The portal's energy faded, leaving me standing in a vast ice cavern. Crystalline formations towered around me, gleaming with an internal blue light that seemed to emanate from within the ice itself. The air was bitingly cold, a temperature that would kill an ordinary human within hours, yet felt strangely comfortable against my frost-tinged skin.

  Three passage mouths opened before me, each marked with different rune patterns glowing with cold energy. Behind me, where the entrance had been, there was only a solid wall of ice. No retreat possible.

  [Frozen Fissure - Level 1] [Objective: Find the core and defeat the guardian to complete the dungeon]

  I took stock of my situation:

  [Character Sheet: Erik Persson] [Level: 5] [Experience: 1165/3000] [Health: 122/140] [Mana: 65/100] [Stamina: 12/75]

  My stamina was dangerously depleted from the chase through the forest, and I'd taken damage from the bandits' attacks. Not ideal for venturing into a place that had reportedly claimed every human who'd entered it.

  I studied the runic symbols marking each passage—the left showed jagged patterns like lightning bolts, the center displayed spiraling forms suggesting wind or storms, and the right bore crystalline formations resembling snowflakes.

  Given the frost essence flowing through my veins, the right passage seemed the logical choice. Perhaps my affinity would provide some advantage against whatever waited in the frost-aligned depths.

  I moved cautiously through the narrowing passage, the walls of polished ice reflecting distorted versions of myself as I passed. The cold grew more intense with each step, yet instead of pain, I felt a strange resonance with the surrounding frost. My essence absorption had changed me more fundamentally than I'd realized.

  After fifty meters, the passage opened into a small chamber with several alcoves carved into the walls. It seemed defensible enough to rest briefly. I settled in the furthest alcove, back against the solid ice, and consumed one of my preserved rations to restore some energy.

  [Health: 130/140] [Stamina: 22/75]

  Still far from optimal, but better than nothing. I needed proper rest to recover fully, but I dared not sleep in this unknown environment. Instead, I practiced forming small ice shards while remaining alert, finding the process came more naturally here—as if the dungeon's ambient energy harmonized with my own frost affinity.

  After an hour of rest, my stamina had improved enough to continue:

  [Stamina: 45/75]

  The passage beyond the chamber descended steeply, the smooth ice floor occasionally giving way to jagged crystal formations that required careful navigation. The silence was absolute except for the occasional distant crack of shifting ice—a sound that carried ominously through the frozen corridors.

  The passage eventually opened into a larger cavern, its ceiling lost in darkness above. Massive stalagmites of ice rose from the floor, creating a forest of crystalline spires. I moved slowly between them, alert for any movement.

  A sudden crack echoed through the chamber. I froze, instinctively crouching behind the nearest ice formation. Footsteps crunched across the frost-covered ground—heavy, deliberate steps unlike any human gait.

  From between the ice spires emerged a towering figure—a warrior formed entirely of translucent ice. Nearly three meters tall, its body was angular and jagged, with a featureless face save for two glowing points of blue light where eyes should be. In its hands, it carried a massive sword formed from a single shard of ice.

  [Frost Knight, Level 9]

  My breath caught in my throat. Level 9—four levels above me, and this was just a standard entity, not even one of the guardians the System had mentioned. Reaver's reluctance to enter the dungeon suddenly made perfect sense.

  I remained motionless as the knight patrolled, its head swiveling methodically to scan the area. If it detected me, I'd have little chance in direct combat. My only hope was to avoid notice or find some environmental advantage.

  The knight passed within meters of my hiding place, close enough that I could see the intricate crystalline patterns making up its icy form. Its steps left frost prints that quickly melted back into the floor, as if the very chamber absorbed its essence.

  Once it moved to the far side of the cavern, I began to edge around the perimeter, keeping ice formations between us. My plan was to reach the far passage without confrontation—a fight I wasn't prepared for.

  I'd made it halfway around when my foot struck a small ice crystal, sending it skittering across the floor with a sound that seemed deafening in the silence.

  The knight's head snapped toward me instantly, its blank face somehow radiating menace despite having no features. It charged with shocking speed, ice sword raised.

