Chapter 7

“No, what the hell, what do I do then?”

Are you telling me to die?

I’ve been sucking up Dimension Power for dozens of minutes now, but I still haven’t even absorbed half of it.

And there’s an endless amount of these Dimensional Stones around here.

[No. There’s a way.]

“There’s a way?”

[Reach a higher state… In other words, get stronger. The stronger your body becomes, the more Dimension Power you’ll be able to absorb, and faster too. I guarantee it.]

“How strong do I need to be to absorb all these Dimensional Stones?”

[······.]

Belva hesitated to answer.

After waiting for a moment in silence, I asked again.

“When will that so-called cataclysm come?”

I can’t stop questioning.

I have no intention of dying.

Absolutely none.

Even if everything were to be destroyed tomorrow, I’d struggle to survive.

And the effort to survive isn’t about giving up and resorting to evil, but about seizing the highest possibility based on a thorough plan.

“…Tell me the number and location of enemies nearby.”

Let’s make a plan.

I need information.

Information to struggle to the very end.

*

Growing steadily bit by bit won’t cut it.

I need to run like I’m about to die, as fast as possible, to even see a glimmer of possibility.

“Kuuur, ughhh…”

After smashing a Golem covered in ice with a solid blunt weapon, I turned around.

A pure white spear was flying towards me.

I quickly swung my weapon to shatter it, then charged through the scattering ice shards and delivered a low kick to the Golem rushing at me.

I smashed the head of the guy whose lower body was already shattered and rolling on the ground.

This is tough.

The monsters in this area know how to make weapons.

They can adjust their formation, matching heat and cold.

They’ve even tamed glacial dinosaurs to ride around on.

How is this not an intelligent species?

[···I didn’t expect it to be this bad.]

If my guess is correct, the monsters in this area weren’t this smart from the beginning.

Belva wouldn’t have failed to detect the nearby Dimensional Stones either.

Back then, Belva was watching over the entire world.

Though it’s not like she could check everything at once, it’s more accurate to say she was just casually looking around during the time I wasn’t here.

So, there seems to be some connection between the emergence of Dimensional Stones and the monsters becoming smarter.

It’s still just a guess, but it feels plausible.

“Dieee!”

Boom!

As I shouted and threw a punch, the area I hit flashed white and exploded with a loud noise.

It was the activation of the ability [Explosion], which I gained from killing a 3-meter-long Bomb Dust Bug.

The Bomb Dust Bugs in this world literally throw bombs.

From where their anus should be, round red spheres come pouring out, and within less than a second, they explode like real bombs.

It’s an ability I never want to get hit by.

When I heard I gained [Explosion], I couldn’t help but check my own lower parts.

Anyway, it felt kind of gross, so I hadn’t been using it, but against enemies where blades aren’t effective, it’s damn useful. Damn it.

[Feels refreshing and good!]

“It’s disgusting!”

I already want to wash my hands.

Is this what they mean by great power comes with great responsibility?

Is this what it feels like to make a deal with the devil?

[It was definitely shocking. A black hole endlessly contracting and expanding, while red spheres… pop pop pop…!]

Shut up! Don’t describe it in such unnecessary detail!

Fortunately, the monsters’ stats weren’t that high, so the battles were manageable, but it was a fight that left me feeling uncomfortable in many ways.

Not because of my abilities, but because of their actions.

At first, they just charged at me recklessly, but now they’re keeping their distance, throwing ice spears, and trying to engage in ranged combat.

It means they’re adjusting their strategy based on battle records.

In other words, they can communicate with each other and improve through it.

Since they’re Golems, they’re not great at ranged combat, so I could easily close the distance and take them down… but now I’m even more suspicious.

What’s the difference between them and humans?

What exactly sets them apart?

As I slaughtered them one-sidedly, some of them tried to run away.

Some looked at their dead comrades’ bodies, then charged at me while screaming.

Fear and anger.

I confirmed that they clearly have emotions too.

And yet, I’m the only intelligent being, and they’re just monsters?

That’s bullshit.

It doesn’t add up.

So from now on, I’ve decided not to think of them as monsters.

A primitive species that’s clearly smarter than Australo-whatever cavemen.

Smart snowmen.

Even if the system and the world don’t recognize them as intelligent beings, their ability to develop is a real threat to me.

