CHAPTER 93: THE WINTER GATE

Frost monkeys.

They came in droves, scampering across the frozen landscape like a tide of white shadows, their screeches echoing in the hollow silence of the north.

They were similar to the Wraiths he had faced not too long ago.

Their bodies were lanky, their limbs too long for their frames, and each movement seemed jerky, animalistic, yet frighteningly coordinated.

A lesser man would have frozen in fear at the sight of dozens of pale, razor-toothed creatures closing in.

A lesser man would have felt his heartbeat clawing against his ribs as the ice beneath him cracked with each movement.

But Azel was no lesser man.

He leapt off the jagged ice sheet, and as he did, the platform shattered into shards, exploding beneath the force of his legs.

Aura flooded his body like a second bloodstream, strengthening every muscle, every tendon, every nerve.

His daggers gleamed.

The first five Frost monkeys didn’t even have time to scream properly before his blades severed their spines.

Their shrieks were drowned in the sound of tearing flesh, blood spraying across the snow and staining it crimson.

He landed in a crouch, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the pale light of the sun.

Another monkey lunged from the side, jaws wide, aiming for his neck.

Azel twisted casually, almost lazily, and his dagger carved through its throat.

The head detached and rolled across the snow.

And then —

[Your Bloodline is reacting to the Winter]

[All your Stats have been multiplied by 20]

The surge came instantly.

It wasn’t a slow burn, nor a gradual flow.

It was like swallowing lightning.

His blood screamed inside his veins.

His vision sharpened, his body felt lighter, faster, stronger.

Every breath he took was filled with biting frost, yet instead of weakening him, it invigorated him.

Azel’s smile spread, slow and feral.

’So... I get stronger in the winter, huh?’

The Frost monkeys didn’t pause.

If anything, his sudden burst of power seemed to trigger their frenzy.

They rushed from every direction, claws raking against the ice, eyes glowing with bloodlust.

They weren’t strong individually, but their numbers — hundreds would crush an army of even experienced Adventurers.

Azel shot forward, daggers spinning in his hands, leaving afterimages with every strike.

"First Style — Star Strike."

The words slipped out as naturally as breathing.

His blades became streaks of starlight, piercing, slicing, tearing.

Monkeys shrieked, their blood steaming as it sprayed onto the frozen ground.

He danced between them, a blur of movement, cutting one’s head clean off before pivoting to stab another through the heart.

The ice beneath his feet cracked and shattered with each step, but he never lost balance.

He was in the zone.

One monkey swung its claws for his back — he twisted, parried with his left dagger, and thrust his right into its open maw, silencing its screech forever.

Another tried to leap over his head; he jumped higher, higher than any human should, and sliced it in half midair, blood raining down in a grotesque curtain.

The monsters came, and Azel killed.

Again.

And again.

And again.

His blades painted the snow with gore until the white turned crimson.

His eyes glowed brighter with each kill, the bloodline inside him howling with satisfaction.

Minutes passed, though it felt like seconds.

His breathing never wavered.

His arms never slowed.

His heart raced only with exhilaration.

And after a while...

[Hidden Quest: Slaughter Master (II)]

[Objective: Slay 200 / 50 Ice-type monsters]

[Hidden Quest has been completed... Generating reward...]

[You have received a Summoning Card]

[You have received Eternal Ice (One-Time)]

Azel exhaled slowly, lowering his daggers. His gaze swept across the field.

Hundreds of corpses littered the snow.

The Frost monkeys had stopped coming.

The rank 4 Frost Ape that had been guiding them had fled the moment it realized what kind of monster it was facing.

Azel stood atop the mound of corpses, looking not even remotely tired.

He stepped back onto the deck of the ship with the same calm he might have after a morning jog.

’Such an overpowered clan,’ he thought, staring down at his hands, still buzzing with power.

His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the reflection of the ice. ’As long as I’m in winter... I feel invincible.’

The thought didn’t make him arrogant, though.

He knew there were monsters and Adventurers far beyond him, for example Monarchs.

But the boost made one thing certai — this land was his domain.

He leaned against the railing and let the icy wind whip against his face.

’Nyala.’

[Yes, darling?]

Her playful voice slid into his mind, dripping with mischief.

’Do you think I could meet the goddess of ice?’

There was silence, then —

[EHHH?! ARE YOU PLANNING TO SEDUCE HER TOO?] Her voice cracked, indignant. [Am I not enough for you already? H-how could you—]

’It’s not like that,’ Azel sighed internally. ’I just think the people here... they carry her blessing. Like the way the Church uses Holy power. It feels similar.’

[Ohhh...] She paused. [Yes, the Winter Region’s people are indirectly blessed. That’s why you feel that surge. Their goddess watches over this land. You basically tapped into her presence.]

’And you didn’t tell me earlier?’

[You didn’t ask~] she sang, teasing. [Besides, you’re at your destination.]

He blinked, glancing ahead.

She was right.

The ship slowed.

And there, before him, stood a wall of ice so colossal it made mountains look small.

It rose endlessly, disappearing into the clouds.

The Winter’s Gate.

At its center was a gate so massive even a fleet of ships could pass through side by side.

Carved into it were runes glowing faintly blue, pulsing with a rhythm like a heartbeat.

Azel’s chest tightened slightly.

Even for someone like him, the sight was awe-inspiring.

He had never seen this in the game, after all the Winter region wasn’t somewhere that could be visited.

And standing at the base of the gate was a legion of guards.

They wore gleaming white armor traced with frost patterns, their cloaks billowing in the icy wind.

Each one carried weapons of enchanted steel that glowed faintly with cold energy.

Their aura was chilling — not just metaphorically, but literally.

The ship ground to a halt as one of the guards raised his hand.

Then, with a single leap, he landed on the deck, right in front of Azel.

The impact cracked the wood slightly beneath his boots.

His presence was suffocating, heavy like a glacier pressing down.

"Identification?" His voice was gruff, low, and commanding.

’So they’re treating me like a potential intruder, huh?’ Azel thought, narrowing his eyes. ’They’d kill anyone foolish enough to cross their borders without clearance.’

He reached into his coat and pulled out the Patriarch’s letter.

The man took it, scanned it briefly, then returned it.

But instead of stepping back — he leaned forward.

Closer.

And then he buried his nose in the crook of Azel’s neck.

Azel froze.

’THE FUCK?!’ he nearly screamed internally. ’WHAT SORT OF GAY BEHAVIOR IS THIS?!’

The man inhaled deeply, then stepped back, his expression softening.

"Welcome to the Winter Region, my prince."

He bowed deeply, then raised a hand.

The gates shuddered.

The runes blazed with light.

Slowly, with a sound like mountains grinding, the Winter’s Gate opened.

The ship sailed forward, entering the Winter Region.