The air was a maelstrom of wind and magic. Ice fractured across the cliffs in titanic crescendos as Alter darted through plumes of white. His blades clashed against the dragon's claws and breath, his boots carving trenches in snow that instantly froze behind him.
The Frost Dragon towered above, its massive wings blotting out the pale sky, its breaths sending storms of frost with each exhale.
Alter skidded backward, panting, sweat freezing on his brow.
System Alert – Analyze:
Name: Vaelgrithr, Frost-Bound Tyrant
Rank: Mythic+
HP: ██████████
Threat Level: Catastrophic
Weakness: Reverse Scale – Not yet revealed.
Elemental Resistance: Ice (Immune), Fire (Weak – Protected), Lightning (Moderate), Dark (Low)
Reverse Scale Status: Concealed
"Tch…" Alter gritted his teeth. "Still hidden…"
He dashed forward once more, his twin blades flashing in silver arcs. Elemental markers detonated across the dragon's flank—wind slicing through frost, flame licking up ancient scale—but it wasn't enough.
Vaelgrithr responded with a swipe of its claw. Alter barely blinked away, the blow obliterating the ridge behind him.
He fought on. Skill after skill, technique after technique. A storm of slashes, spells, and teleportation danced across the icy battlefield. Still, the scale eluded him.
Until—
"Alter…!"
From the cliff's edge above, Lira and Kaela had arrived, breath catching in their throats as they watched the chaos unfold. Spires of ice jutted skyward around a crater of shattered frost and roiling energy. And in the eye of the storm—Alter.
Their hearts pounded at the sheer fury of the battle. The dragon's roars, the blinding lights of Alter's movements—it was unlike anything they'd ever seen.
Down below, Alter planted his feet, narrowed his gaze, and crossed both blades.
Dimensional Slash – Dual Variant!
A pair of brilliant, spatial rips tore through the air in an 'X', carving across the Frost Dragon's chest. A cry like breaking glaciers echoed through the mountains as two deep wounds burst open—blood, dark and steaming, gushed out.
The dragon recoiled and inhaled.
"No…!"
A cone of subzero destruction surged forth.
Alter raised his right sword into a thrust—
Sky Piercer!
Lightning and wind fused, his blade roaring forth into the breath.
But the power—it was too great. His magic began to falter, the beam of frost creeping closer. Energy particles from the breath exploded in the air behind him, pummeling the cliffs, shaking the world.
"I can't hold it—!"
Alter growled and lifted his left sword into the same stance.
Dual Sky Piercer – Twin Fang Release!
Both blades howled. Their auras merged into one brilliant, searing thrust.
The beams clashed.
Then—broke through.
The torrent split down the middle. Energy slammed into the Frost Dragon's chest, sending it hurtling backward. Massive chunks of icy scale shattered and scattered like diamonds across the mountain.
System Prompt – Weakness Revealed!
Reverse Scale Located: Upper Chest, beneath primary scale plating.
Alter's eyes locked onto the exposed wound.
"That's it."
He surged forward, only to be struck aside by the dragon's thrashing tail. He rolled, tumbled, coughed blood. His magic was running low.
Magic wouldn't stall it long.
He had to hit it.
Alter steadied himself, a wild idea flashing through his mind.
"…Life Sprinkler. But only… a quasi-version."
He activated his teleportation markers—setting dozens across the dragon's body in rapid succession. Wrists, shoulders, tail joints, neck, wings.
Teleport. Starfall. Teleport. Starfall. Teleport—
He flickered across the dragon's body like a storm of blades. His swords struck over and over again—wrists, back, eyes, shoulders—his combo counter climbed from 50, to 300, to over 1000.
The Frost Dragon roared in agony, unable to track his movements, blood raining from hundreds of shallow wounds.
Then Alter appeared—directly in front of the chest wound.
Point-blank. Zero-distance.
"End it."
Both blades aligned into a twin-pointed thrust.
Sky Piercer – Zero Distance Variant!
The twin blades plunged directly into the reverse scale. Flesh, scale, bone—all torn through in one desperate lunge. Blood surged, hot and thick, covering Alter's armor in red steam.
The dragon shrieked, its voice cracking the air.
It reared back and inhaled again for a final breath—but this time—
Alter beat it to it.
