Where…?

His fingers dug into the icy ground as he forced himself upright. The last thing he remembered was falling—plummeting into the abyss after that damn ice betrayed him. Now, he was here. Wherever here was.

A cavern. That much was certain. The walls of ice stretched high above him, their jagged surfaces shimmering with a dim blue light that filtered through unseen cracks.

It was a haunting glow, casting long, shifting shadows across the frozen floor. The air was thick with an unnatural chill, seeping through his clothes and biting into his skin like tiny needles.

David exhaled sharply and rubbed his arms. The cold was getting to him fast. Without hesitation, he willed a thin layer of his light energy to coat his body, forming a faint, almost invisible aura.

The warmth spread through him, dulling the frost’s bite. More importantly, the energy refracted off the ice, illuminating his surroundings slightly better.

His first real glance at the cavern did nothing to ease his growing frustration.

The space stretched endlessly in all directions, twisting into multiple paths—each one a gaping maw leading into the unknown. His sense of direction was completely shattered. He had no idea where he had fallen from, and even less of an idea where he should go.

Great. Just great.

There were no arcane markings here like the ones he had seen in the first Rift, etched onto the maze’s walls. No indicators. No guiding paths. He was trapped in a ice labyrinth.

Damn it.

It felt like he had fallen into a frozen graveyard.

His eyes flicked between the different passageways.

No clues. No signs.

Just ice and darkness.

"Guessing it is."

He weighed his options carefully. The lower tunnels gave him a bad feeling—too dark, too deep, too easy to get trapped in. Instead, he settled on the upper path, slightly elevated from the others. If nothing else, it felt like the safest bet.

With careful steps, he made his way up, boots crunching softly against the frozen surface. The passage wasn’t wide, forcing him to move cautiously. The last thing he needed was another fall.

The silence pressed in on him as he walked. Not a single sound beyond his own breath and footsteps. No creatures. No movement. Just the eerie stillness of the cavern.

Yet he remained on high alert.

He had already learned his lessons.

Minutes passed. Then more.

He kept walking.

And walking.

Nothing.

The path stretched on without end, and a gnawing sense of unease settled in his chest. The deeper he went, the more he began to suspect something was off.

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His grip on his power tightened instinctively.

And then—

Dead end.

David stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing.

A wall of pure, untouched ice stood before him, shimmering faintly in the dim light. No cracks. No hidden doors. Just a smooth, unmovable blockade.

Disbelief flickered in his eyes before giving way to irritation.

"You have got to be kidding me."

He placed a hand against the ice, half-expecting it to be an illusion, but it was solid. Ice-cold and unyielding.

After the first rift, I thought I’d be more careful. His jaw tightened, frustration burning in his chest. And here I am. In the middle of nowhere. Getting nowhere. All because of a single mistake.

His fingers curled into a fist.

He wanted to hit something. Anything.

But there was no point in wasting his strength. No point in getting angry at an obstacle that wouldn’t move.

With a long, slow breath, he turned around and started walking back.

His thoughts began to wander. He had time, after all.

"I don’t know why, but I feel like I need to reach level 15 to unlock the shop in the system. To be honest, I haven’t really grasped the full potential of the system yet."

And then there was Oblivion Hall. He still had no idea what that was. The name alone sent a chill down his spine—colder than the ice around him.

His boots crunched against the frozen ground as he made his way back to the cavern's entrance, his first choice leading to nothing but wasted effort. This time, he wasn’t going to overthink things.

The second path awaited, dark and foreboding, and instead of analyzing every crack in the ice like some overcautious fool, he just stepped in.

It was the same as before. The same walls of ice, the same dim blue light bleeding through translucent veins in the cavern, the same jagged cracks running across the ceiling. But this time, something was different.

The way opened up.

David's pace quickened as he spotted the widening cavern ahead. The moment he reached the opening, he came to an abrupt stop. Before him stretched a massive underground lake—dark and vast, its surface rippling gently under the eerie blue glow filtering from above.

For once, something wasn't frozen solid. The water ran fresh and clean, a stark contrast to the frigid wasteland of ice surrounding it.