  There was no time to think, only react. I rolled aside as the massive blade came down, shattering the ice where I'd stood a moment before. The force of the impact sent crystal shards flying, several cutting across my face and arms.

  [Health: 125/140]

  I scrambled to my feet as the knight recovered its blade, already pivoting for another strike. I needed distance, needed time to think. I formed a frost spear and hurled it at the knight's chest.

  The spear struck true—and dissolved instantly into the knight's body, absorbed like water into ice. My attack had strengthened it rather than harmed it.

  [Warning: Frost-based attacks ineffective against Frost entities]

  The knight attacked again, its blade sweeping in a horizontal arc that would have cut me in half had I not ducked beneath it. The passing blade left a trail of intense cold that burned my skin despite never touching me.

  [Health: 120/140]

  Physical attacks with my axe seemed the only option. I drew the weapon and struck at the knight's leg as I rolled past, trying to hamper its mobility. The axe bit into the ice but did less damage than expected—like striking dense, partially yielding snow rather than brittle ice.

  The knight seemed barely affected, turning with unnerving grace for something so large. Its next attack caught me before I could fully evade, the tip of the blade slicing across my shoulder.

  [Health: 105/140]

  The wound burned with unnatural cold, frost spreading from the cut across my skin. My own frost affinity seemed to be fighting against it, preventing it from penetrating deeper, but the pain was intense.

  I needed a new approach. Direct combat wouldn't work, and my frost abilities were useless against a creature of the same element. But perhaps there was a third option.

  I backed away, putting an ice stalagmite between us. Instead of attacking the knight directly, I focused my frost energy on the stalagmite itself, seeking to destabilize its structure rather than create new ice.

  The knight circled the formation, sword ready. As it came around, I released the energy I'd been channeling. Cracks spread rapidly through the stalagmite, and with a tremendous groan, it toppled directly toward the knight.

  The massive ice formation crashed down, temporarily pinning the knight beneath its weight. It wouldn't hold for long—already the creature was breaking free, its strength far exceeding my own.

  I used the precious seconds to retreat, sprinting for the passage at the far end of the chamber. Behind me, the sound of shattering ice announced the knight's liberation. Its heavy footsteps pursued, gaining with each stride.

  The passage ahead narrowed sharply—too small for the knight's bulk to follow easily. If I could reach it, I might have a chance. I pushed my depleted body to its limit, frost energy unconsciously flowing to my legs to enhance my speed.

  I reached the narrow opening just as the knight's blade whistled down behind me, missing by centimeters and embedding itself in the ice wall. I squeezed through the gap, emerging into a twisting tunnel barely wide enough for a human.

  Behind me, the knight roared—the first sound I'd heard it make, like ice shelves collapsing. It began smashing at the narrow opening, enlarging it with each powerful blow. I had minutes at most before it broke through.

  I raced down the twisting passage, taking turns without thinking, focused only on putting distance between myself and the relentless knight. Eventually, the sounds of pursuit faded, though whether because I'd lost it or it had given up, I couldn't tell.

  I slowed to catch my breath, taking stock of my surroundings. The passage had descended significantly, leading deeper into what must be a vast network of frozen tunnels and chambers. The ambient temperature had dropped even further, frost forming on my eyelashes with each exhale.

  [Health: 105/140] [Stamina: 20/75] [Mana: 60/100]

  One encounter had nearly killed me, depleting my stamina back to dangerous levels and draining significant mana. If this was the standard difficulty of the dungeon, I understood why no one had survived it. Reaver's essence hunters had been right to fear this place.

  The passage eventually opened into another chamber, smaller than the last but no less beautiful. Delicate ice formations hung from the ceiling like frozen chandeliers, casting rainbow refractions across the walls when caught by the ambient blue light.

  I moved cautiously into the chamber, alert for any movement. The encounter with the frost knight had taught me a valuable lesson—direct confrontation would be fatal, and my frost abilities would need significant adaptation to be effective here.

  A soft crystalline sound drew my attention to the far side of the chamber. From a passage opposite mine emerged a new entity—similar to the knight in composition but smaller, more graceful in form. Where the knight had been jagged and brutal, this creature was elegant, its ice body flowing like frozen waves.

