The door to the longhouse banged open, and the huge form of Alfred appeared in the entryway. He stomped inside, a blast of frigid air following him. As he shook the snow off his cloak, he pointed a finger at Piper. “Grab your bow and follow me.”

  She put down the plate she was rinsing and glanced over at Ethel beside her. “Do you mind finishing up?”

  “Go on,” Ethel said with a warm smile. “I’ll have Ophelia help me.”

  “What?” Ophelia cried out from the loft above them. “I have to do the dishes?”

  “Yes, you do, young lady,” Ethel said sternly. “Now get down here and help me tidy up this kitchen.”

  A groan was the only reply to her request.

  Piper hurried over to the wall, where she grabbed her fur-lined cloak before slipping her feet into her boots. Her toes immediately hit something inside, and when she lifted it, a familiar wooden figure tumbled out. She rolled her eyes as Alfred chuckled.

  “Could you please find a new place to hide that thing?” she said, feigning annoyance. “At least I’m original when I get you back.”

  “That was for putting it in my gloves yesterday.”

  Trying to hide her smile, she placed the figurine aside and finished getting dressed for the cold weather. During the winter months, everyone here dressed in multiple layers. When she was done, she looked so round she could probably roll along the ground.

  Piper double-checked her buttons and then wrapped a thick fur cloak around her shoulders. Reaching over, she grabbed a short bow propped up near the door. It wasn’t the bow she’d received from the quest—Alfred still wouldn’t let her touch the thing. But he’d constructed one for her to learn the skill.

  She wrapped two bowstrings around her hat and then tied the quiver to her belt. Finally ready, she followed Alfred outside into the winter wonderland. In her previous life, she’d rarely experienced the outdoors during winter, as she spent most of her time cooped up in her bedroom. But she was starting to realize just how much she’d missed.

  The entire farm was covered in a layer of pristine white snow, and snowflakes drifted lazily down from the leaden sky. Long icicles hung from the eaves of the house, and snowdrifts had begun to form against the sides of the buildings. Winter here was strangely beautiful.

  Without explanation, Alfred set out in the direction of the mountains. He carried a longbow and had an axe thrust through his belt. He also had wineskins and a pack slung over his shoulder, which meant they were going to be gone for a while.

  “Where are we going?” Piper asked, hurrying to catch up with the big man. Even though she had short legs, he never slowed his pace around her. Most of the time, she almost had to run to keep up with him.

  “I found lion tracks,” he grunted. “I thought it was time to give you some training.”

  “Lion tracks!” she gasped. “How dangerous do you think it is?”

  “It’s alone and has big paws,” he replied. “Which means it's most likely a male. So very dangerous.”

  Piper was silent as she digested the news. Since her return from the Infernal Realm, Alfred had been teaching her how to use a bow. She’d even received the Archery skill a few days ago, though she’d only gained one point in it so far.

  Up until now, they’d only hunted small game like rabbits and pheasants. Apparently, he thought she was ready for something more challenging. But to be honest, she had hoped there would be an easier transition between a rabbit and a giant man-eating lion. Or in this case, a demon-eating lion.

  Unless he thinks he can’t defeat it on his own.

  That thought unnerved her. Alfred seemed like the strongest man in the world. But since her awakening, she’d learned that he and his wife only had poor-quality classes. While Piper received multiple attribute points for each new level, they only received a handful.

  But she still wouldn’t stand a chance against Alfred in a fight. He was over level 100 in farming, and about half that in his woodcutter second class. Plus, all the points he’d gotten from leveling up his race. Even though both were poor quality classes, he could still squish her like a bug, having somewhere close to 300 additional attribute points over her.

  Piper was starting to realize that level differences were huge in this world. And she’d picked a class that was difficult to level up. The Holy System didn’t seem to believe that casting [False Face] and playing tricks on Ophelia with [Veil of Lies] was worthy of new levels. Maybe that was why Alfred was bringing her out here. He might be trying to help her level up.

  “Why are we hunting a lion?” She braced herself against a tree as she tried to climb up the ice-covered rocks. With a big leap, she vaulted over it onto a patch of firm snow.

  “I found paw prints around the longhouse this morning,” he replied. “It won’t be long before it starts taking animals.”

  “I see.” The idea of fighting a lion filled her with excitement—and a bit of dread. She still woke up in a cold sweat some nights, the events in the Infernal Realm replaying in her mind. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to fight another battle yet.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “You’ll do fine,” Alfred said as though he could read her mind.

  Piper nodded stiffly at his words. She didn’t quite believe him, but she appreciated his reassurance. Now she just had to prove him right.

  They trudged up the mountain for the better part of an hour. Every few hundred metres, Alfred stopped, looking for invisible signs of a lion. He would then inevitably make a satisfied noise and alter their course slightly.

  After the third time he did that, Piper decided he must have some sort of tracking skill. Most skills and spells were closely guarded secrets in this world. If someone told people what skills they had, then they could use it against them later. Even in close families, they were rarely discussed.

  When Alfred wasn’t looking, she stuck out her tongue and let a snowflake land on it. Then, she pulled it into her mouth with a silly grin. Ophelia had taught her how to do that during the first snowfall. She’d missed out on so much when she was young, trapped in her bed while the other kids played outside.

