The night beneath the white dome had continued with mounting dread. Attacks had come sporadically from different locations around the bubble. Each one sent shudders through it as arrows or spells crashed down. Ashley was forced to keep an eye on the Runebox, calling for mana to be added constantly.

The shield wasn’t just a completely infinite barrier. Each time it was struck, the maximum amount of mana and durability it could take was lowered. Not by much, but after the first time she’d used it and now this, it was currently less than half.

If a Goliath, or something as strong, came along and bashed into it, she was sure it would fail. Cecelia had asked her to create another box—prep a back-up shield. The problem was that it required an item that she couldn’t get any more of right now.

In her Tower climb, Ashley had received her staff, the healing crystal, and an item called a Light Core Shard. It gave power to constructs and barriers, acting as the main catalyst. When she’d explained that to Cecelia, the woman had cursed. She had apparently just been expecting her to create these barriers infinitely.

Ashley sighed as she poured another dose of mana into the box. Exhaustion was eating at her, but when she used her own mana infused with her Light Essence, the barrier didn’t lose durability as fast.

When the sun finally rose, Cecelia had gathered people around her, most of the camp by the looks of it.

Ashley just meditated while she gave one of her speeches.

“I know you’re all worried. About the barrier. About what happens when it falls.” She paused, letting her eyes move across the crowd. “And it will most likely fall today.”

Murmurs spread. Someone near the back shouted:

“What do they even want?!”

Cecelia paused. Ashley opened one of her eyes to see what she would do. Would she throw another person under the bus to save her skin?

“They want one of us,” she said at last. “A life, handed over.”

More noise. Angry voices. Nervous whispers.

“Some of you might be thinking that’s not so bad. One life to save the rest.” She began pacing slowly. “That might even sound reasonable. But is that really who we are?”

She gestured to the ground.

“These people came here demanding blood. What makes you think they will stop at one? I don’t need to remind you what kind of people end up in this place. Their ashes are under your feet.”

A large stone crashed into the barrier above them, causing people to gasp or yell as cracks appeared.

Fuck, give me a moment you pricks. Ashley began channelling what little mana she’d gained into the box once again, repairing the cracks.

Barrier Durability: 39%

Structural integrity compromised.

A few people started backing away instinctively, as if the cracks might suddenly give way.

Another drop. At this rate of siege it would maybe last until the evening. Ashley met Cecelia’s eyes, shaking her head slightly.

Cecelia slowly blinked. The silent conversation over. “We need to come to a decision as a camp. This choice cannot be made by myself alone.”

“Do we run? Or do we fight?”

“How can we fight? Didn’t you say we were outnumbered?!” Another person called out.

“It’s true. We are most likely outnumbered, and possibly outmatched,” Cecelia admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we just roll over and let them take us over. I would sooner die fighting with all of you than be captured to be their slave.”

“We–” she began once more, but was interrupted.

“Send me out.”

The voice pierced the crowd like an arrow.

“They want me. Let them have me.”

A few heads nodded before anyone could stop themselves.

Cecelia didn’t even look at him at first. “We’re discussing options. Wait your turn.”

“We don’t have much time,” Ron said. “If I go out before this barrier drops, it’s our best bet at survival. You know it. Don’t hesitate to do what’s needed. Not now.” Ron’s eyes held no fear, only conviction.

“Alright everyone, think hard about your options I’ve given you,” Cecelia called out, ignoring his words. “If we need to run, then we need to gather up all the supplies and equipment. Leaving some could also be an option if we want to distract them, but we need to be quick and decisive. Once we leave the barrier, there is no getting back into camp until it comes down.”

“Cecelia,” Ron said, voice louder. Bjorn pulled at his arm to take him back to resting, as he had been watching over him while he recovered from the poison.

“Go now and prepare yourselves! We will reconvene this afternoon.” She began leaving the stage.

People stood still, glancing between Ron and Cecelia. She stopped and looked across the crowd. “Go!”

Her words were carried on a wave of pressure, it was a roar of command, not a request.

Those with weaker wills ran off, hurriedly gathering anything they could. Not everyone had a storage ring, but enough did to make the job quick. Others had puzzled faces but did the same. It was clear Cecelia was acting differently, she was meant to be the stone-faced, confident leader.

