As soon as they left the parking lot and began climbing the mountain path in earnest, the air turned noticeably colder.
With each breath, white mist curled from their mouths, and bare tree branches swayed helplessly in the wind. By temperature alone, it felt like late autumn or early winter.
It was so different from the real-world weather—where spring had arrived in full, with blooming flowers and warm sunshine—that it felt like stepping into another world entirely.
I looked up at the sky, thick with dark clouds, and pulled a cloak from my inventory to wrap around myself. Just that made the cold far more bearable.
This wasn't ordinary cold. It was a chill born of some kind of power.
Rather than layering up with normal clothes, wearing a defense item like this cloak was safer. Ryu Sunghyun had also thrown on a defensive jacket. Being S-rank, he could probably endure without it, but still—
'It'll only get colder the higher we go.'
About thirty minutes into our climb—my cloak flapping in the slicing wind—it suddenly began to snow.
Under the wide expanse of dark clouds, white flakes began to fall. Snow bloomed thick on the tree branches, like flowers of ice.
The wind that had seemed to block our progress earlier had calmed a little, but the cold deepened. With the snow piling up, walking became harder.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course."
Ryu Sunghyun looked at me with concern as we trudged up the snow-covered trail.
I appreciated the sentiment, but it was far too late to turn back now. And I had no desire to send him ahead alone.
"If we go this way, I think we'll be fine."
The trail was better maintained than expected—stairs and railings had been installed in places. Maybe because the mountain had once been popular with tourists, the infrastructure was still intact.
Thanks to the cloak, I could still endure the cold. If I, with my ordinary body, was doing okay, then someone like Ryu Sunghyun was likely unfazed.
But honestly, that wasn't the biggest problem.
Whoosh.
"..."
"..."
A cold gust blew between us, and in the silence that followed, I had only one thought:
'This is so awkward...!'
Come to think of it, this was the first time since my regression that I'd spent such a long stretch alone with Ryu Sunghyun.
There had always been someone else nearby, so while I'd felt the awkwardness, I hadn't been overwhelmed by it. Now, though, it was suffocating.
'This is unbearable.'
I'd been so excited about finally meeting Song Jiwoon that I hadn't considered this. Awkwardness with Ryu Sunghyun—something I never imagined, not even before the regression.
'We still have to wander the mountain together until we find Jiwoon. This won't do.'
Maybe this was my chance to grow closer to him. Swallowing dryly, I turned and said,
"It really feels like we came up here in the middle of winter. What season do you like best, Vice Guildmaster?"
Small talk was best for moments like this. I asked with a smile, and he smiled back similarly as he answered.
"I like autumn. Winter's okay too. How about you, Hunter Cha Seohu?"
"Oh! Same here. I like autumn best."
"Ha, is that so."
"Yes."
"..."
"..."
Whoosh.
Another gust of wind swept by. I swallowed back a curse along with my tears.
'Fuck...'
Honestly, I'd never dealt with this kind of situation before.
I'd never cared enough about anyone to work through awkwardness to become friends. Before my regression, I had joined Circle Guild and naturally grown close with everyone.
'He's feeling awkward too, huh.'
I understood. What reason would he have to feel comfortable around me?
I wasn't going to be disappointed by that. Better to spend my energy figuring out how to ease his wariness than wallowing in useless feelings.
"...Hunter Cha Seohu."
Just as I was desperately trying to come up with something else to say, Ryu Sunghyun unexpectedly broke the silence.
"May I ask... what kind of relationship you have with the Guildmaster?"
"...Huh?"
The Guildmaster? He meant that fake?
Surprised by the random question, I looked at him. Ryu smiled sheepishly.
"You two seem pretty close."
Close? With that fake? Please. The only one I want to be close with is you.
"Hmm, not really."
When I replied flatly, Ryu's eyes showed confusion.
"He helped you... and you seem connected to Cover Hunter. I assumed you were close."
"It wasn't out of kindness. He helped me, and in return, I agreed to his request. That's why I'm here. It was a deal. So don't kick me out—I'm just here to repay a debt."
I added a light-hearted joke to ease the tension, and Ryu chuckled quietly.
"Even if I tried to kick you out, I doubt you'd go."
"There's that."
With that exchange, the stiffness between us eased just a little. Ryu met my gaze, hesitated, then spoke again.
"Honestly, up until yesterday, I agreed with Hunter Kwon Taehyuk. This isn't a place for a Supporter."
