The white-haired elf, who had joined the hero's party in the northern part of the continent, rarely spoke.
‘Rain.’
That was the first word she said when she met us.
It was her name.
‘Should we call her Little Rain? Or Adult Rain? Something like that, maybe.’ ‘Her hair is white too, just like the other Rain.’ ‘But Little Rain’s hair has silver streaks, doesn’t it?’—those were the kinds of thoughts the other three members discussed while huddling together, though I wasn’t part of that conversation.
Perhaps that’s why I don’t have many memories of talking with her.
Instead, whenever I sat alone gazing at the stars at night, she would silently sit next to me, watching the sky for hours.
For months, we shared those quiet moments. Then one night, she told me her real name.
She smiled softly as she spoke.
‘I’m Igrain, the priestess of the World Tree.’
From then on, we started having small conversations at night, just the two of us.
---
Crash! Rumble!
"Phew."
I dealt with two 'Ice Golems' and caught my breath as I looked down the hill.
Whoosh!
A fierce wind whipped through the air.
Before me, the white expanse of the snowy fields stretched out, and beyond that, a massive forest loomed.
This was the second area of the expansion pack ‘Frozen Lands,’ following the 'Pahr Snowfield Zone.' Now I was in the 'Salva Snowfield Zone.'
In this area, large forests started to appear. The trees were mainly coniferous, birch, and other species that could endure the cold.
Geographically, it felt similar to the northern regions of Earth, like parts of Russia.
I had wandered these parts when I first arrived in this world, though the landscape had changed after a thousand years, according to the game’s lore.
And it was here that I met her.
The fifth and final member of the hero’s party.
"Elf Igrain."
There was a time when just thinking about them would make my chest tighten, my mind fog over, and I couldn’t continue my thoughts.
But now, I tilted my head.
"It doesn’t bother me as much these days."
Had something changed in my mindset without me noticing?
The heartache I used to feel when thinking of them had faded considerably.
In the desert, I saw the crest of the Melissa family.
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In the rocky plains, I visited the Grand Temple where Saint Elena once served the Church of the Main God.
In a dwarven village, I came across a carving depicting Dwarf Ain.
And now, I had yet to find any trace of my last companion, ‘Elf Igrain.’
Most elves, aside from nomads and those in small villages, formed a kingdom centered around the World Tree. However, the location of the World Tree remained a mystery, even during the era I lived in. Some sort of magical interference likely concealed the massive tree.
Even in this era, a thousand years later, does the Elven Kingdom still exist?
Sister Igrain was the priestess of the World Tree.
But I met her in a freezing northern snowfield.
Which means...
Could the World Tree be in this cold, vast forest up north?
I should have asked her the location of the World Tree.
The endless snowy fields and the expansive forest.
In the end, I had no choice but to search aimlessly for traces of the elves here.
---
The exploration of the 'Salva Snowfield Zone' proceeded slowly and sporadically.
The area was far larger than the first zone, ‘Pahr Snowfield Zone,’ and the forest here was vast.
The in-game map system was somewhat helpful as a guide.
But unexplored areas remained hidden. Over several days, I gradually pieced together the map.
Whenever guild members were online, we ran bus routes together. I also kept up with my daily quests.
In between, I continued to level up while exploring the snowfield.
The sheer size of the world was overwhelming. It truly felt like they had copied and pasted the entire continent of Astria into the game.
I remember hearing about those pixel-based construction games that were popular on Earth, with massive maps. With future technology, it seemed possible to recreate a world in such detailed form.
And today, there were two sets of footsteps.
Crunch, crunch.
Crunch, crunch.
As I explored the wide forest of the snowfield zone, I glanced over at Chris walking beside me.
"Sis, aren’t you running any buses?"
"You’re exploring, aren’t you?"
"Did you clear the Ice Tower?"
"Hmm... Once I reach the maximum level for this area, I’ll be able to clear it without much difficulty."
She flashed me a smile.
I nodded.
"True."
The Ice Tower’s entry level was 45, and the boss level was 50, so once I hit the maximum level for this area, the level difference penalty would nearly disappear.
However, most of the advanced players were still farming gold by running bus routes in the 'Frozen Ice Palace.' Even our Hongbaek Guild members were doing the same.
Those who weren’t running buses were either leveling up in the monster-dense areas of this region or challenging the Ice Tower.
