Riding atop a giant ice bear, one man and two beasts made their way through a man-made widened cave. According to the old man, once they passed through here, they would be close to the capital of the Land of Snow.
"Winter, pick up the pace and watch where you're going. Don't wander off course again." He tilted his head to dodge an icicle that nearly poked him.
"Roar~ Got it. Stop rushing me." A gentle female voice came softly from the giant bear's mouth, creating an adorable contrast.
Now he understood the difference between Rune Creatures and ordinary creatures.
The ice bear he called Winter had been just an ordinary bear when she was first revived, but she had changed drastically since then.
For starters, she had grown enormously—more than twice her former size. As she walked, she was like a moving hill.
She was majestic and imposing, and most importantly, she came with special effects. Snowflakes couldn't come within half a foot of her, and golden light occasionally shimmered across her white fur, lending her a sacred air.
As long as she kept quiet, she was absolutely the kind of terrifying beast that could scare off a pack of Snow Wolves with a single glare.
Secondly, she could slowly absorb Natural Energy on her own to sustain her life. That was why she kept growing; otherwise, a creature of her size would eventually starve to death.
Winter also possessed the power of the Thunder Rune within her—a physical manifestation of the Thunder Rune inside him. It granted her formidable combat ability. When such an enormous creature donned her Thunder Armor, she had the savage air of a world-ending beast.
In truth, though, she was a gentle bear with a few screws loose—a lovable, dim-witted goof.
"Kaede, we're almost