Winter in the North was a severe trial for all living things. Humans, animals, and monsters alike faced the cold, hunger, and the threat of being hunted by stronger predators—perils that could snuff out the fragile lives of the weak in an instant.
The snowfall had stopped several days ago, but animals in the forest were getting harder and harder to catch. The weaker prey had either frozen or starved to death, or been killed by predators and become someone else's meal. The stronger survivors gradually migrated deeper into the forest, either in search of food or to escape hunters, even though it was no safer there than on the outskirts of the Hidden Forest.
William had quickly noticed the change. He had come up almost empty-handed all morning, but he wasn't discouraged, since he had already caught plenty of prey. There were seven Pachy-Deer in his stable, along with five Muntjacs and several springboks—and those were only the animals he had captured alive and penned up. He had killed plenty of prey, too. Just two days ago, he had hunted down a mighty bull bison. He had wanted to capture it alive, but the enraged beast had fought back fiercely and refused to follow him home, so William had been forced to snap its neck with his bare hands and send it to its rest.
Now William was tracking a herd of elk. They had been there long enough that their hoofprints in the snow had grown somewhat indistinct.
Of course, William no longer cared much about how many animals he killed or captured. He was just looking for something to keep him occupied and take his mind off things. Lately, he had cut back on his training because too much poisonous fire had built up inside him. His increasingly intense lust was tormenting his reason, and William was certain that if he didn't find a way to deal with it, he would eventually become a pervert and a madman, ruled by instinct.
William felt he had ventured deep into the Hidden Forest, into unfamiliar territory he had never set foot in before. He had come across plenty of strange animals along the way, but he hadn't attacked any of them. He stuck to his original goal. Neither the cold nor his curiosity could quell the fire raging inside him; only the will to focus on what he was doing could keep it under control.
The tracks were growing clearer. The herd couldn't be far away. William quickened his pace across the snow and couldn't help sighing. It looked like today's hunt was about to end once again. He adjusted his gear, then took a small piece of Frozen Blue Lettuce from his pack and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly.
The crisp, icy lettuce had a cool sweetness that sent a shiver through him. A refreshing chill surged straight to his heart, and the sensation was so soothing that it nearly intoxicated him. It would have been even better if the heat that followed the chill weren't even more intense.
Holding a rope tied into a noose, William began to move faster. He was ready to end this tedious chase.
After covering some ground, Chen Jinyang noticed that the tracks in the snow had grown chaotic, and a second set of footprints had appeared—those of a humanoid creature. They were long and narrow. Judging by their depth and stride, the stranger wasn't as tall as an Ogre, but was still a little bigger than him. An unwelcome guest had interrupted his hunt.
Without realizing it, William's temper had grown more and more volatile. He decided to teach the person who had poached his prey a small lesson. He didn't expect to get a satisfying fight out of it, though. A perfectly matched fight to the death, using the peril of life and death to dispel the restlessness in his heart? Sure—anything was possible in a dream.
Since the last Ogre he had encountered had run off after he hit it with a javelin, William planned to fight unarmed this time, facing his opponent in a pure test of strength and close-quarters combat. He hurried after the large footprints, a vicious grin spreading across his face.
After following the tracks for several hundred meters, William found a patch of dried blood on the ground. The footprints then veered away from the herd and led up a small rise. He climbed it and saw a tall figure sitting beside a campfire, preparing some venison. The moment William made out the stranger's general appearance, the poisonous fire inside him erupted, bursting into flame. He lost all reason. Like a great ape, he pounded his chest twice and let out a challenging roar before charging straight at her.
Phinia Omuersort's father had once been a strong Uthgardt barbarian. The unlucky warrior had been captured by Frost Giants in battle and made a slave.
During his six years in captivity, what he found hardest to admit wasn't that he had been a slave. It was that he had been conquered countless times by a Frost Giant woman even stronger than he was. Of course, this embarrassing joke only got around because he let it slip while drunk. Afterward, whenever anyone brought it up, he would turn red and loudly deny it, but people loved to tease him about it.
After Phinia was born, her Frost Giant mother handed her over to the barbarian and set him free. He took the child back to Griffin Nest.
Even as a child, Phinia was stronger than the other barbarian children around her. As an adult, she stood a full eight feet tall. She had inherited her mother's skin, white as goat's milk but smoother, as well as her pale blue hair and eyes—features that set her apart from her brown-haired, blue-eyed peers.
