Extra's Path: The Eternal Frost Monarch

Noah cautiously approached the wooden house. For a brief moment, he simply stood before the entrance, listening. Only the gentle patter of rain echoed around him.

There was no footsteps or voices from inside. That means no sign that anyone was inside.

"...Hello?"

He called out once. His voice disappeared into the quiet house. No reply came. After waiting several more seconds, Noah slowly reached for the wooden sliding door.

He gently pushed it aside.

Creak

The old door slid open with a soft groan. Inside was a narrow wooden corridor stretching deeper into the house. The polished floorboards reflected the faint daylight filtering through an open room farther inside.

Everything was remarkably clean. There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere.

"Someone must still be living here."

Noah quietly stepped inside before sliding the entrance door shut behind him. As he looked down, he noticed his boots. They were completely covered in wet mud from running through the forest.

’I’d better not dirty the house.’

He crouched down and removed both boots, leaving them neatly beside the entrance before stepping onto the cool wooden floor in his socks.

The floor creaked softly beneath his weight.

He slowly made his way toward the open room. Every movement remained cautious. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword, ready to react if necessary.

The room itself was simple. Everything had been crafted from wood.

There were wooden walls, wooden pillars and wooden furniture. There were no books. No paintings or any kind of decorations. Only the necessary things that a person needs.

It felt natural as though the house had been built using nothing except the resources available within the surrounding forest.

At the far end of the room, another sliding door stood open.

Curious, Noah walked toward it. The door led onto a small wooden veranda overlooking an inner garden.

Beyond it the forest stretched peacefully into the distance. The rain had reached this place as well.

But unlike the violent storm outside...

Here it fell gently. Soft droplets landed upon the carefully tended grass and smooth stones scattered throughout the small garden.

There were no fierce winds. No deafening thunder. Nor any towering vortex that he had seen.

Only quiet rainfall. "Beautiful."

Noah leaned lightly against one of the wooden pillars.

Just moments ago the storm had looked like the end of the world. He was so afraid that he felt like dying from heart attack.

Yet from here it seemed strangely peaceful.

Almost calming.

His gaze drifted toward the distant horizon. The colossal storm still churned beyond the forest. Lightning continued flashing inside the enormous vortex.

Yet it never came any closer.

It was as though an invisible boundary surrounded the house, preventing the storm from crossing it.

"This place is really safe..."

His expression slowly grew thoughtful.

"But who owns it?"

Whoever lived here was clearly no ordinary person. "I should look around before they return."

Turning away from the veranda, Noah began carefully inspecting the rest of the house. There were only a handful of rooms.

A modest kitchen. A sleeping room furnished with simple bedding. A storage room.

And finally a bathroom.

"Nice."

His eyes immediately landed on a large wooden tub filled with clean water. Beside it stood several neatly arranged buckets.

Someone had prepared everything carefully. Noah looked down at himself.

His clothes were soaked. Mud covered nearly every inch of them. His armor wasn’t in much better condition. "Might as well clean up."

He removed his light armor piece by piece, placing each item carefully on the floor before storing them inside his storage ring.

Then came his outer clothes. Without them, the numerous injuries covering his body became fully visible.

Long claw marks crossed his shoulders. Dark bruises spread across his ribs. Smaller cuts covered his arms and legs.

His well-defined physique bore the unmistakable signs of the battles he had survived. Taking one of the wooden buckets, Noah slowly poured cool water over himself.

The refreshing sensation washed away the dried blood, dirt, and mud clinging to his skin. He couldn’t help letting out a quiet sigh.

"That feels much better."

One bucket became another.

Eventually he decided there was little point stopping halfway.

Using the stored water, Noah thoroughly cleaned himself before carefully washing the mud from his clothes and light armor as well.

Once everything was clean, he spread the damp garments neatly where they could dry later and returned his armor to his storage ring.

After drying himself with a clean cloth he found inside the bathroom, Noah changed into a spare pair of undergarments and loose trousers from his storage ring.

"Much better."

Finally he felt almost comfortable. Leaving his freshly washed clothes behind to dry, Noah returned to the same room overlooking the garden.

He quietly lowered himself onto the wooden floor near the open veranda. The gentle rain continued falling outside.

Cool air drifted into the room. For several minutes he simply watched the peaceful scenery.

"I wonder how long this storm will last."

His quiet voice was almost drowned out by the rainfall.

"And..."

He glanced around the silent house.

"I still have no idea who lives here."

A faint frown appeared on his face. "What if the owner isn’t exactly welcoming?"

The thought made him instinctively glance toward the entrance.

Although something about the house didn’t feel hostile. It felt peaceful and safe. It was almost comforting to him.

Noah rested his chin against one hand and let out a quiet sigh. "I’m talking to myself an awful lot lately."

A small, tired smile appeared on his face. "I guess being stranded alone does that to a person." The only reply was the gentle rhythm of rain falling beyond the veranda.

---

Night had quietly fallen.

The violent storm that had shaken the forest for hours had finally disappeared.

For nearly an hour now only the gentle chirping of insects and the occasional rustle of leaves disturbed the silence.

Inside the mysterious wooden house. Noah had made himself as comfortable as circumstances allowed.

After the rain ended, he had searched the house more thoroughly. The kitchen, though simple, was surprisingly well stocked.

A woven basket sat neatly upon the wooden counter, filled with fresh fruit that looked as though it had been picked only recently.

"Still fresh?"

He picked up one of the crimson fruits and examined it. There wasn’t a single bruise on its surface.

"Whoever lives here can’t be far away..."

Although the thought made him hesitate for a moment, hunger eventually won.

"I’ll apologize later."

He quietly ate several of the fruits. The sweet taste eased the lingering emptiness in his stomach. After cleaning up, Noah returned to the same room overlooking the garden.

The sliding door remained partially open, allowing the cool night breeze to drift inside. Moonlight illuminated the quiet courtyard.

Noah lay flat on the smooth wooden floor, using one arm as a pillow while staring absentmindedly at the wooden ceiling. Silence filled the room.

"Hello, System."

There was no response.

"System?"

Nothing came from his calling.

He let out a tired sigh. "Figures."

The mysterious system had never appeared whenever he wanted it to. It only surfaced after important events connected to the game’s storyline occurred.

Calling it was completely pointless. "Where exactly am I?"

He rubbed his forehead.

"Someone... Please come find me."

Rolling lazily onto his side, he let out another long sigh.

"I wonder what everyone’s doing right now."

His thoughts drifted toward Damien and others.

"Hopefully Damien is safe as well."

That was the last thought on his mind as he quietly stared into the darkness beyond the open veranda.

While outside the house. The sky once again started to roar in thunder and storm.

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