No matter how cold and down you are, someone that's special to you can always lighten up your day and warm your 'cold' heart, whether it's a pet, a friend, a partner, or even yourself.
Location: Gelu Dungeon Complex Entrance
The frigid air was sharp and clean as the expedition teams marched into Gelu's ancient dungeon complex. Despite the cold, spirits were high and for once, the day belonged to growth--not tragedy.
Throughout the labyrinth of frozen halls and icy clearings, the full expedition made steady progress. Rooms, which were once rumored to be deadly, were cleared with mastered-skill. Monsters fell, traps were dismantled, and each victory brought a warm glow as their stats steadily rose.
Level-ups came like gifts earned through sweat:
Rikushi's fire burned brighter.
Rumoto's strikes grew heavier.
Para's punches grew deadlier.
Yunoi's wind sharpened like razors.
Toku's spear-play flowed with confidence.
Kaide's precision with his blade was nearly flawless.
Valentine, Blaidd, and the others each pushed their limits further than ever before, eager for more.
Even amidst battle, subtle moments bloomed--Toku and Yunoi, often sparring side-by-side, exchanged more than just glances as they worked together, their trust deepening with each passing encounter.
By nightfall, they returned to the Guild's checkpoint, gathered around warm fires, sharing food and stories with Iria and her team. There was laughter, boasting, and talk of strategies for the deeper layers.
By the following morning, the teams divided into squads for focused expeditions.
Team 1:
Rikushi, Rumoto, Para, Toren -- Tasked with deeper artifact ruins and the most dangerous cavern. Supplied with an excellent front liner, a mid-line, support, and an enchanter.
Team 2:
Valentine, Mek, Blaidd, Iria -- Assigned to hunt one of Gelu's top-ranked targets. Teamed up with a Tank, a speedster assassin, a mid-to-melee ranged, and an all-around attacker.
Team 3:
Toku, Kaide, Yunoi, Seline -- Tasked with clearing a high-risk predator den. Paired with two main attackers, a CC mage, and a healer.
Team 4:
LuLu, Ina, Rez, Damon, Vax -- Investigating magical disturbances. Laced with an assassin, a swordsman-bruiser, two mages, and a tanky melee user.
Location: Gelu Dungeon Complex | The Frostwood Cavern - Team 3
Toku, Kaide, Yunoi, and Seline trekked through a narrow frozen tunnel, stepping into a cold and vast chamber--a hidden forest trapped inside a mountain, trees coated in thick layers of ice.
Around them, white-furred Ice Wolves prowled in packs. Their breath misted in the air, eyes gleaming with primal hunger, and claws sharpened to kill.
Kaide led the charge, his sword carving clean arcs through smaller wolves, precise and elegant. Toku followed closely, his strength devastating anything that tried to flank Kaide, while Yunoi's wind magic pinned and scattered the packs before they could overwhelm the group. Seline stayed behind, expertly timing her heals to keep them topped off and well.
"Good teamwork!" Yunoi shouted as she unleashed a Magic Spell "Gale Dance", knocking a leaping wolf aside. "We're actually making good time!"
After several hours of combat and careful scouting, they reached a Checkpoint Lodge, a small cabin left behind by ancient explorers--warm, dry, and magically protected. They set camp, resting for the night under magical wards.
The next day...
The Boss: "Glacivar, Alpha of the Pale Hunt"
The next morning, they delved deeper, finally reaching the Boss' cavern.
There, under glowing icicles and ancient trees, stood the monstrous alpha--Glacivar, easily triple the size of a normal Ice Wolf, coated in jagged ice armor, with breath cold enough to freeze the air.
The battle was brutal yet visibly one-sided.
Kaide's footwork danced around the beast, slashing through its legs with perfect strikes.
Toku charged in after each stagger, landing devastating heavy blows to break Glacivar's armor plates.
Yunoi controlled the battlefield, her cyclones sweeping away the Boss' summoned minions before they could swarm.
Seline's healing spells were perfectly timed, keeping injuries minimal even through Glacivar's icey swipes.
Finally, after a coordinated assault, Kaide carved deep into Glacivar's chest, opening its core.
