Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Glacierfang Dominion
The frost still lingered in the air as Arden’s party pressed deeper into the stalkers’ territory.
The beasts came in steady waves, their white pelts blending with the mist until they lunged out with snarls and claws.
Arden was the first to sense them. His life energy pulsed outward, catching the faint sparks of their killing intent. "Three to the left, one behind," he said calmly, eyes narrowing.
Nyra’s staff flared before he even finished. A coil of wind spun around her, sweeping frost into glittering shards, and she released a storm of icicles that crashed into the snow ahead. Shhhk— krrssh! The first stalker cried out, its flank torn before Rael darted past her with lightning sparking from his fist. His strike carved through another beast’s jaw in a crackle of thunder.
"Just two down? You’re slowing, Nyra," Rael teased as he pivoted back, frost gathering on his free hand.
Nyra shot him a glare and slammed her staff down, the shockwave freezing the snow into jagged spears. "Count properly, that’s three."
A growl split the side as Zephyra burst forward, her claws glowing with lotusflame. Fwshhh— whumm! She cleaved through the final stalker, petals of fire scattering outward before retracting back into her aura.
Her breath misted from the cold but her flames burned bright, cutting through the frost that tried to smother her.
Arden stayed back for a moment, studying the fight more than joining. The stalkers fought hard but their patterns were repetitive, too direct, almost mechanical in their frenzy.
When one finally broke off and tried to circle around, Arden stepped in. Fire gathered in his palm, weaving into a narrow spear. He released it with a sharp flick. Fsshh— thunk! The spear drilled straight into the beast’s chest and erupted, fire and frost clashing in a hiss of steam.
"Efficient," he murmured, brushing frost off his sleeve.
Zephyra padded back, tail flicking, her voice rough but amused. "They fall too easily now. Almost boring."
Arden gave her a sidelong glance. "Training dolls that bite back. Nothing wrong with that."
The hunts rolled on. Packs of stalkers surged from the mist, each time met with a different answer. Nyra twirled her staff, bending wind into scything arcs that cleaved through multiple foes at once. Rael alternated between sharp lightning bursts and cold-infused punches, layering wounds that froze before the beasts could recover.
Arden switched freely between flame and the cold echo of his new signature, his movements sharper each time he marked a target. And Zephyra tore through their lines like a storm of fire and claws, petals of flame scattering in violent bursts.
Their coordination was smooth, almost playful. Rael laughed when two stalkers leapt at him at once, only for Nyra’s gust to lift them off their trajectory, leaving him open to attack them midair with a thunderous strike. Arden smirked when Zephyra blasted a frozen carcass into shards, muttering, "Overkill," only for her to rumble back, "Felt good."
The sound of claws on ice, the clash of fist and thunder, the hiss of frost against fire, battle after battle became rhythm.
And with every kill, the system’s voice rang quietly in Arden’s mind.
[Life energy absorbed. Frostvein Pursuit Fragments = ×10...]
[Life energy absorbed. Frostvein Pursuit Fragments = ×20...]
[Life energy absorbed. Frostvein Pursuit Fragments = ×30...]
He ignored it at first, letting it roll past. His focus stayed outward, reading the land as much as the fight.
Something didn’t sit right with him. The further south they pushed, the fewer stalkers came at them berserk.
Their attacks weren’t as frantic either, their eyes less bloodshot with corruption.
He crouched after one fight, pressing his hand to the frosted ground. "The frenzy’s thinning," he muttered. "South isn’t the source. It’s calmer here."
Nyra straightened, brushing frost from her robes. "You’re right. Their movements... it’s still hostile, but not maddened like before."
Rael exhaled, sparks running off his fist. "So the cause lies elsewhere. North, maybe."
Arden nodded. "Most likely. But we stay here a while. Let them come. Training and farming both have their uses." His tone was calm, certain. He wasn’t in a hurry, and they trusted that.
They carried on, pushing through more waves. Every few moments the system ticked again.
[Fragments = ×40...]
[Fragments = ×45...]
Arden finally stopped when the frost-mist settled after another fight.
He had incinerated the last stalker with a concentrated jet of fire, its body collapsing into steaming slush. Then the system chimed louder than before.
[Life energy absorbed. Frostvein Pursuit Fragments = ×50. Maximum fragments reached. Available to evolve. Evolve: Y/N?]
He blinked. Already? He hadn’t even been keeping count.
"Arden?" Rael called, cleaning his gauntlets off the debris of his last attack. "Which way?"
"One moment," Arden replied, voice steady as he willed the answer. Yes.
The interface shifted.
[Evolving...]
[Frostvein Pursuit >>> Glacierfang Dominion]
[New Life Signature Acquired.]
Glacierfang Dominion
Predator’s Claim: Each strike deepens the Frost Mark, stacking cold that slows limbs and reactions.
Icy Pursuit: Movement toward the marked target accelerates, ground hardening into slick frost for sudden lunges.
Chilling Pressure: Air thickens with frost around marked prey, slightly slowing spells and movement.
Dominion Pulse (Finisher): At maximum stacks, unleash freezing energy that locks joints for a heartbeat, exposing the target.
Arden’s lips curved slightly as he read. It was sharper, heavier, a hunter’s grip that left no escape. His style was shaping itself, bit by bit, into something even the hybrids would struggle against.
He let the window fade and rose. "This way," he said simply, pointing ahead.
Nyra raised an eyebrow. "That’s vague."
"You’ll see," Arden answered, his smirk faint but clear.
Zephyra rumbled low in her throat, a sound halfway between laughter and growl. "Always hiding things."
"Not hiding," Arden replied, already moving forward. "Just keeping us alive."
The others exchanged glances but followed, their trust in him unshaken. The frost stretched further south, the mist clinging to their cloaks, and more stalkers prowled the edges of their path. Yet with each step, their confidence grew.
And in Arden’s chest, the cold new power coiled, waiting to be tested.
A/N:
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