I didn’t know how long had passed.

With a grunt, I used [Frenzied Whirlwind], my spear blurred and stabbed numerous times through the last of the Elder Arctic Wolves, and then, drawing back my spear I used one of the many skills I had learned—

[Fatal Surge]!

My spear blurred, and immediately pierced a fist-sized hole with a burst of blood through the Elder Arctic Wolf as it unleashed a dying screech.

Blood trailed down my arms and spear. My ragged breath echoed through the ice caves along with the dying breaths of the beast before me.

And then, the notifications came.

[ You have defeated: Elder Arctic Wolf. Tier: E. ]

[ You have leveled up. ]

[ You have leveled up. ]

…

[ Processing... ]

I stared at the notifications for a few moments, it was the first time I saw the processing one, but I decided it wasn’t worth thinking about it. The more I tried to understand The System the bigger of a headache it became.

I turned to my corpse-filled surroundings. Around twenty Elder Arctic Wolves laid on the ground, dead. Numerous stab wounds filled their bodies. Unlike Arctic Wolves, they were bigger and stronger, more ferocious too, and could even unleash frost spikes.

I still hardly understood where I was aside from being in a different world, one with an underground cave system and a gigantic final boss roaming about on the surface. The System was still as mysterious as ever to me, its purpose unknown, its information nonsensical.

But even then, through all of my headaches I had learned a few things here and there. The System was similar to a video game, and I even had a status.

[ Status: Hero. Name: Arc. Level: 38. Tier: E. Attributes: Unavailable. ]

Tiers seemed to indicate strength, F being the lowest, and now I was a Tier stronger, which was E. The difference between them was massive as well. As soon as I became E Tier, the F Tier Arctic Wolves became a bit of a joke⁠. In a way, it was an easy way to gauge strength. The other things in the status were a bit useless.

For example; attributes got distributed by the System itself. Sure, I always felt different after every level up, most of the time in different ways, from agility to awareness to just raw strength, but there was no way for me to know what my actual attributes were.

And even though I had seen magic firsthand, I still hadn’t been able to use it, so if there was an attribute for it, I wouldn’t know. I could also bring up a skill list but it was about as helpful as the status: useless.

I shook my head and knelt down not intending to think about things any longer. I began to dismember the corpses of the numerous monsters with a knife I had received as a reward a while back.

Rewards from the System included weapons, clothing to even potions, however, there was a common theme; it always gave me things I needed.

Thankfully, I had grown much stronger and much more experienced at fighting, so potions were rarely rewarded, however, one thing that was never rewarded was: food. There was no way to cook it so…

I shook my head, in the end, the only way to get out of this place was to defeat the Overlord. And I would do just that. But first things first⁠—

My stomach growled.

I focused on collecting the meat.

◇ ◇ ◇

I found myself sitting down on a wolf pelt, eating raw meat as I stared at the walls. Its taste was not one I could describe, but its texture was slimy and rubbery. There were various carvings on the frost around me that I had made with a knife in my spare time, most of the time they depicted landscapes. They helped me stay sane for the most part, but they also reminded me of the past.

“To think I was an art student, huh…” I stared blankly at the walls. “Now I am stuck becoming a Hero or whatever.”

I laid back as I turned to the frosty ceiling.

“This sucks.”

Being honest, I was growing fond of the feeling of constantly growing stronger and becoming better, but at the same time, there was a constant dread and pressure to survive. As far as returning home, I didn’t know if it was possible but I still held hope.

I stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity before I shook my head and let out a deep sigh. My situation was depressing.

I couldn’t remember what normal food tasted like anymore, and if by some miracle I returned I still had no family to turn to. It was a bit complicated, but they hadn’t been in my life for a while now, so if I returned; ignoring how I would solve my disappearance, nothing much awaited me.

I finished eating as I simply just grabbed my dagger and picked a random unused spot on the walls. Right now, all there was to do was wait and rest. The System and its monsters, in my experience, were random, so there was no use in worrying about them. At least, I had grown numb to that worry after a while.

And so, I busied myself carving on the ice.

