The icy mist gathered around me. I tried moving - to get away, the floor sinking as I slid forward. But I was unable to escape the mist as it gathered around me. Like having a mind of its own, it searched for the lowest point and because of my weight. I was the lowest point.
Seeing that the mist was piling on. I sat still to get my bearings. It was a mistake.
Clouds of mist rubbed against my body bringing with it, an extreme cold that penetrated through my body.
'I need to move.' I thought to myself as I felt my mucus freezing. But, I knew it was already too late.
*Ding* the voice in my head chimed.
[Status: Cold] (Temporary)
+ Strength reduction - 20%
+ Movement speed reduced by 20%
+ Reaction time reduced by 20%
+ Stamina costs + 20%
+ Stamina recovery rate - 20%
+ Producing anti-freeze proteins
+ [Status: Hunger increasing+]
My actions slowed and paralleled the voice. I felt my strength weakening and my movements sluggish.
'This isn't good.' I thought as I watched my stamina bar and my black hunger bar drop by a large chunk.
Shifting through the mist, I twirled around. Creating slight gusts of wind with my body and shell, the mist around me seemed to clear, if only for a moment as I tried to get an indication of where I was.
I bounced up and down - vibrations from the floor hit me as the room shook.
But it wasn't from me.
*Ding*
[Side objective: Defeat the Silver-backed Frostfang ♂] (Discovered)
+ Hiding within the cold frost created by the female, the tiny male Frostfang dwells. Named for their venom, they use venomous bites and poisoned feet to freeze and drain energy from their prey. Temperament: Sadistic (Source: System database)
Rewards:
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
As the voice in my head chimed, I looked around through the mist that was covering my vision.
Barely able to see even a centimetre in front of my face, I swerved my body around as the mist cleared around me once more.
Nothing. No hints of a body. No patches of grey. Nothing.
Knowing that the beast had joined me in the chilling mist, I knew I was in deep trouble.
'I can't stay still or I'll freeze.' I thought. 'But if I move, it'll know where I am.'
A dilemma.
I chose to move forward.
Shifting my right and left, I looked diligently for any signs movement as I slid forward.
Nothing.
I kept moving. Streams of mist glided against my body as it spread as I felt colder and colder.
I was running out of time.
'I can't wander around forever.' I thought to myself.
Suddenly, a wave of mist crashed against my body and face building up a layer of frost.
I couldn't see.
Quickly, ducked my head into my body to wipe off the frost, but in that exact moment... I felt a tap.
It was Sim.
Not making the same mistake as before, I jolted in a random direction - left as I poked my head out of my body.
And then I saw it.
Silver and pointed, an appendage emerged from the shroud. Silent - because I couldn't hear anything, swift - because it was a blur, it penetrated the mist and jabbed into the filaments where my body had been seconds before.
As if to scare me, it tilted upwards and slowly dragged the sharp point of its leg across the surface of the interlocked filaments.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I felt the vibrations reached my body as it disappeared back into the mist.
I slid backwards.
Seconds later, I felt another tap from above my shell.
Not knowing which direction it was coming from, I dodged to the right as another sharpened claw swiped out at me.
Wrong direction.
I watched as a sharpened tip exited the shroud. Like a pointed spear, it jabbed at me from the front.
Knowing that it was aiming for my flesh, I titled my body in an attempt to evade it.
Sssrrrtch. I felt the sharp point of its leg scratch against my shell as I was able to deflect part of the blow downward.
But it wasn't enough.
I hadn't reacted fast enough.
I searing pain spread through my body as it pierced into me...
[Status: Icy] (Stackable)
- 5% speed
- 5% strength
Stacks: 1
... before it disappeared into the fog once more.
I felt the webbing below my foot jump up and down as waves of an excited dance hit me. Although I couldn't see it, the creature was definitely celebrating.
Wincing in pain, I slid backwards as the red bar in my vision begun to flash and decrease by 20%.
'This isn't an arena.' I thought to myself while looking through the mist for the slightest sign of movement. 'This is a one-sided battle.'
'I need to think of something and quick.' I thought to myself as I felt even weaker and my body slowed even more.
[Activating Skill: Quick Thinking LV.1]
...
The Frostfang didn't give me much time to think as I felt another pound from Sim.
Without knowing which direction to dodge into, I swerved towards the left.
Coming from the mist, I felt my shell slam against the pointed tip of another appendage.
Crack.
I was successful.
Able to just caps a glimpse of it, I watched as a blurry grey appendage recede back into the cloud of mist as a small droplet of blue blood dripped on top of the filaments next to me.
It didn't give up after being slightly injured by me. No. It seemed to edge its enthusiasm as I felt the floor beneath my shake from all around me.
'It's trying to confuse me.' I thought as I spun around to clear the mist around me.
Seconds later, the vibrations just... stopped.
Then nothing.
Seconds passed by as I looked around. Not being able to anticipate where the next attack would come I didn't know what to do.
'This isn't good.' I thought to myself. 'It can attack me on all sides and it seems to be able to see through the mist. I need to clear the mist somehow.'
'But...' Before I could have another thought, I felt Sim slam on my shell once more.
Taking a guess, I dodge to the right as I saw two sharp appendages emerge from the mist in front of me.
Reacting as quickly as I could, I dodged to the right.
Barely reacting in time, I felt a gash form across the side of my body as the red bar in my vision flash one more and decrease by 15%.
[Status: Icy] (Stackable)
- 10% speed
- 10% strength
Stacks: 2
The voice in my head chimed.
'This isn't good.' I thought as I felt more sluggish. 'The corner! That's it!'
I suddenly had an idea.
Instantly, I changed direction.
Sticking my head above the white mist, I looked around for a corner of the room.
'It's close.' I thought as I ducked back down.
As quickly as I could, I slid forward as I felt my body grow colder and colder.
Another tap.
Dodging to the right, I felt my shell pushed downward into the fibres beneath me. The added weight surprised me as I slid to a halt.
'It's on top of my body.' I thought instantly as I panicked.
'Sim.'
...