The cold winds of Dragon's Peak continued to howl across the endless mountain slopes.
Snow drifted through the air like countless white feathers, reducing visibility to only a few dozen meters ahead. Every gust carried tiny shards of ice that stung exposed skin, while the frozen ground crunched beneath each careful step.
Akari walked quietly near the center of the group.
Her sealed katana rested comfortably against her waist.
Memory skipped beside her, occasionally opening her status window every few seconds before closing it again with an excited grin.
"Hehehe..."
Akari looked sideways.
"...You're checking Snowflake again."
Memory quickly closed the window.
"I-I wasn't!"
"...You were."
"...Okay, maybe I was."
She giggled.
"I still can't believe I actually tamed it."
Leila laughed from the front.
"If I were you, I'd probably be checking every thirty seconds too."
Memory proudly puffed out her chest.
"Twenty seconds."
The group laughed together.
Even Cynthia smiled.
For the first time since entering Dragon's Peak...
The atmosphere finally felt relaxed.
Then—
Ding.
A system notification appeared before Cynthia's eyes.
Her footsteps immediately stopped.
Leila noticed almost instantly.
"...Cynthia?"
Cynthia's cheerful expression slowly disappeared.
She quietly opened the message.
The sender alone made her posture straighten.
Guild Master: Dark Shadow
She opened the message.
To all members of Oblivion Pledge.
Return to guild headquarters immediately.
Mandatory emergency meeting.
The negotiations with Absolute Zero have concluded.
Attendance is required.
Failure to report immediately will result in disciplinary action.
— Dark Shadow
Cynthia slowly lowered the message.
"...Looks like our trip ends here."
Everyone looked toward her.
Leila had already guessed the reason.
"...Guild recall?"
Cynthia nodded.
"Yeah."
"Our guild leader just sent an emergency order."
"We have to head back immediately."
Memory blinked.
"So... we're done climbing?"
"I'm afraid so."
Cynthia smiled apologetically.
"I'm really sorry."
"I was looking forward to showing you more of Dragon's Peak."
Akari shook her head gently.
"It's alright."
She looked toward the endless blizzard covering the higher mountains.
"I honestly don't think we were ready to go much farther."
Leila crossed her arms.
"I'll agree with that."
"We've already run into Frost Elves, Frostbite Beasts, and a Frostbite Leonas."
She sighed.
"And that's still considered the lower-middle region of Dragon's Peak."
Memory slowly looked upward toward the distant snow-covered summit.
"...Now I'm scared of whatever lives up there."
Cynthia chuckled.
"You should be."
"The summit is where the truly dangerous monsters roam."
She paused.
"Even experienced guild parties avoid it unless they're fully prepared."
Memory suddenly frowned.
"...Wait."
"If we're stopping here..."
"How are we getting back?"
She looked around at the violent snowstorm surrounding them.
"We barely survived getting up here."
"There aren't any roads."
"And we might get attacked again."
Akari quietly nodded.
"...That's true."
Cynthia smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry."
She opened her inventory.
Blue light shimmered before her.
A small crystal appeared in her hand.
It was no larger than her palm.
Its surface resembled frozen sapphire, while tiny streams of blue light flowed endlessly inside it.
The crystal sparkled beautifully beneath the falling snow.
Memory's eyes widened.
"...Pretty..."
Akari accepted the crystal carefully after Cynthia handed it to her.
It felt surprisingly warm despite resembling solid ice.
Cynthia handed another identical crystal to Memory.
Memory rotated it slowly beneath the light.
"It looks expensive..."
"It's not, most guild shops hand them for free."
Cynthia laughed.
"It's called a Teleport Crystal."
She pointed toward it.
"It's a single-use emergency item."
"When you crush it in your hand..."
"It instantly teleports you to the nearest safe settlement."
Akari looked toward her.
"...Which would be?"
"The Village of Vareth."
"The closest safe zone to Dragon's Peak."
Leila reached into her own inventory.
"I've already got one."
She held up another crystal.
"Every scouting party carries these."
"They're a little expensive for some..."
"...but they're worth every coin."
Memory carefully tucked hers away.
"So..."
"...we just crush them?"
Cynthia nodded.
"Exactly."
She then bowed deeply toward Akari and Memory.
"I'm truly sorry."
"I invited both of you up here."
"So it's my responsibility to make sure both of you return safely."
Akari immediately shook her head.
"You don't have to apologize."
"We still had fun."
Memory nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah!"
"I got Snowflake!"
"And we fought giant monsters!"
"And I almost died!"
Leila blinked.
"...That last part isn't exactly a good thing."
Memory grinned sheepishly.
"...Still counts."
The group laughed again.
The earlier disappointment quickly faded.
