Chapter 90

"I was so scared, I thought I was going to die. Well, you don't actually die in the game, though."

Ivan, also known as Muscle No. 1, laughed heartily, looking as energetic as if he hadn't just been convulsing and stretching. Each time he laughed, the muscles bulged under his innerwear, and it felt as if his leather armor was screaming in protest.

I listened to the conversation out of the corner of my eye but didn't join in, leaving everything to Taku. Meanwhile, I raised my pickaxe and swung it down toward the vein point at the foot of the mountain. The pickaxe struck the rock wall, producing a series of pleasant, high-pitched sounds.

In OSO, vein points exist everywhere, and with the Ex Skill [Mining] and a pickaxe, you can easily gather ores. As long as you have the [Mining] skill, you can identify vein points and gather ores from various locations. Each location has its own characteristics, but most gatherers either hole up in mines or do various other things.

While I was engrossed in mining, the conversation continued.

"I'm sorry. I dropped Ivan."

"Really, Hiyama, you need to be more grounded."

"That's fine, but... why did you come down from above?"

I listened to the conversation. That was what I was curious about too. No one would expect someone to drop from above, especially a muscular guy.

"We, well, are doing a niche play."

Hiyama spoke with a slight embarrassment. I was interested because if you call it a niche, my style is somewhat similar.

"Really? What kind of thing are you doing?"

"There's a hobby sense called [Climbing]. We use that to climb cliffs and mountains."

"Mountains are great! It's a man's romance!"

Ivan, with his mountain-like muscular arms spread wide, laughed heartily about the joys of mountains. Hiyama, trying to stop him from talking, seemed to be worried that the conversation wouldn't progress. Taku watched the two of them with amusement.

"Well, it's not that strange. In the virtual world, people don't just stick to the game; some pursue their hobbies. I know someone who loves fishing and comes to the game world to fish because he can't fish on weekdays."

"Exactly. We're kind of the same. Climbing a real mountain is too far, and there's no place to do free climbing. So, we started playing this game when we heard we could climb mountains. Ivan is similar."

Hiyama spoke with a mix of pride and childish embarrassment, which contrasted amusingly with his muscular body.

"So, why did you fall?"

"Well, a huge swarm of bees suddenly came at us, and I was so surprised that I dropped Ivan."

"Really, bees are nothing to be afraid of. I've faced blizzards and avalanches in real snowfields."

Well, real blizzards and avalanches are scary, but a swarm of bees is also terrifying. Still, the connection between my actions and the bees...

"Yun."

Taku looked at me. I stopped swinging my pickaxe and turned to face them.

"Probably, no, definitely, the bees' sudden movement was caused by me."

"Huh?"

I explained briefly. I have the [Alchemy] sense and used it to create an item that repels insects, which I used here.

"Sorry!"

I bowed deeply, and immediately laughter followed.

"Is that all? It wasn't intentional, and you healed me when I fell! There's no need for you to worry about it. Besides, the bees didn't attack us in the end. Hiyama was the one who panicked."

"Well, I know I panic, but it hurts to hear it. But I was surprised. In climbing etiquette, when you drop something, you're supposed to shout 'Falling!' I did it out of habit, but I didn't expect anyone to be below. Especially not a man and a woman hugging..."

"Indeed. We were also taken aback. We had to hug and jump back to avoid the falling man."

Ivan spoke, and Hiyama nodded solemnly, while Taku scratched his head. They continued the conversation, but I had something I needed to say.

"By the way, I'm a guy!"

"Eh, hiding your embarrassment on a date?"

"Hey, Muscle No. 2! There's no such thing as hiding embarrassment on a date! Taku, stop holding back your laughter! You should correct him!"

Taku, as usual, was trying to hold back his laughter. I appreciated him pulling me away, but he needs to fix this.

"Anyway, whether you're a girl or a guy doesn't matter now—"

"Hey, Muscle No. 1! It does matter! It's a life-or-death issue for me!"

Ivan, with his rock-like body, grinned and showed his white teeth.

"Want to climb a mountain with us? Mountains are great! Walking on the ground is such a small thing. You'll see how small your usual surroundings are."

"Huh?"

"Being a guy or a girl, older or younger, senior or junior, father, mother, brother, sister, or sibling—all these interpersonal relationships become insignificant in the face of a mountain. The mountain is so vast, and people are so small! The small worries of such small people can be forgotten through climbing. They lose their meaning! No, climbing will surely teach you that!"

Ivan, with his thick, muscular arms spread wide, gave a grand speech. His powerful voice and loudness resonated in my chest like a gong, overwhelming me into silence. Just one word came to mind: impressive. But...

"On what basis...?"

"The mountain will teach you!"

This guy is a mountain enthusiast who believes in mental toughness.

"So, let's climb a mountain together!"

"Without my consent!"

"Everything is about the spirit of challenge. The spirit to challenge. When you see a mountain or a rock that looks easy to climb, you want to climb it, right?"

"That's you."

I had no intention of climbing and didn't want to continue the conversation, so I turned my back and raised my pickaxe again. Then, a single word was directed at my back.

"Are you running away, man?"

My body, which had raised the pickaxe, froze. After a few moments, more words followed.

"Oh! Right, you're a girl. Sorry, I got confused."

His dramatic and theatrical words made me frown, and I tried not to fall for the provocation.

"You sounded tough, but you're still a girl. No interest in mountains, huh? That's a shame."

"Because I'm a guy! Fine, I'll see the mountain you're so excited about!"

"Hehehe! Got you, girl. If you call yourself a man, there's no going back!"

"I'm a man! No going back!"

I had decided not to fall for the provocation, but I was easily swayed by Ivan's words.

"Yun, are you an idiot?"

"Ugh... sorry. I just..."

Taku sighed and looked at me with pity. Don't look at me like that. Originally—

"Originally, it's your fault for not correcting the misunderstanding about me!"

"Hey, hey, are you shifting the blame to me?"

"Shut up. Yes! What's your problem?"

"Oh! Are you going to do it!?"

I was blaming Taku one-sidedly, but he knew that when I raised my voice, I wasn't being serious, so he just let it slide and watched with amusement. It was like a playful squabble between children or a warning from a small animal, a rather deflated scene.

"What, you two are close enough to fight?"

"What a charming combination."

The two muscular guys, still watching, seemed to have the wrong idea about us.

"Anyway, I spread the gospel of climbing regardless of gender."

"Sure, sure, two more for the [Climbing] sense course."

"Eh!? Not just Yun? Me too?"

"Taku, you're coming too! More importantly, no gender issues!"

"Whoa, ha! Easily tricked, you two are still kids."

Ivan laughed heartily. Taku, who was dragged along with me, looked a bit regretful but quickly gave up. I decided to enjoy it if I was going to do it and quickly changed my mindset.

I like young girls, but I also like muscular big guys. Aloha here.

Mental toughness → Mentalism