After her father—the only person who cared for her—drank himself to death, Phinia could no longer bear the strange looks from those around her. She exiled herself, wandering near the Hidden Forest. Sometimes, in summer, she would visit a Frost Giant tribe in the Spine of the World for a while. The cool climate there made her feel comfortable, though the big folk weren't very friendly and were always beating her up.
Phinia had been lucky today: she had come across a herd of elk and killed one. As she lit a fire to cook her food, she suddenly heard a shout, and a red-haired human, small by her standards, charged out from behind her. The Giantess wasn't concerned by these little humans. She had knocked down countless opponents like him. Without hurrying, Phinia turned and picked up the Frost Giant Axe beside her, then casually brought it down on the charging man.
As the axe was about to land, she saw the human's face: a fairly handsome, youthful one. The "little man" also got a good look at her. Wild madness burned in his unsettling eyes, and his vivid red pupils seemed to blaze with raging flames. The human let out a muffled growl like a beast, then suddenly accelerated and slammed into Phinia's arms. His hands, like steel claws, seized her leather armor and violently threw her to the ground. The Giantess discovered that her tough leather armor, which could withstand an animal's bite, had been torn in two by the man's inconceivable strength. The Frost Giant Axe had slipped from her grasp and fallen into the snow.
Phinia was about to get up and fight back when she stared in disbelief as the "little man" lunged at her and ripped off her fur skirt. The Giantess struggled to push him away, but failed. The human's strength far exceeded hers. Still, she didn't stop resisting; she punched him hard, again and again, right in the face.
It was a brutal fight in which neither side came out ahead.
Night had fallen by the time William came to. The campfire was almost out. With his reason partly restored, he picked up the venison lying in the snow and began roasting it, sneaking glances at the Giantess across from him now and then. William had to admit that she was a beautiful woman with an irresistible charm. Her tousled pale blue hair half veiled her snow-white face, as cool as jade. Above her high nose, her eyes were like clear, pale blue springs, giving her delicate lips a somewhat cold look.
Just looking at her made William feel as if cool spring water were pouring into his heart. An inexplicable joy spread through him, as though all his former restlessness had vanished.
He stole a few more glances at her as fat began to sizzle on the venison. William found his torn backpack and rummaged through it for some salt to rub on the meat. Its rich aroma made both of them swallow hard, their stomachs rumbling.
William tore off a roasted venison leg and offered it to the Giantess. Phinia only snorted, but she accepted the meat without protest. She took a tentative bite, then began tearing into it ravenously. She hadn't had salted food in a long time. Phinia ate with gusto, her wild manner stirring William's imagination. He tore off a piece of venison too and took a bite, but the muscles in his cheek hurt too much to chew. This woman had a mean punch. William could only chew and swallow as best he could, grimacing with every bite. He was certain his face was swollen like a pig's head.
"Who are you? My name is William!"
"I'm Phinia Omuersort, a half-giant. Why did you sneak up on me, little man? You don't know how to fight at all. All you do is poke me with things, and you can't even make it hurt!" Phinia was innocent and inexperienced, her pure, holy face still showing a lingering sense of satisfaction.
"So she's just a clueless little girl!" William felt like a wicked big bad wolf. With an ulterior motive, he asked, "Phinia, do you want to try that feeling again?"
Phinia nodded like a silly girl. The little human let out a delighted shout, then buried himself in an endless sea of waves. William clearly felt a sensation beyond words. An inexplicable coolness flowed through his veins, dissolving the toxic heat caused by his training. His mind grew clearer and clearer, his thoughts sharper than ever.
He had finally found a way to counter the side effects of his training. Although William didn't know the real reason this Giantess could ease his troubles, he decided to take her home with him. After all, aside from being a little tall, she was perfect in every other way.
When William somewhat awkwardly asked Phinia to come home with him, he hadn't expected the Giantess to agree without hesitation. The man was overjoyed.
William searched for the clothes that had been torn apart. Phinia's leather armor had only been ripped, so it could still be worn after a few repairs. His own clothes, however, had been reduced to scraps. Wrapped in nothing but a blanket, William was nearly frozen solid by the time he returned to the village.
Alos and little Mishaer had been anxiously waiting for their brother to come back. The sudden appearance of the Giantess nearly terrified the two little ones. Even after William repeatedly explained that Phinia would become part of their family, the siblings couldn't shake their fear—and his pig-headed appearance only made matters worse.
Fixed.
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