The Ice Dungeon's frozen depths were a gut-punch of cold, the kind that clawed at my lungs and made every step a slog. N'Nazmuz's curse—30 kilos of invisible weight—dragged on me like a clingy ex, but my Starforged Tunic shimmered, easing the strain just enough. My Pyroclast Dual Swords, freshly repaired by Tharok's forge, hung ready at my hips, their Fire Qi humming. Varkoth, my Peak Scholar Darkness Basilisk Emperor, coiled as a Shadowwell bracer on my wrist, hissing silently, his two-meter form itching to unleash chaos. Bera, Tira, and Lila were somewhere in this icy hell, and I wasn't leaving without them.
The team—twelve cultivators after Grom's death, plus Rocky, Vuk, and Varkoth—followed close, their breaths fogging in the frost. Vira's Water Qi glimmered, her blonde hair catching the dim light. Gorzka's Lightning Qi crackled, her green skin stark against the ice. Elder Korn's Wood Qi vines twitched, ready to heal. Lirien, the Day Elf with Expert Crystal Qi, radiated a faint glow, her prismatic shards floating like deadly fireflies. Zephyr, now Beginner Grand Master Darkness, and the others—Sylph, Aric, Kael, and more—kept pace, weapons drawn. "Stay sharp," I growled, voice echoing. "This place eats the careless."
I'd mapped our descent in my head, sketching the dungeon's twists from Elder Sani's intel: narrow tunnels, ambush points, and a central chamber sealed by Ice Qi barriers. My plan was simple—bait and bleed. I'd use Varkoth's Umbral Shroud for stealth, set traps with Zenoite shards and Glowvine bulbs from my spatial ring, and let the dungeon's beasts come to us. "Varkoth," I whispered, "cloak me when we hit the choke points. We'll prank these frosty bastards into early graves."
The first test came fast. A pack of Ice Golems—Middle Master hulks of frost and stone—lumbered from a side tunnel, their fists like siege hammers. "Ambush!" I shouted, diving behind a stalagmite. The curse slowed me, my boots gouging ice, but I grinned. Time for a trick.
"Varkoth, Shroud!" I hissed. His darkness enveloped me, masking my form. I rigged a Glowvine bulb to a Zenoite shard, its volatile energy primed to explode. "Lirien, blind 'em!" Her Crystal Qi flared, prismatic beams dazzling the golems. Gorzka's lightning arced, melting a chunk of ice-armor. Vira's water whips snared a golem's leg, while Korn's vines stitched her wounds mid-fight, Wood Qi pulsing green.
I lobbed the shard-bulb combo into the pack. It detonated, shrapnel shredding two golems. "Zephyr, now!" His Umbral Fang sliced a third, black blood spraying. I charged, curse be damned, and drove my Heaven Splitter through a golem's core, shattering it. Rocky and Vuk tore into the last, their claws ripping stone. The fight ended in seconds, frost and blood mixing on the floor.
I scavenged their icy cores, tucking them into my ring. "Nice work," I said, wiping sweat. "Keep it tight. We're not here for sightseeing."
We pushed deeper, the tunnels narrowing, ice thicker. My plan evolved—use the terrain. The dungeon's tight corridors were perfect for choke points. I rigged Zenoite nets laced with Moonflower sap, their sticky burn ready to trap anything dumb enough to charge. "Varkoth, scout ahead," I muttered. His spiritual sense slithered forward, hissing, "Ssserpents… Frost Wyrmsss… ten meters."
Sure enough, a Frost Wyrm swooped in, its icy wings blasting a blizzard. Sylph screamed, caught in the freeze, her Wind Qi faltering. The wyrm's tail smashed her into a wall, bones crunching. "Damn it!" I roared, tossing a Glowvine bulb. It burst, disorienting the beast. Lirien's crystal shards pierced its wings, grounding it. Gorzka's lightning cooked its hide, and Vira's whips held it still while Korn's vines healed a gash on Zephyr's arm.
I leaped, swords flashing, and carved its throat. Blood sprayed, freezing mid-air. Varkoth's Shadow Bind pinned its corpse, ensuring it stayed dead. I hacked off its fangs and scales, ring swallowing them. "One less lizard," I grunted, but Sylph's death stung. Ten cultivators left, plus the beasts.
We rested in a cavern, ice walls glinting like cursed mirrors. I checked the team—Aric's serpent bite oozed, Kael's arm was frosted, but Korn and Vira worked fast, Wood and Water Qi sealing wounds. "You're not dying on me," I said, tossing potions. My mind churned—Sani mentioned Ice Qi barriers deeper in. My split-leaf amulet could crack them, maybe, but I wasn't spilling that High Elven secret. "We hit the next tunnel, we bait and trap," I said. "Varkoth, you're my ace. Shroud us at the choke."
The next tunnel was a death trap—Sentient Ice Wraiths, Middle Expert ghosts with frost blades, swarmed us. Their Qi slashed like razors. Aric took a blade to the chest, collapsing in a red puddle. Kael's starlight burned two, but a wraith's slash opened his throat. Eight left. "Varkoth, Glare!" I barked. His Dread Glare froze three wraiths, and my swords cleaved them. Lirien's crystals shattered another, while Gorzka's lightning fried the rest. Korn's vines patched my bleeding thigh, Vira's water soothing the burn.
I scavenged wraith essence, my ring growing heavy. "We're close," I said, feeling it. The air thickened, whispers echoing—Bera's fire, Tira's blaze, Lila's earth. My girls were alive, but trapped. I rigged another trap: Zenoite shards tied to Glowvine triggers, set to collapse a tunnel roof. "If anything big comes, this'll bury it," I told Zephyr. He nodded, his usual "Perverted Elf" quip absent—Sylph's death hit him hard.
Then came the prank. I slipped a Glowvine bulb into Vira's pack, its faint glow timed to burst later. "Payback for splashing me," I muttered, smirking. Varkoth hissed, amused, his spiritual sense catching my mischief. "Sssupreme fool," he rasped. I cackled, the curse's weight forgotten for a moment.
Hours later, we hit a massive ice door, its surface pulsing with Ice Qi. Beyond it, I sensed a beast—huge, angry, royal. "Final chamber," I said, voice low. "Varkoth, Shroud us. Lirien, ready your crystals. Gorzka, spark it up. Korn, Vira, keep us alive." I traced the door's runes—High Elven, like the barrier before. "Mark of the First," it read. My amulet pulsed, but I shoved it down. No time for ruin nonsense.
I pushed the door, ice creaking. The chamber loomed—a frozen arena, stalactites dripping. My girls were in there, and so was a monster. I grinned, swords ready, curse heavy. "Time to prank a king."