The wind clawed at my face, biting into every exposed inch of skin. My cloak thrashed wildly around me, a torn and tattered thing I'd been wearing for longer than I could remember. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep the cold from killing me. Beneath it, layers of patched wool and leather clung to my body, each piece bearing scars of its own—rips, burns, stains I couldn't explain.
Ice stretched in every direction, an unbroken, desolate sea. No horizon. No destination. Just endless white under an unfeeling sky. Fissures broke the monotony here and there, dark slashes in the frozen earth, but they offered no refuge. I trudged forward, each step a battle against the wind that pushed back with relentless force.
Then I felt it. A tremor underfoot.
I stopped, breath misting out in front of me. The vibration grew stronger, spreading through the ground like the heartbeat of something massive. Then came the sound—a crack splitting the silence, sharp and primal.
The ice in front of me shattered. A fissure tore itself open with a deep groan, and from its depths, something clawed its way into the world.
First came the hands. Long, gnarled claws, black and organic, scraped at the edges of the fissure, pulling up a body so grotesque it barely resembled anything alive. Its flesh bulged and pulsed, a mass of tumors and exposed sinew. Teeth jutted out from places they shouldn't, eyes bulged in uneven clusters, and black ooze poured from gaping wounds across its body. It let out a shriek, a wet, gurgling noise that echoed across the wasteland.
An Abomination.
It towered over me, its hideous form casting a shadow that swallowed me whole. My cloak billowed behind me as I raised my arm. From beneath the fabric, a shape began to emerge.
The scythe extended slowly, black and jagged like it had been carved from a mountain's core. It grew and grew, its size surpassing even the monstrosity in front of me. Its weight was nothing in my hands.
The Abomination charged.
It moved fast, faster than something so massive had any right to. Drool spilled from its twisted maw, mixing with the vile fluids that dripped from its body, leaving a trail of filth across the ice. I waited until it was close enough to smell the stench of rot pouring off it.
Then I swung.
The blade cut through the beast like it was nothing. Its body split in half vertically, the two pieces falling away from each other, claws still twitching. Before it could even collapse, I swung again. A horizontal slice. More chunks fell. Another swing. Vertical. Then another. And another. Flesh diced into cubes rained down around me, steaming in the cold air.
I lowered the scythe and watched the last remnants of the creature slide apart. The ice beneath it was stained black, but the body was unrecognizable—just scattered chunks of meat.
The scythe retracted, folding back into itself, disappearing under my cloak like it had never been there. I exhaled, watching my breath disappear into the air.
I looked down into the fissure where the beast had crawled out. The reflection staring back at me wasn't mine, not entirely.
It was worse. Something more horrifying than the monster I had just slain.
…
Ophelia stirred, her head pounding like a drumbeat inside her skull. "Gasp… huff… huff… huff… what the hell," she muttered, gripping her head as flashes of distorted memories coursed through her mind. "Those were…"
.
[You have achieved an Incredible Feat!]
[You have slain a monster beyond your current level!]
[Experience Points worth your actions have been allocated]
.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have reached the max level!]
[Would you like to Evolve?]
.
Ophelia quickly swiped away the panels, saving them for later as she felt her headache ease slightly.
Her breath slowed as she became aware of her surroundings. She wasn't on the frozen wasteland anymore. She was in her caravan, the faint sway of the wheels beneath her a quiet reassurance. She noticed she had been lying on Alexandra's thighs.
Alexandra sat slumped against the seat, her head tilted at an awkward angle, clearly fighting off exhaustion. Her face softened as her eyes opened, a weak but genuine smile appearing when she saw Ophelia awake.
"You're finally awake," Alexandra mumbled, but before she could say another word, her body gave in, and she started to fall forward.
Ophelia caught her just in time, steadying her with gentle hands. She carried Alexandra to the couch on the other side of the caravan. As she set her down and adjusted her position, Ophelia whispered, "Get some rest…" A faint smile tugged at her lips—part relief, part disbelief. Alexandra had stayed awake until she had woken up.
Her attention shifted to the far corner of the room. Leaning against the wooden wall, her arms crossed but her head nodding slightly, was Tridra. Her black hair framed her face, and the emerald earrings she wore shimmered faintly in the dim light. Though her stance was stoic, her exhaustion was clear—she was half-asleep herself.
Ophelia rose to her feet and approached Tridra, her steps soft but deliberate. That same small, tired smile clung to her face, a mixture of gratitude and disbelief.
