The adventurer screamed and blasted their zombified comrades in flames. After killing their own comrades in panic, the adventurers realized the bite mark on their wound started to rot.
Then it spread all over their body before they too became a zombie.
"Fuck! Don't get bitten by them!"
The adventurers killed their friends without hesitation, and their corpses fell by the dozens. They continued climbing after that, not even glancing back at those they used to call friends.
"This is the true nature of adventurers," Maverick said. "People picture them as a group of exciting people, but they wouldn't hesitate to kill each other to obtain a treasure. They are a group of ambitious men and women who dream of a wealthy life, and they are prepared to do anything for it."
Maverick looked down. "And that's how it's supposed to be. The path to power doesn't include a straight road filled with flowers and carpet. It's covered with bones and blood of your comrades and your enemies. Stopping midway means everything you did to get there was meaningless."
"You cannot bring family with you while walking the path to power."
"It must be very lonely," Mira said. "Walking this path of blood and bones away from your loved ones."
More zombies fell and their blood splattered on the ground.
"It is. But I am used to it. Anyway, let's find a way to climb this."
They glanced at Aldred and noticed he was eating a large wasp.
"Aldred!" Mary shouted in panic. "What are you doing?"
Aldred wiped his mouth from the stain. "Wait here. I have an idea." He transformed into a large wasp and flew up. All the wasps ignored him as he landed on one of the nest and gobble up on a goo of honey.
He flew back down and put the honey on the ground. "The wasps will bring us to the next stage if we eat this honey. Wait here. I will bring more honey for all of us.
Aldred went up and down a couple of times until he piled up a large glob of honey for everyone.
"That should be enough."
The honey was piled into the shape of a small hill. And when the adventurers saw this, they approached him and asked for some.
"Hello, we would like to ask some honey if that's okay."
"Pay up," Aldred said.
They wore a troubled expression. They had spent a lot of money to buy items from the Dragon Traveling Merchant.
"How much for 70 people?"
"That would be 70,000 Gold coins."
Their eyes widened when they heard that. Each person would have to pay 1,000 gold coins for a mouthful of honey.
"This is extortion!" A man said.
"You prefer becoming a zombie instead?" Aldred smiled.
"Aldred," Mira called. "I am sure you have enough honey for everyone. Why don't you lower the price a bit."
"Alright." Aldred shrugged. He wasn't serious about extorting them anyway.
"Wait!" An old man said. He was the old man that greeted Aldred in the Dragon Traveling Merchant tower. "We would like to buy the honey for 120,000 Gold coins."
"The highest bidder wins. And you sir, just won the bid." Aldred received the money with his card, and ate a mouthful of honey with his comrades.
The wasps came and picked them up, leaving the small hill of honey for the Dragon Traveling Merchant.
The old man smiled. "It will be 20,000 Gold coins per person."
The adventurers gritted their teeth and paid quickly before the old man raised the price. Some of them had the thought to steal the honey, but guards from the merchant group quickly surrounded the honey. It's a valuable assets after all.
High in the sky, Aldred and everyone else was being lifted high into the clouds. They did not use any defensive shields to defend themselves from the cold and hot radiation. Apparently, the honey had the effect of preventing the radiation from burning the skin, and all the side effects of staying in the mesosphere.
After a while, they finally reached the next cliff. Instead of the usual snow-covered surface, the scene they saw was beautiful and lush forest of colorful leaves and plants. Squirrel-like creatures ran around, chewing on banana-shaped nuts.
"This place is so beautiful," Ivette said. She then ran to forest.
"Ivette, wait. It might be dangerous!"
Ivette did not hear him and then caught a squirrel before hugging it. "Aren't you a cute one."
Aldred was relieved nothing happened. He summoned all his undead and told them to scatter to find any dangerous traps or creatures.
In a matter of minutes, they informed Aldred that they found someone.
Aldred led them inside the forest, and after a while, they found an old lady sitting on a wooden chair with a hat made of bamboo.
"Well, this is something new," Aldred said. "It's usually an old man with powerful sword skill or magic art, but an old lady? Are you a witch?"
The old lady looked up, revealing her forest-green eyes. "Give me something this world has never seen before."
Aldred raised an eyebrow, then he smiled. He beckoned his hand to the penguin. "Pongo, it's time for you to be useful."
Pongo snorted and vomited something on his hand.
Aldred smiled and looked at the item. "What the fuck is this?"
"Pongo pongo (It's a vibrator)."
"I know, but why does it have spikes?"
"Pongo pongo (It's for males)."
"That doesn't explain shit! Whatever. Old lady, is this good enough?"
The old lady grabbed the item, and then took out a scroll. "Find the items drawn in this scroll."
Aldred received the scroll and opened it. It was a drawing of a rock. "How many do we need to collect this rock?"
"As much as you can. Remember that you cannot collect ordinary rock. The rock drawn in that scroll is a spiritual rock."
Aldred looked around. "But all the rocks looks the same!"
The old lady smiled. "That's the challenge, young man."
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