"..."
"But now that we're here... I'm glad you came. I would've struggled if I were alone."
He lifted his head and gazed at the distant, snowy summit. I understood what was on his mind.
"You're worried about meeting the mountain warden, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I don't know how to explain why we want him to be the Guildmaster. Even if we need a strong Dealer, why him?"
Ryu didn't know the truth—that the mountain warden was the real Song Jiwoon, or that Seohu and the fake had knowledge of the previous timeline.
To him, this was just a bizarre order from his superior—to convince a stranger to become the new Guildmaster, and in a place like this frozen mountain, no less.
'He's too kind to even raise a complaint. If it were me, I'd have grabbed that fake by the collar.'
Just like before the regression, Ryu was the one suffering most.
'All the more reason to find the real Guildmaster and bring him back.'
How could something non-human possibly understand the burden of being human? What a person needs is a human superior.
Besides, the real Song Jiwoon and Ryu had always been close. Once they met, they'd become close again in no time.
"If you don't mind, Hunter Cha Seohu... I'd like your help assessing what kind of person the mountain warden is. I haven't made up my mind yet, but I think you'll have a clearer judgment than I do."
"..."
Ryu murmured, his expression weary. Seeing the fatigue in his face stung something deep in my chest.
If I could, I would have told him not to worry. That the warden «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» would be a good man.
But that wasn't what he needed to hear right now.
"Of course. I'm technically an outsider, after all. I'll stay objective."
Hearing my confident answer, Ryu finally let out a faint, relieved smile.
"Thanks."
Yeah, this was enough. Ryu didn't need memories of the previous timeline.
'Almost slipped up.'
If I had tried to reassure him with promises about the mountain warden, he would've never relaxed like this.
'Don't force the past onto him. It's enough that I remember.'
I liked seeing Ryu Sunghyun walking beside me with a soft smile, snowflakes fluttering in the air between us. Content, I followed him.
As expected, the higher they climbed, the colder it became. Snow piled deeper on the trail.
Wherever I turned, all I saw was a white blanket of snow. If not for the snow-covered trail signs, we'd have lost our way long ago.
'Every tree trunk has these claw-like markings... Someone carved them in?'
I was running my hand over a rough gouge in a tree trunk when Ryu, scanning the surroundings, suddenly pulled me back.
"Vice Guildmaster?"
"Shh."
He gestured for silence—right as the snow-laden branches ahead trembled and something leapt out.
Startled by the gray shape that burst from the whiteness, I flinched—then recognized it.
Muaang.
A round head with two pointed ears, gray fur, and a tail held stiff and high.
Our eyes locked—me and a cat.
'Eunbok?'
The name almost slipped from my mouth.
Eunbok was the cat Song Jiwoon raised before the regression. And the one in front of me looked exactly the same.
"Why is there a cat here...?"
I checked, just in case, but I didn't sense anything unusual. It wasn't a monster mimicking a cat—it was a real cat.
Maaa. Wooong.
Its upright tail curled slightly.
Letting out another cry, the cat glanced cautiously at Ryu, then slowly approached me. Its gaze never left me.
Without realizing, I knelt and extended my hand.
Soft fur brushed my fingers. A warmth spread from the cat's body—it seemed the bitter cold hadn't touched it.
As it pressed against me, I gently scooped it into my arms—just in time to hear footsteps in the snow.
They came from the same direction as the cat had.
Crunch, crunch.
Snow being trampled. The steps were deliberate, as if the person wanted us to know they were coming.
Unlike the cat, this presence clearly carried the energy of an Awakened. Ryu stepped in front of me, tense and ready for a surprise attack.
A pale hand reached out, pushing aside the branch blocking the view. Snow dropped from the branch as the figure was revealed.
"......!"
What first came into view was pale silver hair, tinged faintly with gray.
Messily tied back, the hair fell past the shoulders. A thick leather mantle with a bluish hue swayed slightly.
Spring-like, bright green eyes—clear and vibrant. It was Song Jiwoon. Without a doubt.
But the youthful face staring at us warily, as if defending his territory from strangers, was shockingly childlike.
The Song Jiwoon I knew was over forty. While youthful for his age, he'd never looked as young as his mid-twenties.
He turned his gaze from Ryu, tense and ready, to me, who stood frozen in place with parted lips—and spoke in a low, quiet voice:
"...Are you lost?"

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