His mouth opened.
Dragon's Breath. Point Blank.
A flood of fire and draconic energy surged into Vaelgrithr's throat. Its eyes widened in horror. The attack detonated from within.
The dragon's head snapped back—and crashed to the ice, unmoving.
Alter, breathing heavily, wrenched his blades free and stumbled. His body trembled with exhaustion. The blood of the tyrant gushed out beneath him. He took one step—
—and collapsed face first into the steaming pool.
System Alert – Dungeon Boss Defeated!
Victory: You have slain Vaelgrithr, Frost-Bound Tyrant.
Level Up!
New Titles Unlocked.
Mythic Materials Acquired:
Frostbound Heart
Primordial Ice Core
Ancient Froststeel
Evercrystal Bloom
Tyrant's Fang (x2)
Reverse Scale of Vaelgrithr
Frostbound Essence
New Draconic Skills Acquired:
Frost Howl
Cryo Regeneration
Glacial Domain
Passive Skill Acquired:
Cold Immunity
Snow fell gently as Alter lay motionless in the pool of dragon blood, his breath shallow but steady.
The mountaintop battlefield grew quiet.
Above, Lira clutched her cloak tight, eyes locked on the broken giant that was Alter's form.
"…Alter…" she whispered.
Kaela stood beside her, wide-eyed and silent.
And below them, the frost-covered ground bore witness to another legend born of blood, blades, and defiance.
The world was still, hushed in reverence after the titanic battle.
Ren lay unmoving, his body soaked in the viscous blood of the frost dragon. The thick crimson liquid had pooled beneath him, the smell of iron lacing the frozen air. A soft pulse radiated from deep within his body—ancient, primal.
Something was changing.
His muscles clenched, his bones creaked, and heat surged through his veins as his draconic lineage reacted violently to the fresh mythic blood. His fingers twitched. His breath quickened.
With a sharp gasp, his eyes snapped open.
Above him loomed the dragon's ribcage, surrounding him like a cathedral of frozen bone. But the pool of blood had vanished—absorbed, consumed by his body. He struggled to his knees, stunned by the rush of energy coursing through him.
He was… stronger. He could feel it. His heartbeat now carried the rhythm of an ancient beast.
Not wasting a moment, Ren opened the Still World and vanished within it—taking the massive corpse of the fallen frost dragon with him.
Outside, snowflakes drifted gently through the air. Lira, Kaela, and the others arrived moments later. The battlefield was silent… but empty. The towering corpse was gone, leaving only torn earth and a deep pool of steaming blood.
"Where's the dragon?" one of the rescued adventurers gasped.
"More importantly," Kaela murmured, eyes scanning the area, "where's Alter?"
Lira's gaze narrowed. Her heart was pounding—not from fear, but from unease.
Within the Still World, Ren exhaled deeply. He stood amidst the dragon's massive corpse, its aura still lingering, oppressive and ancient. He reached out.
"Seraphina," he called.
A gentle shimmer lit the air beside him as her voice answered. "You've changed, Ren. The blood of the frost wyrm—it's integrating with your body."
Ren touched his chest, his heartbeat slow and steady, yet thunderous.
"What happened to the blood? It was gone when I woke up."
"Absorbed," Seraphina explained. "Your body's draconic traits have advanced. The blood of a mythic dragon is potent, and your transformation is accelerating. Your resistance to frost has become innate. And more than that…"
Ren turned toward the dragon's heart.
Seraphina continued, "That heart is infused with elemental essence. When consumed properly, it becomes more than a source of strength—it becomes a core. A living conduit for elemental power. Fire and Water, opposites in balance, now reside within you."
Ren's eyes widened.
"Conduits…"
"Yes. Each dragon's heart you consume will increase your affinity. You're no longer just learning magic—you're evolving into a being that embodies it."
A long silence followed.
Ren turned back to the dragon's corpse and drew his blades. The time for thought had passed. He had work to do.
He harvested scale, tendon, bone, claw, and crystalized marrow. Every material was mythic-grade. With focused intent, he set to crafting—a new armor set, one tailored for extreme cold resistance, forged with techniques learned from Master Farrin, Brokk, and his own relentless pursuit of perfection.
