The dawn barely made a dent in the thick curtain of storm clouds. The world was a frozen white wasteland, the steppe-taiga buried beneath endless snow and ice. I woke with muscles stiff and aching, joints complaining like an old horse with a bad saddle. My fingers felt numb and clumsy — like they belonged to someone else entirely.
Red shifted beside me, her warm breath steaming into the icy air as she pawed restlessly at the frozen ground. Wise pressed close, his thick silver fur flecked with frost, nostrils twitching as he caught every scent carried on the biting wind. The wolf's eyes were sharp and watchful, every muscle coiled like a spring ready to snap.
I shoved off the thin blanket, grimacing at the chill that instantly bit through my worn cloak. The cold here wasn't just skin-deep. It burrowed deep, settling into your bones, your lungs, your very will to keep going.
The System hummed softly in my mind.
[System Update: Night One complete. Endurance +2. Passive Skill "Cold Breath of the Wind" active.][Status: Hunger 20%. Hydration 90%. Hypothermia risk: Medium.][Trial Progress: Night One survived. Two more to go.]
Three nights alone in this frozen hellscape. Survive or die.
I wasn't about to become another forgotten whisper in the endless wind.
I peeled back my frost-crusted scarf and blinked against the swirling snow. The endless steppe stretched before me, a vast expanse of white and gray, broken only by skeletal pines bowed under heavy frost and jagged black firebone stones standing like ancient sentinels. Their icy surfaces shimmered faintly in the weak light, casting eerie shadows across the snow like broken bones scattered by the gods.
The wind howled through the trees, a mournful chorus of ghosts that rattled my bones. Somewhere beyond the storm, I knew the Frostfang was watching — a predator born of ice and death itself. Its glowing blue eyes haunted every corner of my mind. I could almost feel its breath on my neck.
I clenched my teeth and adjusted the quiver on Red's flank. The rough leather straps bit into my frost-numbed fingers, but better numb than broken.
[System Hint: Frostfang presence detected within 1 km. Avoid confrontation.]
Avoid confrontation. Easier said than done when the beast stalks the storm like a shadow.
I glanced down at my System interface — my reluctant companion and new obsession.
[System Interface Activated]Name: AltoLevel: 7Strength: 65 — "Seriously? I've carried heavier loads than that back home."Endurance: 72 — "Two points up. Small victories."Agility: 75 — "Faster than a drunk yak, barely."Willpower: 80 — "They say it's high. Felt like 50 last night."Survival Skill: 70 — "Learning… slowly."Cold Resistance: 42 — "Two points higher, but my toes disagree."
Hunger gnawed at me like a starving wolf, sharp and relentless. Every step felt like wading through frozen molasses. My muscles screamed in protest as I forced myself to move. Quitting wasn't an option.
Red snorted softly beside me, stamping impatiently at the ground. "Alright, alright, I'm moving," I muttered, shaking snow from my cloak.
Wise padded ahead, nose twitching as he searched the barren landscape for any sign of prey or danger. His silver fur shimmered with frost, sharp eyes scanning every shadow and crack in the ice. Occasionally, he glanced back at me, as if reminding me, We're in this together.
The cold was a relentless predator itself, biting through every layer of clothing, turning breath into ice, forcing tears to freeze before they could fall.
I tried to craft a snare from willow bark and thorny vines, clumsy with frozen fingers. "If I make it out alive, I swear I'm never complaining about chores again," I grumbled.
Red flicked snow at me with a snort, eyes gleaming like a judge in a court of misery. "Yeah, yeah, we're all miserable."
Wise growled low suddenly, his body stiffening.
The Frostfang's eyes pierced through the swirling snow — cold, sharp, deadly — twin stars of doom.
The beast that haunted every nightmare of the steppe had returned.
It lunged faster than thought, a living arrow.
I rolled aside, skin scraping frozen earth, tasting bitter snow.
I fired an arrow — my only weapon other than a hunting knife — striking thick fur and drawing a thunderous snarl.
The Frostfang retreated, icy gaze locked on me like a hunter sizing prey.
"Great," I muttered, wiping frozen snot from my lip. "Just when I thought I might get a nap."
[System Update: Encounter with Tier A Frostfang.][Passive Skill Unlocked: Sharp Instincts — +10% reaction speed during threat encounters.][System Hint: Prolonged confrontation increases risk. Evasion recommended.]
I wiped blood from my lip. "Evasion, huh? Guess the fancy system's got a point. Still, I'd rather not be dinner."
The blizzard screamed louder, snow whipping like knives. Red shifted nervously, and Wise growled softly.
But the storm wasn't done with me yet.
The cold was stealing my strength, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My fingers twitched, numb and useless, and my feet felt like blocks of ice. I had to find shelter — anything to block the wind and hold heat.
I scanned the horizon and spotted a small grove of frost-bitten pines — a scant windbreak, but better than nothing.
We pushed through knee-deep snow, every step a battle. The cold howled in my ears, filling my lungs with frozen fire.
Near the grove, I spotted fresh tracks — large paws, deep in the snow. The Frostfang was close. Too close.
Wise growled, hackles raised, and I gripped my bow tighter.
I found a fallen pine tree and used it to block the worst of the wind, scraping together dry pine needles and twigs in a desperate attempt to coax a spark from my flint.
Flint struck stone — sparks. Flicker. Gone. The snow swallowed every ember like a hungry beast.
"Come on, you bastard," I muttered, striking again. The cold was stealing my strength, but giving up wasn't an option.
Red nudged me with her muzzle, warm and steady.
"We'll make it," I promised.
Hours passed in silence broken only by the storm's fury and Wise's low growls.
Eventually, a small flame caught, weak but alive. It was enough to warm our hands and dry our clothes — if only a little.
I wrapped myself in my blanket, holding the fire close, Red and Wise close beside me.
As night fell again, the System pulsed with new information.
[System Update: Endurance 74%. Hunger 35%. Hypothermia risk: High.][New Passive Skill: Firestarter's Will — chance to ignite fire under adverse conditions +15%.][Trial Progress: Night Two begins.]
I closed my eyes, breathing in the smoky warmth, heart pounding.
The Frostfang was out there.
Waiting.
Hungry.
And I still had one more night to survive