◇ ◇ ◇

[ Processing finished! ]

I blinked to the floating screen in my vision, as I was immediately reminded of the reality I was in, and that I was stuck in a desolate land. My mood went from okay to just plain bad. Still…

What had the System finished processing?

[ Congratulations Arc! Your performance during training has been evaluated to be extraordinary and therefore training will be expedited. ]

I blinked while reading the message. “Expedited…?”

There was some excitement, that meant that I wouldn’t be here for as long as I was meant to be here, right? Things would go faster. But my excitement immediately turned into horror as the next screen appeared within my vision.

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[ Monsters have been upgraded to D Tier! ]

“W-Wait!” I stammered dropping my knife. “D Tier?! Isn’t that⁠— doesn’t that mean that⁠—”

And a deep roar echoed through the cave system and I shivered. I hurriedly stood up and reached for my spear as I held it tight.

I hardly understood the laws of this world, but if I had learne danything, it was that the difference between Tiers was… I didn’t know how big the gap was, but the notification was bad news.

And at that moment, from afar in the distant tunnels, I saw it⁠—

[Lesser Alkline Wolf. Tier: D]

My eyes went wide seeing the azure-furred monster.

Were all the monsters in this place wolves⁠?!

The Lesser Alkline Wolf immediately met my gaze and rushed in my direction with growls of anger. And within his maw, there was magic. The air glittered like stardust as frost gathered at its maw, the sight made me shiver as I prepared to dodge, and it fired⁠—

A blast of ice was sent in my direction as I hurriedly moved out of the way. In an instant, the ice wall behind me was blasted with flakes of frost as it turned into a deformity of ice spikes. My head craned in the direction of the Lesser Alkline Wolf who was already pouncing towards me⁠—

[Quick Step]!

With a swift dash of a Skill, I got out of the way and I brandished my spear. I wasn’t planning on dying just yet⁠— [Frenzied Whirlwind]!

My spear stabbed numerous times into the side of the wolf as it let out a miserable shriek of pain, drawing blood in an instant through punctured holes, then drawing it back once more my muscles tensed⁠—

[Fatal Surge]!

And I punched a fist-sized hole through the Alkline Wolf with a burst of blood. The beast shrieked in pain as frost mist gathered around it and before I could react ice spikes were shot my way.

I dodged, but one still grazed my side making me grunt in pain. Immediately, the warmth of blood spread down my ribs and I let out a breath.

“Fuck.”

The monster not letting go of its opportunity, immediately pounced in my direction as I dragged myself out of the way, and this time, I felt it⁠— I saw it⁠— all of my instincts screamed⁠— opportunity. The azure beast flew through the air as I readied my spear and tensed my muscles, following a feeling⁠—

[Ancient Blow]!

My spear blurred and pierced through the neck of the Alkline Wolf, drawing back my spear I followed with another skill⁠— [Frenzied Whirlwind].

I stabbed numerous times through the Alkline Wolf, I grinned knowing that I could soon finish this⁠. So what if it was D Tier? I had more battle experience than some feral wolf. I was better and more intelligent, there was no reason for me to lose⁠!

Drawing a deep breath, my whole body tensed⁠—

[Immediate Impalation]!

And the spear vanished, clashed against the wolf as I felt its ribs break and its organs split, the spear went halfway into the wolf as it screeched before being violently pulled back with a burst of blood.

The beast quivered and then, the air glittered. All my instincts blared danger as I watched with wide eyes.

[Quick Step]⁠— Ice spikes exploded around the Alkline Wolf with a mist of frost. I was immediately blasted and thrown back.

I cursed feeling the burning pain on my stomach as I dislodged a single ice spike from there. Then I turned to the Alkline Wolf which was wobbling as it stared at me, frost gathering at its maw.

It was over.

I raised my spear⁠, my arm muscles tensing— [Throw of Death]!⁠— and the spear was launched. Blurring through the air, it immediately hit the wolf through the head with a burst of blood and gore, bits of bones flew through the air as the spear impaled the monster onto the ground.

And finally, the notifications came.

[ You have defeated: Lesser Alkline Wolf. Tier: D. ]

[ You have leveled up. ]

[ You have leveled up. ]

…

[ You have acquired a Skill: Ice Creation. Tier: D. ]

It was finally dead. I sighed in relief. I had killed a D Tier monster.

