Have they moved? Naberius asked. She was pacing a tight circle around the Frostfathers Altar like a Hoarhound stalking its prey. Have they erged?
Not yet, Sitri reported. The wrinkled crone stood closest to the altar, her hands pressed against the cloudy orb of ice that had grown there. Her rheumy eyes, so poor normally, were the best at scrying through ice. They continue to conjure flas within their shell.
Why? The Frostfather will not look on this delay kindly.
Defense is as necessary as offense, Foris. Sitri stabbed a bony finger at a shape in the ice. To Naberius it was nothing but a blurry shadow. The Elentals are stalking them.
Better to et them with force, Foris insisted. The Human is capable of that much. It will only grow colder the longer they waitto waste ti is foolish.
It doesnt matter, Naberius interjected. Look. They are moving.
Fast too, Sitri said. Too fast.
Naberius drew close to the elder Witch. What is it?
Theyvetheyve reached the sixth layer Door Guardian.
What? Already? Naberius peered into the ice but it was a clouded ss. Show .
Sitri grunted and her hands paled were they touched the orb. In return, the orb beca clearer and clearer to the other two, until they could make out a huge beast. A Greater Savage Therium, a creature born of ice, earth, and steel. It was more powerful by far than the Ice Drakes and the standard Therium. Its six limbs could rend even the greatest Risi Warrior in twain, and its steel claws would not be stopped by any armor fashioned by the Kin.
Grimmar barely survived this Guardians attacks, Foris said. If the Human was lying, we shall find out now.
You saw him handle the previous layers. And his Companion was nearly as fast. Naberius shook her head, exasperated at Foris rejection of what was in front of them. I do not doubt he will conquer this challenge.
The sixth Door Guardian is dead! Sitri interrupted with a gasp.
Truly? Foris crowded close, as if eager to find the lie. Yet it was clear to all of them: the Greater Savage Therium had been rent in twoand was even now being devoured by the strange Human king. Foris grumbled and groused, and her words stank of mulish pride. Itit is true. They have passed into the seventh layer.
If Naberius was being honest, the speed of the battle surprised her as well. Her pride remained intact, however, as she had hitched her cart to the Human kings ascent. She felt more confident in that choice now than ever before. He must only reach the end of the seventh layer, and we can begin.
Naberius saw opportunity in the Human king. His power was great and his judgnt soundif all of Kimaris words were true, the benefits to allying themselves with his Territory were not to be denied. And she would reap the greatest benefits, for being the one to facilitate their new alliance.
She only had to wait.
They havethey are in the seventh layer, but it Sitri swallowed audibly. The ice had returned to its cloudy interior, at least to the others, but her pale eyes flicked about as if she couldnt keep up. Theyre moving too fast. Theyve killed thirtyno! Forty elentals. They Sitris old voice trembled. Theyve reached the seventh Door Guardian.
Foris hissed.
And? Naberius asked, leaning in. She peered into the orb, seeing only flickering shadows.
And it is defeated. Instantly.
Naberius laughed. She had been right. Incredible. This Human king
He has entered the eighth layer.
What!? No! That wasnt what she instructed him to do. He risks everything! What of the Elentals?
Sitris hands were trembling. He and the Chira are moving. The information is unclear, the viewing distorted by a foul soundbut everything is She lifted her near-blind eyes to Naberius own. They all but glowed with awe. They are laying waste to all that lies before them.
Frostfather help us. Fortis pressed a hand over her heart. Theyre attempting the ascent.
Naberius ground her teeth so hard she felt blood flood her tongueshe gave it no mind, however. Instead, she and her sisters watched in mute horror as the two Challengers dropped the eighth Door Guardian and crossed into the ninth layer.
The Summit.
The last portal, the one from the eighth to the ninth, was an open triangular archway that was almost a hundred feet high at the apex. Stepping through it felt like swimming in gelatin, cold and thick and entirely unsuited for traveling through. Like the portal didnt want them to continue.
Neither Pit nor Felix cared about that, though.
They jolted as they exited, buffeted by gale-force winds and pelted by jagged ice. Felix conjured a red-gold fla to intercept the razor-sharp hail and it was more or less effective. Didnt do much for the wind though.
Theres a staircase! Pit shouted over the howling storm.
Sure enough, the only thing ahead of them was a set of stairs carved into the side of a mountain and coated liberally with ice and snow. There was no railing, and after twenty feet or so the right side opened up into a dizzying drop. Felix traced the path, tracking the steps as they wound up the mountain peak until they vanished into the haze of the thickening blizzard.
Stay close, bud! Felix shouted, leaning into the wind. Well move slow and steady on this one.
Rightright behind you!
Felix didnt miss the catch in his friends voice, or the exhaustion that dogged his Spirit. Pit had already been hurting when theyd reunited on the fifth layer, and the attempt to cleanse his curse had only made it worse.
Not to ntion the fights getting here. They had moved fast, but not terribly so considering their Agility. Pit had been adamant in handling any foe that ca his way, which slowed down their progress. Felix would have been fine with that (mostly) if not for the fact that every battle only added to the slew of minor injuries Pit bore. Their store of Healing Potions was growing very thin by the ti they stepped into the ninth and final layer. Just gotta step careful. Nothings been able to really make go all out yet. We got this.
