The Lone SF Transmigrator in the Otherworld Forum
Chapter 173: Mount Shenglu (1)

Karlstein regained consciousness and assessed the situation, looking around.

Did everyone get separated?

He did not expect them to be scattered like this from the start. Nevertheless, Karlstein did not lose his composure. According to CGH Volume 53, there was nothing that would threaten their lives.

Mm. Probably?

Of course, that was only by Karlstein’s standards, but he had not realized this yet.

Rather, he focused on the current situation. The important things were only just about to start.

“This is… one of the places I heard rumors about.”

The surroundings had the scenery of an ordinary mountainside. Karlstein had woken up amidst a vast mountain range.

But if there was one thing different from the norm…

Nothing was moving among everything that existed. As if time had really stopped, there was not even movement in the air.

Karlstein lightly touched a leaf on a branch.

Tap.

But the leaf did not move at all. Even when Karlstein forcefully pushed it with his finger, it remained fixed without any change, even though it was nothing but a leaf.

Karlstein drew upon his Ether.

Fwoosh-

Only then did the leaf start to move normally.

But suddenly…

Fsst-

As the leaf began to move normally as if regaining life, in contrast, Karlstein’s index finger suddenly withered as if it had aged rapidly.

“…”

The pain was needless to say.

Frowning, Karlstein cut off his own finger and instantly recovered it using Kameira’s power.

“How annoying—“

Flinch-

Cutting off a part of his body and recovering it… even he thought his reaction was too nonchalant.

For a moment, he wondered if he had become something beyond human.

“Mm. Well, does it matter?”

Why worry about using the abilities he had?

Karlstein shook off his thoughts after a pause and started moving.

He looked around while slowly taking steps. The plan was to grasp the geography of the surroundings first.

However…

Swip-

Without any warning, the frozen scenery changed in an instant. It was like an unnatural flow of time, like disconnected scenes in a video.

Crackle-

“Damn…”

Karlstein’s left arm had weathered and decayed along with the suit.

“…”

Without hesitation, Karlstein cut off his left arm with the edge of his right hand.

Slash-

The severed left arm turned to dust and disappeared, and a perfectly fine arm instantly grew from his empty left shoulder. Immediately after, the suit slid over the skin, completing the restoration.

Truly convenient, Kameira’s power.

“But I wonder if I’ll be okay even after losing my head…”

Not long after he said that—

Tong-

Karlstein hurriedly drew upon Kameira’s power to protect his head. His vision distorted from the impact, as if hit by a giant hammer.

“!!”

The surrounding scenery was still a frozen landscape as if time had skipped.

Despite protecting and recovering his head with unbelievable reflexes, the dizziness would not easily subside.

“There’s no precursor to it, or any regularity.”

TONG-

“Ugh.”

He had to take hits without being able to respond.

What a hellish place.

“All of a sudden, I’m starting to worry about the others.”

Could Yongyong and the Lich withstand this environment?

I’d say it’s impossible for them.

If so, that was less to worry about. Had they been exposed to this environment from the start, they would not have survived.

But according to Volume 53 of CGH, they all succeeded in returning together. More precisely, it could be inferred from scenes where they appeared even after this journey.

Them surviving means… they ended up somewhere else.

It was better for them. Though Karlstein did not know if they would agree.

***

Karlstein moved diligently.

TONG-

Slash-

Fwoosh-

He continued exploring, relying only on his sturdy body.

According to CGH Volume 53, he would successfully steal a key treasure here that would be crucial for his future plans.

“And I’ll also meet that one…”

Karlstein recalled the Kaiju with a purple mane, Prohiden. It was the most important Kaiju that continued to appear until the finale of CGH.

This journey was important because Karlstein had something he absolutely needed to ask the Kaiju.

As Karlstein climbed the mountain, his body aflame with exertion, he turned his head, sensing an unfamiliar presence.

“Hey! Young man! It’s dangerous there!”

The tone was that of an old man, yet the voice was of a young boy.

Turning around, he saw a boy in shabby clothes that a villager might wear, carrying a basket.

“Come over here for now!”

“…?”

Their paths looked similar, yet his was dangerous and that was not?

The boy’s sudden appearance should have been surprising, but Karlstein approached calmly.

Though his appearance was that of a young child, looking at his eyes full of mystique, it was hard to guess his age.

The boy was surrounded by a unique gentle breeze, as if he were nature itself. His appearance was like a pretty young master, strangely androgynous.

“Who are you? And where exactly is this?”

Karlstein had no intention of looking down on him because of his childlike appearance, but there was no need to be overly polite either. If he attacked, they would fight.

Could he be related to Celestial Palace?

“Haha. I came to a spirit mountain to gather herbs, so you could call me an herb gatherer. We are on Mount Shenglu of Zhangjiajie.”

