Frostbound [LitRPG Apocalypse]

Abigail

The woods surrounding Frostheim

It was only fitting that her return home was marred by snow. Well, marred wasn't the right word, as it wasn't much of an impediment anymore. It may not be the same as Water, but it was still made up of it. She could manipulate it if she tried.

Not as easily, mind you, but that didn't mean it was barred from her powers. An Epic manipulation skill could do a lot more than first assumed. It was somewhat funny to her that she was the first to reach such a height.

Chris was still at Rare, and Gabriel was there with him for [Ice Manipulation]. Hal was only at Uncommon and her Mother... Abigail wasn't sure. She had never said. Rachel had reached it and gained Epic in [Fire Manipulation], but only after Abigail had.

Even Jon was only at Rare [Earth Manipulation], and that was after fastidious help from her.

It was a shame it was about to be downgraded. The ability would stay the same. She would still be capable of the same feats, but it just wouldn't ring the same without the Epic rarity.

Her vanity was showing.

Leaving the treasure was harder the second time than it had been the first. To leave an area that called to her like that was... difficult. The call of home helped offset it, but the difference was palpably noticeable.

The Water mana that had used to sing to her was missing. Replaced with a mixture of other elements. The density was thin and didn't carry the same heavy, smothering weight.

While the difference was unfortunate, Abigail had something else to look forward to.

Her evolution.

She had completed the last step that she needed. Now, not only did a deep blue orb of power reside in her chest, but a faint circlet of water flowed around it as well, like a river constantly flowing. Her Core now had its First Circle.

The mana she could hold skyrocketed. The concentration grew. How fast it regenerated increased. The power of her core had increased leaps and bounds.

Marcus's treasure helped with more than just her Mana Cultivation. She pushed her Bloodline to the limit and managed to refine her body all in one trip. Not to Stone like Jon and Chris, but to Wood. She didn't have the physical stats for that.

Abigail was as powerful as she was going to get.

One would think that evolving would be the first thing on her mind when she finally arrived, and they would be wrong. Her face contorted, and she fought the frown that tried to form.

Of course things had to happen while I was away.

She'd read Jon's letter a dozen times by now, and it didn't make her any less peeved.

~~

Honey,

I know I told you to focus on yourself and to leave everything here behind you, but I thought you should know a few things. To start, the kids are fine and doing well. Anna's been prattling on about the trip to Habordeep I promised her, and Josh is excited as well.

Besides that, Hal came with some troubling news. A few members of his Scouts noticed that Lakeshore was poking around the mine, seemingly scouting it out. Keep in mind, this happened while Chris was North with the Seed, so Hal had to run up there to inform him.

Chris reacted as well as you might expect. He gave them a warning.

A warning I doubt they will heed.

I know you well enough that you'd kill me if I didn't send this immediately, but I want to reiterate that you need to focus on yourself. I will handle things if it comes to that, and I don't want you rushing back.

Love,

Jon.

~~

Jon was right. She would have killed him if she'd had to wait to find that out. He was lucky that she was already finished with everything and was already preparing to return.

She wasn't angry about the fact that she hadn't been there, but the fact that she didn't know enough. Sure, she knew the pertinent details, but that didn't mean she knew the attitude everyone had.

Was Chris raging mad when he found out? Was he apathetic? How much did he care, and how likely was he to do something unhelpful? Same with the rest of them. Was Hal seething? What about the average sentiment of those in the Orders?

She didn't know how they felt, and that was half the battle.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Abigail took her frustrations out on the snow barring her way home. She forced it aside like it was the thing she was mad at.

Abigail returned with little fanfare at the main gates. A few waved or called out. A few even bowed, but most acknowledged her return and went about their day.

She had a much different reception at the Castle. Jon and her babies were waiting for her, and it was hard to stay mad with them grappled around her legs. Jon knew it too, as he let them lead the charge.

Taking the sign for what it was, she waited to go off and question Hal and the Scouts until after she had caught up with her kids. It wouldn't do to return and then go straight into work.

Even if a small part of her wanted to.

She spent a good few hours reuniting with Anna and Josh, but she was able to get away after a while. Josh had school, and Anna had training, leaving her free to go off and figure out what the hell was going on.

Her first stop was Hal. She got the same rundown from the letter, but he also detailed leaving the message itself. Now they knew precisely where the city was, how tall the walls were, and other such observations the ranger was able to make.

She went and tracked down the three Scouts afterward, but they had little to add. Besides the fact that they noticed interlopers around the mine and that they reported it, that was it.

It was... unsatisfying.

"I told you everything was being handled," Jon said.

She'd retired to her office to catch up on what she had missed, and he had followed. Grace came in every once in a while to pick something up or drop something off, but for the most part, it was just the two of them.

