Fourth Day – A Sudden Blizzard
Alden woke up to an ominous silence in his camp.
The usual howling of the wind had stopped, replaced by an eerie stillness that made his instincts scream in warning. He stepped out of his makeshift shelter—a small cave he had carved into the side of a frozen cliff. The sky had darkened, thick clouds rolling in, heavy with snow.
A blizzard was coming.
Shiranui's fur bristled as he padded up beside Alden, his golden eyes narrowing. "This storm isn't natural."
Alden didn't need to be told twice. In a mana-rich environment like this dungeon, nature often didn't act on its own. Something was causing this storm.
He tightened his grip on Kurenai and stepped forward cautiously, his senses stretched to their limits.
That's when they struck.
---
A flash of white and silver shot toward him from his blind spot—fast, predatory, and silent.
Alden barely managed to react.
—Clang!
His katana met a massive, scythe-like claw, sparks flying as he was pushed back. His attacker landed in front of him—a Frostclaw Predator.
Rank D+.
A monstrous fusion of a panther and a snow leopard, with razor-sharp claws coated in a layer of hardened ice. Its eyes glowed faintly blue, brimming with mana.
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But before Alden could fully assess his opponent—
—Boom!
The ground behind him exploded as another beast lunged out from beneath the snow—an Icefang Basilisk.
Rank D+.
A serpentine creature, nearly five meters long, covered in crystalline scales. Its fangs dripped with venom, steaming even in the frigid air.
A coordinated ambush.
Alden clicked his tongue. Smart.
---
The storm raged around him, visibility dropping fast. Snow whipped through the air, making it harder to track movement.
The Frostclaw lunged first, using the blizzard as cover. Alden barely dodged in time—its claws grazed his shoulder, leaving deep gashes in his coat.
But he had no time to recover.
The Icefang Basilisk struck next, lunging for his leg with its venomous fangs.
Alden twisted mid-air, barely escaping, but the serpent's tail came crashing down—slamming into his side.
—Crash!
He hit the ground hard far from where he was, snow exploding around him. Pain flared in his ribs.
Shiranui growled, preparing to intervene, but Alden raised a hand. "Stay back."
He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up. He could handle this.
First, the Frostclaw.
The beast circled him, its glowing eyes locked onto him through the snow. It was fast, agile, and hit hard.
But Alden was faster.
He activated Shadow Step Footwork, vanishing from sight just as the Frostclaw pounced again. He reappeared behind it, Kurenai already mid-swing—
—Lunar Severance!
A crimson arc sliced through the storm.
The Frostclaw shrieked, its leg severed cleanly at the joint. Blood sprayed onto the snow, staining it red.
But the Icefang Basilisk didn't wait.
It coiled its body and lunged again, striking with its venomous fangs.
Alden had anticipated this.
He activated Telekinesis, seizing one of his daggers from his belt and launching it straight into the serpent's open mouth—
—Pierce!
The dagger embedded deep in its throat. The Icefang hissed, its body thrashing violently.
Taking the chance, Alden dashed forward and drove Kurenai into the wound, twisting the blade.
A final, agonized screech—and the Basilisk collapsed.
Only the Frostclaw remained.
It was injured, but it still had killing intent burning in its eyes. It crouched low, preparing for one last attack—
Alden struck first.
With a single, precise slash—he ended it.
The battle was over.
---
Alden exhaled sharply, his body aching from the fight. He crouched down and extracted the mana cores from both creatures, their icy blue glow pulsing in his hand.
Then—he heard it.
A deep, resonating howl.
Not just one. Dozens.
Alden's eyes widened.
Through the thick snow, shadows began to emerge.
Wolves.
Dozens of Frostfang Wolves.
And at the center of them, standing tall with ice-crusted fur and glowing blue eyes—was their Alpha.
A D+ Ranked Frostfang Direwolf.
Larger than a horse, its fangs were coated in frost, and its breath came out in cold mist. Its mana pulsed dangerously, stronger than the other wolves by far.
Alden clicked his tongue. "You've got to be kidding me."
He was already wounded from the last fight, and now he was completely surrounded.
Shiranui bared his fangs beside him. "This isn't good."
Kurenai hummed ominously. "Boy, this might be your worst situation yet."
Alden tightened his grip on his sword. He had no choice.
He would have to fight.
Again.
And this time, there was no way out.
---