The following day was much the same for Benjamin and Nina, but this time, Benjamin respected Nina's seniority a little more. They took turns drilling and fishing so that neither would end up too hot and sweaty or too cold.
The third day was also the same. The only difference was that Benjamin had slept better and was a little more energetic. He had gotten used to it worryingly quickly, though, he still wasn't used to the cold that hit him in the face like a splash of cold water whenever he left one of the snow-covered huts.
However, he wasn't there to get used to it. He had to clear the dungeon.
'This…' Benjamin took a moment to just stare at the cloudy sky when Nina was fishing.
He had to clear the dungeon. That much was obvious. Even if he could get used to it, he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in a winter wonderland.
But then what?
He cleared the dungeon and returned to the forest where Eluzan, a god, was waiting for him. After that…
Benjamin sighed.
Eluzan clearly had some plans and thoughts. He was a schemer. Benjamin could smell it.
But Benjamin…?
He still wasn't sure he wasn't dreaming. He was in a world within a world that was not his own. He had talked to gods, and gods had talked to him. The only confirmation he had that it wasn't a dream was Eluzan's word. The bitter cold and the fluffy snow felt very real, though.
Assuming it wasn't a dream, was he just supposed to go along with whatever Eluzan said? Should he just live up to his current life as the avatar of a god shunned by the gods who seemed to rule this world? Was he stuck as the avatar of a god so weak their only option was to rely on a powerless, bullied, indecisive, and cold human from another world?
Just a week ago, he had been enduring and dreaming about growing up and getting a job far away from his hometown.
"Stop sighing."
The matter of revenge on Rydell and the other bullies was an attractive idea. But it wasn't very feasible. Even if it were, it would be something in the distant future, just not as distant as returning to Earth.
"This winter…" Benjamin started saying.
Nina glanced at him. Her command to stop sighing had not been an invitation to chat.
"Do you have any idea how to end it?" He asked. Over the last couple of days, he had eavesdropped as much as he could and figured out that this overwhelming winter had lasted for over five years in a row, and it was only slowly getting worse and colder.
Bright auroras in various shades of blue and white had flashed across the sky more than five years ago. Following that day, the days grew colder, wind chillier, and snowfall more frequent.
The ordinary people of the world had no idea what happened. Many were unable to adapt to the new and harsh circumstances of survival and succumbed to the winter's cold jaws.
If dungeons were problem-solving mysteries, Benjamin was confident that this was the problem that the dungeon wanted solved. The only problem was that he had no idea how to solve it. He didn't even know where to begin.
"Do you think I would be sitting here fishing if I knew something like that?" Nina shot him a glare before shaking her head and pulling up a fish. She didn't know how or why, but Benjamin seemed a little too sheltered for someone who had supposedly been living in this winter for 'as long as everyone else.'
"Stop daydreaming and get these fish to the hut." Nina handed Benjamin the bucket of fish as she stood up.
"Where are you going?" Benjamin grabbed the bucket and asked since Nina was headed in the opposite direction.
"It's about time for the Snowflakes to bloom. I'm checking on their progress."
"Snowflakes?"
"...Flowers. Dry and mix them into oil and cover wooden planks or leather in it to insulate better."
"Right. Those Snowflakes. I know them. I thought you meant, you know, ordinary snowflakes. That's why I was confused," Benjamin explained himself.
"Uh-huh." Nina gave him a sidelong glance.
"I'll hand over the bucket real quick, and then I'll accompany you."
"...Suit yourself." Nina shrugged, seemingly not caring too much about Benjamin's words. Still, she waited for him outside the hut, not that she needed to wait for long.
Together, they walked through the field of mounds in the snow until they reached a line of poles to help mark out the path through the snow. The wind picked up and whipped snow into their faces as soon as they left the field of mounds that was the village. It caught Benjamin by surprise, but Nina just narrowed her eyes and drew her arms closer to her as she walked.
Benjamin curiously walked next to her. He was curious about the Snowflakes, but he also wondered why they were grown so far from the village. It probably wasn't as far away as it felt due to the thick snow they had to march through and the wind blowing into their faces, but they still walked for several minutes.
Finally, they came upon an area that, at a distance, looked like a field of poles similar to the ones they had followed to the field. But when they got closer, Zach could see that the poles were light turquoise, almost blue stalks similar to those of sunflowers. They even had budding pucks up top.
Sunflowers but ice-type instead of plant-type.
Benjamin nodded appreciatively. Pretty interesting. Couldn't quite compare to the sights in the Arthea Pantheon, though.
Nina took a round through the field, inspecting the flowers. After a couple of minutes, she started heading back to the village without a word to Benjamin. Benjamin tilted his head in recognition. She didn't need to tell him anything, and it wouldn't mean anything.
However, she chose to say something on the way back.
"...There was a nomad a few weeks ago who mentioned something."
"Oh, yeah?" Benjamin eagerly leaned in closer to hear better in the wind and through the thick furry hoods.
"There's a tall mountain far north. The auroras are still there in the sky like there's something at the top of the mountain."
It was a weak clue, but it was many times better than nothing. Now, he just had to figure out how to find that mountain and make the trip both to it and up it.
"Thank you."
"Mm."
Benjamin was curious about that nomad, but before he could ask any further, the air in the edge of his vision blurred. He frowned and looked around. Nina glanced at him strangely, but she was in turn distracted by a scream.
Benjamin also heard it.
They rushed to the village, even as Benjamin's vision blurred.
Chaos had devoured the village. Even from afar, Benjamin and Nina could see smoke. They heard screams. They saw massive four-legged shadows move through the village.
Both of them froze, their hearts lodged in their throats.
Benjamin's vision darkened entirely.