Venti: "The further we go... the more I feel like we're being watched."
His gaze lingered for a moment on the shadows cast by the abandoned structures scattered throughout the cavern:
- Broken pillars
- Remnants of collapsed walkways,
- And even what looked like old adventurers' camps, now frozen in silence.
Everything suggested that others had tried to venture here… and had never left.
Lyra walked nearby, still holding the photograph in her hands before carefully folding it, visibly troubled.
Venti, for his part, couldn't shake the feeling that the Abyss had observed far more than they had imagined.
Venti: "If this photo is two years old… that means they've been watching the guild for a long time.
Perhaps there are even still spies out there."
Lyra pressed her lips together, uneasy.
Lyra: "This contest was supposed to be confidential… only a few people had access to the photos."
Kael, who was walking slightly ahead, turned around when he heard this.
Kael: "Wait… you mean the Abyss could have eyes and ears even within the guild itself?"
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A heavy silence followed.
The blue glow now seemed closer, pulsing gently like an icy heart.
As they walked on, the air grew colder, and each breath formed a light mist before their faces.
Kael spoke again, trying to break the oppressive atmosphere.
Kael: "By the way… Lyra, what was the prize for the contest?"
Lyra: "30000 Moras… and a magic stone capable of increasing a skill level by one."
Venti: "30000 Moras!"
Venti was surprised to hear such a large sum of money; in three missions, he had only managed to collect 19000 Moras.
Bram let out an impressed whistle, while Eron raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the existence of such an artifact.
Venti, for his part, remained thoughtful.
A stone capable of increasing a skill… and a confidential photograph that had fallen into the hands of the Abyss.
The further they advanced, the clearer it became that this dungeon was not only a test of strength, but also a game of manipulation and observation.
They continued walking, their silhouettes etched against the growing blue light, aware that each step brought them not only closer to the promised bosses… but also to far more disturbing truths about the Abyss and its influence.
Venti, lost in thought, reached into his satchel and pulled out his own stone.
He needed to check his stats to see if there was a skill that could help him in his upcoming fight.
The translucent surface faintly reflected the blue glow of the cavern. He stared at it for a moment, and its stats appeared before him, as they did every time he activated it:
[Venti's Stats — Visible only to him]
Name: Venti
Level: 17/100
Max HP: 6300
ATK: 1100
DEF: 740
Elemental Mastery: 250
Identified Skills:
- Telekinesis — Level 2/10
- Stat Boosting — Level 3/10
- Intangibility — Level 3/10
- Flight — Level 2/10
- Soul Manipulation & Lie Detection — Level 2/10
- Elementary Anemo Mastery — Level 3/10
- Illusion Creation — Level 2/10
- Resistance Reduction — Level 4/10
- Stat Reduction — Level 2/10
- Mass Increase/Decrease — Level 2/10
- Teleportation — Level 4/10
- Wind Communication — Level 2/10
Stock exchange: 19,000 Moras
Venti: "Level seventeen…"
He gently closed his hand on the stone, his gaze determined.
Venti: "A single upgraded skill could make a real difference against a level forty Cryo Hypostasis and Cryo Regisvine."
They continued forward, step by step, as the blue glow grew ever more intense.
Around them, the ruins seemed almost to watch them, as if the cavern itself held the memory of those who had fallen here before them.
And deep in Venti's mind, a certainty was gradually taking hold:
This dungeon was not merely a test of strength, but a dangerous game orchestrated by the Abyss, where every stolen piece of information could become a weapon.
Looking at his stats again, Venti frowned slightly.
Venti: "What is it?"
Something was wrong. His gaze settled on a specific line, almost innocuous at first glance, but which triggered a profound unease within him.
Wind Communication — Level 2/10.
Venti remained motionless for a few seconds, the adventurer's crystal still between his fingers.
He was certain of one thing, though:
He had never used this skill consciously.
Not once.
He remembered each of his other abilities perfectly, how they had been triggered—sometimes instinctively, sometimes out of necessity—but this one… nothing.
No clear memory, no specific situation.
Venti: "…That's strange."
He reread the list slowly, line by line, as if hoping to find a hidden explanation.
Teleportation, illusion creation, intangibility, resistance reduction… all had progressed at specific moments, often in dangerous situations or under intense concentration.
But Wind Communication?
He had no recollection of having "spoken" to the wind, nor of having used it as a medium intentionally.
To be more precise, the Wind Communication skill allows one to communicate with people from a distance, by speaking into thin air.
Venti: ".......".
A shiver ran down his spine.
Venti: "I can't have gained a level… without using it."
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to recall the last few days.
- Waking up with no memory.
- The bandits.
