Chapter 33: Snow Lion Cave [1]

We moved fast. The snow underfoot muffled our steps as we made our way toward the cliffs marked on the map. Alice led now, her eyes sharper than ever, her focus unwavering.

There was no hesitation in her stride anymore.

She’d made her decision.

The Frostpine Hollow was quiet—eerily so. No birds, no distant howls, not even the whisper of the wind once we passed beneath the towering pine canopy. It was the kind of silence that made your ears ring. The kind of silence that said: something was watching.

And it was.

Alice raised a hand, signaling me to stop. She crouched low, fingers brushing the snow. I knelt beside her, and followed her gaze.

There—half-hidden between a pair of jagged stones—the entrance to the Snow Lion’s den.

It wasn’t some gaping cave mouth like in the stories. No, it was narrow, sharp, sloped downward, veiled by fallen branches and packed ice. But the prints around it—the claw marks on the bark, the crimson smears trailing just inside—it was all there.

Fresh.

Very fresh.

“We’re close,” I whispered.

Alice didn’t reply. Her hand reached back toward the hilt of her sword.

Alice shivered slightly, then steadied herself.

“This is your plan?” she asked, glancing sideways. “Sneak into the den of a snow beast and slay it before anyone notices?”

“Well,” I said with a half-smile, “when you say it like that, it sounds insane.”

She shook her head. “It is insane.”

Then she drew her blade.

“But I’m in.”

The silver gleam of her sword lit up under the pale light. Her breathing slowed. Her posture shifted. No longer cautious—now predatory.

Alice Draken, the noble’s daughter who had something to prove, was finally showing her fangs.

I couldn’t help but smile. This was what I’d wanted to see.

Within minutes, we stood at the mouth of the cave.

—-

[Snow Lion Cave]

[Once the terror of the snowy ranges, the snow lions have long plagued the North—fast, clever, and fiercely territorial.]

[Their trail, marked by tufts of fur, pawprints, and frozen waste, has led you here.]

[Now begins the counterattack and settled a peace in northern land.]

Objective: Clear the den of snow lions.

——

The entrance loomed ahead like the open jaws of some ancient beast—black, silent, and waiting.

Just looking at it made my skin crawl.

Endless darkness. Cold seeping from within. An overwhelming sense of… something.

Alice didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll take the lead from here,” she said, stepping forward with determined strides.

Typical.

She was already inside before I could stop her.

“Wait a second!” I called after her.

She turned halfway, her silver-blonde hair catching the dim light. “What now?”

“Where exactly is it written that a servant should let his lady walk into danger first?” I asked, walking up beside her.

She scoffed. “You sound like an old knight from some fairy tale.”

I am not.

Compared to other dungeons I’d seen in the game, this place was manageable. But the rewards? More than worth the trouble.

Relics, gear, materials—and if we were lucky, maybe something that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

Still, Alice wasn’t having it.

“I didn’t ask for help,” she said firmly. “This is my trial. I’ll complete it alone.”

I crossed my arms. “Even then, tradition says a witness is required.”

“Witness, not guide.”

“Then let me witness from the front,” I said with a shrug.

She narrowed her eyes. “Is this really about protection… or are you hiding something?”

’I am hiding something. Like the two relics tucked behind the next chamber wall. Or maybe not. I’m just hoping I could find any relics and at the same time I could also get my revenge on that snow lion.’

But I didn’t say that aloud.

Instead, I gave a diplomatic smile. “Let’s just say… I have my own reasons to be cautious.”

Reluctantly, Alice let out a breath and slowed her pace just enough to let me take point. We walked side-by-side, edging deeper into the tunnel.

The air inside the cave was dense—like it hadn’t moved in years. The sound of our boots crunching the icy ground echoed faintly.

And yet…

“This is strange,” Alice muttered after a while. “Not even a single snow lion. Not a sound. Not a cub. Nothing.”

I nodded slowly, eyes scanning the walls.

It was too quiet..

“Don’t worry,” I said quietly, glancing over my shoulder. “Just stick close and follow my lead.”

I hadn’t played the game more than once. And even then, I rushed through most of it, barely paying attention to the finer details.

Still, I remembered the ending. And that gave me just enough of an edge here.

I didn’t know everything about snow lions—but I knew enough.

Finding them wouldn’t be difficult.

In fact, it’d be easy.

Because we weren’t hunting them anymore.

They were hunting us.

These were predators—territorial, intelligent, and sensitive to even the slightest disturbance in their domain. By now, they would’ve picked up our scent. Heard our footsteps. Felt our presence.

They were coming.

I was sure of it.

But that didn’t mean we had to be afraid. Just prepared.

Alice opened her mouth—probably to object, scold me, or assert control again—but I was already moving forward, deeper into the cave.

She gave a short, frustrated exhale and narrowed her eyes at my back.

Under normal circumstances, I was pretty sure she’d be lecturing me right now.

But this wasn’t normal. We were in enemy territory. Even she knew better than to raise her voice or make unnecessary noise.

So she kept her thoughts to herself and followed in silence.

The cold air tightened around us, the cave’s silence pressing against our ears like a weight. I could almost feel the eyes watching us from the shadows—hunters waiting for the perfect moment.

But I had a plan.

I was going to take a snow lion cub hostage.

Risky? Definitely.

Cruel? Maybe. But this was survival—and strategy.

It was mating season for them. Which meant, without a doubt, there were cubs nearby or at least just one lion baby.

And if I remembered correctly, there was one hidden chamber tucked deeper inside the cave system—just slightly warmer, more sheltered from the wind. That’s where the cub would be.

And where we were headed.

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