  [Frost Weaver, Level 8]

  It hadn't seen me yet, seemingly focused on creating delicate ice structures along the walls—intricate lattices of frost that grew under its touch. I retreated silently behind a larger formation, considering my options.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Running had worked once, but I couldn't keep fleeing deeper without purpose or direction. Eventually, I'd be cornered or exhausted. I needed to learn to fight these creatures effectively, despite the level disparity.

  My frost affinity seemed to respond to the dungeon's ambient energy, flowing more freely here than in the outside world. Perhaps I could use this environment to my advantage, find ways to turn the very ice against these creatures born of it.

  I concentrated, sensing the structure of the ice formation I hid behind. Unlike creating new ice, I focused on understanding existing ice—its crystalline patterns, its structural weaknesses, the flow of energy within it. My basic frost affinity struggled with this more sophisticated application, but I could feel something responding, the patterns shifting subtly under my influence.

  An idea formed. If I couldn't damage these creatures with direct frost attacks, perhaps I could disrupt the energy patterns holding their forms together. It would require precision and a deeper understanding of frost energy than I currently possessed, but it might be my only chance.

  The weaver continued its work, unaware of my presence. I studied its movements, the way frost flowed through its form, the patterns it created. There was intelligence in its actions—purpose beyond simple aggression. These weren't mindless monsters but beings with their own nature and intent.

  I needed to test my theory without alerting it. Focusing intently, I reached out with my frost affinity toward a small, isolated ice formation near the weaver. Instead of creating or destroying, I attempted to alter—to change the crystalline structure itself.

  The ice responded sluggishly at first, then with increasing fluidity as I found the right approach. The crystal's structure reorganized under my influence, its pattern shifting from one configuration to another.

  [Frost Affinity skill has increased] [Frost Affinity is now Level 4] [You can now better perceive cold energy patterns. Frost resistance slightly increased.]

  The skill increase confirmed I was on the right track. With this enhanced understanding, I might have a chance to affect the energy patterns holding these ice entities together, even with my still basic control.

  But I needed practice, needed to develop this ability further before risking another direct confrontation. And I needed to find my way through this frozen labyrinth to whatever core or guardian awaited at its heart.

  I retreated silently, leaving the weaver to its work, and found a small side passage that offered some concealment. There, I practiced my developing ability, manipulating small ice formations and studying their structures. Hours passed as I worked, my understanding growing incrementally with each attempt.

  Eventually, I felt confident enough to continue my exploration. The passage I followed twisted deeper into the dungeon's depths, occasionally branching into small chambers or joining larger tunnels. I avoided open spaces where possible, sticking to narrower corridors that would give larger entities difficulty following.

  My caution proved wise when I encountered another frost knight patrolling a junction of passages. I observed it from hiding, noting patterns in its movement and structure that I couldn't perceive before. With my enhanced frost affinity, I could see the energy flows within its icy form—stronger in the core, weaker at the joints and extremities.

  When it passed my position, I focused my frost energy on one of those weaker points—the joint of its knee. I didn't attack with ice but rather disrupted the existing pattern, introducing discord into its structure.

  The effect was immediate and dramatic. The knight staggered as its leg partially destabilized, ice cracking and reforming in chaotic patterns. It swung its blade wildly, searching for an attacker.

  I pressed the advantage, targeting another weak point with the same technique. The knight's shoulder joint destabilized, its sword arm temporarily losing cohesion.

  [Critical Hit!] [Experience Gained: +45]

  The notification surprised me—I was damaging it without direct attacks. My frost affinity wasn't creating harm through force but through disruption of the very energy that constituted these entities.

  The knight recovered quickly, ice reforming in more stable patterns. It had adapted to my attack, the vulnerability no longer as pronounced. These beings could learn, could evolve their defenses.

  I retreated before it could locate me, sliding into a side passage as the knight searched for its invisible attacker. The encounter, while brief, had taught me much. My frost affinity could be effective here, but I would need to continuously evolve my techniques as these entities adapted to them.

  Deeper into the dungeon I went, each passage leading to new chambers of increasing beauty and danger. I encountered more frost entities—knights, weavers, and new types with different forms and abilities. Each presented different challenges, different patterns to disrupt.

