Frost Giant Ruins

The entrance looked quite old, clearly excavated by someone a long time ago.

The group exchanged glances and eventually decided to enter the hole.

Inside, the walls were made of neatly cut ice bricks, their surfaces carved with crude wave and beast-tooth patterns, evidently the work of an ancient civilization.

The light from the fluorescent stones refracted repeatedly off the ice walls, bathing the tunnel in a ghostly blue glow.

"This should be a tunnel connecting to the frost giant ruins," the Old Scholar said while examining the surrounding walls.

"So, how should we proceed?"

"Should we go deeper or leave?" someone asked.

Frostblade thought for a moment and said, "Let's keep going. We likely have no choice but to exit through the frost giant ruins."

"There's no telling what we'd run into if we tried to dig our way up from here."

"If this leads to the surface, that's fine, but if it's under a mountain peak, we'd be digging for ages and still never finish."

The group nodded in agreement.

Then, someone asked, "Which direction should we take?"

The group stood in the middle of the ice-brick passage, with pitch-black tunnels stretching out into the darkness on both sides.

Jiang Lin focused for a moment. His perception of the subtle air currents via 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 allowed him to make a judgment almost instantly.

"The airflow on the right is smoother. The flow on the left has some turbulence, which suggests a dead end. The right side should connect to the frost giant ruins."

Hearing this, the group headed to the right.

Over the next few minutes, the team fell back into silence, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the confined space.

The ice tunnel was wide and long, its walls built from solid blocks of deep blue ice bricks. Each block was cut square and flat, with frost that hadn't melted for millennia condensed between the seams.

Crude patterns spread across the ice walls—ancient wavy lines interwoven with motifs of beast fangs and ice crystals.

Under the ghostly blue light of the fluorescent stones, the patterns seemed to come alive, flowing slowly deep within the ice layer.

The team moved along the sloping ice path, their feet stepping on a smooth surface covered with a very thin layer of frost powder that made a soft shushing sound.

The Old Scholar raised his magic lantern and leaned in to inspect the ice wall, the cloudy eyes behind his crystal lenses sparkling with excitement.

"These patterns... they are frost-tongue runes from the frost giant tribes. They used this script to record history, sacrificial rituals, and even to seal secret arts."

His fingertips lightly brushed the ice surface. Though it was bone-chillingly cold, he could feel a faint pulse of magic emanating from the runes.

"This tunnel is at least three thousand years old."

"The frost giants were one of the first intelligent races in the Northern Ice Field. Their architectural skills were far beyond human imagination."

"It was no easy feat to excavate such a magnificent underground passage in the permafrost."

Frostblade asked, "Which direction are we heading now?"

The Old Scholar took out his crystal compass and infused it with magic. The needle spun wildly for several rotations before finally trembling and pointing diagonally downward.

"Northeast, at a depth of about one hundred and fifty meters below the surface. Based on the orientation and distance... this is indeed the underground section of that ice fortress ruin."

At that moment, Red Flame asked, "Could there still be living things inside the giant ruins?"

"Unlikely," the Old Scholar shook his head.

"The frost giant tribes went extinct during the Great Ice Age over two thousand years ago. However, there might be magic traps they left behind or ice-sealed guardian constructs. We must be careful."

The team continued forward.

The ice tunnel didn't go straight down; instead, it spiraled deeper, with a gentle sloping platform appearing at intervals. Occasionally, empty niches could be seen carved into the ice walls, which seemed to have once held some kind of objects.

Jiang Lin walked in the middle of the group, his golden eyes calmly scanning the surroundings.

The perception granted by 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 was amplified to the extreme in this enclosed environment.

He could "hear" the subtle stress changes deep within the ice, "touch" the nearly imperceptible air disturbances, and even "smell" the faint scent of sulfur growing stronger—a hint of geothermal activity.

After walking for about twenty minutes, a fork appeared in the tunnel.

One path continued sloping downward, while the other turned gently to the left.

The Old Scholar stopped to study the compass and the runes on the ice wall. After a moment, he pointed to the left passage.

"The runes in this passage are denser and have a clear directional purpose—it should lead to the core area of the ruins."

Frostblade nodded. "We'll take this one."

The passage after the left turn was even wider, with a height exceeding five meters. The patterns on the ice walls had evolved from simple waves and fangs into complex narrative scenes.

