Flying through the soft snow and light windy conditions for the month of Suncrest, the presence of the sun and absence of both moons and clouds was a pretty good indication that we were currently in our brief midday period which should hopefully last for the next two to three hours.
Like a speeding arrow my childlike body seemed to pierce through the atmosphere at alarming speeds, my metallic lustrous wings like a sharp blade cutting through the clouds, with the occasional flutter to keep my body afloat. I remember when I had first attempted flight with my wings, how easy and effortless it had felt, as if they were just another extension of my body like an arm or a leg. I was certain I had used them before my rebirth, I was instinctually sure of that.
Ice harpies, gryphons and wyverns were a common sight in the sky, so I still had to be somewhat careful, especially wyverns in these parts. They were basically a descendant of dragons in a way however they were far weaker, far more plentiful and tended to hunt or travel in large packs.
They were honestly a far more immediate threat to myself than the usual reclusive and intelligent dragons which haven't been sighted in 100s of years. There are records of towns and cities razed by hundreds of such wyverns arriving in flocks. Thankfully they were dormant in sleep during the month of Suncrest so there should be next to no chance of encountering such a flock.
Well, in all fairness, I would much rather face a pack of wyverns than a single dragon or ‘Elijah’ meaning continent destroyer. The last recorded dragon was said to have sank an entire continent in its sheer anger.
Looking down, soft snow and ice seemed to shroud everything, even during the month of Suncrest when the sun was at its brightest. Trees, grass, habitats, everything was covered in thick heavy snow nearly all year round. I heard that the further north you went the less barren tundra you would see and the more Icy landscapes would replace it.
I honestly couldn't help but wonder at times how our country had flourished in such tremulous conditions. Perhaps it was the fact we survived in such a wicked environment that adhered to our strength.
Although our home was surrounded by mountains called the axle mountains, I had flown far past these mountains in less than thirty minutes, already arriving close to a northern forest past the mountains within the Snowpeak region. I had purposefully avoided any towns or villages that could potentially spot me in the air, sadly a lack of thicker clouds tended to hinder me in other ways.
And it looks like I've arrived, my hidden spot of ‘pleasure’.
In front of me was a large tunnel that seemed to lead almost unendingly underground, tunnelling into the Soft snow, past the barren ground and deep into the soil, a softly purple glowing hole where the end couldn't be seen. It was large in a sense that it was more similar to an underground cave than an actual hole.
Walking into the dimly lit cavern, embedded into the walls at regular intervals were softly glowing purple feathers each radiating a dim light. Where were they made from? Well from me of course, this wasn't my first time within the ‘dungeon’, I had discovered it a while ago from my father. He had listed it on one of his maps within his cabinet as an undiscovered dungeon. A dungeon was basically a farming ground for skilled warriors or adventurers to strengthen themselves, either through their status or through the artefacts that could be found within.
Analysis.
Dungeon Name: Helheim
Difficulty: Unknown
Record Traverser: Tene Renhart - Fallen Angel
This was just one of the many reasons why analysis was such a highly required skill, You basically lived life at a severe disadvantage without it. A dungeon's difficulty level was never shown until it was completely conquered, so it was well advised to always face each unconquered dungeon as if it was of the highest difficulty level, well prepared and with multiple teams to scout it out, only then would a predefined estimated difficulty level be brought forth by the guild.
The difficulty levels escalated from low level > mid level > high level > Heroic > Demigod > ? Dungeons past the Demi God tier had yet to be located, however Ancient records have hinted towards their existence. Since my analysis level was still relatively low the only other detail available to me on the analysis page was the Record traverser row, which like its name simply highlighted the individual who had made it furthest into the dungeon.
Hmmm, it appears nothing has particularly changed. To be honest, I was still extremely wary of the dungeon even though I had traversed its icy blue walls many times now. My current estimation of the dungeon was that it was a mid level dungeon with maybe the possibility of unexplored parts peeking towards the high level. I still wasn't completely sure where my strength peeked at so I still had to be somewhat careful.
There was, however, one thing I was certain of.
As I continued heading deeper and deeper into the dungeon, a group of familiar sounds entered my ears.
Already?
“AGHHHHHHHAAAAAA”
“AGHHHHAAAAAAA”
Multiple wretched gurgling shrieks pierced through the dungeon walls as short blue silhouettes began to expose themselves through the dim purple lights. Their hideous warty faces and long noses extenuating the sinister vile look in their yellow eyes as they gazed at me. Did they see me as prey to eat? No, even lower than that.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
I analysed the strongest looking goblin who stood the most intelligently in the back.
Name: Unnamed
Age: 0
Race: Ice Goblin
Class: Goblin Pack Leader[D]
Ice Goblins. A common low level monster within the dungeon that tended to hunt other organisms in packs.
My analysis skill sadly still had not levelled up high enough to read their stats, however I could tell It was close to a breakthrough. It was important to use it as often as I could.
Although these were dungeon generated goblins they still inherited the main traits from the goblins common outside the dungeon. That is to say…
Disgusting.
Carrying heavy clubs and short swords they lunged at me, unconcealed lust and anticipation present within their eyes.