A small stretch of solid ground separated him from the lake itself, but the real problem lay in the drop. The path ended abruptly, leaving a gap between him and the ledge below.

The distance wasn’t enormous—about the height of a tall tree. Any normal person would hesitate. But David? He was gifted.

His fingers curled into a fist. "Easy enough."

Without hesitation, he took a step back, inhaled deeply, and lunged forward.

He leaped.

The air rushed past him, the cold biting against his skin as he descended. For a split second, it felt like falling all over again. Like the moment he plummeted into the Rift. But this time, he was in control.

His boots hit the ground below with a firm thud, and he rolled to absorb the impact. Snow scattered beneath him, and as he rose, he dusted off the icy flakes clinging to his coat.

He had made it.

But before he could take another step forward, a sound echoed through the cavern.

A ripple in the water.

David’s breath came out in sharp, misty puffs as he crouched, eyes locked on the small, white creature in front of him.

It looked almost like a polar bear cub—soft fur, dark beady eyes, and a curious tilt of its head. It let out a small whimper, almost innocent.

But David’s instincts screamed at him. If there’s a cub… then there’s—

A deep, rumbling growl echoed through the cavern.

His muscles tensed as an enormous shape emerged from the darkness. The beast was monstrous—its hulking frame covered in thick, ice-coated fur that refracted the dim blue light of the cave.

Its breath, hot and heavy, came out in thick white clouds. Two massive fangs, jagged as glaciers, gleamed beneath its curled lips.

It’s hunting me.

The moment stretched thin as predator and prey locked eyes. Then—the beast lunged.

David barely twisted out of the way before the creature’s claws raked across the frozen ground, sending jagged shards of ice flying. The sheer force of the attack sent a shockwave through the cavern walls.

Too strong.

He rolled to the side, his boots scraping against the slick ice. Before he could find his footing, the beast charged again. This time, David wasn’t fast enough.

A massive claw clipped his shoulder, sending him crashing against the cold stone. Pain flared across his body as he skidded to a stop. His defense had softened the blow, but not enough—his arm throbbed from the impact.

The beast didn’t give him time to recover. It reared back on its hind legs and slammed down with terrifying force, aiming to crush him beneath its weight.

David reacted instantly. He pushed off the ground with all his strength, narrowly dodging as the creature’s massive paws struck the spot where he had just been. The impact sent deep cracks splintering through the ice beneath them.

I can’t take this thing head-on.

His eyes darted upward—the icicles.

Massive, razor-sharp spikes of ice hung from the cavern’s ceiling, some as long as his own body. If he could bring them down…

The beast let out another earth-shaking roar, preparing for a final charge. Its muscles tensed, its claws digging deep into the ice, ready to pounce.

David exhaled sharply, forcing his breathing to steady. His Dark energy coiled around his fingers, a cold, inky contrast to the pale blue glow of the cave.

Just a little closer…

The beast lunged.

David released his energy in a violent surge. Tendrils of darkness lashed out, striking the cavern ceiling. A deep, resounding crack split through the air.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then—BOOM.

The first icicle broke free, a massive spike of frozen death plummeting downward. The beast noticed too late.

It twisted midair, its eyes widening in realization, but it had already committed to the attack.

The first icicle struck its shoulder, piercing deep and pinning it to the ground. A second speared through its hind leg, locking it in place. It roared in fury, thrashing, trying to rip itself free.

And then—

CRACK.

The largest icicle shattered free, crashing down like a falling glacier. It struck the beast’s back with the force of an avalanche, piercing straight through its spine.

The beast let out a final, choked roar before its body sagged, breath leaving it in one last huff of mist.

Silence returned.

David stood there, chest rising and falling heavily, his limbs burning with exhaustion. His arm ached where the beast had clipped him, and his energy reserves were nearly drained.

Slowly, he approached the fallen creature. Blood seeped from beneath the ice, dark against the cold, pale blue of the cavern. The cub had vanished—probably fled when the fight began.

David exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

"Next time, I’ll just take the long way around."

A heartbeat later, a faint glow flickered near the beast’s lifeless body. David exhaled sharply—the system never missed its cue to deliver rewards.