The wind outside continued to howl, relentless against the metal walls of the truck. Snow drifted through the cracked windows despite their best efforts to keep the cold out. Everyone huddled close to one another, but all eyes were on Gray, who sat shivering under a salvaged thermal blanket.
"What happened back there? What was all that noise and... why are you covered in snow?"
Lira's voice was steady but firm. She crouched near him, her breath misting with every word. Her eyes flickered between concern and something harsher.
Gray gasped for air, lungs burning from the icy wind that still clung to his chest. His limbs were numb, the tips of his fingers tingling with frostbite. He tried to move his legs, but a stabbing pain surged through his thighs. His body had pushed past its limit.
"Did I over-exert myself?" he thought.
Biting his lip, he tasted blood. It dripped faintly down the corner of his mouth.
"Did you hear what I said?" Lira asked again, louder now.
He hesitated. Telling them everything would make him look unhinged. But hiding the truth would only raise more suspicion.
'Fine. It's best they know' he muttered inwardly.
He began recounting what had happened. From the moment he reached the tower and discovered the door sealed with Vyre symbols, to the discovery of the dead robed man, and finally, the appearance of the monstrous ice giant that had pursued him to the brink of death.
The room was silent as he spoke. The tension thickened with every word.
"And... that sums it up." Gray pulled the blanket closer around himself, shivering as he leaned into the wall.
Korr slammed his fist into the metal frame of the truck. "I told you not to explore that place! I warned you! What if that... thing is following us right now?"
Adel frowned but remained calm. "Unlikely. If it's even half the size Gray described, it wouldn't fit through any of the mountain passes. Let alone sneak up on us."
Korr grumbled something under his breath, then reached down and picked up the Monster Catalogue lying on the floor. He began flipping through the pages aggressively.
Lira turned her attention back to Gray. "Did you find anything? Anything useful? Directions maybe?"
Gray gave her a weak smile and pulled out the items he had recovered. He laid them out on the floor. "Just these. A diary, a sword, and this crystal."
Lira instinctively picked up the sword. It was lighter than expected, and her eyes widened slightly as she examined the strange frost-patterned etchings along the blade.
"It's... light," she murmured.
She stared at it for a long moment. There was something behind her gaze Gray couldn't quite place. Hunger, perhaps? Or recognition?
"You can keep it," Gray said, lifting his hands. "I'm not a fan of swords. Not that kind."
Lira didn't need to be told twice. She slid the new blade into her sheath, replacing her old, chipped one.
Adel leaned closer to the crystal. Her voice was soft but sharp. "That crystal… it's leaking Vyre. Just a little, but it's there."
Gray nodded slowly. "You're right. It's full of Vyre. Possibly pure Vyre."
His mind sparked with an idea. Could he absorb it? Use it to refill his depleted Vyre reserves? He thought back to his Wither Vyre, the way it consumed energy. Maybe it could drain this crystal too.
But not now. It was best saved for an emergency.
Adel seemed disappointed he didn't offer it, but she said nothing more.
Gray leaned back, letting the quiet return. The warmth from the small heater filled the space with the faintest comfort. He let his mind drift as he opened his system.
Everything looked the same, until he spotted a small change.
[Evolution Threshold: 21%]
His eyes narrowed. It had increased.
"Because of that fight... or rather, that near-death moment. That must've been it," he thought.
The director's words echoed in his mind. You evolve not just through battle, but through survival. True danger. He now understood. Every moment closer to death was a step closer to growth.
Then something else caught his attention.
[Skills: Two]
A second skill?
He stared at the word, and the screen expanded.
[Skills: Severing Bloom (1), Frozen Veins (1)]
He didn't react outwardly. No one needed to know. Secrets had their place.
'Frozen Veins' he thought. He didn't know what it did. Not fully. But he remembered how it triggered. That moment when he was about to die, when the cold seemed like it would tear his soul apart. His body had surged with energy. He had moved faster. Endured longer. His Vyre had flowed again. Clean, focused.
But he kept it hidden. That secret was his.
And then came a notification.
[WARNING: Strain Instability Detected] [Cause: Overuse of Vyre under spiritual stress] [Risk: Core degradation, soul bleed, fracture of strain-binding layer]
Gray's pupils shrank.
Strain Instability.
His breath caught. He read the message again.
His mind rushed to the structure of the soul: The soul layer. It was the most important part of the body. If the physical body collapsed. You would remain alive, or your soul would. But if the soul collapsed. It meant complete death. With no ways to be revived. Thats what he had learnt.
If that layer broke, he didn't want to imagine what might happen.
He quickly closed the message before anyone could see the flicker of panic on his face.
Renn looked over, his expression gentle. "You alright?"
Gray nodded. "Yeah. Just tired."
A while passed before someone spoke again.
"Found it." Korr spoke up. He flipped the book to show everyone else.
'That monster... it the same one i saw...'
"According to your description. That monster is actually a species. Called Ysalther. In other terms ice giants."
The cabin quietened.
"They range from anywhere from Rank D to Rank A. Depending on the age. The one you saw was probably very old, judging from its size. It was probably a Rank B at least."
Gray shuddered.
'Rank B? How the hell did i survive?' If what he had said was true. Then even if their entire group worked together. They would stll fail to kill it. Even if all groups in Glacierfang came together. They would still fail.
Adel's lips curled up.
"Didn't know you were a scholar. What school did you graduate from?" She qas clearly trying to lighten the mood.
Korr shot her a glare.
'Dont even...'
Gray curled deeper into the blanket. But his thoughts were far from still.
Lira looked at him.
"Don't worry, it's not following us."
Adel sat up and looked at Lira.
"Just admit you two are in love already...jeez its going to kill me with you two."
Lira gave her a death stare. She glanced at Korr.
'Should we kick her out?'
'Yeah i think so... she's a pain in the ass.'
Gray stared out the window, ignoring their banter.
Far off, barely visible, a swirl of ice moved unnaturally. He squinted. It was gone before he could make sense of it.
He wasn't sure if it was real.
Or if the strain inside him was starting to slip.
The wind howled again.
And somewhere in the frost, something howled back.
The truck remained still for the rest of the night.
But sleep never came for Gray.
Not truly.