Dungeon of Niflheim-Chapter 764 : Staring death in the face

As Frost gazed up at the swirling mass of destruction that promised to rend him apart down to even the most minute of atoms he continued to smile.

His lust for battle overcame his fear of the enemy and of his inevitable death. He knew clearly that there was no hope in surviving this clash and because of that he was able to let go of a lot of things.

The pain throughout his body lessened slightly as his hands balled into tight (albeit awkward looking) fists. He would have preferred to stand with his glaive in hand but unfortunately it was sent flying in the opposite direction, and he could no longer grasp anything with his mangled fingers.

Instead he shakily raised his arms up into a boxing pose, daring to take on the Artic Zu with his bare fists. He refused to cower in his last moments regardless of what his enemy deigned to throw at him.

In fact it choosing to come at him for real only fuelled his lust for battle, granting him a slight mercy, allowing him to enjoy the moment somewhat.

Of course such disrespect only worsened the Artic Zu's already foul mood.

"DIE!!!" With a booming voice that stretched for tens of kilometres the Artic Zu with its intimidating 30 metre wingspan roared as it shot its most powerful skill in Frost's direction, aiming to shred him out of existence.

It no longer felt hunger when it looked at Frost, only hatred.

"Rawr!" Kiba who was in the distance, desperately flying this way witnessed all this and released a heart rending wail as tears streamed down his face.

He wouldn't make it in time and even if he did what could he do.

Kiba didn't want his master to die.

His gaze briefly locked with Frost's and in that moment he saw him smile in his direction and mouth but a single word 'Run' before the turbulent sphere of energy conjured by the Artic Zu crashed against him, annihilating everything in a kilometre radius.

The concussive force was so extreme that Kiba who was still several kilometres away was sent flying, his wings unable to compete with such a force. The young tiger cub crashed hard against the side of a small mountain.

His left wing snapped causing him to yelp in pain as his body slide down the mountain and then crashed against the ice below.

Kiba was about to slide down into a deep crevasse, home to who knows what manner of monster but was stopped thanks to something sticking out from the cliff edge.

"Grrr." A few moments later he lightly growled as a cold sweat ran down his brow. That was a close one, if he had slid down any further he'd likely have become underground monster chow.

He looked around to gauge his surroundings before honing in on what saved him.

'This is master's glaive.' What saved him was Frost's weapon, the [wolf howling at the moon] that had been sent flying because of the Artic Zu's [blizzard's judgement].

Immediately upon realising this point tears once again flowed down his cheeks as he clumsily dragged both the glaive and his body up the cliff face to reach the surface.

His eyes then focused on the epicentre of the blast, where his master had bravely stood with a smile on his face.

He knew there was no hope in Frost surviving such an attack, but he looked for him anyway, his heart refusing to accept such an outcome.

What he did end up seeing, once the dust and snow eventually cleared however was beyond anything he could imagine.

He saw a tall creature standing or rather hovering since it had no legs between a shocked Frost and the massive Artic Zu.

The distance was a bit far to make out clear details, but the creature had only a gaseous, cloud like form for its lower body while its upper body appeared humanoid and was protected by thick plate armour forged by materials so beautiful Kiba immediately compared it to the stars in the night sky.

It stood roughly 5 metres tall, much smaller than the Artic Zu but strangely despite its diminutive stature it felt much, much larger, like a mountain, immovable.

Its face lacked a few features, having only a set of three eyes made up of silver flames. There was no mouth or nose but that didn't stop it from expressing its emotions.

In Kiba's eyes the creature seemed jubilant as though being granted satisfaction after enduring a great torment.

He wanted to rush to Frost's side; to help him in his time of need but his instincts warned him to stay far away. Though the creature didn't appear to be using its aura Kiba could still sense the disparity in their strengths.

This interloper that he could not identify as either friend or foe could kill him with just a glance, of this he was certain.

"Grrrr." With his desire to be by Frost's side and instincts opposed to one another Kiba found every step he took to be an ordeal. The closer he got the worse he felt.

'Didn't that damn Zu say it was the king of this region?' It was clear to him even with his paltry C-rank strength that the Artic Zu that so easily trumped Frost was the weaker party in this stand-off. The massive monster was visibly trembling, its eyes filled with fear as it looked down upon the interloper.

While Kiba struggled to make his way towards Frost and the two overpowered monsters Frost himself was questioning what happened to him.

A few moments ago he was ready to meet his death yet now standing before him was a monster even stronger than the Artic Zu looking him over with glee.

"Prince Frost I assume." The armoured creature asked joyfully as its three flamelike eyes curved into upward crescents.

A few moments prior.

When Frost crashed into the large structure standing prominently behind him he cracked the ice that covered it, causing large shards to fall alongside his plummet to the ground.

Hidden underneath this sheet of solid ice was a structure made of an unrecognisable material -at least by Frost's standards- and on its surface were runes, vast and intricate, their function far beyond the comprehension of an amateur in the craft.

The short burst of contact initially caused no reaction, but the moment Frost's blood flowed through the cracked ice and touched the runes they began to glow, shimmer and even lightly hum.

Unknown to both Frost and the Artic Zu a message had been sent or rather a summons made to the individual that currently stood between the two of them.

The monster that had the appearance of a jacked up revenant moved swiftly, exiting through a portal that had formed atop the large structure's surface.

The first thing he saw was the attack of the Artic Zu barrelling down from on high, milliseconds from atomising a young man with the appearance of an elf.

The individual somehow recognised Frost immediately and wasted no time protecting him from the Zu's attack.

Now he stood between the two of them, Frost sheltering behind his large frame and the mighty Artic Zu hovering in the air with a wary expression.

Though the creature's appearance and identity were lost on Frost, the Artic Zu knew him well.

He was the Gatekeeper, the herald and guardian of the Primordial Ice King's will throughout this region. A being with unimaginable power, far beyond what even it could fathom after reaching its current strength.

Normally such a situation would result in the Artic Zu being frozen in fear, a greater predator stood opposed to it after all however this wasn't a normal situation.

It had lived for a long time, spending decades here in this region alone and therefore knew a few things.

The Gatekeeper though invincible in its eyes was not all that threatening as its actions were heavily restricted.

Therefore the Artic Zu didn't rush to fly away, nor did it show abject terror, merely an appropriate amount of caution and wariness.

'Shit I forgot this bastard dwelled here.' The King of the skies thought internally.

It had been many years since their last encounter, so it could be forgiven for not remembering in the heat of the moment. But this lapse in judgement had now landed it in hot water.

Though the Gatekeeper had his limitations, a direct attack upon what he was charged with protecting was grounds for an immediate counter.

Thankfully the gate or rather doorway was not the main target, mainly something caught in the crossfire. The Zu was banking on this little detail, hoping that the Gatekeeper wouldn't exceed its restricted capacity.

Internally the Zu looked down on the Gatekeeper, so strong and powerful yet bound to be nothing but a watchdog, forbidden to take action regardless of how much he was pestered by the local flies.

"Huh?" Frost who was still standing straight -albeit barely- responded in confusion. The Gatekeeper's words truly caught him by surprise.

This was the first time he was being referred to as Prince but more importantly he was known by this individual.

"[Greater heal]" Noticing his extensive wounds with a brief glance the Gatekeeper waved his hand and cast a high level healing spell on him, swiftly repairing a great deal of his injuries.

The effects were equivalent to downing a high level heath potion of great quality albeit without the addictive taste.

Frost felt his body rapidly heal, his vision becoming clear and his strength returning. His confusion however only grew as he took in the shape and form of the monster before him. He truly had no inkling into his identity.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.