Volume 3 Chapter 187: The Eyes That Saw Everything

The village gradually disappeared behind them as the four girls began their ascent up the snowy slopes of Dragon's Peak.

A narrow mountain trail stretched ahead, winding between enormous rock formations and clusters of snow-covered pine trees. The higher they climbed, the colder the air became. A steady breeze swept down from the distant peaks, carrying tiny snowflakes that settled against their clothing and occasionally brushed across their faces.

Fortunately, Cynthia had thought ahead and prepared winter equipment for everyone before they departed. Without proper protection, climbing the mountain would have been considerably more difficult, especially as they approached the higher elevations.

Akari wore a thick winter coat over her usual equipment, with a scarf wrapped comfortably around her neck. Memory had chosen a fluffy white jacket that looked slightly oversized, its hood decorated with two small animal ears. Bubbles sat comfortably inside the hood, occasionally poking its round head out whenever the wind blew.

Cynthia wore a practical insulated coat with several pockets, suitable for carrying small tools and other expedition supplies. Meanwhile, Suo had been given a warm winter outfit designed specifically for long journeys. Her clothing allowed plenty of freedom of movement, while reinforced gloves and sturdy boots provided additional protection against the cold and slippery terrain.

Suo pulled her scarf a little higher, trying to shield her face from the chilly breeze.

"...It's colder than I expected."

Cynthia glanced back at her.

"Dragon's Peak gets colder the higher you climb. The temperature can drop quite quickly, especially when the wind starts blowing down from the summit."

Suo nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Unlike the others, this was Suo's first time visiting Dragon's Peak. She had studied maps and read reports about the mountain before joining Crowned Era, but seeing the actual landscape was an entirely different experience. The sheer scale of the mountains, the snow-covered slopes, and the enormous cliffs rising into the clouds made the place feel far more impressive than anything she had seen in pictures.

Her eyes constantly wandered across the surroundings as she walked.

The towering cliffs caught her attention first, followed by the thick pine forests scattered along the lower slopes. Beyond them stretched enormous snowfields, interrupted by rocky ridges and narrow passages that disappeared into the mountains. Even the strange patterns created by the wind as it swept across the snow seemed fascinating to her.

"...Amazing."

Suo slowed down slightly, looking toward a distant mountain ridge.

"I've seen pictures of this place, but I didn't realize it was this beautiful."

Memory immediately turned toward her, practically sharing the same excitement.

"Right?!"

She spread her arms dramatically, allowing the cold mountain breeze to blow against her jacket.

"It's like we're inside a winter fairy tale!"

Akari glanced at her.

"You're going to fall if you keep walking like that."

Memory immediately lowered her arms and returned her attention to the trail.

"...I know."

Bubbles poked its head out of her hood.

"Pyu!"

Suo giggled quietly at their exchange before continuing to admire the scenery. She seemed unable to decide which direction deserved her attention most. Every few steps, something new caught her eye: a cluster of frozen flowers growing beside a rock, an unusual formation of ice hanging beneath a cliff, or tiny footprints left behind by some small mountain creature.

At one point, she even stopped to examine a snow-covered branch. She carefully observed the way the ice had formed around its surface, seemingly fascinated by the delicate patterns.

Cynthia noticed and smiled.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Suo nodded enthusiastically.

"Very much! There's so much to see here."

"Just remember to watch where you're walking."

"Of course!"

Suo quickly resumed walking, although her attention remained fixed on the surrounding landscape.

After a while, Cynthia began leading them toward a narrower section of the trail. The path passed between two enormous rock formations, with a thick layer of fresh snow covering the ground. Several pine trees stood nearby, their branches bending slightly beneath the weight of the accumulated snow.

Akari walked near the front beside Cynthia, while Memory followed a few steps behind them. Suo remained near the middle of the group, quietly examining the terrain as they advanced.

Then something changed.

A faint golden glow appeared within Suo's irises.

At first, it was subtle, almost like sunlight reflecting against polished glass. However, within seconds, the glow became noticeably brighter. Her pupils shifted slightly as her gaze moved across the landscape, examining the surroundings from one direction to another.

Left. Right. Above. Below.

The snow-covered rocks, frozen branches, and tiny cracks running across the ground gradually became clearer to her. Even the individual snowflakes drifting through the air seemed to stand out against the white landscape.

Suo blinked before smiling.

"...This is incredible."

She continued walking, observing the mountain with renewed excitement.

Meanwhile, Memory had begun wandering slightly away from the main trail. She was examining a small patch of snow-covered plants growing beside a nearby rock formation.

"Akari, look!"

She pointed toward the plants.

"I think these might be some kind of crafting material!"

Akari glanced over her shoulder.

"Don't wander too far."

"I'm not!"

Memory took another step toward the plants, then another. She was so focused on examining them that she failed to notice the unusual shape of the snow beneath her feet.

The ground looked perfectly solid. A smooth, untouched layer of white covered the entire area, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. There was no obvious indication that anything lay beneath it.

However, Suo noticed something.

Her golden eyes shifted immediately toward Memory.

"Memory!"

Before the girl could take another step, Suo reached forward and grabbed her hand.

