Outside the castle, I had expected to be seated in a luxurious, well-decorated carriage befitting someone under Lia’s care. Instead, Veyrin had somehow managed to find the worst possible option—a rickety, old wagon with worn-out wheels and a creaking frame that groaned with every slight movement. The wooden seats looked splintered, and the entire thing seemed one strong gust away from collapsing.

  I turned to him with a deadpan expression. "Really? This is the best you could find?"

  Veyrin smirked, crossing his arms. "What? It has wheels, doesn't it?"

  "Just barely."

  "Well, if you don’t like it, you can walk," he added with a shrug, clearly enjoying my misery.

  Lia, who had been watching from a distance, covered her mouth as she laughed. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Kelvin. It builds character."

  I sighed, already regretting whatever journey lay ahead.

  With that, we rode off into the sunset—or at least, that’s what I wanted to say.

  In reality, the wagon’s wheels clunked along unevenly, bouncing with every small rock we hit. The wooden frame creaked so loudly I was convinced it would fall apart at any moment. The ride was far from smooth, and the so-called "journey" felt more like an extended form of torture.

  "If we keep going like this, it’s going to take forever," Veyrin muttered, glancing at me. "Are you comfortable?"

  I shot him a deadpan glare. "I can’t move a single muscle in my body. Do you think I’m comfortable?"

  He smirked. "Good enough."

  Then he looked around, his red eyes scanning the horizon. "We should be far enough already."

  The moment he said that, the horses suddenly lifted off the ground. The wagon followed, soaring upward like it had no business doing so.

  "What the hell!?" My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

  I thought he was a knight!

  Veyrin crouched low, steadying himself on the floating wagon. "Heheheh… Behold my magic!"

  "How—how are you doing this!?" I managed to ask, staring in disbelief.

  Without hesitation, he grabbed his armor and tossed it off the side of the wagon. "Magic," he answered casually, as if that explained everything.

  "Wait—what!?"

  He shrugged, completely unfazed. "Everyone assumes I’m just a knight, but I’m actually quite proficient with magic." Then he smirked, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Though, I also happen to be really good with a blade."

  The wagon soared higher, the cold wind rushing past us as we left the ground far behind. I wasn’t sure what was more unsettling—the fact that Veyrin had been hiding his magic all along, or the fact that he seemed to enjoy my panic a little too much.

  He stood up confidently, arms crossed. "And with this, we’ll take no longer than twenty minutes." A smirk played on his lips. "You should thank me." His tone made it clear—he was fishing for praise.

  I stared at him flatly. "If you want me to thank you, then heal me."

  Veyrin’s expression twisted into pure disgust, as if I had just insulted his entire bloodline. "Heal you?" He scoffed, stepping back like the very idea was offensive. "Oh, please. How dare you?"

  I blinked. "What’s with that reaction?"

  He dramatically placed a hand over his chest. "I am a warrior. A mage. A master of battle!" He pointed at me. "And you think I’m some lowly healer? Unbelievable."

  I sighed. "So, that’s a no?"

  "Obviously." He rolled his eyes. "Just tough it out."

  Great. A flying wagon, an arrogant magic knight, and a body that refused to move. This was going to be the longest twenty minutes of my life.

  ...

  Veyrin peered over the edge of the wagon, hands on his hips. "Hey, I know you can’t get up to see the surroundings, but we’re here." He scratched his chin as if he had a beard—which he didn’t. "Is this the place?"

  Before I could even respond, he turned around and grabbed my arm.

  "Hey… what are you doing?" I asked, already suspicious.

  "Ooooh, nothing," he hummed, lifting me up effortlessly. "I just want you to enjoy the beautiful mountains!"

  For a brief moment, I actually did. The view was breathtaking—vast snowy peaks stretched endlessly, bathed in the soft glow of the rising sun.

  "It’s beautifu—"

  Huh?

  I barely had time to process it before I realized I was no longer in the wagon.

  The wind rushed past me.

  I looked down.

  The ground was very far away.

  Slowly, I turned my head and locked eyes with Veyrin, who was still standing in the wagon, looking down at me with an infuriatingly smug grin.

  "Why," I said, my voice eerily calm despite the free fall, "did you throw me?"

  He screams. "Don't worry you wont die.. At least I think so?"

