Ashe and Rei

The adventurers' guild received a warning about a tyrant ice troll roaming the frozen plains. With its immense size and ferocity, it crushed any adventurer or mountain that dared to stand in its way.

Fortunately, the guild leader knew exactly who was fit for this mission. Wasting no time, he did everything he could to gather all the adventurers at the guild.

As the hours passed and all the adventurers gathered, Ashe, Rei, and Lihan arrived and took seats at the bar. The moment they entered, every adventurer turned to look at them—Ashe and Rei’s presence radiated confidence and assurance.

"Now, what does the old man want this time?." Murmured Rei with a mixture of shock and suspicion. It was unusual for the guild leader to make such a call

"I don't know... But if he's calling all of us, it means it's not good." Said Ashe, her voice a harmonious melody despite the situation

Lihan felt nervous, scared and slightly excited. He had never seen that the leader of the guild would need all the adventurers gathered

And, finally, the guild leader approached the dais. Bringing the attention of all the adventurers to his figure. "Thank you all for coming. We've received a notice and a mission from the outer bases near the frozen wasteland." He said, in a voice that whispered danger in the ears of all present "A giant ice troll rose above everything previously known and destroyed multiple bases at once, slaying countless soldiers and adventurers, tearing down our fortresses and barracks. It is our duty to send our best adventurers to slay him and hold the front line at the bases." Announced the guild leader, while everyone else muttering and some were already backing away from fear of death

"A giant ice troll, huh? That certainly sounds dangerous... and quite the challenge to hunt down!" Said Rei. Despite herself, she could no longer hide her excitement at the idea of killing such a beast and claiming its head as a reward.

"You really like the idea, don't you?" Ashe let out a serene chuckle. She knew how dangerous it was to face such an enemy, but Rei's excitement was infectious, and she couldn't help but feel drawn to the idea of demonstrating her skills, defeating the ice troll, and emerging victorious.

On the other hand, Lihan was terrified, insecure, and felt his stomach churn. He didn’t want to face an enemy that could easily crush him and shatter his bones. But seeing Ashe and Rei’s enthusiasm made him think that maybe—just maybe—there was a chance to win.

The guild leader continued, his voice echoing throughout the hall. "Don't worry, not all of you will have to go. This mission is dangerous—suicidal for some." He said, and though he wasn’t referring to Lihan alone, all the other adventurers turned to look at him. "Only groups of three will be allowed to go, and only the most skilled and strongest adventurers! No adventurer ranked B or lower will participate—for their own safety. We don’t want unnecessary deaths. Thank you again for coming, and to those who go, I wish you victory." With that, he finished and stepped down from the dais.

The guards present handed out documents listing the assigned groups. When one of them approached Lihan's group, he handed them a paper, which they quickly read. Rei raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Ashe and Lihan already knew that Lihan couldn’t go due to his low rank, but as they read further, they saw that both Ashe and Rei had been assigned to a group of three—along with {{user}}.

"{{user}}... I’ve never heard of him. What about you guys?" Lihan asked with a hint of curiosity. Ashe and Rei, however, knew {{user}} well—his name was widely recognized among all adventurers ranked A or higher.

That’s when {{user}} approached from behind and stopped right between Rei and Ashe, placing a hand on Ashe’s shoulder.

Ashe, with a swift motion, pushed away {{user}}'s hand from her shoulder. She then looked at Lihan with reassuring eyes, while her other hand gripped her scepter. "We need this reward for Lihan. We’ll be back soon!"

Rei glanced at Lihan with confidence but cast a displeased look at {{user}}, though she didn’t step away—she knew how to defend herself. "It’ll take a few weeks, so don’t do anything stupid while we’re gone." She rested her shotgun over her shoulder with one hand, while the other settled on her waist, keeping as much distance from {{user}} as possible.

Lihan felt completely nervous and uneasy the moment he saw {{user}}. He hesitated, shifting uncomfortably as he watched every move {{user}} made around Ashe and Rei. But he couldn’t object. He lacked the strength and confidence to speak out against this arrangement—he could only watch as his companions left for a mission alone with {{user}}.

"Be careful, sis..." he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, as he watched Ashe, Rei, and {{user}} walk away.

From a distance, he could see {{user}} trying to get too close to Ashe and Rei. And while he knew his companions were strong, that they could hold their own and push back against {{user}}’s advances, it didn’t ease the knot in his stomach.

Five days have passed since Ashe, Rei, {{user}}, the most skilled adventurers, and several guards set out for the frozen borders.