Tridra's eyes snapped open as Ophelia neared, her posture straightening in an instant. "I'm glad to see you're awake, My Lady," she said, her voice steady despite the heaviness in her gaze.
Still smiling, Ophelia extended her arms. "Get some rest as well," she said gently.
It was as though something inside Tridra broke free. She faltered for a moment before stepping into Ophelia's embrace, leaning against her like a dam finally giving way. Ophelia guided her to the couch, tucking her beside Alexandra. She pulled the single blanket from the corner and draped it over both of them.
Letting out a long, weary sigh, Ophelia stood and looked up at the ceiling. The memories from earlier lingered, vivid and haunting.
"Those memories were the parasite again…" she muttered before trailing off, her eyes shifting around the caravan, the memories from her prior fight flooding in. "That was too close. However, besides that, I wanted that parasite. The one in the bandit king."
Ophelia stepped out of the cart, her boots crunching softly against the dirt. The chill of the autumn night wrapped around her, but she barely noticed it. Above, the sky stretched vast and clear, a canvas of stars shimmering against the dark expanse.
Two Holy Knights stood at attention near the camp's edge, their silver armor faintly reflecting the flicker of the distant campfire. At the sight of her, they straightened further, their hands resting on the pommels of their swords. They gave a slight bow, speaking in unison.
"We are glad to see you have recovered."
Ophelia nodded, her expression calm but unreadable. "Is Edwin fine? He must have used Holy Ratification."
The knight on the left answered first, his voice steady but laced with reverence. "He's doing fine, My Lady. He's resting in another one of the carts."
Ophelia let out a long breath, her exhale visible in the crisp night air. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly as she said, "Get some rest as well. I have had enough. I will take watch from here."
The knights exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unwilling to abandon their post. "My Lady, with all due respect—"
"Just go to sleep. That is an order."
Her tone left no room for argument. After a moment of hesitation, the two knights bowed again, their movements stiff and awkward. They made their way toward the large campfire that marked the center of their makeshift base, nestled snugly between the two cliffs that offered them shelter.
Reaching the fire, they laid down on some linen, pulling a single thick blanket over themselves. It didn't take long for the rhythmic rise and fall of their breathing to signal that they had drifted into an exhausted sleep.
Ophelia walked to the edge of their base, where a narrow pathway served as the only entrance. She lowered herself onto a large stone, her posture straight despite the weariness tugging at her limbs. Her breath escaped in another icy mist, and she tilted her head back to gaze at the stars.
"For me to fully establish on the edge of this mountain range," she muttered, her voice barely audible against the quiet of the night, "all of these pests need to go."
A sharp pain lanced through her abdomen, sudden and intense. She didn't flinch or even acknowledge it beyond a brief narrowing of her eyes. The pain was a reminder—her body wasn't fully recovered yet.
Her fingers brushed against her forehead as she continued to speak softly to herself, her thoughts unraveling into words. "But they are strong, and there are still too many unknown variables. That Gorgus Maximus…" Her brow furrowed. "It wasn't outside of my calculations, seeing as Anti-Crystals are in this mountain, but…"
Her voice trailed off, the weight of her own musings pressing down on her. She exhaled again, watching the breath fade into the dark. "It's not like I expected one to actually appear. Especially one with a humanoid origin."
Out of all of her calculations, of course, some took priority over others. Expecting something with a higher probability to appear would be common sense, and seeing as how Ophelia was a very logical woman, she always took this train of thought. At the same time, preparing for outliers such as the Gorgus Maximus was pure stupidity, especially when there were more important matters to prepare for.
She wasn't a god, but a mortal.
The night stretched on in silence, broken only by the distant crackle of the campfire and the soft murmur of the wind through the cliffs. Ophelia sat there, her gaze distant, her thoughts as restless as the stars above.
"Now, let us see these evolution options…"
…
(Tridra POV)
The first thing I saw as I fluttered my eyes open was two massive black mountains blocking my view. My mind was still groggy, and for a moment, I blinked, trying to make sense of it. As my vision cleared, the realization hit me like a thunderclap. I was lying on Alexandra—more specifically, on her chest. Her very, very well-defined chest, framed perfectly by the skintight black top she was wearing.
I froze, my breath catching in my throat as my cheeks lit up like a bonfire. My gaze darted down. Loose trousers completed her outfit, but it was far from enough to distract me from the mortifying situation I found myself in. Alexandra was still asleep, her face peaceful and relaxed, utterly unaware of my current predicament.
Or so I hoped.
