Dungeon of Niflheim

Frost was handed a map that outlined the different areas of the botanical gardens- a place that covered several hundred acres. A normal thing to get but the strange thing wasn't the fact that the place was divided into sections but that each section at a threat level with more than half of them being off limits to children and deadly for even those at B-rank if they didn't strictly follow proper procedures.

"Do not touch or get close to any of the plants in sections with a threat level above 2. If you are B-rank and enter an area with a threat level above 3 then you should wear the provided protective gear and constantly be on guard as you pass through. For areas deemed threat level 5 or 6 you will have to be detoxed with magic before moving on so as to protect the rest of the grounds as well as our other guests." The on duty guard explained to Frost and Khione as he did to all the guests who visited with a mixture of enthusiasm and seriousness in his tone, letting you know he wasn't joking around.

Frost's mind momentarily shut down as the guard pointed to some specific areas on the map and described a few of the key restrictions.

He glanced at his partner with a look of utter confusion like he was being set up for some kind of strange joke but instead all he got in return was a head tilt as though he was the strange one.

'We're visiting what's practically a garden right? Why does it feel like I'm jumping into a warzone.' The map was filled with skulls, red marks and warnings that were repeatedly underlined. His life would literally be at risk because of a bunch of plants.

He robotically nodded his head in understanding to the guard before walking into the first habitat with Khione by his side wearing a smile filled with excitement.

"Khione?"

"Yeah." She quickly turned her head in response to his call.

"Did you take me here to discretely kill me?" Frost couldn't help but ask after glancing at a certain area on the map. Threat level 8, where even those at mid to late A-rank would be in danger.

"Huh? No! What? Why would you even think that?" Genuinely shocked by his words Khione stopped in place, her eyes opening as far as they could go before she quickly shook her head and waved her hands in fierce denial of his accusation.

'I just put you in position that rivals my parents in my heart so why would I want to kill you.' She internally muttered, a little hurt by his accusation, a feeling that was expressed through the biting of her lower lip and a tightening of her stomach.

"Because half the places here are considered dangerous for someone of my strength and a few would outright kill the moment we enter them." Frost just couldn't understand, first how could a garden be so dangerous and second if it was that dangerous why would Khione bring him here.

"….Ok first off obviously it's dangerous it's a botanical garden but as long as you follow procedure and the clearly outlined rules you'll be fine. Second if I was going to kill you Frost I would have done it by now and I wouldn't be so subtle in my choice of methods." As though to express such views Khione tightly clenched her fists causing her knuckles to loudly and intimidatingly crack.

"Ugh." Frost felt a wave of pressure press down on him as images of his body being beaten and pummelled like a sack of rice, powerless to resist filled his mind.

'That's true she isn't the type of person who would avoid the more direct approach.' He was forced to agree with her, if he was to die by her hand it would literally be by her hand and not anything else.

"…Sorry." Forced to apologize under the threat of her fierce glare and building aura and his own guilt Frost bowed his head, regretting his choice in words, words and actions that seemed to hurt Khione far more than intended.

"Hmph!" Khione loudly hmphed in dissatisfaction, her lips slightly pouting in protest as she refused to look in his direction. Wondering in her heart if Frost truly had so little faith in her character.

Knowing that he messed up Frost attempted to mend bridges. He moved in close to the large woman taking her hand in his own and invaded her personal space, his eyes filled with nothing but warmth and affection as he looked up, hoping to melt those ice walls she had erected.

"Khione dear I'm really sorry, you know I could never truly think of you in that manner." He cooed in a flattering and ingratiating manner as his fingers intertwined with her own and his body occasionally rubbed up against hers, sending sparks throughout her nervous system and quickly eroding her displeasure.

She did her best to remain sullen but the more he talked and the more he touched her the harder it was for her to ignore his pleading. Eventually she ended up glancing at him and instantly regretted it, the affection in his eyes and the cute dotting in his expression was like an arrow through her heart. She had seen him look like a predator, eyes filled with desire and lust, like a warrior as he fought against his enemies, like a dashing gentlemen as they paraded through the city but for the first time she was seeing this handsome devil acting adorable. A side of him that was even more irresistible than his others or at least something she wasn't prepared to face. She half swooned in that moment, her stance literally swaying as her perverted desires made their presence known.

Khione only managed to strengthen her resolve by shaking her head but when she next looked down at Frost and his still fawning expression she shivered from head to toe finally realising how dangerous an enemy this young man was to her naïve heart. She envisioned a future where she was wrapped around his fingers, easily manipulated by his skills and techniques. The most frightening thing however was that she didn't feel repulsed by it in the slightest.

"Stop, stop move away a little bit." With clear reluctance in her heart Khione ordered Frost to move away so her heart could regain its usual beat, and her mind could become clear again.

Frost did as she ordered with a smile on his lips, chuffed that his little act worked just as he had envisioned. By using just a little skin on skin contact and a tone laced with affection and innocence he could easily bring down this muscular goddess.

The two walked ahead with a couple metre gap between them, Khione sorting out her breathing and cluttered mind while Frost tried to picture what kind of threats could await him in this botanical garden.

"Khione would you mind educating the ignorant, what kind of threats can a mere garden pose?" Still using some of that flattering tone Frost eventually asked his beautiful guide. An action that made Khione turn her neck and stare at him in silence for a couple seconds. That tone of his making her skin crawl.

"…..You've not had much experience with high ranking flora I take it." She responded back after sighing doing her best to adopt a professional attitude.

"Apart from ingesting potions made from their materials no not really." Though he had experienced a vast array of fauna, monsters and sapients ranging from G-rank all the way to S-rank and even two Gods his personal experience with flora was limited to a few low ranking herbs and trees present both in his Dungeon and the forest surrounding its entrance.

"Common to low ranking flora is fairly mundane without any means to protect itself. A few hold poison within that deter predators but its entirely passive." Khione started to explain. "As the ranks increase however flora just like fauna develop methods to protect themselves from threats, some even developing methods to devour prey rather than relying on passive absorption of the elements through their roots and leaves." She opened up the map and highlighted a section where the threat level was set at 3 and 4.

"With threat levels 3 and 4 the flora can actively attack those in the vicinity. The most common method is through spreading spores that infect flesh and rapidly proliferate as they absorb the blood and nutrients held within. Easily avoidable by wearing gear that covers the skin and or having innate defences which make their thorns unable to penetrate. A more dangerous method would be through poison vapour that's either excreted through their flowers or launched as exploding seeds. Best way to protect yourself in such cases is to avoid breathing the substance in. As long as it remains outside your body it lacks the strength to penetrate through flesh at least at this level."

For those with weak internal resistances, those who don't want to take any chances and for the higher threat areas masks, antidotes and speciality support magic would be provided to the guests free of charge thus allowing them to enjoy the sights with much less danger.

"Ok that's sounds pretty normal so far but still doesn't seem like it could pose a threat to someone like me." Frost could understand the threat of poison given his personal history but as Khione said as long as he took precautions he should be fine.

"You're right threat level 3 and 4 areas can't threaten you as long as you take preventive measures but the same can't be said for the higher ranking areas." Khione nodded her head in agreement. Threat levels 3 and 4 could be avoided with simple safety precautions and wearing the appropriate gear but threat level 5 and beyond were an entirely different story.