Dungeon of Niflheim

Khione stood unguarded, her spear harmlessly resting against her body while her eyes remained in a constant state of mild glow. The effects of time dilation had been removed but the sphere of influence that radiated around her remained.

With a playful expression on her face and a small smile on her lips Khione ordered Frost to attack her with his glaive.

"You want me to attack you?" Frost had to admit that the idea of clubbing Khione a few times with his glaive brought him a great sense of joy, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew full well about her distaste towards him and felt that him making a clear attack against would give her more than enough justification to punish him.

"Hahahaha relax if I wanted to break you I would have done it already." Khione found his wariness rather funny. "Just attack me with your glaive Frost so I can show you the prowess of my family's spear arts." She then yawned in an exaggerated manner, taunting him, poking at his pride.

"Fine just don't blame if I leave a scar." Riled up by her cocky attitude Frost tightly grasped the shaft of his back up peak 3 star glaive, covered the shaft in a thin but dense layer of ice chakra to improve its durability and the edge in a potent blaze of cold flames. He planned to go all out, knowing full well that even if she was unguarded he had no hope in leaving nothing more than a mere scratch, the gap between them was even greater than the one he had with the Artic Zu.

Seeing his readiness to fight Khione's lips turned upward but she remained unguarded, her spear casually leaning against her body.

"No skills but I'll allow the use of as much chakra and aura as you wish."

"Don't regret it Princess." Feeling that primal urge, the excitement of battle building up inside him Frost's expression warped into glee. One second he was standing firmly in front of Khione and the next he was airborne, falling upon his prey like a demon.

Frost moved as fast as possible, his glaive swiftly cleaving down upon Khione's left shoulder without any hesitation. His attack was strong, quick, precise and backed not only with his aura but bloodlust, killing intent. He intended to show Khione his full worth, treating her like a true enemy.

As the milliseconds passed his blade moved ever closer to Khione's neck but with a strange cadence and as though she had eyes on the back of her head Khione's unguarded state shifted in an instant.

Clang!

Frost's glaive met with the edge of Khione's spear, his expression filled with shock and confusion, unable to comprehend what exactly happened. But unperturbed by a single failure he backed off, circled around her and then attacked again, this time swifter and with even more aggression.

Clang!

Again however his attacks were easily rebuffed.

"What the hell!" Frost loudly yelled as he was forced to perform a backflip.

"Hehehehe not bad, quick, decisive and lethal." By this point Khione was smiling from ear to ear, her expression warping much like Frost's. This was the feeling she lacked, the feeling of someone truly trying their best to kill her…if only he was stronger.

This time Frost refused to make another move, determined to get a proper explanation.

Khione was stronger than him sure but strangely during their brief clash she reduced her speed to the point that it was below his own and even left herself in an unguarded state yet still he failed to catch her, his every attempt being easily rebuffed like a child facing off against an adult.

"Interesting isn't it, despite me moving far slower than you did I was able intercept your attacks and even counter you with little effort." Khione knocked the butt of her spear against the ice floor and pointed to her sparkling blue eyes with her left hand.

"You're probably thinking that it must be due to my experience and or higher weapon mastery and you're not wrong they do play a part, but the key is the combined effect that the Lunar eyes provide." Khione blinked her eyes in a naturally flirtatious manner before using her spear to outline a sphere with a radius of 5 metres around her.

"Because of the Lunar eyes this entire zone is under my complete control and anything no matter how fast, light or even unseen by the naked eye that enters can be perfectly perceived and then anticipated in slow motion….you may have been moving faster Frost, but I was more precise and quicker to start my initial movements." Khione explained the effects of the lunar eyes as best she could, but it was also something that really needed to be felt personally if one was to understand its essence.

"It doesn't allow you to move faster but improves your reaction time and ability to see the movements of a faster opponent." Said Frost with basic understanding of what he just experienced.

"Exactly, and it serves as the basis of my family's spear arts. Stances, movements, forms and even skills that take advantage of the Lunar eyes and reduce the limitations of the ice element." Khione nodded her head and spoke with pride, though she avoided admitting it whenever she could her father was a true monster, the very peak of the world and of the ice element.

"The first part of the spear arts my father created includes mastering the lunar eyes and learning how to establish an unwavering defence." Frost was only permitted to learn the first part of her family's arts, so Khione had no intentions in delving deeper.

The Niflheim royal family's spear arts were split into five distinct parts. The first part contained the method to establish the lunar eyes as well as the forms and techniques suited for defence. The second part covered movements, the third offensive techniques, the fourth unique skills and the fifth, well that part was reserved for those who reached the very limits of the mortal realm, a level in which even Khione had not reached.

"Sounds like I have a lot to learn." Frost's eyes sparkled with obvious desire, like a child in a candy store. He was finally getting the opportunity to learn a weapon style, a style created and refined over a long period of time by one of the most powerful entities in existence.

"Yes, you do and it's not going to be easy Frost." His lack of strength and low mastery would make the entire ordeal an uphill battle, but Khione held faith, faith in his potential, his talent, his drive and his determination to get stronger. For the first time since they met she was seeing him as a possible equal, as a man with a nature similar to her own.

With a flick of her hand she summoned an archaic book made from high quality monster hide and tossed it to Frost.

"Read it, memorise it and then we can begin the first lesson." Khione passed him the literature for the first part of the Niflheim royal family's spear arts then walked off to another part of the training room to brush up on her own technique.

She stood before a section of the western wall, in front of large, engraved crystal obelisk and with a touch of her hand and an injection of her aura the area around her was subjected to an intense pressure. She began training the strength of her aura just like how Duke Runak did back in Icethorne, leaving Frost to his studies.

The young Dungeon core was moved by her dedication, smiling from ear to ear, gladdened to be in the presence of someone like himself.

He gazed at her back briefly before studying the book she tossed him.

"Niflheim royal family spear arts part 1" A simple and rather concise title. The inside contents however were highly detailed and elaborate. Clearly someone spent a lot of time and effort in writing it.

Frost and Khione spend the next five hours in her training room and by the end Frost had a minor understanding and base mastery over the first two stances of the Lunar eyes, the third eluded him, however. Alas even that was an amazing achievement, Khione couldn't help but be impressed.

Clang! Ding!

The sound of weapons repeatedly clashing against one another reverberated within the training room followed by the occasional exchange of words.

"Your sphere is still intermittent and irregular in shape, don't lose your focus." Said Khione as she forced Frost to take several steps back.

"Yes teacher." Frost replied loudly and with great enthusiasm, fully accepting Khione as his teacher and she responded in kind, welcoming such a promising student.

The bad blood that existed at the onset of their first meeting was now water under the bridge. Respect had been born, perhaps even a budding friendship.

Clang! Ding!

"So you're a Dungeon core?" Khione asked as Frost's glaive once again met her spear.

"Yeah." Despite being asked a question Frost didn't let up with his attacks, nor did he allow his lunar eyes to waver. Khione had repeatedly engaged him in talks so as to cement his focus.

"What exactly is a Dungeon core?" Khione rebuffed Frost with a strong counter, sending him flying tens of metres.

Frost skidded across the floor and used his glaive to slow his momentum. When he moved to go back on the attack his left leg trembled, his strength failing him, he had reached his limit.