The ghostly blue light of the dungeon cast long shadows as I moved through the winding passages, my senses attuned to the flow of frost energy around me. With my newly elevated frost affinity, I could perceive patterns that had been invisible before—currents of cold power flowing through the very structure of the dungeon like a circulatory system.
I paused at an intersection, feeling rather than seeing the presence of a frost entity patrolling a chamber ahead. My intermediate affinity granted a new awareness, a kind of cold radar that detected disturbances in the ambient frost energy.
[Frost Affinity (Intermediate, Level 1) is developing...]
The notification appeared as I concentrated on this new sense, trying to determine the entity's exact location and nature. I could feel its frost signature—similar to the weavers I'd encountered earlier, but with subtle differences in its energy pattern.
I approached cautiously, using the enhanced perception to avoid areas where the ice floor would make noise underfoot. The chamber entrance revealed a circular room filled with intricate ice sculptures, each one appearing to be frozen in mid-transformation. A frost weaver moved among them, adjusting and refining their forms with delicate manipulations of energy.
My eyes narrowed as I studied the weaver's movements, formulating a strategy. The entity was focused entirely on its creations, its awareness seemingly limited to its immediate workspace. Though I couldn't see specific weaknesses in its frost-based structure, I could track its movements and predict where it would be most vulnerable to a surprise attack.
I created a frost spear, focusing on making it denser and more sharply pointed than before. With my intermediate affinity, the process was more intuitive, the ice forming precisely as I envisioned without the struggle I'd experienced previously. When complete, the spear gleamed with concentrated energy, its internal structure aligned for maximum penetration.
Taking careful aim at the weaver's back—where its attention was furthest from my position—I launched the spear with a smooth, controlled motion. The projectile streaked across the chamber, striking the weaver with perfect accuracy before it detected my presence.
The impact was devastating, the spear penetrating deep into the entity's core structure. The weaver staggered, frost energy leaking from the wound like luminous blood. It spun toward me, frost tendrils forming defensive patterns as it tried to locate its attacker.
I was already moving, circling to maintain positional advantage while avoiding its direct line of sight. The weaver sent a wave of frost energy outward in all directions—a desperate attempt to find what it could not see. I formed a barrier of compressed frost to deflect the wave, the shield holding firm where my basic abilities would have failed.
[Frost Affinity (Intermediate) has increased to Level 2!]
The notification surprised me—my affinity had increased after just one significant use. Was this the effect of my unique talent? If Mormor's Prodigy accelerated growth at 500% for intermediate skills, my frost abilities would develop at an extraordinary rate.
I didn't have time to contemplate this as the weaver located me, tendrils of frost energy lashing out with deadly precision. I dodged one but couldn't avoid the second, the freezing appendage grazing my shoulder.
The cold cut deeper than physical damage, frost energy attempting to penetrate my body. But my own frost affinity resisted, the competing energies neutralizing at the point of contact. Another advantage of my essence absorption—partial immunity to the very element I controlled.
I countered with a second frost spear, aimed at the weaver's center mass.
The spear struck true, further destabilizing the weaver's form.
[Frost Spear has increased to Level 4!]
Another rapid skill increase—confirmation that my talent affected all frost-related abilities. This changed everything. If I could develop these skills at five times the normal rate, I might be able to face the Frost Lord much sooner than expected.
The weaver made one final attempt to attack, gathering what remained of its energy for a concentrated strike. I sidestepped the attack and swung my axe with an overhead strike, channeling frost energy into the blade to enhance its cutting power. The weapon sheared through the weaver's weakened structure with surprising ease, cleaving it nearly in half.
The entity dissolved into motes of blue light, leaving no physical remains behind.
[Experience Gained: +150]
I checked my status:
[Character Sheet: Erik Persson] [Level: 6] [Experience: 985/4000] [Health: 150/155] [Mana: 75/120] [Stamina: 80/85]
The encounter had brought me closer to leveling up and confirmed the extraordinary rate at which my frost abilities were developing. With each use, they increased in level far faster than normal—a tremendous advantage in this hostile environment. But I needed to be mindful of my mana consumption—two frost spears had already depleted nearly half my reserves.
I continued through the dungeon's labyrinthine passages, seeking more opportunities to test and develop my abilities. The layout seemed designed to funnel intruders toward certain areas while making others difficult to reach—a purposeful architecture rather than random formations.
