Chapter 48: Icy Castle

Three days of traveling together can do a lot, but it couldn't improve the relationship of their group just yet. Arthur had a headache just from dealing with the tension in the group.

There was the not-so-nice Jin, who kept throwing glares at him and almost fight him every time he had a chance too. The first day was a lot easier as Jin was too wounded to fight, but after they started traveling north, he got a lot fussier.

Miko was unusually quiet and would only talk to him, ignoring the other two. After their talk the other day, it seems they got a bit further away, Arthur hoped otherwise.

His friendship was Hazel was the only redeeming part as it got better after she told him what she thought. Arthur thought about talking to her about it, but he didn't know what to say. They both ignored it and acted like usual, providing the only chatter in the group.

This has further increased the number of glares he received from Jin, making Arthur unsure about what to do. However, he sensed no hostility like earlier after agreeing to help Hazel with her legacy.

All is well that ends well, or so they say. In the past few days of traveling, they worked together as a group to kill monsters. They would then take their cores and leave the rest after Arthur used the excuse of healing to absorb them. He learned to hide his absorption by placing his hand on the body while using the rune.

It was after three days of absorbing monsters that he gained a new skill, further increasing his powers. It was the first elemental offensive skill he gained.

[Skill has been absorbed. Bladeless Wind Slash. (E)]

It was a strange skill that he couldn't use his blade to unleash it but have to use his hand. It was still powerful that worked as a great sneak attack since he would be slashing using his hand. He looked at his stats for the first time in a while, grinning from ear to ear at the increase in powers.

[Scholar Guardian's Legacy]

[Level: 12 (98%)]

[Strength: 62]

[Agility: 60]

[Stamina: 52]

[Perception: 46]

[Mana: 25/56]

[Abilities: Beginner Runes Wordsmith (15%), Useable Runes: 8]

[Skills: Lesser-Mana Breathing Skill (F), Poison Strike (F), Camouflage (F), Earth Manipulation (E), Bladeless Wind Slash (E)]

This was his strength after hunting underground with Miko and with the others for the past few days. His body was brimming with power but he felt that his potential was getting squeezed out. He had to eat a lot more than usual, devouring three times the amount he ate when he was a non-awakener.

Skills were less favored by the masses because they were a lot more mana draining, so most people would depend on their abilities to make a living. However, they were still essential and widely fought for as they could be the difference between life and death. After trying his new skill, Arthur realized that each use drained 5 mana points.

He kept feeling like he was getting stuffed, although full of power. His body kept getting stronger, racing toward an unknown end. Arthur had no worries for now as he would be getting out of here soon, and he would ask Master Ronin about it.

After three days of travel, the group reached a glacier with the sea beyond it. There were some snowy mountains in the distance, with a giant castle standing between them. It was probably their destination, and the group kept advancing on top of Kira's back.

The only way they were able to resist the cold was through Kira's innate fire ability, releasing heat from his body. Arthur marveled at the change of scenery after they left the green hills and forests, wondering how such a thing was possible. The whole trial ground felt like several pieces of land being sewed together, each separated from the rest.

As they were going through the ice lands, Arthur kept using his rune in his pocket. With the mana he had now, there was no problem of keeping it active. After a few moments, he sensed a life form ahead. However, there was nothing but white in front of him. He stopped Kira as he began to survey the surrounding.

"Why did you stop? Are you scared now?" Jin kept taunting him, but Arthur ignored him. He looked at a small part of the glacier that looked like a giant white rock, and he sent a wind slash at it using his hands.

There was a dull sound at the point of impact, and nothing else. Jin was about to mock Arthur again before the group heard a wailing scream before the rock stood up, revealing an ice golem. After a short moment, another ice golem appeared. They were a Middle-mid-tier monster. The group was in for a tough battle.

***

Arthur wasn't the one to finish them off, as everyone kept attacking until they died. Kira proved to be extremely helpful in the fight, as it took care of one of the golems on its own. The others had to group up to finish it off in an unfavorable environment.

Now, they had to set up a camp. They tried to pick a low ground to shield them from the cold, and they made some fire to warm them. It was then that Jin revealed his usefulness, holding into a rare storage artifact and took out a tent for them to sleep in.

Arthur realized how ignorant he was about artifacts, as he never knew that such an artifact existed. He tried to take a peek at it, it was a ring with runes on it. Unfortunately, he can't learn it yet since his level was too low.

After spending the night, the group resumed their travel toward the ice castle. On the way, they hunted together and lived together, sharing life and death and stories of the ancient. For the first time in his life, Arthur started to trust people.

After several days of fighting, they reached the ice castle in the distance. It looked like a miniature mountain, white all over and grand looking. They stood in front of its giant door, covered in the white fur they had taken from the demonic bears.

"We're here, everyone." Arthur smiled at them, feeling the pride in what they had accomplished. The rest of them nodded, smiling. Even Jin, who was usually cold to him, warmed up to him after so many days of battling together.

With one strike from Kira, the castle's doors were wide open. The group advanced, finding knights made of ice. Using his boots and newfound speed, Arthur dashed toward them. Each one of them was a middle-mid-tier monster, and Arthur had no hope of defeating it alone currently. He would be able to handle a low-mid-tier alone, but he need help for this one.

He started kitting the monster, using his runes and skills to inflict damages and get away while letting others do the same. This way, they were able to finish them off cleanly and took away their mana cores. Arthur absorbed the ones he has slain when the group was not looking, and then they advanced into the castle.

They kept fighting monsters that came their way, breaching the defenses of the castle with Kira's strength being the main reason they were having an easy time. Before long, they reached the last chamber where a single figure was seated on a throne.

The figure stood up, wearing blue armor while being surrounded by the icy interior of the castle, unsheathed his sword. It let out a frosty breath before the eyes under the helmets lit up with red color. It let out an angry scream before it dashed in their direction.

Arthur was the first one to act, sending several Bladeless Wind Slashes in its direction. It used its sword to easily deflect them, before using a skill of its own. Giant ice spears appeared around it as it let out an angry roar, commanding the spears to launch forward.

"Kira!" Arthur shouted as he and the rest rushed forward. Kira used its flames to destroy the spears, allowing the others to close in on the monster.

Arthur realized this monster was peak-mid-tier, just like Kira. However, it had an advantage in the surrounding castle so Kira couldn't take him out on his own. Jin summoned his bear and minotaur while also advancing. Hazel also summoned the Ghost Ogre, her strongest summoned monster.

Miko teleported all over the battlefield, attacking the monster's weak points while Arthur engaged with it in battle. Although it was way above their level, working as a team allowed them to take a stand against it.

After several clashes and wounds inflicted, they were finally able to take it down with Kira using one of his most powerful skills to kill it. Its fur turned crimson red as fire fangs appeared in its maws, it gained incredible speed and strength for a short amount of time.

Unfortunately, Arthur couldn't absorb the monster's essence. However, he got to keep the core since Kira killed it, and the others thought of Kira as Arthur's tamed monster.

To be honest, Arthur didn't do anything to tame, but he was glad to receive a high-mid-tier core, so he gladly accepted.

"Go ahead," Arthur told Hazel after entering the final room, where a coffin laid there. She wiped away tears of gratitude as she nodded, and advanced toward the coffin. The moment she touched it; a bright light engulfed the whole castle.