Show Me Your Stats!

‘Crazy, this is really a snowy mountain...’

Ayra thought to herself, pulling her body tighter in the cold.
Recently, the temperature in Solar had been close to freezing, as they had passed from the end of summer into autumn. The fact that Dalum Gorge was in full winter, not even autumn, was both terrifying and surprising to Ayra. As the elevation increased with each step, the chill became more intense, and soon the ground was covered in thick snow.
Having been walking for over half a day without rest, Ayra's body had lost warmth, and she shivered uncontrollably. Her companion, noticing her discomfort, asked in a concerned voice, "Cold?"

When Ayra quickly turned to look at him, Janus casually explained.
"This area tends to collect cold winds, so except for about a week in midsummer, it always snows here. The south wind can't get past the mountains, and it always dumps snow."
"How can you not feel cold...?"

Janus shrugged nonchalantly. Ayra could hardly believe how relaxed he was in a place where snowstorms were blowing fiercely. His companion’s ears were slightly red from the cold, but he wasn’t shivering, nor did his lips turn blue. He looked completely comfortable, as if enjoying the brisk autumn air.
It reminded Ayra of a person she had seen on a variety show in her previous life, who didn’t feel the cold even in the middle of winter, walking around in short sleeves. Janus seemed to be that type of person. Meanwhile, Ayra, wrapped up warmly, was the one shivering uncontrollably.
She wondered, "I lived in Solar until I was five, how am I this bad with the cold?" Then, recalling how she had been treated like a precious young master, overly pampered and sheltered, she realized she had only stepped on snow in her backyard, never exposed to real cold. No wonder she couldn’t tolerate it.

Unlike Janus, Ayra was fully aware of the situation, so she stayed on the horse. With her guide suddenly gone, she found herself staring at the ground, unsure of where to go. The snow was so thick it was hard to see the path.
After about 20 minutes, Ayra began to feel anxious, realizing she had lost both her companion and guide. Just then, Janus returned. He was panting from running around, with either sweat or melted snow beading on his forehead. He quickly shook out his damp, freezing hair and said:
"We won’t be able to cross the gorge by walking."

"What? Why?"
"The path is blocked."
That was a shocking piece of news. However, since there was no turning back after hearing that, Ayra quickly urged the horses forward.

The distance that would have taken only 20 minutes on foot took longer by horseback. As they moved, the gorge became narrower and more treacherous. After an hour of traveling, Ayra reached the blocked path. His expression darkened.
"This... did an avalanche happen?"
There was a huge pile of snow blocking the path. The mound of snow wasn’t something that could have formed from a normal snowfall. Ayra instinctively wondered if the avalanche had been triggered by the recent earthquake, but she quickly furrowed her brows.

"According to Jinas, the merchant couldn’t come because the earthquake happened before. Maybe the avalanche occurred before the earthquake, or maybe the merchant’s delay has nothing to do with this avalanche... Anyway, I can’t be sure for now."
Hoping it was the former, Ayra dismounted. The pile of snow was so high that it easily exceeded her height, and the top of it seemed to reach 20 to 30 meters. It was an impossible amount to clear alone.
As Ayra nervously paced around the snowdrifts, Janus asked if she wanted him to clear the way. He raised his arm as if to throw something, and Ayra immediately tensed, remembering what had happened before.
"I don’t want that."

"You won’t get hurt with all this snow."
"I can get through this on my own."
He was a mage. It was nonsensical for a mage from the Labyrinth to not be able to clear a mound of snow when he could leap over castle walls with a few steps.

The real issue was the merchant. The magic she cast on herself was different from the magic she would need to use on someone else. After making contact with the merchant, she would need to lead them through this path and bring them to the trade office to collect the 300 Cell in interest.
‘Maybe I should first check the situation at the village... I wonder if I’m wasting time going back and forth for nothing.’
As she pondered, Ayra absentmindedly kicked the frozen ground beneath her feet. At that moment, the stone that had been hidden inside her suddenly popped out. The little spirit, panicking, flapped its tiny hands in distress.

Janus, who had been standing idly, looked at the spirit with interest. Ayra, noticing its sudden appearance, quickly pointed at it and asked:
"Why is it acting like this?"

An avalanche is about to occur.
What? An avalanche?
As Ayra read the notification, Janus suddenly snapped his head up to look toward the sky. A huge rumble echoed through the air, like the sound of a giant stomping its feet. The horses, startled, cried out and reared up on their hind legs.

Janus clicked his tongue and quickly pulled Ayra into his arms. As Ayra quickly cast a spell to form a protective barrier around them, the ground shook with a roar as massive boulders and snow began to fall. Her mana was rapidly drained in the chaos. Despite the urgent situation, Ayra could feel Janus’s arms around her tightening as he held her close.
With the deafening roar of the avalanche in her ears, Ayra struggled to maintain the protective shield. But at some point, she lost consciousness, overwhelmed by the loss of energy...
❄

"I’ve waited too long..."
Frustration and anger bubbled up within him. He had waited far too long and searched in vain for far too long. Everything he saw before him was repulsive. He wanted to overturn it all.
Already, so much time had passed, but the one he was looking for still showed no sign of appearing.

Why hadn’t they appeared yet? After all, these filthy beings were supposed to worship him. They would, in the end, revere him as well.
...Or maybe someone is hiding them?
More frustration, anger, and contempt.

By now, he believed he had waited enough. Perhaps what he sought was not worth as much as he had thought.
Then, more frustration, anger, contempt, and greed.
In that case, it wouldn’t be so bad to wipe it all out and start fresh with a clean slate. The sizzling snow was directed toward the frozen land. In his mind, he saw the lord’s castle and the city crumble. It would be a delightful sight to watch the insects and beasts break apart and burn, screaming in agony.

It was a task worth waiting a little longer for.
All the monsters thought the same, laughing so loudly that the earth trembled beneath their feet. Delighting in the thought of tasting blood and flesh, their veins began to boil with anticipation. The monsters, shaped like beasts, would kill each other until only one remained…
“I’ll kill them…”

Muttering to himself, Ayra rubbed her cheek against the warm, soft wall. It felt comforting, warm, and pleasant. The wall she was leaning on shook with a laugh, and in a highly amused voice, it asked:
"What are you going to kill?"
"The beasts, the humans..."

Mumbling her answer, Ayra suddenly woke up. She groggily lifted her heavy eyelids, only to see a flesh-colored wall and light brown bumps in her view. After a moment, she realized she was staring at someone’s chest, at the aureola.
Suddenly, all the sleepiness disappeared.
"Is your dream to become a serial killer? Or are you already a killer?"

The person, who strongly seemed like a psychopath, asked. Ayra quickly bolted upright. Janus was holding her in his arms, naked. She was also naked.
"What... what is this?"
Ayra, incredibly flustered, struggled, but as her cloak slid off her back, she froze from the sudden cold. Shivering, Janus pulled her legs back into his embrace, covering her with the cloak again.

"Don’t move too much. I’m getting excited."
At those words, Ayra froze completely. Her heart was racing wildly, and she could feel its rapid pounding. Janus, still holding her, felt the vibrations of her heartbeat and chuckled.
"At this rate, your heart might just leap out of your chest."

"I-I’m just shocked..."
Ayra could barely respond, her eyes darting around, trying to assess the situation.