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The woman, Tessa, told him a story.

Tessa’s family were Ice Hunters who had lived for generations deep within the Winter Ice Plains.

The Ice Hunters are descendants of the Vela people; they are naturally endowed with robust physiques and bloodlines that are impervious to wind, snow, and bitter cold. The climate of the Perpetual Winter Ice Plains is extremely harsh; aside from the Vela people, no other races can survive here for long.

Even the Dawson Trading Company—which prides itself on the motto, “Wherever there are gold coins, our caravans will go”—visits this place only once a year.

However, certain unique magical plants, medicinal herbs, and mutated creatures found in the Winter Ice Plains command extremely high prices elsewhere due to their rarity.

The daily life of a winter hunter consists of going out to gather and hunt when the weather is favorable, saving up the spoils, and then, when the annual caravan arrives, exchanging them for gold coins and enough supplies to survive.

Tessa’s family originally included a son and a daughter, as well as the little grandson standing before her.

This child, named Theodore, is not biologically related to her; her children found him in the freezing wilderness while out hunting.

Even for a Vela, even wrapped in the warm hides of mutated beasts, his survival in the wild was nothing short of a miracle. They took him in and named him Theodore, meaning “a gift from the light.”

Qi Yu listened intently as she spoke.

It sounded like some kind of fantastical tale, and he loved listening to all kinds of stories.

But the story began to take a sad turn.

Tessa’s children had met with an accident half a year ago and would never return. Only the elderly Tessa and her young grandchild remained in the household. The aging warrior donned her armor once more and took up her longsword.

“Fortunately, though my body is slow, I still have some strength left,” Tessa said, letting out a faint sigh.

“I sent a letter to a friend far away, asking her to look after Theo,” Tessa sighed. “Unfortunately, communication is difficult on the Winter Plains, and since it happened right during the blizzard season, I’m not sure if she’s received my plea for help.”

A week ago, while she was out hunting, she encountered a monster.

Qi Yu noticed that the child, who had been quietly huddled against her grandmother’s lap, wrapped in a blanket, now wore an expression of fear.

“It’s an ice demon,” Tessa said, her voice a mix of revulsion and fear. “I don’t know why this monster—which, according to legend, only survives in the innermost circle of the ice fields—has appeared here.”

“It defeated me. I thought I was going to die. Ice Demons love to eat fresh hearts.”

But she didn’t die.

She lost a leg.

She thought she’d been blessed by good fortune, but in reality, this was only the beginning of the nightmare. The next day, Tessa was recuperating at home when, as dusk fell, the demon came knocking.

Under the terrified gaze of the child, it burst through the door and inflicted a wound on Tessa’s other leg as well. On the third day… the same thing happened again.

It was a vicious monster, repeatedly toying with prey that had lost all ability to resist, relishing their helpless struggles beneath its claws, savoring their fear.

Tessa’s body trembled even more slightly as she looked at Qi Yu: “Honorable Mage, you…”

It was obvious that she had noticed the insignia on Qi Yu’s robes.

She seemed to have made up her mind: “Since you were able to come here, it means there’s a way to leave. I beg you, take Theodore and leave from here.”

She added firmly, “The Vela people have the tough, resilient blood of the frozen winter plains running through their veins. You don’t need to look after him; just take him to any other place. He’ll survive.”

Qi Yu pondered her words, then suddenly asked, “Is that Ice Demon very powerful?” He had clearly understood the implication behind Tessa’s words.

She believed a third-level mage would be no match for it.

Tessa said, “That’s an Ice Demon on the verge of reaching the fifth tier. I know mages possess extraordinary abilities, but…” The gap in tiers was simply too great; it would be difficult to bridge.

Qi Yu didn’t believe the message in a bottle would send him a mission he couldn’t complete.

He’d only ever encountered Level 3 mutated creatures before—he’d never even seen a monster of this high level.

If all else failed, he still had a teleportation scroll as his last resort.

He said, “Don’t worry just yet. Tell me—what kind of monster is an Ice Demon? What are its attacks, its strengths, and its weaknesses?”

Tessa looked at him in surprise.

Qi Yu: “I’m actually quite curious about the Ice Demon. I can hear your call, and since I’ve accepted this commission, it means I might have a way to deal with it.”

Although Tessa felt the odds were slim, she understood what Qi Yu meant and was deeply grateful that this mage, whom she had never met before, was willing to stay to save her life.

She was about to say something when she suddenly coughed a few times violently. Qi Yu noticed that the smell of blood on her had grown stronger.

She whispered, “Theodore, go to the bedroom, to the second shelf of the red cabinet, and bring me that book with the animal-skin cover.” The child bowed his head and left.

Qi Yu looked at her. “Do you have any serious injuries?”

Tessa let out a pained groan, and her right hand—the one exposed—pulled back the blanket that had been covering her.

Qi Yu had assumed the blanket was like the one the child was using—meant to keep her warm. That was until the blanket was pulled back.

On Tessa’s legs, from the knees down, all flesh and blood had vanished, leaving only stark white bones. Her left hand was the same—her arm looked as if it had been gnawed on by some creature, with only half the flesh remaining.

Seeing the shock in Qi Yu’s eyes, Tessa pulled the blanket back over herself, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry if I startled you.”

