Deeper Into Frozen Hell

Chapter 12: Deeper into Frozen Hell

The air inside the Frozen Oasis had changed. It was no longer just cold—it was biting, the kind of chill that crept into their bones and made each breath feel heavier. The crystalline walls, which once reflected the torchlight beautifully, now seemed foreboding, the way they shimmered like they were watching.

Kaien led the group forward, his gaze sharp, scanning every corner. Lein followed beside him, his hands half-raised, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice. Behind them, Phyro and Klein trailed along, much less prepared.

Klein hugged himself, his entire body trembling violently. "M-Maybe we should turn back…" His teeth chattered, his breath coming out in desperate little puffs of white.

Phyro smirked. "What happened to all that excitement earlier? Thought you were ready for adventure?"

Klein scowled but was too cold to argue. He could barely feel his fingers.

Lein, without looking back, sighed and muttered something under his breath. A faint warmth suddenly wrapped around Klein's body, sinking into his clothes. The unbearable cold became tolerable. His shivering slowed.

Klein blinked in confusion. "Huh? I feel… warmer?"

Lein kept walking. "Must be the power of friendship."

Phyro snorted. "Or magic."

Kaien ignored them, stopping abruptly. His hand shot up, signaling them to be quiet. His gaze swept over the frozen corridor ahead. "Stay alert. Something's wrong."

Then, the wailing began.

It was distant at first, like the wind howling through the tunnels. But as it grew louder, it became unnatural, layered with distorted voices whispering in a language none of them understood.

A sudden gust of icy wind rushed past them, and from the walls, they emerged.

They floated silently at first—Frozen Wraiths, their semi-transparent bodies swirling with mist and ice. Their faces were hollow, empty sockets glowing with eerie blue light. They drifted closer, their cold presence suffocating.

Kaien was the first to strike. His blade flashed, cutting through the nearest wraith—only for it to pass through harmlessly.

"Tch. Physical attacks are useless." His eyes narrowed as the wraith lunged at him, forcing him to leap back.

Lein sidestepped another attack, his voice calm despite the rising tension. "They're mana-infused ice. We need to strike their cores."

Phyro's System flickered to life.

Analysis Complete: Weakness Detected

Frozen Core located in the center of their chests.

Attacks infused with mana can shatter the core.

His mind raced. They didn't have weapons that could handle this. They couldn't have—both his and Klein's blades were far too big to hide when they snuck out of the estate. They had left them behind. And now they were paying for it.

Klein gritted his teeth, pulling out the small dagger he had hidden in his boot. It was a pathetic weapon against monsters like this, but it was all he had.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He rushed forward, slashing wildly at a wraith's chest, but he missed its core entirely.

The wraith retaliated instantly, phasing behind him.

Phyro's instincts screamed at him. "Idiot! Watch your back!"

Before the wraith could sink its claws into Klein's spine, Phyro summoned a sword from his System's inventory and hurled it straight at him.

"Catch!"

Klein turned just in time to see the gleaming silver blade spinning toward him. His fingers barely wrapped around the hilt before the sheer weight nearly threw him off balance.

The wraith lunged.

Klein, moving purely on instinct, swung the sword with everything he had. The blade cut clean through the wraith's core, and the creature let out a horrific shriek before shattering into ice.

Breathing hard, Klein stared at the weapon in his hands. Then he turned to Phyro, eyes wide. "Where the hell were you hiding this?!"

Phyro smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Kaien cut off their banter with a sharp tone. "Save it. More incoming."

They turned to see the rest of the wraiths closing in, their hollow eyes glowing even brighter.

By the time the final wraith crumbled into ice, the air had grown silent again. Klein panted, still gripping the sword, his fingers sore from the sheer force he had to exert. Phyro shook out his wrist, his own weapon vanishing back into his inventory.

"That was way too close," Klein muttered.

Lein glanced at the walls, his expression suddenly unreadable. "Look at this."

Everyone turned.

The ice walls were covered in carvings.

They depicted a humanoid figure with two heads—one normal, the other upside down with black eyes. The images weren't just carvings. They told a story. A story about something sealed deep within the dungeon.

Klein, rubbing his arms, chuckled nervously. "I hope that thing isn't waiting for us."

The moment the words left his mouth, a low, unnatural growl echoed through the tunnels. The temperature plummeted.

Phyro turned to him, deadpan. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"

Before moving forward, Phyro's System pinged.

Secret Area Detected

Hidden chamber nearby.

Curious, he ran his fingers along the wall. His hand pressed against a strange marking, and suddenly, a section of the ice rumbled and slid open.

Inside was a pedestal, and on it, a chest covered in frost. The air shimmered unnaturally.

Kaien narrowed his eyes. "This feels like a trap."

Lein smirked. "That's because it is."

Phyro, ignoring the warning, reached for the chest. The moment he touched it, ice cracked beneath them.

The guardian awoke.

A massive Ice Sentinel rose from the ground, runes glowing along its frozen body. It roared, sending a shockwave of frost through the chamber.

Kaien sighed, drawing his sword. "You just had to touch it."

Phyro grinned sheepishly. "Hey, treasure's treasure."

By the time the Ice Sentinel lay shattered across the floor, they were standing before a massive frozen door.

The carvings here were clearer—depicting the two-headed humanoid sitting on a throne.

A suffocating cold filled the air.

Kaien exhaled slowly and placed his hands on the doors. "Be ready."

With a heavy creak, the doors swung open, revealing a dark chamber. At its center, sitting on a throne of ice, was a humanoid figure with blue skin and two heads—one normal, the other upside down with black eyes.

The moment they stepped inside, the figure's eyes snapped open.