The tower's entrance yawned before them, a gaping maw of ice that seemed to swallow the faint light of the mist-shrouded world outside. Qin Mo stepped forward, the shard's heat radiating from his chest like a fragile shield against the biting cold that clung to the air. The interior was a cavern of slick, glistening ice, its walls shimmering with faint bell runes that pulsed in a rhythm that echoed the chime still ringing in his ears. The FFD System flickered to life, its voice a steady hum in his mind.
[FFD System: Frostflame Balance: Heat 48% / Cold 52%. Hostile entity: Frostborn Hunter, 20m ahead, threat level: Moderate.]
He tightened his grip on his blade, the Frostflame Core surging as he scanned the shadows. The air grew heavier, and then a hulking figure lumbered into view—a frostborn hunter, its body a lattice of jagged ice and taut muscle, its eyes glowing a menacing red. It moved with a predator's grace, claws raking the air as it charged. Qin Mo reacted instinctively, sidestepping and swinging his blade. The Frostflame Blade ignited, a swirl of ice and fire slicing through the hunter's arm, sending shards of frost scattering across the ground where blood should have been.
Yi was at his side in an instant, her frost threads spiraling out like silver whips, lashing around the hunter's legs and yanking it off balance. "Keep it steady!" she shouted, her voice sharp with focus. Ren darted in from the flank, his daggers flashing as he drove them into the creature's side, carving deep gashes that leaked a cold, misty vapor. The hunter roared, a sound that reverberated off the icy walls, and raised a clawed hand, summoning a frost array. Blue lines snaked across the floor, coiling toward Qin Mo like living tendrils.
He stomped hard, channeling Flame Step to shatter the ice beneath him, the heat flaring and breaking the array's hold. The effort left him panting, but it gave Lian the opening she needed. Her arrow flew true, piercing the hunter's glowing eye with a crack of breaking ice. The beast staggered, then collapsed, its essence flooding into Qin Mo's shard with a rush that made his vision blur for a moment.
[Devour progress: 5%. New skill: Frostfang Strike (Prototype). Balance: Heat 45% / Cold 55%.]
He steadied himself, the new skill tingling at his fingertips—a sharper edge to his blade, a promise of greater power. Yi wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, her threads retracting as she glanced at the fallen hunter. "These things are tougher than the constructs outside," she said, her tone wary. Ren nodded, wiping his daggers on his cloak, his eyes scanning the shadows. "They're guarding something. Wei's close—I can feel it."
Ling Shou lingered at the rear, his frost-white robes catching the dim light, his expression unreadable. He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the hunter's remains. "The towers feed on essence," he said, his voice carrying a weight that made Qin Mo pause. "Take too much, and they'll take you in return. The old gods don't share their power lightly."
Qin Mo frowned, the pouch at his side growing heavier with the bells' chime. "What are these towers?" he asked, his voice cutting through the cold air. Ling Shou's eyes darkened, a shadow passing over his face. "Prison and cradle," he replied. "Built to hold the old gods—and to birth their return if the balance fails."
The team exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of his words settling over them. Before they could press further, a shadow shifted ahead—a second frostborn hunter, its claws glinting as it emerged from the ice. Qin Mo raised his blade, the Frostfang Strike humming with potential, while Yi's threads coiled and Ren's daggers gleamed. The fight was on, the tower's frost pressing harder against their heat, the bells' whisper a constant threat in the back of their minds.
The chamber echoed with the clash of steel and ice, the hunter's roars mingling with the team's determined shouts. Qin Mo felt the cold seeping into his limbs, but the shard's heat flared in response, a defiant spark that refused to be extinguished. As they pressed deeper, the tower's walls seemed to close in, the runes glowing brighter, hinting at the trials yet to come.