Outside the gate of the warehouse, drivers were already waiting. A smiling man approached me, eager for a fare.
"Hunter Ride? Where to?"
"[Ice Wasteland]," I answered.
His eyebrows twitched up, but he said nothing. Hunters had their reasons, sane or not. I slid into the back of his car, mind racing with possibilities as we sped off toward my next trial.
The first 5 floors of the [Ice Wasteland] were crawling with white wolves. Their howls echoed across frozen caverns, but I met them with the blazing speed of [Fireball]. Orbs of fire streaked out, detonating in showers of heat that melted snow into steaming slush. Wolves dropped before they could close the distance.
But I wasn't satisfied with just tossing fire. I wanted to push my proficiency higher. As I advanced, I let fireballs orbit around me like flaming moons, hurling them at anything that moved—and sometimes even into empty air. The explosions rang through the dungeon, luring beasts closer, only to meet their end seconds later.
To them, it must have been madness: drawn by the noise, only to be consumed by the flames. But to me, it was simple. They were monsters, the same kind that tore apart humanity in the apocalypse's early days. Mercy didn't belong here.
The wolves fell like paper targets. And then, from the 6th floor, new shapes emerged.
Arctic foxes—bigger than wolves, faster, their growls slicing through the cold. They came in packs, zig-zagging through the snow. This was the perfect stage to test my new weapon.
I conjured an [Ember Spear]. The condensed flame stretched sharp and narrow in my hand, vibrating with dangerous energy. The first fox leapt—and I hurled the spear through its skull. The explosion tore it apart midair, scattering blood and ice.
A laugh slipped past my lips before I realized. It was working.
I alternated between [Fireball] and [Ember Spear], weaving the two together. Fireballs wiped groups with wide bursts, while spears struck down quick targets before they reached me. My control sharpened as each cast flowed into the next. The foxes were faster than wolves, but not fast enough to outrun fire refined into a blade.
Floor after floor fell beneath me, until I reached the 15th. That was when the dungeon truly pushed back.
Musk Ox. Giants coated in thick fur, snorting steam as they charged like avalanches of muscle. My fireballs smashed against their coats, burning but not killing. Their defenses forced me to adapt.
I stopped wasting shots on their limbs. My aim narrowed—only the heads. Fireballs pounded into their faces, each blast slowing them, staggering them. When a group of four barreled toward me, I retreated step by step, fireballs orbiting me in preparation.
When they got too close, I launched everything at once. BOOM—an entire wall of flame erupted, blasting them apart in staggered explosions. But one ox still managed to break through the barrage, charging with death in its eyes.
That was when instinct saved me. An [Ember Spear] flared to life in my hand, sharper than ever. I thrust it forward and released. The spear shot clean through the beast's head before erupting in fire, collapsing its massive body in a heap.
My chest heaved. For the first time since entering this place, I had been pushed back. And for the first time, the spear had shown its worth as more than just an experiment.
I slowed down after that, calculating my moves. Groups were bombarded with volleys of fireballs; stragglers were skewered with spears. My pace steadied. My confidence sharpened into discipline.
By the 20th floor, the crystal stairs shimmered before me. I paused, exhaling white fog into the frozen air. I conjured fireballs until ten spun around me, their heat warping the cold wind. Any more than that, and I risked losing control.
I descended the stairs.
The cavern opened wide, frost-bitten winds howling through. At the center, a massive beast slumbered. A mound of fur and muscle that shifted as two glowing eyes snapped open.
The Polar Bear.
Pressure crushed down on me at the sheer size of it. This wasn't like the wolves or the oxen. This was a monster meant to kill hunters like me.
I didn't waste time. The ten fireballs orbiting me streaked forward in unison. The bear raised its arms to shield its face, but the explosions ripped through the cavern, dust and fire swallowing the room.
BOOM!
I didn't wait. I conjured more fireballs, hurling them straight into the smoke.
WOOSH—snow scattered. The bear was still alive, charging straight at me, arms burnt but jaws wide open. My stomach dropped.
I screamed as I released another wave of fireballs—but this time, I added an [Ember Spear] to the barrage. The spear slipped between explosions, piercing into the beast's open mouth.
BOOM!
The headless body crashed to the ice. Silence followed.
My chest rose and fell, adrenaline crashing through me. One second slower, one shred of hesitation, and I'd be dead. I sank to my knees, forcing air into my lungs.
I had survived—but barely.
It didn't matter how infinite my mana was. If my skills couldn't bring down bosses quickly, I'd eventually run out of luck. That was the truth staring me in the face.
Still… I smiled faintly as I opened my hand, watching another ember spear flicker to life.
I wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.