Cecelia strode right up to the archer, getting right into his face. “What on Earth was that?! All you are doing is putting the thought in people’s heads that if you go then they live. That’s dangerous, and it won’t stop at one.”

“She’s right, mate,” Bjorn said softly. He turned his head to stare at her. “But she did forget to mention that you’re our friend, our family. I wouldn’t let them send you out. I’d sooner die with you all.”

“Even if it meant your wife would live?” Ron asked, looking into the bulky man’s eyes as they snapped back to him.

Bjorn bit his lip, stammering the start of an answer. His breath hitched, his hand rose, but stopped.

He couldn’t say anything.

“It doesn’t matter what you think is right,” Cecelia snapped. “I won’t allow it.”

“It’s not your choice,” Ron said. “I made this mess. Let me atone.”

Her hands tightened against her clothes, fingers twisting the fabric.

“Don’t be a Leo.”

Everyone turned toward the words, and the currently seated woman that had uttered them so forcefully.

Ron’s eyes sharpened. “What?”

Ashley pushed herself to her feet and approached. “You’re trying to do what he does. Throw yourself into the fire so everyone else can walk away. I’m fucking sick of it.”

She rubbed the back of her neck. “That’s not some grand plan. That’s just dumb luck most of the time.”

They all watched her. She sighed.

“We’ve all seen him do it. Charging into things that should have killed him. Half the time he comes out stronger, sure. But the other half? He just gets lucky.”

She glanced at Ron.

“You think you walk out there and it fixes everything. Maybe they kill you. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they just take the next person after that.”

Her voice softened.

“All it does is leave the rest of us feeling like shit. And probably dead anyway.”

She crossed her arms.

“If that Cain guy comes here without Leo, we’re fucked regardless, right? So we may as well stand up together instead of handing someone over and hoping it buys us some mercy.”

Bjorn let out a small breath of laughter. “Not exactly a rousing speech, but I get the point. I’m in. We fight.”

Cecelia straightened. Then after a beat she spoke. “Then it’s decided. Fighters, prepare for battle. Crafters, get ready to move.”

Ron gave a slow nod, as if the decision had already been made for him.

He walked away, saying nothing.

“Don’t you dare go through my barrier!” Ashley called after him. “I’ll smack you harder than you hit me if you do!”

They couldn't see his face as he left, but his shoulders were relaxed. Like a man who’d already accepted how this would end.

~

Layers of frost started appearing in waves across the heated corridor. Every time she could, Ellie would cool things down a little with her Elemental Breath. This place had amazed the little dragon so far, and the fights were so much fun.

But the heat…

Even for her, who could breathe fire, the heat was so intense that it made her feel unwell. Her movement sluggish, her mind cloudy. If it wasn’t for Leo helping—guiding her with their skill—she’d have probably taken more hits than just the light burns that were healing.

Ellie had that feeling that built up inside her, the feeling of improving herself. A new skill to learn.

As usual, she didn’t want to read the messages, so the system gave it to her like epiphanies. Her mind wandered through them—three in total.

The first was to make her horns larger. Two spiral-like horns, sharp and powerful. They would sit atop her head like a tall crown. An image of her impaling something rushed through her mind. Ellie liked the sound of that and almost accepted it before Leo’s words rang in her head.

“Make sure you look through all your skill options before picking, okay? You might miss something great.”

Ellie stopped herself. That was a close one. Leo would have gotten that grumpy look again, like the time he’d found out about her skill point choices.

The second option was something she’d seen before. It was her roaring. The roar made all the enemies cower, only this time it made them move a bit slower too after she was done.

Ellie would rather stab things with her head. No thanks.

The last option was different.

She stood in the middle of a blistering expanse. Fire roared on every side, coiling like living serpents made of flame. They surged toward her, snapping and twisting, eager to swallow her whole.

But Ellie didn’t run.

Her eyes flared with a cold, icy blue. The heat pressing against her scales suddenly felt… wrong. Unwelcome. Something in her chest stirred. A cold, stubborn instinct pushing back against the heat.

Cold answered the flames.

Frost spilled from her body in a slow, steady wave. The air around her crystalised, a thin veil of pale blue mist clinging to her scales. The serpents of fire lunged, but the moment they touched the spreading chill, they hissed and shrank, their forms breaking apart into drifting embers.

Again and again they struck, and again and again they died against the cold radiating from her small form.

The heat couldn’t touch her anymore. It just… faded when it got too close.