Memory stopped abruptly and looked back at her.

"...Huh?"

She glanced down at Suo's hand wrapped around hers before turning toward the Explorer Scout.

"What's wrong?"

Suo didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stared at the snow directly in front of Memory. Her expression had become noticeably more serious.

After a moment, she bent down, picked up a small stone from beside her boot, and tossed it forward.

The stone traveled only a short distance before landing on the snow.

Tap.

For a fraction of a second, nothing happened.

Then—

CRAAAAACK!

The snow beneath the stone suddenly collapsed.

A massive section of the ground gave way, revealing a deep hole hidden beneath the white surface. Chunks of snow and loose ice tumbled into the darkness as the opening widened, sending a small avalanche of debris cascading downward.

RUMBLE...

The sound of falling debris echoed from somewhere far below.

Memory froze.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the enormous opening that had appeared only a few steps in front of her.

For several seconds, she couldn't say anything. She slowly looked down, then toward Suo, and finally back at the hole.

"...WHAT?!"

Akari and Cynthia immediately turned around.

"What happened?!"

Memory stumbled backward, pulling herself away from the edge.

"THERE'S A HOLE!"

Akari hurried over, although she stopped several steps away from the collapsed area. Her eyes widened as she examined the opening.

"...That's huge."

Cynthia approached more cautiously and examined the surrounding snow. The hole was considerably larger than it had first appeared. Its entrance had been concealed beneath a thin layer of compacted snow, making it almost indistinguishable from the surrounding ground.

Had Memory taken another step, the entire surface might have collapsed beneath her.

Memory looked toward Suo, her expression gradually changing from shock to gratitude.

"...You saved me."

Suo smiled awkwardly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Memory immediately shook her head.

"No! Thank you!"

She clasped both hands together, still visibly shaken.

"I almost fell into that!"

Bubbles bounced nervously inside her hood.

"Pyu?!"

Akari crouched near the edge, carefully examining the collapsed snow. After confirming that the surrounding ground wasn't immediately giving way, she looked toward Suo.

"Wait a minute."

Suo tilted her head.

"Hm?"

"How did you notice that?"

Akari glanced back toward the hole.

"I was walking right beside her, and I barely noticed anything unusual. The snow looked completely normal."

Cynthia nodded in agreement.

"She's right. Even I couldn't see the difference from where I was standing."

Suo blinked. Then her cheeks turned slightly red as she raised one hand and awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

"...Well."

She looked toward the others.

"It's because of my unique skill."

Akari's eyes widened.

"Unique skill?"

Suo nodded.

"Yes."

She opened her status window, causing a faint system interface to appear before the group.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[UNIQUE SKILL: TERRAIN VISION]

Skill Type: Passive / Perception

Class Restriction: Explorer Scout

Description:

A unique ability exclusive to the Explorer Scout class.

Enhances the user's visual perception, allowing them to observe their surroundings with an expanded field of vision approaching 360 degrees.

The skill also dramatically increases visual clarity and detail recognition, allowing the user to identify minute environmental differences that would normally be impossible for ordinary players to notice.

Additional Effects:

Expanded peripheral vision.

Enhanced distance and depth perception.

Improved detection of environmental irregularities.

Extreme detail recognition.

Increased awareness of movement within the surrounding terrain.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Memory leaned closer to the interface.

"...360 degrees?"

Suo nodded.

"Almost. I can see a much wider area than an ordinary player. It's not exactly perfect, but I can observe things around me without constantly turning my head."

She glanced toward the surrounding mountain.

"Even things behind me are easier to notice."

Akari blinked.

"...That's really useful."

Suo smiled.

"It is. But the most interesting part is the enhanced detail."

She raised one hand and pointed toward a nearby snow-covered rock.

"For example, I can see the individual cracks along that rock's surface."

Then she pointed toward a branch hanging above them.

"I can also distinguish the ice forming around each part of that branch."

Memory looked impressed.

"Really?"

Suo nodded.

"In fact..."

She extended one hand and caught a falling snowflake. The tiny white crystal rested against her glove as she brought it closer to her eyes.

"I can even see the individual patterns of the snowflakes."

Akari stared at her.

"...You can?"

Suo nodded enthusiastically.

"Every snowflake has a slightly different design. Some have six main branches, while others have smaller patterns growing from their sides. With my skill active, I can see those details clearly."

Memory looked at the snowflake.

Then at Suo.

Then at another snowflake drifting past her face.

"...I can't even see anything."

Suo giggled.

"That's because your normal vision isn't enhanced like mine."

Memory puffed out her cheeks.

"That's unfair."

Akari laughed.

"Your class is a Tamer. You're not supposed to have eyes that can inspect snowflakes."

Memory crossed her arms.

"...Still unfair."

Cynthia smiled while looking toward Suo. Now that she understood the nature of the ability, the Explorer Scout's value during an expedition became even more apparent.

"That's an impressive skill. It explains why Explorer Scouts are so valuable during expeditions."

Suo nodded.

"Terrain Vision helps me identify things that other players might overlook. Hidden paths, unstable ground, traps, unusual footprints, and even small changes in the environment."