I stared at the notifications, finally landing on the skill. That sounded like magic. But before I could try anything another notification came.

[ You have received Tier: E. Potion: Health. ]

And a familiar flask dropped onto the ground with a flash of light. Without hesitation, I grabbed it and drank its tasteless liquid as my wounds immediately began to itch and slowly regenerate. Then, I focused on what was important.

I had gained a skill.

And just like all others, it had a familiar feeling. A very cold one, almost imaginative. I followed it and immediately found ice forming in my hand, one that I could shape according to my desires and was much harder than regular ice. Within seconds I found I could even make an ice spear in no time, it was natural to me.

I blinked.

“Is this… magic⁠—”

And familiar bellows shook the cave as I turned towards the distance. My wounds were almost healing when I saw three of them.

[Lesser Alkline Wolf. Tier: D]

[Lesser Alkline Wolf. Tier: D]

[Lesser Alkline Wolf. Tier: D]

I would survive this challenge.

◇ ◇ ◇

I continued to slay the Lesser Alkline Wolves that came my way, at first it had been hard to deal with them in groups, but as I grew more used to Ice Creation everything became gradually easier, even after my adversaries became stronger.

Impaled right through.

[ You have defeated: Alkline Wolf. Tier: D. ]

Stabbed by dozens of ice spears.

[ You have defeated: Alkline Wolf. Tier: D. ]

Frozen to death…

[ You have defeated: Alkline Wolf. Tier: D. ]

I tried all ways I could think of to kill them, all to learn magic.

…

◇ ◇ ◇

I learned more skills as I grew stronger.

[ You have defeated: Alkline Wolf. Tier: D. ]

[ You have leveled up. ]

[ You have acquired a Skill: Weak Death Frost. Tier: D. ]

…

◇ ◇ ◇

Then, those skills helped me reach new heights.

A dozen of dead Elder Alkline Wolves surrounded me, they had all died gruesome deaths, frost flaking off their bodies with artifacts of ice jutting out of them. Dried blood littered the ground, and in the middle, I stood victorious as I stared at the System notification.

[ You have leveled up. ]

[ You have ascended to D Tier. ]

…

◇ ◇ ◇

I faced monsters I had never seen before; twisted abominations of snow and ice, elementals, hybrids, yetis, but I killed them all. Every battle was hard fought, but even after everything I survived.

Blood trailed down my body as I was on the border of passing out. A single sword of ice hung from my hand, and around me there was multicolored blood, remains of purple snow, and flakes of blue ice.

Dead monsters.

[ You have defeated: Erima Yeti. Tier: C. ]

[ You have defeated: Lesser Ice Elemental. Tier: C. ]

[ You have defeated: Lesser Apparition. Tier: C. ]

[ You have leveled up. ]

[ Skill Weak Deathfrost has become: Lesser Death Frost. Tier: C. ]

…

◇ ◇ ◇

I continued to grow.

Before me laid a gigantic monster, one that was twice as tall as me and stood on four legs with crystal-like horns. Akin to a moose of ice. Blood pooled at my feet as I stared at the notification in front of me.

[ You have ascended to C Tier. ]

[ Skill Ice Creation has become: Greater Ice Creation. Tier: C. ]

…

◇ ◇ ◇

And it didn’t stop there as I clawed through the Tiers. Struggling for my life with every single encounter and growing stronger.

[ You have defeated: Ice Elemental. Tier: B. ]

[ You have defeated: Ice Elemental. Tier: B. ]

[ You have defeated: Ice Elemental. Tier: B. ]

…

[ You have ascended to B Tier. ]

◇ ◇ ◇

And slowly, I adapted to life here.

I sat in the commodity of my “home”, a small isolated cavity that was filled with monster furs and ice furniture that never seemed to melt. It wasn’t much, but I had a bed and had found comfort in this frosted hell.

I didn’t know how long had passed since I had gotten here, but day by day I was growing stronger, overcoming new challenges and slowly getting closer to my goal.

To defeat the Overlord.