Chapter 24 Iceflat Dungeon

Oz and Nahern stood at the entrance to the ice dungeon, the wind whipping their hair around their faces. Oz shivered, her breath coming out in heavy white puffs. She felt like a baby penguin, surrounded by the taller and warmer elves trying to keep the worst of the wind off her.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, looking up at Nahern. Now that she was looking at the dungeon up close, she wasn't so sure about her bravo earlier. Unlike the modest entrances she was used to, the Iceflat Dungeon was a twisted icy maul that led deep into the frozen ground around it. Icicles carved like massive teeth, like some horrid monster was frozen in place with its mouth open forever.

"Of course," he said. "I've been through this dungeon before. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Oz echoed. "It's freezing out here!"

"It'll be warmer inside," Nahern said. "Come on."

He stepped into the dungeon, and Oz followed reluctantly with her cloak tight. Two scouts stayed by her sides, both holding lanterns high to illuminate the reflective entrance. The entrance was narrow and dark, only adding to the mouth like atmosphere. The air was thick with the smell of ice and snow. Oz could hear the sound of water dripping in the distance.

They walked for a few minutes, and then the tunnel opened up into a large chamber.

'Like a stomach.' Oz thought, barely keeping her teeth from chattering. She took one of the offered lanterns and looked around in awe of it all. Despite being a dungeon, it was beautiful.

The walls were made of dark crystal clear ice, and the floor was covered in green tinted snow. In the center of the chamber was a large, frozen lake.

"This is it," Nahern said. "The ice dungeon."

Oz looked around, her eyes wide.

"It's...beautiful," she said.

"It is," Nahern said. "But it's also dangerous, be careful of your footing."

"What kind of monsters usually spawn here?" She dared to ask as the others prepared.

"Ice trolls," Nahern said with a shrug. "And ice spiders. And ice drakes."

Oz gulped. "Figures, a fire giant would be out of sorts here." She tried to joke.

"Don't worry," Nahern said. "I'll protect you."

"Thanks, but I'm sure I can handle it." Oz said with a huff. 'I'm not that helpless, Mr. Level Eighty.' She thought to herself.

They started to walk across the ice lake, Oz held on for life to Nahern's wrist. Even with the boots the surface was smooth and slippery, and Oz had to be careful not to fall.

After a few minutes, they reached the other side of the lake.

There was a small cave in the wall, and Nahern led Oz inside. The cave was dark and cold, and the only light came from a small fire in the center of the room. There were a few furs scattered on the ground, and a pile of rocks in the corner.

"This is the upper safe room, there is only one more but that is closer to the boss room." Nahern said.

Oz looked around. "It's not much," she said. "But a safe room is a safe room. I guess I should be happy it's here."

Safe rooms were an oddity of the dungeons, much like the fog. The rooms were usually small such as this one, enough to allow a small group to recover their strength with no worry of monsters coming in. Something about the rooms kept monsters from noticing that the rooms even existed.

"Thankfully this dungeon is not very large, two floors not including this base level, and the boss Snow Drake is on the lowest level." Nahern drew out the map on the floor, the snow melting under his finger.

"The Saint and I will purify the boss room, I want the rest of you to gather supplies while we work. Mine what you can, harvest the water crystals within the walls, harvest monsters. Anything of use. We need plenty of materials to help rebuild our camp. It shouldn't take us long to defeat the boss. A day or so." Nahern looked over his group of ten.

"Just a day?" Oz blinked, "Aren't you going to delay defeating the boss for harvest time?"

It was the way of most guilds in her world, delaying the boss for as long as possible during a dungeon's spawn time. That way they could harvest the dungeon dry, and wait for it to respawn. Then repeat the cycle until the dungeon was emptied completely of any usable material, only then would the boss be cleared.

"You need to clear the dungeon so you can get the proper reward." Nahern told her as the others gathered up their supplies.

"Haven't you cleared a dungeon?"

Oz bit her lip, "I've been in cleared dungeons."

"But have you personally cleared one?" He asked again, removing the heavy fur cloak and folding it on the pile of supplies.

She adjusted her bag, "Not personally. Only the higher ranks got that permission."

"Of course they did." Nahern rolled his eyes, "Greedy bastards. Come, I have a supply of weapons for you to see what works best."

"We aren't sticking with the sword?" Oz looked at the short sword on her hip. Nahern shook his head.

"Everyone has a weapon that they have a natural affinity for. Much like elemental magic. For that we will see what your natural gifts are without the seed of corruption. Simple swords are good backup, but I can tell that is not what you are made for."

Oz looked at the weapons he set out on the leather roll, her stomach tight at the options before her.

A pair of sparkling glassy daggers.

A rod glittering with golden runes and embedded with a deep red stone.

A metal spear with glittering ribbons tied to it. A pair of fingerless gloves covered in sharp studs. Even a simple magical tome, painted with silver leaf.

Back when she started hunting, she was never allowed to personally pick her own weapon. Everyone at Black Lotus was treated the same, a little bit of everything with little room for originality. Only the higher ranks had the chance for any real chance to make something for themselves.

All those wasted years, it hurt to know how many were like her. Stuck at the lower ranks and unable to use the gifts they were given. Unable to discover their own true classes outside the limits of the guilds. Now she had the choice and it would be all hers.

"Pick which one calls to you, dear Saint." Nahern knelt before the weapons. Her stomach felt tighter, finally alone with the prince for the first time since she met him.

There was a rumble to the dungeon, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the ice.

[DUNGEON ACTIVATE]

[Quest Active : Awakening of the Saint's Light. Do you Accept? YES or NO]

Oz reached out, allowing fate to lead her hand to her true class.