Infinite Skill Devourer
Chapter 43: Snow Demons: Pufflings

Chapter 43: Snow Demons: Pufflings

The inside of the cave was definitely not what Ryuen had imagined.

He had envisioned a dark, smelly environment filled with blood and the stench of rotten meat.

Instead, he was standing on a smooth, neat floor, surrounded by multiple glowing stones and glowing vines overhead.

One of his brows rose in confusion.

He had expected an awful sight, yet here he stood in a cozy, almost homely cave.

He was slightly annoyed.

Had the system tricked him into some sightseeing adventure?

Boy, was he wrong.

The red eyes that had been following him into the cave emerged from within the walls.

They appeared as fog before materializing into tiny, adorable but vicious balls of snow.

Their appearance almost made Ryuen laugh, but he knew better than to trust adorable living things.

They were the most dangerous, after all.

He turned fully to face the snowballs, which gazed up at him with fiery crimson eyes.

They resembled goblins—round, with stubby legs and hands that looked like rocks.

Ryuen tilted his head to get a better look at them, then smiled.

"Cute."

He mumbled, a mysterious gleam in his eyes.

He let the bag slide off his back and tossed it aside with a low thud.

The system screen popped up again, displaying details of the creatures that watched him, unmoving.

But he knew they would attack sooner or later.

They were probably giving him time to warm up or run away—a head start.

---

[Beast Identified: Puffling(s)]

Description:

A deceptively adorable creature resembling a fluffy snowball with stubby legs and tiny round hands. Despite their harmless appearance, Frostbound Pufflings are incredibly dangerous, known for their violent nature and deadly frost-based attacks.

Traits:

Type: Elemental Beast (Ice)

Temperament: Highly aggressive when threatened

Abilities:

Frostburst: Emits a freezing blast that can immobilize foes

Glacial Roll: Propels itself at high speeds, turning into a spinning ball of ice

Weakness: Fire-based attacks, unstable footing, stomping.

Warning: Engage with caution. Their playful movements may distract from the lethal threat they pose.

---

"Hm..." Ryuen glanced at them again, then at the screen’s sample of their appearance.

He chuckled softly.

"I’m a little worried about the damage you adorable Pufflings might cause," he said, stretching out his free hand.

The dagger he had used with Yuta appeared again, giving off a faint energy that somehow caught the attention of the Pufflings.

As soon as Ryuen raised the dagger and axe, he smirked and sent death stares at them—a silent threat.

Without hesitation, they charged all at once, wielding weapons that Ryuen had not noticed before.

Mallets, pitchforks, and chains.

The sight would have been hilarious if not for the lethal intent emanating from the Pufflings.

Their stubby legs moved at surprising speed as they hurried toward Ryuen.

The air grew colder with each passing second, frost creeping along the ground and swirling around Ryuen’s feet.

His breath formed visible puffs as he narrowed his eyes, mentally preparing himself.

"Cute but deadly," he uttered.

The first Puffling launched itself at him, spinning into a glacial ball.

Ryuen sidestepped the attack effortlessly and slammed the handle of his axe against its side.

The impact sent it sliding across the frosty floor, leaving cracks where it landed.

It then crashed into a wall and disintegrated into snow.

Another Puffling wielding a rusted chain came at him from the left, swinging the weapon wildly.

Ryuen ducked under the attack.

As he came back up, his dagger flashed in a swift arc, slicing through the Puffling’s stubby arm.

Instead of blood, shards of ice scattered through the air, glistening like shattered glass.

"SHRREEEEEK!"

It cried out in agony with a high-pitched shriek, its crimson eyes glowed brighter as it retaliated with a blast.

Ryuen leapt back just in time, narrowly avoiding the burst of frost that coated the ground in thick ice.

"Frostburst—nasty," he thought with a smile, recalling the system’s warning.

The remaining Pufflings regrouped, forming a small line.

Their fiery gazes locked onto Ryuen, filled with anger, hate, and unrelenting determination.

He was getting on their nerves—and they on his.

"Persistent little bastards," Ryuen muttered, shaking his head.

"Guess I’ll have to use the skill after all."

Focusing on his weapons and the energy flowing within him, he felt something akin to warm fluid flood his veins as energy surged into the dagger and axe.

A faint blush of light surrounded both weapons, signaling the successful activation of his newly acquired skill—Aether.

The Pufflings hesitated, their instincts sensing danger. But they were also surprised.

A mere human had entered their world, and now he was preparing to attack with glowing weapons.

"Too late to back out now," Ryuen said coldly.

With a sudden burst of speed, he dashed toward them.

He managed to take down at least three with a swing of his dagger.

Then he stepped aside, watching their fiery eyes fade to normal and vanish into nothingness.

He spun on his heel, narrowly avoiding a spinning Puffling that had transformed into a ball.

The axe met it midway, cracking it like a coconut with a resounding crack.

SWOOSH!

The Pufflings launched themselves at him in groups, moving at the speed of the wind.

But Ryuen was faster—and he was enjoying this.

It felt like he was playing golf... or was it ping pong?

He tossed his dagger aside, gripped the axe with both hands, and smirked.

"I’m really going to enjoy this. Feels like golf."

The remaining ten Pufflings launched simultaneous attacks—swinging their pitchforks while others charged headfirst with mallets.

Only two turned into balls and rolled toward him.

A distraction.

They assumed he’d focus on the rolling ones.

But Ryuen leaped off the ground, performing a cartwheel all the way to the spot where he’d dropped his dagger.

With effortless precision, he picked it up mid-flip and threw it with perfect aim.

It struck five of the pitchfork-wielding Pufflings, then hit a wall and stayed in there.

Coming back to his feet, Ryuen chuckled and threw his axe into the group wielding mallets.

They shattered upon impact.

That left only the rolling balls.

"Dumb creatures. Even a chicken is smarter than you."

He mumbled as he jumped just as they were about to hit him.

The moment he landed, he stomped on one of them, causing it to explode.

He kicked the other Puffling hard, like a soccer ball, sending it crashing into the cave wall.

"Enough," he growled.

Silence returned to the cave, broken only by Ryuen’s steady inhaling and exhaling.

"Not bad," he murmured, shaking off the cold that clung to his limbs while his gaze lingered on the remains of the Pufflings.

Diamonds and crystals—worth a lot, if he remembered correctly.

But he didn’t know if they’d be worth as much here as they would on Earth.

Nevertheless, he was going to take them all.

The system screen popped up again.

---

[Task Complete: First Level Winter Encounter]

[Reward: +50 Mana Points Added to Pool]

[Skill Proficiency Increased: Aether Imbuement Lv. 2]

---

Ryuen smirked faintly, satisfied with the results.

Picking up his bag and shaking off the frost, he glanced deeper into the cave.

"Looks like there’s more waiting for me."

Without hesitating he began picking up the crystals, as he went deeper into the cave.