Cardinal Fla!
Felix conjured a heavy sheet of red-gold fire, holding it up against the vicious wind. It was enough to lt the oncoming ice and blunt the wind, but it did little to keep away the incredible chill that settled on them. Even through his Song of Absolution, Felix could feel it, and Pit imdiately began to shiver. They walked only halfway up the first curve before a System notification popped into view.
Pits Cold Resistance is level 50!
Journeyman Tier!
He Gains:
5 END
5 VIT
5 WIL
Pits Cold Resistance is level 51!
Wwell ththat is helpful! Pit chirruped over the howling winds. Gimgim enough ti, and Ill be immimmune!
Pits Cold Resistance is level 52!
Felix flared Cardinal Fla, pumping out more Mana into the air around them, but it had little effect when compared to the atmosphere all around them.
Whwhatre you doing? Keekeep going! Pit shouted when his big head bumped into Felixs back. Gotta keep momoving!
So they did. Their stride ate up distance on the narrow steps, moving perhaps a half-mile around the incredibly huge mountain while the winds tried to tear them free. Unless he wanted to risk Pit falling, running was too dangerous in those conditions, and Felixs Perception was severely blunted by the chaos all around them. He was reduced to taking things a step at a ti, his Skills ready to sing out at a monts notice.
Nothing continued to happen.
Pits Cold Resistance is level 57!
The walk beca interminable. No monsters, just the wind, the icy steps, and the ever-present cold. A faint pressure had begun to press down on them, sothing Felix recognized from his training against Spiritual pressure. It wasnt sothing he felt very often, as lesser Spirits were sorta washed out by his own, so he knew imdiately it was relatively potent. Pit felt it too, but he was likewise barely affected.
It was the cold that was fouling his Companion.
I need a better solution. His fire was only half the solution. Ihm. Mantle of the Infinite Revolution would heat my imdiate surroundings up, but likely too much. Id worry about burning Pit and lting parts of the staircase. What about this? Sunken Ward!
Imdiately the worst of the cold vanished, replaced instead by a cool sensation across his skin. Even breathing beca easier as the wind that kept trying to crawl down his throat was imdiately blocked.
Whoa! WhatSunken Ward? Pit exclaid, and his voice echoed slightly as it transmitted across the spell. You can use this out of the water?
Nothing said I cant. Its about manipulating air Mana around us to keep breathing, Felix said, working out how the spell was helping. Huh. Temperature and air pressure regulation works against just normal weather too, not just deep water conditions.
Pit shook himself, shaking loose snow and frost from his fur. Its still cold but oh, thats much better! Clever!
Sunken Ward is level 66!
Sunken Ward is level 70!
Apparently the System thought the sa as the Skill jumped five levels. Lets keep moving. Maybe now we can make so progress.
The words barely left his mouth when a boulder the size of a horse smashed into the stairs ahead of them. Felix shouted wordlessly, Stone and Ri Shaping screaming to life in his channels as he tore apart the projectile and several creatures swirled through the clouds just beyond them.
Pit let loose a sharp screech as his Howl at the Dark activated, and two of the creatures faltered, their shapes falling out of cover. Felix imdiately identified them. Ice Drakes. Elentals. Strong too. Pit, can you
Dawns Advent!
A flurry of sizzling crescents flew from the tenkus paws, hurtling through space to intercept beast after beast. Pained bellows shook the skies, and the clouds churned with a dozen sets of wings.
Rain of Cata!
The steps beneath them exploded.
Dodge is level 83!
Felix danced back just in ti as a huge portion of the staircase was hurtled out into the empty air, and a blocky creature the size of a city bus crawled from the mountains side. tal and stone hands leveraged it upright, and a single eye that shone with an icy light glared at him.
Oh great, he muttered. Pit! Focus on the Ice Drakes! Ive got these idiots!
Sovereign of Flesh!
Stone Shaping!
The first Stalagmight, an elental of tal and earth, ripped itself free of the mountain and was followed by two more. Felix rushed forward, eting them with scale-covered fists and the song of their undoing. The first swung at him, but he t its huge blow with his ownand shattered its forearm into pieces. Its body softened, seized by Felixs Will as he shaped the stone of its forr arm into a pillar that smashed up into its own stupid face.
You Have Killed A Stalagmight!
XP Earned!
The elental fell, hurled from the path, and Felix took his fury onto the next. He leaped over the broken gap of the staircase, fists blazing with dusty-brown earth Manaand did not expect a third elental to hurtle from beneath.
Oh shit! he managed, just as the Stalagmight grabbed at his feet with one of its huge mitts. It twisted and rolled, not toward the mountain, but out into the empty air beside them. Oh shit!
FELIX!
Pit streaked from the side, more blur than Chira, as he latched onto the elental with claws and beak. His weight shifted them back just for a secondbefore another Stalagmight dropped from above.
They all fell.
You Have Left The Path!
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