"Now!" Toku shouted.
With one massive final swing, Kaide's sword penetrated through the beast's frozen heart.
Glacivar let out one last shriek before collapsing into a pile of shattered ice, its energy dissipating into the chamber and a Gauntlet of Ice dropping where the Boss once stood.
Victory. Clean, efficient, and precise.
Location: Gelu Hallow Dungeon Complex - Troll Cavern
Valentine, Mek, Blaidd, and Iria stood before their own query--a towering, grotesque monstrosity known as "Kraggroth, King of Trolls."
The creature's arms were like tree trunks, its skin was covered in jagged, rocky growths, and its club was a sharpened tree frozen in glacial ice.
Valentine darted in first, his brass knuckles glowing with charged strikes, launching powerful combos. Mek followed with rapid-tech assaults while encased in his exosuit, firing plasma bursts that tore through the minions.
But what caught Iria's attention was the silent rivalry emerging.
"Are you two trying to outshine me?" she taunted mid-battle.
Valentine grinned, ducking under a troll swing.
"You're not exactly holding back either."
Blaidd remained quiet, hands swirling with cold energy. As Kraggroth's minions rushed forward, Blaidd unleashed a Magical Ice Spell "Shatterveil", summoning massive ice spires that erupted from the ground, impaling a dozen enemies at once and creating obstacles that blocked the enemies' paths.
Even Iria paused. "Okay... That was quite impressive."
As the battle went on, the three gradually synced, weaving their attacks together in a growing rhythm.
Finally, they executed their finishing move.
Mek launched explosive plasma strikes from above.
Blaidd summoned massive frozen pillars that locked Kraggroth's limbs in place.
Iria unleashed a brutal flurry of strikes directly into its core, each hit vibrating with crushing force.
Valentine delivered the final blow, an empowered Crimson Heartbreaker uppercut that cracked Kraggroth's skull wide open.
Kraggroth collapsed with a thunderous quake, shattering stone beneath its massive body and creating a small impact of icy air and frozen rock.
Location: Gelu Dungeon Complex Entrance
As both teams regrouped later that evening, fresh with victories, there was only one thing on Kaide and Valentine's mind;
"You think the Airship has more Ramen?" Kaide asked hopefully.
"If Beau was smart," Valentine said with a grin, "he stocked enough for us to celebrate properly."
The two highfive with glee on their faces, acting all giddy before being told that they're not allowed to go back to the airship just yet, by Iria.
Valentine, saddened by the sudden news, mentions "Then where do we go?"
Iria replies, with a laughing tone like she's excited to show people the place she has decided on "The Tavern by the Complex's entrance, Engler Og Fangehull."
((Writer's Note: Translated to 'Angel's Dungeon'))
"They have the best Beer around, I was told by the mighty Guild Leader that it's made with crops grown in the Dungeon." Iria spouts, fists clenched on her hips and spirit high. "If any of you punks beat me in glasses downed, I'll do one favor for yous."
Valentine, Kaide, and Blaidd agree, with high spirits and the curiosity to know if they have Ramen.
"They... Don't have it... THEY DON'T HAVE IT AT ALL!" Kaide shouts aloud, reading the Menu of the Tavern. His eyes shaking with disbelief and jaw wide open.
Valentine sits in his seat, with his hands down in his lap, staring at the wall in disbelief.
"It... It's over... My happiness is gone..." he says, as his head dips down, accepting his fate.
Iria walks behind them, 2 beers in one hand, propping them down on the table in front of them, sizzling with foam and bubbles. "Drink up, this round is on me." as she walks away, laughing with such a high spirit.
Valentine, holding the glass to his mouth, peeks over at Iria, seeing her walk around without her winter clothing, seeing the muscles and scars, her dark-tanned skin, and rambunctious hair, makes him have a tingle in his chest.
"vale-... Valen-... VALENTINE!" Kaide yells, which gets Valentine's attention finally. "Where are the others? They're taking an unusually long time out there in this bitter cold."
"They'll be safe, I know they will be, now... Let's drink up and celebrate our victory!" Valentine says as he downs two beers at once.
But... This Dungeon mission would soon turn out to be the worst choice of their life.