Far to the north, where the very air seemed to solidify into a frosty embrace, lay the White Snow Plains. This unforgiving expanse served as a natural border between the human continent and the demon realm, a chilling testament to the raw power that resided beyond. For a thousand kilometers in every direction, the land stretched out in an endless tapestry of white. Towering glaciers, carved by millennia of relentless wind, scraped the underbelly of the sky, their jagged peaks reflecting the faint, ethereal glow of a sun perpetually obscured by swirling snowstorms.
The biting wind, a relentless sculptor, whipped across the snowfields, scouring the landscape bare. Here, even the hardiest trees dared not grow, their defiance broken by the sheer ferocity of the elements. Only the most resilient creatures, adapted to survive in this desolate realm, patrolled the icy plains. Giant mammoths with thick, white fur trudged through the snowdrifts, their tusks gleaming like polished ivory in the dim light. Packs of spectral wolves, their fur the color of twilight, stalked their prey with unnerving silence.
But the true dangers of the White Snowfield resided beneath its frozen surface. Here, dungeons – gaping wounds in the earth's crust – pulsed with an otherworldly energy.
The White Snowfield was a place of stark beauty and unimaginable peril. It was a land where the very air hung heavy with the promise of violence, a constant reminder of the delicate balance between order and chaos. For those brave or foolish enough to venture into its icy embrace, the White Snowfield held secrets both wondrous and terrifying, waiting to be unearthed by those with the courage, or perhaps the desperation, to face them.
The frigid air of the White Snowfield did little to faze Lilith as she materialized in a twist of shimmering air. Her long, cascading hair, the color of twilight amethyst, flowed around her like a living shroud. Her eyes, mirroring the hue of her hair, glittered with an otherworldly intelligence, a spark of amusement dancing within their depths. This desolate landscape, with its biting winds and endless expanse of white, held no fear for her. Indeed, she seemed to revel in its harsh beauty, her dark robes billowing playfully in the icy gusts.
Lilith hadn't been away from the demon realm for a while. She would go there to enjoy a fun vacation and check whether or not her sister hadn't left any legacy behind during her outing in the human realm. She strolled across the frozen plains, leaving behind a trail of unnaturally warm air that melted the frost in its wake.
Two kilometers away, a tense silence had descended upon a group of mercenaries and adventurers. They were hardened souls, these men and women, veterans of countless battles and perilous journeys. Their caravan, laden with precious cargo destined for the human kingdom, snaked its way across the endless snowfield.
A moment ago, they were chatting and laughing, the camaraderie of the road momentarily easing the harshness of their surroundings.
''!!!"
But then, something in the air shifted. An unseen tension crackled, causing their lighthearted banter to die in their throats.
''Wait there's something!"
Their gazes darted around, searching for the source of the sudden unease.
Finally, a collective gasp ripped through the group. There, on a distant ridge, bathed in the ethereal glow of the perpetual snowstorm, stood a creature that defied all earthly logic. A giant white snake, easily surpassing any mountain they had ever seen, coiled its massive form around the peak. Its scales, the color of freshly fallen snow, shimmered with an otherworldly luminescence. Its head, easily the size of a small city, rested atop the highest point, its golden eyes, each wider than a man, surveying the snowfield with an unnerving indifference. The air around it crackled with low, primal energy, an undeniable aura of power that sent shivers down even the most seasoned warrior's spine.
''How are we supposed to fight something like this?"
''Why are so unlucky this time?"
The mercenaries and adventurers, their weapons suddenly feeling like toothpicks against such a behemoth, stood frozen in a mixture of awe and terror. No human weapon, no human magic, could hope to stand against such a creature at not in their current rank. Their bravado, and their years of experience, all melted away in the face of this overwhelming display of power. Their only hope was that this colossal serpent remained uninterested in their meager caravan, that they could somehow pass beneath its unblinking gaze and continue their journey, forever marked by the chilling encounter with the White Serpent, at least S rank monster maybe stronger.
Sadly, their terrified hopes were dashed in an instant. The gargantuan white snake uncoiled its immense form with a thunderous rumble, its head lowering like a celestial guillotine towards the hapless caravan.
Rumble!
A tremor ran through the earth as the mountain-sized serpent lunged, its immense maw agape, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth that glinted with a malevolent hunger.
But just as all seemed lost, a flash of movement filled the air. The woman with hair like twilight amethyst materialized right in front of the charging serpent. Her previous flowing robes were gone, replaced by a more practical adventurer's garb – leather armor that hugged her curves menacingly and a pair of sturdy boots that crunched on the frosty ground.
With a speed that defied logic, she raised a single, seemingly fragile fist and met the descending serpent head-on.
BAM!
The impact was earth-shattering. A blinding flash of light erupted from the point of contact, followed by a deafening boom that echoed across the vast snowfield. The mercenaries and adventurers watched with mouths agape as the giant white snake, easily a thousand times her size, was flung backward by the force of the blow. Its massive head slammed violently into the snow-covered mountainside,
BOOM!
This triggered a mini-avalanche that cascaded down the slope.
The colossal serpent, clearly disoriented and enraged, reared back, its golden eyes locking onto Lilith with a flicker of fear. For a moment, a tense standoff ensued. The humans, still reeling from the sheer spectacle before them, could only stare in awe. This woman, who had just displayed a feat of strength comparable to a legendary S-rank adventurer, had single-handedly saved them from annihilation.