Blue and silver. Icy thorns jutted from the pauldrons and gauntlets. The helm curved back like a dragon's crown. It was elegant, sleek… and deadly.
The system prompt rang out as he fitted the final piece.
System Notification — Mythic Armor Forged!
Set Name: Glacial Tyrant's Shell
Grade: Mythic
Type: Heavy Armor Set (5 Pieces)
Visual: Blue-silver draconic plating laced with glacial thorns; helmet shaped in the likeness of a frost dragon's crown.
Primary Effects:
Strength: +300%
Agility: +300%
Magic Power: +400%
Physical Defense: +400%
Ice Magic Amplification: +150%
Cold Aura: Reduces movement and casting speed of enemies within 15 meters by 30%
Draconic Harmony: Gradually regenerates HP and MP in cold environments
Frozen Domain: (Passive) Increases all attributes by +150% when fighting in snowy, icy, or sub-zero environments
Environmental Immunity: Complete immunity to frostbite, cold-based status effects, and terrain slowdown from snow or ice
Ren smiled beneath his new helm. The armor was three times more powerful than his previous Obsidian Drake Set—more specialized, more attuned to his draconic body.
Finally, he looked at the still-pulsing heart.
"Let's make this official."
He began the ritual Seraphina taught him. The air shimmered. Ancient glyphs circled the heart. A surge of heat and chill struck him as he absorbed the essence.
Flames and frost exploded within his body. But he endured it.
When the power settled, the transformation was complete. A new balance was struck inside him.
Seraphina's voice came softly.
"Your fire and water affinity… they've nearly maxed out. The dragon hearts act as anchors for their respective elements. The more you acquire, the closer you come to becoming a true elemental vessel."
Ren clenched his fists, his new armor creaking under the strain of rising power.
"Good," he whispered. "Because one day—I'll face Salvatore again. And next time, I'll bring more than just steel and fury. I'll bring the wrath of dragons."
He looked toward the unseen sky of the Still World. His goal was clear.
He would become the bane of all demon gods.
The Still World shimmered, then peeled away like ice melting under sunlight.
Ren stepped out into the frigid air of the northern wilderness—completely transformed.
His new armor, the Glacial Tyrant's Shell, gleamed under the pale sun. A wave of cold rolled off him, forming faint wisps of frost at his boots as he walked. The jagged blue and silver plates crackled with mana, faint runes glowing like frozen lightning etched across his shoulders and gauntlets. Each step he took left the snow solidified beneath his weight—his very presence tempering the world around him.
Up ahead, Lira and Kaela stood at the edge of the clearing, accompanied by the expedition team. They had waited, unsure of what had happened after the dragon's corpse mysteriously vanished. When the temperature suddenly dropped and a heavy pressure swept the area, they readied themselves for the worst.
Then—they saw him.
Kaela blinked, staring wide-eyed. "By the gods... is that—"
"Alter..." Lira whispered.
He approached slowly, but not cautiously. His new aura was overwhelming, dominant—and unmistakably draconic. The others instinctively took a step back, even the seasoned adventurers. But Kaela and Lira held their ground.
"Y-You're back…" Lira said, her breath fogging in the cold air. "You disappeared after the fight… we didn't know what happened to you."
Ren stopped a few paces before them. His frost helm retracted back, revealing his familiar face—eyes colder, but calm.
"I needed time to recover," he replied. "The battle took more out of me than I expected."
Kaela gave him a once-over, whistling. "Looks like you came back more monster than man. What in the world did you do?"
Ren offered a slight smile. "I made the most of what was left behind."
Lira stepped closer, her eyes scanning the new armor. She reached out but hesitated. "This feels... like dragon magic. Alter—what happened to you?"
He met her eyes, serious now. "I absorbed part of it. Its essence... its power. I didn't want to let any of it go to waste. I need every edge I can get."
"For what?" Kaela asked.
Ren looked toward the horizon, where the cold winds swept across endless peaks.
"For the thing that's waiting for me beyond all this. Something far worse than a dragon."
The expedition leader stepped forward, cautiously addressing him. "You… you really defeated that frost wyrm? Alone?"
Ren nodded. "It's over. You won't need to worry about it terrorizing this region again."
