[Vol. 7] Chapter 187: The Lord of Frost
Through their contract bond, Little Fang instantly understood its master’s intent. Without hesitation, it let out a long, resounding howl and surged forward at full speed!
After being nurtured for a long time by the divine realm and a massive amount of light-element crystals, the beast, already possessing pseudo-god strength, had long since recovered its peak power.
In fact, it had gone even further, reaching the demigod level, just one step away from breaking through the final barrier. Now, running at full force, it was like a golden lightning bolt streaking across the frozen plains, kicking up waves of snow and howling winds in its wake. A roaring golden trail was all that remained behind, an awe-inspiring sight.
"Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!"
Since the priestess's command was to "charge ahead" rather than simply "move forward," and with no risk of friendly fire in this open terrain, Little Fang had no reason to hold back.
Every time its massive paws struck the ground, they sent out visible shockwaves. The frost and snow were completely blocked by the natural protective aura radiating from the beast. Yet, despite the extremely high speed, the black-haired girl sitting atop its back remained completely stable, as if unmoved by the wind. Not even a single strand of her hair was disturbed.
The creatures that lived here would have been deadly threats to ordinary warriors. But in the presence of a far more terrifying beast, they could do nothing but tremble and cower. A few daring ones who refused to yield were sent flying by the violent gusts of wind created by the giant dog's running, unable to even get close.
"Whooosh—whoosh—whooosh—!"
Meanwhile, Lucas, who was also Level 80 and at demigod strength, spread his steel-like golden wings and soared above. Though he specialized in defense rather than attack, that didn’t make him slow or clumsy. With the advantage of flying, keeping up with Little Fang’s high-speed sprint wasn’t too difficult. From time to time, he even swung his heavy sword to strike down a few vicious birds attempting to launch an aerial ambush. Feathers scattered in the wind as their bodies were cleaved apart.
Suddenly, Lucas called out a loud warning from above.
"My lord! There is a large gathering of monsters ahead, and beyond them lies a steep ice cliff!"
"Ignore them. Little Fang, break through and jump over!"
"Awooooo!!!!"
Understanding the command instantly, Little Fang let out an earth-shaking howl, sending the beast horde ahead into a panicked frenzy. Then, its golden aura flared even brighter as it accelerated once more!
Like an unstoppable golden missile, the massive dog charged forward, smashing through the terrified monsters that tried to flee from its path. Without breaking stride, it reached the abrupt edge of the frozen plains and leaped!
"Boom!!!"
A few seconds later, Little Fang landed with a thunderous crash. What had been hidden beneath the snowy cliff’s edge was revealed. Another vast, seemingly endless ice field, stretching out over a hundred meters below!
The hundred-meter drop didn’t cause the giant beast any harm at all. It landed effortlessly and kept sprinting forward as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, the priestess sitting on its back glanced back at the golden-armored warrior flying down from above and at the towering cliffs stretching endlessly behind them, her expression thoughtful.
Just as Lucine's report had described.
The Frozen Tundra Zone, which made up the fourth section of the [Morst Underground Labyrinth], covered all areas from floors 30 to 39. However, unlike the earlier levels, the pathways connecting each floor here were no longer safe. Instead, they were dangerous landscapes requiring courage and special methods to traverse.
All ten floors of the Frozen Tundra Zone formed a vast, interconnected region, rather than the purely vertical structure of the first thirty floors. The deeper one descended, the more expansive the labyrinth became, resembling an endless ice field at the world’s northernmost reaches. The risk of getting lost forever increased exponentially, and the demands placed on explorers' skills and endurance grew significantly.
Even without considering the stronger monsters and the spatial barriers, the sheer height differences and deadly cold made this an extreme challenge. For anyone below transcendent level, it was nearly impossible to handle. No wonder the Sainz Academy strictly prohibited any team from going beyond Floor 29 to explore the Frozen Tundra.
"Keep moving forward, Little Fang. Stop only when I tell you to."
“Understood!”
And so, with two top-tier summons escorting her, the once-solo explorer Violet easily passed through increasingly dangerous landscapes, effortlessly reaching a massive gate deep within the tundra.
"Stop."
At her command, the golden-furred beast halted immediately, and the golden-armored warrior landed with a powerful impact, kicking up a flurry of snow.
"My lord, could this be…?"
"Yeah… If I counted correctly, this should be Floor 39. The place that only one team in history managed to break through, over three hundred years ago. So, this is what it looks like..."
Exhaling a breath of white mist, Violet leaped gracefully from her pet’s lowered back and gazed up at the sky-piercing giant gate before her.
It was clear, to descend even further into the unnamed lower floors, one had to pass through this very gate.
But right now, it was firmly shut.
As Lucas approached, the sound of Lucas's clanking armor echoed in the air. Without turning around, Violet chuckled softly.
"Heh… No wonder most explorers outside never make it past this level. So, this is what’s blocking them. The background of this labyrinth... is truly interesting~"
"......"
It seemed to have sensed the presence of an outsider after a long time.
The massive ice-blue creature, which had been lying dormant in the snow before the giant gate, slowly opened its eyes. Its cold, dignified vertical pupils swept over the beast, the girl, and the armored warrior, observing them carefully before it began to rise.
Its colossal body, stretching nearly a hundred meters, lifted into the sky. Its towering shadow easily blocked the dim light that pierced through the swirling snowstorm. As its scales trembled, layers of accumulated ice and snow fell away, and a terrifying aura of ancient power and dominance burst forth, so overwhelming that even the endless blizzard above seemed to momentarily pause.
The golden-furred beast, usually so proud and fierce, narrowed its eyes with uncharacteristic seriousness, its claws digging slightly into the ground as it let out a low, warning growl. At the same time, Lucas gripped his golden greatsword with both hands, stepping forward to shield the black-haired girl behind him.
Because, this was a real dragon.
A fully grown Mythical Blue Dragon.
A [Frost and Arcane Dragon].
This was the first time Violet had seen a real dragon, other than Xiao Guang, since arriving in this world. And unlike Rebecca’s dragon, which was still young, this Blue Dragon was clearly in its prime, a fully matured creature whose strength was undoubtedly at pseudo-god level or beyond.
Logically, magical beasts, who don't use equipment or auxiliary tools and don't learn various martial arts or magic, but instead rely on instinct and natural talent to fight, should be relatively weaker than intelligent beings like humans at the same tier.
But dragons were the one exception.
Their innate abilities were so overwhelmingly powerful that no amount of training or knowledge could make up for the difference.
That was why dragons were known as the strongest creatures beneath the gods.
This title wasn’t just for show. It had been proven over millions of years through countless battles.
They possess powerful flight capabilities, near-immunity to both physical and magical attacks, thanks to their armored dragon scales, and racially unique “Dragon Magic”.
A nearly indestructible body, with overwhelming strength, speed, and endurance, without a single weak point.
Because of these natural advantages, almost no other species could defeat a dragon one-on-one if they were at the same level.
Dragons might not have true “laws” under their control, but legend had it that the seven great dragon clans were born from the seven fundamental laws of the world. Through Dragon Magic, they could unleash powers second only to the gods themselves.
Take the Blue Dragon before them, for example.
Even Minchen, who was a few levels higher than this dragon, would probably need his entire old team working together to safely defeat it, assuming he wasn’t allowed to use any special advantages. If it were a fight to the death, it would likely come at a significant cost.
And yet, a being this powerful was merely guarding the gate on the 39th floor.
So what lay even deeper in this labyrinth…?