The Rise of the Winter Wolf - Book 8 - Sapphire Intermission 1

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Somewhere on a planet from the most recent Initialization

The sounds of quiet humming echo through a large clearing as Sapphire walks through the clearing with her hands held clasped behind her back. Meanwhile four other people walk alongside her, each chatting amongst themselves.

“That boss was a lot easier than I was expecting,” Jackson says with his hands held behind his head, walking in an even more leisurely manner than Sapphire.

“I don’t think there are any bosses at our level that can challenge Saph,” Elizabeth says while fiddling with the gemstone on the top of her staff. “It makes things a little dull, don’cha think?”

“I like easy battles,” Richard says with a lazy grin. “You can leave the party if you want, but there’s no way I’m giving up my spot.”

“Who ever said anything about leaving?” Elizabeth says while turning a glare on the dark-haired, lazy bum of their group. “Lady Sapphire is my one and only liege! Why don’t you start showing more effort in our battles if you want to stay so badly?”

“I put in plenty of effort, little miss,” Richard retorts without even glancing at the much shorter woman.

“Would you two just get a room already?” Rex blurts out from behind the two bickering idiots. “I’m sure we’re all sick of your lovers’ quarrels.”

“Who are you calling lovers?!” “Like I would ever be with a lazy bum like him!”

Sapphire ignores the group as the two exclaim at the same time, only to end up arguing with each other rather aggressively. She just continues humming while occasionally skipping along.

The group she’s formed over the years is made up entirely of friends she’s made. Not to mention made entirely of harbingers.

None of them look even the slightest bit normal thanks to their harbinger traits.

Richard has pitch black hair and black eyes marking him as a Harbinger of Death, Elizabeth has shimmering golden hair and eyes marking her as a Harbinger of Luck, and Jackson has dark green hair and eyes marking him as a Harbinger of Poison.

But the one that stands out the most is Rex, who has white hair and glowing blue eyes marking him as a Harbinger of Ice.

A bodyguard sent to Sapphire by Fenrir himself at the request of Sapphire’s dad.

And while Sapphire thought he was just being overprotective at first, the man has proven himself over time. He’s even saved her life once.

So it doesn’t bother Sapphire anymore.

Sapphire continues humming without paying any attention to the party members trailing behind her. Just enjoying the freedom her dad gave her.

Now that she’s almost fully matured, he doesn’t bother her as much.

Not that he bothered her before that. Considering how often her would forget to even initiate contact.

But now he doesn’t nitpick about anything she does anymore. Like her dates.

She’s an adult now after all. No matter how much her dad says she’s only an adult in body and is just a few years old in actuality.

Sapphire briefly spins around to look at her arguing party members before facing forwards again, swinging her leg, and continuing to walk. Just humming the tune her dad often hums as she walks.

Although she’s still not sure where that tune is from.

Maybe Grandma and Grandpa might know?

Sapphire tilts her head at that thought before just shrugging. Only for her to hear Elizabeth calling her from behind, making her turn around again and walk backwards.

“Saph,” Elizabeth says. “Your dad’s finally on the move again.”

Those words make Sapphire worry for a brief moment before she opens the livestream to check. Where she finds her dad walking through a forest seemingly made out of candy.

“Candy forest?” Sapphire mutters at the sight, with the others all beginning to talk about the latest floor theme.

The rest of the floors on each one hundred floors have started to show signs of influence by the Progenitor Clone Centurion Boss, so Sapphire can’t help but wonder just what sort of Progenitor would have a candy forest floor.

Sapphire spends a few seconds trying to figure out what sort of Progenitor could be behind it, only to eventually just sit back and watch as her dad slaughters the monsters on the floor and quickly moves onto the next floor. And the next.

And the next.

All while Sapphire and her group enter a couple more dungeons. Clearing each one with just as much ease as her dad is clearing the floors he’s on.

Eventually he clears the floor theme and enters the next floor theme.

Where Sapphire finds him entering an island of metal surrounded by liquid silver.

Okay, I really have no idea what sort of Progenitor might be influencing this…