A murmur of disbelief and awe spread among the party.
Lira exhaled softly, then managed a small smile. "You always disappear right after doing something unbelievable."
"Habit," Ren replied.
Kaela elbowed Lira playfully. "Still think he's just some lone smith from the south?"
"Shut up," Lira said quickly, blushing as she turned away.
Ren looked back at the party. "You should all return south. I'll escort you back to safer paths if needed. But after that… I'm heading deeper."
Lira turned back, her expression mixed. "Will you tell us what you're really looking for one day?"
Ren paused. His eyes lingered on her longer this time.
"One day," he said.
And with that, he turned—his frost-bound armor catching the light like a walking storm—and began leading them away from the battlefield, the echoes of the dragon's roar still fading in the wind behind him.
Ren returned to the massive crater where he had faced the ancient frost dragon. The ground was still stained with frozen remnants of blood, though the body itself was sealed within his Still World. He stood at the edge for a moment, the wind howling up from the chasm below, before leaping down into the darkness.
The descent was swift.
At the bottom, cold mist blanketed the ground. Crystalline structures of Evercrystal shimmered in the walls, and faint veins of shimmering blue metal—Froststeel—gleamed beneath thick frost.
Ren wasted no time.
He moved swiftly through the chamber, chipping away Froststeel ore with precise strikes, extracting bundles of Evercrystals, and storing them inside his inventory. Then his gaze turned to a small recess in the cavern wall, where a gentle light pulsed—cool and ethereal.
There, nestled in a bed of frost, was the Dragon Bloom.
Its petals shimmered in pale blues and whites, exuding a strange resonance that tugged at the draconic core within him.
"A catalyst for further evolution," he muttered.
He carefully extracted the plant, sealed it inside a mana-stabilized container, then looked around one final time to ensure nothing else remained. With one final glance upward, Ren activated his teleportation marker and blinked back to the surface.
Inside the Still World, time stood still.
Ren set the Froststeel and Evercrystals aside, focusing first on his swords. On a cleared workbench, he began the reforging process. Using the new materials, he enhanced the internal channels of the blades, threading Evercrystal veins along their core to better conduct mana and elemental resistance. The Froststeel edge shimmered like diamond dust—razor-sharp and nearly unbreakable.
Sparks flared as he hammered.
Mana pulsed with every stroke.
After hours of work, the twin long swords had transformed—sleek, deadly, and gleaming with frost-kissed radiance. Ornate draconic etchings spiraled along the guards and hilts, and the blades hummed softly with restrained power.
Ren gave them a few test swings—fast, responsive, powerful.
"Good," he murmured. "No more freezing in the middle of battle."
With the weapons complete, he moved to a quiet corner of the Still World and retrieved the Dragon Bloom.
Sitting cross-legged, Ren prepared a tonic by distilling the petals through an alchemical process he'd learned earlier. The result was a faintly glowing liquid. Without hesitation, he drank.
The effect was immediate.
A deep, icy current surged through his core. His muscles tensed, his skin prickled, and his mana circuits widened. His bones creaked—not in pain, but in transformation. The draconic essence within him was evolving, expanding, resonating in harmony with the bloom's properties.
He let out a long breath as the energy settled.
His draconic features had stabilized further—his body stronger, mana channels more efficient, his senses sharper.
He opened his eyes.
And without saying a word, stood—ready for what came next.
The teleportation gate flared to life with a flicker of harsh red light—extreme mode. Wind howled as ancient glyphs spun around Ren's figure, locking his destination in place.
Without hesitation, he stepped through.
A pulse of heat, then silence.
The light faded, revealing an expanse of endless frost.
Ren stood at the entrance of The Cold Gate, Wyrmgate Hollow's deepest layer. But now it was different. Ice crystals hung in the air like floating daggers. The mana density here was brutal, suffocating to normal beings. Storms raged in the distance across a glacier horizon, where distorted creatures shimmered through the mist.
Extreme Mode Dungeon: Wyrmgate Hollow – Cold Gate Depths
Difficulty: Mythic – Survival time limit 12 hours
Objective: Clear all domain guardians and defeat the Glacial Sovereign.
