Cold.
It's cold.
We spawn on a small stone platform in a desolate mountain range, buried in snow.
The cold cuts through our armor as if it isn't there. It's freezing … so cold. Rei sustains a small flame, letting it hover around us like a restless firefly, keeping us warm and preventing the snow from piling on us.
This floor isn't like the other tutorial floors. It's different. The cold is relentless. A few trees are scattered across the barren landscape, but the rest is nothing but rock and snow.
The runes engraved into the weathered stone are illegible, though I imagine they aren't much different from the ones I've seen before.
Runic Teleportation. A lost art to the NPCs. A convenience for us.
I scan the floor, but there's nothing. Just snow, piling on top of more snow.
"Where do we start?" Rei asks, looking to Teruki for guidance.
"We'll just keep walking until we get too cold and teleport back," I say.
"It's quiet," Sakura mutters. "It's pretty creepy."
Teruki adds. "It's called the Frozen Wasteland."
"What do you mean?" I ask, looking at her.
"I've seen this floor hundreds of times. This is supposed to be floor thirteen, I believe."
"Do you know what the boss is?" I ask.
"Of course," she replies. "It's the Frozen General. However, in the game, he was able to use magic."
"The issue is," she continues, "bosses aren't supposed to be able to use magic on the first floors."
Rei interjects, "How hard is the boss?"
Sakura chimes in, "Pretty easy. It was only thirteen, but the problem is if it has access to magic. If it does, we would definitely need Crusaders' help."
"Why's that?"
Teruki explains, "It has a unique mechanic where it can absorb magical attacks and convert them into healing for itself. The more you cast, the stronger it becomes."
"Let's hope it doesn't," Rei smiles as we continue moving.
We open the floor's clear path. It's really beautiful.
"A lot more so in person," Teruki says quietly.
"Should we set up camp?" Viri asks.
"There's no point," Rei replies. "It's a frozen wasteland."
I nod in agreement as we follow a faint, barely noticeable trail of footsteps leading down the snowy path.
The footsteps stop for a moment near some frozen trees. Their bare branches stretch toward the gray sky like cold fingers. The wind howls through the mountains, blowing snow that bites at their skin. Every step sinks into deep, fresh snow. Their tracks fade almost as soon as they are made.
Viri lets out a sharp breath, watching it curl into the frigid air. "So… what exactly are we doing out here?"
"RG usually scouts out the floors first," Rei answers, her voice steady. "Sho ordered it."
That explanation is enough. No one argues. Sho's decisions are final, and none of us want to test her patience.
The cold surrounds them, never letting up. A small flame floats nearby, flickering weakly against the freezing air. Everything is silent. No sounds of animals. Nothing.
Sakura suddenly stops, her head tilting slightly. "There's something up ahead."
She moves ahead without a word, her steps careful and slow. We follow her, watching as she kneels by a snow mound. She brushes away the snow. A small rabbit lies hidden. Its fur is the same color as the snow around it.
It barely moves, its breath slow, deliberate. When Sakura gently lifts it, we see its eyes. Two glowing blue orbs, like frost-coated gemstones. The light within them is unnatural, almost hypnotic.
"How are you not freezing?" Teruki says to the rabbit
It blinks, clearly surprised by the question.
She gently holds the rabbit, studying it. Even though it looks frozen, it doesn't move or seem bothered.
"Definitely Floor Thirteen," Teruki mumbles.
Rei steps forward. "Can you describe the boss? What does it look like?"
Teruki nods slowly. "It's called the Frozen General. His name was General Iskandar. Back in the game, I remember seeing him. Tall, wearing shattered frostplate armor, with frozen chains still trailing from his arms. He used to be a human general during the first age, when the High Humans first arrived in this world. But he was sealed in ice after betraying his kingdom. The ice eventually cracked, and now he wanders these forests."
"A monster?" Rei asks.
"No," Teruki answers before Sakura can. "Not really. He's human. Or… was. It's complicated."
"You know him?" Viri asks.
Teruki nods. "I used to be his avatar a few times in public servers."
There's a pause.
"Wait," I say. "What's an avatar?"
"In the game," Teruki explains, "a boss could choose a player to act as its avatar. Only one at a time. You'd gain all the boss's abilities in addition to your own, but you wouldn't be able to level up while the connection was active. Since there were no level systems here at first… I don't know if that mechanic still works."
"You want to talk to him?" Viri asks.
"I think I should try," Teruki says, serious now. "If there's even a chance … he might remember me."
The rabbit twitches its nose, then suddenly hops out from behind Teruki, following close at her heels.
Viri sighs. "Great. Another mouth to feed."
No one disagrees.
As we continue walking, the rabbit follows closely behind, its glowing eyes never leaving us.
Viri watches the rabbit for a moment before letting out a sharp breath.
"Want me to kill it?" she asks, already resting a hand on her weapon.
Before anyone can answer, Teruki scoops up the rabbit, cradling it in her arms. "No way. We're not killing it." Her tone is firm, leaving no room for argument.
Rei crosses her arms, eyeing the rabbit's eerie blue eyes. "You know, those could fetch a good sum. I heard they're rare."
Teruki sighs. "No chance. Look at it! It's way too cute." She strokes behind its ears, and the rabbit remains eerily still, its frozen blue gaze unblinking. "Besides, it's an adult. It's survived this long."
Rei shrugs. "I used to have a rabbit. It looked just like this one."
There's a trace of nostalgia in her voice. She doesn't push the subject further.
They all turn to Sakura, waiting for her opinion.
"What do you think, Sakura?" Rei asks.
Sakura barely glances at the rabbit. "If you want to keep it, you can. But it might die if we take it off this floor."
Teruki frowns, staring at the rabbit in her arms.
"Yeah… you're probably right." With a sigh.
She kneels and gently places it back in the snow.
"Sorry, little one. You belong here."
The rabbit twitches its nose but doesn't move at first. It just sits there, staring with those icy blue eyes. Then, as if understanding the decision, it turns and hops back into the cold, frozen landscape.
Teruki watches until it disappears into the snow before standing up. "Let's get moving."
No one argues. The cold is pressing in again, and there's still a long way to go