Thunderous Clash in the Ice Lake
"Hero! Watch out!"
A white blur launched itself from the front. It was a dangerous beast that chilled the blood just from its speed alone. He heightened all his senses and moved his body.
Its agile movements forced even his reflexes into a precarious tightrope walk. Without his newly acquired power, he wouldn't have dodged its attack.
Thunder Walk
Lightning footprints stamped beneath his feet. The imprints on the ground, like stamps, crackled with powerful currents.
In every culture, lightning symbolized strength and speed. The flower of lightning that blooms in an instant moves faster than sound, a realm of swiftness humans experience only rarely.
Vints, having gained the power of lightning, felt the concepts embedded in it absorb into his body. The more he trained by using the power, the lighter his body became like a feather, and the stronger like a giant. The growth from the stigma made all his past countless trainings feel like child's play.
Crackle-crackle!
The lingering lightning in the shape of footprints disrupted the White Fang charging at him.
The White Fang, a white monster over 3 meters long.
It was the master of the Ice Lake. This dungeon was its domain, and he had invaded right into its lair.
Like all other monsters, this ferocious beast had no intention of letting rude intruders who trampled its home with muddy feet go unpunished.
"Grrrroooowl!"
The White Fang's savage roar echoed everywhere. The instinctive urge to piss oneself from the cry dulled his body, heightened to peak concentration. The beast's battle cry wasn't just psychological intimidation.
"Cold attack incoming! Mage, defensive spell!"
The savage roar brought a wave of chill. The exhaled breath turned to ice crystals—a brutal cold that would freeze his legs solid if he didn't move.
Flame Shield
The mage supported with a flame spell. As she chanted, red flames rose like a curtain. For a moment, spring visited the space filled with bone-chilling cold.
Flame magic was invaluable in the Ice Lake. It had an elemental advantage over the monsters here, serving as a key to overcoming crises. But not this time.
"Grrooowl!"
The White Fang's body froze into ice—not self-harm, but armor formed from the cold enveloping it. Sharp icicles protruded like porcupine quills, creating an ice armor.
Enveloped in ice armor, the White Fang charged straight through the flame barrier. The roaring inferno didn't slow it at all. The jagged ice armor didn't melt one bit.
The White Fang closed in on Vints again. The distance was less than a meter. One breath, and it would be zero—for both Vints and the White Fang.
It's cornering me!
No room to retreat. Behind him was the lake. The White Fang's movements seemed crude and erratic, but they were the calculated traps of a cunning hunter. Dodging attack after attack, Vints had been backed to the cliff's edge.
"Damn it! Hero!"
The thief shouted, hurling a shuriken at the White Fang's rear.
Predictably, no effect. The poisoned shuriken just ting! bounced off the ice armor. Even without it, it wouldn't have pierced the beast's thick hide.
His grip tightened on his sword. His concentration peaked, feeling every breath.
Since gaining the stigma's power, intense battles like this made his head spin like he'd been doped. His mind was fully immersed in combat.
The White Fang changed tactics. While cornering Vints with agile moves and dodging all his attacks, now it went for a frontal breakthrough—whether from the ice armor or sensing the prey trapped, who knew.
It charged with the speed of a full gallop on its carriage-sized body. An all-out attack ignoring defense. Even if it hit, such recklessness would send it splashing into the lake, but the White Fang ignored the risk and attacked.
This was a crisis.
But also an opportunity.
Vints, with split-second calculations flashing in his mind, chose attack just like the White Fang.
Thunder Cross
With no retreat, only advance remained. Calmly, Vints crossed his sword into an X and swung.
Crackle-crackle! Crackle-crackle!
As his concentration peaked, the blue lightning etched on his sword writhed violently.
The spiderweb of lightning tendrils spread toward the charging behemoth, jaws wide open. From a spectator's view, it was anyone's guess who would win.
Holy Gift
The priest provided ranged support. A doping skill that temporarily boosted strength, agility, stamina, endurance, and more.
The sword aura from the X swing hit the White Fang. Normal sword auras focused on sharpness to slash foes.
