"Frozen Hell."

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[Hrozun 19, 0100 A.R]
[Glacier Falls]

Current in-game time 3:43 PM

"Tsunami! Tsunami! Everyone brace!" Large 20 feet tall tsunamis came crashing down against the ship's broadside trying to flip them over, but the vessel did not bend in surrender to nature, it persevered through the raging tides at a steady pace while getting rocked side by side violently.

Fortunately, the entire crew was able to react quickly enough and hold on to something while the entire ship shook from the waves.

A tempestuous storm had set in blocking the ship's path and because they had no other way to go the captain of the ship decided to punch through the rough seas, braving the wrath of the ocean that not even the most seasoned of sailors would dare challenge.

Settled atop the ship's crow's nest were the lookout, the one in the crew with the best vision, and the one warning everyone about the incoming dangers. He rang a bell that signaled a giant wave was coming and everyone down below would hold on to dear life.

"Hahahaha! Missed me!?" Laughing like a mad man under the raging storm and even going as far as to stand at the very front of the ship was none other than Zhiang himself. He welcomed the storm with outstretched arms and an equally stretched smile, thunders roared and lightning flashed, but Zhiang remained unperturbed, "Come on you can do better than! I know!"

"Don't jinx us," Rashia stood behind him with arms crossed and her face remaining as cold and collected as ever, her eyes clear of any emotions aside from disappointment made it possible for her to ignore the massive waves coming to get them.

"Come on Rashia, I'm just having some fun, besides, it should take five storms to fully tip this ship over," he calmly said, unaware that a bolt of lightning had already struck one of their crewmembers. "Plus this storm is harmless, it's child's play."

"Uh-huh, how about you help the others as a responsible leader?" The Dragoncrown snarkily replied with a single raised unimpressed brow and a sassy tone that went with it. She motions behind her where everyone was scrambling frantically like children trying to keep the ship afloat.

Meanwhile, others were helping the people who got knocked off the deck by pulling them back up by the rope tied to their waists, a countermeasure made before they even entered the storm and the only thing stopping everyone from falling off by accident.

Zhiang turned back to Rashia after witnessing the chaotic scene and almost cartoonish scene, he simply shrugs at her face, "Eh, they're adults, I'm sure they can take care of themselves." Just as he said that they both hear a voice cry out in an almost comedic fashion.

"Oy! Yuna!" Yelled a raven-haired young man trying to catch up to a hazel-haired girl who went flying, literally, through the air thanks to her small petite figure, she was light as a feather.

"Get me down! Get me down!" The girl, Yuna, panicked while her partner scrambled to get a hold of her, and to make matters worse for the two, the winds would randomly change directions without fail. It was as if a divine force was playing a trick upon them, in the middle of a damn storm on the ocean.

"Hold still! I can't get a hold of you!" Muzui yelled.

"I'm trying!" Said Yuna who was being tossed across the deck like a kite. As the two of them went back and forth, through and fro, Zhiang and Rashia remained fixated on them with a look of pity but they never did lend a hand.

"Never seen that before," Zhiang comments.

"Indeed," Rashia calmly answers.

The storm continued for a while, two hours and a half to be exact, but for Yuna, it felt longer than that. She only got back down after the winds finally came to a peaceful halt and Muzui was able to hoist her back on board.

Yuna was reduced to a sobbing mess kneeling as she let out a waterfall of tears.

"Land hoooo'!" Notified their lookout as everyone onboard turned their heads towards the silhouette in the distance. Dark clouds that constantly spat hales of ice and an ocean of ice stood in their pat.

Glacier falls was as white and gloomy as the stories made it to be, from where they were they can make out the shape of three huge mountains somewhere on the mainland. A thick mist made it hard to see the peaks but from the looks of it, the mountains pierced the heavens.

"There she is, just as ugly as I remember her," chuckled the ship's captain overlooking the wheel, the old man remained unfazed by the view, a stark contrast with the crew on deck. Others marveled at the sight of the mysterious island, others, on the other hand, whispered their prayers hoping for the worst.