In a hexagonal chamber with elaborate frost patterns covering the walls, I encountered another challenge—two frost knights patrolling in tandem, their movements coordinated to cover the entire space. These weren't the special type of entity I'd glimpsed earlier but standard knights - still dangerous at Level 9.
Thankfully with careful observation, I could see gaps in their patrol pattern—moments when their attention was directed away from certain approaches, creating blind spots I could exploit. I waited patiently for the right moment, then moved silently to a position within striking distance of one knight while remaining outside the other's field of view.
Creating a frost spear—conserving my mana by making just one instead of several—I launched it at the nearest knight's knee joint where the ice structure appeared thinnest.
The spear struck perfectly, shattering the ice at its knee. The damaged knight staggered but didn't fall, drawing its ice sword with alarming speed. The second knight immediately moved to assist, approaching from my flank with its weapon raised. I had seconds to act before being caught between them.
I concentrated frost energy below me, creating a slick path across the chamber floor, then pushed off with all my strength, sliding along the ice with supernatural speed. The maneuver carried me past the damaged knight before it could strike, putting it between me and its partner.
The undamaged knight hesitated, unwilling to attack through its companion. I used the moment to form another frost spear, aiming carefully to maximize impact with my limited remaining mana.
With a precisely aimed throw, I sent the spear directly into the damaged knight's chest. The impact drove deep into the knight's core, frost energy erupting from the wound as its structure failed catastrophically. It collapsed into fragments that quickly dissolved into blue light.
[Experience Gained: +180] [Frost Spear has increased to Level 5!]
No time to reflect on the skill increase—the second knight was already charging, ice sword raised for a devastating overhead strike. With insufficient mana for another frost spear, I relied on physical combat, ducking under the knight's swing and striking at its legs with my axe.
The knight's momentum carried it past me, its leg damaged but not crippled. It turned with surprising agility, bringing its sword around in a horizontal arc that I barely avoided. I needed to end this quickly before my stamina depleted further.
Examining my mana reserves, I decided on one final frost spear—leaving myself dangerously low but potentially ending the fight:
I formed the spear and launched it at the knight's chest as it prepared another attack. The projectile struck true, penetrating deep into its core. The knight staggered, frost energy leaking from the wound, but it didn't fall.
With a last burst of effort, I charged forward, swinging my axe with all my strength at the knight's damaged torso.
[Critical Hit!] [Experience Gained: +45]
The knight tried to turn, to bring its sword to bear, but the damage was too severe. Its movements became erratic, frost energy leaking from multiple wounds. I delivered a final blow to the back of its head, shattering its core structure.
[Experience Gained: +180]
Both knights had dissolved. I checked my resources, concerned by how costly the battle had been:
[Health: 115/155] [Mana: 30/120] [Stamina: 65/85]
My mana was dangerously low, and I'd taken more damage than I'd hoped. I found a defensible alcove and rested, allowing my resources to regenerate naturally before continuing. After thirty minutes, I felt recovered enough to proceed:
[Health: 145/155] [Mana: 60/120] [Stamina: 85/85]
Over the next several hours, I moved methodically through the dungeon's depths, engaging frost entities where I could defeat them safely while avoiding those too powerful for my current level. I carefully managed my mana between encounters, never allowing it to drop below 30 to ensure I always had enough for an emergency defense. Each encounter provided valuable experience and opportunities to develop my frost abilities, which continued to increase at an extraordinary rate.
A frost weaver fell to a combination of frost spears and axe strikes, my improved tactics allowing me to defeat it more efficiently than my first encounter.
[Experience Gained: +150] [Frost Spear has increased to Level 6!]
A patrol of smaller ice entities—childlike figures that moved with unsettling grace—dissolved under a wave of frost energy I projected outward from my position in a technique I was beginning to refine into something more controlled.
[Experience Gained: +120] [Frost Nova has increased to Level 2!]
With each victory, my confidence grew along with my abilities. The intermediate frost affinity combined with my unique talent was transforming me from survivor to hunter, my power increasing at a rate that would have been impossible for most.
My progress eventually brought me back to familiar territory—the spherical observation chamber where I'd encountered the weaver elder. Peering through the transparent wall, I could see that the workshop beyond was still active, multiple weavers working on their elaborate ice constructions.
Among them moved the elder I'd fled from earlier—larger and more elaborately structured than the standard weavers, radiating power that marked it as significantly more dangerous. At Level 10, it was four levels above me, but with my rapidly developing abilities, the gap wasn't as insurmountable as it had been during our first encounter.