If I overlook that, I’ll be in danger someday.

So let’s think of them as a species with sufficient intellectual ability.

Doing so won’t dull my fists.

I’m someone with an extremely strong will to survive.

And I’m selfish.

The lives of others and mine are not equal.

If you put them on a scale,

Even if you put the entire world on the other side, my side would still be heavier.

[Wow…]

This is me, you snowmen!

Search everywhere!

And obediently become my stats!

With the broken arm of a golem, I smashed another golem’s head.

Now, watching those who fall even to such weak attacks.

I sensed that this battlefield, where snow and ice splatter instead of blood, no longer posed any threat to me.

“Die, you Olafs!”

*

I’ve fully adapted to the cold.

Now, even wearing just a short-sleeve shirt, I can maintain a normal body temperature.

So, I’m doing that.

If this were Earth, I’d probably have a nickname like Ice Man, but it’s a bit disappointing. Maybe I’ll be Ice Girl now.

Moving further from the snowy plains, I reached an icy field.

It was tough to adapt.

Since I was teased with the name when I was young, I didn’t really like Kim Yeona.

It’s unavoidable.

So, naturally, I didn’t skate.

If I went to the ice rink with friends, I knew exactly what I’d hear.

The only slippery floors I know are either a classroom just cleaned or apartment stairs in winter.

After falling about six times, I finally managed to balance.

“Oh, ohhh! It worked! I’m moving!”

It was fun.

The force of inertia pushing me forward had a charm that momentarily cleared my cluttered thoughts.

Sweat flows, heat rises.

I unconsciously tried to take off my shirt but left it on, feeling oddly uncomfortable.

An empty world.

The wind has stopped, and all that remains is silence on this vast icy field. I crossed it for a long time.

*

“…What’s that now?”

[It’s a Fire Fox. An intelligent entity that’s popular as a pet in many worlds.]

“There’s one here. Why didn’t you tell me?”

[I’ve been busy lately. It’s better than having nothing to do like before… but I don’t even have time to rest.]

Lucky you.

I found a fox trembling like it was dead in a pile of snow.

It looked strange, so I wondered what it was. Turns out, it’s an intelligent entity.

Is it a spirit? Does it turn into a human when it grows up?

[Probably. Usually, they die before that, but Fire Foxes that live for hundreds of years are said to transform to resemble their owners.]

…So, it really is a spirit.

From the description, it sounds a bit like the monsters I know.

Do they eat livers or hearts?

[Not sure. Their diet is known to be fruits like peaches and bananas.]

Anyway, I picked up the fox and hugged it tightly.

At first, its body was as cold as ice, but it gradually warmed up, and after a few minutes, it felt like I was next to a heater.

So, that’s why it’s called a Fire Fox.

But why does something like this suddenly appear?

Could it be because of that Dimension Power or whatever energy?

That’s highly likely.

If it were just some random new life form, fine, but something from another dimension popping up is suspicious.

Then, the fox in my arms rubbed against me, acting cute.

It had already opened its eyes and was staring straight at me.

Bright yellow-gold eyes.

It’s even a bit odd-eyed.

One side is a vivid gold, the other a muted orange.

A detail you’d only notice if you looked closely.

Hmm.

“Why are its ears not that big? I heard foxes in hot regions have big ears to release heat.”

[They can’t release heat. They’re a species that lives in extreme heat.]

“Is that so?”

Poking its cute ears, I felt a surge of emotion.

There’s cuteness in this world too…

Of course, the imaginary Belva is also quite cute, but this visible cuteness is a first. I feel like crying.

“Sigh.”

It was truly a precious memory.

I hope I can meet it again someday.

I said goodbye to the fox and tossed it back into the snow.

[What are you doing?!]

“Why?”

[It’s a pet! It clearly recognized you as its owner, why are you abandoning it?!]

What nonsense.

I don’t know this fox yet, and untrustworthy allies are far more dangerous than enemies.

[Go pick it up right now! Fire Foxes never betray their chosen owner, it’s a racial trait! No, how could you abandon such a pitiful creature…!]

Hearing Belva’s strong argument, I quickly went and picked up the Fire Fox.

The fox, with tears in its eyes, looked deeply hurt and slumped, but after a long apology and some head pats, it quickly regained its energy and started acting cute again.

Sorry, little fox. You understand, right?