Madness in the Snow

(Sorcerer's Point of View – Fourth Wall Break)

Ah, hello again.

Yes, it's me, the Sorcerer. The one you've probably called a "lunatic" more times than Ethan has screamed for help. But don't worry, I'm here to narrate a very special chapter. That's right, we're doing something… different today. After all, breaking a few rules never hurt anyone. Well, maybe it caused a few dimensional collapses, but who's counting?

Anyway, let's begin.

So, where were we? Ah, yes, Ethan. Poor, poor Ethan. Do you think I was cruel to him? That throwing the truth in his face without sugar-coating or anesthesia was a bit too much? Well, tell me… have you ever dealt with a spoiled kid who thinks the world is an isekai anime where he's the protagonist? Exactly. He deserved every word.

But before you start pointing fingers (or angrily flipping pages), know that I had nothing to do with the Book of Calamities choosing him. I was just… there. Watching. And maybe laughing a little. But that's irrelevant.

At least things are more interesting now, right? I mean, ancient god's blood running through a mortal's veins? Drama, tragedy, a dash of insanity. Ah, the kind of story that warms my heart—if I still have one.

Now, while Ethan cries over the pillow I kindly provided, I'm here, deep in the frozen ruins. Yes, this snow-and-ice environment is much more pleasant than that horrid desert. Less sand getting into… uncomfortable places. But of course, the dangers here are equally… deadly.

The problem is surviving while babysitting that boy. You have no idea how much I hate being a babysitter. I once had to take care of a baby from the Fifth Dimension. And, look, even I had trouble handling that magnitude of a problem. Have you ever tried changing diapers in the middle of a temporal paradox with millions of timelines collapsing? No? Yeah, I don't recommend it. It was awful. But I owed his mother a favor, so… well, let's not get into details.

Wait. Where was I?

Ah, yes! The Guardian.

You see, when Ethan destroyed the wooden wolf statue, he basically kicked a cosmic hornet's nest. That statue was a tribute to this place's protector. The problem? The protector got corrupted. Oh, the irony! The guardian meant to uphold order became the very cause of destruction.

And here I am, about to face this "guardian beast." A corrupted wolf, roughly a hundred meters of pure terror with a tail that could double as a suspension bridge. A level 5 corrupted being. To give you some context, if we compare it to Magnalith… well, the wolf's more like a malnourished pup. But considering I'm the only one here, I can't afford to underestimate the monster.

And don't even bother being curious about level 7. I told Ethan I couldn't explain, and I won't tell you either. Anxiety is a wonderful seasoning for a good story.

(End of Fourth Wall Break – Sorcerer's Point of View)

The sound of his own footsteps echoed as the Sorcerer descended a staircase carved into black stone, icy to the touch and covered with a thin layer of frost reflecting fragments of nonexistent light. The cavern felt alive, pulsing with a slow, steady rhythm, as if the mountain itself had a beating heart deep within.

The temperature was deadly cold, the kind of cold that cuts flesh and steals souls. But the Sorcerer didn't seem bothered. The frigid air hissed around him, trying to find a way through his eccentric clothes, but he walked with the calm of someone heading out to buy bread.

Everything was dark. An absolute blackness that would swallow any torch or lantern.

But he saw it all.

The chamber opened like the maw of a colossal predator, revealing a vast underground expanse covered by a thin layer of black, frozen water. Its reflective surface didn't mirror the cavern's ceiling but an infinite abyss of dead stars and non-existent constellations.

And then he appeared.

The wolf.

Immense. Majestic. Horrifying.

The creature was lying down, yet its presence dominated the entire space. Its black fur seemed to absorb the scant light, and its tail, unnervingly long, slithered lazily behind it like a whip waiting to snap. The beast's eyes were a deep blue, almost hypnotic, with a dark glow that devoured any flicker of hope.

The Sorcerer stopped, tilting his head slightly as if admiring a particularly grotesque work of art.

— "You're ugly…" he murmured with a crooked smile. "But don't worry. I'm here to end your suffering."

He paused dramatically.

— "Or… maybe prolong it."

He laughed to himself, the sound echoing through the cavern like a dissonant note in a forgotten symphony.

The wolf opened its eyes fully, and the world around them seemed to tremble.

The battle had begun.