Matthew focused his mind, sensing the changes within his consciousness. A ring-shaped metal disc appeared in his mind's eye.
So this really was another world.
The disc was the key to traveling between worlds.
The red crystal embedded within it could store energy, and interdimensional travel consumed that stored power. It would recharge automatically, but a full recharge required seven days.
"A round trip…"
After digesting the information transmitted by the disc, Matthew let out a long breath of relief.
He had already transmigrated once over a decade ago—and now, he had crossed into yet another world. Fortunately, this time came with a return ticket.
"Seven days before I can go back…" he murmured, sensing the dim glow of the crystal.
"Night's already fallen. I need to find shelter first. I'll explore the area tomorrow."
Matthew felt a trace of helplessness. Surviving seven days in such a frozen wilderness would not be easy.
"Awoooo—"
A distant wolf's howl echoed through the night.
"Wolves?" Matthew immediately became alert. With a flick of his wand, he cast a Disillusionment Charm, concealing his presence.
He continued forward for a few minutes. The howling grew closer.
"…There's something else."
Soon, he spotted a faint blue glow moving rapidly across the snow.
After scanning the surroundings, he climbed a thick tree and concealed himself, observing from above.
Within seconds, the blue light drew nearer.
It was a snow-white stag, as large as an adult Hanoverian horse, pulling a sleigh across the snow. Its antlers emitted a soft luminescence, like a guiding light through the dark forest.
Driving the sleigh was a broad-shouldered, red-haired man with deep-set features. His expression was tense and panicked as he urged the stag onward.
When the sleigh came within thirty meters of Matthew, its right side struck a tree trunk. The shaft and reins snapped, and the sleigh overturned at high speed!
"—!"
The red-haired man struggled to push aside the broken frame pinning him down.
He scrambled toward the wreckage, shouting anxiously, "Tina! Are you alright?!"
A young red-haired girl crawled out from beneath the shattered canopy.
"I'm fine, Dad!"
She looked about seven or eight years old. Though clearly in pain from the fall, tears welled in her eyes—but she stubbornly held them back.
They were speaking an ancient runic language.
At that moment, over a dozen enormous wolves—each larger than a calf and covered in grey-blue fur—surrounded them. Their eyes glowed red, their expressions feral, their fangs thicker than a human finger.
"Big wolves… but how strong are they?" Matthew remained hidden, continuing to observe.
"Awoooo—!"
With a unified howl, the wolves lunged.
The red-haired man's expression changed drastically. Drawing the longsword at his waist, he slashed at the wolf charging toward the girl.
A flash of green light streaked across the blade—
The wolf's head was instantly cleaved in half. Its massive body collapsed, twitching briefly before going still.
Before the man could recover his stance, a sharp pain shot through his left arm—
A wolf had clamped its jaws around his forearm.
More wolves surged forward!
At the same time, a cry rang out behind him—a wolf had circled around to the rear!
Hearing his daughter's voice, the man's heart clenched with desperation. He wished he could tear the wolves apart with his bare hands.
"Get away!" he roared.
His sword flashed again, decapitating the wolf biting his arm.
But the one behind had already pounced, knocking the girl to the ground. Its jaws opened wide, fangs bared, ready to bite down.
"TINA!!!"
The man's eyes nearly split from rage.
He tried to rush to her, but the remaining wolves blocked his path.
Pinned beneath the wolf, Tina's face was filled with fear—but she reacted quickly. Grabbing a broken plank from the sleigh, she jammed it into the wolf's mouth.
It only bought her a moment.
Cracks quickly spread across the wood—it was about to shatter.
Then...
The plank suddenly transformed into a sharp blade.
It pierced through the wolf's jaws, tearing straight into its brain.
The wolf collapsed beside her.
Tina stared blankly, her mind completely blank.
Meanwhile, the scattered remains of the sleigh began to shift and transform into thick, vine-like cords. They lashed out, binding all the wolves tightly.
The wolves struggled violently, but the vines only tightened further, constricting them more and more.
The next moment—
The vines transformed into blades.
In an instant, the wolves were cut into pieces. Their mutilated bodies fell into the snow, blood seeping into the white ground.
Matthew took action.
Without magic, they were nothing more than slightly stronger beasts.
The red-haired father and daughter stood frozen in shock. The pack of wolves that had driven them into despair had been annihilated in an instant.
"Tina… are you hurt?"
The man rushed over, pulling her into his arms. His face was filled with guilt—and relief.
"I'm fine… but you're injured, Dad," Tina said, burying her face against him.
Matthew stepped forward, dispelling the Disillusionment Charm. With a flick of his wand, the metal blades reverted back into broken sleigh fragments.
The sudden appearance of another person startled the man—but he quickly understood. Holding Tina, he dropped to one knee, his face filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, honored wizard, for saving my daughter. I, Chris Watson, will never forget your kindness!"
Tina looked at Matthew with curiosity. It was her first time seeing such a young wizard.
Matthew nodded. A faint blue glow flickered in his eyes as he met Chris's gaze.
"I'm a reclusive wizard. This is my first time here. How do I get to the nearest town?"
Chris froze briefly, then replied in a daze:
"White Stone Town is nearby, sir."
"I'm a blacksmith from Greenwood Village. But recently, things haven't been peaceful there. The animals have become unusually aggressive—attacking villages frequently."
"They're just like these wolves—glowing red eyes, larger than normal."
"I'm taking my daughter to White Stone Town. There are guards there—it's safer. You're welcome to come with us."
Matthew nodded.
So these wolves weren't normal. He had thought this world's wolves were simply like this by nature…
He crouched down and examined one of the corpses more closely.
There was a strange energy within it—different from a wizard's magic.
It was violent and unstable.
Perhaps this was what had driven the animals mad.
As Matthew touched the corpse, the metal disc within his mind faintly glowed.
A wisp of red energy rose from the wolf's body and was absorbed by the disc.
Matthew's expression changed.
Then he noticed—the dim crystal had become slightly brighter.
The energy stored within it had increased.
The disc could absorb this foreign energy!
Without hesitation, he moved quickly, touching every wolf corpse scattered across the ground.
As he felt the disc's energy reserves steadily increase, his mood improved.
His return time could be shortened.
After absorbing all the wolves, he sensed that the crystal was now over one-third full.
It would take less than five days to fully recharge on its own.
Chris hesitated for a moment, then rummaged through the wreckage of the sleigh. From within a bundle, he pulled out an old notebook.
"Sir… thank you for saving us.
"My ancestors once included a wizard. This notebook was left behind by him. It records a spell—I hope it might be of some use to you."
Chris himself had no magical talent, but his lineage did include wizards. In this world, wizardkind was not hidden.
Out of genuine gratitude, he didn't offer a copied version—he gave Matthew the original.
Matthew raised an eyebrow. An unexpected gain.
The parchment cover was worn and tattered, but the writing inside remained legible. The text was also written in ancient runic script.
He accepted the notebook and decided to accompany Chris and Tina to White Stone Town.
"Reparo."
The shattered sleigh reassembled itself, as though time had reversed.
A short while later, Chris led the white stag out from the forest, visibly relieved.
"Good thing the stag wasn't hurt, and didn't run far."
Matthew smiled faintly.
The stag had already been restrained earlier—with a Full Body-Bind Curse.
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