I studied the workshop carefully, looking for strategic advantages. The weavers were focused entirely on their creations, their awareness limited to their immediate surroundings. The elder moved among them, directing and adjusting their work with precise manipulations of frost energy.
If I could separate the elder from its subordinates, I might have a chance in direct combat. The spherical chamber I occupied appeared connected to the workshop through passages in the ice wall that the weavers used, phasing through what seemed solid to me. Perhaps I could use that property to my advantage.
First I checked my resources to ensure I was prepared for such a dangerous encounter:
Stolen novel; please report.
[Health: 155/155] [Mana: 110/120] [Stamina: 85/85]
I'd recovered fully through careful pacing and rest between engagements. This would be my most challenging fight yet, and I needed every advantage.
I concentrated on the ice wall, extending my frost perception into its structure. With my intermediate affinity, I could sense patterns within the seemingly solid barrier—currents of energy flowing in specific configurations that allowed the weavers to pass through while maintaining the wall's integrity.
Through careful manipulation, I began to modify these patterns, creating a disruption that would be noticeable to the weavers but not immediately threatening. A false alarm, designed to draw attention without triggering a full defensive response.
The effect rippled through the workshop as frost energy fluctuated visibly along one section of wall. The weavers paused in their work, several moving to investigate the disturbance. The elder remained in the center of the workshop, observing rather than directly responding.
I modulated the disruption, increasing its intensity until it threatened to destabilize part of a nearby ice structure. This was enough to draw the elder's attention. It glided toward the affected area, frost energy gathering around its form as it prepared to correct the imbalance.
As it approached the wall separating our chambers, I executed the critical part of my plan—reversing the disruption pattern to create a momentary passage through the seemingly solid barrier. The ice parted like a curtain, creating an opening directly behind the elder.
I moved instantly, channeling frost energy to enhance my speed as I lunged through the temporary passage. Before the elder could fully register my presence, I unleashed a concentrated frost spear directly into its back.
The elder staggered, frost energy erupting from the impact point, but it didn't dissolve like its weaker counterparts. Instead, it whirled with surprising speed, tendrils of ice lashing out in all directions.
I ducked beneath one tendril and sidestepped another, but a third caught my leg, instantly encasing it in ice up to the knee. The cold was intense, penetrating deeper than physical restraint, frost energy seeking to infiltrate my body.
Using my own frost affinity, I countered the invasive energy, creating a boundary layer that prevented it from spreading further. Then I channeled power into the ice encasing my leg, altering its structure from within until it shattered from internal pressure.
Free but momentarily vulnerable, I barely avoided another tendril strike, the elder's attacks growing more precise as it analyzed my movements. The other weavers had noticed the confrontation but remained at a distance, forming a loose circle around us without directly intervening.
I needed to end this quickly, before the elder could bring its full power to bear or call its subordinates to assist. Drawing on my developing frost abilities, I created another frost spear, designed to penetrate the elder's defenses.
The elder deflected the spear with a sweeping tendril of ice. I immediately created two more, launching them in rapid succession from different angles to divide its attention.
One spear was deflected, but the second struck true, penetrating the elder's outer structure and disrupting its energy patterns. Frost leaked from the wound, its form temporarily destabilizing as it struggled to maintain cohesion.
[Critical Hit!] [Experience Gained: +45]
I pressed the advantage, channeling frost energy into my axe until the blade glowed with concentrated cold power. With the elder still recovering from the spear impact, I closed the distance and struck with all my strength at the center of its form.
The enhanced weapon cut deep, frost energy erupting from the wound in a cascade of crystalline fragments. The elder's form began to collapse, its core structure failing as the damage proved too severe to repair.
[Experience Gained: +250]
[Frost Affinity (Intermediate) has increased to Level 3!] [Level Up! 6 → 7]
[Available Attribute Points: 3]
The elder dissolved into motes of blue light, leaving nothing behind. But as the last fragments faded, the remaining weavers didn't retreat as I'd expected. Instead, they converged from all sides, frost tendrils extended aggressively—not intimidated by their leader's defeat but enraged by it.
Four weavers, each Level 8, all attacking simultaneously. Even at full strength this would be dangerous; in my current state, with mana partially depleted from the elder fight, it was potentially lethal.
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy," I muttered, bracing myself as the first weaver launched a barrage of ice shards toward me.
I ducked behind a nearby ice formation, the shards shattering against it with enough force to send fragments flying. Another weaver circled to my flank, frost energy gathering around it in a deadly corona. The third and fourth spread out, clearly attempting to surround me.
