The Eternal Winter - Book 1 - Chapter 31 - Terminal Changes (Patreon)

                                                                                          Alexander North

/ Notice \

Exterior energy source located.
Energy source identified as a Frozen One with an energy level of 0.74.

\End of Notice/

What the heck?

I don’t get the chance to think about it as the wolf charges towards me with a snarl and I’m forced to back up while grabbing both of the knives from my back. I then raise the knives and form a cross with them to block the wolves’ muzzle before swinging my foot around to kick it in the side of the head.

The wolf lets out a whimper from it, but I follow after it to stab the creature in the eye while it’s still falling to the ground, killing it as soon as my blade pierces its brain.

After pulling my knife back out of the monster and reaching down to absorb its energy, I stand up straight again while ignoring the notice about my stat increase and instead asking out loud, “Terminal, how are you able to determine the energy level of beings outside of my body? And are there any other new features that weren’t available prior to now?”

The terminal takes a second as I hear very faint vibrations from behind my ear before it responds.

/ Notice \

Answer to User’s Query – Energy within user’s body has integrated itself into user’s terminal, making new features available for use.
New features include the ability to scan the energy level of nearby objects and creatures above a certain degree, the ability to locate energy sources within a five meter radius of the user, and more possible abilities as the energy level in the user’s body continues to grow and change the terminal.

\End of Notice/

Oh shit.

As useful as those features are, I don’t think I like the sound of my terminal being mutated by radioactive energy that turns things into monsters. In fact, I very much dislike the sound of that.

It also doesn’t make much sense. After all, the radiation is supposed to change physics in a way that doesn’t let technology work. So if it’s affecting the terminal, then why is the terminal still working?

Also, is it going to integrate with my artificial heart as well, since it’s affecting my terminal? Because that’s a scary thought.

Whatever the case, I’m sure the scientists at the Terran Researcher Union would love to open me up and find out. So maybe it’s best not to tell anyone who might tell them.

My thoughts are cut off as a query appears on my terminal.

/ Query \

Would user like to set a minimum threshold of energy required for the terminal to notify you of a source of energy’s energy level?

Oh? Huh.

Very interesting.

“Yes, please set the minimum threshold to be seventy-five percent of my own energy level,” I speak out loud while ripping my sword out of the wolf’s body and wiping it along with my knives on its fur to clean them of blood.

Confirmed.
Minimum threshold of energy required for terminal notice set to 75% of user’s energy level.
Current minimum threshold is 1.3425 Energy.

User may also use the keyword ‘Analyze’ to direct the terminal to determine the energy level of a nearby energy source within eyesight.

\End of Query/

Okay, that’ll be helpful in gauging the strength of monsters I meet.

Also, I didn’t notice it earlier, but it mentioned the term Frozen One.

“Terminal, define Frozen One,” I ask while sheathing all three of my blades and looking around the hallway I find myself in. It’s a rather narrow one, with doors scattered across both sides of it, each with passcode locks that have been rendered useless by the Eternal Winter.

While reading the answer that pops up on my terminal, I begin to walk down the hallway.

/ Notice \

Answer to User’s Query – Frozen One is the term imported into every terminal’s database via direct port from the mother terminal for the mutated creatures made via the radioactive energy contained within the shards. These creatures can all vary, and there are many different types ranging from large brutelike ones, smaller ones with blade-like appendages, equally smaller ones whose skin will freeze that which they touch, and many other lesser common ones.

\End of Notice/

Oh. So the higher ups decided on a name for the monsters then.

It’s a tad on the nose, but I guess it’ll work.

Better than just calling them monsters or creatures I guess. Or infected.

Although it does make me wonder just what I am considered to be. An infected human? A human-frozen one hybrid? A frozen one?

If I had to guess, it’d probably be something closer to the lines of a frozen one whose intelligence is untampered with. Since the definition only says that frozen one is a term for those mutated by the energy. And I was in fact mutated by the energy.

Philosophical thoughts about what I am aside though, I wish I had a map of this floor. Because it’s starting to feel more like a maze than a military base.

The hallway keeps splitting off at intersections every couple of minutes of walking. And each of the intersections seems to have some sort of frozen one at it, with the most common ones being the wolves. Likely because this was also the floor where the military dogs were kept.

And I get the feeling most of those dogs are either dead or frozen ones now.

Which makes me wince as the image of a certain dog comes to mind. But I shake my head to clear that thought right before I hear the sound of a loud howl. One much louder than the other wolves ever made.

I quickly turn my head to look down the intersection of hallways, just to grimace as the wall explodes into the hallways and a wolf nearly twice the size of the ones I’ve seen so far bursts out of it with a wendigo in its mouth. Meanwhile the ceiling around it and even over to where I am begins to shake a little from the damages.

Oh come on. What the-

/ Notice \

Exterior energy source above threshold located.
Energy source identified as a Frozen One with an energy level of 1.52.

\End of Notice/

-hell? Does every floor just have to have a really freaking large frozen one that it for some reason a lot stronger than the others?

My grimace deepens as what looks like a pack of wolves follows it out of the collapsed wall while fighting with a bunch of other wendigos.

Well, at least the monsters fight each other.

And with that thought in mind, I bolt it down the hallway on the opposite side of the intersection from them.