A group of tall frost giants were hunting massive beasts on the ice field, holding ice-crystal spears with a towering ice fortress behind them.

A giant priest was performing a ritual before an altar, where a giant egg emitting a deep blue glow floated in the center.

The final scene was a fractured image—the ice field splitting apart, volcanoes erupting, and giants struggling amidst snowstorms and lava.

"These are records of their extinction," the Old Scholar said in a low voice.

"The Great Ice Age and crustal movements occurred simultaneously, turning this region into an icy-fiery purgatory. The frost giants ultimately couldn't survive it."

The passage continued to stretch on.

After another fifteen minutes, the path ahead suddenly opened up.

The team stepped into a massive ice cavern.

The cavern was over a hundred meters in diameter, with a ceiling over twenty meters high supported by dozens of thick ice pillars. Lifelike images of giants were carved onto the pillars; some stood solemnly with spears, while others knelt in prayer, their expressions grave.

In the center of the cavern was a circular ice pool about thirty meters in diameter. It didn't contain water, but rather a solidified deep blue liquid covered by a very thin ice film, emitting a faint sulfur scent and magic fluctuations.

"An ice marrow pool formed by the mixture of geothermal meltwater and ice elements."

The Old Scholar knelt by the pool and carefully dabbed a bit of the liquid. Tiny ice crystals instantly condensed on his fingertip.

"The temperature is extremely low, yet it contains an immense amount of ice-attribute magic power. This must have been a place where the frost giants cultivated or held ceremonies."

Frostblade looked around. "Is there an exit?"

There were six passages around the cavern. Aside from the one they came from, the other five led in different directions.

The Old Scholar took out his compass again. After a careful comparison, he pointed to the one due north.

"The magic flow in this passage is the most stable, and it aligns with the orientation of the surface ruins."

The team took a short break, drank some water, and ate some energy blocks before setting off again.

The northern passage was even more exquisite than the previous ones. The runes on the ice walls were so dense they covered almost every inch of the surface, and even the ceiling was filled with intricate patterns.

The light here underwent a strange change—some kind of luminescent minerals seemed to be embedded deep within the ice, emitting a soft, pale blue cold light. They no longer needed fluorescent stones to see the path ahead.

"It's everlight ice crystals," the Old Scholar explained.

"A rare ice-attribute magic mineral that absorbs ice elements from the environment to emit light autonomously. It can last for thousands of years."

The passage began to slope upward gently.

The sulfur scent in the air gradually weakened, replaced by a stale smell mixed with ancient dust and ice crystals.

Jiang Lin could sense that they were approaching the surface.

After another half hour, a massive stone door appeared ahead.

The stone door was eight meters high and five meters wide, cast from a mixture of a dark blue-black metal and ice crystals. A grand scene was embossed on its surface.

Countless frost giants were kneeling before a towering ice peak, atop which floated a massive ice crystal like a sun, its light shining over the entire tribe.

"The frost giants... this is indeed a ruin left by them."

The Old Scholar touched the relief, his voice filled with awe.

The stone door wasn't fully closed, leaving a gap on the left side just wide enough for a person to slip through.

Assassin One went inside to scout and quickly returned with a report.

"There's a circular hall behind the door. It's empty, but there are two exits leading in different directions."

"In the center of the hall... there's a corpse."

The group entered one by one.

The hall was about half the size of a basketball court, with a high ceiling embedded with fluorescent minerals that had long since lost their glow.

The floor was paved with neatly cut blue-black stone slabs, and a corpse was indeed curled up in the center.

It was a human wearing thick fur and rusted plate armor. He had clearly been dead much longer than the members of the Ice Bear Mercenary Group in the ice crevice—the body was almost completely mummified, with skin clinging to the bones and a dark brown hue.

In his arms, he clutched a leather notebook with a line written on the cover in an ancient northern dialect.

"Valki's Last Journey."

The Old Scholar carefully took the notebook and opened it.

The yellowed pages were filled with scribbled, hurried handwriting.

"...Seventh day of being hunted by frost ghosts. We found this ice fortress. It's too big, like a maze."

"The team got separated. Hawke was dragged into the ice corridor on the east side. I only heard his screams..."

"The frost ghosts have no physical form. They seep out from the ice walls, and anything they touch freezes instantly..."

"My torch is about to go out, and my magic crystals are exhausted..."

"If someone sees this note, remember: don't go to the East Gallery..."