Hmf, I had heard the outside goblins were far more vile and cunning, this lot however seemed to have lost all their intelligence to the rare appearance of a female outside their species.
They went for my limbs, probably attempting to incapacitate me. Swiftly dodging the inexperienced swing of a club to my left knee, using nothing but my raw stats, I whipped my right wing horizontally against the closest goblins face. It's disgusting head instantly split into two, blue blood splattering against the cavern walls as its top half of its head slid down against its bottom half. I was still lacking in a sufficient weapon to use due to my mother, but my wings got the job done just as well.
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
The shift that occurred in the remaining goblins' attitudes was palpable, their earlier disregard gone, replaced with clear apprehension and fear. Carefully surrounding me, they perhaps thought that even though I was stronger than one, they could still take me down together.
How foolhardy.
With one nimble movement, I hopped into the air now floating slightly above the encircling goblins just below the ceiling of the dungeon. Spreading out my wings, I let loose an entourage of dagger-like feathers, each as sharp as an iron sword.
“AGHAAAAGHHHHH” A symphony of screaming goblins filled the walls of the cavern as each goblin was turned into a perfect pincushion of feathers. Except one.
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
“Hahaha” I couldn't help but giggle softly, this was the part I loved best.
“AGGIGIGI” Watching his pack get completely wiped out in less than a minute, it seemed the goblin pack leader had finally come to some sort of realisation. Turning tail, he ran.
Oh, looks like he wasn't a complete idiot after all.
Still not the correct choice. The correct answer would have been to ‘beg’ me for mercy. With my current wings and stats, my current self was far faster than the fastest race horses, with one quick push of my wings, I was already in front of the running goblin leader. As if I was kicking a ball, I separated his head from his body. His head flew towards the other side of the cave, bouncing off the wall like a ball as his body collapsed lifelessly into the floor.
“Disgusting” I whispered, as I tried to wipe his blood off my foot. Well, it was always ‘fun’ to see how monsters reacted to certain death. I knew this feeling was morally wrong but it wasn’t as if these goblins were beings that garnered my respect, their intentions on what they would do to me If they caught me was quite clear to be frank.
Honestly, It was a bit of a let down that goblins were the most intelligible species down here to ‘play’ with.
Whoops. I meant Intelligible and vile species.
And by play it wasn’t as if I enjoyed killing, whether or not I spared that goblins life wouldn’t have changed anything, I just wanted it to know it’s life was under my control. It was an urge I almost couldn't control in the heat of battle, something I know I hadn't learned of in this life.
[You have Defeated An Ice Goblin]
[LEVEL UP - Intermediate Melee combat techniques]
One pack of goblins for a single level up, worth it. Much lower than before, but these goblins were now nowhere near as challenging. Not that they had been particularly challenging before. Experience gained from defeating enemies would account for your class level, thankfully it was recorded that experience gained before a class revelation would still be accountable once the class was revealed
Well I haven't got much time left, I have to try to defeat ‘that’, before I leave this time.
Using my wings I traversed the similar landscape of the dungeon, I had seen many times prior, extinguishing any threats that appeared with my feathers. The monsters within this part of the dungeon were all low levelled and a waste of time. Sadly they respawned every time I came back. Although I did enjoy the thrill of hunting, it was more enjoyable if my prey could actually fight back or even speak for that matter.
Of course, I didn't forget to analyse the monsters that I believe could have been named. Using the analysis skill on named monsters or organisms that haven't been seen before resulted in higher gains after all.
Name: Unnamed
Age: 0
Race: Ice Troll
Class: Troll Clubsman[D]
Name: Unnamed
Age: 0
Race: Ice Wolf
Class: Wolf Pack Leader[D]
Name: Unnamed
Age: 0
Race: Ice Worm
Class: Earth Devourer[C]
[You have Defeated An Ice Troll]
[You have Defeated An Ice Wolf]
[You have Defeated An Ice Wolf]
[You have Defeated An Ice Wolf]
[You have Defeated An Ice Wolf]
[You have Defeated An Ice Wolf]
[You have Defeated An Ice Wolf]
[You have Defeated An Ice Worm]
To my un-surprise they were all unnamed, named monsters were remarkably rare and usually meant they were blessed by some god or had lived long enough to amass a remarkably high intelligence.
“Finally” I whispered to myself. I always exhausted my one hour time slot before I got here, giving myself sufficient time to fly back was also necessary after all. I had about fifteen minutes left to defeat that thing before I had to return back at full speed.
Before me, led an opening within the once tunnel-like dungeon, leading into what could only be described as an open cavern, with a high rise ceiling and a large open room. Pillars made from ice seemed to stretch down from the ceiling to the ground almost like stalactites.
The room, still dark since I had yet to enter this part of the dungeon yet, seemed to emanate an ominous presence. I could just barely make out the being that lay comfortably in the centre of the cavern, its blue reptilian body shimmering a soft icy hue. Its wings seemed to cover nearly its entire body as its long lizard shaped neck peeked out of an opening. Frosty blue eyes staring straight back at me, as if awaiting me to encroach upon its territory.
Analyse.
Name: Unnamed
Age: 0
Race: Ice Wyvern
Class: Frostwing Wyvern[B]
Well, this ought to be fun.