Nicholas's Task

In this world of magic, when wizards mentioned the word "snowman," it often carried different meanings depending on the context.

For instance, when adventuring through high mountains and wilderness, the snowmen wizards referred to were intelligent creatures with towering builds, powerful physiques, thick coats of snowy white fur, and a certain degree of magical ability—at least in theory, such snowmen lived only deep within the Himalayas. But because of their ferocious nature, elders often used them to scare newly fledged young wizards into staying alert, lest a snowman yank their heads off.

In the island nations of the East, however, mentioning snowmen usually led local wizards to speak of another kind of spirit: Snow Women. They were spirits with beautiful faces, tall figures, and pale blue hair, often dwelling deep in the mountains. Skilled at controlling wind and snow, they melted away at the sight of sunlight. What they loved most was luring young men into snowy mountains, kissing them, and stealing their vital essence.

Then there was First University. After snowfall, the snowmen everyone discussed on campus were Snow Puppets with talismans stuck in their bellies, wobbling as they walked while loose snow continually drifted from their bodies.

Compared with their distant relatives, these "snowmen" were obviously far inferior in both ability and intelligence.

But even a salted fish had its day of turning over, let alone a Snow Puppet born in the Magic World.

At certain times, under certain conditions, after being tempered by magic, such snowmen could give rise to a special creature that surpassed ordinary Snow Puppets while still retaining the appearance of a snowman. Because they looked identical yet possessed entirely different natures, wizards simply named these creatures "True Snowmen," distinguishing them from the "False Snowmen" that were ordinary Snow Puppets.

The most fundamental distinction