Ren drew his swords, their new Froststeel edge humming faintly in sync with the air around him. His dragon-forged armor—the Glacial Tyrant's Shell—gleamed in blue and silver, the spiked thorns on his pauldrons catching the frostlight.
[Set Bonus: Glacial Tyrant's Shell]
Strength +300%
Agility +300%
Magic +400%
Cold Terrain Bonus: All Attributes +150%
Passive: Frost Immunity, Icewalker, Arctic Pulse (chance to slow enemies on hit)
"Seraphina," Ren said calmly within his mind, "Monitor my mana usage. Alert me if any system anomalies occur."
"Of course. Your vitals are stable. Mana regeneration is well above standard. But… something else is present here. Something old."
Ren moved forward without hesitation, boots gliding across the frozen ground. The Float and Icewalker effects let him move as if he were on solid stone.
A shape approached through the fog.
The first wave of enemies emerged—massive frost-born wraiths armed with axes of black ice. Behind them, ice-covered golems stomped, followed by ghostly revenants with hollow blue eyes. The air crackled with their killing intent.
Ren didn't wait.
He launched forward in a burst of speed, his swords cleaving a wide arc as they met the frontline. His movement was swift—inhumanly swift—dodging and weaving, teleporting mid-combo, flickering behind enemies like a shade of death.
Dimensional Slash – Cross Variant!
Two lines of rending space tore through the front ranks, splitting revenants in half.
A golem charged—Ren blinked behind it, slammed both swords into its exposed joints, then detonated an explosion marker left from a previous strike.
The wraiths closed in—slower, coordinated.
Ren spun, planted five lightning markers in rapid succession across the battlefield, and triggered them all at once.
Crackling arcs of energy erupted—stunning, frying, collapsing the wraiths mid-swing.
But they weren't the only threat.
As the battle extended deeper into the Cold Gate, the dungeon fought back harder. Ice storms surged suddenly from the sky. Blizzards condensed into violent, semi-sentient elementals. Magic warped in the air. Each section seemed designed to crush invaders with overwhelming frost and time pressure.
But this time—
Ren had come prepared.
Hours Passed.
His armor still gleamed. His breath didn't fog. His body thrummed with power.
Three Domain Guardians had already fallen beneath his blades—each more powerful than the last. Their death cries echoed back through the frozen caverns. He stood now before a towering gate carved from enchanted permafrost.
It pulsed with arcane seals.
Seraphina's voice echoed softly. "This is the final gate. The Glacial Sovereign waits beyond."
Ren placed both swords into his dimensional sheathes, inhaled slowly, then exhaled dragonflame to test his control.
His breath no longer steamed—it shimmered.
He was ready.
The massive gate creaked open with a groan that echoed like thunder through the frozen vaults. A rush of biting wind poured through the passage, thick with glimmering frost mana.
Ren stepped into the final chamber.
It was vast—an amphitheater of jagged ice, its floor a glassy mirror reflecting the swirl of magic in the air. Towering crystalline pillars surrounded a central throne of black ice. Resting atop it was the Glacial Sovereign—a monstrous entity of ice-bound steel and arcane might, half-armored colossus and half-elemental horror.
Its hollow helm glowed with a glacial core of blue flame, pulsing like a heartbeat.
[Boss Detected: Glacial Sovereign – Tyrant of Ice]
Type: Elemental Overlord
Threat Level: Mythic+
Status: Empowered – Bound to Dungeon Core
As Ren approached, the Sovereign rose, a great frostblade forming in its hand, the edge long as a tree and forged of condensed permafrost. It dragged across the floor, hissing where it touched.
The Sovereign raised its head slightly.
Then it charged.
Ren met it head-on.
Their first clash shook the room. Ren's twin blades deflected the Sovereign's wide swing, but the power behind it sent cracks sprawling across the ice. With fluid motion, Ren vanished in a blink—reappearing at the side.
Dimensional Slash. Lightning Mark. Sky Piercer.
A blinding triple strike hit the Sovereign's flank, but its armor held strong—barely a scratch. Ren narrowed his eyes.
The fight escalated quickly. Blizzards screamed down from above. The Sovereign unleashed waves of freezing aether, sending trails of frost racing after Ren. Each attack felt like a storm condensed into a single blow.
