Chapter 205: [205] As Cold As The Heart

Ark was half expecting the weretiger to try to bite off his head, key word being try.

Just like how he did not know who their party members would be, they most likely had no idea that a skeleton would be leading the party they were meant to partner with.

This alone was likely more than enough to cause offence...

After staring at Ark for a few seconds, the weretiger raised his hand, claws extended, and then both of them clasped hands in a firm handshake.

The weretiger nodded. "Ragnar, weretiger, Bronze-Rank level forty. It’s a pleasure to be working with you, Demon Slayer."

Ark almost died inside. Hadn’t Tristan been joking about that name? Just how far had it spread already?

He nodded in response, more than grateful for his natural poker face. "Ark, Skeleton, Copper-Rank level twenty. The pleasure is mine."

It was customary for players collaborating to introduce themselves with their names, levels, and ranks. It was to ensure that the leader had an idea of how powerful his party members were.

The tradition was long outdated since they now had tags, but many players still held onto it.

Ragnar turned to face his party members, then motioned at the first one. Ragnar was tall, but this man was even taller and just as muscular as him.

His skin was dark grey, his lower canine poked out of his mouth, laying just above his upper lip, and his hair was a mess of thick strands.

The man pounded his chest, and then his voice came out deep and guttural.

"Dark, Orc, Bronze-Rank level thirty-five!" The air practically vibrated due to the tone of his voice.

Ragnar nodded and then turned to the final member of his party.

The woman stood a little farther than the rest of them, as though she had no interest in socializing.

She wore a large witch’s hat that nearly covered the entirety of her head, with two pointy ears poking out from underneath it.

Her skin was a dull grey, and when she opened her mouth to speak, Ark could see that her teeth seemed on the sharper end.

The woman held the rim of her hat and pulled it down a little further, then turned around to face them, giving a curt bow.

"Cici..."

"Bronze-Rank level thirty..."

"Cambion..."

’Cambion?’ Ark stared at her a little longer than the others, and she seemed to shrink into herself, nearly hugging her staff, which was taller than her.

Cambions were half demons. They were not as strong as full demons like Cain, but they could not be overlooked either.

After Ark’s party members had also introduced themselves, the association representative finally stepped forward.

Unlike the others who were dressed in armour and magic robes, all he wore was a well-ironed suit and black shades that seemed to be added for dramatic effect.

He did not introduce himself, neither did he tell them his rank. He simply went straight to business.

"As you all know, this is an examination to determine if Kasket has what it takes to be registered as an official guild."

His eyes settled on Ark.

"Symbian, the guild assisting you today will act as your partners. You are to treat them as a part of your unit."

Ark nodded.

"Points will be allocated based on how you conduct yourselves, the survival rate of your party members, and most importantly, if you clear the dungeon or not."

His gaze swept across everyone present.

"I will not interfere."

"Even if you are about to be gravely injured, I will not move a muscle."

"Even if you are on the brink of death, I will not so much as imagine saving you."

He paused for a few seconds, allowing his words to settle in.

"You are on your own."

And after that, he pointed his hands towards the rift, prompting them to enter.

Olivia frowned, then stepped in without hesitation.

"What a rejuvenating speech!" She rolled her eyes as her body shattered into multiple pixels and was swept up by the rift.

Thalia entered next, and then Ark’s workers, before he finally stepped right through it.

[For the sake of a mortal’s will to transcend divinity, the dungeons were crafted from the essence of the world. For by descending, one may yet ascend, and by ascending, one may yet descend.]

[Do you wish to enter the dungeon?]

[Yes]

The grey, rocky mountains that had surrounded them in all directions were replaced by an endless wasteland of white.

And then, as usual, a screen appeared in front of Ark, accompanied by a feminine voice in his head.

[Woe unto the people of Sakarar! The spirits whisper of your anarchy, the gods are in awe of your wickedness.]

[To fuel their never-ending greed, the people sought to manipulate the machinations of God. They wished to reform the world, create a season of endless spring and bountiful harvest.]

[And so they soaked the world with blood.]

[The blood of their daughters, the vitality of their young men, the wisdom of the old, and the righteousness of the saints.]

[A sacrifice. A bid. A call to forbidden magic.]

[And so they were cursed with a never-ending winter, a reflection of the frost that had been long layered in their hearts.]

[Dungeon Title: Frozen Eclipse]

[Quest type: Annihilation]

[Objective: Defeat the dungeon boss]

[Rewards: —]

[Penalty: Death]

__

Ark felt the chilling cold engulf him like a cocoon, the frost biting into him. Of course, he was not affected by it, but he could tell just how severe it was.

There were trees spanning out all around them, but they all seemed withered and dead, frozen down to their depths and reduced to standing icicles.

The snow layer was so thick that he sank shin-deep the moment he arrived, and yet, a blizzard was still actively coating the world with even more snow.

"Where the hell is this place?" He glanced up, and then felt a chill run down his spine.

The sun was high up where it was supposed to be, only that it was shielded by a large black mass of swirling shadows.

"Frozen Eclipse," he muttered.

It was the curse.

"You can’t be serious!" Olivia hissed, trudging through the snow towards him. "Why can’t we get a nice place for once?"

Her voice echoed through the forest, so she reduced her tone as she got closer. Already, her cheeks were blushed pink right to the tip of her pretty nose, and her breaths came out steamy.

Everyone had arrived as well in a small circle around him. Ark, Ragnar, and Dark seemed unaffected by the cold, but although the others were managing for now, it would not take long until they collapsed from hypothermia.

Winter coats were not standard equipment, so none of them had any with them...

’We need to do something about the cold first, before we figure out where to start.’

"Everyone, gather around!"

Once they all surrounded him, Ark raised his hand, and then a swirling ball of fire emerged, hovering right above their heads, just before glowing brilliantly like a beacon.

"Listen up, this is the plan..."