Cynthia straightened herself.
"Next time..."
She smiled warmly.
"I'll make it up to both of you."
Akari returned the smile.
"We'd like that."
Leila looked toward the distant mountain trail.
"And next time..."
"We'll actually reach our destination."
Memory immediately raised one fist.
"I'm coming back!"
"And Snowflake's coming too!"
Akari quietly sighed.
"...Of course she is."
The four stood together one final time.
Cynthia held her crystal firmly.
"So..."
"Ready?"
Everyone nodded.
They simultaneously crushed the crystals within their hands.
CRACK
Blue light erupted instantly.
The crystals dissolved into countless glowing particles.
Magic circles spread beneath everyone's feet.
The violent snowstorm disappeared.
The freezing winds vanished.
Their surroundings blurred into streaks of blue light.
Then—
Everything became white.
...
A gentle breeze greeted them.
Birds chirped nearby.
The smell of fresh bread drifted through the air.
The four slowly opened their eyes.
They now stood safely inside the central plaza of the Village of Vareth.
Players walked through the streets.
NPC merchants called out their goods.
Children chased each other through the village square.
It felt like an entirely different world compared to Dragon's Peak.
Memory stretched dramatically.
"...Warm..."
"I missed civilization."
Leila laughed.
"You've only been gone a few hours."
"It felt like three years."
Cynthia smiled before bowing once more.
"I'm sorry our expedition ended so suddenly."
Akari smiled reassuringly.
"Really."
"It's alright."
"We understand."
Memory nodded.
"Guilds have responsibilities."
Cynthia looked relieved.
"...Thank you."
She hesitated briefly before smiling.
"The next time we meet..."
"I'll make sure nothing interrupts our adventure."
"It's a promise."
Memory grinned.
"You'd better."
Leila waved.
"See you around."
Cynthia and Leila turned toward the large teleportation platform near the center of the village.
Its blue crystal shimmered brilliantly beneath the morning sun.
Before stepping onto it...
Cynthia glanced back one last time.
Her eyes rested on Akari.
The white hair.
The calm expression.
The way she carried herself.
It reminded her...
Far too much of someone else.
She smiled to herself.
"There's definitely more to that girl than she's letting on..."
"Maybe someday..."
"I'll find out who she really is."
The teleportation crystal activated.
Blue light engulfed both guild members.
A heartbeat later—
Cynthia and Leila disappeared, leaving only Akari and Memory standing together in the bustling streets of Vareth.
Memory watched the light fade before turning toward her best friend with sparkling eyes.
"So..."
She grinned mischievously.
"What should we do next?"
Akari looked toward the distant mountains one final time.
Then smiled.
"Our own adventure..."
"...is only just beginning."
The snow-covered peaks of Dragon's Peak gradually disappeared behind them.
The fierce blizzards.
The desperate battle against the Frostbite Leonas.
The terrifying encounter that had nearly claimed their lives.
All of it slowly faded into the distance as Akari and Memory descended toward the safer forests surrounding the Village of Vareth.
The warm sunlight filtering through the trees felt almost unreal after spending so much time surrounded by endless white snow.
Birds chirped cheerfully overhead.
A gentle breeze swayed the leaves.
Compared to the mountains...
This forest felt peaceful.
Memory stretched both arms above her head.
"...Finally."
"I was starting to think everything in this game wanted to kill us."
Akari couldn't help smiling a little.
"...It kind of does."
Memory laughed.
"Fair point."
The two girls wandered deeper into the beginner hunting grounds without any particular destination in mind.
They weren't chasing quests.
They weren't looking for treasure.
They simply wanted to enjoy the world.
For once.
The sound of rustling bushes interrupted the peaceful silence.
A Wild Boar slowly stepped out from behind several trees.
The monster lowered its tusks.
Then charged.
Memory immediately pointed dramatically.
"Target acquired!"
Akari calmly stepped forward.
Narukami remained sealed inside its scabbard.
She lowered her stance.
The Wild Boar closed the distance in seconds.
Just before the tusks reached her—
Akari moved.
[Sword Skill: Hangeki]
The sealed blade struck the boar's head with astonishing speed.
CLANG!
The impact redirected the charging beast completely.
Its balance broke.
Before it could recover—
Akari twisted her body.
One precise step.
One clean motion.
[Sword Skill: Retsugeki]
The scabbard struck the boar's neck.
The concentrated physical strike launched the monster several meters backward.
It rolled across the dirt before dissolving into blue particles.
Silence returned.
Memory blinked.
"...Wow."
"You've gotten ridiculously good."
Akari slowly lowered Narukami.
Her fingers remained wrapped around the hilt.
Then...
They tightened.
Her grip became firmer.
Almost painfully so.
