The winds of the Frostbound Expanse howled across the barren landscape, cutting through the endless tundra with bone-chilling force. But Aurel barely noticed. His body, honed through countless battles, shrugged off the cold as though it were nothing more than a breeze. He pressed forward, his boots crunching through the deep snow, his breath steady despite the harsh conditions.
A glance at his ability tracker confirmed the progress he had made.
Strength: 70
Agility: 70
Endurance: 70
Perception: 70
Mana: 70
His lips curled into a small grin. Every stat—maxed at 70. The endless fights against yetis and ice foxes had pushed him to the edge, forcing his body to adapt beyond its previous limits. Now, even without using Limit Break, he felt stronger and faster than ever. With it, he could crush his enemies in a single strike.
The beasts that once gave him trouble were no longer a challenge. A single punch, enhanced with Armour Penetration and Limit Break, was enough to take down even the largest yeti or swiftest ice fox. But that wasn't enough for Aurel. Not anymore. He needed more. Stronger enemies. Greater threats.
That was why he kept moving deeper into the Realm.
Realms weren't ordinary places. They were structured like circular plains—flat, endless-seeming landscapes where danger increased the further inward you traveled. The beasts on the outskirts were weak, designed to test newcomers, while the real challenges lay at the core. As Aurel ventured deeper, the environment itself seemed to change, the cold growing harsher, the snowstorms more vicious.
After three hours of trudging through the tundra, Aurel reached a new area—one where the air felt heavier, thicker with mana. His breath fogged before him, but the chill didn't bother him. The weight of the atmosphere, however, was unmistakable. It pressed down on him with invisible force, making every movement feel like swimming through molasses.
This was where the stronger beasts roamed. And Aurel welcomed it.
He adjusted his gear—just the bare essentials. He hadn't brought much with him. Whatever survival needs arose, Adaptability would take care of. That was part of his plan: to rely on his traits to evolve through experience, not preparation.
The tundra stretched before him, silent and still, as if waiting for him to make the first move. And then, from the swirling snow, a shape emerged.
At first, Aurel thought it was another ice fox, like the ones he had fought earlier. But as the creature stepped into view, his eyes narrowed. This one was different—larger, sleeker, with an eerie, almost supernatural grace. It moved silently, its white fur gleaming like frost under the pale light.
Two thick tails flicked behind it, curling and shifting in the air.
Aurel's heart quickened. This wasn't just any ice fox. The extra tail marked it as something far more dangerous. Twice the size of the others he had fought, and exuding a cold aura that made even the freezing air seem warm by comparison, the two-tailed ice fox moved with the quiet confidence of a predator that had never known fear.
The fox's icy blue eyes locked onto his, intelligent and predatory. It was hunting him, and Aurel knew instantly—this wasn't going to be a fight like the others.
The two of them stood in the snow, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Aurel's muscles coiled, mana surging through him, ready to activate Limit Break at a moment's notice.
The fox struck first.
It moved like a blur, faster than anything Aurel had faced before. His Sixth Sense screamed at him, and he barely managed to twist his body, dodging the creature's snapping jaws by a hair's breadth. The air whistled as its teeth closed inches from his throat.
Aurel rolled through the snow, coming up on his feet in a crouch, heart pounding. Before he could counter, the fox lunged again, its two tails whipping through the air like coiled whips. One of them caught him across the chest, the force of the blow sending him skidding backward through the snow.
A sharp pain radiated from his ribs, but Aurel gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. The fox prowled toward him, its tails flicking lazily, as if amused by his efforts.
He couldn't afford to hold back.
With a deep breath, Aurel activated Limit Break, focusing all his mana into his Armour Penetration trait. A surge of energy flowed through him, and his fists began to glow with a faint, pulsing light.
The fox lunged again, and this time, Aurel was ready. His body moved on instinct, guided by his Sixth Sense. He ducked low, avoiding the fox's bite, and drove his fist toward the creature's ribs, aiming for a weak spot.
The impact connected, and Armour Penetration did its job. Aurel felt the resistance of the fox's thick hide give way beneath his strike, his mana surging through the creature's body like a shockwave.
But the fox didn't go down.
It twisted mid-air with impossible agility, absorbing the blow and countering with a swipe of its claws. Aurel tried to dodge, but the beast was too fast. The claws raked across his side, tearing through his armor and drawing blood.
He staggered, pain flaring along his ribs, but there was no time to recover. The fox's tails lashed out again, wrapping around his leg and yanking him off balance. Aurel hit the ground hard, the snow crunching beneath him as the air was knocked from his lungs.
The fox was on him in an instant, jaws snapping toward his throat. Aurel twisted just in time, his Sixth Sense guiding his movements, but the beast was relentless. Its weight pressed down on him, its claws digging into his shoulders as it snarled in frustration.
Aurel lashed out with his free arm, mana surging through his fist as he struck the fox's side again, but the beast barely flinched. Its tails whipped through the air, slamming into his ribs with brutal force and driving the air from his lungs.
Pain blurred his vision, but Aurel forced himself to focus. He wasn't going to die here. Not like this.
He twisted again, managing to free his arm from the fox's grip, and prepared to deliver a final, desperate strike. But before he could move, the fox's two tails wrapped around his arms, pinning him in place.
The beast's icy breath brushed against his face, and Aurel could see the glint of its fangs as it prepared to deliver the killing blow.
I have to move…
But his body wouldn't respond. The fight had drained him, and his mana reserves were running dangerously low.
The fox lunged, its jaws aimed directly for his throat—
And the world seemed to slow.