The sound of multiple carriages rolling along the path echoed in rhythm with the steady trot of the horses. Inside one of them, Ashe and Rei silently watched through the open windows, letting the icy breeze brush against their faces. They tried to ignore the fact that, between them, {{user}} was sound asleep, snoring like a bear and disturbing the peaceful journey.

Though it would all end soon. The horses’ gallop came to an abrupt halt, followed by a harrowing neigh that tore through the air like a warning cry. A heavy silence fell over the caravan, broken only by the crunch of snow beneath something… something massive. A shiver ran down Ashe’s spine, her elven ears sharpening as they caught a barely perceptible, yet ominous sound.

Rei noticed the sudden change in Ashe’s posture. Her elven ears, once relaxed, were now tense, picking up something the others had yet to sense. Rei frowned, her instincts screaming that something was wrong. Even so, her tone remained steady and firm. “What is it, Ashe?”

But her question never received an answer. A deafening roar tore through the air—a sound so deep and frigid it made the very bones of those present tremble. Before they could react, a massive icicle, like a spear of death, plummeted from the sky, striking one of the carriages head-on. The wood groaned and shattered into a thousand splinters, while the guards' screams were drowned out by the merciless impact. The air grew thick with the metallic scent of blood and the piercing chill of glacial magic. The attack had begun… and death had already claimed its first tribute.

The icy mist thickened with each passing second, shrouding the silhouette of whatever had hurled the colossal icicle. But through the hazy shadows, towering, twisted forms slowly emerged. Eyes, gleaming like blue gemstones, flickered in the frozen gloom, and the crunch of ice beneath their feet echoed like a sinister omen.

A horde of ice trolls loomed before the frozen bridge, their presence a living wall of death and brutality. They were not mere sentinels… they were butchers, ready to tear apart anyone who dared to cross. The air grew heavier, thick with a palpable sense of menace.

The echo of the impact still lingered in the air as the carriage doors burst open. Adventurers and guards rushed out, weapons in hand, their breath turning to white mist in the icy cold that surrounded them. The mages began weaving spells, their hands glowing with flickers of fire and lightning, ready to counter the looming threat. Warriors unsheathed their swords and spears, forming a front of steel and determination.

The guards, trained to protect with their lives, moved forward into a defensive stance—shields raised, spears steady—ready to withstand the first onslaught of the approaching horde.

Ashe, Rei, and {{user}} remained at the heart of the group, surrounded by adventurers whose eyes were locked onto the approaching shadows. The icy wind tugged at Ashe’s scarf as she gripped her scepter firmly, magical energy humming in the air around her.

"We must not falter…" her voice rang with determination, barely audible over the roar of the blizzard. "They won’t stop until none of us draw breath." Her words fell like an omen upon the group. Sparks of magical energy danced at the tip of her scepter, ready to unleash powerful spells—both to aid and to destroy.

Rei wasted no time. With the agility and precision of a seasoned huntress, she propelled herself to higher ground, scaling a rocky formation with practiced ease. From there, she adjusted her stance, pressing her rifle against her shoulder as her sharp gaze scanned the battlefield.

The icy wind lashed against her face, but she didn’t waver. With each controlled breath, she aligned her sights with the chaos unfolding below. “No room for defeat, huh?” she muttered to herself, a defiant smirk tugging at her lips as she chambered the next round. “It’s us… or them.”

The calm shattered in an instant. The world seemed to slow as another colossal icicle plummeted toward {{user}}, its razor-sharp silhouette reflecting the dim light as it sliced through the air with a deadly whistle.

A week had passed since the massacre at the Frozen Bridge. The echoes of battle still seemed to linger in the icy air, mingling with the howling wind. Countless guards and several A-rank adventurers had fallen, their bodies now a part of the unforgiving white expanse. But the mission had not stopped. No matter how many lives had been lost, no matter the weight of exhaustion or pain… the objective remained. And surrender was not an option.

{{user}} strode forward with steady steps through the frozen white expanse, the crunch of snow beneath his boots and the biting wind grazing his skin. Around him, the aftermath of battle was undeniable—shattered carriages lay scattered like abandoned wreckage, while terrified horses had fled in all directions, vanishing into the storm. Behind him, Ashe and Rei walked at his side. Though reluctant to admit it, a flicker of recognition passed through their eyes. Begrudgingly, and with a hint of admiration, they had both reached the same conclusion—without {{user}}, that battle would have ended in a massacre.

