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“I thought I was a goner, nya…”
“Same…”

How long had we been running? We’d been wandering aimlessly across the glacier, which stretched out like an ocean, and finally stopped when the sound coming from behind us had grown far enough away.

“Unexplored regions… we really underestimated it.”

I realized that up until now, what we’d been doing had been more like playing around—just wandering aimlessly near the entrance.

That huge hole… it’s probably the first step into the deepest point. Beyond that point lies a realm where humans have no business venturing.

The reason places like this are called “unexplored regions,” and the reason adventurers who conquer them are called heroes—it all lies right here.

My impression that the environment itself is the greatest trap hasn’t changed. But on top of that, if we have to fight a monster like that, having hundreds of lives wouldn’t be nearly enough.

In my past life, shortly after I was taken in, I was once thrown into a similar area-type Unknown under the pretense of an investigation. A lot happened, but I managed to return safely in the end, so maybe I was letting my guard down a bit this time too.

“Let’s go back now nya, this place is impossible nya, it’s too soon for us nya.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“Hiks… sniff…”

Noche and the others are huddling together, trembling for reasons other than the cold. Since I’m being carried on Filia’s back, I’ve ended up right in the middle of them.

I should have decided to retreat sooner during the exploration. I need to reflect on that.

Still…

“……”

The thermometer still reads minus 273 degrees. It’s clearly showing an abnormal temperature.

Even now I’m transmuting the air around us to regulate the temperature, but at best, it only goes from minus 30 to minus 50 degrees.

Even so, it’s cold enough to freeze our breath, yet the chill on our skin feels inexplicably mild.

Judging by how the falling human froze solid in an instant, it’s clear the ambient temperature is supernaturally low.

I want to find out what’s going on, but I’m not going to risk my life just to check.

So…

“Let’s look for a wall.”
“Myu.”

All the sudden movements have significantly increased my interference with the atmosphere, and my mana is already running low.

My consciousness is starting to fade. It’s the exhaustion that comes from overusing magic.

Right now, we’re in the middle of a glacier with no walls around us. If I carelessly move the ice below, we might plunge into the liquid beneath, so we have no choice but to look for a wall where I can create a hole.

From the direction we’d come running, the sounds of the Kaijuu duel—thud, thud, and a screech—echoed in the distance.

Maybe we should move a little further away…

“While we’re at it, let’s get as far away as possible, nya.”

Carried on Sufi’s back, we walked across the glacier toward the wall. Beneath the ice at my feet, a liquid resembling water continued to flow.

I don’t see any signs of life—it seems that salamander-like magic beast isn’t exactly common after all.

“…Huh? There’s something over there.”
“Mm?”

Right where I was looking, there was another large hole.

When we got closer, it looked like a blizzard was raging beneath the gaping hole. Standing nearby, the wind whipped up and it was freezing.

From where we were watching from a distance, we couldn’t see what was down below at all.

A blizzard in an underground space was exceptionally unusual, and we somehow sensed that this must be the deepest point.

Snow swirled up by the wind drifting down softly right in front of us.

Even though it was just snow, it gave a strange, eerie feeling.

“We probably shouldn’t get any closer.”
“Yeah.”

At Noche’s suggestion, we start walking around the hole.

“……Hm?”
“What’s wrong?”

I casually check the thermometer and see that the temperature around the hole has risen to about minus 10 degrees.

“Hold on a sec.”

I pull a plastic bottle out of my Pocket, unscrew the cap, and spray water out. I aim it over the hole, letting the water fan out toward the distance.

Around the hole, the water splashes with a “splash,” while a little further away, it freezes the moment it hits the ground. Even farther out, frozen droplets fall from the air with a soft patter.

What is this gradient of cold air?

“…What are you doing, nya?”
“It’s scary.”
“Huh?”

The stratum of cold air around the hole is way too extreme. What’s going on here? It’s scary.

“It’s only warm near the hole.”
“……Now that you mention it, you’re right nya.”

Though calling it “warm” in a sub-zero world is kind of weird.

As expected of an Area-type Unknown—it’s way too baffling.

“What should we do?”
“This is actually scarier. Either way, we want to set up the door, so let’s find a wall and…”

Just as I started to say that, I suddenly looked back down the path we’d come. The sound of the ground shaking was getting closer.

…Could it be, are they coming this way?

“This might be bad.”

The sound of a massive body moving, mixed with what sounded like human screams, was heading our way.

“Isn’t this bad, nya!?”
“L-let’s get away from here!”
“Alice, I’m running—hold on tight!”

We tried to start running again, circling around the hole, but we were just a little too slow.

As if being chased by the giant ice worm, a group of humans came running toward us at incredible speed.

“—NYA!?”
“UWOOOOOOOHH!!!”

There were four of them. Despite the freezing cold, they were lightly dressed with only winter gear… and were shrouded in a faint, red mist.

One of them fired arrows while occasionally glancing back over their shoulder.

Chasing them from behind is the ice worm with one of its four fangs chipped off and arrows stuck all over its body. And the salamander with one eye gouged out and a massive gash on its arm.

…The two battered monsters are clearly furious.

The meaningless phrase “Monster Train” flashed through my mind.

“That’s the End Portal! Jump right in!”
“Wait, there’s someone—children!?”
“Huh!?”

Before I knew it, the four people charging toward us were close enough to make eye contact. They were moving at an incredible speed—possibly even faster than Sufi or Noche.

“Why is there a kid here!?”
“There’s no way there’s a kid here—they gotta be monsters or something!”
“An illusion? A monster? A ghost!?”
“UWOOHH! JUMP IIINNN!”

In a state of panic, the four of them plunged into the hole.

Left behind were us and two monsters charging at us in a rage.

…Huh, did they just pin this on us?

“W-WH-WHAT NOW NYAA!?”
“Noche, jump into the hole!”
“Ya sure that’s safe nya!?”
“Those guys gotta be senior adventurers—they knew about the hole and didn’t hesitate to jump in!”

It looked like Noche had figured things out from my rushed, garbled words. She immediately pressed her lips together tightly and shouted.

“I’M JUMPING NYAAA———!!!”
“NOOOOOO!!!”
“Alice, hold on tight!”
“Bye-bye.”

Screaming, everyone jumped into the hole one after another.

Waving to the approaching Kaijuus, I was swallowed up into the blizzard-filled hole along with Sufi.