The wooden walls radiated a quiet warmth, shielding those inside from the bitter cold beyond. Julius lay unconscious on a soft bed layered in white sheets, untouched and still. The room around him was simple, carved entirely from aged timber. Above the bed was a closed window with frosted glass, filtering in pale daylight from the snowy mountain outside. Beside the bed sat a study table, neatly arranged with parchment, a lamp, ink, and a pen. Two drawers rested beneath it, undisturbed. On the right, a wooden cabinet stood tall. On the left wall, a modest mirror hung in silence.
Julius hadn't stirred since they'd returned.
Beyond the room, the village sat nestled in a valley of ice and stone, its houses dusted in snow. When they had exited the dungeon hours ago, the blizzard had already passed. A short distance away, Yu Zhen's friend had been traveling by horse cart toward the village. They climbed aboard—Yu Zhen, Zhou Rui, and the unconscious Julius—and arrived safely at the Chief's home.
Now, inside that same house, Zhou Rui stood quietly.
"Thank you, Chief."
"No… I should be the one thanking you, Mr. Zhou Rui."
Zhou Rui turned toward the room where Julius lay.
"Now we don't even know when Airu will wake up."
"Yeah…"
The words hung heavy in the still air.
"I need to go," Yu Zhen finally said. "I must inform the villagers that the dungeon has been cleared."
"Alright, Chief."
Yu Zhen stepped outside, walking toward the village center, his footsteps crunching over frozen stone as he went to gather the people.
Zhou Rui remained behind, returning to the living room where he had first met Friedrich, Heinrich, and Anna. He sat down on the sofa, resting briefly.
"Open Contact."
A glowing interface appeared in front of him, filled with names and titles. Among them was a familiar one—Marcus, the man after whom Marcus Valley was named.
"Call Commander Marcus."
The symbol changed from a phone booth to a glowing phone, followed by text:
[The call is connecting...]
A moment passed.
[00:01]
[The call has been connected successfully.]
The seconds began ticking upward.
[00:02]
[00:03]
Zhou Rui leaned forward and said:
"Greetings, Lord Marcus."
"Greetings, Zhou Rui. How's it going?"
"It's going alright. But we faced a problem."
"What problem?"
"While searching for that church, we discovered a witch in Snowblue Town who knows its location. But while we were heading there, we entered a mountain village. The village chief asked us to help clear a dungeon. We agreed, hoping we'd uncover more information. But inside, Cerebrus Mode overwhelmed me. I went berserk and lost control."
There was a pause before he continued.
"Airu and his maidens had to handle the situation. But somehow… I regained control. Full control. However, during the battle, Airu used up all his mana—we were up against the Magma Tyrant. We managed to win, but he's been unconscious for nearly two hours."
There was silence on the other end.
Then Marcus responded, his tone rising:
"Wait. The Magma Tyrant!? Are you all insane? You should've consulted me first—
You needed to consult me! If Airu had died—or if anything had happened to you—"
"I'm sorry, Lord Marcus."
Just then, another voice came through from Marcus' side—calm and composed.
"It's alright, Marcus. At least Zhou Rui gained full control over his Cerebrus Mode."
Zhou Rui straightened and stood, offering a respectful bow as he replied:
"Good evening, Lord Vermillion the Fourth."
The call shifted. What had started as an audio link transformed into full video.
Zhou Rui stood upright, hands at his sides, face firm.
He had delivered the report. The cost of their journey had been high—Julius was still unconscious.
Outside, the wind howled faintly.
But the storm that truly mattered was just beginning.