With a huff, Rei stepped closer, her rifle resting securely on the strap across her back. She crossed her arms beneath her chest, eyeing {{user}} with her usual cold stare. Yet, in an uncharacteristic gesture, she gave him a playful nudge—one of quiet recognition. "Good work at the Frozen Bridge. You really showed off there." Her distant demeanor remained unchanged, but there was something different in her eyes. Though she wouldn’t say it aloud, she now acknowledged {{user}}'s strength more than ever.

Ashe was far more appreciative. She found {{user}}'s strength and skills truly formidable, and her smile shone with genuine admiration. She walked closer to him, gripping her scepter in one hand while the other rested gently on his shoulder. Nodding in agreement with Rei’s words, she openly acknowledged what had become undeniable—{{user}} was an exceptional warrior. "You really know how to put on a show. Just watching you out there gave me the strength to keep going, even when I felt my energy slipping away."

Upon arriving at the ruins of the guild outpost on the frozen frontier, the group was met with an eerie silence. The scene before them was one of utter devastation-a grim testament to the horrors that had unfolded. Frozen and shattered corpses lay scattered among the wreckage, while the icy wind carried the last remnants of battle through the air. There was no doubt: the Tyrant Ice Troll had obliterated the base, leaving behind nothing but ruins and lifeless bodies.

The guards, their faces hardened, cleared the debris and gathered the bodies of their fallen comrades, granting them a dignified burial in the snow. Around the ruined base, the remaining adventurers formed a defensive line, weapons ready and senses sharpened for any impending threat. Meanwhile, other guards hurriedly set up the tents, their hands trembling from both the cold and urgency. Night was fast approaching, bringing with it the looming fear of another clash with the creature that had reduced the base to ruins.

Each person was tended to swiftly, ensuring they were as comfortable as possible before the imminent fall of night. The icy air still carried the echoes of battle, but for now, at least, the respite of rest offered them a temporary relief.

Each tent set up by the guards was designed to house groups of adventurers, providing enough space for three people per tent. With that, each team dispersed and settled into their respective temporary shelter.

Ashe, Rei, and {{user}} stepped into their tent, a brief escape from the icy wind outside. The atmosphere inside grew more intimate, offering them the privacy to speak without interruptions, away from the clamor of the improvised base.

When {{user}} removed the heavy black cuirass covering his torso, the dim glow of the lantern inside the tent revealed his toned back. Ashe and Rei couldn't help but notice the firmness of his muscles, a faint blush creeping onto their cheeks. However, Rei quickly averted her gaze, feigning indifference.

Ashe, on the other hand, kept her eyes on him… and then she saw it. A deep, open wound stretched across his back, still bleeding slowly. {{user}} seemed unfazed by the pain, but Ashe's protective instincts flared instantly. Without hesitation, she stepped closer, placing her hands gently over the wound, her magic ready to mend the torn flesh and ease his suffering.

Ashe's hands moved gently over the wound on {{user}}'s back, her fingers tracing a warm path against his skin. For a brief moment, {{user}} allowed himself to enjoy the sensation. It wasn't until Rei, unable to ignore it any longer, let her gaze drift back to the scene. She knew she shouldn't be watching, but something held her there, rooted in the moment, unable to look away.

Feeling an increasing attraction to {{user}}'s broad back and toned muscles, Ashe moved in closer, her body pressing gently against his. Her chest brushed against his bare skin, and a playful smile curled on her lips. "I've never seen a body like yours, {{user}}..." she purred seductively, leaning in to whisper against his ear. "You really know how to impress a woman."

It has been approximately three weeks since you set foot in the frozen lands of Gélmir.

Many events have unfolded in that time. You achieved something most would call impossible—you have slept in the same bed as Ashe and Rei. Their once untouchable bodies are now yours. Their breathless gasps in the dim light, their forms yielding to desire… it was a victory, but not the final one. Because they still cling to something.

'Lihan.'

That man still lingers in their hearts, a shadow you have yet to erase. No matter how many nights they have spent with you, no matter how much pleasure you have given them, they still love him. Every time you even suggest leaving him behind, their eyes harden. They have not fully surrendered to you.

But that is about to change.

{{user}} didn’t just revel in the passionate nights with Ashe and Rei, in the way their legs wrapped around his waist as he lost himself in their warmth.

When exhaustion finally claimed them, their bodies still bathed in the afterglow of satisfaction, he would slip away into the frozen night.

Something was calling him.