Rashia nudged the Monkey by the shoulder then motioned towards the mob of people quietly staring at the ice sheets. The island's mystic aura captivated all who saw it save for a handful of characters, Zhiang being the most experienced out of all of them, his first train of thought was to prepare everything instead of wasting time.

Zhiang simply clapped his hands catching the weary crew's attention, snapping them out from their mild trance. "Alright people I know it looks pretty and all but we're wasting time standing here. In just two hours we'll make landing so I expect all of you to be prepared, well-rested, and well-fed." He reminded them stirring the crowd to get a move on.

After giving out the orders, Zhiang made his way to meet Yuna and Muzui who were leaning against the wooden railing, both equally soaked from top to bottom and tired from all the hectic things that happened.

"We haven't reached the island yet and you're already a mess," declared Zhiang with an entertained smirk as he looked down at the two. "Hope you two haven't given up yet, have you?"

Panting heavily, the two gazed at Zhiang with a challenging glare, the type that can be translated into the words 'Don't get ahead of yourself.' Zhiang remained smirking, he took a dry towel handed to him by a crew member then tossed it at the of them before walking away, "Save that look for when we encounter any beasts or anything inherently dangerous on the island."

While he was walking away as Yuna tried to remark to sound tough, "We don't need...to...rest—Achooo!" Yuna sneezed just as she finished her words.

"Give it a rest, jeez," Muzui said while he used the towel to dry his head. There was no use arguing, it was only a matter of time before they eventually land, saving their energy was the biggest priority.

•∆•

At the captain's quarters, a group of five people stood around a round table, though incomplete, the map they had laid in front of them gave insight about the island's shores. They discussed many important topics, their supplies, the routes they would take into the island, protocols they had to follow if anything were to happen, and so on. No matter how small the detail, they provided every possible plan just in case.

On the deck, people were scurrying to man their stations and prepare for whenever they set out to explore. Among these people was a lone girl peering forward. Yuna's eyes were fixated on the island, thoughts ran rampant in her mind which bugged her, she had her worries, questions, and reservations about this expedition.

She worried that something unavoidable might happen and or an unbeatable foe, Yuna thought of these things, especially if the time comes when even her fists, the things she relies on the most, would not be able to aid her this time. Looking back at their past adventures it was always her who often charged forward into the danger, her actions often placed her friends in predicaments just like when they made a deal with Vadodara.

Back when they were still trapped inside that temple, would things have gone differently if she chose to die instead? Ever since what happened to Cesro, Yuna's been uncomfortable in her own body, her usual lust for battle was starting to waver. Thinking back to it, she only ever got into Gaia-Battle-Front because she thought it would be a great opportunity for her.

An opportunity for her to find that same feeling of wonder she felt, the allure and desire that a world invoked inside of her, the cheers and laughter she got when her team finds the treasure, the frustration of losing to an enemy better than you. She wanted to bring back those days, those hazy memories of her and her friends raiding dungeons for hours on end. If she could just feel that-nay, even if it wasn't her and someone else who enjoyed her presence, people who share the spark of adventure.

"It's like the air's starting to freeze the more we get closer to the island, aren't you cold?" Shocked to hear another person's voice, Yuna was met by 4ster who approached her from behind without her noticing thanks to her daydreaming. She found it funny how she expected to see Muzui but this was fine as well.

The mage walked to her side and stood a small distance away from her, then he gazes at the view, taking in the exotic scenery as he took in the cold salty air. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," she simply responds and goes back into staring at the ocean. The two of them were silent for a moment, savoring the moment and listening to the symphony of waves battering the hull.

"You know, I didn't expect Glacier falls to be ominous looking," as 4ster confessed Yuna merely listened to him talk, "I've been into a lot of mysterious, ominous, and dangerous islands in other games and I'm thinking Glacier falls might make it on my top ten." He chuckled at the thought and leaned his back against the wooden railing. "How about you, Yuna-san? How do you rate Glacier falls?"

"Huh...that's a good question. I might wait till I get on the island just to get a good feel of it," she answered. Then she asks, "What brings you here by the way?"