- Arlan and Leona.
- The run through the forest.
- The fight against the Ruin Guard.
- The migraines.
- The words that appeared in his mind without warning.
- The slimes
- Barbatos.
- The Abyss.
Then a detail came back to him.
The whispers.
Not clear voices, nor distinct words, but rather a diffuse feeling.
As if, on several occasions, he had "sensed" things without being told.
The imminent danger before the bandits' attack.
The certainty that he had to run in a specific direction.
The moment he had known, without thinking, how to guide his allies against the Lector.
Venti slowly opened his eyes.
Venti: "What if… I used it without realizing it?"
The idea troubled him even more.
It would mean that some of his abilities activated on their own, responding to something deeper than his simple will.
As if the wind were listening to him… or worse, as if it had been speaking to him from the very beginning.
He lightly gripped the crystal in his hand.
Venti: "Or… someone else used it through me."
'......'
His gaze instinctively lifted to the heights of the cavern, to the almost imperceptible air currents that made the bluish light in the center of the room shimmer.
FFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffff
The wind was even blowing here, in the depths of the dungeon.
Silent.
Omnipresent.
Venti inhaled slowly to calm his mind.
Venti: "Whatever the reason… it means this skill is far more dangerous and important than I thought."
He finally put away his crystal, his heart heavier than before.
A certainty had just dawned within him:
Some answers would not come from his companions, nor even from the Adventurers' Guild.
They would come from the wind itself… when it finally decided to speak to him clearly.
After several minutes of cautious walking, the uneven, stony ground gradually gave way to a smoother surface, entirely covered in frost.
The air suddenly became colder, so much so that each breath turned into a light, whitish cloud before their faces.
The silence, already heavy in the cavern, became even more oppressive, broken only by the cracking of ice beneath their feet.
As they advanced, the blue glow they had been following for some time finally revealed itself in all its magnitude.
Before them stretched an immense circular arena, made entirely of translucent ice.
Frozen pillars, like giant stalagmites, rose all around, forming a kind of natural cathedral.
Roots frozen in the ice hung from the ceiling, and a fine, icy mist floated a few centimeters above the ground, giving the place an unreal, almost sacred atmosphere.
At the exact center of the arena, two distinct forms lay motionless.
The first was a massive crystal, floating slightly above the ground, surrounded by fragments of ice that slowly rotated around it:
Cryo Hypostasis
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Even at rest, it emanated a cold and oppressive aura, as if the very air itself were contracting around it.
The second form, even more imposing, resembled an immense plant frozen in ice.
Its frost petals were folded in on themselves, and its frozen trunk seemed deeply rooted in the arena floor:
The Cryo Regisvine
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Thin luminous cracks ran across its surface, pulsing faintly, a sign that it wasn't completely inactive.
Bram: ".......... "
Lyra: ".......... "
Kael: ".......... "
Venti: ".......... "
Eron: ".......... "
The five adventurers stopped almost instinctively at the edge of the arena, as if they had crossed an invisible border.
None of them spoke.
Bram: ".......... "
Even Bram, usually so boisterous, remained silent, observing the scene with unusual gravity.
Kael: ".......... "
Kael clenched his jaw slightly, already mentally assessing distances and angles.
Eron: ".......... "
Eron adjusted the strap of his potion bag, while Lyra stared at the two bosses with a mixture of concentration and concern.
Venti and Lyra, meanwhile, felt a slight shiver run down their spines.
It wasn't just from the cold.
Something in the air seemed... alive.
As if the wind, though almost absent, was whispering a warning they didn't yet understand.
Venti: "...So this is where it ends, huh?"
Lyra: "Right in front of us is our ticket out."
Before them, the ice arena waited, silent, motionless… but ready to awaken at the slightest misstep.
Silence fell for a few seconds in the icy arena.
The air was much colder than in the rest of the dungeon, so much so that each breath formed a light, whitish cloud before their faces.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of ice, translucent in places, revealing bluish veins that pulsed slowly, as if the arena itself were alive.
In the center, motionless yet oppressive, stood the two bosses.
The Cryo Hypostasis floated slightly above the ground, its glowing core encased in geometric blocks of ice that rotated slowly around it.
Each movement produced a sharp crack, like that of a frozen lake about to split.
A little further away, rooted in the ice, the Cryo Regisvine lay dormant, a gigantic crystalline flower frozen in a deceptive sleep.
Its frosted petals glistened faintly, and its heart pulsed with a cold, steady glow, like a deep breath.
Bram clenched his fists, feeling the cold try to seep through his gear.
Bram: "Well… it looks like we've finally reached the end."
