Frostbound [LitRPG Apocalypse]

Chris

Frostheim

That seems like a dangerous two-way road. From what I was reading of [Tyr's Judgement], it didn't influence the fight in any way; it only demanded that it happen. While I was confident in fighting almost anything one-on-one, that didn't mean there wouldn't come a time when I might bite off more than I could chew.

It also didn't specify that it enforced a one-on-one fight, either. It just made it so whoever I deemed guilty couldn't run.

How does it even enforce that? What does it deem dodging, instead of running from the fight?

There were many things I wanted to test with the new skill, but that was the biggest obstacle of them all. I couldn't test it without killing somebody. Every use would result in a death. Either mine or theirs.

I liked it on a fundamental level, as that was my approach to every fight, but I also had a lot of things I wanted to know about it that I couldn't explore anytime soon. Sure, there was the errant criminal here and there, but after the first few sentenced to death, not many were willing to push me.

They understood that when I said the consequences of certain actions were death, that wasn't an exaggeration or simple fear-mongering. I meant it.

Can I use it on monsters? But how do they break Laws? Or my Code?

How did the skill even determine what my Code was? I had to assume that, since it was nestled inside my spirit, it was getting something from it that I couldn't deceive, but did that mean I couldn't push the bounds in other ways?

More questions, and I didn't see answers coming in the foreseeable future.

Too bad all the executions in Lakeshore are already over. After our takeover of the city, there were still some of the old leadership still alive. Victor and his Captains all died in the fighting, but there were other people who survived.

Abigail's investigations didn't lead anywhere with the Demon summoning, but we did find a few with Demonic Bloodlines. That in it of itself didn't warrant death, but after we calmed the people and they warmed up to us, accusations came flying in.

Some of the higher-ups used their positions for some truly heinous things.

They wouldn't be doing anything like that anymore, though. The worst were killed, but those that didn't rise to the level of a death sentence were sent to the Mine. It was fitting, really, after their attack. Now they were the ones helping rebuild and mine the resource they had tried to steal.

But no, we had dealt with all of that a while ago. I would have to wait to test it, sadly.

Other than [Tyr's Judgement], I also got [Rune Repository].

Rune Repository(Epic) – Carves out a section in the Spirit to house and hold the Runes known to you for easier and enhanced recall. Size and capacity depend on the Rarity of the skill and the amount of Spirit dedicated to storage. Higher-tier Runes take up more space than lower-tier Runes.

It was a much-needed skill. With every further Rune I learned, it was getting harder and harder to remember them all. The ones I used often were easy, but the less frequent ones always required a search through the books to remember.

If I had a library of them in my head, it would make the process a lot smoother and quicker.

Maybe I can call them up and compare them? It says it's in my Spirit, I should be able to manipulate it to do some cool things. It would require testing, but I could see the Skill helping in more ways than just memory recall.

Tests, comparisons, experiments, all of it would help my craft in one way or another. Being able to place a Tier 2 Frost Rune and Tier 2 Ice Rune side by side was something I could only do on paper, and that wasn't exactly helpful. Drawings weren't actual engravings, making them less than perfect depictions.

What if I could overlap them?

The longer I thought about it, the more excited I became. I'd spent years trying to reach Epic, and now a new tool was in the smithy, so to speak. My mind was rushing to play with various ideas. Integrating it to its fullest extent would take some time.

Most of the skills I'd gotten from E-rank were also Rune-related, so I was hoping to turn toward the Blacksmith side this time. Also, I hoped to buy some from Vulwin. Smithing skills were cheaper and easier to get than enchanting skills.

Other than the two new skills, there was a plethora of other notifications that bombarded me after my evolution that demanded my attention, pulling me away from my musings about [Rune Repository].

Some of your skills have been demoted:
[Hammer Reverberation(Legendary)] -> [Hammer Reverberation(Epic)]
[Glacial March(Epic)] -> [Glacial March(Rare)]

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
[Frozen Leach(Epic)] -> [Frozen Leach(Rare)]
[Frozen Rift(Legendary)] -> [Frozen Rift(Epic)]
[Jotun's Resistance(Legendary)] -> [Jotun's Resistance(Epic)]
[Shattering Hammer(Legendary)] -> [Shattering Hammer(Epic)]
[Identify Freeze(Epic)] -> [Identify Freeze(Rare)]
[Frostbound Hammer(Legendary)] -> [Frostbound Hammer(Epic)]
...

Nearly every one of my skills was knocked down a rank, but there were a few that were spared from the wide brush. They were left at the rarity they had been before my evolution. My two newest upgrades were safe, as the nature of them was steady through rank increases. [Body of a Frostborn] and [Frostborn Constitution] were both still Rare.