She looked toward the collapsed hole.

"Like that."

Cynthia nodded thoughtfully.

"Then we'll have to rely on your eyes while we're climbing."

Suo smiled.

"I'll do my best."

For a moment, the group seemed considerably more relaxed. Memory had narrowly avoided falling into a hidden pit, but they had also learned just how useful their newest companion could be.

An Explorer Scout might not possess the overwhelming offensive power of a frontline fighter, but that didn't make the class any less valuable. In an unfamiliar environment, the ability to notice hidden dangers before anyone else could mean the difference between a successful expedition and a disastrous encounter.

Akari glanced toward the mountain trail.

"Alright. Let's keep moving. We should probably be more careful now that we're getting farther from the village."

Cynthia nodded.

"Agreed. The terrain becomes less predictable the higher we climb."

Memory stepped back onto the trail, looking down at her feet before taking another step.

"Okay! I'll watch where I'm going this time!"

Akari gave her a skeptical look.

"...Please do."

Suo smiled and followed them.

However, after taking only a few steps, she suddenly stopped.

Her golden eyes shifted toward the surrounding snowfield.

Something was wrong.

At first, she couldn't identify what had caught her attention. The snowfall had become slightly heavier, with tiny white flakes drifting continuously from the cloudy sky and settling over the rocks. The wind swept across the mountain, occasionally shaking the branches of nearby pine trees.

Nothing appeared unusual.

At least, that was what it seemed like at first glance.

Suo narrowed her eyes.

Her enhanced vision continued scanning the surroundings, examining the snow-covered ground and the spaces between the rocks.

Then she noticed something.

A slight disturbance.

The snow was moving.

Not because of the wind.

Not naturally.

Several patches of snow were shifting in places where the breeze wasn't strong enough to disturb them. The movements were subtle, almost imperceptible, but they didn't match the direction of the wind.

Suo's gaze immediately shifted toward the left.

Then the right.

Another faint movement appeared behind a nearby rock formation.

She turned her head.

There.

A small displacement beneath the falling snow.

Then another.

And another.

Her expression changed.

"...Wait."

Akari looked back.

"Suo?"

The Explorer Scout didn't respond immediately. Her golden eyes continued scanning the mountain, following the movements that appeared and disappeared beneath the snowfall.

The snow was hiding something.

No.

Someone.

Suo's breathing became slightly faster as she began noticing more disturbances. Tiny shifts in the snow, footprints that appeared for a moment before being covered by fresh flakes, and shapes that were almost impossible to distinguish from the surrounding landscape.

However, her enhanced vision could see them.

There were figures moving around them.

Carefully.

Silently.

Trying not to be noticed.

Suo's eyes widened.

"...Everyone."

Cynthia turned toward her.

"What is it?"

Suo slowly raised one hand, pointing toward the surrounding slopes.

Her voice trembled.

"There are people..."

Memory blinked.

"People?"

Suo looked toward the snowy slopes surrounding them, then toward the rocks behind the group and the trail ahead.

Her golden eyes glowed brighter.

"...They're invisible."

Akari's expression immediately hardened.

"What?"

Suo pointed toward the left side of the trail.

"I can see the snow moving!"

She turned toward the opposite slope.

"There's someone over there too!"

Cynthia immediately reached for her weapon.

"How many?"

Suo scanned the surroundings again, trying to distinguish each disturbance from the falling snow. At first, she could identify only a few, but more movements gradually appeared as she widened her field of vision.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then several more.

The snow shifted in multiple places, forming a loose circle around the group.

Suo's face gradually lost color.

"...I don't know."

She swallowed nervously.

"But there are a lot of them."

Memory immediately moved closer to Akari.

"...Akari?"

Akari placed one hand near Narukami's sealed handle. Her expression had become serious, and her eyes were fixed on the surrounding slopes as she tried to locate the figures Suo had spotted.

Cynthia stepped forward, positioning herself between the others and the nearest disturbance.

Then Suo shouted.

"WE'RE SURROUNDED!"

Her voice echoed across the snowy mountain.

For a brief moment, the wind seemed to be the only thing moving.

Then—

A faint crunch came from somewhere behind them.

Crk.

Another followed.

Crk.

And another.

The sound of footsteps.

Slowly approaching from every direction.

Akari tightened her grip on her weapon. Memory held Bubbles close, while Cynthia raised her weapon and shifted her stance to protect the others. Suo remained in the center of the group, her golden eyes moving rapidly as she tracked the invisible figures concealed beneath the snow.

The four girls had come to Dragon's Peak expecting to explore a hidden dungeon.

They had prepared their equipment, gathered their supplies, and brought an Explorer Scout along to help them navigate the mountain.

They hadn't expected to encounter anyone else.

Yet someone—or something—had been following them through the snowfall, carefully concealing its presence and waiting for the right moment to approach.

And now, thanks to Suo's Terrain Vision, their pursuers had lost the advantage of surprise.

The hunters had finally been discovered.

But whether they intended to capture the four girls or kill them was something none of them knew yet.

One thing was certain.

Their expedition had just become far more dangerous.