“Ph-, Tanya . ”

I called out to Philes out of habit when I placed my hand down . My healed throat didn’t bring me back my former va.s.sal . I hesitated for a moment before calling for Tanya, instead .

“Your Majesty…”

Tanya entered my tent, and then hesitated after looking at me . I turned around, “Let’s head out now . Wear some more clothes and bring ice picks . Oh, right, bring enough rope, too . ”

“Did you want to climb the mountain, Your Majesty?” asked Tanya . She paused for a moment before continuing, “That is not a wise decision, Your Majesty . You have just returned and have not yet had a good rest . Further, it is extremely dangerous to climb the snowy mountains at night . I am strongly against climbing the snowy mountains at this time . ”

“Uhm, I know . That’s why I’m bringing you along, Tanya . It’ll be just you and two others . ” I l replied . Then, I pressed my hand on her shoulder . Tone solemn, I said, “I want to go to the top of the mountain now . I must go, Tanya . ”

She gave me a nod, “All right, then, Your Majesty . However, you must promise me that you will obey me on the mountain . You must follow my steps, and we must stop immediately if you feel unwell or weak . You must not force yourself . ”

I nodded “Uhm, got it . ”

I then stood up . Tanya made a small bow, then turned to go and prepare the things we needed for our trip in the night .

I felt as though a pair of eyes were trained on me from behind . I turned my head around and saw a pair of crescent moon eyes looking at me . Ling Yue wagged her tail . She looked at me with an odd look and asked, “Are you heading out?”

I nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be going out for a bit . I should be back by around noon . Continuing sleeping, Ling Yue . You don’t need to worry about me . I have Tanya with me, and I’m not stupid enough to go and try to challenge the enemies all alone, so you don’t need to worry . ”

“No… I’m very worried for you right now…” Ling Yue sat up and looked at me . She elaborated, “If you were like others, crying and shouting as I did, felt so enraged you want to immediately kill the anthropoids, then I would feel that you’re normal… However… however… right now… you’re acting as if nothing happened . That really scares me…”

I grinned . I walked up to the edge of the bed I responded, “There’s no point in me crying and carrying on here right now . Many of those I care about have left me . I’ve cried next to them before and suffered in anguish before . I always wanted to avoid that happening, but I failed . I helplessly watched Philes leave me . I can’t stop death . I couldn’t save them . ”

I grinned . I walked up to the edge of the bed I responded, “There’s no point in me crying and carrying on here right now . Many of those I care about have left me . I’ve cried next to them before and suffered in anguish before . I always wanted to avoid that happening, but I failed . I helplessly watched Philes leave me . I can’t stop death . I couldn’t save them . ”

I stood up . Tanya’s footsteps came from outside . I grabbed my thick cloak by the side and added, “But I, at least, have the ability and desire to avenge them . I can’t bring them back to life, but I can, at the very least, prevent myself from feeling powerless to do anything . I’m now going to avenge Philes . ”

Ling Yue looked at me and hastily exclaimed, “It’s impossible for you to defeat that horde of anthropoids! There are too many of them . All of them have gathered there . How are you going to get your revenge?!! You can’t avenge him by taking a stroll at night . Why do you have to go out at night?”

“No . I can . ” I replied . I turned my head back around with a smile and elaborated, “I can get my revenge by strolling at night . Ling Yue, you don’t need to worry about it . I told you that I want revenge, so I will definitely get it . My Philes is dead, so they better prepare to die . I might not be able to take them all on alone or kill enemies coming at me from all sides, but I have a desire to kill them, and I’ll see that it’s done . I swear it . ”

Ling Yue looked at me . Her lips trembled, but I didn’t speak . Tanya pulled the curtain to the tent open and ignored Ling Yue behind me . She bowed, “Your Majesty, the things you need are ready . Let us go now . Which mountain did you want to climb?”

Climbing a mountain isn’t fun . It might’ve been exhilarating and provided a sense of accomplishment if we weren’t climbing the mountain with the anthropoids around and in the middle of the night . The mountain wasn’t comprised of just snow . There were also layers of ice . When we stabbed the ice picks in, the ice virtually swallowed our picks . It was almost impossible to pull them out . I did mention that the mountains were virtually impossible to climb . Tanya tried to search for a viable path up at the start but she soon gave up, and opted to scale the mountain with ice picks .

