Potato's sudden halt sent a ripple of unease through the group, prompting Ren to echo the sentiment. "What's the holdup?"

Desira's frustration was palpable as she voiced her complaint. "Are we there yet?" she grumbled impatiently.

Azazel chimed in with his carefree tone. "This isn't the top yet," he reminded them.

Iraelyn's sharp observation added to the growing tension. "We're probably on a toilet break," she suggested, her tone serious.

Malifira, however, had a different explanation. She pointed upwards and directed everyone's attention to the sky. "That's not it. Look up there."

As their gazes followed Malifira's indication, they beheld a mesmerizing sight: tiny spider-like creatures descending from the peaks above. Their crystalline bodies glistened in the sunlight, casting a surreal glow against the icy landscape.

But despite their beauty, there was an underlying sense of menace as the creatures approached in a swirling mass.

"What are those?" Elena asked, her voice tinged with apprehension.

Potato, ever the font of knowledge, provided an answer. "Those are Ice Spiders," he explained. "They're native to this area. But it's odd to see them crawling in swarms like this, unless their nest has been disturbed."

Vivi's eyes widened with concern. "They're not going to eat us, are they?"

Typically, she was the one doing all the eating, not the other way around.

Potato shook his head reassuringly. "Ice Spiders are practically harmless," he assured her. "Unless you disturb their nest and make them angry, that is. Then they'll swarm at you like there's no tomorrow."

"Then why aren't we doing something?!" she demanded, her frustration boiling over.

Desira wasted no time in preparing for a potential confrontation, readying her spells.

But before Desira could unleash her magic, Malifira sprang into action. She launched her potions upwards, their contents exploding in a dazzling display of light and sound.

The force of the explosions sent shockwaves rippling through the air, scattering the Ice Spiders in all directions and leaving a shimmering trail of crystals in their wake.

However, despite their efforts, the Ice Spiders kept coming, swarming the entire peak of the mountain with no sign of relenting.

"What should we do? Can we still climb upward and reach the peak?" Elena's asked as she looked around at her companions.

Potato remained eerily calm, as if the Ice Spiders were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. "We don't have a choice but to descend and wait for them to calm down."

"But we can't go back down. We've come all this way," Desira protested, her frustration evident in her tone.

"You can't pass through a swarm of Ice Spiders," Potato insisted, his voice still calm. "They will overwhelm you, and their bites are deadly. They could turn you to ice, multiple bites caused your skin to freeze until you become an ice statue, shattered and lifeless upon impact with the ground."

Desira's patience wore thin, her temper flaring as she unleashed a barrage of fire spells in a desperate attempt to repel the advancing horde of Ice Spiders.

However, to her dismay, she found that she couldn't wield any magic or cast spells.

"Curse this! I can't use magic!" she exclaimed in frustration.

"We can't use magic, remember?" Malifira chuckled, a hint of amusement in her voice. "It's the reason why we're stuck in this predicament, remember?"

Desira's anger flared at Malifira's mocking tone. "Wipe that smirk off your face, or I'll pull your hairs out!" she threatened, her tone sharp with irritation.

Determined to take action despite her inability to cast spells, Desira rummaged through her inventory until she found what she was looking for.

Explosives.

With a determined glare, she hurled the explosives towards the advancing spiders, hoping to deter them with the force of the explosions.

However, her aim faltered as the Rockgoat beneath them grew increasingly unsettled by the swarm, its movements becoming erratic with fear.

"It's no use fighting them, there are too many. We have to descend the mountain," Potato urged, his tone still calm as the gentle wave.

"Descending is not an option. The peak is almost within reach," Ren countered. He wasn't willing to go back and be tortured by another round of Potato's storytelling. "There must be another way."

As tension mounted and desperation set in, the group found themselves trapped between the relentless onslaught of the Ice Spiders and the seemingly impassable summit of the mountain.

"Foul creatures! They just keep coming!" Desira growled in frustration, her anger simmering beneath the surface.

"At this rate, they'll be upon us in no time!" Elena exclaimed, her arrows proving ineffective against the relentless swarm of spiders.

Without magic and spells, they could do much against millions of Ice Spiders.

Struggling to maintain her balance, Desira grappled with the straps securing her to the rockgoat, which bucked and thrashed in response to the approaching horde.

"Curse these creatures! Unstrap yourself and leap over to me!" Iraelyn shouted to the others. "I will flung you over the top!" Her voice tinged with urgency as she sought a way to escape the encroaching danger.

"Woohoo!" Azazel exclaimed eagerly, the first to unstrap his belt and launch himself towards Iraelyn.

Iraelyn's muscles bulged as she grabbed Azazel and hurled him with all her might towards the peak.

Azazel's shouts of exhilaration echoed through the air, followed by a resounding thud as he landed on the summit.

"Is . . . is he still alive?" Elena asked uncertainly. She was sure that she had heard a few bones breaking.

"Iraelyn you idiot! If anything happens to Lord Azazel, I swear, you'll pay!" Desira threatened, her words dripping with venom, but before she could finish, Iraelyn grabbed her and flung her towards the peak.

"Don't you dareugh!" Desira was propelled so fast into the summit that she collided at the edge of the summit.

But the force was so great that it only formed a hole and Desira still landed on top.

"Who's next?" Iraelyn asked, her tone daring the others to step forward.

"Are they still breathing up there?" Elena inquired again, her worry palpable.

"More importantly, are their limbs still intact?" Evie chimed in, her voice tinged with amusement.

Then, they heard Azazel's voice from the peak. "I'm still breathing!"

"See?" Iraelyn gestured to the others. "Now let's go. We don't have much time left!"

Resigned to their fate, the others braced themselves as they were hurled towards the top by Iraelyn's brute strength.