Ren adapted. He summoned elemental markers, blinked mid-air, reversed gravity with Float, and launched counter-offensives that struck in blinding flurries. His Glacial Tyrant's Shell armor absorbed the cold and returned strength in kind.
Starfall Sword Style – 5th Form: Fractured Comet!
Ren leapt high, his body encased in a spiral of wind and ice, before crashing down in a strike that cratered the floor and sent a shockwave tearing through the chamber.
The Sovereign staggered.
This was it.
Ren planted teleport markers, chained them with spell sigils, and with a cry, unleashed—
Dual Sky Piercer: Glacial Rend!
Twin spears of light and mana burst through the Sovereign's torso, freezing its core and shattering its icebound heart.
The monster collapsed in a thunderous crash.
[System Message]
Boss Defeated: Glacial Sovereign (Extreme Mode)
Rewards: Mythic Core of Permafrost, Frostbrand Sigil, Sovereign's Binding Ice, Level Up +3, Unique Title Earned: Frostbane Reclaimer
Ren lowered his swords, breathing heavily, victorious.
The dungeon began to glow with purifying light.
Until—
A piercing shriek.
The floor fractured beneath Ren's feet. The Glacial Sovereign's remains twisted, its shattered armor rising—levitating as black frost-fire bled from the cracks.
Its form expanded, reshaped—armor reforging into sharp, bladed spikes. A new head formed, its skull aflame with blue and black fire. The throne shattered behind it.
[Warning!]
Dungeon Core Rejection! Forced Resurrection Triggered!
Boss Reformatting: Glacial Sovereign – Awakened Abyssal Form
Status: ???
The temperature plummeted.
Frost-fire surged across the battlefield, pale-blue flames that burned without heat—devouring mana and essence instead of flesh. The very mana in the air howled with instability.
The boss had returned—twice as strong, faster, now intelligent. It looked at Ren and spoke, its voice a chorus of crackling frost:
"You've stolen my throne. Now you will feed my rebirth."
Ren barely had time to move before a spear of frost-fire narrowly missed impaling him.
"Seraphina—status?"
"The elemental balance is collapsing! That's not just ice or flame—it's abyssal frostfire. Your resistances won't fully cover this. You need to move!"
Ren cursed under his breath, then reached for his swords.
This wasn't just another fight.
This was a second boss battle—and it had only just begun.
Ren dashed left as the spear of frost-fire tore through the floor behind him, erupting in a burst of silent flames. Wherever the corrupted frost touched, it froze and disintegrated in the same breath.
This was no longer an elemental fight.
The Awakened Glacial Sovereign raised its malformed weapon — now a glaive of glacial steel wreathed in abyssal frost — and vanished in a burst of mana.
"Behind me," Ren muttered.
He twisted mid-step, blades drawn.
CLANG!
The Sovereign's glaive met both of Ren's swords, the shockwave hurling him backward through a crystal pillar. He caught himself with a spinning slide, pain shooting through his arm. His Glacial Tyrant's Shell flickered with glowing cracks across its plating.
"The pressure… it's evolved beyond even mythic tier," Ren growled.
He activated Teleport Marker — the one he had quietly planted near the Sovereign's throne earlier — and blinked behind the boss. His blades surged with wind and lightning as he brought them down—
Twin Spiral Cleave – Storm Fang Variant!
But the Sovereign reacted instantly.
It turned its body without turning its head, parrying one blade and catching the other bare-handed. Frostfire ignited down its arm and crawled up Ren's sword, sending waves of resistance crashing into his body.
He jumped back — too slow.
The glaive swept across in a horizontal arc.
CRACK!
Ren was launched through the air, tumbling over frozen rubble. His shoulder was numb, part of his armor seared with abyssal scorch marks.
"Seraphina! I need options!"
Her voice was strained. "I'm analyzing its mana signature. The corruption is reactive — it's learning and mimicking your techniques. You need unpredictability… and—wait!"
A system prompt blared:
[New Skill Synergy Unlocked – Adaptive Resonance Core]
Your core harmonizes with external mana fluctuations, enabling momentary skill evolution and fusion based on threat-level.
Effect: Allows temporary fusion of skills in response to overwhelming threats. Duration: 60 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour.
Ren's breath fogged in the frigid air. "Perfect."
