Chapter 32: A Monumental Loss

The landing pod screamed as it broke through Jarilo-VI’s thin, frigid atmosphere, descending toward the pre-calculated coordinates on the ice fields below.

With a final, bone-jarring lurch, the retro-thrusters fired, and the pod’s hull embedded itself deep into a mountain of thick, pristine snow.

The hatch hissed open.

A blade of arctic wind immediately sliced into the cabin, stealing the breath from their lungs.

“Whoa—!

Look at all this snow!

It’s so white…

uh, and besides the snow, there’s just…

more snow!”

March 7th was the first to leap out, his boots sinking into the powder.

He immediately whipped out the camera he never went anywhere without, aiming its lens at the boundless, frozen expanse.

He began snapping a flurry of shots of the towering glaciers, muttering excitedly to himself.

“Record, record!

This is all precious Trailblaze data!

This light, this composition—it’s absolutely perfect!”

Chen followed him out of the hatch, and the cold instantly wrapped around him like a suffocating blanket.

Even with the specialized thermal uniform, the piercing chill made him shiver uncontrollably.

He instinctively rubbed his gloved hands together, his breath puffing out in a thick cloud of white mist.

His first thought was for the person behind him.

He turned to look at Qiong.

The young woman had stepped out as well, standing silently in the snow as she curiously observed the pure white, silent world around her.

“Qiong, aren’t you…

cold?” Chen finally asked, his voice tight.

He had no idea if Qiong, who had yet to awaken to a Path, possessed any inherent resistance to such extreme temperatures.

Hearing her name, Qiong turned her head.

She looked at Chen and then shook her head with an earnest simplicity.

“Not cold.”

“That’s good.”

Chen let out a small sigh of relief, but the knot of urgency in his chest didn’t loosen.

It was probably a good thing that she didn’t feel the cold.

But the resonance between the Stellaron sealed inside her and the one potentially buried deep within this world… that was a far greater variable.

And then there was the long-overdue awakening of her Path of Destruction to consider.

Dan Heng was the last to exit the landing pod.

His sharp eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, his posture tense and alert.

“The ambient temperature is two to three degrees lower than projected,” he announced, his voice crisp and clear over the whistling wind.

“Wind speed is increasing, and visibility is average.

We shouldn’t linger here.

We need to find shelter or proceed to the designated scouting coordinates immediately.”

“I know, I know, Teacher Dan Heng,” March 7th chirped, finally stowing his camera and patting his backpack with satisfaction.

“Let’s get going!

I can’t wait to see if this ice-cube planet has any local specialties!” He paused, then added, “Uh, besides ice, I mean…”

The team began their trek, their heavy boots sinking deep into the snowfield.

They left a trail of deep footprints behind them, a fleeting mark that was quickly erased by the snow dust whipped up by the relentless wind.

Walking in the middle of the group, Chen’s mind began to wander.

As the biting wind scraped against his face, a few rather untimely thoughts couldn’t help but surface.

‘Based on the established nature of this world… those few on Jarilo-VI probably won’t escape the clutches of the gender-swap curse either, right?’The image of the honest and reliable Gepard from the game floated into his mind.

Then he thought of that “Iron-Leg Uncle,” Sampo, who always acted like a shady merchant but was actually a man of hidden depths.’I wonder what Brother Gepard… no, Ms.

Gepard, will look like?’he mused.’A cold, stern female military officer?

The heroic commander of the Silvermane Guards?”And Sampo… will he turn into a slippery, wheeler-dealer big sister?’The mental image was so absurd it made the corners of his mouth twitch.’Then there’s Belobog’s Bronya… she’ll probably be Young Master Bronya?

And Hook… eh, at that age, there probably isn’t much of a difference, right?

Dr.

Natasha becoming a male doctor…’ Chen drew a sharp, hissing breath.

But it was the next thought that made his heart truly ache with a deep sense of loss.

‘Seele…’

Bronya!

My magnificent, elegant, and resilient young Supreme Guardian, the one who was just beginning her journey of growth… she’s going to be Young Master Bronya?

Seele!

That cool, fierce, scythe-wielding protector of the Underworld… is she going to be some punk kid, a boy Seele?

And Dr.

Natasha, the gentle and powerful heart of the Underworld, becoming a male doctor… Clara… no, stop!

‘I can’t even think about that one!’

Dammit!

Chen screamed silently in his heart, his face contorting into a mask of pure agony.

‘Can’t this world be just a little more reasonable!

If you’re going to gender-swap everyone, at least just swap the guys!

Give me back my cute and charming girls!’My waifus… I mean, my nostalgia for the game, the entire visual experience, the simple joy of collecting characters… it’s all been half-ruined!’Forget it, forget it.’He forced himself to calm down, shaking his head vigorously as if he could physically dislodge the grief and indignation from his brain.’Since I’m already here, the mission hasn’t changed.

I still have to unlock the icons and get the abilities.’He tried to look on the bright side.’Maybe… maybe the male version, Young Master Bronya, will have a different kind of charm?

And maybe a boy Seele will be even more wild and untamable?’The thought sent an involuntary chill down his spine.

He quickly slammed the brakes on that increasingly bizarre train of thought.’Whatever.

Why am I thinking so much?’

Chen shook his head again, forcefully suppressing the chaotic storm in his mind.

His gaze refocused on the horizon, now a blurry white canvas of wind and snow.

No matter what they’ve become, my goal remains the same.

To light up their icons and fill out my character library… even if this is a world of ice or a dragon’s den, I’ve got to charge straight ahead

[Elysian’s Note:

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