on his back, Urich hopped down the rocky path with ease.

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