He stood, planting his swords in the ground.
"Let's push it further."
The Sovereign surged forward, frostfire wings erupting from its back like jagged razors. It spun mid-air and dove toward him, glaive raised for a decapitating strike.
Ren pulled both blades free.
"Activate: Adaptive Resonance."
The world slowed.
Energy began to pulse around him. Every skill, every marker, every rune he'd ever used danced at the edge of his mind.
"Combine Dimensional Slash… with Sky Piercer… and Teleport Marker!"
The moment the Sovereign reached him—
FLASH.
Ren vanished.
Then reappeared behind the boss with both swords glowing red-white.
Dimensional Spearfall – Phantom Breaker!
He thrust both blades into the Sovereign's back — and teleported again.
And again.
Each time, he struck from a new angle. A flash of light. A blur. A carving arc. Each hit left a rift of severed reality that slowed the boss's movements — even its regeneration struggled to catch up.
But the Sovereign adapted.
It froze the air around its body, forming a reflective armor of crystalline frostfire that countered Ren's teleportation with temporal dissonance.
He couldn't teleport in anymore — the field was rejecting spatial interference.
Ren stepped back, panting, his Adaptive Resonance flickering.
"If it's copying me…" he muttered. "Then I need to become something it can't predict."
He deactivated his blades.
Clenched his fists.
"Seraphina… unlock martial combat protocols."
She paused. "You haven't completed those branches."
"Doesn't matter."
"…Fine. Engaging raw martial interface."
New Skill Equipped: Feral Draconic Style – Incomplete
Ren cracked his knuckles. "Let's see if I can punch a boss to death."
He surged forward — his aura shedding its polished edge for something primal, raw, brutal. His movements abandoned precision for instinct. He slammed his fist into the Sovereign's face — and the elemental shell shattered.
He roared, dragon-blood burning in his veins, and leapt — fist after fist crashing down. Kicks, elbows, tail strikes. His body became a maelstrom of force, mana, and dragon's will.
The boss screamed.
Ren caught the glaive mid-swing and shattered it into shards with a twisting throw.
He then spun, carved a teleportation marker on his own palm — and blinked into the Sovereign's chest.
Point-blank.
Twin Sky Piercer – Dragon's Wrath Bloom!
The Sovereign erupted in frostfire light.
The battlefield detonated in white-blue arcs as magic exploded from the core of its body.
Silence.
Then the sound of crumbling ice.
The Awakened Glacial Sovereign collapsed, a hole the size of a chariot blasted through its heart.
[System Message]
Dungeon Cleared: Wyrmgate Hollow (Extreme Mode)
Bonus: Bonus Objective – Survived Boss Resurrection Phase
Unique Reward: Soulcore of Frostfire Tyrant
New Skill Unlocked: Frostfire Mantle
Title Earned: Apex Predator of the North
Level +5
Class Progression Available
Ren stood amidst the wreckage, body steaming, swords humming at his back, frost-mana cascading around him.
He breathed deep.
"Now… this dungeon is truly done."
The scorched battlefield steamed with residual frostfire as Ren slowly stepped through the remains of the Awakened Glacial Sovereign. Ice cracked beneath his boots as he approached the center of the boss chamber.
A pulse echoed from the remains — ethereal, like the toll of a frozen bell.
Then—
A system prompt appeared.
[Dungeon Complete: Wyrmgate Hollow – Extreme Mode]
Boss: Awakened Glacial Sovereign – Vanquished
Time Elapsed: 4 hours, 11 minutes
Party Size: Solo
Difficulty Modifier: x6.8
Grade: SSS+
Rewards Earned:
Soulcore of the Frostfire Tyrant (Mythic)
Frozen Crown of the North (Mythic Accessory)
Glacial Heart Ore x4
Blueprint: Frostfire Reaver Armor Set
Class Advancement Token: Dual-Origin Archetype
Stat Points Gained: +80 (Distributed)
Level Up: +5 (Current Level: 98)
*Title Gained: Apex Predator of the North
Ren closed his eyes and let the system's words wash over him. He exhaled slowly, body still trembling from the brutal fight. A soft glow emanated from the shattered platform where the Sovereign's throne once stood — and a large crystal chest materialized from the ether, its frost-forged design pulsing with power.