Kael carefully surveyed the surroundings, assessing distances, blind spots, and areas where the ice seemed more fragile.
Kael: "The terrain is clearly in their favor."
"If we slip or get trapped here… it won't be forgiving."
Eron mechanically pulled a few vials from his satchel, checking that the contents hadn't frozen. His fingers trembled slightly, as much from the cold as from the tension.
Eron: "Cryo Hypostasis... Cryo Regisvine..."
"Two monsters specializing in ice."
"We're going to need coordination, or we'll end up like the skeleton on the stairs."
Bram: "If only we had a mage of that type..."
Kael: "..........."
Eron: "..........."
Venti: ".........."
They all turned almost instinctively towards Lyra.
She stood slightly apart, her staff clutched tightly in her hands, the flame at its tip flickering gently but refusing to go out despite the cold.
The orange glow contrasted sharply with the icy blue of the arena, naturally drawing everyone's attention.
Lyra: "Uh?"
"Why are you all looking at me like that..."?
Venti: "Heh heh."
Venti gave a wry smile, already thinking about the best way to fire. part of the situation.
He felt the air around them vibrate slightly, as if the wind itself were waiting for the signal to fight.
Venti: "Because, without putting any pressure on you… you're literally our best weapon here."
"Our flame."
Bram nodded with a broad, confident smile.
Bram: "Yeah."
"We'll make sure these two things leave you completely free."
"You strike, we'll take care of the rest."
Kael crossed his arms, more serious, but his gaze was determined.
Kael: "We draw their attention, we break their defenses, and as soon as an opening appears…"
"Lyra, you strike without hesitation."
Lyra took a deep breath.
Lyra: "..."
She felt the weight of expectations pressing down on her shoulders, but instead of making her doubt, it strengthened her resolve.
One A faint spark leaped from the tip of his staff, the flame growing stronger.
Lyra: "Very well."
"Then make sure I don't miss."
Venti watched the scene in silence, his gaze shifting from his companions to the two sleeping bosses.
He sensed this fight would be different from the previous ones.
Longer.
More dangerous.
But also decisive.
Venti: "Two bosses."
"Only one chance."
"If we win here... then everything we've been through so far will finally make sense."
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A sudden crack echoed through the arena.
The Cryo Hypostasis slowly accelerated its rotation, while the Cryo Regisvine's heart pulsed more strongly, making the ice vibrate beneath their feet.
The fight was about to begin.
They paused for a few moments at the edge of the arena, still concealed behind pillars of natural ice and frozen roots that hung from the ceiling.
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The cold was far more intense here: each breath formed a light white cloud, and the ground crunched beneath their boots due to the thick frost covering it.
In the center of the arena, the Cryo Hypostasis floated slowly, its cubic fragments swirling around its core, while the Cryo Regisvine lay further away, coiled upon itself, seemingly almost asleep… but a glacial energy pulsed steadily through its central stem.
Venti placed a hand against the icy wall and briefly closed his eyes, as if to feel the air currents circulating within the arena.
Venti: "The air is unstable... when the fight begins, the temperature will drop even further."
"We'll have to act quickly."
Bram nodded, gripping the hilt of his weapon until his leather gloves creaked.
Bram: "No problem."
"Kael and I will keep them occupied."
"As long as they keep hitting us, Lyra can throw whatever she wants."
Kael carefully observed the Hypostasis's slow movements, mentally counting the rotations of its cubes.
Kael: "The Hypostasis will attack in cycles. If we break its rhythm, it will expose its core."
"At that point... Lyra, it will be up to you."
Lyra took a deep breath.
A faint reddish-orange glow danced briefly around her fingers, a stark contrast to the arena's pervasive blue.
Lyra: "Okay."
"But I won't be able to maintain a high fire for too long without support."
"The cold will drain my mana faster than usual."
Eron tapped the vials attached to his belt, producing a soft, reassuring clink.
Eron: "Count on me."
"Mana potions, cold resistance potions, and even a stimulant if things get critical."
"You won't run out."
All eyes turned to Venti.
He took a deep breath, then smiled calmly, almost confidently.
Venti: "I'm going to reduce their resistances as much as possible.
"Cryo debuffs, elemental amplification, and speed and power buffs for Lyra."
"If all goes well... every fire spell will hit twice as hard."
He paused, glancing around the arena, then at his companions.
Venti: "But that means I'll have to stay focused at all times."
"If I falter, the whole balance collapses."
Bram chuckled softly.
Bram: "Then don't falter."
Kael gave a wry smile.
Kael: "We're all here."
"No one will fall alone."
Eron: "Let's hope no one falls short."
Chapter 41: A frost arena and two bosses
The End