After conquering the second floor in six hours, Noah stepped through the next portal, arriving at the third floor.
A world of endless white stretched before him. Unlike the tundra, this place was covered in a raging blizzard, reducing visibility to near zero. Snow and ice storms howled, making it difficult to navigate.
The wind was razor-sharp, cutting like blades against his skin.
Noah pulled up his cloak, activating Mana's Armor Level 1 to shield himself from the elements. His Presence Detection spread outward, mapping the battlefield.
Here, the monsters were not just stronger—they were smarter.
A sudden sensation made Noah jump back just in time. From beneath the snow, a creature lunged—a humanoid beast cloaked in icy mist, wielding curved claws that shimmered with frost magic.
They blended into the blizzard, their figures nearly invisible, attacking with lightning-fast strikes before vanishing again.
Noah barely blocked the first slash aimed at his throat, countering with a wide arc that forced the creature back. But another leapt at him from behind—he twisted mid-air, kicking it away before slamming his sword down.
It howled, vanishing into the storm.
Noah narrowed his eyes. He activated Unprecedented Sense, allowing him to feel the subtle shifts in air movement.
The moment the next stalker attacked, he was already moving.
His sword met flesh before the creature even realized its mistake.
One by one, he systematically eliminated the stalkers, adapting to their speed and unpredictability.
The deeper Noah ventured, the more he could feel something immense approaching.
A colossal Frost Titan, at least eight meters tall, standing amidst the blizzard like a god of ice. Its body was sculpted from frozen stone, covered in ancient runes pulsing with magic. In its massive hands, it wielded a gargantuan warhammer.
Noah let out a slow breath.
This… would be a fight.
The titan roared, the sound shaking the entire floor, sending ice and snow tumbling from cliffs. It raised its hammer and swung—
Noah dodged just as the impact created an explosion of ice shards.
Without missing a beat, he activated Gigantification, his arms expanding in size to match the sheer power of the titan. The moment it swung again, Noah caught the hammer head-on.
The ground shook from the force.
He countered with Hellfire, flames coiling around his sword as he drove it straight into the titan's chest. The fire burned through the enchanted ice, but the titan wasn't done yet.
It punched forward, the impact sending Noah flying across the battlefield, crashing into a frozen boulder. Blood dripped from his lips, but he grinned.
"This is getting fun."
Summoning all his strength, he activated Soul Absorption, Hellfire, and Shadow Steps simultaneously.
His form flickered like a ghost, appearing behind the titan. With one final swing, infused with all his power, he cleaved straight through its core.
The titan let out one last roar of agony before crumbling.
Noah exhaled, shaking out his arms. His mana reserves were low, but he had won.
With a smirk, he turned toward the next portal.
Time to move forward. Read full story at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩
Noah stepped through the portal and into a new realm of towering mountains and endless white forests. The air was crisp and thin, the altitude high enough that most normal beings would struggle to breathe. Snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky, covering the landscape in a pristine layer of white.
The two colossal mountains stood like frozen sentinels, their peaks lost in thick clouds. Between them lay an endless expanse of white forest, stretching beyond what the eye could see.
Noah tightened his cloak against the biting wind. Even with his resistance to cold, the icy gusts howled through the valleys, carrying flecks of snow that stung against his exposed skin. The world here was silent yet alive, the air heavy with the scent of frost and pine.
As he trekked through the deep snow, his boots left barely a trace—his dexterity and Shadow Steps skill ensuring he moved with almost no resistance. His Presence Detection was active, scanning for any movement in the vicinity. This floor was massive, and he needed to find a secure place to camp for the night before darkness fell.
Moving through the forest, Noah's sharp eyes scanned the terrain. Tall, ice-covered evergreens loomed overhead, their thick branches providing some shelter from the relentless snowfall. He spotted a few potential locations—a cluster of boulders forming a natural barrier, a small cave in the side of a mountain, and a frozen riverbank that seemed peaceful yet too exposed.
Eventually, he came across the perfect spot—a secluded alcove nestled against the mountainside. The rock formation curved inward, creating a natural overhang that would protect him from the wind. Snow had piled up along the base, but beneath it was a dry patch of ground. More importantly, there were no signs of monster tracks nearby.
Noah set his pack down and cleared an area for his tent. Using his sword, he carved out a small fire pit and gathered some dry wood he had stored in his Item Box. With a flick of his fingers, he ignited the wood with Flame Art, and a small but steady fire crackled to life, casting a warm glow against the icy walls.
He encountered his first monster on the fourth floor, a powerful one at that.
With his camp secured, Noah ventured deeper into the snow-covered forest, following the deep claw marks and massive footprints that marred the otherwise pristine landscape. The tracks were fresh—whatever left them was nearby.
His Presence Detection skill pulsed in his mind, forming a three-dimensional map of his surroundings. In the distance, he sensed movement—a large creature, alone, waiting. It wasn't rushing toward him like an ambush; it was watching.
Noah crouched low, slipping between the thick-trunked evergreens, his breath coming out in misty puffs. His heartbeat was steady, controlled. He approached silently, each step calculated. As he reached a clearing, his golden eyes locked onto his target.
The creature was massive—a towering beast covered in white and silver fur, with crystalline ice spikes protruding from its back. Its head resembled that of a wolf, but its body was more like a bear's, its muscles thick and built for power. Cold mist curled from its maw, freezing the air around it with every breath.