Chapter 136: Beneath the Ice
The party stepped into a narrow, dimly lit cavern, the walls glistening with jagged ice that shimmered like the teeth of a hungry beast. The air bit at their skin with a cold that went straight to the bone, far worse than the snowstorm outside. A thick mist curled around their feet, rising from the cavern floor like a living thing. Each breath crystallized in the air.
Mendoza shivered and clenched his jaw. "What the hell is this place?" he muttered, his voice quivering with more than just cold.
Even Sylvara couldn’t handle the cold inside the small space.
Aurora’s staff glowed faintly, casting a weak light that barely pushed back the unholy cold. "It’s...some kind of ice elemental chamber," she whispered. "I can sense the mana swirling through the walls. It’s... strong."
"This place is a node of pure ice mana. I can’t stay inside any longer." Mira was the first to get the hell out. After a couple of minutes, Mendoza and a few others also gritted their teeth and ran outside.
They wanted to stick it out to preserve their dignity, but when their health started dropping, they couldn’t linger anymore. Even for big guilds, potions were precious at the moment, and without proper planning, one simply couldn’t use a health potion just to take a look around.
Sylvara, pale and shivering, forced herself to remain. "Damn it," she hissed, her breath a ragged fog. "What the hell is this place?" Now, only she, Nevin, and a couple more from the main party remained, including Aurora.
Of course, Mark and Kate were still standing as if nothing was bothering them. Sylvara could only give a bitter smile, looking at their casual stance. "Where did he go? Do you both know what place this is?" She tried asking, but both of them simply remained mute and shook their heads.
She knew the three were extremely close, but they couldn’t even talk without Damon? Sylvara let out a sigh. She herself was reaching her limit and prepared to head out when suddenly a splashing sound came from a corner.