I set off at once, leaving the city behind as the horizon darkened. The Frostfang Mountains lay to the north, their peaks shrouded in perpetual snow and ice. The road was long, but I moved swiftly, my Abyssal Cloak fluttering in the cold wind. The landscape grew harsher as I traveled, the air biting and thin, but the thought of the Frost Titian kept me going.
Night had fallen by the time I reached the base of the mountains. The towering peaks loomed above me, their jagged edges cutting into the star-speckled sky. The ground beneath my feet crunched with frost as I ascended, the cold seeping into my bones. Yet, I felt no fear. This was where I thrived, in the shadow of danger and the embrace of the unknown.
Hours passed as I climbed, the path growing steeper and more treacherous with every step. My breath came in puffs of white, my hands trembling from the cold. But then, in the distance, I saw it—a massive, white-furred creature prowling across a frozen plateau.
The Frost Titian was a magnificent beast, its fur shimmering like diamond dust under the moonlight. Its fangs, long and razor-sharp, glinted as it moved, its growls reverberating through the icy air. It hadn't noticed me yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time.
I crouched low, my fingers curling as I prepared to summon my magic. The Abyssal energy within me surged, eager to be unleashed. This was it—the moment I'd been waiting for. The Frost Titian roared, its eyes locking onto mine as it charged, and I couldn't help but grin.
"Let's see who's the predator and who's the prey," I whispered, the shadows swirling around me.
This was it: the Frost Titan. A level-30 monstrosity on the brink of evolution. It made sense why the guild had placed such a high bounty on its head—20,000 Redica. A fortune by any standard. I'd only recently learned about the currency of this world, but comparing it to my old life, 1 Redica was roughly equivalent to a dollar. If I succeeded, this single mission could change everything.
But there was no time for idle musings. I tightened my grip on my staff, feeling the raw energy pulse through it. I took a deep breath, steadied my racing heart, and began to construct my spell. Black Tendril was my choice—a conjuration of writhing shadow-like appendages designed to pierce and bind my enemies. I whispered the incantation under my breath, dark energy coalescing around me, and launched it at the sleeping beast.
The tendrils struck true, lashing onto the Titan's hide. But instead of piercing through, they merely scraped its thick, icy fur, eliciting no more than a twitch. My heart sank. Then it happened—the beast's eyes snapped open. Twin orbs of frost-blue hatred locked onto me, and the cavern seemed to rumble as it rose to its full, towering height.
It roared, a sound that shook me to my core, and without warning, it unleashed a torrent of ice from its maw. The freezing blast hurtled toward me. I leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the full force, but even the edge of the attack sent me flying across the cave, my back slamming against the wall. Pain shot through me, but I forced myself up.
Before I could regain my footing, the Titan swung its massive arm. Razor-sharp claws raked across my side, tearing through my coat and flesh alike. My black blood splattered across the icy floor, steaming in the cold air. I screamed, the pain unlike anything I had felt before. But I couldn't give up. I couldn't die here.
"Focus," I muttered through gritted teeth, summoning every ounce of resolve I had. With my free hand, I cast another spell: Shadowflame Barrage. Black flames erupted in rapid succession, striking the beast. It roared in pain, but it wasn't enough to bring it down. The Titan charged, its massive footsteps shaking the ground. Desperation clawed at me.
I reached deep within, pulling from the darkest recesses of my power, and cast Nether Grasp. A swirling vortex of shadow and void enveloped the Titan, halting its advance. Its movements slowed, as if weighed down by the gravity of another realm, and I seized the opportunity. Summoning every spell I knew, I unleashed a relentless assault—Black Tendril to weaken, Shadowflame Barrage to sear, and Nether Grasp to bind.
The battle raged, each spell chipping away at the Titan's defenses, each roar shaking the cavern. My body screamed in protest, my vision blurred from blood loss, but I pushed on. Finally, with one last desperate incantation, I conjured a blade of pure shadow and drove it into the beast's heart. It let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing in a heap, the light fading from its eyes.
I stood there, panting, every muscle in my body trembling. The Titan was dead. I had won. But the cost... My side throbbed where its claws had struck, and I could feel the warmth of my own blood soaking through my clothes.
You have killed A level 30 monster you have levelled up to level 15
Still, I couldn't let myself rest yet. I dragged the massive carcass out of the cave, its bulk leaving a trail in the snow. By the time I reached the city gates, the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of gold and crimson. People stopped and stared as I trudged through the streets, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief. Whispers spread like wildfire:
"Is that… the Frost Titan?"
"How did someone so young defeat it?"
"Look at the blood—is that… black?"
I ignored them, my focus solely on reaching the guild. As I pushed open the heavy wooden doors, the room fell silent. Every eye turned to me. The guild master, a grizzled veteran with a scarred face, rose from his chair, his gaze sharp.
"You actually did it," he said, his voice tinged with incredulity and respect. "The Frost Titan is no more."
I nodded, too exhausted to speak. He gestured for the attendants to examine the beast, and after a moment, they confirmed its identity. The guild master smiled—a rare sight—and handed me a pouch heavy with coins.
"20,000 Redica, as promised," he said. "You've earned it."
I took the pouch with a trembling hand, the weight of the reward both literal and metaphorical. This money could secure me food, supplies, and perhaps even a healer to tend to my wounds. But more than that, it was proof of my strength, my survival in this harsh, unfamiliar world.
As I stepped out into the night, the city's lights twinkling around me, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride. I had faced death and come out the other side. But I knew this was only the beginning. The Frost Titan was merely one of many challenges this world had to offer, and if I wanted to win, I would have to grow stronger.
The journey ahead would be long and perilous. But for the first time since I arrived in this strange land, I felt a glimmer of hope. And I wouldn't stop until I found my destiny.