Chapter 41: Eternal Winter Graveyard (1)
Out of all the messages Blake had received, these two were by far the most important.
He had defeated the boss in its final form and secured its true sword—a significant upgrade over the ice weapon he'd been using.
Forged from an unknown white metal, the Winter Sword had a spotless blade and a snow-like handle topped with a snowflake. Its single-edged, curved design indicated that it was a saber, ideal for anyone obsessed with thrusting attacks.
Blake knew one fool who relied solely on thrusts, but he quickly dismissed the idea of handing over the Winter Sword to him. That man couldn't possibly unlock its potential and certainly wasn't on track to learn proper swordsmanship anytime soon.
In contrast to the pristine sword, Silver Dash's personality was far from spotless. Moreover, the Winter General had acknowledged Blake, yet the sword was still little more than a key to the dungeon—suggesting there was more to it than met the eye.
'An avalanche of blood would look great on you…' Blake mused, gazing into the blade, '…which that fool would never bring about with his shoddy technique and skills.'
Just then, Silver Dash's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Is that a legendary sword?!"
Blake pretended not to hear him. He checked his system and skimmed through a few other messages, hoping to look busy—though he was mostly faking it.
'Sounds like I'll be heading to a regular area where I can pick up common items and quests tied to the mainland. That's good,' Blake thought.
When the rest of the team joined Silver Dash and gathered around Blake, he could no longer ignore them. First, he turned to the tank, the healer, and Scarlet Tornado, congratulating them on how much they had improved during the boss battle.
Although his praise made the mage and Silver Dash grimace, the others beamed and exchanged proud looks. Feeling closer to Blake, they showered him with compliments in return.
Cutting through the chatter, Silver Dash quickly hid his own frustration and raised his voice, pressing Blake about the sword again. "Is it really a legendary sword? I'd love to have it…"
Because Blake had contributed the most, every top item went to him. This vexed Silver Dash, who had hoped more than anyone to snag the best loot.
"It's an epic weapon, not usable yet," Blake replied. "I think we'll have to visit the Eternal Winter Graveyard to activate its full potential."
That was the only clue Blake could come up with. He personally disliked the requirement, since anyone who cleared the Eternal Winter Dungeon would gain one-time access to the graveyard, no matter which variation of the dungeon they completed—meaning the place would likely be crowded.
Anything could happen there, but Blake wasn't keen on dealing with large groups of people. If he ran into too many Silver Dash types, he wouldn't be able to hide his true feelings.
"We should rest before heading over," Scarlet Tornado suggested, noting Silver Dash's fallen expression and the pensive look in his eyes.
Everyone nodded.
After ten minutes of idle conversation—during which Blake had to speak up more than usual because the healer and Scarlet Tornado kept involving him—the party finally stood and prepared to use their privilege to enter the Eternal Winter Graveyard.
-
Blake and the others teleported to a place that could never exist in the real world.
The sky above was cast in pitch darkness, yet white, puffy clouds—abundant and bright—behaved like a surrogate sun, bathing the scene in a strange but beautiful glow. Despite the darkness overhead, the clouds' light kept the area from being entirely black.
On either side of them, immense dark walls rose up. Scaling them would be impossible without some kind of fantasy skill, and their sheer height would only appeal to the most passionate climbers.
Behind the group stood the same kind of wall.
Ahead stretched rows upon rows of tombstones, all at least two meters tall, carved with cryptic ancient engravings. They spanned the canyon until they disappeared in the distance.
"What's that above Superbia's head?" Scarlet Tornado asked, her breath turning into small white puffs in the cold air.
Blake grimaced behind his mask.
Next to Blake's displayed nickname, the icons for those items were plainly visible, letting everyone see exactly what he had in his possession.
Behind them, the entrance to the tomb was carved into the wall, which would presumably part like a curtain in fifteen minutes. Until then, anyone could attempt to fight Blake to take the keys.
Fortunately, this spot seemed far from the common spawn point where most players arrived. Blake saw no one else around and doubted the White General's tomb would be so close to the usual teleportation site.
If Silver Dash tried to rally his teammates against him, Blake could handle them on his own. That posed no real threat.
But the sound of approaching footsteps suddenly snapped Blake's focus back to the present.
Moments later, more than thirty silhouettes marched into view—a full guild heading straight for him.