Gideon finally understood why this place was called the White Death. It was not only because of the aberrants living here, but also because of the geysers scattered across the area.
He was glad he had worn a mask. The smell of sulfur was overwhelming, sharp enough to make his nose burn even through the cloth.
The heat was even worse. Sweat soaked through his clothes far faster than it ever had in the Deliric Desert.
They stood on top of a canyon, looking down at the White Death below. Thick mist drifted endlessly across the land, broken only by towering geysers that erupted without warning. Each one shot boiling water straight into the sky like a rocket.
"Damn," Gideon muttered while staring at one of them. "That thing is huge."
Even from this distance, the column of water rose almost as high as the canyon wall they were standing on.
"Yeah," Summer replied, sounding far too calm. She was already looking through a telescope. "And that one is a delicious crab."
Gideon raised an eyebrow. "I still can't believe there's this much water here. I thought most water sources were already gone, or at least came from aberrants."
Summer lowered the telescope and stared at him for a moment. Her expression was difficult to read. Without explaining, she handed the telescope to him.
"See it yourself."
Questions filled his head, but he took the telescope and adjusted the focus. The scene below sharpened.
Giant crabs roamed the geyser field, each one as large as a car. Their eyes looked like fern leaves spreading outward, while moss covered their bodies in bright green, hiding most of the red shell underneath.
"They really do look edible," Gideon said slowly. "Basically walking protein and fiber."
"Look closer," Summer said. "Focus on the geyser. And especially those two tall plants."
He followed her instructions and shifted the telescope. The tall fern-like shapes swayed gently, moving left and right like antlers.
As he watched, the ground near the geyser shifted, and something massive pushed up from beneath the surface.
A claw.
Gideon stiffened and lowered the telescope, turning toward Summer. "That's a crab too, right? The guardian of the oasis?"
Judging by that single claw, the creature had to be enormous. At least as tall as a three-story building.
"Nope, but they're from the same species called Geysermire Crabs. The big one is the mother. The smaller ones are juveniles. While the one guarding the oasis is the king."
She swallowed slightly. "They're really good. I ate one once. I never forgot the taste."
"You're making me hungry," Gideon said with a quiet sigh. "But let's move. I don't want us to come back late and get kicked out by your mom."
He turned away from the geyser field, forcing himself to stop thinking about crabs and food. Elaine's map mattered more right now.
His limp was gone after drinking the healing potion, though Summer kept asking about the 'miracle potion' and where all his items came from.
He stayed focused on the route ahead, studying the map while walking, until she finally stopped commenting and followed alongside him in silence.
Their journey was filled with climbing. It was not extreme, since Elaine had already marked a route that avoided the need to scale a sheer canyon wall, but the path still kept rising nonstop, as if the place they were heading to sat on top of a mountain.
"This is insane," Gideon sighed. "How can someone get lost while still climbing upward?"
"Well," Summer replied casually, "because there are giant crabs down there." She glanced behind them. "And we've already been walking for about three hours."
Gideon let out a breath. "That modified motorcycle we saw in Climber Rift suddenly sounds like a really good investment."
"You need to join Freebound to get one of those," Summer said. "But we could probably make something similar ourselves. I think Freya could do it."
"Oh?" Gideon finally lifted his head from the map. "She's good with machines?"
"She likes exploring the desert and collecting junk," Summer shrugged. "And sometimes she meets the Pathmadre and watches her work on that vehicle."
Her tone dulled slightly when she mentioned the name.
"Is your family close with her?"
"My mother is," Summer replied, crossing her arms. "Anyway, where is that place? My feet are starting to go numb."
Gideon studied the map again, then slowed to a stop. "We're here."
Before he could say more, Summer suddenly pinched his arm. Her mouth opened in shock, words failing her as she pointed straight ahead.
Gideon followed her gaze and finally saw it. The hidden area Elaine had mentioned lay before them.
It was a massive caldera surrounded by canyon walls, not that deep but still needed safety ropes to go down the canyon. Despite that, the view was breathtaking.
"Yeah," he murmured. "This really is a perfect place."
He quickly opened the Infinite Shop and bought ropes, harnesses, and belay gear so they could rappel down safely.
Standing at the edge made his stomach twist. The wind was strong, and trusting his life to a rope did not sit well with him.
But Summer descended with ease, moving smoothly and confidently. Watching her, Gideon swallowed his fear and followed, pushing himself to move faster.
They turned it into a race.
The loser would hunt a juvenile Geysermire Crab and give it to the winner.
Of course, Summer won.
"Yesss!" she cheered. "We're eating boiled crab tonight!"
Gideon sighed and shook his head. It was not surprising. The last time he had rappelled was when he was fifteen, and that had been on a small mountain, not into a massive caldera.
Still, seeing Summer so happy, almost childlike, made him smile.
He scanned the area and noticed puddles of trapped water scattered around the ground. The water was still and unmoving, which made it unsafe to drink.
He waited while Summer scouted the area. About half an hour later, she returned.
"I didn't see any aberrants," she said. "But this place is huge. They could be hiding somewhere."
"The oasis is about fifteen kilometers from here," Gideon replied. "We should be fine."
"Not from above," she said, pointing upward.
Gideon chose to ignore that.
He opened his storage, and a small rift appeared. From it, he pulled out a seed as large as his head.
"So… do I just plant it here, or—"
[Do you want to plant the 'Seed of Aaru'?]
He nodded.
[Understood. Scanning the area for threats.]
[Scanning complete.]
[Threats detected approximately five kilometers away. Flying-type aberrants present. Do you still want to plant the Seed of Aaru here?]
"Yeah."
[Planting the Seed of Aaru.]
The seed lifted into the air, vibrating as it began to glow.
[Processing…]
[20%]
[80%]
[100%]
[The Seed of Aaru has been successfully planted. Congratulations on your new territory, Lord Gideon.]