  Tsk? he thinks so.. I look towards the ground, how am I gonna break my fall If I cant move a damn muscle.

  The ground kept getting closer, but I couldn’t do anything. My body was still too weak to move, and my mind was too panicked to think.

  No way… this is how I die?

  I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for the impact.

  Then—just before I hit—something shifted.

  A strange force wrapped around me, slowing my descent in an instant. My stomach lurched as the air around me shimmered faintly with magic.

  And then—plop.

  I landed face-first into the snow.

  For a long moment, I just lay there, buried in the freezing cold, completely still.

  From above, I heard Veyrin chuckle. "See? Told you you’d enjoy the view!"

  "Oh yeah!" Veyrin’s voice rang out from above, brimming with excitement.

  I barely had time to lift my head before I saw him pull something out of thin air—a bag. A fairly large one.

  "Here, catch this!" he shouted.

  The bag dropped.

  No—fell.

  No—launched itself straight at me like a homing missile.

  "What the—?!"

  BOOM.

  The bag barely missed my head, slamming into the snow right beside me with enough force to send a spray of white powder into the air.

  I coughed. "What the hell!?"

  Above me, Veyrin grinned. "Hey, that was pretty close! You almost caught it!"

  I glared up at him, half-buried in snow. "I CAN’T MOVE!"

  "Ah. Right. Well, at least you didn’t die." He nodded to himself, as if that was somehow supposed to make me feel better.

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  [SYSTEM]

  [Name]: Kelvin

  [Class]: Former Sergeant (Aerospace Engineer)

  [Level]: 26

  [STATS]

  [STRENGTH]: 48

  [VITALITY]: 125

  [AGILITY]: 69

  [ENDURANCE]: 50

  [DEXTERITY]: 57

  [Weapon]: C13314 (Mythical)

  — Durability: Infinite

  [Skills]:

  — Piercing Lance

  — Regeneration

  — Weapon Transfiguration

  — Enhanced Reflexes (Passive)

  Ah, Regeneration. That should be useful.

  But then I noticed something. The skill name was glowing red.

  Frowning, I focused my mind on it to check the details.

  [REGENERATION]

  IN USE - TARGET: LEFT ARM (1460H)

  I blinked. "It’s… slowly regenerating my left arm?" I muttered. How sweet.

  But that wasn’t exactly helpful for my current situation. I still couldn’t move, and my body felt like it had been through a meat grinder.

  I sighed, my breath turning to mist in the freezing air. "Great. Guess I’m stuck here until my muscles decide to start working again."

  Then, finally, it clicked.

  All those potions I bought from those scamming merchants.

  I had almost forgotten about them, stuffed away in my inventory like useless trinkets. But right now? I didn’t care if they were overpriced or barely effective—I needed something now.

  I pulled up my UI and accessed my inventory.

  With a thought, I yanked out every single potion I had bought and chugged them down one after another. Bitter, sour, too-sweet—some tasted like they were just colored water. But I didn’t stop.

  Then… finally, I felt something. A faint tingling. My fingers twitched. My legs ached, but at least they ached.

  How wonderful.

  I exhaled in relief, slowly flexing my fingers in the snow. My body was finally responding.

  That’s when another thought crept into my mind. Wait… why didn’t Lia’s healing do this?

  She had healed me—at least enough to keep me stable. But if she really wanted, she could’ve fully restored me in an instant. So why didn’t she?

  I remembered her words. Start from scratch.

  I scoffed. Did she want me to figure this out myself?

  I could almost hear her teasing voice in my head.

  “You’re not useless, Kelvin. So prove it.”

  I sighed, forcing myself upright. "Fine. I get it, Lia."

  I still wasn’t at full strength, but at least now, I could move.

  The cold breeze touched my skin, sending a sharp chill through my body. I shivered, goosebumps rising along my arms. Damn, it’s freezing.

  I reached for the bag Veyrin had so graciously dropped on me and pulled it open. Inside, I found a few essentials—clothes, some food, a handful of coins, and a map.

  I grabbed the clothes first: a cloak, a simple T-shirt, and a sturdy pair of boots. They were all covered in strange, random letters, almost like scribbles.

  I frowned. Is this… augmented?

  Shrugging, I put them on.

  The moment I fastened the cloak around my shoulders, the strange letters shimmered and disappeared.

  Then—click.