But attribute-infused auras had unique traits based on the element. Vints' lightning had penetration.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
The sword aura lost its X shape on the ice armor instantly—but the power didn't vanish. The electricity infiltrated the solid ice.
The heat from conduction scorched the White Fang's fur and flesh. Even its thick skin couldn't block the ultra-condensed lightning.
Pierced by massive current, the White Fang lost complete muscle control. Its raging bull charge crumbled in an instant.
Booom!!!
Sliding across the ground, the White Fang couldn't halt its momentum and plunged into the frigid lake with a splash.
Vints dropped his sword and barely dodged. A split-second later, and he'd have been crushed under its bulk.
"Nice!!!"
The priest pumped her fist in joy. But it was too early to celebrate. The dungeon lord White Fang wouldn't end from one attack.
Vints turned to the lake where it had fallen. His missed sword had smashed against its body, now scrap metal.
He focused power in his right hand—the site of his stigma. Concentrating on the lightning flowing through his veins, a brilliant light emanated from the stigma.
Bubble bubble! Bubble bubble!
As expected, the White Fang wasn't down. He had to finish it before it recovered.
Vints raised his right hand high and plunged it into the lake. Water splashed. The lake's chill pierced his bones, surrounded by floating icebergs.
Sensation left his hand instantly, but Vints held firm and unleashed the stigma's power.
Lightning Vortex
Crackle-crackle-crackle! Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Blue lightning spread across the water's surface like a painting. Conducted through the water, it formed a dense net ensnaring the submerged White Fang. Perfect for catching a giant fish.
Glug glug! Glug glug!
The bubbles surfacing slowed. The final blow landed true. If it hadn't, after squeezing every last drop of strength, Vints would have been in real danger.
"It's over."
His legs gave out. He plopped down on his butt unknowingly.
"Hero!"
The party rushed to his side.
"Amazing! You took down the White Fang almost solo!"
"Damn! I knew you could do it!"
Cheering voices filled the air. The tension in his muscles eased a bit.
"It wasn't solo. We won as a party. Without the priest's nice assist at the end, it would've been tough."
"Don't sell yourself short! It was all you!"
Used to Vints' humility, the party thanked him for his efforts.
"Look, a treasure chest! It's huge—the biggest we've seen!"
"Obviously. It's blue. Thief, appraise it quick."
"Got it. Appraise!"
◈ A top-tier treasure chest found in the Ice Lake. Filled with various treasures imbued with ice power.
"Jackpot! A real treasure chest! We did it!"
After the thief's appraisal, they opened it. As expected, gems, expensive gear, spell scrolls, gold coins, and more poured out.
The rewards matched the brutally high dungeon difficulty.
"Finally, the end of our hardships? Hoo~! Back at the village, time for a real rest!"
"Priest, your mind's already at the village, but we've still got the way back."
"I know. Caution to the end—that's our party's motto."
"Your mind's already slacking. Learn from the hero."
The mage and priest bantered playfully. It wasn't a fight, just light fun.
"Hero, great job."
The thief ignored them and spoke to Vints.
"How many times do I have to say it—my name's Vints."
"Haha. How many times do I have to say it—get used to it. If people hear a hero uses his real name, you'll get endless teasing. Rumors are already flying."
"But it's weird. Why not use a perfectly good name?"
"It's the rule. Foreign concept to outsiders? Anyway, I'm impressed. You're getting stronger every day. Never seen growth like a hero's."
Vints nodded at the thief's words. Even he thought his growth was abnormal. All thanks to this stigma.
His gaze went to his right arm. Branch-like scars adorned it like a tattoo. This was the stigma's power he'd gained in this world.
Two more till full release...
According to the 'Goddess' who granted it, the stigma unlocked in three stages. He'd passed the first.
On the path to defeating the Demon King lie the keys to stigma liberation.
She'd said. To fully unleash the power, defeat the Demon King.
And defeating the Demon King would return him to his original world.
The Academy must be in chaos. Months have passed... Even shortest estimate to Demon King subjugation is a year. What a mess.
Complicated worries clouded his mind.
"Hero! Time to split the loot! Hurry up!"
The priest's voice snapped him from his thoughts for the moment.