"Oh right, about that," 4ster fumbled with his words for just a moment before clearing his throat. He spoke with an unsure tone of voice as he offered, "I came here because...because I wanted to invite you into our guild."

Yuna raised an eyebrow, curious about his offer. "When saw how you fight back then I knew for sure that you had the skill surpassing most of us here, I'm sure of it. I was wondering if you'd like to join us, we could use someone of your caliber and maybe even manage to join the top major guilds. You see, our guild Sky's Apex is still small–but! I can assure you it's fun." 4ster blurted out everything in a single breath as Yuna listened carefully.

The girl acted as if she was contemplating his words, although unfortunately for 4ster, Yuna already had an answer in mind. "Interesting, and this guild of yours, how many members do you currently have?" She inquires of the mage.

"Yeah about that, we currently have around a hundred active players as of now, we're also still saving up for a headquarters but eventually we'll get there," 4ster tried to stay positive and smiled as he gave Yuna an expecting look. If it was Yuna's past self, talking right now she would've taken the offer, but her mind was already made up.

Placing her cheek against her palm Yuna politely brought the news to 4ster with an apologetic expression, "The offer sounds tempting, it really does, but I have to decline. Sorry but I already have something in mind, I hope you can understand." She told him.

Hearing her decline his offer, 4ster remained calm and just scratched the back of his head as if expecting this outcome. In his eyes was a hint of disappointment that Yuna could see, he chuckled to himself as he says to her, "Yeah I expected that much."

"You don't seem too bothered," Yuna points out.

"I don't mind, really, I usually get decline most of the time so I'm used to it already." The mage chuckled dryly as he scratched his cheek. Yuna felt pity hearing him say that but she remained adamant with her decision. "It's a shame I wasn't able to convince you but oh well." He shrugs.

"You're not secretly mad, are you?" Yuna questions with a serious look, making sure things were fine.

"No, it was your decision, after all. I can respect that." 4ster dismisses her.

As they were talking to themselves, a voice calls out the mage's name creating a small pause. "Oi 4ster! Over here!" A female Austerian with tanned skin and long dark braided hair, the figure stood with three more people, a lanky looking guy with wishy-washy hair, a Luar with a staff, and a half-human half-lion hybrid with a massive buster sword strapped to their back. The girl waved their hand towards the mage.

"Looks like your friends are calling you," Yuna mutters, still leaning against the railings.

"Yeah...I already told them to wait..." The mage had an annoyed expression as he carefully muttered those words.

"You should get going," Yuna quickly says.

"But won't you get lonely?" 4ster tries to reason with her but Yuna merely shrugs.

"It's fine it's fine, I could use some time to clear my mind." She says as 4ster eventually leaves. Minutes after the mage left, Yuna let out a sigh then closed her eyes, feeling the cold air against her skin.

•∆•

Ice crackled beneath their boots at every step they took, harsh winds brought about hails of ice, even with their thick wool coat the cold still penetrates. Each breath ached as if daggers punched holes into one's lungs.

Yuna can feel the air in her nostrils turn into ice before it can even come out which causes a minor annoyance but is hardly a bad thing. In fact, it wasn't even a problem compared to the blizzard they were braving. It had been hours since they left the ship and ventured to explore the island, the first thing to greet their crew was the harsh winds.

While the cold proved to be a challenge, it alone was nothing but a gentle breeze for Zhiang and Rashia who walked in front, leading the way without any signs of slowing down. It was thanks to Zhiang that all of them can walk forward without getting lost in the storm, while Rashia often glanced back to check for any missing members, thanks to her keen sense of sight she never loses track of anyone.

"Haaah~ this blizzard sure brings memories, mostly bad ones but that's better than nothing," Zhiang chirps casually as if he was taking a walk down the park. The tip of his tail was frozen like a popsicle but he paid it no mind, "Yep, just like last time. I miss having my tail frozen."

"Less talking, more walking," Rashia spoke while maintaining a steady pace behind him and periodically checking the people behind them.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud, Rashia. Besides, it'd take us two more hours to reach the shore at the rate we're going right now," Zhiang shrugs her off as he wore a smirk as he walked. The Dragoncrown made no effort of pestering him, instead, she sighed and followed him.