  I’m going to make up for everything in this world.

  The next time she stuck out her tongue, Alfred caught her and shook his head. Her face immediately flushed to the roots of her hair. And the worst part was the illusion cloaking her showed it.

  One of the first skills she’d learned upon her return from the Infernal Realm was [Enduring Casting]. It had taken a few days to learn it, but Beatrice had been a great help. Now, she could keep her [False Face] active all day. She couldn’t regenerate any mana while it was active, but at least it didn’t drain her completely. She’d given up the skill [Mucking] for it, but that was no big loss.

  After being caught by Alfred, she decided that catching snowflakes on her tongue probably didn’t look too mature. For the rest of the hunt, she resolved to start acting like an adult. He wanted a woman to help him fight the lion—not a little girl.

  A gust of wind sent a swirl of snow around her, and she pulled the cloak tighter around herself. The wind cut through her woolen clothing as if it weren’t even there. She was pretty sure demons weren’t made for the cold. After all, her kind came from a realm with two suns and virtually no water.

  Ahead of her, Alfred pushed aside a snow laden pine bough and stepped under the protective cone of the branches. A second later, she followed him inside to find herself in a nice warm shelter. There space underneath the pine tree was dry, and even the wind couldn’t reach them here.

  The hulking man handed her a wineskin, which she took gratefully.

  “Thank you.” Piper uncorked the top and poured the fruit wine into her mouth. It was a little bitter, and she was still getting used to the taste. But it helped with the cold as it burned in her stomach.

  Apparently, everyone in this world drank wine after their awakening. Even kids drank something they called short beer. According to Ethel and Alfred, the drinks in this world didn’t have as much alcohol as back home. Plus, they were apparently a good deal safer than many of the water sources.

  “What do you want out of life?” Alfred asked as he took the wineskin back. He downed a swig and then slung it back over his shoulder.

  His question surprised Piper, and it took her a moment to respond. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a simple question.” He regarded her with his eyes as the tree creaked above them in the wind. “What do you want out of life?”

  She chewed her lower lip as she thought about the question. While her main goal was to see her parents again, she didn’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him that. Not after he’d taken her in and practically adopted her. “I… don’t know. Can’t I stay here and become a farmer?”

  Alfred grinned at her words. “If it were up to me, I’d have you stay until you’re married and then grant you half my land to farm. However, I’m not sure that’s the life you’re meant to live.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Do I really have to tell you?” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “There’s no denying you have a higher purpose in life. Most humans never even travel to the middle elemental realms during their awakening. And I’ve never heard of a single person who traveled to the upper realms. Yet you went above all that and survived in the Infernal Realm. Whatever force brought you to this place had a purpose for you. Mind you, I don’t know what that is. However, I doubt you’ll find it on my farm.”

  “But I’m happy here,” she protested.

  “The choice is yours,” he said. “Like I said, I’d be happy to watch you grow old and take over the farm. Infernus knows that Ophelia has no desire to do it.”

  “She’ll come around.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Alfred exhaled and pushed back the tree bough “The lion shouldn’t be far from here. I saw some fresh tracks a short while ago.”

  The information that the lion was nearby made her mouth go dry. This was her first battle since her fight with the shadeling demon in the Infernal Realm. Cursed or not, she really wished Alfred would let her use the bow, Gorebark.

  Ducking under the branch again, she stepped out into the snowstorm. The moment she was back outside, the wind whipped around her, sending icy shivers down her spine. The storm was picking up, and if they didn’t find the lion soon, they’d probably have to turn back.

  I don’t want to get lost in a blizzard in the mountains.

  In front of her, Alfred unwound his bowstring and then strung his bow. Following his lead, she did the same. The snow would quickly ruin the bowstring, but she didn’t want to be caught unarmed against the lion. Though she still had the dagger Alfred had gifted her tucked into her belt.

  Alfred moved more cautiously now, slightly crouched, with an arrow knocked on his bow. Every few metres, he paused to examine the ground. Then he continued onward, his head cocked to the side.

  Piper kept looking around, watching for any sign of the lion. However, she didn’t see anything stirring in the snow. Not even the birds wanted to be out in this crappy weather.

  Glancing over at Alfred, she realized he probably didn’t want to be here either. But even the loss of a single animal might mean his family wouldn’t have enough food to last the winter. And she knew he would do anything to protect his family.

  I can always sell my aetherstone if they need food.

  The precious gem she’d taken from the tomb was hidden among the rafters of the barn with her quiver and bow. However, a peasant family selling a priceless stone might raise some unpleasant questions. Still, it was better than going hungry.

  Alfred held up his fist as a sign for her to stop. Ahead of them loomed a yawning cave entrance. He gestured for her to hide, and they ducked behind a bush.

  In front of the cave opening, a beast had trampled down the snow, and the flat area was stained red with blood. Bones and bits of fur were scattered around on the ground. Something had made a kill recently.

  Piper heard a soft growl from inside the cave, and a moment later a monstrous lion padded outside. It had an impressive mane ringing its head, and its fur was noticeably thicker than the lions on her world.

  Its eyes immediately fixated on them behind the bush. Somehow, it knew they were hiding there. And based on the ear-splitting roar it let out, it was clearly not happy to see them.