NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Winter's Death
Selene looked at him with a soft smile, one that carried warmth despite the cold chamber and the horror surrounding them.
"Never."
She turned her back to Moon, positioning herself beside him, facing Derek and the others. Her staff came up, fire already gathering at its tip.
"If you fight him, then you're fighting me," Selene said calmly. "Why don't we just fight that beast over there?"
She gestured toward the figure still watching from its throne, surrounded by its six level fifteen wolves. "He's the reason behind all of this."
Derek's face contorted with fury. "Kill the harlot with him! She's just as guilty!"
Iris hesitated, her bow half-raised, uncertainty written across her features. She'd been injured, was still bleeding, and the logic of attacking their strongest fighters seemed questionable at best.
But Elara...didn't seem to share the same hesitation as Iris.
Elara stepped forward, tears still streaming down her face, her bow fully drawn and aimed directly at Moon. Her hands shook, but her aim was steady.
"You could have saved him," she whispered, her voice breaking. "John. You could have killed Gareth before... before he..." She couldn't finish, grief making her choke on words.
"You had the power all along. You let him die...you killed him."
The accusation hung in the air, and Moon felt its weight. She wasn't entirely wrong. He had held back. He and Selene both had, unwilling to cross that line, unwilling to become murderers even when survival demanded it.
[Survivors: 5/1] [Time: 4:59]
The timer counted down relentlessly.
Derek raised his sword. "Last chance. Surrender now, and we'll make it quick."
Moon's hand moved, mana gathering with his enhanced control. Beside him, Selene's fire burned brighter as if warning them.
"You're a fool, you are only sending yourself to your grave." Moon said simply.
"ATTACK!" Derek shouted, as he pointed his sword at Moon.
Iris and Elara both drew their bowstrings and sent the arrows hurling towards Moon.
Moon sighed, they had brought this upon themselves. They were weak, too weak compared to him and Selene.
Whilst they had been hunting for the past days, the group had been in the shelter barely leaving, relying on Gareth for sustenance.
With a simple motion, Moon managed to form a rocky wall to block the attacks and one large fireball that had eliminated all three of them.
The attack killed them instantly, ensuring they didn't suffer before their death. It was a tough decision, but Moon wasn't going to allow emotion to get in the way of survival.
Selene looked at the area where their corpses remained with a complicated expression, before shaking her head. "You did the right thing." She consoles herself more than she did Moon.
Moon didn't respond, staring at the notifications flashing in his eyes.
[You have killed level 6 Awakener, Iris.]
[You have gained 60 Lives]
[You have killed level 6 Awakener, Derek.]
[You have gained 80 Lives.]
[You have killed level 5 Awakener, Elara.]
[You have gained 60 lives.]
Although he wished things would have been different, he was forced to kill people that he stayed with for time even if it was mere hours.
Ever since he entered the first sanctuary, he knew that there would come a time where this might happen.
Elara had chosen to use her emotions more than her brain, and Derek and Iris had thought they could kill him and become the true champions of this trial.
With only the two of them left, Moon and Selene finally had time to think about their options without interruptions.
They were still slightly wary of each other, but their distance and body language made things easier.
[Survivors: 2/1]
[Time: 4:01]
"So what are we going to do now?" Selene asked, looking at the figure on the throne and the six massive wolves flanking it. "We definitely can't believe its words. Gareth clearly fell for the same trick. He might've been in the same group as the person from the journal, and Gareth was the only survivor then. Now this thing is asking for sacrifices again."
She was stating the obvious, hoping that Moon was also having the same thought. After seeing Moon's earlier attack, she was almost certain that she had no chance against him in a fight.
If Moon chose to eliminate her, then she was most likely dead, even if she could put up a decent fight.
"We're going to fight it," Moon said with finality, making her body wash in relief.
'Status'
[ Name: Moon ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: Classless, Healer(Limited Time) ]
[ Level: 11 ][ 67% ]
[ Lives: 268 ]
[ Strength: 20 ] [ Agility: 22 ] [ Constitution: 25 ] [ Mana: 32 ]
[ Attribute Points: 0 ]
[ Skills: Elemental Attack(Uncommon, Lvl.Max), Four Element Affinity(Rare, Lvl.6), Basic Healing ]
[ Talent: Grim Reaper ]
[ Class Skill: Class Slot {1/1} ]
Moon had managed to copy the class of one of Derek's team members during the chaos—the healer. It was the most useful secondary class he could have acquired, considering he already possessed Selene's combat abilities. Basic Healing wasn't powerful, but it could keep them alive longer in a drawn-out fight.
Their chances weren't high, but if he could kill the six wolves and absorb their lives through his Grim Reaper talent, he might accumulate enough to push Four Element Affinity to the next rank. With that power boost, they might actually have a chance against the Heart of Winter itself.
For that reason, he didn't want anyone sharing kills with him. Every life mattered.
He turned to Selene. "Do you trust me?"
Selene looked at him, then nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Silly question."
Moon's gaze shifted to the six arctic wolves prowling at the base of the throne, their ice-blue eyes fixed on the survivors with predatory focus.
"I want to fight them alone and kill them," Moon said. "I don't want you to get involved unless I tell you to."
Selene looked at him, confusion flickering across her face. These were six level fifteen beasts, and Moon was only level eleven, same as her. The level gap was significant, and the fight was almost suicidal in a way.
Still, she didn't question him. She'd seen the determination and certainty in his eyes.
"Alright," she said simply.
Moon nodded, grateful she trusted him enough not to argue. He turned his full attention to the wolves and the creature watching from above.
The Heart of Winter's smile widened, as if pleased by this development.
"How entertaining," it said, its voice like grinding ice. "The prey wishes to dance with my companions alone. Very well. Let us see if your arrogance is justified."
[The Heart of Winter Trial has evolved to Trial of Winter's Death.]
[Trial of Winter's Death]
▹ Survival Probability: < 5%
The system has recognised this trial's extreme difficulty.
Bonus Rewards Applied:
▹ Experience gain multiplied by 2
▹ Lives gained multiplied by 2
Six arctic wolves began descending from the throne platform, their movements coordinated and predatory. Ice crystals formed in the air around them with each breath, their level fifteen power radiating like a physical pressure.
Moon stepped forward, separating himself from Selene, his hands already gathering mana in preparation for the hardest fight he was going to face.