They had been walking for hours—five straight hours trudging through the aftermath of the blizzard—and still the dungeon was nowhere in sight.
"We've been marching for so long… almost five hours, and we still haven't reached the dungeon," Friedrich muttered in frustration. His breath rose in pale clouds against the noon sky.
Though the sun had climbed high, the land remained locked in winter's grip. All around them, the world was blanketed in flawless white. Drifts of snow heaped in rippling waves across the landscape, frosting the broken stumps of trees and choking the frozen gullies. The blizzard had erased every track and landmark, leaving only a glimmering emptiness.
They were halfway up the side of a steep, snow-capped hill. The slope was jagged and treacherous—slick sheets of ice glistened between jutting rocks, and here and there, curious black birds circled overhead, their cries thin and hollow in the cold. No one could name those birds, and no one had the energy left to care.
Yu Zhen stood near the middle of the party, his hands tucked serenely in his sleeves, his closed eyes facing the summit.
"Don't worry. We only need to climb this last hill. The dungeon is right beyond it."
Julius sighed and adjusted his wizard's hat.
"Chief, you've been saying the same thing for hours. And every time, you've made us climb another hill. We've already scaled two since the blizzard ended."
Zhou Rui looked over his shoulder, his breath misting in the air.
"Airu, you're a Wind Magic wizard, aren't you? You could just use your magic to fly over this."
Julius let out another long, weary sigh.
"I could…but that would drain a quarter of my mana. And in case you've forgotten, we still have to fight."
Heinrich snorted dismissively.
"What difference does it make if you lose a bit of mana?"
Anna cut in before Julius could answer, her voice crisp and tired.
"It matters a lot. For mages, mana is our power. If we waste a fourth of it now, and later in battle we need that exact amount to survive, it could cost us everything."
Friedrich's reply was a contemptuous scoff.
"Pathetic. Mages really are weak."
Yu Zhen finally turned his face slightly toward them.
"Enough. Use your energy to climb, not to argue."
They pressed on. Snow crunched and slid underfoot as they struggled up the last steep incline. The air seemed thinner here. By the time they reached the crest, they were all panting.
Zhou Rui was the first to pull himself over the top, boots scraping across the ice-slicked rocks. One by one, the rest of the party followed: Julius, Yu Zhen, Anna, Heinrich—and finally Friedrich, scowling.
Julius turned to Zhou Rui and called out with a mocking grin,
"So, who's pathetic now?"
Friedrich's glare was murderous. He stomped up to Julius, hand already dropping to his sword hilt.
"What did you say? Say it to my face."
Julius didn't blink.
"I said you're pathetic. There. Heard it clear enough?"
With a snarl, Friedrich drew his sword—
—but before he could swing, a crushing pressure flooded the air. It felt like an invisible hand pressing on their chests, forcing the breath out of their lungs. Anna staggered, gasping.
Yu Zhen lifted his chin, his voice hollow.
"It has awakened."
Zhou Rui looked sharply at him.
"You mean…?"
Yu Zhen's mouth was tight with dread.
"Yes. The Magma Tyrant."
Anna wiped frost from her cheek with a trembling hand.
"I can see something… A structure…"
Yu Zhen nodded slowly.
"So can I. That's the dungeon."
Heinrich squinted down the far side of the hill.
"But… for something as big as a Magma Tyrant, that looks tiny."
Julius, Friedrich, and Zhou Rui all exchanged baffled glances. To them, there was nothing but blinding white.
Friedrich spat a frustrated breath.
"What structure? I don't see anything."
Yu Zhen raised a thin hand and pointed downhill, to the southeast.
"Look carefully. It's faint, but it's there."
They followed the gesture. Between swirling flurries, a colossal pillar of stone emerged—barely visible against the snow. It was shaped like an ancient tower, maybe three stories tall, with cracked carvings spiraling up its sides.
Julius hesitated.
"Are you sure that's the dungeon?"
"I'm sure."
Zhou Rui exhaled in a frosty plume.
"Then we need to hurry. It could come out any moment."
Yu Zhen turned to Julius, his expression grave.
"Mr. Airu, can you use your Wind Magic to carry us safely down to the ground?"
Julius hesitated, jaw tight. Finally, he sighed and lifted a hand.
"Fine."
He took a slow breath.
"Wind Turbo."
At once, wind gathered around them in shimmering spirals. Each of their bodies was enveloped by a vortex of air, like translucent armor molded to their shape. Within those swirling currents, the cold almost vanished.
Julius lifted his voice over the howling gusts.
"Jump—and imagine you have wings. Wind wings."
Before anyone could question it, Zhou Rui leapt from the hilltop.
Friedrich and Heinrich followed an instant later, then Yu Zhen. Only Anna and Julius remained.
Julius looked at her and tilted his head.
"What are you waiting for? Jump."
Anna swallowed her nerves. With a little gasp, she stepped off the edge—and finally, Julius jumped after her.
For a heartbeat, they fell—but then their descent slowed. Invisible wings of rushing wind caught them. Each of them hovered in the air, drifting downward like dandelion seeds.
Yu Zhen's voice floated through the current.
"I have no mana of my own, and yet I can still feel this spell. You are remarkable, Mr. Airu."
Julius managed a small grin.
"Haha. Thanks, Chief."
But then he added,
"Just don't expect too much. I can't carry everyone all the way to the dungeon. It would burn through all my mana."
They glided over the snowy landscape, descending little by little. From up here, they could see the aftermath of the blizzard: whole trees half-buried, strange black birds wheeling over the drifts, and broken ridges of snow sculpted into sharp waves.
Anna's voice piped up, uncertain.
"Ah—um—Mr. Airu…could you please keep this form going until we reach the dungeon?"
Zhou Rui snapped,
"He just said it would drain most of his mana!"
Anna looked flustered.
"I—I can recover it. I have mana healing magic."
Julius gave her a long, exasperated look.
"…You could have said that sooner."
At once, the wind around them thickened, gathering into broader wings. Their descent became faster—too fast.
Zhou Rui's voice cracked in terror.
"BASTARD, SLOW IT DOWN!!!"
He flailed, fighting to control his trajectory.
Julius tried not to laugh.
"Okay, okay!"