  A rush of warmth spread through me, pushing back the cold almost instantly. I flexed my fingers. The numbness faded. Even the lingering stiffness in my muscles loosened.

  I let out a slow breath, watching the mist vanish into the air. Well, that’s convenient.

  "Alright, Veyrin," I muttered, adjusting the cloak. "Maybe you’re not completely useless after all."

  I kept rummaging through the bag, finding more essentials—some extra food, a couple of gold coins, and… a pair of gloves.

  I grabbed them and immediately put them on. The warmth spread through my fingers instantly, shielding them from the biting cold.

  "Aahh… this feels so good. Thank you, Veyrin!" I muttered, flexing my hands. For once, that guy actually gave me something useful.

  Then, finally, I pulled out the map.

  Unfolding it, I took a good look.

  It wasn’t particularly detailed—mostly just an outline of the snowy mountains around me. A small village was marked two mountains to the east, probably the closest settlement.

  But the real highlight? A huge circle drawn around a mountain further ahead, scribbled over with what was probably Veyrin’s ugly handwriting:

  "GO HERE"

  I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Seriously?" No landmarks, no explanations—just a big, dumb circle and an order.

  "Yeah, okay, Veyrin. Real helpful."

  Still, it was the only lead I had. So, with a deep breath, I wrapped my cloak tighter around me, adjusted my gloves, and set my sights on the mountain ahead.

  With a deep breath, I pushed forward.

  The first few steps were miserable. The snow swallowed my feet with each movement, forcing me to lift my legs higher just to keep going. It was like walking through wet sand—except a hundred times colder.

  And then the wind picked up.

  A sudden gust slammed into me, nearly knocking me off balance. The icy air bit through my clothes, slipping past my cloak’s warmth enchantment and sinking into my bones. I gritted my teeth and leaned forward, shielding my face with my arm as I trudged onward.

  How the hell did Veyrin expect me to make this trip in my condition?

  Then, as if the cold wasn’t enough, the air itself started working against me.

  I gasped, realizing just how thin the oxygen was up here. My breaths felt shallower, and a faint dizziness crept into my head.

  "Great," I muttered between ragged breaths. "Not only am I freezing, now I’m suffocating too."

  As I struggled forward, a distant growl echoed through the mountains.

  I froze.

  Slowly turning my head, I spotted movement in the snow.

  Two glowing eyes peered at me from a ridge above—a beast, its pale fur blending into the environment. Then another pair of eyes. And another.

  Snow wolves.

  A low snarl carried through the wind as one of them stepped forward, baring its fangs. The others followed, circling me from a distance, their bodies sleek and built for this terrain.

  Meanwhile, I could barely walk.

  "Of course," I muttered, clenching my fists. "Why wouldn’t this trip get any easier?"

  The wolves tensed, preparing to strike—

  Then something smacked me in the face.

  I flinched, stumbling back as something soft and oddly light landed on my head.

  I blinked.

  A… rice hat?

  I grabbed it, staring in confusion. It must’ve fallen off a wagon passing through earlier. Or maybe it belonged to some unfortunate traveler. Either way, it was mine now.

  I slowly placed it back on my head.

  "Now I look even more edgy," I muttered, adjusting it slightly.

  The wolves hesitated, almost as if they were questioning whether I was a real threat or just some idiot cosplaying as a wandering warrior.

  Either way, I had no intention of backing down.

  I cracked my knuckles, feeling my strength returning bit by bit. Alright then… if you want a fight, come get it.

  Is what I would have said… but no.

  Instead, I reached into my inventory and pulled out my Oni mask.

  Now, you may ask why? Well, it’s simple. The mask had a skill—one that made dealing with monsters a lot easier.

  [Demon’s Grin]

  Once wielded by Valdros Nox, the 3rd Demon Lord. Those who wear this mask will instill fear in those under their power.

  — Effect applies only to monsters.

  As soon as I slipped it on, the air around me shifted.

  The wolves, once confident and ready to strike, froze in place. Their growls faltered, replaced by uneasy whimpers. Their ears flattened. Their tails tucked between their legs.

  Then—

  They ran.

  One after another, the snow wolves bolted, kicking up flurries of white as they scrambled to escape. Within seconds, they were gone, their howls fading into the distance.

  I adjusted the mask, feeling the cold metal against my skin.

