The North Pole had always been known as a place of silence.
Endless stretches of ice.
Green auroras dancing across the sky.
Winds that spoke only to the snow.
But that night—
the Arctic screamed.
The aurora changed color.
Its gentle green glow turned blood red.
The frozen ocean cracked as far as the eye could see.
Icebergs shattered like colossal sheets of glass.
Amid the raging blizzard, a cosmic rift opened across the northern sky.
From within—
Void pods rained down like falling iron.
WHOOOOOMMMMM!
BOOM!
CRASH!
Each impact shattered chunks of ice that had stood for thousands of years.
At an international research station, scientists rushed toward the emergency bunkers.
Sirens wailed.
Backup generators roared to life.
An elderly researcher stared at the satellite monitor and whispered,
"If the poles fall... sea levels across the world will change."
No one answered.
They were all too terrified.
The first crater opened.
A six-legged creature emerged, its body covered in black crystal.
A frozen variant of the Void Ravager.
Void mist poured from its breath.
Its footsteps left blackened patches across the ice.
It fixed its gaze on the research station—
and charged.
But the ground ahead of it froze first.
CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...
A fresh layer of ice spread from beneath the surface, racing outward like a network of white roots.
The temperature plunged dozens of degrees in an instant.
Even the monster began to slow.
Then the blizzard split apart.
A colossal shadow emerged from the swirling snow.
Four legs.
A body as massive as a fortress.
White fur resembling a mountain of snow.
Blue eyes glowing as brightly as the moon.
Ursus Glacialis.
The Guardian of the Poles.
It stood upon the frozen ocean and let out a mighty roar.
RAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
A wave of freezing energy swept across hundreds of meters.
Three Void Ravagers froze solid where they stood.
Then, with a single swipe of its claws—
CRASH!
They shattered into fragments of black ice.
Inside the bunker, the scientists watched the exterior cameras with tears in their eyes.
One of them managed a trembling smile.
"He's here..."
Back in Jakarta, the global screens displayed the live broadcast from the Arctic.
Farhan enlarged the temperature readings.
"That's impossible."
"He's dropped the temperature across several kilometers in just seconds."
Bimo grinned.
"That bear would make a great home air conditioner."
Lila shot him a sharp look.
"Focus."
Back in the Arctic—
the first wave of enemies was far from over.
Dozens of Void creatures emerged from other craters.
Some crawled.
Some flew.
Others swam beneath the ice.
Ursus Glacialis slammed its front paws against the ground.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire battlefield froze.
Massive pillars of ice erupted from the surface, spearing toward the sky.
The monsters were trapped.
Some were crushed.
Others shrieked in agony.
But then—
a new sound emerged.
Slow.
Heavy.
The footsteps of a single creature.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
The blizzard parted down the middle.
A new figure walked out.
It stood taller than Ursus when fully upright.
Its body resembled that of a colossal wolf, with jagged black crystal bones protruding from its back.
Its jaws were lined with dark ice fangs.
Its red eyes glowed like wounds carved into the snow.
The Arctic General.
Frost Maw.
It didn't roar.
It didn't scream.
It simply stared at Ursus Glacialis—
then smiled.
The smile of a predator.
Ursus lowered its body, preparing to strike.
Both creatures charged at the same time.
CRASH!
Their bodies collided in the middle of the blizzard.
Ice exploded in every direction.
The shockwave knocked down the research station's antenna.
Frost Maw was far faster than its massive frame suggested.
It twisted to the side and sank its teeth into Ursus's shoulder.
CRACK!
Bright blue blood sprayed across the white snow.
Every screen at the Jakarta headquarters fell silent.
Bimo stopped joking.
"...It's bleeding."
Ursus let out an enraged roar and slammed its front paw into the wolf.
Frost Maw was hurled backward, crashing into an iceberg.
But it quickly rose again, letting out a low, guttural laugh.
The wound on its body began closing, covered by swirling black mist.
Void regeneration.
Kai stared at the screen, his expression grave.
"A high-ranking General."
"He's not here for a duel."
"He's here to kill the Guardian."
In the Arctic, the ice beneath the battlefield began cracking even farther.
Farhan checked the incoming data.
"Wait..."
Everyone turned toward him.
"There's an energy drill beneath the ocean!"
Lila's face went pale.
"They're attacking the Arctic Core from below the sea!"
Sinta immediately understood.
"They're using the fight as a distraction."
Frost Maw attacked again.
This time, it was even more brutal.
It bit into Ursus's leg, raked its claws across the Guardian's chest, then leaped onto its back.
Ursus twisted violently, smashing into one iceberg after another.
The snow turned blue with blood.
Yet the Guardian of the Poles remained standing.
Still fighting.
At the research station, a young technician whispered,
"He's protecting us even while he's wounded..."
The elderly professor beside him kept his eyes on the screen.
"That's what a true Guardian does."
Back in Jakarta, Sinta turned toward the team.
"Bimo. Dika."
"You're leaving now."
Bimo lifted his metal rod onto his shoulder.
"Finally."
Dika grabbed his combat jacket.
"Let's bring that bear home."
Back in the Arctic—
Frost Maw retreated a few steps.
Its mouth was smeared with blue blood.
It slowly ran its tongue over its fangs.
Then it turned toward the frozen ocean behind Ursus.
The ice was beginning to crack from beneath.
The light of the Core shone through the widening fractures.
Frost Maw had never been interested in finishing the duel.
Its real target was behind Ursus.
The creature looked at the Guardian and spoke for the first time.
Its voice was hoarse, like bones scraping against ice.
"Move."
Ursus Glacialis answered with a roar that shook the aurora above.
RAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Frost Maw's smile widened.
Then its body dissolved into a black shadow across the snow—
and shot straight toward the Arctic Core.