Alton pushed through the cave entrance with his arms full of frozen branches, snow cascading off his broad bear-fur shoulders. The small space felt almost welcoming now. He knelt by the remains of the earlier fire pit and summoned a flicker of Low Level Fire Magic. Orange flames danced to life across his fingertips before catching on the driest twigs. Within minutes, a steady fire crackled warmly, filling the little cavern with golden light and the faint scent of burning pine.
He sat down heavily, back against the stone wall, and skewered chunks of rabbit meat onto sharpened branches. Holding them over the flames, he watched the fat sizzle and drip. Exhaustion weighed on every muscle, but for the first time since waking in this world, a strange sense of peace settled over him.
The blizzard continued its endless roar outside, yet inside the cave the wind's howl softened into something almost melodic. The contrast between the deadly cold beyond the entrance and the gentle heat licking at his face reminded him powerfully of his old life. Back then, he would sit by his apartment window for hours, staring at falling snow under streetlights, a cup of cheap instant coffee in his hands. The world outside felt distant and honest. Winter never judged him. It never expected good grades or perfect productivity. It simply existed—beautiful and merciless.
He hadn't realized how deeply miserable his old life had been until this moment. The quiet disappointment from his mother, the indifferent ghost of his father, the endless cycle of overtime and forgotten weekends… it had all felt like "just life." Normal. Bearable. But here, covered in blood and fur after fighting for his survival, a quiet happiness bloomed in his chest. This world was terrifying, but it felt real. Purposeful. Like every breath and every choice actually mattered.
The meat cooked slowly. Alton turned the sticks with care, making sure each piece was well-done. He had no salt, no spices, nothing to improve the flavor, but he didn't care. When he finally took the first bite, th7e hot juices filled his mouth. It was gamey and plain, yet it was the best thing he had tasted in this new world. Strength slowly returned to his limbs as he ate.
He lingered by the fire for a long time, simply existing. No rush. No deadlines. No spreadsheets waiting under fluorescent lights. For now, this small sanctuary was enough.
Eventually, reality crept back in. He couldn't stay here forever. He needed to move, to explore, to understand where—and what—he was. After reviewing every skill he possessed and mentally preparing himself for whatever might come next, Alton stood up, adjusted his thick coat and mask, and stepped back into the blizzard.
The storm had not weakened at all. Visibility remained poor, and the wind clawed at every exposed inch of fabric. Using Detection, he scanned the area and picked up a faint, linear depression beneath the snow—possibly an old path or trail made by humans or travelers. He decided to follow it.
He walked. And walked. The rhythmic crunch of his boots and the constant howl of the wind became almost hypnotic. Time lost meaning. It could have been the middle of the day or late afternoon; the blizzard turned everything into a timeless white haze. His new full-body outfit kept him surprisingly warm, but the cold still pressed in, a constant reminder that this world did not forgive weakness.
After what felt like a full hour, something massive appeared ahead through the swirling snow.
At first, Alton thought it was a strange rock pillar or a frozen tree. Then the shape resolved—tall, way too tall. A humanoid silhouette easily five meters high, standing completely still amid the storm.
His stomach dropped.
It was a skeleton. A giant skeleton, bones coated in a thin layer of frost and ice, empty eye sockets glowing with faint blue light. The System window snapped open immediately:
Mountain Skeleton
Level: 4
Skill: Ice Punch
Class: Giant
Weaknesses: Fire Magic, Brute Force
Warning: Unpredictable movements — Predicting skill will be unreliable
Alton's heart hammered against his ribs. A giant skeleton. This wasn't like the rabbits or even the bear. This was something out of a nightmare. He tried to back away slowly and quietly, hoping the storm would hide him.
It didn't work.
The creature's massive skull turned with a grinding creak of bone on bone. Hollow eyes locked onto him.
"Oh… shit."
The Mountain Skeleton took one enormous step forward, the ground trembling beneath its weight. It charged with surprising speed for such a colossal body. Alton barely managed to dodge the first sweeping arm, the rush of icy wind nearly knocking him off his feet. He turned and ran, but the skeleton's long strides devoured the distance. For every four frantic steps he took, the giant needed only one.
There was no escaping it. The creature loomed behind him like death itself, bony fingers reaching through the blizzard.
Alton skidded to a halt and spun around, breathing hard inside his mask. The giant skeleton stood over him, a towering nightmare of frost and bone, its presence swallowing what little light remained in the storm.