We finally found a path that we could walk on after climbing half way up . We followed Tanya along the steep mountain . We had very little s.p.a.ce to place our feet . Therefore, if we slipped just marginally, we’d fall without cras.h.i.+ng into anything on the way down .

We finally found a path that we could walk on after climbing half way up . We followed Tanya along the steep mountain . We had very little s.p.a.ce to place our feet . Therefore, if we slipped just marginally, we’d fall without cras.h.i.+ng into anything on the way down .

We also ended up circling around to the spot overhead of the anthropoids gathering spot . What I first thought to be the sound of the wind was actually the sounds of the breathing of the anthropoids below . We weren’t at the peak of the mountain, but it was rare to find flat spot half way up the mountain . It was as if somebody sliced off a section of the mountain to create the flat zone .

I waved my hand and tugged Tanya in front of me . We then ducked down on the vacant s.p.a.ce . The four of us lay there on the snow without speaking, for there were anthropoids below us . If they heard us, none of us would be able to escape with our lives .

I looked at the two next to me . They squinted and looked at the mountain opposite our position . With the moon behind the mountain, we virtually couldn’t see anything . We only managed to see a few caves of varying sizes that looked darker than the rest . The two of them took out pen and paper and waited for daybreak .

We lay on the snow, yet I didn’t feel cold . The two of them concentrated on the mountain opposite our position, while I focused on the anthropoids below us .

The anthropoids below killed my Philes . I couldn’t save him . I couldn’t fight side by side with him on the frontlines . I helplessly watched him die . All I could now give him was glory and honour .

“I don’t regret it…”

Those were Philes last words .

“I don’t regret it…”

Those were Philes last words .

I didn’t make my subordinate, who was loyal to me, regret his decision, and I didn’t let my men feel ashamed .

I, therefore, needed to pull myself together . I had to prove to myself that I didn’t let my loyal men down with my actions . I couldn’t let their sacrifice be in vain . Yes, I couldn’t bring my Philes back even if I killed all of the anthropoids below, but that has nothing to do with me being unable to kill them .

I wasn’t doing this to revive Philes .   I was doing it to ma.s.sacre them . I just wanted to murder them .

‘It won’t be cold for much longer, because I’ll melt this ice with the blood of those below!’

“Ph-, Tanya . ”.

I called out to Philes out of habit when I placed my hand down . My healed throat didn’t bring me back my former va.s.sal . I hesitated for a moment before calling for Tanya, instead

“Your Majesty…”.

Tanya entered my tent, and then hesitated after looking at me . I turned around, “Let’s head out now . Wear some more clothes and bring ice picks . Oh, right, bring enough rope, too . ”.

“Did you want to climb the mountain, Your Majesty?” asked Tanya . She paused for a moment before continuing, “That is not a wise decision, Your Majesty . You have just returned and have not yet had a good rest . Further, it is extremely dangerous to climb the snowy mountains at night . I am strongly against climbing the snowy mountains at this time . ”.

“Uhm, I know . That’s why I’m bringing you along, Tanya . It’ll be just you and two others . ” I l replied . Then, I pressed my hand on her shoulder . Tone solemn, I said, “I want to go to the top of the mountain now . I must go, Tanya . ”.

She gave me a nod, “All right, then, Your Majesty . However, you must promise me that you will obey me on the mountain . You must follow my steps, and we must stop immediately if you feel unwell or weak . You must not force yourself . ”.

I nodded “Uhm, got it . ”.

I then stood up . Tanya made a small bow, then turned to go and prepare the things we needed for our trip in the night

I felt as though a pair of eyes were trained on me from behind . I turned my head around and saw a pair of crescent moon eyes looking at me . Ling Yue wagged her tail . She looked at me with an odd look and asked, “Are you heading out?”.

I nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be going out for a bit . I should be back by around noon . Continuing sleeping, Ling Yue . You don’t need to worry about me . I have Tanya with me, and I’m not stupid enough to go and try to challenge the enemies all alone, so you don’t need to worry . ”.