Ellie sat in thought, a rare thing for her to do. She wasn’t sure she fully understood.

So far, all her skills had been bigger horns, flapping her wings, roaring—things she could figure out. This one felt more like her breath attack, but also not at all. She let out another breath of pure frost in frustration, turning some of the hot stuff in the room colder.

Leo approached her, sensing her discomfort. “What’s up, Ells?” he asked. “You doin’ okay?”

She tried to mime and mentally tell him all of her discomforts and issues with her skill selection. After a moment he seemed to realise her problem and laughed.

Ellie frowned, puffing out some more cold air.

“Sorry.” He finished laughing. “I’m not laughing at you, just thinking about how much I also struggle choosing skills. Seems you may have inherited this from the bond too.”

She was downcast. She’d hoped that he would give her the solution.

“Best thing to do is go with what feels right,” Leo said gently as he stroked her head affectionately. “You’ll have lots of skills to choose from as we level up, so even if you go with something that sounds fun, or cool—you go for it. It’s your life, I’ll be proud of you regardless.”

Finally.

He answered her question of what skill to choose. He said to choose something cool.

Cool means cold!

~

Leo watched as Ellie’s body shimmered slightly, much less than when her wings had evolved with the acquisition of Wingbeat. He smiled, glad she was able to make her choice so quickly.

Ellie has gained the skill: Frost Shroud (Rare)

His eyes widened at the rarity, quickly checking it out in detail.

Frost Shroud (Rare)

Cold mana wraps your scales in a shifting veil of frost, smothering nearby flames and shielding you from intense heat. Enemies that press too close feel their movements slow under the biting chill.

Duration and strength scales with Intelligence

Cooldown: 1 Minute

He definitely wasn’t expecting that. This skill seemed to be mostly designed to fight off heat, and only heat. It made it quite the niche skill, but no doubt impressive.

Leo watched her activate the skill instinctively.

A blue glow began filling her eyes, replacing the rainbow colouration entirely. Then her scales shimmered, glittering with frost as the room around her dropped in temperature. Even Leo could feel the cold emanating from the little dragon.

The flames didn’t hiss and steam as he was expecting. They just died. Any nearby lava pools that had been quietly bubbling slowly turned to rock, like they were submitting to the frost.

She looked utterly regal as the cold pulsed. She focused on pushing her cold out further. That was until the skills duration ended and she dashed toward Leo, jumping into his arms.

“That was amazing! You still feel so cool to touch,” he said, nuzzling into her to her complete delight.

“You like using frost then?” Leo asked.

Ellie just tilted her head, no idea what he was talking about.

“Nevermind, glad you picked something you liked.” He smiled.

The pair rested for a while after Ellie had cooled things down. Both Cain and Leo needed a lot of time before they could venture into the boss’ chamber. Leo had an idea he wanted to run past Cain before they did. Make things easier for both of them.

“Yo,” Leo said, unsure of why he went with that.

“Hm?” Cain opened one eye to look at him.

“I know we’re right next to the boss—most likely. But I’m one level off getting a new class skill at level fifty. Surely we should grind some more enemies in here until I get it? Should make things easier against whatever’s in there.”

“No.” Cain said quickly and closed his eyes.

“I’d ask why, but let me guess—” Leo made a grunting noise that mimicked Cain.

“No more delays. Once full. We kill.”

Cain’s eyes turned darker than usual. “After, we are done. You are done.”

Leo rolled his eyes. He wasn’t intimidated, no matter the level difference. They’d been subtly—and usually less than subtly—threatening each other's lives in one way or another.

After two days it got a bit old.

“Fine. Be that way. If we die due to me lacking a skill then it’s on you,” Leo said as he walked away.

Cain just closed his eyes. Then he looked at the system message he’d received upon hitting level fifty.

Level 50 Dreadstalker Class Mechanic unlocked

Level 50 Dreadstalker Signature Class Skill selection available

He hadn’t used the signature skill yet, even though it was powerful enough to most likely turn every fight in here so far. The mechanic had been quietly working behind the scenes, but without using the signature skill, there was a limit.

His eyes locked on the man walking away from him. The power he’d displayed and how much he’d grown since their first fight. It was… worrying. With all of his elemental Essences giving him a myriad of skills, and his draconic companion. Cain felt himself hesitate for the first time.

What kind of signature skill would a monster like that create?