Klaus grinned slightly, stretching his limbs. Ahead, he spotted massive, hulking figures moving slowly but surely through the distant snow. A procession of ice golems was travelling through the forest, making low, grunting sounds as they searched for prey.
This particular group had five golems, traversing the frozen woods, likely looking for materials or a hunt.
"Let’s try my luck," Klaus said, the Lost Echo humming subtly in his hand, almost as if amused by her master’s carefree attitude. His first true hunt in this new world was about to begin.
As the golems lumbered along, surveying their surroundings, one of them caught sight of a small silhouette standing on a huge rock, looking down at them.
To the golem, Klaus probably looked like an insignificant, ant-like creature. The mont the golem spotted him, it tried to let out an even louder grunt, trying to alert its companions about the new prey it had found.
But before it could even fully open its mouth, a horrifying pressure descended upon the golem.
It was so intense that before the creature could react, its eyes lost all colour.
It stood there, frozen, silently, without making a single move. One by one, the sa fate befell the other golems. They all stiffened, their stony eyes losing their light, remaining upright for a mont as if still alive.
The instant the imnse pressure lifted, all five dead bodies collapsed onto the ground with dull thuds, shattering the eerie silence of the snowy forest.
If one were to inspect the fallen golems, one would find that their cores, deep within their rocky bodies, were cracked.
"Wow, they died just like that?" Klaus muttered, a mix of awe and disbelief in his voice. He didn’t even need to ask for confirmation, as notifications imdiately popped up in front of him.
[Host has killed D-rank Ice Golem] x1
[Host has killed D-rank Ice Golem] x1
[Host has killed D-rank Ice Golem] x1
[Host has killed D-rank Ice Golem] x1
[Host has killed D-rank Ice Golem] x1
Klaus had just used one of the strongest skills in his arsenal: Dragon’s Might (Legendary).
"System, does this skill not have a limit?" Klaus asked, his eyes bright with excitent. If there was no cost to using it, he could clear this entire gate in a single day.
[Host is advised to look in a mirror.]
"Huh??" Klaus was confused. He quickly brought Lost Echo’s shiny, dark blade closer to see his reflection. What he saw shocked him. His nose and ears were bleeding, bright red streaks flowing out against his pale skin.
[The Host is advised not to use Dragon’s Might skill more than two tis to avoid any backlash. Moreover, the Host should not even think about using divine skills like Dragon God’s Sight for now.]
"But why!!!" Klaus cried, frantically wiping the blood from his face with a clean handkerchief.
"Absorption skill works fine, even though it’s divine-ranked so why it is the case with this skill" His face was etched with a deep, clear frown. This made no sense.
[Host, Absorption skill is fundantally different. It is one of the few skills in the universe whose execution doesn’t cost the Host. Instead, it draws its energy from the target being absorbed itself, and so part of it is given to the Host.]
The system explained, then continued,
[Skills on the level of Dragon’s Might do not require mana for activation but a strong draconic bloodline, capable enough to channel the skill’s effect.
If you were a normal person using this skill even one ti, it may have blasted you into smithereens. It’s only because of your latent, unawakened bloodline from the progenitor himself that you were able to use this skill.]
"You could have told sooner, System!!" Klaus gritted his teeth, feeling a mix of annoyance and sheer relief that he hadn’t exploded.
[System thought it was obvious.]
"Shit, are you calling stupid??" Klaus glared at the screen as if it were directly mocking him.
[Host has misunderstood.]
Klaus listened to the system’s confirmation, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the system was chuckling in the background. As if listening to his thoughts the system instantly replied again.
[Host has misunderstood.]
"Okay, fine, leave it," Klaus sighed, giving up on the argunt. "Tell , should I use Stellar Sword Descent now?"
[The Host can use mortal stage skills any number of tis till the Host’s stamina or mana pool lasts.]
"Okay," Klaus replied. That was good news. He wouldn’t be blowing himself up or leaking blood with every swing at least.
He then looked at the corpses of the five dead golems. He noticed that the earlier absorption panel, which usually popped up with options, did not appear.
[Just go and activate the skill, leave the rest to the system]
The system’s voice rang in his ears, clearing up the confusion.
Klaus walked up to the nearest collapsed golem and willed for his Origin Absorption skill to activate.
In just a few seconds, the massive bodies of the golems shimred and then completely disappeared, leaving no trace. As they vanished, a few notifications chid in his ears.
[Congratulations! You have awakened Ice Affinity!]
