The carriage crept slowly toward the human city-state. On the distant horizon, the dark tips of the city walls emerged. Night Frost lifted her head—the massive, pitch-black fortress came into view. Claw marks from unknown monsters scarred the walls. From them, she felt an indescribable pressure. Surely, the creature that left these marks was no weakling… Even Night Frost, at her current strength, might not breach this Obsidian Stone fortress—so pure, so unyielding.
Noticing curiosity in Night Frost’s eyes, the elf lady signaled Li Dogegg. He explained in Dragon Language. After Li Dogegg translated, Night Frost understood the claw marks’ origin. Legend said humans once angered a mighty dragon. Enraged, it swiped lightly at the void. Humanity’s strongest defensive barrier—nearly shattered. Only endless treasures of gold and silver appeased the dragon’s wrath.
Do humans here really have a death wish? From the elf lady and the diary, humans had wronged the elves, creating lasting rifts. Now Night Frost learned they’d also provoked a dragon. No wonder Li Dogegg said humans lacked strong warriors.
At the city gates, Night Frost’s carriage—clearly a foreign artifact—couldn’t enter. Discovery meant game over before stepping inside. She disassembled it and stored the pieces in her Spatial Box. *If only the silver cube were still here…* Swallowed by a whale, killed by vines, its fate unknown. Without it, space-saving was necessary.
As Night Frost worked, the elf lady unhooked a metal plaque from her waist. Her squad followed suit. These bore a faint resemblance to the Order Keeper’s identity plaque. Without one, moving freely here would be impossible. Obsidian Stone weakened magic—sneaking in via illusion? Unlikely. Yet Night Frost needed entry: shelter was scarce, and the city held Abyss maps.
According to the elf lady, the plaque granted access. But as an outsider adventurer, Night Frost had none. Two paths remained: recommendation + quick assessment (two days), or full review (weeks, no guarantee). Illiterate in local script, no human currency to bribe with—failure was certain. The elf lady asked her to wait nearby; they’d buy the map and deliver it.
A last resort. Night Frost reassembled part of the carriage a short distance off—a flimsy shelter against wind and rain.
Silence hung around the fortress. In Night Frost’s experience, human settlements buzzed with life. Here? Only desolation. Yet… surviving this long was no small feat. The century-old Obsidian Stone fortress had repelled countless Monsters. After the dragon’s wrath drained the treasury and stalled progress, humanity clung on like a candle in the wind. Still, they endured. Night Frost held no grudge. Get the map. Leave.
Today, the Eye Orb recorded audio from Night Frost’s neck. Li Dogegg spoke Dragon Language—close enough to the elf lady’s dialect for rough communication. Though the Eye Orb couldn’t parse speech directly, cross-referencing with Night Frost let it compile basic phrases. Not the continent’s dominant tongue, but enough to converse in this Abyss.
Night fell. Monsters emerged to hunt. More soldiers gathered outside the fortress—ordinary humans, no great strength, yet their gear bore eerie patterns reminiscent of the elf lady’s scroll. *I should ask about that scroll.* A hunch whispered: decipher it, and her Array Pattern skills would leap forward. Forest wood here brimmed with Mana and Abyssal Aura—superior material for carving.
Night Frost glanced around. Li Dogegg slept. The Eye Orb busily sorted recent data. Wise. In the Abyss, one misstep meant death. Trump cards were essential.
She wrapped her carving knife in Mana. Ready. This time: the sky insect, the giant python that attacked her, the fallen avian monster—the apex Monsters she’d faced (though still beneath the Black Dragon).
Just as she began—*screech!* A sharp noise erupted. Torch-bearing humans gathered outside the castle. They patted leather armor; from the mystic patterns, they drew meter-long Spears and heavy shields.
A frenzied elephant-like Monster charged the black fortress. Guards on the walls spotted it first, sounding the alarm. Patrols snapped into formation: front line shields, rear line Spears. Obsidian Stone panels slid down, leaving narrow slits for archers.
Weapons glowed faintly with Mana and Array Patterns. To hide the light, the leader ordered powder scattered, most torches doused—only a few left for orientation. Then, the humans struck.
But not for Night Frost. She tapped her forehead. Night vision activated. Every movement clear. She watched, intrigued by the weapons—otherwise, she’d ignore this crisis. High-tier enchantments. With proper training, these humans could fell the beast… *Who crafted them?* She was intensely curious.
Yet the humans stayed calm. Routine. Unfazed.
Front line charged, shields slamming the Monster’s forelegs. Mana particles from the shields made it falter. More shields pinned it. Rear Spears pierced tendons and bone. The giant elephant let out a mournful wail echoing under the night sky.
“Time to wrap this up.”
Overwhelmed, it collapsed. Arrows rained down—precisely avoiding allies, piercing the abdomen. Shield-bearers moved in to dismember it. Orderly. Efficient…
But not over.
From behind the carcass, a hairless gray wolf emerged. It had clung to the elephant’s rear, driving its rampage. Night Frost saw it all. Seeing its prey slain, the wolf vaulted shields, blurred into the crowd. Teeth sank into a soldier’s neck. Blood sprayed, staining nearby faces.
Blood scent drew more wolves. Alarm blared again. Elf guards burst from the fortress. Halfbeasts followed. Elves unfurled Mana-sealed scrolls—flames and frost engulfed the pack. Halfbeasts charged; axes cleaved the alpha’s head.
Wounded humans supported each other to the gate. Others carried them inside. Seamless coordination. Night Frost gave a slight, impressed nod. She spotted the elf lady and the Halfbeast from dusk. The Eye Orb had recorded their valor—tomorrow, she’d compliment them.
Reinforcements annihilated the wolves. Remaining packs, witnessing the defenders’ might, retreated. A sudden victory for humans and allied humanoids.
Just as Night Frost closed her eyes—a shadow shot from the grass behind. Her makeshift shelter shattered. She flew upward. Peering down: a massive shadow. She hadn’t sensed it at all.
It swept the battlefield, devouring blood and corpses, then vanished.
Mid-air, Night Frost steadied herself, eyes locked on the retreating shadow. *Something… lurked within it.*
Then—a shout snapped her focus back.
“The moon has cracked!”
