Chapter 36: Snow Lion Cave [4]

Alice stepped forward.

Each step echoed sharply across the ice, deliberate and heavy.

The Snow Lion leader snapped its gaze to her—its primal fury reigniting the moment she entered its range.

Her boots crunched frozen shards beneath them. Her breath fogged the air in slow puffs. The temperature around her dropped with each movement, the ground crackling beneath a thin film of ice spreading from her aura.

She wasn’t rushing.

She didn’t need to.

The lion let out a low, guttural grrrrrrrr, a warning deep in its throat—then exploded into motion.

RRRRAAAAAAAAAWWWRRR!

The roar slammed into the walls, vibrating through the stone like thunder. I winced, even from where I lay.

The beast charged, claws outstretched, weight barreling forward.

Thud-thud-thud-thud—!

Alice pivoted sharply.

whoosh!

And slipped just outside the path of the lunge.

SLLLASH!

Her sword came up in a blur—cutting across the beast’s shoulder. Blood sprayed against the cave wall.

The lion skidded on the icy floor, snarling in pain. Then, with surprising agility, it twisted mid-air and swiped with its rear claw!

CLANG!

She blocked just in time, steel ringing in the air. The impact rattled her arm and shoved her back a step, her boots sliding on thin ice.

The lion didn’t stop.

RAWWWGH!

CRUNCH

It sprang again—snapping at her leg with a sharp of jaws.

Alice narrowly avoided it, her cloak tearing with a as fangs caught its edge. She rolled, breath hitching, then launched herself back to her feet.

The moment she rose, she countered.

SHHHHK!

Her sword sang as she spun and struck again. A wide, arcing slash—one that left frost in the air like a comet tail. The lion backed up, growling, steam rising off the frozen gash across its side.

The cave stank of blood and magic.

The lion roared again, louder—RRRAAAAAAHHHH!—a call of defiance, rage, and challenge.

Then it leapt.

A full-body pounce.

FWOOSH!

Alice met it head-on.

THWUMP!

The two collided with a that shook the ice. They tumbled, rolling across the floor in a blur of white and red, limbs entangled, claws slashing.

CLANG! CLANG!—her blade parried wild swipes.

SCRRRRRCH!

Its claws scraped off her armored gauntlet, sparks flying.

CHOMP!

It tried to bite but her knee rammed up under its chin, knocking its head back.

She shoved hard with her shoulder, rolled free, and came up slashing.

SLAASSHH!

The blade struck true—cutting across the lion’s ribs.

It howled in agony—ROOOAAARRRGHHHH!—reeling back.

But it wasn’t done.

Snarling through bloodied fangs, it circled her now, low and wary, a predator who had finally sensed danger.

Alice’s breath came in hard bursts, fogging the frozen air. Her silver-white hair, now matted with blood, clung to her face.

She lowered her blade, tip nearly touching the ground. Hummm—the faint sound of frost magic gathered again.

Then the lion moved.

A feint to the left.

WHOOSH!

Then a real swipe to the right.

SWISH—CLANG!

Alice blocked it again, sliding back, boots scraping against the ice. The lion didn’t let up—another swipe came, followed by a bite, a low-body slam.

SLASH—CLANG—SNARL—CRASH!

Blow after blow.

Alice endured them all.

And then—the final charge.

The lion roared one last time—RRRRAAAWWRRRRR!!

It came at her full speed, fangs bared, aiming to end it.

She didn’t flinch.

She didn’t dodge.

She stepped in.

SHUNK!

Her blade pierced deep—slammed straight through the creature’s exposed side. The impact cracked the ground beneath them. Blood fountained, warm and steaming.

The lion buckled mid-charge, stumbled, and fell hard with a THUD! that shook loose dust from the ceiling.

Still alive.

Barely.

Panting heavily, it tried to rise—but collapsed again with a weak, wheezing growl.

Alice stepped over it.

She raised her foot.

THUMP.

Her boot drove the sword in deeper.

The lion twitched once.

Then went still.

Silence returned to the cave—except for the soft dripping of blood onto ice and the faint hiss of frost magic fading from Alice’s blade.

She turned to me slowly, her voice low and rough.

“Hey,” she called out. “You still breathing?”

I chuckled weakly. “Barely.”

At the same time system window opened in front of me.

[Boss Defeated]

[You have cleared the dungeon ’Snow Lion Cave’ with NPC, ’Alice Draken.’]

[Calculating rewards.]

’This message. It’s just like in the game.’

’I also got my revenge on that snow lion. I said it didn’t I? I’m petty and very bad one.’

A smile twitched at the corners of my mouth, rising in elation.

My chest swelled tight with a sense of achievement.

Then,

Clank, Thud.

“Are you alright?”

Alice, having approached and lifted her visor, looked at me with concern.

’Typical me.’

To think, this young girl’s few words of concern could make me so giddy.

’But then again, she is my favorite character.’

I nodded stiffly, pain flaring through my ribs at the motion.

“Yeah…” I managed, voice hoarse. “Takes more than a lion to kill me.”

Alice raised a brow.

“Really?” She crossed her arms, surveying me like a disappointed medic. “Because from here, you look like a half-dead sandwich someone dropped in the snow.”

I wheezed a laugh. “Still better than dead meat.”

She sighed and knelt beside me, gauntlet fingers checking the edge of a gash on my side. Her touch was careful, but even that made me flinch.

“Not that bad I suppose,” she muttered. “Dislocated shoulder. Possibly a concussion.”

“Possibly?”

“You didn’t answer the same question twice with two different accents, so maybe you’re fine.”

I winced again—this time from her tug as she straightened my arm.

“You always this rough?”

Alice smirked faintly. “You want me to be gentle, don’t pass out during a boss fight next time.”

And in the next moment she got up again and walked towards the dead lion leader with the sword in her hand.

SWISH—!!!!

And as soon as she reached near him she served his head from his body and picked up the dead head of the Snow Lion leader and turned towards me.

“Get up now. How long do you plan to lie there?”

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