At this point, the majority of players had just entered the second area, and due to time constraints, tackling the Ice Tower was still difficult.
As a result, I was the only one currently exploring this massive forest after clearing the Frozen Ice Palace and the Ice Tower.
I grumbled.
"It’s inefficient. You should be leveling up when you have the time."
"There’s nothing inefficient about traveling with Rain."
"Well... if you say so, sis."
I fiddled with my fingers awkwardly.
Chris gently took my fidgeting hand.
Hand in hand, we continued walking through the snow-covered trees.
Crunch, crunch.
Crunch, crunch.
---
Then, suddenly, it enveloped us.
I didn’t notice it until I could no longer feel the warmth in my hand.
"!?"
I quickly looked around.
I couldn’t see anything in front of me.
"Fog? In the northern forest?"
Something felt off.
This fog wasn’t natural.
I couldn’t open the chat window.
The messenger wouldn’t open either.
None of the interfaces were working.
Of course, I could still log out if needed.
But a wave of unease swept over me.
Is Chris okay?
"Sis? Sis? Where are you?"
I called out anxiously, my voice trembling with worry.
Should I log out and check on her?
No. I finally found a clue.
I couldn’t back down now.
Taking a deep breath, I started to push my way through the fog.
There was definitely something in here.
Crunch, crunch.
After several minutes of walking.
"...Rain! Rain!"
Suddenly, I was pulled into a warm embrace.
"Ah!?"
Startled by the warmth that wrapped around me, I realized my detection radar hadn’t gone off.
This feeling, this touch...
It had to be Chris.
I looked up to confirm her face.
There she was, her face full of worry, on the verge of tears.
"I was so scared! I almost rushed straight to your room! But I thought, if it’s Rain, she would keep going with her exploration!"
I scratched my head sheepishly.
Chris knows me too well.
But how did she find me in this magical fog?
Chris seemed to read the question in my eyes, her expression turning confident.
"No matter where Rain is, my Rain Detection Radar will always find you."
"Wow."
Chris is really amazing.
While my detection radar was useless, she could still find me.
She gripped my hands tightly, as if she’d never let go again.
I pondered for a moment.
"Hmm."
This magical fog...
I couldn’t see ahead, and it was easy to get disoriented.
If this was a game mechanic, it was certainly a nasty one.
But it had to be something I could overcome.
This wasn’t just a system mechanic, but something I could handle with my experience adventuring in this world.
If I followed the logic of this world, I could find the way.
I gently ran my palm along the trunk of a large conifer tree nearby.
"Do you know that thing about tree rings?"
"Yeah, they say you can tell direction by looking at the rings of a tree stump, right?"
"That’s a misconception. It’s said that the side of the tree that gets more sunlight grows faster, but factors like slope, wind, and the tree species play a bigger role, so it’s not reliable."
"Wow, Rain, you’re so knowledgeable!"
Chris clapped her hands in admiration.
Blushing, I waved it off.
"N-not really."
I then focused on the branches of the snow-covered conifer tree. I noticed they leaned slightly to one side.
Just a small difference, but the branches pointed in that direction.
If the World Tree was really nearby, the plants here would likely be affected by it.
"This way."
I pulled Chris along, setting off in the direction I had determined.
---
After about an hour of cautiously moving forward, checking the trees as we went, the fog began to lift.
This was confirmation.
If we continued in this direction, we would reach our destination.
As we walked a bit further, the snow covering the trees disappeared, and a sea of green appeared before us.
I pointed out the sight to Chris.
"...? Sis, there’s no snow here."
"Wow! You’re right!"
At the same time, the temperature noticeably rose.
Though still colder than the continent’s average temperature, it was warm enough for the plants to grow freely.
Suddenly, I sensed something.
Clang!
I swiftly drew Astaroth, deflecting a projectile aimed at us, and positioned myself in front of Chris.
Chris had already drawn her talisman
, her eyes sharp.
"What the?!"
Lying on the ground was an arrow.
And up in the trees, high among the branches, 'he' revealed himself.
Long white hair, pointed ears, and an elegant face.
Yet his chiseled features and muscular frame clearly showed he was male.
An elf—like the ones we had seen as players many times.
But this wasn’t a player.
For the first time on the continent of Astria, I was facing an elf NPC.
He looked down at us with cold eyes.
______________________
TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars and likes of the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!