B. E. P. - (Villain POV) 'Seeds of darkness'.

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.

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.