Carefully, I began to shift, trying to lift myself off her without waking her. Every movement felt impossibly loud, like the smallest sound would stir her awake. But just as I started to slip free, I miscalculated. My knee fumbled against her thigh, and before I could recover, I lost my balance and landed right back onto her.
Her eyes opened.
We locked gazes. Her golden irises practically glowed in the dim light of the cart, and a playful smirk spread across her lips. "Aren't you a bold one?" she murmured, her voice low and teasing.
I scrambled off her, my face burning as I stumbled to stand beside the couch, smoothing my clothes with shaky hands. Words tumbled out of my mouth in a disjointed mess. "I—uh—this isn't—what I mean is—"
Alexandra chuckled lightly, leaning back against the couch as if my panic was the most entertaining thing she'd seen all day. "Relax," she said, cutting off my stammering. "Let's get some breakfast."
I nodded—profusely. Probably too much. "Y-yes, of course!" My voice cracked, and I winced inwardly at myself.
She stretched lazily before standing and heading for the door, and I followed her out like a nervous shadow.
The moment we stepped outside, the sunlight hit us, and I squinted. It wasn't morning anymore. The sun was high overhead, its position telling me it was closer to noon. A crisp chill hung in the air despite the clear skies.
"Guess it's more like lunch," Alexandra said, laughing softly as she tucked her hands into her trouser pockets.
I managed a weak laugh in return, though I was still focused on keeping my gaze anywhere but on her. We made our way to the campfire, which had burned down significantly from the night before, the flames now a subdued flicker.
Everyone was gathered around it—the Holy Knights, the workers, the caravan leader, and, of course, Lady Ophelia. She was surrounded, mostly by the Holy Knights, who were peppering her with questions about… armor?
I tilted my head, confused. I'd been knocked out before the fight even really began, so I had no idea what they were talking about.
Alexandra walked ahead and joined the circle, casually dropping onto a log near the fire. I followed her, sitting stiffly at her side, my focus half on the conversation and half on trying to compose myself.
"So," Alexandra said, her tone light but teasing as she gave Ophelia a cheeky grin. "What was it?"
Ophelia let out another long groan and I soon noticed just how much closer everybody had grown. Even Ophelia who was a bit indifferent to the knights was now lightly entertaining their banter.
Lunch dragged on, mostly because Ophelia outright refused to entertain any of the questions thrown her way. She deflected with a mix of vague responses and pointed glares until even the most persistent of the Holy Knights gave up. Well, all of them except Alexandra, who seemed to treat it like a game.
"Come on," Alexandra teased, leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "You've got to give us something." Her grin was wide and cheeky, clearly enjoying Ophelia's exasperation.
Ophelia pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated sigh. "It was armor. That's all you need to know."
"Armor that made you look so demonic? That's not very holy of you, Miss Duchess of the Holy Empire" Alexandra continued, undeterred.
Off to the side, I noticed Edwin sitting quietly, a small, amused smile tugging at his lips as he watched Alexandra press on. His appearance had changed a bit with him looking more in his early fifties, but his eyes were almost feline-like with slim golden pupils and his hair was now cut into a short golden buzz. When he caught me staring, I quickly averted my gaze, feeling a little embarrassed for being caught.
But he didn't let it slide. Moments later, he stood up and made his way over to where I was sitting. As he sat beside me, he let out a long groan, stretching his arms before settling into a comfortable position.
"It was impressive how fast you got knocked out," he said, grinning.
My face burned as I struggled to respond, forcing a weak, fake smile. I hated how true his words were. I had been knocked out almost instantly, and the thought had been gnawing at me even on the absolutely brutal trudge back to our camp
Before I could say anything, Edwin's grin softened, and his tone shifted. "I'm just joking," he said, his voice quieter but steady. "You did more than enough for us before. If it wasn't for you, the plan wouldn't have even started in the first place. So, try not to beat yourself up too much. There's plenty of time to train and grow stronger. Don't let this one loss get to you."
I know he was just being nice, as Ophelia could've easily made a new plan, but… still… his words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I just stared at him. Slowly, my fake smile melted into something more genuine—a small, warm smile I didn't have to force. "Thank you," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
As lunch wrapped up, the group started to disperse, heading off to their tasks or simply to rest. I stayed by the fire for a while, watching as Alexandra and Ophelia walked back toward the cart. Alexandra was clinging to Ophelia's right arm, laughing about something, though I couldn't hear what.
My chest tightened as I watched them, an ache settling in my heart.
And I knew exactly what it was… jealousy.
"Dammit…" I muttered to myself. "I really like her."