Omega Manual chapter 72

The Mountain is There

There was a knock on the door of the lounge, followed by Anna’s loud voice. “Shelley! Irey! Are you in there? Come out and see! There’s an amazing sight on the deck!”

Irey stood up from the table, and the chair legs screeched against the floor as he responded, “Coming!”

Shelley stood still for a few seconds, his gaze fixed on the grass ring on his ring finger.

The tiny blade of grass was bent to resemble a gem, its fuzzy tip swaying gently in the breeze from the open door.

Shelley blinked hard to squeeze out the tears in his eyes, took a deep breath, stood up from his chair, and walked towards the deck.

Bright sunlight poured over the fishing boat, and the sails flapped loudly in the wind. Shelley was stunned by the scene that greeted him on the deck.

Under the azure sky, countless flying fish were leaping out of the waves, gliding through the air with their wing-like fins. Their scales reflected the dazzling sunlight, creating a silver waterfall. Some leaped over the fishing boat, while others crashed directly into the masts and deck, making a crisp clattering sound.

The scene was beyond spectacular.

Anna, wearing a yellow dress and barefoot, ran around the deck with a large bucket, picking up fish while laughing gleefully. “We’ll have a feast tonight!”

“You gluttonous girl, all you think about is eating!” The ship’s owner, with a local cigarette dangling from his mouth, appeared on deck as several flying fish swooped over his head. “How can you eat a whole boatload of fish? Check the ship for damage and throw those worthless things back into the sea!”

Shelley looked at Irey in confusion, and Irey explained with a smile, “These fish aren’t good to eat, they don’t sell for much, and they take up weight on the boat.”

“What are you all standing around for? Get moving!” The ship’s owner clapped his hands sharply. “Do you want the fish to flood the deck? You, the blonde Omega! Have you had enough fun? If so, get to work!”

Shelley was caught off guard by being singled out. He stammered, “Me, me?”

“Who else?” The ship’s owner was unceremonious, tossing him a bucket and a pair of rubber gloves. “No freeloaders on my ship, everyone works!”

Shelley had no choice but to take the tools. Before putting on the gloves, he carefully removed the grass ring from his finger and placed it in his pocket, pressing it gently to feel the slight dampness of the fresh grass.

This small action didn’t escape Anna’s sharp eyes. As Shelley dutifully picked up flying fish from the deck and put them into the bucket, Anna approached him with a mischievous grin, elbowing his side. “So sweet, so sweet.”

“What?” Shelley straightened up helplessly.

“Don’t play dumb, I saw it.” Anna whispered with a sly smile, “Using a grass ring, your guy is really something, so romantic.”

Shelley’s cheeks flushed. He was still not used to Anna’s outgoing personality and stepped aside, “It’s not what you think…”

“What else could it be when he gives you a ring?” Anna exclaimed exaggeratedly, then leaned closer, “Is today your anniversary? That’s so nice. My guy never remembers our anniversaries, always acting like a fool! Last time I asked him what day it was, he thought for a moment and said it was the weekend. I was so mad!”

Shelley couldn’t help but laugh.

Thinking about it, Irey might indeed be the type to remember every anniversary and prepare seriously for it.

Maybe he would forget some dates in the future, but Irey would always remember.

If they would still have anniversaries in the future.

The fishing boat sailed calmly along its predetermined route, the distant snowy mountains on the horizon growing closer and more imposing with each passing day.

On the fourth day, they finally arrived at the foot of Mount Yinbu.

The towering mountain loomed like a silent beast, blocking the small humans’ view of the sun, sky, and even the sea. The fishing boat could only slowly advance along the winding gorge at the beast’s feet.

“Disembark at the grassy area ahead, and you can start climbing the mountain,” the ship’s owner pointed ahead and handed Irey a cigarette with a fishy-smelling hand. “The weather has been good lately, and there shouldn’t be any storms. Be careful to stay warm, drink less water during the day, and pitch your tent on flat, sheltered ground at night. I don’t know why you want to climb the snowy mountain for no reason, but I wish you a safe return. Don’t lose your lives up there.”

Irey took the cigarette from the boat owner’s hand and thanked him. Shelley stood on the deck, gazing at the towering snow-capped mountains. As the sea breeze brushed past his temples, he suddenly felt an indescribable confusion and bewilderment.

Unconsciously, he had really arrived at the foot of Mount Yinbu.

The snow-capped mountain stood silently before him, as if it had been waiting for him here for millions of years.

Mount Yinbu, with the fragrance of wisteria blossoms that his mother spoke of in his childhood, had appeared countless times in his dreams. It was the mountain he had longed for, where he believed his soul could finally find peace.

But no matter how he looked at it, the mountain before him was just an ordinary snow-capped mountain.

No legends, no stories, and no one even looked up at it as boats came and went at its base.

In this endless stretch of time, it simply stood there, bearing no significance. And what about him?

His life, his journey, his once unwavering but now confused destination—did any of it have any meaning?

