Dungeon of Niflheim-Chapter 757: The inner regions (4)

757 Chapter 757: The inner regions (4)

The battle stretched on, minutes, hours passed by, and the bodies continued to climb.

There was so much blood, gore and death that even Frost was starting to get irritated. He no longer enjoyed feeding on their remnant life energies, simply hoping for this endless aggression to be over.

"Grrrr!" Kiba growled, his expression clearly showing exhaustion and boredom.

"I know, I know but what can I do about it. These damn monsters know no fear and whenever I try and use…" As he was speaking Frost released his aura in an attempt to intimidate and repel the weak F, E and D-ranks but the moment he did 3 auras slightly weaker than his own retaliated, protecting their weaker members.

"That happens!" Frost roared in frustration as his glaive sliced off the head of a D-rank monster and his left elbow crushed the skull of another.

Every attempt to deal real damage and every attempt to escape the onslaught met with resistance from powerful enemies who even after all this carnage still refused to show their ugly mugs.

From the auras however Frost knew that there were at least 3 early stage B-ranks as well as another who was at the mid stages, the same level as himself.

4 B-ranks, dozens of C-ranks and innumerable Ds, Es, and Fs, he and Kiba were facing off against a literal army and after hours and hours of gradually trekking through their domain the enemy seemed to be growing stronger and more numerous rather than weaker.

"Garow!" [Then what do you suggest we do stupid master.]

"Oii!" Frost took time from killing to lightly knock his knuckles on Kiba's head in response to his partner's insult.

He wasn't stupid just poorly informed and perhaps a little arrogant.

"Kill them as they come, eventually they'll either run out of bodies or change-up their tempo." He refused to believe that their enemy was truly endless in number.

"Grrrr." [How's that any different from what we're doing now?]

The two had been killing without rest for almost half a day, forcibly blazing a trail of blood and death through the home ground of these scorpion-like monsters.

"Stop complaining, you're tired but not completely spent. Worry about it when our potions stop having an effect, [freezing fireball]." Mid-sentence Frost conjured a ball of silver flames and launched it at an unsuspecting peak D-rank, turning it into frozen charcoal.

"Grumble." [Damn slave driver.]

"Get used to it partner, you've rested on your laurels for far too long." Frost spoke with a playful (malicious from Kiba's POV) smile.

One good thing about this forced engagement was that Kiba had no choice but to fight.

No more lazy tiger cub.

Another hour passed and unfortunately there was little change, monsters continued to chase and swarm them without end.

Any C and D-rank that they managed to sneakily kill were merely replaced a few minutes later.

Frost was finally starting to get worried.

The B-rank enemies still refused to show themselves, but their use of aura increased. Whenever a C-rank fell, or a large amount of younglings died at once they would erupt as if out of anger.

Their numbers may appear endless, but it was still members of their family that were dying to these invaders, deaths that were slowly becoming in vain.

They were reaching their limit, the death toll becoming too much for them to endure. They wanted to take action, to rip them apart personally and bring an end to this bloodbath.

Alas despite their flaring emotions the 3 early stage B-ranks and even the one in the mid stages stayed hidden beneath the ice floor.

The risk to their lives was still too high for them to intercede.

Even the deaths of thousands of their weak, useless kin were not equal to an injury upon one of them, death even more so.

Here in the Glacial mountains and in particular this region there was a very delicate balance. Dense nests of differing species congregated around the secret entrance to the realm of Niflheim.

The outlying area being richer in both quantity and quality of mana when compared to other regions made it a highly desired location. And because that conflict was ever present.

Frost and Kiba were merely rude interlopers, a pair of tasty snacks that just so happened to walk through their front door. A distraction from what was truly important.

The strength of a group, a tribe or a family of monsters was not measured in the quantity of their weak, low levelled kin but in how many elites they could muster i.e. those at the B and C-ranks, with the former being particularly important.

These powerful monsters served as deterrence, overlords that held the opposing tribes at bay, allowing their family to remain here in this bountiful land.

If just one of their peaks were injured or worse killed the delicate balance could be overthrown. Their enemies would waste no time in taking advantage of their weakness. Seeing it as an opportunity to expand their territory and deprive them of the chance to grow and take revenge.

It was for this reason that the B-ranks didn't dare to take any risk. Kiba may not be much in their eyes but Frost, he was truly dangerous.

Even their leader, the mid stage B-rank felt a great deal of threat whenever it felt the residual force behind Frost's aura.

Unfortunately this passive approach had led to the deaths of thousands of their kin, reducing their numbers a great deal, to the point that their overall strength was beginning to wane.

Though terribly weak on an individual level and rather mundane on the grand scale their low ranked kin were still part of their overall forces. A force that was now showing signs of decay.

The three early stage B-ranks were communicating in their racial tongue with their leader, trying to decide on how to proceed.

[Grandfather we must act now!] One of them loudly bellowed, their eyes filled with fire and fury.

[Patriarch I agree, our weaker kin have barely made a scratch on either of them after all this time]. An another echoed the previous one's sentiment though in a more calm, logical manner.

[We can't risk it brothers, the Drota tribe and the Balkal tribe would never miss a chance to take advantage of us.] The third early stage B-rank held a different opinion as it spoke in an anxious tone.

The Drota were weasel like monsters, creatures with long, razor sharp claws and a natural resistance to their poison while the Balkal tribe were a cross between salamanders and toads.

Both of these groups were just like their Skarpion tribe, opponents that laid claim to the surrounding regions and therefore their archenemies.

[…..] the leader of the Skarpion tribe, the strongest and oldest of their species was silent in response. He was truly at a fork in the road, one where both paths revealed their own yet equal levels of danger.

The leader had lived for decades and had fought numerous battles and because of that he had developed a rather strong gut instinct. He knew from their very first interaction that Frost was difficult to handle, perhaps even more difficult than the leaders of the Drota and Balkal.

Eventually however he came to a decision. [….ready yourselves for battle. If we're going to do this we'll attack in mass and finish it in an instant.]

[[Yes leader]] The three early stage B-ranks replied before manoeuvring through their underground nest, attempting to surround Frost and Kiba from all sides.

Back on the surface as Kiba rendered another group of Skarpions into meat paste Frost who was desperately thinking of a way out of their current predicament shivered.

'What was that' He felt a sharp current run down his spine and his sense of danger started to go haywire. His heart thumped heavily, and dread grew in the back of his mind.

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Frost was not one to ignore his instincts and knowing that the only ones that could make him feel this way were the hidden B-ranks he instantly spread his aura, repelling and intimidating the many low ranks around them.

A couple seconds passed and there was no response from the enemy.

"Shit!" Frost loudly cursed; he had a bad feeling. Something was coming, something dangerous.

Not willing to be in a passive position Frost warned Kiba of the incoming threat and covered the two of them with a thick, durable suit of ice chakra armour, followed by a thin layer of ice fire and several 2nd circle ice shields dotted around them.

A moment after he finished his preparations there was a substantial change in the air. Frost and Kiba felt themselves being locked onto from four different directions.

Oppressive auras flooded their bodies completely ignoring the fact that there were still dozens of the low ranking skarpions still madly attacking them. A ploy that was used to lower Frost and Kiba's guards but unfortunately they underestimated the young dungeon core's survival instincts.

As though in perfect sync, following the suppression of aura four massive Skarpions, easily surpassing 5 metres in length launched themselves from beneath the ice.

With their giant pincers and terrifying stingers the four leaders of the Skarpion tribe used their strongest racial skill to attack Frost and Kiba, aiming end this battle in an instant.