The Crystal Warden roared, its cry reverberating through the icy expanse like a crashing glacier. The sound alone was enough to make Jae-Hyun grit his teeth. This was no ordinary enemy—its sheer presence felt suffocating, as though the rift itself had birthed a force meant to crush him. His summons materialized at his side, their forms darker and more defined than ever. The Warden towered over him, its crystalline frame exuding an aura of overwhelming power that dwarfed anything he had faced before. Even with the rift’s energy amplifying his summons, the gap between them was stark. He was outmatched, and he knew it. Yet, he refused to step back.
The Crystal Warden’s tendrils lashed out, one catching a summon mid-stride and shattering it into a burst of dark mist. Jae-Hyun used the moment to charge forward, his blade slicing through the frigid air. The Warden moved with a terrifying speed that belied its massive size, its crystalline arm sweeping through the air with enough force to cleave through solid ice. Jae-Hyun narrowly avoided the strike, the ground splitting beneath him from the impact. He countered with an upward slash, but the blow barely left a mark on the creature’s reinforced armor. Sparks flew, and his grip on the hilt tightened. The reality of the fight settled in: this wasn’t a creature he could overpower. He had to find another way.
System Notification: Crystal Warden’s Armor is Reinforced by Rift Energy. Exploit Weak Points for Maximum Effectiveness.
Jae-Hyun’s eyes narrowed. “Weak points, huh?” He activated Predator’s Insight, his vision sharpening as the skill highlighted faint cracks along the Warden’s structure. Its joints and the glowing core embedded in its chest pulsed faintly, marking them as potential targets.
“Let’s end this quickly,” he muttered, issuing new commands to his summons. Two of them darted toward the Warden’s legs, their shadowy claws raking against the icy terrain to create diversions. Meanwhile, a third summon leapt high, aiming for the beast’s head.
The Warden roared again, its tendrils striking out in a flurry of movement. One shadow summon managed to latch onto the beast’s arm, its claws digging into the crystalline surface to slow its movements. Jae-Hyun seized the opportunity, dashing forward with enhanced speed. His blade glowed faintly as he channeled mana into it, delivering a decisive strike to the creature’s exposed knee joint.
The crack deepened, but the Warden barely faltered. Its sheer resilience was staggering, shrugging off damage that would have felled lesser creatures. Jae-Hyun pressed on, sweat forming despite the freezing cold. Each strike pushed him closer to his limits, and every missed opportunity felt like a death sentence. He could feel the Warden adapting, its attacks becoming more precise, its movements more relentless. This was not a battle of equals; it was survival against something far stronger.
But the rift wasn’t done testing him.
The ground beneath Jae-Hyun’s feet suddenly shifted, icy spikes erupting without warning. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly formations. The Warden’s core pulsed brighter, its energy swelling as it entered a frenzied state. Jae-Hyun’s heart raced. The system didn’t offer him a strategy, didn’t even confirm his chances. The only directive was the timer, cold and impassive: Survive for 24 hours. It was clear now—he wasn’t meant to fight these creatures, just to endure. But retreating wasn’t an option for him. Not now.**
Jae-Hyun cursed under his breath. The beast’s movements became erratic, its attacks faster and more powerful. One of his summons was obliterated in an instant, the sheer force of the Warden’s strike scattering it like ash.
“Stay focused,” he reminded himself, his breath visible in the freezing air. Predator’s Insight continued to highlight the creature’s weak points, but the glowing core in its chest was now the most prominent.
He adjusted his strategy. With a mental command, his remaining summons positioned themselves to draw the Warden’s attention, darting in and out to avoid its devastating blows. Meanwhile, Jae-Hyun circled around, his eyes locked on the core.
When the opportunity came, he didn’t hesitate. Channeling all his mana into a single strike, he leapt forward, his blade aimed directly at the pulsating core. Time seemed to slow as the blade connected, the force of the impact sending a shockwave through the air. The core shattered with a brilliant explosion of light and energy, the Warden letting out one final, guttural roar before collapsing into a heap of jagged crystals.
Jae-Hyun landed in a crouch, his breath ragged and his body trembling from exertion. The Warden’s shattered form dissolved into the icy ground, leaving only silence and the oppressive cold. Yet, the rift itself seemed alive, its hostility unyielding. The temperature dropped further, the frost creeping up his boots, threatening to encase him where he stood. The ground beneath him shuddered faintly, as though warning him that this was far from over. Jae-Hyun clenched his fists, forcing himself to keep moving despite the biting chill. A notification flashed before Jae-Hyun's eyes as he caught his breath:
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System Notification: Level Up: 11.
