Versatile: Alternate World

A great snowstorm is blowing through the ice field where the only eyes can see is just the pure white snow. Not a single black-colored rock or stone is sticking out, in fact, all of them are being buried under the white snow.

Still, there is one thing that is currently passing through that thick snow, two snakes slithering alongside a small carriage that is run by an engine rather than a horse or the sled dogs. There shouldn't be people crossing these cold mountains at this time, but this time around, these people are currently equipped with a coat that will keep them warm under the harsh weather.

​ "I thought it will just snow, turns out it was a blizzard now, huh? The weather in this place is too harsh for any humans to live. It's a bit sad and a bit unnerving knowing there will be no humans but someone seems to keep staring at you huh?" Harmless Sparrow commented as they pass through a huge cave from one of the mountains.

"Well, it's pretty normal, especially in places that are uncharted and have never been developed and touched by the human hands. And I think they should stay that way just to avoid the ire of the monsters. Having multiple behemoths alone is scary enough already and living near them is just going to give you a big risk of dying. Even I would refuse to live in a place similar to this," Bladeheart's mother shook her head as she reorganize her inventory. She wanted to make sure everything will be easier for her to use her potions in case of emergency.

Sigma on the other hand is quiet, her eyes closed while keeping her arms crossed. It seems she is thinking of something that seems to occupy her mind. Still, it was very clear that she is not going to be having a good time from what she was currently thinking about.

"Worried about our upcoming quest, Sigma-chan?" Dolly immediately tried to talk to Sigma just to at least calm her nerves if ever she was having a hard time with her emotions.

"Not really. I am more thinking of what Almira is about to do with all the ingredients we will be gathering and her purpose in doing so. Haven't you wondered what it was?"

"Uh, not really. I mean, even though this is a game, I rarely care much about what the NPCs are going to do with the materials we players gather for them. If there is a reward for me and the quest is reasonable enough I will take it."

"Well, this game is clearly not something a normal game does. The NPCs have their own minds and they don't just act like they are system-generated minds, they talk like real humans and they respond like one too. It was like they are real humans in another world."

"Indeed. I thought it was very cool and amazing they are capable of doing that and they were like real humans interacting with us. I didn't think too much about how they are capable of doing things like that and I just thought nothing the advanced technology can't do. But then you said it, they were like real humans indeed. But I doubt they hired multiple people to become their voice actors and actors themselves. It was indeed like they have generated real people in this game as the real people without governed and controlled by actors and stuff," Bladeheart's father tilted his head.

"I don't want to think too much of it. There might be some sort of technology that they made to do this kind of stuff possible and I don't want to think too much of it. It will just further hurt my mind if I want to learn more of it," Hagane sighed. After all, he isn't the most smartass among the group and he didn't want to make it more complicated than it should be.

"Well, that is understandable, still, for Bladeheart to be the one to get this, I wonder how he managed to even get this kind of treatment from NPC and get these kinds of quests easily from them. It doesn't even seem like some seasonal event or something since it was only limited to a few players that Bladeheart permitted to join. If this was seasonal, things would have been available to all players and it seems like the quests we are taking are somehow related to the main story of this game."

They continue to discuss while the carriage is moving from the blizzard until they heard a loud noise not too far from them. Sigma quickly opened her eyes and she turned to look outside of the carriage as she was beside the right door. Despite the low visibility due to the ongoing blizzard, she tried her best to make out what is happening before them. She cannot ask Alpha and Beta how she doesn't know how they can speak so the only way to know is to check what is happening before them.

The carriage continued to move towards the source of the sound and soon found out what happened. Before Alpha and Beta, are a group of white giant monsters that resembles a squirrel but are a bit far from that as these monsters don't have the fluffy-looking tail squirrels possess with sharp claws, a head that looks like a combination of a rat and a fox, a long tail, and sharp teeth. The body of the monster is as big as an interior of a moderately sized house without a second floor.

Sigma noticed that Alpha and Beta seems to be trying to get away from the monster. Most of the time, the two snakes are the ones who will immediately attack any monster that tries to do some transgression but right now seems to be in a different matter. As not only do the two snakes cower in fear, but it seems they also found their natural predators.

It immediately dawned on Sigma what this monster is without even seeing its name. She also knows why the two snakes she tamed are behaving this way. Despite its different look from the real animal counterpart, it has that exists in real life, the resemblance is pretty close that it doesn't need a lot of confirmation of what it is.

The monster before them is none other than a mongoose. Although this is the first time she has seen a mongoose as white and has fluffy fur, it is pretty much close to a mongoose in the real world. Its aggressive stance against her snakes is pretty much a giveaway of what it was. But despite knowing what the monster is before them and how it poses a big threat to the two pets she has, unlike Bladeheart who would rather sacrifice himself just to keep the life of his pet alive, Sigma is built differently.

"Alpha! Beta! Face your predator! Do not cower in fear but face it bravely and fight! I told you two that you two will become the Apex Predators right? That you two will be the strongest monsters that no other monsters can rival you two? Then face the one who can kill you! What doesn't kill you will make you stronger! It's an order! Fight or die trying. Escape and any of the two of you will just prove yourselves to be unworthy of my teachings."

The two snakes were intelligent enough to understand what Sigma is telling them. Despite the intense fear they felt while facing their natural predator, the stronger fear they felt from their master is much more dangerous than the threat before them.

Knowing that they won't receive any help from their master, the two helplessly face their predators and even though they are not adamant to meet with them, they still have to do it or face the wrath of their master. They might not have experienced the actual wrath of their master but they have seen the way their master ripped off the mouth of the fish with her bare hands and as far as they know, the fish monster is a formidable opponent and they also don't want to face off against it. Then, it just died without much effort. It's better to get injured than to die the same way as that.

Alpha and Beta immediately unleashed their hostility and killing intent alongside their severe bloodlust which is a trait normal to them snakes. Despite the display, the group of mongooses refuse to budge and started to snarl angrily, their fur started to stand up and started to form like some sort of needles similar to how porcupines do.

"Sigma-chan, are you sure we won't be helping?" Dolly asked, worried about the situation before them where the two snakes seem to be at a severe disadvantage.

"We will only step in if everything is gonna fail. This is a fight my snakes needed to face. If they want to get stronger, they have to face what is going to kill them, and use that to fortify their bodies to their limits."