Inside, mythic materials shimmered: veins of frozen aethersteel, bundles of Frostroot Threads, crystalized blood of the Sovereign, and a single glowing orb—the Soulcore.
Ren carefully lifted it.
The moment his fingers brushed the surface, he felt a surge — a piece of the Sovereign's essence trying to sync with his own mana network.
"Seraphina."
Her voice came through immediately. "Analyzing now. The Soulcore contains remnants of both frost and abyssal fire mana — highly volatile but incredibly potent."
Ren nodded. "Let's take it to the Still World."
He opened the portal and stepped through.
Inside the Still World, time bent to his will. Ren placed the Soulcore on a pedestal and sat cross-legged before it. The air within the chamber cooled instantly.
Seraphina manifested beside him as a hovering glyphic projection.
"Let's go over everything," she said. "You've earned multiple growth paths, but you'll need to prioritize."
She brought up a projected menu:
New Skill Available:
Frostfire Mantle (Passive)
Description: Reduces incoming elemental damage by 60%. While active, enhances both fire and ice spells by 80%. Grants partial immunity to terrain debuffs caused by extreme temperatures.
New Class Option Unlocked:
Dual-Origin Archetype (Pending Selection)
Origin 1: Draconic Vanguard
Origin 2: Unknown (Corrupted Icefire Sovereign Imprint Detected)
Requirement: Choose an aligned path to define your progression.
Unique Option:
Unlock Draconic Sovereign Path by consuming the Soulcore and integrating it with the Heart of the Glacial Tyrant.
Effect: Permanently enhances dragon traits, grants new exclusive class skills, +300 to Strength, Agility, Magic.
Ren tapped his fingers together thoughtfully.
"Seraphina. If I consume the Soulcore now, can I still refine its influence later?"
She nodded. "Yes, but you must stabilize it with your current resistances or risk corruption. Luckily, the Glacial Tyrant's bloodline is already fully harmonized within your body. It should be safe."
Ren stood up and approached the pedestal. "Let's do it."
He placed both hands on the Soulcore and began the ritual.
Blue-white light burst through the chamber. His body was engulfed in frigid heat. Muscles tensed, mana veins flared, and his dragon essence surged. Energy streamed into his chest — the very spot where the Tyrant's blood had pooled.
A familiar system tone rang out:
[Mythic Soul Integration Complete]
You have evolved into:
Draconic Sovereign – Frostfire Aspect
New Passive Skill: Coldfire Soul
Your mana now burns with frozen flame. Increases regeneration rate by 150% and grants immunity to mana burn and cold-based DoTs.
New Active Skill: Sovereign's Domain – Frostfire Wreath
Creates a battlefield-wide aura that halves enemy speed and defense while boosting your magic and physical damage by 50% for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
All Attributes Permanently Increased.
Strength +250
Agility +200
Magic +300
Resistance +500
Ren gasped as the light subsided. His body now pulsed with a chilling aura — not the brittle kind that kills, but the divine chill that carried ancient power. His breath shimmered as it escaped his lips. Mana flowed more easily, his thoughts felt sharper, and the very core of his being felt… awakened.
He flexed his hands.
"Good," he muttered. "I'm finally getting close to the level I need to face Salvatore again."
After hours spent reinforcing his new armor with mythic materials and adjusting the blueprints for the Frostfire Reaver Set, Ren finally left the Still World.
The dungeon behind him lay cold and empty.
He activated the teleportation marker linked to the outer gate and was whisked away in a streak of light.
—
Back in Veltharn
The skies were clear as Ren reappeared just outside the guild gates. This time, clad in gleaming white-silver frost-dragon armor, trimmed in blue flame patterns, his twin swords humming at his back with arcane runes.
Those who saw him part instinctively, whispering in awe.
"The Lone Wolf's returned…"
"Is that… new armor?"
"…He cleared it. He must've cleared it."
Ren paid them no mind.
He marched straight to the guild hall, the weight of divine-tier mana clinging to him like a second cloak.
The moment he stepped inside, Guildmaster Garron Thorne looked up from his seat, his expression unreadable.
"Well," Garron said with a slow nod. "Let's hear it."
Ren smiled faintly.
"I'll need a new map."