The boy did not seem to mind Karlstein’s way of speaking.

“Zhangjiajie? Mount Shenglu?”

“Hmm. Are you stranded? This is not an easy place to wander alone without a guide…”

It sounded as if the boy frequented this mountain.

Karlstein came for the Celestial Palace’s vault, where access was strictly controlled, yet it sounded like security was not so tight after all?

“A guide?”

“Come over here first. It’s dangerous there.”

Karlstein obediently followed the boy’s words.

“You were quite lucky. If you walk where there’s no path here, you’re likely to die.”

“…”

“By the way, did you also come to find treasure?”

His friendliness was impressive, the way he spoke without reserve. But Karlstein was more concerned about something else.

“Also?”

Was this a place where people often came and went?

“Haha. Everyone who comes here is similar. Isn’t it to find the treasure of Mount Shenglu?”

“Is that so? Well, I suppose that’s the case. Then are you different?”

“Huh? Haha. Well, I’m the same. I came to gather the mountain’s treasures, so I’m no different from you.”

“I see.”

Karlstein attempted a light provocation, but the boy breezily agreed.

The reason Karlstein was observing the boy so closely was because…

He’s strong. Not someone to be taken lightly.

The boy seemed gentle like a spring breeze, yet his strength was unfathomable. The only way to gauge his limits was to fight it out.

The boy smiled brightly and made a suggestion first.

“How about it? Why don’t we join hands as two who share a common goal?”

“…”

It was a welcome suggestion for Karlstein, who knew nothing about the geography of this place, but that was why he was suspicious.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s much for you to gain.”

Good things don’t come uninvited.

It was always kindness with unknown motives that was most frightening.

“Huh? Pahaha.”

Perhaps taken by surprise, the boy laughed cheerfully as if he had heard something entirely unexpected.

“Ah, I see. It’s worth being cautious about. But well, you don’t seem like you’d be a burden? You’re strong enough to see through me to some extent.”

“…”

Just as Karlstein could gauge the boy’s strength, conversely, the boy could tell that Karlstein was extraordinary.

“Well, if I have to say, I don’t have good feelings towards the Celestial Palace either. If we’re going to rob them anyway, wouldn’t it be better to join forces and make a bigger haul?”

Was he hostile to the Celestial Palace? The boy had bold ambition that did not match his shabby attire.

“Let’s say that’s the case.”

“Whatever the case, it’s not easy to leave this place without a guide.”

“I’ll be in your care then.”

Karlstein was confident he could survive even if he wandered around naked, but he did not mention it.

Well, the boy probably made the offer because he wanted something too. If so, he just had to thoroughly use him as well.

***

The boy’s gentle demeanor, soft like a spring breeze, was soon shattered.

“No, you madman! It’s dangerous!”

“It’s fine.”

“That’s not the path…!”

“Uh-huh. No problem.”

Despite the boy’s attempts to stop him, Karlstein diligently dug up spirit herbs and shook off the dirt.

“I-I say!”

Crackle-

Slash-

Fwoosh-

Then he cut off the body parts that decayed from time distortion and healed them again.

The boy was shocked by Karlstein’s impossible recovery ability. He was at a loss for words seeing Karlstein return to his side perfectly fine in an instant.

“Huh? What’s the problem?”

“P-problem…?”

Here in the mountain, wandering off the path meant one’s body and mind would be torn apart by time distortions. Yet this man, whoever he was, recovered as if it were nothing. Even if it was physically possible to heal, the mind and soul should not be able to…

It was a situation he could not comprehend with his mind.

In the end, the boy gave up.

“Alright, let’s stop now. It seems we’ve gathered enough spirit herbs.”

“Really? That’s good.”

Karlstein dusted off his hands, gesturing for them to hurry on. The boy shook his head at that.

“What’s the rush?”

Initially, the boy and Karlstein made a small deal.

The boy would first gather the spirit herbs he needed, then help Karlstein.

Mount Shenglu teemed with all kinds of rare herbs. However, since survival could not be guaranteed if one strayed from the ever-changing paths, the standard practice was to gather herbs only along the path.

But after watching for a while, Karlstein grew impatient and started gathering spirit herbs recklessly off the path, filling up the required amount.

Before long, the basket was full and bulging.

“Now it’s time to keep your promise.”

Karlstein stared intently at the boy, as if watching how he would react. His firm gaze showed no trust at all.

But the boy did not take offense. In fact, he would have found it suspicious if Karlstein had shown a trusting look.

“Alright, so what are you looking for? Tell me, and I’ll help.”

“…The Ziwen Mirror.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“I think Ziwen Mirror is the name.”

“…”

The boy gaped as if he had heard an impossible name.

The man before him was clearly insane. He kept trying to do impossible things.

***

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