The brief surge of energy coursed through him, bringing a momentary relief to his aching body. Alongside it came another reward, a relic gleaming faintly in his inventory. He had pushed himself to the brink, scraping by on instinct and sheer determination. Jae-Hyun appraised the relic, its description appearing before him:
[Frostbound Relic]
* Type: Equipment
* Rarity: Rare
* Effect: Increases resistance to cold environments by 50%. Boosts mana regeneration in freezing conditions.
His struggle against the Warden hadn’t been wasted. The relentless combat had forced him to adapt, Predator’s Insight evolving to track the beast’s erratic movements with greater precision. Even his summons, though fragile compared to the Warden, had fought more cohesively under his direction. He was learning, growing—but at a cost.
He equipped it without hesitation, feeling the biting cold relent slightly as the relic’s effects took hold. The mana regeneration was subtle but noticeable, a welcome boon in this unforgiving environment. Yet, there was no relief. As he equipped the Frostbound Relic, his exhaustion settled in like a weight. His arms trembled slightly, and his breath came in uneven bursts. This was just the first challenge, and already he felt the limits of his strength creeping closer. His arms ached, his legs felt like lead, and the biting cold gnawed at his resolve. Doubt clawed at the edges of his mind: Am I strong enough for this? The timer ticked down mercilessly in the corner of his vision, a grim reminder of the hours yet to endure. I barely made it through one fight. How can I survive 23 more hours of this?
For a moment, the thought of hiding somewhere, of simply waiting out the rift’s trial, surfaced. But he crushed it just as quickly. He hadn’t come this far to cower. This was his chance to grow, to take his limits and shatter them, no matter the cost.
A faint shimmer on the horizon caught his eye, breaking through his swirling thoughts. Shapes moved against the icy backdrop, their forms growing clearer with each second. The shapes grew clearer: more monsters, larger and just as menacing, were converging on his position. The faint tremors beneath his feet grew stronger, echoing the beat of his racing heart. For a fleeting moment, he considered hiding—finding some crevice where he could wait out the remaining hours. But the thought was fleeting. He had entered this rift to grow, and he would take this opportunity to its fullest, no matter the cost. Dozens of them. His pulse quickened, the weight of reality sinking in. He couldn’t take them all on at once. He surveyed the area, noting the timer in the corner of his vision. Over 23 hours remained.
“One challenge down,” Jae-Hyun said to himself, his voice steady. “Let’s see what’s next.”
The timer glowed faintly in the corner of his vision: 9 hours remaining. The oppressive chill of the rift was unforgiving, gnawing at Jae-Hyun’s endurance as he trudged forward. His breath came in ragged bursts, every step feeling heavier than the last. The exhaustion was relentless; his body screamed for rest, his vision blurred at the edges. But rest was a luxury he couldn’t afford here.
The ground was littered with the evidence of his trials. Shattered corpses of icy beasts lay scattered around him, their forms dissolving into the frost-bitten earth as the rift consumed them. Jae-Hyun had fought tirelessly, the system notifications of his progress etched into his mind:
Level Up: 12. Level Up: 13. Level Up: 14. Level Up: 15. Level Up: 16.
Each kill brought growth, but it came at a cost. His body bore the marks of countless battles—deep gashes, bruises, and a persistent ache that refused to fade. His summons, which had been his lifeline throughout this ordeal, were flickering shadows of their former strength. They reappeared with every fight, only to be torn apart again.
Despite the pain, he pressed on. This was what he had chosen. This was what he needed. Yet doubt lingered at the edges of his resolve, whispering insidiously: Can you really make it?
Jae-Hyun shook his head, forcing the thought aside. He couldn’t afford to falter now. The weight of the remaining nine hours bore down on him like the icy air, suffocating and inescapable.
Then the ground trembled.
At first, it was subtle, a faint vibration beneath his feet. But it grew stronger, the cracks in the icy terrain spreading like veins. Jae-Hyun’s grip tightened around his blade as a deep, resonant growl echoed through the frozen expanse. From the shadows emerged a creature that dwarfed anything he had faced so far.
A colossal beast stepped into view, its massive frame covered in jagged, frost-encrusted scales that shimmered in the dim light of the rift. Its eyes glowed with a predatory intelligence, and its breath came in heavy puffs, each exhale a cloud of frost. The system displayed its designation:
Frost Revenant – Rank C.