Strong winds blew, accompanied by relentless threads of rain since morning.
I stared out from behind the window—everything seemed normal in the academy grounds. Some students went out to shop or wander, unlike me, holed up alone in my room.
[ Notification ]
"You have earned the title:' Ink of Ice '
The system window popped up right in my face. I read the content, but what caught my attention was the title itself.
The Ink of Ice—what does that even mean? I slowly raised my finger toward the question mark under the title, which revealed a text explaining the reason for the name.
"Cold as frost, solitary as wolves, sorrowful as seagulls, white like polar bears, and as fierce as lions in rage, sly as foxes. "
Is this a joke, system? You know I'm in a bad mood today, so don't mock me like this.
I closed the window and went back to staring at the others.
Knock~ Knock
"Come in."
The door opened, and the knocker stepped into my room.
"Klow!"
"Ah, it's you, Luna. How'd they even let you through?"
"The headmaster escorted me right to your door, so don't worry. More importantly—how's your arm?"
"It's fine."
"Klo Yuthnir !"
And who's this now? He looked like a werewolf—or maybe he was one. This world is strange.
"Who are you, and what do you want from me? If it's money, I need it more."
He raised his hands, waving them in the air.
"What do you say, Yuthnir ? Let's go on a trip to check out an abandoned dungeon. I read about it in one of the books I found in the library."
Hah?
"And what if we run into a monster at our level?"
"Don't worry, we've got Luna and Elithia —they're strong. In the swordsmanship exam, they got perfect scores, unlike you and me."
You do know I scored 87 out of 100 only thanks to the system, right? If I'd been born in this world, my score would've been in the gutter.
Still… maybe this exploration trip wouldn't be so bad. I'd just be alone for the weekend anyway.
"What are you bringing to the dungeon?"
"I've got a bag full of essentials and my scythe."
"And I've got healing bandages and my sword to sharpen my claws."
"That's… weird."
"Silence, you weak human."
I'd better get myself ready too.
...
After we prepared, the headmaster himself took us to the dungeon. We stood near it, our feet sinking into the snow, giant rocks set up like a gate before us, icy mist swallowing the surroundings.
"Listen to me—if you encounter danger, use this teleportation stone by crushing it."
The four of us entered. Elithia lit a fire with magic as we went deeper into the dungeon. On the way, we ran into cobwebs and skeletal remains of beasts. Pretty standard stuff.
We kept moving, avoiding hidden traps, until we reached a sign with strange words in the beast language.
I looked at the werewolf-looking guy, pointing to the sign. "Translate this for us, hybrid."
Luna and Elithia both smacked me hard on the head. I stood up, spinning in place from the blow.
"This sign says if we find the key and go deeper into the dungeon, we'll find treasure. Could it be gold?"
I started heading back. Something in that sign reeked of lies—it could be a trap.
"Let's go back."
"Back where, Klo ?"
"You know—this could be a trick to lure us to our deaths. I'm not in the mood to die; I'm tired of repeating the same thing over and over."
"What do you mean, Yuthnir?" the werewolf asked, baring his fangs.
"You won't understand what I mean."
He glanced at the others, and they seemed just as clueless.
"You think you're a man, Klo?"
Time froze for me right there—those arrogant words from Elithia.
"What do you mean, Elithia?"
"I think you're scared or something, Klo. Ever since we were kids, you were the fearless adventurer, but now I see the opposite."
"We've grown up, Elithia. We're not kids anymore—now I do fear death."
"Really? Then how about a prize—10,000 ban from me."
"…Really?!"
I turned to Elithia, thrilled.
"I swear on it."
"Then let's go. Who said I was turning back?"
I took the lead, heading for the sign and lifting its base to find the key.
They all stared at me, astonished.
"How'd you know that, Klo?"
"Thought it was obvious."
In every novel I wrote, I could never create difficult riddles, so I'd always just throw in a dumb, obvious solution. This was no different.
Honestly, I'm happy—first time my writing has ever come in handy.
We opened the gate and stepped deeper into the dungeon.
As we walked, we heard heavy breathing from inside.
"Uh, maybe we should head back, girls—and you, stranger."
"No, let's go further," said Elithia. She loved adventure too much. Luna, on the other hand, was trembling—just look at her legs.
We went on, and when we arrived, there it was—a massive ice fox, fur white as snow, blue markings covering its body. I approached it, suspecting it was dead, but the moment I touched it, my hand froze solid.
I jumped back, screaming—the blood in my arm froze. Elithia tried to summon fire, but the fox was fast—it killed her instantly.
I froze in place. I never thought I'd relive death again.
Luna stepped forward to protect me, but the fox threw her aside, ending her life too.
Luna coughed blood, her body broken on the ground.
I couldn't move toward her. My legs were numb, my body collapsed.
I looked at the wolf… The bastard fled, locking the gate behind him. Next time, I swear I'll kill you.
The fox approached to finish me, but I started laughing.
I looked at it, standing up, taking a few steps toward it, mocking it.
"I'm really afraid of losing them… but I have something that'll make you regret this."
"I know," the fox spoke.
I jumped back in shock.
Why is that feeling back again? Move, you useless legs.
I punched my thighs, but the fox drew closer, freezing my body bit by bit, leaving only my head unfrozen.
Even the falling sweat froze along with me.
"What—are you going to bite my head off as an appetizer? Do it already."
A light shone from her side, dimmed, and then her form changed. She slowly approached and touched my head.
"What are you doing? And what's with that form—back off."
After she did that, dizziness and drowsiness washed over me. I looked ahead, but she was gone.
What's happening?
My eyes slowly shut, and darkness swallowed me.