"I know, but you know how I am," Abigail sighed. There was nothing more she could do on the subject. It was settled on their end. Anything more would come from Lakeshore. For them, it was a waiting game.

The papers were momentarily forgotten as she gave her husband some much-needed attention.

He looked good. Strong. Sturdy.

"Your Spirit is healed." She surmised.

Jon nodded, "It is. Finally."

"How long ago did that happen? You could hav–"

"Don't look too much into it," Jon cut her off, "It just happened not that long ago. I wasn't delaying anything by waiting a few days."

Abigail held back what she wanted to say. If he was healed, he was ready to evolve. He didn't have to wait for her. He shouldn't have waited. But he did.

"Have you looked?" She asked instead.

He smiled, a boyish smile that hadn't shown up on his face in a long time, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

She laughed. Truly laughed. Now wasn't the time, but later... Definitely later.

"Alright, lecher, what did you get?"

"Two Epics I'm still deciding on. Unbreakable Wall and Aegis of Spirit and Stone." He explained, "As you can imagine, both are defensively focused, with Fortitude being their Primary stat. Unbreakable Wall has Endurance Secondary, while Aegis has Strength.

"Both describe a guardian style of fighting. Being at the front and defending those behind me. The biggest difference is that it sounds like Unbreakable Wall relies on my physicality and has skills that boost it, while Aegis is more diverse. It also hints at shield Skills."

Abigail hummed, "Which one calls to you? I know one does, I can see it in your eyes."

"I'd like to explore my Spirit a bit more. Having it tear was agonizing, but it also showed me that I don't know that much about it." Jon sighed, "It also fits me better, I think."

"There you have it then. And your Profession?"

"That one's easy. Head Merchant is still the best. Chris being a Baron makes being the appointed Merchant for Frostheim an appealing option. It's not the only Epic option, but it's the best."

Epic and Epic. Same as Austin. A lot of that was due to the Title their Faction had, but he had also done a lot of trading during the Gathering. That had to account for something.

"Now stop stalling," Jon said, sitting up, "What about you?"

"All of my Class options are Epic, so I have a wider choice. Two are directions I don't want to go down, so only three make sense. Fury of the Naiad, Tidal Mage, and High Mage of the Endless River."

"Oh, fancy." Jon remarked, "Of the Tides? Endless River? I didn't realize I married someone so spirited."

Abigail shot him a look, but otherwise moved on, "Fury details bringing me closer to my Bloodline, which I don't know is good or bad. I like it, but I don't know if I need a Class dedicated to it, too. Just the Bloodline might be enough."

She had an idea of why it was being offered. She'd pulled on her Bloodline deeply during the test.

Same with the other two. Abigail suspected the Endless River came from using the River Heart treasure for most of her advancements. Tidal Mage was probably from her efforts to hold the wall. Its description hinted at her defensive feats for doing so, and Jon said as much as she read it out.

Her Profession wasn't worth mentioning. Both of them already knew what she was going to choose, as it had already been decided. Baron's Seneschal was the next logical choice and a direct upgrade to what she already had.

It being Epic also helped.

She would also have an Epic Class and Epic Profession. After the two of them evolved, they would have three at that level, including Austin. Vincent would probably get an Epic Smithing Profession, but he would be lucky to get a Rare Class. More likely, he would stay Uncommon.

Rachel and Hal would most likely get an Epic Class, but it was highly doubtful they would reach very high on their Profession. Rachel was planning to switch, anyway. They were in the same boat as Vinny, but reversed. That was, of course, if they weren't offered legendary, but they wouldn't know until they reached that point.

Gabriel... she wasn't sure about him. He did well against the Orcs and he did well enchanting, but his choice of focus was odd. He didn't focus purely on stopping power, but on Spells. Guessing what he would end up with was above her.

Her mom as well. She wasn't sure where she would end up either.

"The choice is yours, babe. I'm not one to get in between you and a decision." Jon unhelpfully said after she finished reading out her options.

She debated. And debated. Through the night and into the morning. Jon got out the twin boxes they had set aside. Ashley came in and cleared a room out for them with Cleanse and she was still debating.

She made a choice and then immediately second-guessed that choice. She changed it. Then changed it again. She talked herself in circles, spiraling further. It wasn't until she sat down with the Naiad's Core that she finally felt assured of her decision.

Defense was good. Her husband was the example of that, but sometimes, just sometimes, a Fury like no other was needed. A wrathful power that could stop things in their tracks before they went too far.

And, even though the Class name focused on one aspect of it, maybe it had a skill or two on the more lively side of the water spirits.

Jon began his evolution process first, and she wasn't that far behind him. Both of them were about to reach a new Rank of power.