Her eyes remained fixed on the sword.
The peaceful forest...
Slowly disappeared from her vision.
Instead—
A collapsing cavern.
Blinding purple lightning.
Explosions.
Stone crashing from the ceiling.
Memory's frightened scream as she was struck by Narukami.
For only a brief second...
She had almost become the greatest danger inside that dungeon.
Her grip tightened even more.
She never said a word.
Memory watched quietly.
She followed Akari's gaze toward Narukami.
Then...
She understood.
Her cheerful smile softened.
She knew exactly what Akari was remembering.
Instead of saying anything—
Memory suddenly clapped both hands together.
"Oh!"
Akari looked up.
Memory's eyes sparkled.
"I completely forgot!"
"I should summon Snowflake!"
The heavy atmosphere instantly shifted.
Akari blinked.
"...Right."
Memory excitedly opened her Tamer menu.
She selected her newest companion.
"Come on out!"
"Snowflake!"
A blue summoning circle spread across the ground beneath them.
Cold air drifted outward.
Tiny snowflakes began falling gently from the sky.
Akari instinctively took a step backward.
She still remembered the Frostbite Leonas.
That enormous predator.
The razor-sharp claws.
The monstrous fangs.
The terrifying pressure.
She fully expected that giant beast to emerge once again.
The light intensified.
The summoning circle glowed brighter.
Then—
"...Meow."
Silence.
Both girls stared.
Standing in the center of the magic circle...
Wasn't a gigantic predator.
It wasn't even knee-high.
A tiny white kitten blinked sleepily at them.
Its fluffy white fur almost blended into the falling snow.
Tiny ice-blue fangs poked adorably from its mouth whenever it yawned.
Its paws were oversized compared to its body.
Its blue eyes sparkled curiously.
The little creature looked around.
Then let out another tiny growl.
"...Mrr."
Memory's mouth slowly opened.
"..."
Akari blinked once.
Twice.
Three times.
"..."
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
The kitten tilted its head.
"...Mrr?"
Memory immediately opened her status window.
She rubbed both eyes.
Looked again.
Read it one more time.
Summon Name: Snowflake
Species: Frostbite Leonas
Memory slowly looked back toward the kitten.
"...No way."
Akari crouched carefully.
"...You're..."
"The Frostbite Leonas?"
The tiny kitten proudly puffed out its chest.
"...Mrr!"
Memory squealed.
"IT'S SO CUTE!"
Without hesitation she scooped the tiny creature into her arms.
Snowflake immediately began rubbing its face against her cheek while purring softly.
Memory completely melted.
"I can't believe you're the same monster!"
"You almost ate me!"
Snowflake innocently licked her face.
"...Mrr."
Memory laughed.
"I forgive you."
Akari couldn't help smiling.
It was impossible to imagine this tiny fluffball had once towered over them like a nightmare.
Memory suddenly remembered something else.
"Oh!"
"Bubbles!"
She opened another summoning circle.
The familiar blue slime bounced happily into existence.
Boing.
Boing.
Boing.
"Bubbles!"
"Look!"
"Snowflake is soooo cute!"
Bubbles bounced excitedly.
The tiny slime stopped directly in front of the kitten.
Snowflake leaned forward.
Sniff.
Bubbles wobbled happily.
The kitten gently tapped the slime with one tiny paw.
Boing.
Bubbles bounced backward.
Then immediately bounced forward again.
Snowflake chased after it.
The two tiny summons began playing together across the grass.
Memory watched with sparkling eyes.
"...This is the cutest thing I've ever seen."
As Snowflake happily chased Bubbles—
its passive ability quietly activated.
Soft snowflakes drifted lazily from the clear blue sky.
The temperature dropped just enough to feel refreshing.
Thin frost formed around the edges of the nearby grass.
The small clearing transformed into a beautiful winter scene.
Sunlight reflected off the falling snow.
White flakes floated peacefully between the trees.
It was strangely beautiful.
Memory hugged both summons together.
"There."
"My little team."
"Bubbles."
"Snowflake."
"We're all together now."
Bubbles happily bounced.
Snowflake purred loudly.
Akari watched the three of them.
The tightness around Narukami slowly eased.
Her fingers relaxed.
Not completely.
But enough.
For the first time since the Terracotta Dungeon...
The burden she had been silently carrying became just a little lighter.
She never spoke about it.
She didn't have to.
Watching Memory smile...
Watching Bubbles and Snowflake play together beneath the gentle snowfall...
That alone was enough.
Akari quietly rested Narukami against her shoulder.
A small smile finally appeared on her face.
And beneath a sky that should have been filled with sunshine—
Snow continued to fall peacefully around the three companions.
For just a little while...
The world of Evermount felt wonderfully calm.