My options were limited—the workshop had few exits, all now blocked by weavers. Fighting all four simultaneously in open combat would be suicide. I needed to control the engagement, to force them to attack on my terms rather than theirs.
The ice structures throughout the workshop provided some cover but also limited my mobility. I would need to use them tactically, creating chokepoints where I could engage weavers individually rather than as a group.
I channeled frost energy into the floor, creating a slick pathway between two large ice formations. Then I exposed myself briefly to draw attention, ducking back into cover as another barrage of ice shards flew toward me.
As expected, two weavers immediately pursued, gliding across the ice with natural grace. What they didn't expect was the sudden change in the ice's structure as they passed the midpoint—the smooth surface becoming rough with subtle protrusions that disrupted their movement.
One weaver reacted quickly enough to avoid the worst of the trap, but the other crashed into an ice formation, its lower body damaged by the impact. I didn't wait for it to recover, launching a frost spear that struck its weakened form with precision.
[Mana: 55/135] [Experience Gained: +150]
The injured weaver dissolved, but I had no time to celebrate as the other three converged on my position. I abandoned my cover, sliding across another section of ice I'd prepared with a similar trap. One weaver followed directly, triggering the trap and becoming momentarily disoriented.
I took advantage of its vulnerability, channeling frost energy into my axe as I closed the distance. The enhanced weapon sheared through its partially immobilized form, cutting deep into its core structure.
[Experience Gained: +150]
Two down, but I'd expended significant energy in the process, and the remaining two weavers had grown more cautious, no longer charging blindly into potential traps. They circled at a distance, coordination evident in their movements as they periodically launched synchronized attacks from different angles.
I was forced into a defensive posture, constantly moving to avoid their ranged assaults while looking for an opening to counter-attack. My stamina was dropping steadily, the exertion of continuous combat taking its toll after the fight with the elder.
[Health: 130/170] [Mana: 55/135] [Stamina: 65/95]
I needed to end this quickly. Drawing on my rapidly developing frost affinity, I concentrated energy into a compressed sphere, dense with potential power. As the weavers launched another coordinated attack, I released the energy not as a direct assault but as a wave that rippled outward through the ice floor itself.
The wave disrupted the weavers' connection to the ice, momentarily destabilizing their movement. One stumbled, its normally graceful form suddenly awkward as it struggled to maintain balance. I capitalized immediately, launching a frost spear that pierced its chest.
[Mana: 15/135] [Experience Gained: +150] [Frost Spear has increased to Level 7!]
The last weaver, seeing its companions defeated, attempted to retreat toward one of the workshop exits. I couldn't allow it to escape—it might return with reinforcements or alert other entities to my presence. With insufficient mana for another frost spear, I channeled my remaining energy to enhance my speed and launched myself in pursuit.
The weaver sensed my approach and turned to defend itself, frost tendrils lashing out in desperate strikes. One caught my shoulder, the cold biting deep despite my resistance.
I ignored the pain, closing the final distance with a determined lunge. My axe struck the weaver's core with perfect precision. Its form shattered, dissolving into the familiar motes of blue light.
[Experience Gained: +150] [Total Experience: 850/5000]
The workshop fell silent, all five of its original occupants—the elder and four weavers—now defeated. I slumped against an ice formation, exhausted but victorious. The battle had been costly in terms of health and energy, but the experience gained was substantial, bringing me significantly closer to level 8.
I allocated my attribute points from the earlier level up:
[Vitality: 13 → 14] [Intelligence: 20 → 22]
With the immediate threat eliminated, I found a secure position in a corner of the workshop to rest and recover my strength. The battle had been more challenging than expected, pushing me to my limits and forcing rapid adaptation to multiple opponents.
[Character Sheet: Erik Persson] [Level: 7] [Experience: 850/5000] [Health: 120/170] [Mana: 15/135] [Stamina: 50/95]
As I caught my breath, I examined the workshop more carefully. The ice structures the weavers had been creating were complex, their purpose unclear to me. Some appeared to be purely decorative, while others seemed more functional—conduits for frost energy or perhaps communications devices of some kind.
I spent nearly an hour resting, allowing my resources to recover naturally:
[Health: 150/170] [Mana: 90/135] [Stamina: 85/95]
While recovering, I experimented with my frost energy manipulation, seeking new applications for my rapidly developing affinity. The feeling of ice forming and reshaping under my will had become more intuitive, more responsive with each level gained.