[Current progress - 0.01%]
[Obtained skill - Ice Spike (D)]
[Obtained skill - Frost Action (D)]
[Obtained 10 Draw Points!]
"I was also awarded Draw Points??" Klaus exclaid, surprised by the last notification.
[Host, since the bloodline and enhancents of the Ice Golem are not much use to the Host because the Host will eventually get the most supre bloodline, they were sacrificed using the sacrifice tab to obtain Draw Points for the Host.]
"Well, this is convenient," Klaus said with a light smile. At least he didn’t have to think much about making choices on the absorption panel. All of it would be handled by the system now, directing everything into what benefited him most.
Klaus suddenly noticed so faint white particles hovering around him. "What’s this?" he asked, reaching out a hand, feeling a strange coolness in the air.
[This is ice elental mana, Host since you have awakened an ice affinity.]
"System, now that I have already awakened an affinity, please explain to how it will be beneficial to ," Klaus asked, eager to understand his new power.
[Host should know that 0.01% ans the Host is a complete beginner in this affinity. A few effects of having affinity to an elent are:
[From 0.01% to 0.1% Ice Affinity:]
Your ice elental attacks are stronger than normal mages without an affinity.You can use ice skills with less mana consumption, at least a 50-60% reduction in consumption is seen.You get low-level ice elental resistance.
[From 0.1% to 1% Ice Affinity (You beco a genius of ice elent):]
All the previous effects are strengthened.The Host can now create ice-related skills up to Rank A (i.e., at 1% for A-rank and lower for subsequent ranks).Your resistance to ice becos mid-level.
"What about after 1%?" Klaus asked, a shine in his eyes. He could imagine himself becoming a god of ice, slaying enemies by releasing powerful ice beams from his eyes or freezing entire landscapes with a thought.
[Host is not qualified to know right now]
the system’s voice ca as a cold reminder that he was not strong enough yet to even know this.
Klaus didn’t complain. He simply looked at the imdiate benefits. He had noticed earlier that he felt much more comfortable now, even in this chilly environnt. That must be the ice resistance at work. It was a tangible improvent.
Klaus felt a surge of determination. He would hunt more ice golems and increase his affinity as much as he could. This was the start of truly mastering his elents.
So, he started running again, moving swiftly through the frozen landscape towards the next location where he sensed ice golems, guided by his natural hunter’s instincts.
As soon as he was nearby, he thought of trying a new manoeuvre. He activated his Swift Step skill and, with incredible agility, climbed a tall, gnarled tree swiftly, like a ninja.
Then, with Lost Echo firm in his hand, he gathered all his strength in his legs and leapt from the tall treetop. He plumted towards a big formation of ice golems below.
"Stellar Sword Descent First Form: Star Touch!"
he roared, activating his SSS-rank skill.
As soon as the skill was activated, Lost Echo began to shine with a mysterious golden light, mixed with a faint, shimring blue glow of ice mana. Klaus landed right in the centre of the ice golem formation.
This ti, there were quite a few of them, about fifteen or so. The sword handle was firm in both of his hands as he impacted the ground.
Boom!**
A shockwave erupted, blasting outwards from Klaus and his sword, tearing through the ice golem formation.
The ice golems closest to him imdiately crumbled and died, shattered by the force. Klaus heard quite a few notifications chi in his mind, confirming his kills.
He quickly scanned the remaining golems. So of them, those on the outer edges of the formation, had been out of the direct range of the initial skill.
These golems, though montarily confused, were trying to flee, their low agility making their attempts clumsy.
Klaus imdiately activated his Haunt skill, targeting the escaping golems. A wave of chilling dread radiated from him, designed to slow them down with fear.
This was the sa skill the cultist had used against him, making him feel like prey. Back then, mixed with the effects of his old Roach trait, it had made him feel like a chicken on a slaughter table, unable to fight back until the cultist attacked first, deactivating the skill. Now, Klaus was the one wielding that fear.
Klaus imdiately sprinted towards the outer periter of the formation. The point where he had landed was almost the very centre of the golem group, so his initial powerful attack had stunned the golems near the middle.
He needed to get to the outer area to prevent the unaffected golems from escaping. Once he reached the edge of the scattered formation, he began the thodical slaughter of the haunted, fear-slowed golems.
"Stellar Sword Descent, Second Form: Song of the Stars!"
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AUTH NOTE-
I hope you like the story I know the pace has not picked up really yet but around the 20th Chapter, things will be in place.
As an author, I can say that the biggest challenge I face is the lack of a reader’s perspective which is why your feedback is really important for . So please give review or at least a Chapter comnt.
Have a nice day
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