  I avoided direct confrontation where possible, using hit-and-run tactics when I did engage. My frost affinity continued to develop with each encounter, my understanding of ice energy growing slowly but steadily.

  [Frost Affinity skill has increased] [Frost Affinity is now Level 5] [You can now create more complex ice structures and maintain them for longer periods. Cold resistance increased.]

  After one particularly desperate battle with a frost knight where I managed to deliver a killing blow by collapsing an ice column onto it, I received a significant experience reward:

  [Experience Gained: +180] [Total Experience: 1390/3000]

  The higher-level entity had provided substantially more experience than anything I'd faced outside the dungeon. If I could defeat more of these creatures, I might level up faster than I'd thought possible.

  My health fluctuated dangerously as I took damage in these encounters, dropping as low as 60/140 after a particularly difficult fight with a pair of weavers. Without healing abilities or items, each injury was permanent until I could find some means of recovery.

  After what felt like days of cautious progress, though it was impossible to track time in the unchanging blue light, I entered a vast chamber unlike any before it. The ceiling soared at least fifty meters above, supported by massive columns of pure, transparent ice. The floor was polished to mirror smoothness, reflecting the columns and creating an illusion of infinite height both above and below.

  At the far end of the chamber stood a structure that could only be described as a throne—a massive seat carved from a single block of blue-white ice, inlaid with patterns that pulsed with internal light. And upon that throne sat a figure that made the knights and weavers seem like pale imitations.

  It was humanoid but perfectly proportioned, its ice body so clear I could see through it in places. A crown of crystalline spikes adorned its head, and in one hand, it held a scepter of ice that radiated cold power. Unlike the other entities, this one had a face—regal, severe, with eyes that burned with cold intelligence.

  [Frost Lord, Level 12 (Sub-Boss)]

  I retreated immediately behind a column, my heart pounding. Level 12—seven levels above me, nearly triple my combat effectiveness by the System's metrics. Even with my basic frost affinity, confronting such an entity would be suicide.

  From my hiding place, I observed the Frost Lord. It sat motionless on its throne except for occasional gestures with its scepter. When it moved, the entire chamber seemed to respond—temperature fluctuating, ice formations growing or receding, energy patterns shifting throughout the room.

  This was clearly one of the guardians the dungeon's objective had mentioned, a sub-boss that I would need to defeat to progress. But in my current state, with my limited understanding and depleted health, I stood no chance.

  As I considered my options, movement near the throne caught my attention. Smaller ice entities—servants or lesser creatures—approached the Frost Lord, presenting what appeared to be offerings. Among these offerings, I glimpsed something unexpected—a small blue crystal that pulsed with energy.

  [Healing Crystal Detected] [Properties: Health Restoration, Temporary Cold Resistance Boost]

  A means of recovery—exactly what I needed most. But it was being presented to the Frost Lord, placed on a small pedestal near the throne. Attempting to retrieve it would mean entering the open chamber, exposing myself to the guardian's attention.

  The risk was enormous, but so was the potential reward. Without healing, I would eventually fall to attrition as injuries accumulated. With it, I might survive long enough to develop my abilities to the point where facing the Frost Lord became possible.

  I formulated a plan—not to fight, but to distract and retrieve. Using my enhanced frost affinity, I created a complex ice structure at the far side of the chamber, one designed to collapse noisily after a short delay. Then I circled around the perimeter, using columns for cover, positioning myself closer to the throne.

  When the structure collapsed with a satisfying crash, the Frost Lord's attention snapped toward it. It rose from its throne, scepter raised, and moved to investigate the disturbance—exactly as I'd hoped.

  I seized the opportunity, darting from cover toward the pedestal. The crystal was smaller than I'd expected, barely the size of my thumb, but it pulsed with unmistakable energy. I snatched it and retreated behind the nearest column just as the Frost Lord turned back, sensing the intrusion.

  A wave of cold energy swept the chamber as the guardian searched for the thief. I pressed myself against the column, hardly daring to breathe as the temperature plummeted to levels that would instantly kill an ordinary human. Even with my frost affinity, I could feel the deadly cold seeping into my bones.