I focused on a defensive application—something I'd been lacking in my frost skill set. Most of my techniques were offensive in nature, leaving me vulnerable during combat. What if I could create a protective layer of frost energy around my body, a shield that moved with me?
I channeled frost energy outward from my skin, concentrating on forming it into a thin but dense layer that followed my body's contours. The first attempt dissipated too quickly, the energy dispersing before it could properly coalesce. The second attempt formed unevenly, thicker in some areas while nearly nonexistent in others.
With each failure, I refined the technique, learning the precise energy patterns needed to maintain stability while allowing flexibility. After nearly an hour of practice, I managed to create a complete frost armor that encased my body in a subtle blue-white aura.
[Mana: 60/135]
[New Ability Created: Frost Armor] [Frost Armor (Level 1): Create a protective layer of frost energy that absorbs damage. Effectiveness scales with Frost Affinity level. Consumes 30 Mana and 5 Mana per minute to maintain.]
I tested the armor by striking my arm against a sharp ice formation. The protective layer absorbed most of the impact, preventing any actual damage to my skin. It wasn't impenetrable, but it would provide valuable protection in combat.
[Frost Armor has increased to Level 2!]
Another rapid skill increase—further confirmation of my talent's effect on all frost abilities. With this enhanced learning rate, every new frost technique I developed would advance far more rapidly than normal.
I deactivated the armor to conserve mana and continued my exploration of the workshop, studying the various ice structures that remained. With my intermediate frost affinity, I could perceive subtle patterns in their construction, hints of purpose that would have been invisible to me before.
Over the next few hours, my practice and exploration yielded significant results:
[Frost Affinity (Intermediate) has increased to Level 4!]
My rapid progression confirmed what I'd suspected—Mormor's Prodigy was accelerating not just my base frost affinity but all related skills at five times the normal rate. This advantage was transforming me from a vulnerable intruder in the dungeon to a genuinely formidable force.
With my abilities significantly enhanced and my resources fully recovered, I was finally ready to return to the Frost Lord's chamber—not to challenge it directly, but to observe and understand it better before attempting combat. My first encounter had been brief and one-sided, but with my improved frost affinity, I might perceive vulnerabilities I couldn't detect before.
I left the workshop through one of the passages the weavers had used, my intermediate affinity now allowing me to perceive and manipulate the energy patterns that maintained the seemingly solid barriers. The dungeon's layout was becoming clearer to me, not just physically but energetically—a network of frost power flowing through the entire structure like circulation through a living organism.
Following these energy currents, I navigated back toward the throne room where I'd first glimpsed the Frost Lord. My approach was cautious, each step calculated to minimize detection. With my enhanced perception, I could sense the massive concentration of frost energy emanating from the throne chamber long before reaching it.
Finding a concealed observation point near the chamber entrance, I extended my frost perception carefully into the space beyond. The Frost Lord remained seated on its ice throne, apparently unaware of or unconcerned by my activities elsewhere in the dungeon.
With my intermediate affinity, I could now perceive details that had eluded me before—fluctuations in the Frost Lord's energy pattern, rhythmic pulses that suggested its power wasn't constant but cycled through phases of greater and lesser intensity.
More importantly, I could sense connections between the Frost Lord and other parts of the dungeon—threads of frost energy extending outward like roots or tendrils, linking it to various nodes throughout the structure. These connections pulsed with power flows in both directions, suggesting the Frost Lord both drew strength from and provided energy to the dungeon itself.
This insight represented a potential strategy. If these connections could be severed or disrupted, the Frost Lord might be temporarily weakened, vulnerable during specific phases of its energy cycle. I wouldn't need to match its raw power directly—just exploit these systemic weaknesses at the right moment.
I retreated from my observation point before my presence could be detected, mind racing with strategic possibilities. My frost abilities were developing at an extraordinary rate thanks to my unique talent, but I would need more than raw power to defeat the Frost Lord. I needed precision, timing, and a deeper understanding of the dungeon's nature.
The path forward was becoming clearer—continue developing my frost abilities while mapping the energy connections throughout the dungeon. Identify the critical nodes linked to the Frost Lord, then devise a method to disrupt them at precisely the right moment in its energy cycle.
It would be dangerous and complex, but with my rapidly accelerating frost mastery, it was beginning to seem possible. For the first time since entering the dungeon, I felt genuine confidence in my ability to eventually challenge and defeat its guardian.
I moved deeper into the labyrinth, seeking more entities to combat and knowledge to absorb. 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.