Suddenly Zhiang pauses before he takes another step on the ice, he squinted his eyes while staring into the white mist as something caught his attention. The others all stopped behind him, Rashia signaling them to halt confusing their ranks.

Rashia turns to her friend with a worried expression, "What's the problem?" She questions, Zhiang remained motionless and did not answer her directly.

It did not take long for people to start to question the abrupt delay, whispers and murmurs began.

"What is going on, why did we stop?"

"Did we hit a roadblock?"

"Come on! move it already, we're freezing back here!"

While the others were busy complaining, most of them failed to realize their situation. At first, Yuna looked at Zhiang, unaware of the reason why he stopped, "What's he doing?" She turns to Muzui, and as she did she saw the young man's hand over his sword's hilt, his eyes frantically looked around them as if looking for the enemy.

Before Yuna could even come to ask him, she caught a glimpse of silver fur and teeth ready to sink into her neck. She tried to reach for her sword but it was already too late as the creature had already pounced at her and was a hairsbreadth away. Danger signals flared in her head but it was already late.

But while she couldn't react fast enough, Muzui threw himself at her and pushed her out of the way, saving her in the process from being monster food. Yuna shot at a glance at the creature hoping to catch its features but before she could even find it, it had already vanished into the snow.

"Get your shit together, we're surrounded," Muzui hissed with his hand at his sword. He glared at the space around them, sensing numerous enemies that Yuna couldn't seem to see.

"O-oi, are you two alright?" A curious adventurer stuttered to ask them.

"Get the fuck away!" Muzui surprisingly cried out, causing more confusion.

"W-wha–" as the man tried to make sense of what was going on, Yuna saw the same silver fur and sharp teeth aiming for the unknowing man from behind. Yuna tried to run at them but before she could do just that, a spear penetrated the creature's skull.

It fell with a thud as it bled on the ground. The others, after seeing the dead beast, scrambled to get their weapons as Rashia yelled, "We're under attack! Stick together!" She said as the adventurers started forming groups to watch each other's back.

They warily glanced around them trying to find the enemy but because of the blizzard, they couldn't make heads or tails of anything. Zhiang walked over to pick his spear and looked at the frightened adventurer who fell on the ground, "Go join the others, it's not safe right now." He told them. The adventurer scrambled to his friends who formed a circle while Zhiang kept an eye on them.

"What was that thing?" Muzui demanded to know the answer while Yuna stood behind him, staring at the corpse of what can be described as a small dog with silver fur. It had no eyes but in exchange, it had two large flaps at the side of its head, presumably its ears.

Zhiang sighed then looked at the two of them, after seeing they were uninjured he smiled, "Seems like you two are fine and dandy, anyways, this thing over here," he pokes the corpse of the creature with the tip of his spear. "We call them Frost Jackals, they're mostly scavengers who hunt on the ice sheets."

"You seem to know a lot about them," Yuna chimes in earning a chuckle from the Monkey.

"Yeah, you can say that," Zhiang tells her before swinging his spear, slicing another frost jackal in half without even looking. "It looks like we're all out of time for chit chat, you two better draw your swords if you want to get out of this alive." Advised the Monkey who threw his spear impaling another frost jackal trying to creep up behind Yuna.

After witnessing how close the previous one almost got her, Yuna wasted no time and drew her blade as they prepared to fight their way through the blizzard. On the other side, Rashia pummeled a frost jackal's skull with a punch and grabbed another by the neck, snapping it like a twig before slamming the body at another frost jackal.

Seeing their vice leader at work gave the adventurers a boosted morale, all of them kept a tight formation and held on to each other's back as they slowly inched through the storm. Zhiang walked alone in front of them, piercing and cleaving through the hordes of enemies skillfully. Back to Yuna and Muzui, the two of them stuck to each other, watching one another's back while making sure they did not lose track of the group.

Although the enemies were relentless in their attacks and almost endless in number, the expedition pushed through the storm and fought through the hordes, clawing and slicing as they did

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