Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 723: Leaving The Cursed Mountains

'Did the flame share itself?' Han Yu wondered. 'Or did Chitterfang… absorb it?'

He had no precedent for something like this. He had read countless texts, handled strange flames in alchemy, refined dangerous materials, and even survived many catastrophes, yet nothing he had learned explained this situation cleanly.

In the end, he shook his head.

"Later," he decided. "I'll figure this out later."

Right now, the fact that Chitterfang was breathing steadily and that neither of them were in pain was enough. Whatever had happened, it had not harmed them. That alone placed it firmly in the category of future problems.

And future problems were infinitely better than present death. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

With that settled, Han Yu's attention shifted to the next pressing question.

Time.

"How long was I out?" he muttered.

There was no direct way to tell. He had no sun cycle to reference, no markings, no reliable internal sense of elapsed time after passing out multiple times.

He looked around instead.

Winter was still present, but it no longer felt as brutal as before. The air was cold, yes, but not the bone-biting, soul-freezing chill he had endured deeper within the mountains. The snow beyond the clearing was thick, yet it lacked that oppressive, killing pressure that had once accompanied every breath.

'Late winter,' Han Yu concluded. 'Or maybe early thaw.'

He rubbed his chin.

'Or… I've simply moved far enough from the heart of the Harrow Mountains.'

That thought made him straighten.

He turned slowly, scanning the surroundings with renewed attention.

To the east, jagged mountain peaks rose in the distance, their silhouettes sharp against the pale sky. Several of them looked familiar, shapes he had seen weeks ago while navigating the inner regions. They were far away now. Very far.

Han Yu's heart skipped a beat.

"With how far they are…" he murmured. "…doesn't that mean I'm…"

The thought finished itself.

"ALMOST OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS!?"

His eyes widened, and for a moment he simply stared, afraid to believe it.

Then he laughed.

A loud, genuine laugh that echoed across the barren clearing.

"Hahahaha! I lived! I actually lived!" He threw his head back. "Take that, cursed mountains!"

Chitterfang squeaked again, jostled by the movement.

Han Yu turned west.

What he saw there made his breath catch again, this time in relief.

A forest.

Not the suffocating, twisted growth of the mountain interior, but a proper forest. Tall conifers stood in orderly clusters, their needles dusted with snow, their trunks sturdy and familiar. Beyond them, the land dipped gently, no longer jagged or hostile.

Hope surged through him.

He started walking toward the forest, boots crunching against exposed rock and patches of thawed ground. Once he reached the treeline, he crouched, then pushed off and flew upward, keeping low but gaining enough height to survey the land properly.

From above, everything clicked into place.

The river.

It snaked through the forest, wide and steady, its surface mostly unfrozen now. He recognized its curve. He remembered its direction.

"That river…" Han Yu muttered. "That's the same one that skirts the southern edge."

His gaze traveled farther.

Rolling hills appeared beyond the forest, gentle slopes instead of lethal cliffs. Past those hills, faint but unmistakable, lay the outline of open land.

"Looks like I came out a bit farther south than planned," Han Yu said thoughtfully. "But…"

A grin spread across his face.

"I'm out. I'm really out."

He landed lightly and took out his compass, flipping it open with practiced ease. The needle settled quickly.

Northwest.

He nodded.

"Harrow Edge Town should be that way."

Energy surged back into his limbs. Fatigue that had been lingering in the background was pushed aside by sheer relief. He adjusted his pack, secured Chitterfang more comfortably inside his robes, and set off through the forest at a brisk pace.

The forest crossing took time.

Snow still lay thick in shaded areas, and fallen branches forced him to detour repeatedly. Yet compared to the Harrow Mountains, this place felt almost welcoming. No constant sense of death lurking behind every tree. No overwhelming pressure. No Nascent Soul beasts prowling nearby.

Just quiet.

After nearly ten hours of steady movement, the trees began to thin.

Han Yu emerged into a wide clearing beside a gentle hill. Wind swept across the open space, carrying the faint scent of earth instead of blood and frost.

He flew up the hill without hesitation.

And froze at the top.

Beyond it lay a sight he had not seen in what felt like an eternity.

A road.

Snow-covered, yes. Worn and rutted, certainly. But unmistakably a road.

Human-made.

"WOOOHOOOOOO!" Han Yu shouted.

He jumped straight up in excitement, pumping a fist into the air.

Then gravity reminded him that he was, in fact, airborne.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!"

He flailed as his feet left the ground completely, eyes widening as he realized his halberd was not in his hands.

"NOT LIKE THIS!"

WHOOSH!

The halberd to him from above at his mental command, sliding neatly under his feet just in time. Han Yu landed awkwardly but upright, wobbling before steadying himself.

He stood there for a second, breathing hard.

"…I really need to stop doing that," he muttered.

Then he laughed again and jogged down the hill toward the road, boots hitting packed snow with renewed vigor.

"This has to be one of the routes leading to Harrow Edge Town," he said, voice full of certainty. "No doubt about it."

For the first time in a long while, Han Yu felt something dangerously close to peace.

He was out of the mountains.

And this time, the mountains had not taken everything from him.

With the road guiding him, Han Yu no longer needed the compass to find him a direction. He simply jogged along the path, feeling more energetic than ever, despite the fact that he had definitely not eaten food many days.

Even if he remembered that now, he'd rather not eat. He would instead reward himself with a fresh hot meal at the Harrow Edge town instead.