Dungeon of Niflheim

'This is nothing but a large lake in comparison to the real thing, yet it already feels so imposing.' Frost was forced to try and imagine the true terror of one of Nova's endless oceans.

Depths who no one knows the limits, kingdoms and empires that span tens of times more territory than the ones on land. Monsters with endless diversity, imposing size and unbound strength. It was said that the oceans held the vast majority of the world's behemoths.

'Aqua resides in the northern ocean, the one closest to Yangmir doesn't she.' Frost remembered his eldest sister who doted on him and constantly called him in the wee hours of the night to talk and or to invite him to her territory for a visit.

'Maybe I should take her up on her offer at some point so as to expand my knowledge.' Thinking about Aqua his mind naturally drifted towards the eldest of his siblings, Yami who resided on the central continent, near the heart of what remains of the Holy White Empire. The degree of threat that the two of them likely endured was probably far greater than his own.

He then stared into the distance taking in the grandeur of the sight before him, the combination of small waves near the shore and large violent ones tens of kilometres out in the depths and was reminded of the very first warning he received when he entered Niflheim.

"No matter what don't enter the waters Prince Frost, with your current strength you wouldn't last more than a couple minutes." Gatekeeper Yule warned in a very serious tone, planting a strong sense of fear within the young man towards the enchanting yet deadly silverly waters of the realm of ice and snow.

'Not only am I not avoiding them Yule I'm literally sailing into the ocean where the waves run most rampant.' Frost shook his head and smiled relishing in the irony before looking to his left where the steed for his upcoming voyage rested.

"That's the cruise ship?" He asked, mildly impressed by its size and grandeur but when compared to the western ocean itself it was nothing more than a tiny pebble hardly comforting given how dangerous those waters were to someone like himself.

"Yep that's her, the SS Gwienfieldal, one of only three ships in the same class and the crowning achievement of Niflheim's shipwrights and architects. Outfitted with barriers and blessings that can withstand a tsunami class wave hundreds of metres tall as well as a fully charged attack from the Xianwu behemoth." Khione spoke with great pride, the citizens talents and achievements being an extension of her own.

"Really so it's safe? I don't have to worry about falling into the silvery depths?" A barrier that could withstand a several hundred metre wave was not something to sneeze at.

"Hahahaha yes there's no need to worry about falling in Frost, the skies would sooner crack open before the SS. Gwienfieldal capsizes." Khione harmoniously laughed without restraint, her hand leaning on Frost's shoulder to support her frame. Falling in was a genuine danger for someone like Frost but he didn't need to fret, the SS Gwienfieldal would carry him through hell and high water without so much as a bit of unruly turbulence.

With Khione's unrestrained laughter and confident words Frost let out a sigh of relief, grateful that he wouldn't have to keep up his guard during their final excursion thus allowing him to focus on the more important things, like wooing the charming woman currently showing off her pearly whites and leaning against his frame.

"….Wait did you say something about a behemoth?"

"Ahh damn that was supposed to be a surprise." Khione frowned and clicked her tongue bemoaning her rampant mouth. They were so close to the finish line, and she went dropped the ball.

"Surprise what kind of surprise?" Frost didn't let her go, his curiosity and urge to tease her enflamed.

"Ahh moah fine I'll talk, I'll talk just don't stand so close." Her heart couldn't handle his face being so close to her own, it thumped with a fierce passion, spreading a heat across her darkened skin.

"I was hoping for it to be a grand reveal later on but… within the Western Ocean and in particular within the Modanya current during this time of the year Niflheim's resident behemoth often rises to the surface at night to bask in the false moonlight and take in the ice energy that is emitted by it." Khione shrugged her shoulders and sighed before revealing the surprise ahead of schedule.

"A behemoth as in one of the monsters that stands at the peak of the food chain striking fear into even those in the S-rank and who can briefly hold their own against low ranking Gods that kind behemoth?" Replied Frost, his voice filled with disbelief and shock.

Behemoths are unique monsters that are the epitome of instinct. Gargantuan creatures that rely on their immense size and unlimited vitality to crush their opponents. Despite holding power that rivals that of late stage S-ranks and greater these creatures cannot be classed as intelligent, nor do they have the ability to transform their appearance. Beasts of the highest order, manifestations of nature, mindless forms of destruction and carnage. A brave man may dream of facing off against a dragon and claiming victory even if he himself lacks the skills to do so but no one ever dreams of confronting a behemoth. The scale was just too unbalanced; man cannot stand before the unruly power of nature.

"The very same but don't worry unlike her compatriots the Xianwu is very docile in nature. As long as you don't attack her she'd won't give two shits even if you swim right up next to her." Khione quickly explained and defended one of the realm's oldest residents.

The Primordial Ice King learning of the Xianwu's innate nature and her desire to do nothing but relax and pass her time within the depths of frigid waters invited her into his domain and allowed her to remain indefinitely as a resident as long as she remained docile. A partnership that has lasted and thrived for millennia.

The Xianwu had no shortage of food in all manner of varieties, free space that she could swim in endlessly without fear of confronting another behemoth and the occasional friendly visit from intelligent monsters that clamoured for her attention and treated her like royalty. Her life was very blessed and for that she was immensely grateful, always on her best behaviour so as to not be forced to return to the outside world where annoyances chased after her every few centuries.

"A docile behemoth?" This was the first time Frost had ever heard of something so contradictory, so his tone was full of disbelief. If a behemoth appeared in an inhabited area the correct thing to do was evacuate lest you wished to meet a swift end.

"It's rare but it happens, usually depends on their specific genealogy as well as their age. The Xianwu was already considered old by the time my father brought her into Niflheim, she also tends to prefer vegetables over meat when it come to her diet." The Xianwu Khione spoke of had the base form of a turtle with the head and limbs of a snake or dragon but mere words weren't enough to describe this beast. Frost would have to see it to believe it.

With the arrow of surprise released early Frost now felt even more wary about boarding the vessel currently moored to the nearby dock. Khione's bragging and attempts to diminish his fears falling on deaf ears the moment he learned of the Xianwu behemoth. Docile or not from what he'd heard prior to this day behemoth's were the most powerful and dangerous creatures within the mortal plane, so terrifying was their power than even low ranking Gods gave pause when it came to confronting them.

When his feet first stepped onto the SS Gwienfieldal he stomped and wavered, a chill running down his spine as he pictured this marvellous creation being torn asunder because of a Behemoths' awakening.

Khione, who was by his side, shook her head in dismay but didn't mock him. A lot of people struggled with trusting ships and that was when there wasn't the promise of a behemoth dwelling on their proposed route. She simply waited for him patiently and warned the nearby staff about his fears, asking them to be understanding.

Dealing with people like Frost wasn't a first for the skilled staff. They greeted him with a polite smile and offered to guide him through the ship, specifically drawing his attention to the ship's mighty barrier system and the resilient materials used throughout all 15 floors of the vessel hoping to foster as sense of confidence in their pride and joy.

Efforts that seemed to work to an extent but there was always that looming fear, the threat that a behemoth could pose, and the first warning Yule gave him when he set foot within this realm.

It was only when other guests flocked onto the ship with nary a single shred of fear donning their expressions and the words escaping their lips tinged with expectation towards seeing the mighty Xianwu behemoth did he finally manage to relax, allowing Khione to let out a sigh of relief as they sat within a private gazebo that offered unrestricted views of the world around them.

Finally they could start to enjoy the delights the SS Gwienfieldal had to offer.