Inside the World Tower, Floor 30.
A storm of voices echoed through the icy cavern.
"Earth Arrow!"
Multiple mages raised their hands, their chants sharp, their movements crisp. Shards of stone spun into existence, hovering briefly before lancing through the frigid air.
The arrows struck the monster's shoulder with a series of heavy thuds, halting its advance mid-step. It let out a guttural snarl, staggering back, claws scraping against the frost-slicked floor.
Swordsmen seized the moment.
Their boots barely kissed the ice as they sprinted forward, blades flashing.
Steel bit into the monster's ankles and calves, carving deep wounds. Blood gushed from the gashes, dark and steaming against the frozen ground. Where blood met ice, a soft sizzle whispered through the air, and lazy tendrils of mist curled upward, mixing with the cavern's cold breath.
Behind them, archers moved into formation.
Bows creaked.
Arrows flew.
They struck the fresh wounds with brutal precision, each impact making the monster jerk and howl. The sound was massive, shaking loose frost from the cavern ceiling as the beast fell to its knees, then its arms.
Cracks spiderwebbed beneath it.
A dense, chilling mist began to bleed from the fractures.
The monster, chest heaving, lifted its battered head.
And froze.
A figure moved through the smoke, steps slow, deliberate.
Her aura hit them all like a wave, thick, oppressive, undeniable.
The adventurers backed away instinctively, weapons lowered but ready, eyes wide.
The monster's muscles tensed, but before it could react,
A deafening bang split the air.
"Earth Cannon!"
A woman's voice rang out. Sharp, commanding.
The blast crushed the cavern with its force, sending a shockwave rolling outward. The monster's head shattered into glittering ice shards, scattering across the frozen floor.
Ice shards whistled past, clanging off armor, slicing into the walls. The impact pushed the nearest adventurers back a step, the ground quivering under the monster's collapsing body.
The silence that followed was broken only by the groaning protest of cracking ice.
A heartbeat later, cheers erupted.
"The Cannoneer's power never ceases to amaze!" someone shouted, their voice cutting through the haze of lingering mist.
Around them, lesser monsters. Ice goblins, frost wolves, frozen undead, shattered and fell.
The Cannoneer emerged from the mist, her silhouette solidifying with each step. Her hair danced in the frozen breeze, and every exhale came out in misty puffs. She lowered her cannon beside her, its immense frame resting against the ice like a slumbering titan.
The cheers washed over her, but inside, a cold weariness gnawed at her edges.
Another one down... but how many more?
She tightened her grip on the cannon, masking her thoughts behind a small, tired smile.
Footsteps crunched softly behind her.
A man approached, his presence cutting clean through the cheers like a blade through fog.
"Splendid job," he said, voice steady, carrying authority without needing to raise it.
She turned and bowed slightly. "Thank you," she replied, pride and respect woven into her tone.
Around them, the adventurers fell silent, watching as the man continued forward. His steps were measured, deliberate, the frozen floor cracking softly underfoot.
A colossal door loomed ahead, its surface layered in thick sheets of frost. He stopped before it, exhaling a slow breath that fogged the air.
"Failure is not an option," he muttered under his breath, a private vow to the cold air.
Behind him, the whispers began.
"The Dragon Lord was a scum..."
"But his power was undeniable..."
"One of our best."
The man turned sharply, facing the gathered adventurers.
"The Dragon Lord's disgrace is his own," he said, his voice cutting through the doubts. "We will not let it stain us. We move forward with honor."
The words settled heavily over the group, tightening their ranks.
He turned back to the door.
A brown aura ignited around him, thick and dense, wrapping him in a layer of living stone. The texture of bark and earth rippled across his body as the aura solidified into armor, runes glowing faintly across its surface.
"Igneous Aegis," he announced.
The warmth of the magic melted the frost at his feet, sending tiny streams of water snaking away from him.
With a low grunt, he pushed against the frozen door.
It groaned in protest. A deep, ancient sound like glaciers grinding against mountains, but it moved. Ice smoke hissed from the widening crack, swirling around his feet.
He stepped through without hesitation, swallowed by the darkness beyond.
"Follow the Armorsmith!" someone barked. "Maintain battle formation!"
Boots hit the ground in unison, the adventurers moving with well-trained precision. As the last of them crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind them, the boom shaking loose icicles from the ceiling.
The cavern beyond slowly brightened.
Walls of glittering frost.
Icicles the size of spears.
And at the center,
It uncoiled.
A massive wyrm, white as freshly fallen snow. Its scales shimmered under the weak light, and its crimson eyes burned with feral intelligence.
The wyrm's breath came out in thick, freezing gusts, swirling around its massive head crowned with jagged horns. Claws the size of tree trunks dug into the ice, leaving deep, ragged gouges with every shift.
Its rumbling growl built slowly, vibrating through the floor, stirring the mist at their feet.
World Tower - Floor 30 Boss Room
Level 40 Frozen Wyrm
The adventurers fanned out, their breath visible in quick, misty clouds.
At the forefront, the Armorsmith raised his hands once more.
The brown energy twisted tighter around him, forging a new shield. One thicker, broader than before. Runes pulsed along its surface, the glow of earth magic pushing back the encroaching cold.
The wyrm reared back its head,
And roared.
The battle began.