"So, how was it? Not disappointing, right?" I asked out loud as we slid through the snow at a fast speed. Thankfully, Khools had their aura covering us, preventing any discomfort from the biting wind and cold.
"Disappointing?" Cassandra’s voice carried over the soft whooshing of our passage through the snow, tinged with disbelief. "You must be joking. This is incredible. All that mystery was definitely worth it."
"I’m glad you liked it." I could hear the pure joy in her tone, even over the sound of our movement.
With that, we continued moving.
Honestly, I had the urge to enjoy the ride by letting my arms catch the wind while driving. I noted that I would do it another time when I was alone.
There was one more reason I decided to borrow these creatures. And, we were about to find out, I thought as I retracted my perception. And from the looks of it, Cassandra had noticed them too.
It was a pack of snow monsters, with a few greater beasts leading them. If we continued in this direction, we would surely cross paths with them. But I wasn’t worried at all.
"Umm... Sir Lumin," Cassandra called out as we finally saw the monsters. "There are monsters ahead. Should we change directions or fight?"
I glanced at her and smiled. "Just hug your mount."
I made a demonstration by lying flat on my Khool’s back, my head turned in Cassandra’s direction.
Thankfully, she didn’t question me and did the same.
We were already a few meters away from the monsters. But they didn’t react at all. I caught Cassandra’s surprised expression with my Observant Eye, and realization dawning on her.
Khools were masters at concealment art in this kind of terrain and atmosphere. These thick, pristine coats possessed an extraordinary ability that went far beyond simple camouflage. They could bypass any kind of perception.
The monsters wouldn’t be able to see them at all. No scent, no heat, no life force signature. To their senses, we simply didn’t exist.
This was also the reason why the Keth’al Village could move through these dangerous territories safely most of the time. Their partnership with Khools wasn’t just about transportation, but also survival.
As we glided through the pack of the monsters, I watched their large forms prowling through the drifts barely 5 or 6 feet away. Some were looking in our direction but showed no reaction. Even the greater beasts. If their Alpha was among them, maybe it could have sensed something was wrong, but still couldn’t find us.
Khools were Alpha Tier beasts themselves, with their strongest being even Elder Tier beasts. But the ones we were riding were young ones, greater beasts.
And of course, this ability had its limitations. High rank monsters or beasts specialized in certain types of perception/detection could pierce through the Khool’s natural concealment.
But for now, we were perfectly safe, sliding through the heart of the danger like we were part of the landscape itself.
And once we passed the hunting pack, I slowly sat back up and gestured for Cassandra to do the same.
"This way, we can get to the Keep without any unnecessary detours or battles," I added.
"I agree, this is certainly efficient." Cassandra voiced her own opinion.
We continued our journey through the expanse. As time passed, the landscape gradually began to change around us, the flat snowfields giving way to rolling hills and rocky outcroppings.
About two hours later, the imposing silhouette of the mountain range finally came into view. The peaks rose like ancient guardians against the pale sky, their snow-capped summits disappearing into the clouds.
Since we reached the foot of the mountains, the Khools naturally slowed their pace. The Ashenfang’s terrains were more challenging to travel, but despite that and slowing down, Khools delivered us to the gates of the keep in just 25 minutes.
We quickly dismounted the Khools, and I patted them three times each on their heads and told them to ’go’ in Keth’al tongue.
We watched as the two quickly disappeared from view. Cassandra didn’t ask anything since she witnessed their capabilities.
Then, we turned toward the massive gate.
"This is the Eclipse Keep where the Lutharie Family rules over its territory and protects the kingdom from many dangers." I introduced, gesturing toward the imposing fortress that loomed before us.
I watched as Cassandra observed the keep’s high obsidian walls and the buildings visible through the faint mist, her eyes stopping at the barely visible castle in the upper keep.
Then she turned back to me, but before she could speak, I opened my mouth. It was time to put the second part of the plan into words.
"Well, the journey is over now," I said, a mysterious smile playing on my lips as I finished. "How would you rate your guide?"
"Well, obviously-huh?" Cassandra stopped mid-sentence, her sapphire eyes widening slightly as she processed my words.
She then stared at me with a stunned expression, and stayed for a few more seconds.
...Having a deja vu, are we?
I calmly looked at her as she squinted her eyes at me, as if trying to gauge something deeper, searching my face for hidden meanings.
...Or using her system and skills.
I remained silent, letting her think or do whatever she was doing, maintaining that enigmatic smile.
...But how long do I have to stay ? Please, be a bit faster.
"...Are you..." she finally began to speak, her voice trailing off in uncertainty.
Sorry, but I can’t let you finish that.
"Please, think carefully before you answer." I cut her off smoothly, adopting a bit more suggestive tone. "I don’t want to lose my identity as a certified traveler."
"..." Cassandra stared at me silently.
"Alright, Sir Lumin," Cassandra said in an amused tone. "At first, I wanted to give you 4 stars since you made me wonder all the way, but since the reveal was worth it, I’ll give you 5 stars. You really did a good job. So thank you, Mr. Certified traveler."
Oh, these lines! She’s in the game!
"And, you were really good at this mystery game. I liked it." Cassandra added in a teasing voice, the one I instantly recognized from when we first met.
"Thank you, the pleasure is all mine," I said with a smile, relieved by both the 5 stars she gave and the success of the plan.