  "Hah," I muttered, watching the last wolf disappear. "That’s right. Run."

  I took a deep breath, feeling slightly more confident now that I didn’t have to waste energy fighting.

  But the cold wind quickly reminded me that monsters weren’t the only problem out here.

  With my Oni mask on and my newly acquired rice hat keeping the snow out of my eyes, I pressed forward, step by painful step, toward the distant mountain.

  With the wolves gone, I had one less problem to worry about. But that didn’t make the trip any easier.

  The mountain didn’t care whether I was injured, exhausted, or freezing to death—it just kept throwing hell at me.

  The wind was relentless, cutting through my clothes like blades. Even with the enchanted cloak, the chill still reached my bones, making every step feel heavier. My fingers were stiff, my breath came out in ragged clouds, and my nose felt like it would snap off if I touched it.

  I tried to move faster to generate some warmth, but that only made things worse. The higher I climbed, the thinner the air became. My lungs burned. My head pounded. Every few steps, I had to stop just to catch my breath.

  I wasn’t just fighting the cold. I was fighting my own body.

  ...

  The snow wasn’t just deep—it was deceptive. One moment, I was walking on packed ice. The next, my leg sank knee-deep into powder, nearly toppling me over.

  Then there were the slopes.

  At one point, I had to climb over a jagged rock face, only to realize too late that the snow beneath my foot was not solid. The moment I stepped on it—

  Crack.

  It gave way.

  I barely had time to react before I was falling. My stomach lurched as I slid down the icy slope, the world spinning around me.

  I slammed into a boulder halfway down, stopping my descent with a painful thud.

  For a second, I just lay there, groaning.

  Then I looked up.

  I had to climb all of that again.

  I wanted to scream.

  ...

  It wasn’t just the wolves.

  As I climbed higher, the creatures got worse.

  At one point, I stumbled into the hunting grounds of Frostfang Bears—massive beasts covered in thick white fur, their claws long enough to gut a man in one swipe.

  I froze in place as one of them sniffed the air, turning in my direction.

  My mind raced.

  Mask or fight?

  I didn’t get to choose.

  A gust of wind ripped the rice hat off my head, sending it tumbling through the air. The bear’s eyes followed it. Then, slowly…

  Its gaze snapped back to me.

  I bolted.

  I ran like my life depended on it—because it did. The bear let out a thunderous roar and charged after me, snow exploding beneath its massive paws.

  I had no plan. No strategy. Just pure, desperate survival.

  Somewhere in the chaos, I managed to throw on my Oni mask, and by some miracle, it worked.

  The bear skidded to a stop, shuddering. Then, with a low, panicked growl, it turned and fled back into the blizzard.

  I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air.

  I wanted to die. Not from an enemy—just from the sheer exhaustion of dealing with this nightmare.

  But I couldn’t stop.

  I had to keep moving.

  ...

  By the time I reached the final climb, my body was done. My limbs felt like lead. My face was numb. My mind was hazy from exhaustion and lack of oxygen.

  But the mountain wasn’t finished with me yet.

  A blizzard rolled in.

  The winds howled, nearly knocking me off my feet. I could barely see more than a few feet ahead, the world swallowed by white.

  I staggered forward, each step a battle against nature itself.

  The snowstorm was so loud I almost didn’t hear it—

  The sound of cracking ice.

  I looked down.

  Oh.

  The ground beneath me wasn’t ground at all.

  It was a frozen lake.

  And I had just stepped onto thin ice.

  For a moment, I didn’t breathe.

  Then—

  CRACK.

  I jumped—lunging forward with everything I had left. The ice gave way behind me, swallowing the spot where I had just been standing.

  I scrambled onto solid ground, chest heaving, heart pounding in my ears.

  No more.

  No more surprises. No more near-death experiences.

  I was done.

  And then…

  Through the blizzard, through the haze of exhaustion—

  I saw it.

  A structure.

  A temple, carved into the side of the mountain.

  Veyrin’s ugly handwriting had said, "GO HERE."

  I had finally made it.

  ...

  "Is it you?" a voice out of no where, I look behind me to my sides no one was there.

  "Who are you." I say trying to move but I couldn't

  I didn't even see it or felt it but a blade was already pointed at my neck.

  The figure finally showed her self.. Wait? a girl?