Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 52: Frozen World

Chapter 52: Frozen World

As soon as they stepped into the rift, a blast of icy air hit them, stealing their breath away.

Everyone gasped, staring around in surprise. Instead of dark tunnels or a gloomy cave, they found themselves in a wide-open snowy field beneath a pale, cloudy sky.

Snowflakes drifted lazily down, making it seem like they’d stepped into a frozen painting.

"Holy chill... !" Ronan exclaimed, shivering and pulling his fur cape tighter around his shoulders.

The mage nodded, eyes wide as she scanned their surroundings.

"Dungeon landscapes vary based on their category, but even for a Category D dungeon, this is huge. We need to stay extra careful. Larger areas usually mean larger enemies."

Everyone nodded quickly, their eyes darting around warily. But soon, they realized that monsters weren’t their biggest problem right now.

The cold slowly began to bite, making them tremble. Lyraen hugged herself tightly, teeth chattering as she complained.

"Why is it so freezing? Was it necessary for it to be this cold?"

The warrior rubbed his hands together, blowing on them to regain some warmth, while Crest stamped his feet and tucked his hands under his arms. Sienna and Dusteria huddled close to each other, trying to fight off the chill.

But Bel just stood there calmly, looking around with curiosity rather than discomfort. Noticing everyone’s reactions, he tilted his head slightly, puzzled. The cold didn’t bother him at all.

"Oh... I see..." Bel murmured to himself.

This was probably due to his special immunity against certain conditions. After all, freezing was considered a status ailment, so not only was he immune to burn and poison, but also freezing.

A slight smile formed on his lips. This ocean of abilities was getting phenomenal

"This place is way bigger than a maze," Ronan said, looking around nervously. "Where do we even start?"

His eyes fell on Bel, and he cleared his throat, raising his voice.

"Hey, Iron Dude," he called out, drawing everyone’s attention. "Since you’re supposed to be the leader here, how about you show us the way?"

The whole group turned to Bel, waiting for his reaction. Bel glanced slightly at Ronan, then quietly looked forward. He was right, there was no reason to waste time.

He already knew exactly how to proceed.

"Alright," Bel agreed calmly, taking a moment to focus.

[Mana: 460/460]

Activating his Perception skill, Bel’s senses immediately expanded. A wave of invisible energy flowed outward, scanning the surroundings carefully. In a moment, he knew exactly what was around them.

"There’s nothing within 30 meters," he said simply, eyes still closed in concentration, "but I see some mana traces. There’s strong mana radiation coming from that direction."

He opened his eyes and pointed to their right.

"Follow me. I’ll tell you when to get ready."

The party stared at him in shock. What did he just do? How was he so sure about this?

Despite their doubts, they followed behind him cautiously. Bel walked confidently, eyes focused ahead, sensing every shift in the air.

Meanwhile, Dusteria couldn’t help staring at him. Her mind raced with confusion and curiosity. This confident, cute, angelic Bel was so different from the shadowy puppet boy she once knew. She wanted to talk to him, ask how he became like this, but no words would come.

Finally, Sienna broke the silence.

"So, Bel... how have you been lately? You’ve changed a lot."

Bel hesitated briefly, not looking at her.

"I’ve been fine," he replied quietly.

Sienna smiled softly, encouraged by his response.

"That’s good to hear," Sienna said warmly, attempting a smile. "You really surprised us back there. I never thought you would be the one to reach iron rank so quickly."

Bel remained silent, giving just a brief nod.

"Did... something special happen? I mean, you look different. Stronger, but also... different," she added, her voice softer now, almost careful. "We’ve lost your contacts for a while now, we know you’re fine, but it’s much better to hear it directly from you, you know?"

Bel paused again, clearly not wanting to elaborate much.

"I’ve been busy. You don’t need to hear from me if I’m fine. If I’m alive, I’m fine, that’s all," he finally murmured, keeping his eyes forward.

Sienna sighed gently, sensing his reluctance but still determined to bridge the gap.

"Well, whatever you did, it suits you," she said lightly, smiling despite his short responses. "I’m glad you’re doing well."

She was about to speak again when suddenly Bel’s hand shot up, signaling silence.

"Quiet," he whispered sharply, eyes narrowing. "I felt something."

Everyone froze immediately, including Sienna, who flinched but quickly obeyed. Their breathing softened, and silence fell once more.

Bel’s hand was still raised, his eyebrows tightly knit together.

"Two..." he whispered slowly, eyes narrowing in concentration. "No, wait... more. There are more ahead. A whole group."

The adventurers exchanged anxious glances. Their fingers tightened around their weapons, and nervous whispers began to ripple through the group.

"Are they dangerous?" Ronan asked, his voice slightly shaky.

"Can we actually beat them?" the warrior muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

Bel took a deep breath, eyes fixed ahead, and finally spoke.

"That depends."

A tense silence stretched again. Everyone held their breath.

"Depends on what?" Crest murmured.

Bel hesitated for just a moment before answering.

"Depends on whether this dungeon isn’t another anomaly."

A chill ran through the group. Bel turned to them, his crimson eyes sharp.

"Get ready," he ordered firmly. "Weapons out. Now."

They all obeyed immediately, taking defensive positions around Dusteria. Sienna turned quickly to Will.

"Will, keep an eye on Dusteria."

"What? No! I want to fight too!" Will argued, gripping his sword eagerly.

"Stop playing around like children!" the tank barked angrily, glaring at both.

Will opened his mouth to retort, but before he could say anything, Bel suddenly moved.

In a blink, Bel was several meters ahead, then he vanished from sight. Everyone’s eyes widened, stunned.

Before anyone could ask what happened, a heavy crash shook the ground. Dust and snow flew up around them as a huge creature landed just a few meters away. The party gasped, scrambling backward.

Towering above them, an enormous polar bear stood on its hind legs, roaring. Its eyes glowed, its massive claws ready to tear through anything in its path.

The party braced themselves, hearts racing.

But just as they prepared to engage, something flashed in the sky above.

Like a fiery comet, Bel descended from the heavens. His fist glowed briefly, blazing like a meteor as he plummeted downward.

With a powerful crash, Bel’s fist struck the giant bear’s skull, instantly crushing through bone and fur. The monster roared once, then fell silent, collapsing heavily to the snowy ground.

Bel stood atop the fallen beast, breathing calmly as the dust settled.

[EXP: 2,500/80,000]

Bel’s fist was buried deep in the giant bear’s head, and slowly, a dark purple pool of blood started spreading beneath it, staining the pure white snow.

No one spoke. The entire group just stared, eyes wide, breaths caught in their throats. They couldn’t even move; their bodies frozen in shock at what they’d just seen.

This monster, this huge, terrifying creature, was clearly stronger than anything they’d faced before. Yet, Bel had ended it with just one punch.

They could barely believe what they’d just witnessed.

Bel calmly stepped onto the creature’s massive back, his red eyes scanning the monster beneath him thoughtfully. Then, he stopped, completely still.

A tense silence filled the air. Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Then Bel finally spoke, breaking the heavy silence.

"Looks like it’s your lucky day," he said softly.

Ronan flinched at the unexpected words. Bel slowly straightened up, his gaze moving to the side. A dangerous, sharp-toothed grin spread across his lips.

"There will be enough food for everyone."

Instantly, a chorus of low growls echoed around them. The party spun around, eyes widening even further as they realized they were completely surrounded.

Monstrous bears emerged from the snowy shadows all around, eyes gleaming fiercely.

There was nowhere to run.