“No… I’m very worried for you right now…” Ling Yue sat up and looked at me . She elaborated, “If you were like others, crying and shouting as I did, felt so enraged you want to immediately kill the anthropoids, then I would feel that you’re normal… However… however… right now… you’re acting as if nothing happened . That really scares me…”.

I grinned . I walked up to the edge of the bed I responded, “There’s no point in me crying and carrying on here right now . Many of those I care about have left me . I’ve cried next to them before and suffered in anguish before . I always wanted to avoid that happening, but I failed . I helplessly watched Philes leave me . I can’t stop death . I couldn’t save them . ”.

I stood up . Tanya’s footsteps came from outside . I grabbed my thick cloak by the side and added, “But I, at least, have the ability and desire to avenge them . I can’t bring them back to life, but I can, at the very least, prevent myself from feeling powerless to do anything . I’m now going to avenge Philes . ”.

Ling Yue looked at me and hastily exclaimed, “It’s impossible for you to defeat that horde of anthropoids! There are too many of them . All of them have gathered there . How are you going to get your revenge?!! You can’t avenge him by taking a stroll at night . Why do you have to go out at night?”.

“No . I can . ” I replied . I turned my head back around with a smile and elaborated, “I can get my revenge by strolling at night . Ling Yue, you don’t need to worry about it . I told you that I want revenge, so I will definitely get it . My Philes is dead, so they better prepare to die . I might not be able to take them all on alone or kill enemies coming at me from all sides, but I have a desire to kill them, and I’ll see that it’s done . I swear it . ”.

Ling Yue looked at me . Her lips trembled, but I didn’t speak . Tanya pulled the curtain to the tent open and ignored Ling Yue behind me . She bowed, “Your Majesty, the things you need are ready . Let us go now . Which mountain did you want to climb?”.

Climbing a mountain isn’t fun . It might’ve been exhilarating and provided a sense of accomplishment if we weren’t climbing the mountain with the anthropoids around and in the middle of the night . The mountain wasn’t comprised of just snow . There were also layers of ice . When we stabbed the ice picks in, the ice virtually swallowed our picks . It was almost impossible to pull them out . I did mention that the mountains were virtually impossible to climb . Tanya tried to search for a viable path up at the start but she soon gave up, and opted to scale the mountain with ice picks

We finally found a path that we could walk on after climbing half way up . We followed Tanya along the steep mountain . We had very little s.p.a.ce to place our feet . Therefore, if we slipped just marginally, we’d fall without cras.h.i.+ng into anything on the way down

We also ended up circling around to the spot overhead of the anthropoids gathering spot . What I first thought to be the sound of the wind was actually the sounds of the breathing of the anthropoids below . We weren’t at the peak of the mountain, but it was rare to find flat spot half way up the mountain . It was as if somebody sliced off a section of the mountain to create the flat zone

I waved my hand and tugged Tanya in front of me . We then ducked down on the vacant s.p.a.ce . The four of us lay there on the snow without speaking, for there were anthropoids below us . If they heard us, none of us would be able to escape with our lives

I looked at the two next to me . They squinted and looked at the mountain opposite our position . With the moon behind the mountain, we virtually couldn’t see anything . We only managed to see a few caves of varying sizes that looked darker than the rest . The two of them took out pen and paper and waited for daybreak

We lay on the snow, yet I didn’t feel cold . The two of them concentrated on the mountain opposite our position, while I focused on the anthropoids below us

The anthropoids below killed my Philes . I couldn’t save him . I couldn’t fight side by side with him on the frontlines . I helplessly watched him die . All I could now give him was glory and honour

“I don’t regret it…”.

Those were Philes last words

I didn’t make my subordinate, who was loyal to me, regret his decision, and I didn’t let my men feel ashamed

I, therefore, needed to pull myself together . I had to prove to myself that I didn’t let my loyal men down with my actions . I couldn’t let their sacrifice be in vain . Yes, I couldn’t bring my Philes back even if I killed all of the anthropoids below, but that has nothing to do with me being unable to kill them

I wasn’t doing this to revive Philes .   I was doing it to ma.s.sacre them . I just wanted to murder them

‘It won’t be cold for much longer, because I’ll melt this ice with the blood of those below!’.