"Get up now. How long do you plan to lie there?"
My body screamed in protest as I tried to move. Every joint ached, every breath scraped against my ribs like broken glass.
Still, I couldn't tear my gaze away from Alice—standing there with the severed head of the Snow Lion, frost still clinging to its bloodied mane, her silver-white hair tangled and wild like the storm she'd just walked through.
She looked like something out of myth.
"Come on," she said again, more impatiently this time, voice cutting through the cold. "You're not growing roots there, are you?"
"Give me… five more minutes," I groaned, dragging myself upright with a grunt.
Alice tossed the lion's head beside me with a wet thud, like dropping a sack of meat.
"You've got thirty seconds," she replied flatly.
I stared at the head. Its eyes were still open, glassy and vacant. A shiver ran down my spine—but not from fear.
I had done it.
We had done it.
The monster that almo killed me the first time we met in the hellish blizzard of North now is dead. The dungeon boss I swore vengeance on. It was dead now—and I was still alive.
I coughed, then chuckled weakly. "Take that you lion basterd."
Alice arched a brow. "What are you mumbling about?"
"Nothing," I said quickly, waving it off. "Just admiring your—uh—swordsmanship."
"You mean the part where I saved your sorry ass?"
"Exactly that one."
She rolled her eyes and reached down with her free hand, offering it to me. I hesitated a second—then grasped it.
Her grip was strong. Steady. She pulled me up with ease, as though I didn't weigh as much as a broken wagon.
I staggered a little, but she caught me before I could fall again. Our eyes met—just briefly.
"You're heavier than you look," Alice muttered, not unkindly, as she helped me up.
"Thanks," I wheezed, clutching my ribs. "I eat well."
She snorted, a grin tugging at her lips. "Yeah. That much is obvious."
Letting me go, she glanced toward the severed head of the Snow Lion leader lying nearby. A smirk danced across her face—sharp, confident.
Of course she would smile. She'd just soloed the Successor Trial like it was a warm-up.
I couldn't help but chuckle, even as pain lanced up my side.
Then, right on cue—
A soft chime echoed in my ears, and a familiar translucent panel shimmered into view.
[Processing Dungeon Clear Rewards…]
A moment later, the reward appeared.
But it wasn't what I expected.
Squeak.
A tiny sound. Almost too quiet.
We both turned toward it.
There, tucked beneath a shallow overhang of rock and snow, was a young lion pup. Small. Frail. Its fur was a silvery-gray, still fluffy with youth, its wide, frightened eyes peeking out as it whimpered softly.
It was the snow lion pup we had taken as hostage.
The air around it seemed still, as though the cave itself was holding its breath.
This was it.
The true prize of the Snow Lion Cave.
Even before the System clarified, I already knew. The original game had hinted at it too.
[New Companion Discovered – Young Snow Lion Pup]
Category: Pet
Note:Snow Lions are typically wild and untamable, but a pup separated from its mother at birth can be raised into a fiercely loyal companion.
- Can aid in combat when matured
- Can carry its owner using a custom saddle
- Requires time, care, and resources to raise
Most pets in the game were purely cosmetic. Maybe they'd fetch an item or two.
But not this one.
This one… had potential. Serious potential.
Before I could speak, Alice took a step forward.
Her gaze locked on the pup—not with curiosity, but cold calculation. The same sword that had brought down its mother now hung at her side, still stained with blood.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Snow Lions are a plague in the north," she said, tone clipped. "We can't let them breed. If it lives, it'll only become another threat."
She was already raising her blade.
I knew her reasoning. She lived by her code—protect the weak, destroy the threats. There was honor in it. Purpose.
But this time… it would ruin everything.
'Damn it. Not this time.'
"Wait," I said quickly, stepping slightly in front of her. "There might be another way."
Her sword didn't lower.
"Another way?" she repeated, skeptical.
"It's still a newborn," I said. "It hasn't even opened its fangs yet. It doesn't know what it is. That means it can be raised… trained."
Alice scoffed softly.
"Trained? It's a monster."
"It could become more than that," I pressed. "A companion. A guardian. It can also become proof that you have slain entire group snow lion and taken it's pup. I am sure no one has ever done that."
Her expression didn't change.
I could almost hear the gears turning behind her eyes. Duty and logic clashed with hesitation. She looked down at the pup again, its tiny form trembling in the snow.
Silence.
Then, she sheathed her sword with a sharp, practiced motion.
"You take responsibility," she said. "If he killed someone, You will died without any questions and I will personally order your execution."
I exhaled. Relief, cold and sharp, filled my lungs.
"Deal."
Alice turned away, muttering something under her breath about "soft hearts" and "stupid boys with bleeding ribs."
I knelt slowly, groaning as my side protested. The pup flinched, shrinking back.
"It's alright," I said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you."
It didn't run. Didn't growl. Just stared, breathing shallow.
I extended my hand.
After a long pause, the pup leaned forward and nudged my palm with its cold nose.
[Young Snow Lion Pup has accepted you as its caretaker.]
[A new bond has been formed.]
A warmth spread through my chest—nothing magical, but real. Quiet. Fulfilling.
Alice glanced back at us, her brow raised.
"That thing better not pee on my boots."
I grinned. "No promises."
She rolled her eyes and started toward the cave's exit.
"Let's move. We're done here."
I looked down at the pup nestled beside me and nodded.
"Yeah. We are."
But at the same time face of the head butler Hans comes in my mind and glanced towards the flare that he has given me before.
'I entrusted you, and you dare…!' I could imagine the head butler grabbing the back of his neck in frustration.
"I don't feel confident in facing the increasingly severe scolding in real-time."
"Funny, I was thinking the same. Hans nagging can be a bit tiresome."
Laughing, we exited the cave without deciding who would go first.