Chapter 19: Ch19 The Ice Golem’s Lair
IMPORTANT NOTE: Dear readers, please don’t skip this Chapter or skim lightly through it since the info-dump of this Chapter is quite foundational and important to the story.
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Klaus stood at the entrance of the D-rank monster gate, a massive, swirling portal of energy. It was late afternoon, and as he glanced around, he noticed the area was surprisingly quiet.
Not many hunters were present, which meant fewer people to worry about. He swiftly approached the checkpoint outside the gate, where a couple of stern-faced guards stood by a small booth.
He presented his permit, a simple, laminated card that granted him access. The guards, one of them was a burly man with a grizzled beard, squinted at it, then at Klaus. He scanned Klaus from top to bottom and thought that Klaus was a rookie daring to go solo hunting.
"Alright, kid. The permit says one week. If you’re not back by then, you’ll be charged a hefty fine. Understand? And no one’s going to come save your ass if you are stuck inside"
Klaus just looked at them, his expression calm, almost dismissive as if they were not worth even getting a reply from him. He didn’t say a word, just gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
Then, with a confident stride that seemed to ignore their presence entirely, he walked past them and straight toward the shimmering portal. His nonchalant attitude irritated the guards, who exchanged annoyed glances, but they couldn’t do anything to stop him. He had his permit, after all.
The gate was called Ice Golem’s Lair. It was known for housing D-rank monsters or lower, usually, with the rank of the boss being a mystery, as was common for most gates.
As soon as Klaus stepped through the rippling energy of the gate, he found himself in a completely different world. The air instantly bit with a sharp, dry cold, and what came into view was a breathtaking landscape filled with towering, snow-capped mountains and rugged, icy terrain.
It looked like a vast, frozen wilderness, untouched by human warmth.