Era of Players: Death God

After a restful night inside the ruins, Arthur and Ilya awoke early, the first rays of dim dungeon light filtering through the cracks in the stone walls. The temperature had dropped even further, a bitter chill seeping into the air, but they were used to it by now.

Arthur stretched, rolling his shoulders before beginning his morning workout—push-ups, squats, and a series of quick movements with his sword. Beside him, Ilya was already chanting quietly, refining her mana circulation.

After a quick breakfast—warm soup made from preserved meat and herbs—they packed up and stepped into the portal leading to the third floor.

The moment they arrived, a howling wind roared through the air, sending flurries of ice and snow whipping against their faces. The terrain had changed dramatically—instead of open plains or ruins, they now stood before a series of massive, jagged ice cliffs, their peaks disappearing into a thick, swirling blizzard. A deep abyss stretched out before them, with only a single, narrow bridge of ice leading across to the other side.

Arthur frowned. "A bridge in the middle of a storm? That's a trap if I've ever seen one."

Ilya nodded, eyes glowing faintly as she activated her Curse Sight.

"There's something waiting for us… but I can't tell what."

They had no choice but to move forward.

Arthur took the lead, his shield raised, his senses heightened by his Light Element. Ilya followed behind, her curses ready at a moment's notice. The ice bridge beneath them was slick, every step a calculated movement to avoid slipping into the abyss.

Halfway across, a deep, guttural growl echoed through the air.

From the darkness below, massive, serpentine creatures lunged upward—Frost Drakes, their bodies covered in icy scales, their wings like tattered frost-bitten leather. Their eyes gleamed with cold intelligence, and the moment they spotted Arthur and Ilya, they let out deafening roars, shaking the bridge.

Arthur cursed. "Here they come!"

One of the drakes swooped in, its claws slashing toward them. Arthur barely had time to raise his shield, blocking the attack, but the sheer force of the impact sent him skidding backward on the icy surface.

Ilya immediately reacted, raising her hands.

"Hex of Gravity!"

A dark, invisible force weighed down on the drake, forcing it lower, slowing its movements. Arthur took the opening and dashed forward, his sword glowing with holy light as he slashed across the drake's chest. Ice and blood sprayed out, the monster screeching in pain.

But more were coming.

Two more Frost Drakes emerged, circling them like vultures. One inhaled sharply before unleashing a stream of freezing breath, ice crystals forming mid-air. Arthur rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being frozen solid.

Ilya's hands flashed through multiple hand signs, her eyes burning with violet energy. "Curse of the Withering Chill!"

A pulse of black mist shot out, latching onto one of the drakes. Immediately, its wings stiffened, its movements growing sluggish as a strange frost crawled over its body—not the natural ice of its kind, but a curse far darker.

Arthur took advantage of the opening.

With a burst of mana, he leaped into the air, sword raised high. As he came down, his blade shone with a brilliant radiance

—"Lightbreaker Slash!"

The attack cleaved straight through the drake's neck, its head flying off in a spray of blood before its body plummeted into the abyss below.

Only two remained.

One of the remaining drakes, enraged, went straight for Ilya.

Arthur moved to intercept, but Ilya stood her ground.

She stretched out her arms, and the very shadows beneath the bridge began to twist and move. From within the darkness, spectral chains shot out, wrapping around the drake's limbs and wings, yanking it down violently.

Ilya's voice rang out like an incantation:

"Shadow Bind: Soul Erosion!"

The moment the chains made contact, the drake let out a horrible screech

—its very essence being drained away. It thrashed, trying to escape, but the more it struggled, the tighter the chains became. Within moments, its body withered and collapsed, its lifeless corpse falling into the abyss.

Only one remained.

Arthur didn't waste time.

With lightning-fast movements, he closed the distance, dodging the last drake's desperate ice breath. His sword flared once more with Light Element, and with a single, precise thrust, he pierced the drake's heart.

The monster let out one final shriek before going limp.

Silence.

Both Arthur and Ilya stood on the ice bridge, panting, their breath fogging up in the frigid air. Below them, the abyss was now littered with the bodies of the defeated Frost Drakes.

Ilya smirked, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead. "Not bad."

Arthur exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "We're still not done yet."

The bridge had held through the battle, and now, with their path clear, they crossed over to the other side.

Beyond the bridge, they entered a network of frozen caves, filled with jagged ice formations and eerie blue bioluminescent crystals. Strange, chittering noises echoed throughout the tunnels.

Arthur kept his shield up. "More monsters?"

Ilya's eyes glowed. "Yeah… but not drakes this time."

A second later, a horde of Ice Crawlers burst from the walls—large, centipede-like creatures with razor-sharp legs and cold, lifeless eyes.

Arthur didn't hesitate. "Let's finish this."

The fight continued, battle after battle, as they carved their way through the caverns. The Ice Crawlers were fast, their segmented bodies moving in unpredictable patterns, but Arthur's swordsmanship and Ilya's curses made them a deadly pair.

By the time they reached the end of the tunnels, Arthur's armor was scratched and stained with monster blood, and Ilya was breathing heavily, her mana reserves running low.

But they had done it.

Before them stood the portal leading to the fourth floor.

Arthur placed a hand on Ilya's shoulder. "We'll rest before moving forward. You did great."

Ilya smirked, exhaustion visible in her eyes.

"Of course I did. Let's set up camp."

With that, they found a small cavern to shelter in, lighting a fire and preparing a meal before taking a much-needed rest.

Tomorrow, they would conquer the next challenge.