The cavernous hall trembled, the ice walls groaning under the strain of the bells' deafening chime, which had morphed into a piercing chorus that clawed at Qin Mo's ears. The air grew heavy, thick with a cold that sank into his bones despite the Frostflame Core's defiant heat. Ren knelt beside his brother, Wei, whose limp form hung from the frost-covered pillar, the red glow in his eyes flickering like a dying flame. The FFD System buzzed a warning, its tone sharp in Qin Mo's mind.
[FFD System: Frostflame Balance: Heat 38% / Cold 62%. Silent Tax resonance: 20%.]
Qin Mo tightened his grip on his blade, the Frostflame Surge still tingling in his veins from the last fight, as a new threat materialized from the shadows. A frost wraith emerged, its form a swirling mass of ice and mist, its eyes glowing with an unearthly light. The bells' chorus intensified, the sound weaving into the wraith's movements, guiding it toward them with an eerie precision. The runes on Wei's skin pulsed in sync, and his head jerked up, his voice joining the chorus in a haunting whisper.
"Run… or join us…" Wei rasped, his red eyes locking onto Ren, who scrambled to his feet, daggers raised despite the tears streaking his face.
"No!" Ren shouted, charging at the wraith with a wild swing. His blades clashed against its icy form, sending shards scattering, but the creature reformed, its mist swirling to absorb the blows. Qin Mo moved, the Frostflame Blade igniting as he slashed at the wraith, the mix of ice and fire cutting through its edge. The shard drank the essence, a rush that steadied his stance, but the wraith's chorus grew louder, the sound vibrating through the chamber.
Yi's frost threads lashed out, coiling around the wraith's misty limbs, but they slipped through, the creature's form too fluid to hold. "It's tied to the bells!" she yelled, her voice strained as she dodged a swipe of icy claws. Lian notched an arrow, her aim steady despite the chaos, and loosed it into the wraith's core. The shaft pierced through, drawing a shriek, but the wound sealed with a hiss of frost.
Ling Shou stepped forward, his frost-white robes billowing as he raised both hands, a swirl of ice forming a barrier between the team and the wraith. "The chorus is its strength," he said, his voice cutting through the din. "Break the rhythm!" Qin Mo nodded, his mind racing. The bells' chime from his pouch was the key, its pull syncing with the wraith's movements.
He channeled the Frostflame Surge, the skill erupting in a wave of ice and fire that crashed into the wraith, disrupting its form. The chorus faltered, the sound breaking into discordant notes, and Wei's head slumped, the red in his eyes dimming. Ren seized the moment, darting in with a desperate thrust, his dagger sinking into the wraith's core. The creature shrieked, its mist dissipating, and the shard devoured the essence in a torrent that left Qin Mo gasping.
[New skill: Frostflame Harmony (Prototype). Balance: Heat 35% / Cold 65%.]
The chamber fell silent, the bells' chorus fading to a faint echo, and Wei collapsed, the frost chains shattering around him. Ren caught his brother, cradling him as the runes on Wei's skin faded, leaving him pale but alive. Qin Mo lowered his blade, the new skill—a resonance of heat and cold—settling into his senses, a tool to counter the bells' power.
Yi approached, her threads retracting, her face etched with relief. "He's free—for now," she said, glancing at Wei. Lian lowered her bow, her eyes wary. "The wraith wasn't alone," she murmured, nodding toward the shadows where faint traces of mist lingered.
Ling Shou's gaze was distant, his voice low. "The old gods stir," he said. "The chorus was their call." Qin Mo felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold—the wraith's defeat was a victory, but the towers' depths hinted at greater forces awakening. The bells' chime resumed, softer but insistent, and the ice walls pulsed with new runes, their glow a warning of what lay ahead.
Ren held Wei close, his hands trembling, while the team gathered, the air thick with unspoken questions. The fight had tested their limits, and the shadows promised more trials, each one tied to the bells' relentless claim.