“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

The massive gate parted before him. Ven's first sight was a rush of snow-filled air. It swirled around his body like a tightened fist. Violent and abrupt, it slammed across his face and fanned his overly long hair out behind him. A white expanse of snow consumed his vision.

Ven's mind blanked as he pressed his fists into his temples. Perfect, just perfect. This system of his was not reliable at all. Twice now, it had birthed him into some version of hell, this one being of the frozen variety.

A vast expanse of snow-covered tundra extended ahead, a mirror of the storm, defined by shadows instead of the wind. The flat plain was broken by numerous small ravines, lines spread across the snow. The web of a massive spider, drawn with the negative space and carved into the earth.

The wind was marvelous on his skin, with not even a trace of a chill. As far as he was concerned, he'd been at the same temperature this entire time. When he floated back in his tube, he'd experienced the same comfortable warmth he did now.

Weird. Maybe that liquid had been frigid as well? Regardless, he was grateful. It seemed shelter wasn't needed. In his old body, Ven would be forced to wait until the storm passed. He walked a few meters away from the silver gate and almost fell backward as he craned his neck.

That's big...

Larger than anything Ven had ever seen. The only sight that came close in his memory were the vast underground chambers from his past life. Even those paled compared to what he saw now. Kilometers and kilometers of ice, without end. A vast wall stretched upwards, into infinity. An endless plain of solid ice divided the world.

A flat-earther would probably wet themselves in joy, I've found the ice wall at the end of the world.

Ven shook himself and gave a last glance, before he faced the darkness of the inhospitable night. The snow that pelted him should have been uncomfortable, but it caressed him like a gentle breeze. He became more familiar with his body with each step, and built up momentum, until he found a natural pace.

The snow-filled air rushed past, and soon Ven's speed was far beyond his old self, even in his prime. Ven traveled a dozen meters with each step. He left plumes of snow, a mock competition with the blizzard as he charged into the distance. This body is pretty good, almost makes me hate the system god a little less. Ven squashed the gratitude flat, and continued to run.

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The journey was monotonous, and other than a gradual reduction in the number of shattered ravines, it was the same featureless tundra as far as the eye could see. After an unknown amount of time, as Vendak ran on and on, the storm finally ended. The clouds peeled back, and revealed the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. In the memories of his first life, there were many clear images of the night sky. As for his second, that had been a world where he'd fought to witness such things.

Thanks, universe. Annoying as you are, you're one beautiful lady.

Much of the night sky was empty of stars, which would have made him worry. However, about one-third was filled, highlighted by the vast spiral of an immense galaxy. Like a shining collection of fireflies caught in amber as they circled a dark core. As a vast silver-white moon cut its way across this impressive vista, Vendak became lost in the moment. He didn't turn away until the horizon behind began to glow with a warm white light.

When the stars faded with the light of day, Ven turned back to face the vast barrier of ice. Now that he had traveled far enough, it had a more defined shape.

Sorry flat-earth enthusiasts, looks like the ice wall is more of a staff.

It pierced out of the frozen landscape like an ice-covered Mount Olympus. This endless column seemed to touch the very limits of the sky. It filled most of the horizon, with the sun hidden behind the impressive structure as it rose. Ven stood in its massive shadow, and would have to wait until sometime after midday to see the sun.

Still, the light had increased enough that he could now see far more of the world. Yet more of the same lifeless snow-covered landscape stretched out, similar in appearance to the endless pillar of ice. However, he smiled at this seemingly endless snow-filled biome.

This is still better than eating mushrooms, and at least the nights give me something to look at.

As the sun rose, a trickle of energy flowed into him, which helped to buoy his spirits as he ran.

Ven didn't feel hungry or thirsty and was uncertain about what his new body could eat. If he did grow hungry, he could start with normal food and move from there if it failed. For now, his strength seemed to progress upwards naturally. His travel speed got progressively faster in parallel. Each leap took him hundreds of meters as the tundra flashed by below. Clear air and ice accompanied him with every step.

As the sun broke over the unseen peak of the ice pillar at his back, a sudden rush of strength poured into every fiber of his being. Vendak ground to a halt, locked in place as bizarre energy swirled through his body. It filled him and flowed deeper, then vanished somewhere he couldn't sense. This force nourished his body at a pace that alarmed him, and not only that, but his thoughts flowed faster and smoother than ever before. His mind was sharper, each thought like a crisp wafer of crystal, slotted perfectly in place.

Ven raised his arms and discovered an unusual visual effect. A fine mist of darkness floated around his body and pulled in the morning light. Wisps of shadow flowed around and coated Vendak, as if he stood inside an ominous fog.

If I saw someone like this back on earth, I'd nope out immediately. Figures I suppose.

Ven shrugged and carried on with his journey, only to find that, once again, his speed had increased. This new body absorbed sunlight, and converted it into some other kind of power. Although the visual effect appeared strange, Ven enjoyed the benefits immensely.

With the ability to survive on what amounted to radiation, Ven could live pretty much anywhere. Since he no longer needed to breathe, he could even travel safely through a vacuum, if he ever found himself inside one. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that it wasn't just sunlight that he could absorb.

I grew up fine in a dark lab, and other than a long sleep I turned out fine.

When he had something else to use this power on, Ven would test it further, but for now, all he could do was hope. If he hadn't picked a good direction within this ice-covered expanse, who knows how long it would take to find something new? He had long stopped paying attention to the passage of time and was sprinting forwards in a bit of a trance.