"RAAAWWW!!!" Xuexue growled loudly and nacingly.
Magen and the others had arrived with their Familiars ready to fight.
Even though Magen is not a class focused on speed but on defense, she was the one who led the way, her white-golden shield gleaming with protective intent. The snow crunched under her boots as she charged forward, eyes locked on the massive feline before us.
Seeing Magen arrive like that—with that fierce, unwavering loyalty—made my heart flutter in a way I couldn’t quite explain. It wasn’t just admiration; it was warmth, safety... sothing deeper.
"Wait, Magen! Everyone!
She’s not an enemy!
Calm down, calm down. Just like Dianeira, they’re all friends and teammates."
While motioning for the others to lower their guard, I also soothed Xuexue by patting her voluminous white fur with my hands. Her coat was softer than fresh snow, yet radiated a gentle heat that defied the cold mountain air.
"That’s a Vorshaan Nivalis Ciira!!!" From another direction, Xifia’s surprised and nervous voice rang out, her voice trembling slightly.
"Yes... Vremya sohow beca friends with a Vorshaan..." Dianeira, floating about three ters away from , confird Xifia’s suspicions, her bow still half-drawn but relaxed.
After a few seconds, Magen—who ca with Tikshna and Destan from the west—and Xifia—who ca with Kara from the east—gathered around and Xuexue, forming a loose circle of wary curiosity.
"Vremya captured a snow Vorshaan!? Woa! I want to ride him YOOO!!!~"
"GRRRRRRR!~" Xuexue growled at Magen, baring teeth that glead like ivory daggers.
"I think Xuexue won’t want to...
And is she no he" I shrugged, hiding a small smile. Even now, the great cat’s ears twitched toward my voice, as if listening.
"Do her understand?" Xifia asked, her analytical mind already working through the implications.
"I don’t know what’s going on with this Vorshaan either." Dianeira could only shake her head, her usual confidence replaced by awe.
"Som.. So Magical animals sotis understand language..." Tikshna comnted softly. Her eyes also sparkled upon seeing Xuexue. It seems the beauty of a white cat—regardless of size—is beloved by girls in every world. Even Tikshna, usually so reserved, leaned forward slightly, captivated.
"And we have a surprise for you later~" I said enigmatically, revealing nothing more than a mysterious smile. My gaze drifted toward the hidden cave, where tiny lives waited unknowingly.
Though everyone turned to with curious eyes, Kara spoke first, her voice low and steady.
"Aliens." Kara uttered just one word, locking eyes with . She didn’t need to say more—the battlefield told the story.
Kara didn’t seem to have much excitent or fear when she saw Xuexue, but, unlike her usual lazy eyes, this ti she had a serious look.
That’s when everyone finally noticed the carnage around us—the torn earth, the acid burns, the scattered remains of Zerglings.
"HEEEE!!!! Vremya, you defeated all these aliens by yourself? You’re amazing!"
"Magen! I’m teaming up with Vremya!" Dianeira exclaid, making her presence known, a hint of pride in her voice.
"You’re not even looking at the Vorshaan. I think it was the Vorshaan who defeated all these aliens..." Xifia hit the nail on the head. Truthfully, without Xuexue, we couldn’t have fought six Dune Runners (Zerglings) and two Roaches. We’d have been overwheld in minutes.
"Ehh? You an Vremya couldn’t have fought the aliens alone?"
"What?! No, no, no, no! Vremya, I didn’t an you’re weak...!
No, I didn’t even think that! I an, the n CAN beat aliens. Wait, no—I don’t an you’re a barbarian...!
AHHH! Magen, I’m gonna kill you!!!"
These two girls... Always fighting. But it’s the first ti I’ve seen Xifia so easily flustered by a single comnt from Magen. Their dynamic never failed to amuse —even in the middle of a warzone.
"It’s incredible. The power of this giant tiger is imnse—it nearly obliterated the Dune Runners and these two Zantar Snigill." Destan approached the alien corpses and examined them.
After Kara’s signal, everyone else began noticing the dead alien bodies.
"Excellent work, Vremya, everyone...
I’ll report the sighting of a small alien invasion unit in the area.
Rember to cleanse the zone. Kara, do you need these alien bodies?"
"Snigill."
Kara approached the half-destroyed Roach corpses and began channeling an incantation, her hands weaving shadows into the air.
The crow on Kara’s shoulder—Zuwu—took flight, circling overhead as shadowy energy fell from its body and wings like feathers of darkness.
A black hole appeared beneath the Roach corpses, as if sothing were devouring their flesh and blood, leaving only clean bone that quickly turned to ash.
Kara’s Familiar, the black crow nad Zuwu, is a mythical crow capable of traversing between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Born in the realm of the dead—or at least on the border between worlds—Zuwu draws power from death itself, or from the energy released when a living being departs this world.