  [Health: 55/140]

  The Frost Lord moved methodically through the chamber, checking behind each column. It was only a matter of time before it found me. With no better option, I crushed the healing crystal in my hand.

  Blue energy flowed up my arm and throughout my body, mending injuries and infusing me with cold resistance. The effect was immediate and profound.

  [Health: 140/140] [Temporary Cold Resistance Acquired] [Duration: 1 hour]

  Fully healed and temporarily protected from the extreme cold, I had a brief window where flight might succeed. Using my basic frost abilities, I created a simple diversion—pushing over a nearby ice formation to create noise at the far side of the chamber.

  The Frost Lord reacted to the noise, sending a blast of concentrated cold in that direction. I used the distraction to sprint for the exit passage farthest from my position, channeling frost energy to my legs for additional speed.

  I'd nearly reached the passage when the Frost Lord sensed my movement. It turned with impossible speed, its scepter aimed directly at me. A beam of pure cold energy lanced out, striking the ground where I'd been a split second earlier. The floor froze solid to a depth of several meters, the ice so cold it appeared black rather than blue.

  I dove into the passage, instinctively trying to create a barrier behind me as another blast struck. My basic frost affinity wasn't developed enough to form a proper shield, but the hastily formed ice absorbed enough of the energy to prevent the blast from reaching me directly.

  [Health: 120/140]

  The new damage was painful but not devastating. I fled deeper into the dungeon's network of passages, taking random turns until I was certain I'd lost any pursuit. Finally, in a small alcove off a rarely-used corridor, I allowed myself to rest and process what had happened.

  The encounter with the Frost Lord had been illuminating. Despite barely surviving, I'd gained valuable insights—full health restoration from the crystal, and most importantly, confirmation that my approach had merit. The distraction had worked, and though my frost abilities were still basic, they were developing in useful ways. I now had a clear objective: grow stronger, develop my abilities further, and return to face the guardian when better prepared.

  But I would need more than just skill development. My level was too low, my understanding of frost energy still too basic. I needed to gain experience, to defeat more of the lesser entities and absorb their essence, to truly master the cold power flowing through my veins.

  I would hunt the knights and weavers, using my growing abilities to defeat them methodically while minimizing my own risk. Each victory would bring experience points, skill development, and occasionally, rare drops that might prove useful.

  It would be a long, dangerous process. But the alternative was certain death against the Frost Lord, and I wasn't ready to die in this forgotten ice labyrinth, never knowing what happened to Marcus and Sofia, never seeing daylight again.

  As if recognizing my resolve, a notification appeared:

  [Quest Updated: Frozen Fissure] [Objective: Defeat the Frost Lord, guardian of the upper levels] [Reward: Passage to the deeper levels, ???]

  The System had formalized my goal. The unknown reward was tempting, but survival was motivation enough. I would prepare, hunt, grow stronger—and when ready, I would return to the throne chamber to face the first true test this dungeon had set before me.

  I closed my eyes briefly, attempting to channel frost energy through my body to check for injuries the crystal might have missed. The process was difficult with my basic affinity, another sign of how much I still needed to develop. When I opened my eyes again, I saw the world normally, no special perception or adaptation yet.

  I would have to continue developing my frost affinity if I hoped to survive this place. The initial joy of discovering that my essence absorption granted me some advantage here had been tempered by the reality of just how outmatched I still was. My basic frost abilities were little more than a foundation – useful, but far from sufficient against the dungeon's higher entities.

  It didn't matter. Survival came first. Philosophical concerns about identity could wait until I'd escaped this frozen tomb and found my friends. If becoming something less human was the price for that reunion, I would pay it gladly.

  I rose from my rest, frost energy flowing smoothly through my reformed body. The hunt would begin now—methodical, careful, but relentless. The Frost Lord would wait on its throne, secure in its power and position. And while it waited, I would grow stronger in the shadows of its domain, preparing for the moment when I would return to challenge its rule.

  The blue light of the dungeon reflected in my eyes as I moved deeper into the frozen depths, seeking prey that would unknowingly help me develop the very abilities that would eventually destroy their master.