The note stopped abruptly there, with the last page mostly torn off and the remaining edges showing scorch marks, as if it had been burned in a hurry.

"frost ghosts..." Frostblade's expression turned grave.

Red Flame gripped her scimitars. "Two exits. Which way?"

The Old Scholar carefully checked the needle in his hand.

"That way is east, which likely leads to the East Gallery mentioned in the note."

"I think we should take the advice and avoid the east side."

Frostblade pondered for a moment. "Our goal is to leave as quickly as possible, not to go on an adventure. We'll take the other side to avoid conflict."

"Besides, this ruin has been here for so many years. Anything worth taking has likely been scavenged clean already."

"Only some monsters probably call this place home now. It's not worth exploring."

No one objected.

The team, on the brink of desperation, had long lost any desire for exploration. Survival was their only goal.

The other passage was narrow and winding, and the carvings on the ice walls gradually decreased until they became rough, excavated surfaces.

The temperature continued to rise, the sulfur smell grew stronger, and they could even hear the faint sound of running water.

"An underground river!" the Old Scholar said happily. "If there's running water, it likely leads outside!"

Hope ignited within the weary team, and their pace quickened.

At the end of the passage, a surging underground river indeed appeared. The water was milky white and steaming, with slippery volcanic rocks lining the banks.

The river was about ten meters wide, and another tunnel sloping upward was faintly visible on the opposite bank.

"The water is warm. We can wade across!" Assassin One shouted after testing the temperature.

Just as Frostblade was about to order the crossing, Jiang Lin suddenly raised his hand.

"Wait."

In his enhanced perception from 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】, a very subtle, rhythmic fluctuation was coming from deep within the water—like something swaying with the current.

Almost simultaneously, a splash erupted from the center of the river, and a pale figure burst out!

The thing had a humanoid silhouette but was composed entirely of translucent ice, with deep blue light flowing inside it.

It had no facial features, only two deep hollows staring at the group. Its arms were long and slender, with fingertips like ice picks, while its lower body remained submerged in the river, as if merged with the water.

"A... frost ghost?!" someone gasped.

The air in the front hall of the stone door suddenly froze.

The pale icy figure floated silently above the milky white hot spring river, deep blue light flowing within its translucent body. Its two black-hole-like eye sockets slowly scanned the people on the bank.

There was no breathing, no heartbeat—only the gurgling of the underground river and the soul-freezing cold emanating from its body.

"On guard!" Frostblade growled, his short sword held across his chest as ice-blue magic power flickered on the blade.

The team instantly tightened their formation. The two shield warriors stepped to the front, slamming their tower shields into the ground. The archer quickly retreated and notched an arrow, while the assassins dispersed like shadows along the rock walls.

Red Flame drew her twin blades, while the Old Scholar gripped the magic notebook, his face turning pale.

Jiang Lin stood his ground, his golden eyes fixed on the entity known as a frost ghost.

In the enhanced perception provided by 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】, he could "see" the eerie stagnation of the air around the frost ghost—the airflow within three feet of it seemed to fall into a viscous icy sludge, slowing almost to a standstill.

Deeper still, a cold and twisted mental fluctuation was spreading from those hollow eye sockets like invisible tentacles, attempting to probe into everyone's consciousness.

"Be careful, their attack method is very unique and extremely difficult to defend against..."

Before the words could even leave his mouth, the frost ghost's head tilted slightly, aiming at Shield Warrior One who stood at the very front.

In the next moment, its ice-pick-like right hand slowly rose—the movement was stiff like a marionette, yet it carried a bone-chilling precision.

"Whoosh—"

Without warning, a needle-thin deep blue ray shot from its fingertip. It was as fast as lightning, piercing straight toward Shield Warrior One's brow!

Shield Warrior One reacted instantly. With a roar, the earthy yellow light on his tower shield surged, transforming into a thick phantom of a rock wall in front of him.

However, the moment the deep blue ray touched the rock wall, it passed through as if it were nothing, continuing its path toward Shield Warrior One's forehead.

"A mental attack?!" Frostblade's pupils constricted.

The moment the deep blue ray touched Shield Warrior One's brow, he looked as if he had been seized by an invisible icy hand. His pupils dilated instantly, and a thin layer of eerie blue-tinted frost rapidly condensed over his skin.

Before he could even let out a scream, his tall frame collapsed backward, slamming heavily onto the volcanic rock bank with a dull thud.