To strengthen her underworld shadow magic, Kara must draw closer to the boundary of the afterlife—and one way to do that is by using freshly deceased bodies.
Of course, when she uses corpses to connect with the underworld, the bodies disintegrate. So Kara has never considered using the remains of humans or other sentient, intelligent beings. But when it cos to monstrous insectoid invaders, she feels no guilt.
Moreover, this communion with the underworld releases death energy that empowers both Zuwu and Kara herself. Her ritual gives her double the gain for half the effort.
Zergling corpses no longer satisfy her—the ti it takes to absorb them and the energy gained simply isn’t worth it anymore. And naturally, Kara’s noble family, House Bertram, has surely prepared rituals to cultivate a strong heir like her.
While Kara perford her ritual, Magen and the others began pouring purification potions over the Zergling bodies and across the area to eliminate contamination, A potion specially designed to eliminate traces of alien contamination and any pathogens that may contaminate the world.
While I watched Professor Rudelle, who had snow stains on her clothes and hair, her expression unreadable.
The person who had been lying hidden in the snow was none other than Professor Rudelle, who apparently followed us to keep watch. But why did she appear so close to ? Was it concern... or sothing else?
Setting aside unnecessary thoughts, Xuexue stood up once she seed sufficiently rested. Everyone instantly tensed and went on guard—but I knew what worried the great white mother cat.
Through my spatial perception, I never stopped monitoring the cave and scanning the surroundings. I don’t know why a small alien unit would appear here and attack Xuexue, but it doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
Especially since I feel... soone is watching this place. I can feel eyes on —cold, calculating, distant.
The little kittens in the cave are fine—just playing together, paws batting at each other in innocent joy. It seems they have no idea they nearly lost their mother and were almost orphaned.
Also, by chance, when I looked at Destan, I saw his status window—and in the thought box, sothing caught my attention.
The keywords in Destan’s system thought box were: Legendary; Vremya; Lords of Wind and Snow. And the phrase: Shouldn’t there be four? Is this when she got the first Lord? Destan’s thinking, at least in his mindset, is that he still sees as feminine.
Destan seed thrilled when he saw Xuexue. And from what I know of his past, this world is a projection of an RPG-style video ga.
This makes wonder about the goddess who brought Destan here. Are the gods so powerful that they can see past, present, and future simultaneously—and thus transmitted this world’s entire history to a blue-aqua star planet to inspire a circle of video gas and create an RPG based on all events of this world?
And if she’s so powerful... why didn’t she finish the extradinsional invasion herself, instead of letting a human seal the spatial rift?
Honestly, I’d want to et these so-called gods and ask them about their non-intervention rule in the mortal world...
It’s not that I’m worried an entity I’ve only heard of—and whose nature I don’t understand—knows my future or past.
I don’t know if the story in Destan’s video ga world is about . After all, I was reborn from my mother’s womb in this world—and it doesn’t quite match. In Destan’s world, Vremya is a woman... and I am a man. Did the goddess not notice this detail?
And if I, as a reincarnated soul, usurped the original Vremya’s fate and stole her future... does that an I’m not truly Vremya Garneth Corinth of this world...?
"Ahhh!?"
"Raw?"
"Ah... Thank you, Xuexue."
"Raw Raww Raaw"
"Vrem...?"
"Vremya!"
"Vremya, if you’re exhausted, release your summon!"
All the girls, along with Professor Rudelle, rushed toward in concern. I suddenly collapsed. My fairy wings flickered and seed to vanish like mist in sunlight.
It’s strange... This has never happened before—and I don’t feel tired... But my vision blurred for a second, as if reality itself wavered. Was it the strain of maintaining so many buffs? Or sothing deeper...
"No, I’m fine. I’m not that exhausted. Xuexue caught .
Thank you, Xuexue~"
"Raw!~"
Xuexue had caught with her paw the mont I began to fall. Her reflexes are incredible—faster than any human’s.
Once she saw I was okay, she gently lowered to the ground. I jumped up imdiately to show everyone I was fine, brushing snow from my coat.
"You’re our support—healer and assistant. If you’re down, the whole team suffers...
On second thought, maybe I should’ve picked another support class instead of a useless shield who only knows how to take hits."
"HEY!!! I’m not useless YOOOOO!!!"
"Shall we finish today’s exploration and return to the inn to rest?"
Though Rudelle seed to address the whole group, she was really asking —because she kept staring into my eyes, her gaze searching, probing.
"Nn. I’m fine. Besides...
There’s a place we need to go." I said mysteriously, my voice softening.
Aside from Xuexue... I also want to quickly go see those three little kittens in the cave. To make sure they’re safe.
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