It had been five months since Zandik had settled in Snezhnaya.

Sometimes it still felt hard to believe. He now lived in a land covered in eternal snow—a stark contrast to his homeland of Sumeru, more precisely, the barren desert that had rejected and banished him, with the name "heretic" attached to his back.

And now, as one of the Harbingers of the Fatui, he stood under the oath of the Tsaritsa with a new name:

Il Dottore—The Doctor.

He had sworn to the Archon Cryo to create a god through his own experiments. An ambition that would have seemed insane to mere mortals.

---

That day, he led a small expedition through the snowy forest. A cold wind swept through the giant pine trees, while the Fatui agents' footsteps sank into the thick layer of snow.

But something had been bothering him ever since.

It wasn't the cold of a blizzard.

It was another sensation—sharp, unfamiliar, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

It was as if a pair of eyes were watching them from the darkness of the forest.

"Hey, you guys!"

Zandik's voice broke the silence.

"Look for that rare snow hare in the northern area. I'll check the southern area."

The Fatui agents immediately complied without question. Soon, the sound of their footsteps faded into the storm.

Now Zandik was alone.

He walked slowly through the pine trees, observing his surroundings warily. But the longer he walked, the stronger the feeling of being watched.

Then—

Crack.

The sound of a twig snapping.

Zandik immediately turned his head.

Amidst the dark shadows of the trees stood a woman.

Or… something that resembled a woman.

Her white hair hung down to her ankles, moving gently in the snowy breeze. Her eyes were red, just like his—yet different.

The woman's gaze felt strange .... it made him feel uneasy.

The strangest thing was that she wore only a thin, worn white dress in the cold of the blizzard. It didn't make sense.

The woman stepped closer.

And for the first time since arriving in Snezhnaya, Zandik felt his body tense instinctively.

He glanced at the woman's hands.

A dead rabbit was clutched in each.

"Good night."

Her voice was soft. Too soft.

"You were looking for these rabbits, weren't you?"

Zandik paused slightly.

He recognized the species immediately. It was the rare snow rabbit he had been hunting for experiments. Its characteristics matched those listed in the research journal.

The woman handed him the two rabbit carcasses.

"Let's trade."

A faint smile appeared on her pale lips.

"I give you these rabbits."

Her eyes narrowed faintly.

"And you give me your men."

Silence.

The woman had just offered a life exchange as lightly as asking for salt at the dinner table.

But… it wasn't a bad offer.

After all, what were a few Fatui agents worth to him? They could be replaced at any time.

But rare specimens don't come twice.

"Very well."

The answer came without hesitation.

"They're in the north."

He took the rabbits from the woman.

"Do whatever you want with them."

There was no regret or guilt in his voice.

Zandik turned, intending to leave. But as usual, his curiosity was far stronger than his survival instinct.

He turned around once more.

"What are you going to do with them?"

His red gaze narrowed.

"And what exactly are you?"

The woman tilted her head slowly, seemingly confused by the question.

"Oh?"

She blinked slowly.

"You…are an outsider?"

An answer that answered nothing at all.

Before Zandik could speak again, the woman had turned and walked away toward the north.

Step by step.

Until finally, the white figure disappeared into the blizzard and the darkness of the pine forest.

Zandik stared at the spot where the woman had disappeared for a few seconds.

Then he clicked his tongue softly.

Never mind.

The more important thing now was to get back to his laboratory.