The barren plain stretched endlessly ahead, its surface glistening faintly under the dim light. Aria's paws sank slightly into the snow with each step, leaving faint imprints that the relentless wind tried to erase. Despite the victory over the Abyssal Frost Wolf, her sharp blue eyes remained vigilant, darting to every flicker of movement among the icy formations.
The Frost Mink nestled against her neck, its tiny body trembling faintly. Its companions followed close behind, their soft chirps blending with the howling wind.
"Don't get too relaxed," Aria muttered, her claws flexing against the ice. "This place doesn't know the meaning of peace."
---
Xuan Hao walked beside her, his blade strapped to his back. His dark eyes scanned the horizon, lingering on the jagged cliffs that loomed in the distance.
"You're awfully quiet today," he said, his tone light.
Aria growled softly, her tail flicking. "And you're awfully nosy."
He smirked faintly, glancing at her. "I thought you liked it when I talked."
Her sharp blue eyes narrowed. "You thought wrong."
---
The Frost Mink chirped softly, nudging Aria's neck with its tiny nose. She sighed, glancing back at it.
"What?" she muttered. "You're not going to start talking too, are you?"
The mink squeaked in response, tilting its head as if considering the idea.
Xuan Hao chuckled, shaking his head. "You'd miss me if I stopped talking."
"Try me," Aria snapped, her claws scraping against the snow.
---
The ground beneath them shifted suddenly, a faint tremor rippling through the frozen terrain.
Aria froze, her sharp blue eyes narrowing as she crouched low. "Did you feel that?"
Xuan Hao nodded, his expression hardening. "Yeah. And it wasn't the wind."
The Frost Minks chirped nervously, their tiny bodies trembling as they huddled closer to Aria.
"System," Aria thought, her claws flexing. "What's going on?"
"Subterranean energy detected. Probability of hostile emergence: 60%."
Her fur bristled. "You couldn't have mentioned that sooner?"
"Energy signature only recently identified."
She growled softly, her sharp blue eyes darting across the plain. "Of course it was."
---
The ground trembled again, harder this time. Cracks began to spread across the ice, faint but growing steadily.
"Get ready," Aria growled, her claws scraping against the frozen surface.
Xuan Hao drew his blade, its faint crimson glow casting eerie shadows over the snow. "I don't like this."
"Welcome to my life," Aria muttered, her sharp blue eyes narrowing.
---
A massive form burst through the ice, sending shards flying in every direction. The creature was unlike anything they had faced before—an enormous, centipede-like beast with segmented, frost-covered armor. Its glowing blue eyes radiated malice as it let out a high-pitched screech that echoed across the plain.
"System," Aria thought, her claws flexing. "What is that?"
"Hostile identified: Glacial Burrower. Extreme durability, high speed. Weak points: Joint segments and headplate underside."
Her fur bristled. "Fantastic."
---
The Glacial Burrower lunged toward them, its massive body undulating with terrifying speed. Aria activated Spirit Step, phasing out of its path just as it slammed into the ground where she had been standing.
"Spirit Step Mastery: Reduced cooldown and enhanced precision detected."
She reappeared behind the creature, her claws glowing faintly as she struck one of its joint segments. The ice cracked, but the creature barely faltered, its body twisting to face her.
"Xuan Hao!" she barked, darting out of the way as the burrower lunged again. "Aim for the joints!"
He nodded, his blade flashing as he intercepted the creature's tail. The strike sent a shockwave through the ice, but the burrower's armored hide absorbed much of the impact.
"This thing's tough," he muttered, his dark eyes narrowing.
---
The Frost Minks chirped frantically, their tiny bodies scattering as they sought shelter behind a jagged ice formation.
"Stay there!" Aria growled, her sharp blue eyes blazing as she darted toward the creature's exposed side.
She activated Lunar Veil, disappearing into the shadows as the burrower twisted to strike.
"Lunar Veil Mastery: Host gains enhanced stealth efficiency and increased strike precision."
Reappearing beneath the creature, she aimed for the underside of its headplate, driving her claws into the vulnerable spot. The burrower screeched, its massive body writhing as it tried to dislodge her.
---
Xuan Hao moved swiftly, his blade glowing with crimson energy as he delivered a powerful strike to one of the creature's joint segments. The ice shattered, and the burrower let out another piercing screech, its movements faltering slightly.
"Keep it off balance!" Aria called, her claws raking against the creature's exposed underside.
"Easier said than done," Xuan Hao muttered, dodging a sudden swipe from the creature's massive tail.
---
The burrower lunged again, its movements growing more erratic as its injuries mounted. Aria activated Spirit Step to dodge its attack, reappearing on its back to deliver a decisive strike to another joint segment.
The creature let out one final, guttural screech before collapsing into the snow, its massive body twitching briefly before falling still.
---
The Frost Minks chirped hesitantly, their tiny eyes wide as they peeked out from behind the ice formation.
"It's over," Aria muttered, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. "For now."
The smallest mink scurried toward her, climbing onto her back with a soft squeak.
She sighed, nudging it gently with her paw. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?"
---
Xuan Hao sheathed his blade, his dark eyes glinting faintly as he surveyed the burrower's massive form. "That was... unpleasant."
Aria shot him a glare, her sharp blue eyes blazing. "You think?"
He smirked faintly, shaking his head. "You're getting better at this, though."
Her tail flicked sharply. "And you're still annoying."
---
The group pressed on, the tension lingering in the air as they moved further from the battle site. The wind howled across the plain, carrying with it a faint, haunting melody that made Aria's fur bristle.
"For now," she thought, her sharp blue eyes narrowing, "we've survived. But something worse is waiting."