The wind howled across the icy plains of Frosthorn, carrying with it the stench of frostbear musk and the faint metallic tang of ice elf blood. Ashura Bellet moved like a shadow across the frozen terrain, his boots barely making a sound against the brittle surface. His black-and-purple aura shimmered faintly in the northern sun, a warning to any creature that dared challenge him.
"Stronger monsters… enough to give me something to chew on," he muttered, scanning the horizon.
His system interface flickered—a silent acknowledgment of progress made in the past months. Ashura's stats had increased steadily, the rewards from defeating the Divine Guardian and subsequent monsters flowing into him like a slow, steady river of power.
[SYSTEM REPORT]
Level: 107 → 110
Transcendent Wrath: Level 2
New Ability Unlocked: Frost-Black Surge — Amplifies black lightning attacks using elemental frost, doubling the damage against beasts and elemental creatures.
New Quest: Year of Frost – Named Monster Trials System Support: 20%
"Heh… twenty percent support, and I still have to carry myself. This is more like it."
The first challenge appeared as a massive beast emerging from a glacier crack. Cryovore, the Ice Maw, towered above Ashura like a jagged mountain of frost, its gaping maw lined with icicle-like teeth that dripped with frozen saliva. Its roar echoed through the mountains, shaking the snow from nearby peaks.
Ashura didn't flinch. Instead, he stepped forward, letting the wind whip around him. His Transcendent Wrath flared, the black halo above his head shimmering with amethyst sparks.
"Cryovore… let's see if you'll actually make this interesting."
He moved first, his sword humming with black lightning. Every strike carved grooves into the frozen ground, sending shards flying toward the creature. Cryovore snapped, shattering the ice around him, but Ashura anticipated the attack, channeling his lightning through the ice to redirect some of its momentum.
"Amethyst lightning… channeling into black lightning… perfect synergy," he thought.
The battle was a brutal dance—Ashura using speed, foresight, elemental manipulation, and sheer brutality. Cryovore's massive claws tore through the ice plains, each swipe enough to flatten a small army, yet Ashura moved like liquid shadow, dodging and striking with surgical precision.
Finally, with a roar that split the mountainside, he unleashed Frost-Black Surge, chaining the black lightning into the frost beneath Cryovore's feet. The ground shattered, icy shards embedding themselves into the monster as the lightning surged through it. Cryovore collapsed, its body crackling and frozen simultaneously.
[SYSTEM] EXP GAINED: +12,500
[SYSTEM] LEVEL UP: 110 → 112
Ashura dusted off his hands, smirking.
"Only one… and the day's barely started."
No sooner had Cryovore fallen than a pack of frost wolves appeared, led by the enormous alpha, Skarvok. His fur shimmered like silver ice, fangs dripping frost. Each movement carried supernatural speed and precision, and his eyes glowed with predatory intelligence.
Ashura adjusted his grip on his sword.
"Named monsters with packs… fantastic. Perfect for testing reflexes."
Skarvok charged, leading the pack in a coordinated assault. Ashura's black-and-purple lightning flared, tracing paths through the battlefield, carving channels of deadly energy in the snow. He summoned Erevos briefly, sending the wraith forward to distract two wolves, before diving into the pack, spinning, and slashing in arcs that left trails of black lightning across the ice.
Skarvok lunged, biting with unnatural speed. Ashura countered, letting Transcendent Wrath channel directly into the blade, the energy bending reality around the strike. Lightning met frost, sending a shockwave that toppled the remaining wolves.
"Even the pack leader… weak against precision," he muttered. "Good, I'm warming up."
[SYSTEM] EXP GAINED: +15,000
[SYSTEM] LEVEL UP: 112 → 114
[SYSTEM] REWARD: Frostfang Fang (Crafting Material / Upgrade)
By midday, Ashura reached a frozen valley where the wind sliced like knives. Here stood Aesira, a Frost Elf Huntress, tall, lithe, and armed with twin frost blades that gleamed under the icy sun. Her magic shimmered in the air, creating frozen barriers and razor-sharp projectiles.
"Named monsters that can fight tactically… now we're talking," Ashura thought, smirking.
The fight was different. Unlike beasts, Aesira was cunning. She manipulated the terrain, freezing rivers to limit Ashura's movement and summoning frost spikes to force him into tight angles.
Ashura responded with Transcendent Wrath at full focus, black lightning enveloping him as he sliced through frost walls, dodged high-speed attacks, and manipulated ice shards midair to redirect energy.
"Patience… and force… precision…" he muttered. "Every move has a consequence. Focus."
Aesira attempted a finisher, a concentrated hailstorm of frost blades, but Ashura countered with a circle of black lightning infused with amethyst energy, shattering the attack midair and forcing her to yield.
[SYSTEM] EXP GAINED: +18,000
[SYSTEM] LEVEL UP: 114 → 116
[SYSTEM] REWARD: Ice Elf Rune (Frost Enhancement / Training Aid)
As the sun set, Ashura stood atop a cliff overlooking the valley. Blood, frost, and the aftermath of three brutal fights coated the ice, but he was more alive than ever.
"Named monsters… nothing like fighting beasts for EXP," he murmured. "Each one… teaches a lesson. The body, the mind, the environment… everything is a weapon if I use it right."
He summoned Erevos silently beside him, the High Marshal materializing with a soft clink of frost and black lightning, bowing slightly before standing alert.
"High Marshal," Ashura said, voice low, "we continue tomorrow. And keep an eye on that ridge—there are stronger ones watching, waiting for a reason to test me."
Erevos nodded, fading back into the mist, the mental link buzzing faintly with updates.
Ashura's gaze sharpened. The Year of Frost was only beginning, and these named monsters were just the appetizer. Somewhere beyond the icy horizon, even greater challenges awaited, and he would meet them head-on, pushing every limit until his name was carved into the fabric of this continent.