Her expression remained calm: “That monster didn’t want me to die so easily; it used some means to prevent my wounds from bleeding.” That way, she wouldn’t lose her life from excessive blood loss.

Despite her injuries, a hint of beauty still shone on her face: “As it happens, I don’t want to die just yet either. As long as I’m alive, it won’t lay its claws on Theodore.”

It wasn’t just fear—it was sheer shock.

Ever since entering the survival game—whether in the Star Forest or in Golden Cave City—even amidst battles and life-and-death situations, in Qi Yu’s heart, this had always been a paradise-like world.

Until this very moment, when he saw the wounds on Tessa’s body. It turned out that demons lurk everywhere.

He shook his head: “I’m the least likely to be scared.”

How could he be scared? He’d seen this happen countless times.

One of his own hands had once been torn off in exactly the same way.

He looked at the woman, who remained calm and composed; if she hadn’t lifted the blanket, he would never have guessed the kind of pain she was enduring. Just as she had said, the Vela people were the most resilient race in the world.

Qi Yu spoke up, “I have healing potions, and I know a little healing magic. Let me try to see if I can treat you.”

Tessa was surprised. “Healing magic? Are you actually a noble Life Magic mage, sir?”

Qi Yu gave a noncommittal “Mm-hmm, I suppose so. I’ve dabbled in a little of everything.”

He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a bottle of healing potion. “Why don’t you drink a bottle first and see how it works?”

Tessa: “But I don’t have that many gold coins…” 

Qi Yu cut her off: “I have them.”

He added, “Plenty—money’s no object.”

He shoved the healing potion into her hands. “Drink it.”

A glimmer of tears welled up in Tessa’s eyes: “Thank you, kind sir.”

She knew this was the mage’s kindness, and her heart settled: the hero who had accepted the quest was such a kind and generous mage—even if she were no longer around, he wouldn’t abandon Theodore.

She drank the bottle of basic healing potion. Qi Yu asked, “How do you feel?”

Tessa nodded, then shook her head. She pulled the blanket away from her arm: “Your potion is incredibly powerful. It seems the flesh on my arm has regrown a little—no, but…”

The results were minimal.

With injuries all over her body like that, it might take over a hundred vials of potions for her to recover. It seems players are different from the indigenous people.

Players’ bodies have specific numerical attributes; for example, Qi Yu’s current health is 615.

One bottle of Basic Healing Potion restores 10 HP; even if his HP were completely depleted, he could bring it back to full by downing 60 bottles. The native inhabitants, on the other hand, are closer to what he considers “normal people”—they get injured and bleed.

To be honest, he was already quite satisfied that the healing potions worked at all—and even managed to “regrow flesh and blood.” Qi Yu pulled out a few more bottles and handed them to her: “Keep drinking.”

Then he opened the survival panel and messaged his friend:

【I Love Survival Game: Do you have any extra healing potions? I’d like to buy some.】

Since the healing potions were working, he decided not to waste his mana on magic for now—he still had monsters to deal with.

【Dare Not Open My Eyes: Huh? Sure. Did something happen to the game’s top player? Just healing potions? Want anything else?】

【Your friend “Dare Not Open My Eyes” has sent you a gift.】 【Received 50 Basic Healing Potions and 5 Intermediate Healing Potions.】

【Dare Not Open My Eyes: If that’s not enough, just let me know. My success rate for basic potion-making is very high right now, so I can make them anytime.】

【I Love Survival Game: Okay, I’ve got something to take care of outside right now. I’ll figure out the price for you later.】

【Dare Not Open My Eyes: No! Please don’t say things like that, big shot. I’m still using the little pot you gave me to brew potions—it works like a charm!】

【Dare Not Open My Eyes: Besides, I’m still counting on you to let me use your temperature-controlled magic array for free—talking about money would really ruin our friendship!】

【I Love Survival Game: Well, thanks.】

He pulled the 50-plus bottles of potions he’d just acquired out of his backpack and dumped them all onto the small table beside him with a clatter.

Theo, who had just walked over carrying a book, gave a start, and Tessa, sitting on the sofa, was also taken aback. She’d never seen so many expensive healing potions in her entire life.

Now she wasn’t just seeing them—the mage, who seemed to radiate a golden glow, was pointing at them and said casually,

“Drink them all.”

Tessa: “……”

Her lips moved slightly as she whispered, “An old warrior like me… even if I sold myself into slavery, I wouldn’t be worth that much.” She wanted to say it wasn’t worth it.

Qi Yu waved to a child standing nearby, took the book from his hand, and said, “You probably don’t know this, but I come from the Forest of Stars. It’s a place ten thousand li away from here.”

It was actually a lie; he had no idea how far the Forest of Stars was from here.

“Since I was able to receive this commission at home and make it all the way here, it means your time hasn’t come yet.”

The message in a bottle had only appeared three times in total.

Once, it brought him a friend named God Has No Form.

Another time, it allowed him to unlock Golden Cave City and join the Mages’ Guild. He believed in the message in the bottle, and he believed in fate.

This time, too, it certainly wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

He wanted to save Tessa, and he could save her—so why not?

【Obtained *The Field Guide to Magical Creatures of the Winter Ice Plains*.】