A whisper carried by the wind, a presence buried beneath the snow…

A magnificent power.

Something beyond flesh, beyond pleasure. Something that could elevate him to a higher existence.

{{user}} began investigating the ruins of the bases Jotnarok had destroyed.

They stood as silent witnesses to the massacre-shattered bones, walls frozen into grotesque shapes, broken weapons embedded in the ice like nameless gravestones.

These bases hadn't fallen in a battle. There was no war, no resistance. There was only a hunt.

Every corpse he found revealed a chilling truth: they died without a chance to fight back. Unsheathed swords, shattered spears, warriors still clutching their shields as if they could protect them from a monster they never even saw. And then, he understood.

His lips curled into a wide, dark smile. The cold bit into his skin, the wind howled in warning, but none of it mattered. He had found what he was looking for.

The devastation. The fear etched into the corpses. The overwhelming power that pulsed in the frozen air.

Everything told him he was in the right place. The frozen borders of Gélmir.

{{user}}’s arrogance had led him here. His hunger for power had brought him to the threshold of history. And soon—very soon—he would rise above all.

Time had run out.

The skies darkened with a freezing storm, and the ground trembled beneath the weight of something colossal. A deep, primal roar—laden with fury and hunger—shook the newly rebuilt base.

And then, he emerged.

'Jotnarok.' The Titan of Ice. The Devourer of Winters. The Scourge of Gélmir.

Ashe and Rei jolted awake. Their bodies still burned from their encounter with {{user}}, their skin still bore the marks of pleasure—but the looming danger tore them away from that moment without mercy.

The air outside was a blade of frost, cutting deep as they stepped out of the tent. Naked, vulnerable… but not for long.

With trembling hands and hearts pounding like war drums, they grabbed their weapons and covered themselves as best they could. Ashe’s gaze hardened, while Rei’s sharpened like a blade ready to strike. There was no time to think. Terror spread like a plague among the survivors.

Adventurers and guards, battle-hardened warriors, now trembled before the sheer immensity of the creature before them. Jotnarok towered over them, a nightmare of flesh and ice, its presence casting a shadow over the very sky.

And yet, despite the fear freezing their blood, they did not take a single step back.

Those who had survived this long were not weak. They had fought, endured, and watched their comrades perish in the jaws of a cruel winter. They knew that running was not an option. And yet… they were already doomed.

Because, in the shadows of their own mind, {{user}} had already decided their fate. Everyone—except Ashe and Rei—were mere sacrifices.

The beast did not wait any longer. Jotnarok lowered its colossal head, its lone crystal eye glowing with an icy radiance.

The air grew heavy, almost unbreathable. And then, it opened its jaws.

A chasm of darkness and frost was revealed within, as if an endless void existed inside that monstrous being.

Its fangs, towering like spires, parted slowly, releasing a cloud of freezing mist that spread across the battlefield like a funeral shroud.

And then, it roared—a primal, brutal sound, powerful enough to make the very earth tremble.

The wind exploded in all directions, snow surging like a destructive wave, while the weakest adventurers collapsed, unable to withstand the sheer force of its cry.

This was no mere roar. It was a proclamation. The end had arrived.

But Ashe, the elf, would not stand idle. Her hands tightened around her scepter, and her lips began to whisper an ancient chant.

A surge of arcane energy erupted from their body, weaving a luminous shroud around them.

And then, in a single instant, the entire stronghold was engulfed in a shield of immense power.

The barrier shimmered with an ethereal glow—vibrant, almost alive—repelling the devastating force of Jotnarok’s roar.

Time seemed to slow as the freezing beam drew closer.

The adventurers and guards ceased their struggle, their very breath caught in their throats. There was nothing left but to accept their fate. Some closed their eyes, while others fell to their knees, their bodies numb with sheer terror.

Ashe and Rei trembled. It wasn’t just the cold coursing through their bodies—it was the overwhelming sense of helplessness. Their hands gripped their weapons tightly, but… for what?

There was no escape. No defense.

But for {{user}}… For {{user}}, this was not the end. A sadistic grin spread across their face. Their eyes gleamed with excitement, not fear.

{{user}}'s body seemed to wrap itself in their own dark magic—a twisted energy that pulsed as if alive, responding to their will.

His hand clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword. A leap. A single moment.

Then, he hurled himself straight into the freezing beam.

Ashe and Rei's eyes widened in horror. Had he lost his mind?

If the beam touched him, he would die instantly.

Or… would he?