Surprisingly, [Battle Fury] and [Weight of the Arctic] were also safe from demotion, remaining Epic boosting skills. It was puzzling that those weren't demoted, but [Glacial Presence] was. The skill had the same theme of boosting my stats, but it wasn't spared.

Everything else, though, was among the long list of demotions. From [Meteor Strike] to [Heavy Weapon Proficiency], all were demoted. Even my Profession Skills. While sad, I knew it was coming. It was also a reason to celebrate, for it allowed for further room for growth.

Getting used to the new rarities wouldn't take any time, as functionally, they were the same skills they'd always been, but getting used to calling them the right rarity would.

"Well, what are you now?" Austin was the first to break the silence.

I brushed off the residual dust from the bones and stood from my seated position. The increase in stats forced me to move slowly and deliberately. It wasn't a large boost, but it was a comprehensive one. "There's a new Warden in town."

Austin's retort died on his lips. Shock colored his features. "You didn't... No, no, no, no. That was awful!" He erupted in laughter, and I couldn't help but follow suit.

I knew the line was cheesy, but I just had to say it. He'd teed it right up.

"It is a leadership warrior class called Warden of the North." I explained after the quick laugh, "The skill it gave is called [Tyr's Judgement], which will let me initiate an inescapable duel to the death with anyone who's broken the Law."

Abigail's face pinched at that, and I knew why. It was a risky skill, but a useful one in my opinion.

"Holy shit, dude, that sounds cool as fuck." Austin shouted, "What about your profession?"

"Epic Runesmith."

"Damn," Austin shook his head, "You just had to outdo me. What are you getting per level now, 240 points?"

I shook my head with a smirk, "270, with my passives."

"That's just dirty. An extra 3000 points, just from two skills. I see their appeal, but I don't care to be slowed down that much. I don't rely on stat points as much as you do, though. I'd rather have access to my Class skills faster." He patted my shoulder and brushed off some of the dust I had missed.

His fighting style didn't rely on pure Strength and toughness like mine did. He used the power, especially the combined power, of his skills. He also didn't have an assortment of boosting skills he used to increase them, like [Fury], [Weight of the Arctic], and [Glacial Presence].

Every extra stat point before that trio took effect was the equivalent of three after.

I turned to Gabe, "I was offered a Class related to the Orders, but I declined it. I suspect you will get something similar for your evolution sooner or later." Maybe not this one, but probably the next if he stuck at it.

I would send a message to Hal informing him of the same thing once I got my Message Stone back. I didn't carry anything I usually had on my person, just in case.

"Tell me everything," Abigail, book out and pen ready, waited for me to describe my options and their respective requirements.

The possibility of someone achieving the same things I had, having similar Classes, a similar disposition, my titles, and feats, was slim, but that chance was never zero. Plus, it was good to see what kind of options were out there.

I knew Anna would be bugging me about them soon. The closer she got to her Class Day, the more interested she was in Classes and potential paths.

Abigail had already gotten my past options out of me, Warrior Barron, Arctic Bastion, and Everlasting Cold, but the new ones still needed to be recorded. While I was reading them off, something occurred to me.

What now?

My days had been so full of preparing and planning for my evolution that now that it was over, I was kind of directionless. Not totally, gaining levels and getting stronger were still the overarching plan, but the specifics were up in the air.

I could rush off the dungeons around us in an attempt to catch up to those who evolved earlier. It would not only close the gap, but it would boost my stats a considerable amount, while also pushing me towards my first Class skill.

More stats would also open up the next level of Body Refining and Mana Cultivation.

Or, I could focus on my Law and Runes. My rank increase did more than just increase my stats by 32 each. It carried an unspoken improvement. I could learn Tier 2 Runes quicker, expand my Law more, and a bunch of other improvements that weren't reflected in my status sheet or notifications.

Improving my Bloodline was also on the table again. A new Rank meant new limits I could push it to. I was reasonably certain that I would be able to finally evolve it at this rank, turning it from the Bloodline of the Frostborn into the Bloodline of the Jotun.

My Anchor, too, felt close to an improvement. While my previous rank didn't bar me from upgrading it, my new rank would help in solidifying it.

Doors that had been closed were now wide open, and I had the gift of choice for the first time in a long time.

It was... refreshing.

A smile bloomed as everyone congratulated me. A smile I couldn't suppress, no matter how much I tried. The System, magic, and the like may have done a whole lot of harm, but I couldn't deny that improving myself wasn't fun.

The fights may be bloody and brutal, but so too was looking back and seeing how far I had come. To be able to look toward the future and imagine what I could become was... unbelievably exhilarating.

I'd decided.

A dungeon run was in order. It would let me explore my new stats while also getting me accustomed to them. It also had the side effect of giving me essence.

I may have been eager to see my level increase from 100.