At this moment, as he truly reached the end, he suddenly felt a wave of cowardice.

“Irey—” he instinctively called out Irey’s name, but before he could say more, his hand was held.

“Thank you. It’s enough to drop us off here.” Irey grabbed their gear with one hand and pulled Shelley forward with the other. “I’ll treat you to a meal after we get down the mountain.”

The boat owner nodded.

“Remember to find me when you return!” Anna waved at them. “My house is easy to find, just east of the big Ferris wheel!”

Irey made an OK gesture to her, and at the same time, the boat stopped steadily at the shore.

Shelley followed Irey off the boat. He didn’t fully regain his senses until the fishing boat had set off again and become smaller and smaller behind them, eventually disappearing on the horizon.

Irey let go of Shelley’s hand, threw the climbing bag on the ground, and began taking out the items they needed one by one.

Ice axes, climbing shoes, thermal clothing, goggles, ropes… everything was laid out in a row, and then he started changing gear.

“To be honest, I never liked your travel plan from the start,” Irey said while changing his shoes. “It’s troublesome and exhausting, and you didn’t prepare enough. Everything was impulsive, and now we even have to climb a mountain. It’s like suffering more just to suffer more. Even if you said you wanted to die at the top, let alone soak in a hot spring, how many people would be willing to go with you?”

Shelley’s face turned red bit by bit. “If you were so reluctant, you shouldn’t have—”

“But, Shelley.” Irey interrupted him, putting on his goggles and looking into his eyes. “After all that’s happened, we still made it here. Why you wanted to come, whether it has any meaning, whether you plan to die here or go back with me—none of that matters now.”

“Why?” Shelley was shocked by Irey’s words.

“Because right now,” Irey picked up his ice axe and pointed to a gentle slope leading up to the mountain top, “the mountain is right there.”

Climbing was ten times harder than Shelley had imagined.

Even though he had done a lot of preparation before setting out and had consulted experienced climbers at Fuba Port, he still found a huge gap between theory and practice once he actually started the climb.

The initial hike was relatively easy, the slope was not steep, his strength was sufficient, and most importantly, the altitude was still manageable.

But after passing the easiest section, the slope increased sharply, altitude sickness began to set in, and with both strength and oxygen depleting, even standing required immense effort, let alone climbing steep slopes with heavy gear.

His omega physique was naturally weak, and Shelley had spent most of his time indoors. Despite gaining some strength during this journey, the high-intensity exercise in a low-oxygen environment was still too much for him.

The sun shone directly down, and the sunlight reflected off the snow made him dizzy.

As he stopped for the fourth time, leaning on his ice axe and panting, Irey held his hand and kissed his cheek.

“Hang in there, we’ll rest after we cross this hill.”

“You’ve said that… four times already!” Shelley panted heavily, complaining, “I’m not going any further, I… don’t trust you anymore…”

“This time it’s true, I promise.” Irey’s breath was also unsteady. He interlocked fingers with Shelley through their gloves. “And there will be a reward after this hill.”

“You’re seriously… using that line on me!” Shelley said crossly, “I don’t believe you.”

Irey laughed, his breath forming white mist around his face. “It’s true.”

“Is there a treasure chest or equipment?” Shelley panted heavily, but his words were still sharp.

“Neither.” Irey smiled, gripping his hand tightly. “But I promise it’s real. Trust me this once. A little more effort and we’ll be there.”

Sometimes Shelley thought he was crazy. He knew this Alpha liked to talk nonsense, yet he still chose to believe his words in this life-and-death climb.

After all, just a little more effort to reach the top couldn’t hurt.

With Irey’s help, Shelley trudged over the seemingly close but extremely difficult hill.

The moment they reached the peak, he felt all his strength drain away and immediately sat down, panting.

It took several minutes before he felt less dizzy. Irey threw his bag beside him and sat down as well.

“Where’s the reward?” Shelley turned to him. “I don’t see anything.”

Irey smiled and pointed to the west. “Look.”

Shelley turned in the direction he pointed and was momentarily stunned by the breathtaking scenery before him.

The small peaks obstructing their view had disappeared, and now the sky above was as blue as if it had been splashed with paint, almost transparent.

No other sky in the world would ever be as expansive and breathtaking as the blue above the high cold regions of Mount Yinbu.

The azure dome was cloudless, and the sky resembled a reflection of the sea, making it hard to tell if they were climbing a mountain or swimming beneath a glacier.

Great eagles, unseen in the south, circled closest to the sky, and the setting sun cast its golden-red light on the distant low peaks. The radiance fused with the azure horizon, creating a magnificent purplish-red hue beyond words.

At this moment, they felt like mere specks of dust in the universe, floating joyfully in this vast expanse.

The sunset slowly moved forward, illuminating them and the path ahead.

The golden-red light reflected off the snow and on Irey’s profile. The handsome Alpha smiled, and the sight was so striking that Shelley felt he would never forget this moment even after a hundred years.

“This is the reward,” he said. “The beautiful scenery beyond the peaks and this moment shared with you.”