Chapter 17: Infinity Time

A colossal wolf stood there, its tongue hanging out, its eyes gleaming and piercing, as tall as an oak tree.

Its silhouette overwhelmed the space, immense and unreal, as if torn from a forgotten myth. Its fur, thick and untamed, caught the faint ambient light in dark, shifting reflections, giving the impression that it was breathing—alive, unyielding. Every muscle beneath its skin seemed ready to tense, to unleash a raw power held in check with unsettling control.

Its hanging tongue revealed a slow but deep breathing, each breath slightly lifting its massive chest, like an ancient, primal rhythm. And yet, nothing about it suggested fatigue—only an overwhelming, sovereign presence.

Its gleaming, piercing eyes seized everything, saw through everything. They did not merely observe: they seemed to understand, to dissect, to judge. A cold, almost inhuman intelligence burned within them, mixed with something even older—a memory of the world, or perhaps of what came before it.

As tall as an oak, it dominated the scene with terrifying certainty, as if no measure had ever existed that could contain it. Even the trees seemed smaller beside it, reduced to silent witnesses of its presence.

The air thickened with an ancient, almost divine breath.

Something shifted—subtle, yet absolute. The atmosphere grew heavier, denser, vibrating with an unseen energy. The cold seemed to retreat without vanishing, replaced by a palpable tension, as if the world itself were holding its breath in the presence of this being.

This was not merely an animal.

It was an incarnation. A force. An entity that belonged to something beyond this forest, beyond this time.

And everything around it seemed to know it.

The Viking dropped to one knee immediately. The wolf passed him without a glance and stopped before Blanche, who no longer dared to breathe.

"Well, well… what do we have here?"

She recognized the voice. Impossible to confuse.

"Fenrir?" she stammered.

"Your Grace, for you."

Huh? What?

Before she could protest, the wolf transformed into a man in a flash of light. Fenrir, in all his divine arrogance, offered her a sly, mocking smile. With a snap of his fingers, he silenced the storm.

The rain stopped instantly.

The droplets hung in the air, like frozen pearls around them.

"Wow… " she whispered, awestruck.

Stopping time. Now that was an ability that impressed, despite its pompous title.

"At least, in public, " he added mischievously.

The moment of grace vanished. Fenrir snapped his fingers again, and the rain returned with a vengeance, furious at being restrained.

The Viking had vanished.

A blue window opened before her eyes. Blanche activated Rest, healing the cut on her throat, then, trying it out in the sand, crossed her arms and calmly read the scrolling lines.

Stats acquired:

Strength +3

Agility +4

Speed +5

Wisdom +4

Intelligence +3

Skills:

Drain – Level 3

Flight – Level 3

Carnage – Level 1

Rest – Level 3

Swimming – Level 2

Objective achieved!

Loading reward…

Specialization choices:

White Mage – Natural Familiar (Healing, Water, Earth)

Warrior – Metamorphic Familiar (Dual Swords, Archer, Wind)

Black Mage – Demonic Familiar (Time, Shadows, Fire)

“Familiar?” she murmured.

Fenrir, suddenly more talkative than usual, replied with amusement:

"An entity that accompanies you and fights at your side. Natural, metamorphic, demonic… it depends on your affinity. A wolf, a dryad, a demon—take what you like."

She stared at him. Fenrir, excited, was almost unsettling.

"And “time”? "she asked. "Stopping the rain, or… the world?"

"Both, he said with a sly smile. But it will take you a thousand years to master it fully."

She looked up at the sky.

Not if I speed things up, she thought.

"And “shadows”?"

"Ah, a dangerous affinity… You’ll be able to slip into thoughts, dreams, manipulate fear, vanish into the unseen, or control darkness. But only in the long term."

A thrill ran down Blanche’s spine. Fenrir, guessing her next question, grinned predatory.

"As for fire, that will be your elemental specialization. You’ll be able to control it, shape it, make it spring from nothing… provided you have full mastery."

"How many Black Mages exist currently? " she asked.

"None, "Fenrir replied simply. "This specialty is hard to achieve at your level. And those who had it before you… have long been dead."

He gave a faint, almost amused smile.

"Choosing Black Mage comes with advantages… and especially risks."

"What happened to the others?"

"Many were killed by their own familiar," he said casually. "Apparently, keeping a demon in a cage is no easy task. Others became invisible too often, too long… until they were erased from reality. Some were consumed by their own flames, and others lost all sense of time, wandering forever in limbo."

A shiver ran down Blanche’s spine.

"But, " added Fenrir, locking his gaze on hers," it is also the most powerful class. And believe me, it’s worth the risk."

Black Mage…

The words echoed in her mind, louder than the rain or the sky’s roar. The other options suddenly seemed dull, faded.

A lightning bolt lit the horizon, casting the cold, hard light of thunder across her eyes.

Her decision was made.

Fenrir sensed it immediately. A manic smile stretched across his lips.

"You’re something else," he said." If someone had told me I’d have a player like you one day… I might almost make you my master!"

She froze, unable to reply. Uh… no thanks!

Then he fell silent abruptly, as if listening to a voice she could not hear. His face hardened, stormy.

"Don’t disappoint me, " he growled, before vanishing.

The blue window blinked. Blanche drew a deep breath and pronounced her choice aloud.

Tutorial complete!

Rules:

Rule #1: Never reveal your player status to anyone.

Rule #2: Players appear in green, civilians in blue, monsters in red. Absolutely forbidden to kill a player.

Rule #3: Do not enter another god’s territory without permission.

Class chosen: Black Mage

Unlocked bonuses:

– Restored memory (personal use). Lost if revealed.

– Title: Queen of Players. +100,000 to all stats after the tenth mission. Condition: aid any player who requests it.

– Third bonus: granted personally by the Father of All Things, in due time.

Good luck!

She was expelled from the Otherworld, without another word.

Blanche opened her eyes, suddenly.

Awake.

She was nestled in Eva’s arms. Her heart pounded violently, but a smile escaped her.

One hundred thousand bonus points…

Finally, she thought.

Finally, she could fight on equal footing in this crazy world.