They set off from the Froststone tribe and headed northwest.

With Boyle as their guide, the journey across the wild continent became less perilous and more vibrant and exciting. During this arduous journey of body and soul, the most beautiful scenery of the North was revealed before them.

To avoid the barbarian army and minimize the attention they would draw, Boyle led Todd and Rachel through deserted secret paths, past hidden trails that only appeared after the tide receded, and up vines to those seemingly unreachable cave entrances.

Unlike the worried and anxious Rachel, Todd viewed every river he crossed and every mountain he climbed as one of the most meaningful moments of his life, and he fully enjoyed this journey that might be the last time of his life.

For ten days and ten nights, they traveled day and night. The group emerged from the vast forest, traversed several kingdoms, and finally arrived at the border of the Kingdom of Ulster—a towering snow-capped mountain.

Grabbing a protruding rock on the snow wall with his mutated claws, Todd used the force to leap upwards, soaring into the air before firmly gripping the edge of the mountaintop.

With a somersault, he leaped to the summit. Looking at the pristine, magnificent snowscape, Todd exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "Now I understand why some people love mountain climbing so much..."

Using his 'telekinesis', Rachel transformed the rope and nails into a 'self-propelled climbing elevator' and became the second person to reach the summit.

When it was Boyle's turn, he was covered in frost and had struggled to reach the summit. The first thing he did upon reaching the top was to lie down on the snow, limbs outstretched in a "T" shape, and panting, he said, "Having superpowers is really great. What we struggle to do, you can do effortlessly."

Rachel brushed the snowflakes off her clothes, looked at Todd not far away, and whispered, "But we will also pay a heavy price..."

Pretending not to hear the woman's words, Todd looked at the scenery on the other side of the mountain and asked, "How much further do we have?"

“Once we cross this mountain, we’ll reach the Kingdom of Ulster, the last kingdom we’ll pass through. Once we get past there, we’ll see the mists of the ‘Shadow Kingdom.’” Boyle got up from the ground, shook off the remaining snow, and pointed to a path leading down the mountain. “It’s getting dark, so we must hurry. There’s a secluded cabin halfway up the North Peak for the hunters to use. We can sleep there tonight.”

Todd pulled his fur coat tighter around himself and said with a smile, "This is good news that we don't have to live a life of hardship."

Two hours later, the sun set and the stars began to appear.

The three of them arrived at the sheltered cabin halfway up the mountain just before the blizzard struck.

Gently pushing open the wooden door, Boyle looked at the furnishings in the room by the moonlight, frowned and said, "Someone came here not long ago. Strange, this season is not a good time to go hunting in the mountains."

Using his night vision ability, Todd surveyed the contents of the cabin: firewood, an iron pot, haystacks—all the necessities of life were there. In one corner of the cabin, there was even a small bag of rye.

“Hunters going up the mountain sometimes don’t know when they will be trapped by a blizzard, so they prepare food and firewood in advance at this stop. Over time, this has become an unwritten rule—anyone can use the items here, but remember to replenish them for the next visitor.” Boyle took out a flint from his pocket and began to prepare to start a fire for cooking.

Todd lit the windproof lamp in the room, which contained animal fat, sat on the edge of the bed, and began to laboriously pull off his clothes with his left hand.

Rachel came over and helped him with the action.

Boyle, carrying firewood and walking toward the fireplace, saw Todd taking off his coat by the light of the oil lamp. His body froze on the spot, and his feet unconsciously moved back a few steps.

In his view, the mutated man in front of him could hardly be equated with a human being.

The scales gleamed with a metallic sheen, the sharp bone spurs protruding from the spine, and the terrifying claws that resembled those of a wild beast… Boyle subconsciously averted his gaze and focused his attention on the food in front of him.

Picking up a cloth dampened by the snow, Rachel meticulously and gently wiped every inch of Todd's skin, her eyes showing no fear or discomfort, only helplessness and sorrow.

Todd raised his arm, looked down at his body, and said with a wry smile.

"The mutation rate seems to have accelerated again..."

Rachel's voice was so low it was almost imperceptible.

"Um."

"A few days ago it was only my right arm, shoulder, and spine, but today it has spread to my right leg..."

"Um."

"However, mutations aren't all bad; at least you don't need ropes and nails when climbing mountains..."

Rachel put the cloth away and helped Todd get dressed again: "The 'Land of Shadows' is not far away. As long as you get there before you are completely mutated, you will be fine again..."

Todd nodded and gave Rachel a reassuring smile, but a voice deep inside him kept reminding him.

Is that really the case?

Trying to put these conflicting thoughts aside, Todd changed the subject and asked Boyle, "Have you been to the 'Land of Shadows'?"

The barbarian chieftain first nodded, then shook his head: "By chance, I once went to the edge of the 'Shadow Kingdom,' but faced with the black mist before me, I chose to retreat."

Todd touched the bridge of his nose: "So, what exactly is the 'Land of Shadows' like?"

“It’s a demonic realm where shadows linger everywhere, a dark place where sunlight can never reach, the final resting place of the dead souls.” Boyle added a piece of firewood to the hearth and said softly, “Legend has it that there is a king of the underworld there, guarding the ‘Gate of Darkness’ leading to the land of the dead. No one knows what it’s really like there; those who have gone there either die on the way or enter the underworld and never return.”

Todd compared these descriptions with the myths from his past life, finding some familiar but unclear about the details.

“So, have you ever seen anyone like me in the North?” Todd raised his mutated right arm and looked at Boyle.

The latter swallowed hard and whispered, "A cursed demigod."

Todd pricked up his ears and leaned forward: "What's that?"

"In the legends of the North, there is a group of people who have obtained the power of the gods, becoming demigods. But this power itself is a curse, leading these 'demigods' down two paths: the first path is to be controlled by the curse, where the 'demigods' will completely lose their humanity and become bloodthirsty monsters; the second path is to resist the curse, gain power, survive, and retain human form. It is said that they can obtain the right to meet the gods and find a way to enter the realm of the gods."