Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 63: From Burn To Freeze

Chapter 63: From Burn To Freeze

Dusteria stood a few steps away, suddenly crossing her arms, trying her best to look casual. But her eyes kept flicking toward Bel.

Bel noticed, as did Cassandra.

"...Something you want?" Bel asked.

"What? No! I mean, yes. I mean... not really," she stammered, quickly looking away.

She cleared her throat, raising her chin like it would help her stand taller.

"I was just thinking, maybe we should talk. Not that I care or anything. But... since you’re here, and I’m here... I mean, you disappeared and never said anything. I thought maybe you’d want to say something. Or not. It’s whatever."

Cassandra arched a brow, amused.

Bel sighed, clearly not in the mood for this kind of riddles.

"Right. Cassandra, you said you wanted to talk?"

Cassandra smiled gently.

"Yes. But in private."

She shot a quick glance toward Dusteria, a subtle but clear cue.

Dusteria blinked, caught off guard.

"Oh. You want me to... leave?" she muttered.

Neither Bel nor Cassandra answered. Bel simply turned and walked away, gesturing for Cassandra to follow.

Dusteria watched them go, her mouth opening slightly like she wanted to call out. But nothing came.

She lowered her gaze to the ground, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"What’s wrong with me...?" she whispered to herself, frowning like a child who didn’t get picked for a game.

Bel and Cassandra walked a little farther away from the others.

They stopped near a blackened boulder, where the snow had long since melted.

Bel crossed his arms.

"Alright. What do you want exactly?"

Cassandra smiled gently, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

"Straight to the point. I like that. Very well. I want to propose a deal. A partnership, really. You see, our party... it’s actually three parties that merged." She leaned against the rock, casually poised.

"The White Fangs, led by Ronan. Blast, led by our warrior, Arkel. And my group, the Crimson Moon. We combined to form something stronger. A real clan."

Bel raised an eyebrow.

"A clan?"

"Yes. That’s a recognized affiliation under the guild. Larger groups, greater trust, better contracts." She paused, then added with a hint of warmth, "And better chances of survival."

She pushed off the rock, stepping closer.

"Ronan wants to build something to rival the old legends. The invincible hero party. Arkel wants glory. As for me? I want a comfortable life. A good one. And to live well, you need two things: power and money."

"And you want me for that?"

She chuckled.

"Sharp. Yes, you’re the perfect partner. You’re powerful. But you don’t care about money. You only take boss cores, I can say that. You’re not greedy, so our interest can coexist... and that gives me an idea."

She stepped a little closer, her tone low.

"You need a party to enter dungeons. The guild won’t allow you to take a dungeon without a party, and we need a strong adventurer to access to tougher ones. If you join us, even temporarily, we can get in easily. You do your thing, kill what you want and take the boss core, and we take the rest. You get cores, we get more money."

Bel tapped a finger against his arm.

"Let me get this straight. I carry your team into high-level dungeons, let you grab easy loot, and all I get is the boss shiny core?"

"One very shiny core," she said with a smirk. "And no hassle. No scouting, no cleanup. Just fight and walk away. You said it yourself, you only care about the boss. The guild will compensate you anyway the participation fees."

He stared at her for a moment, then looked away.

"What’s the catch?"

"No catch," she said. "But you set the pace. We move when you move. You want to skip a dungeon? We wait. You want to solo it? Fine. You want backup? We’ll bring the best we have."

Bel blinked, a low sound escaping his throat.

"Oh... that’s actually a pretty good deal. Alright. I’m in. But remember what you said. My pace."

Cassandra smiled wide, stepping forward with her hand outstretched.

"Deal."

Bel took her hand, firm and brief.

The pact was sealed.

Soon after that, the recovery team arrived.

Guild workers in heavy gear entered the ruins, spreading out with carts and tools. They began collecting the beasts, cores, claws, fangs, and everything valuable from the scorched battlefield.

The air still smelled like burnt ice and smoke, but it was business as usual for them.

While the cleanup was underway, Cassandra made her announcement about Bel joining their raids, minus the terms of their contract.

Murmurs rose at once.

"Really?!"

"He’s joining? That guy?"

"We’re unstoppable now!"

Most of the party members reacted with excitement. Some even cheered.

Except for three.

Crest stood off to the side, his arms crossed. He didn’t say a word, but his eyes narrowed faintly.

Arkel, the warrior, frowned.

"This kind of decision should’ve been discussed."

Ronan nodded.

"We’re co-leaders. You didn’t even consulted us."

Cassandra didn’t consider their opinion. She had the whole party praising her, it was already enough to shut them.

Crest looked away. To him, this party had been his last refuge. His secret garden. Now it was being invaded. First Dusteria, Will, and Sienna, and now Bel?

It was getting crowded.

The extraction team finished their work, carts loaded, bodies tagged, cores sorted.

The party gathered near the dungeon exit.

Most were already talking about drinks and stories at the guild bar. But Bel shook his head.

"You go ahead. I have something to do."

He held up the ice wolf’s glowing core.

"Something I need to do now."

They nodded, understanding.

Lyraen clapped him on the shoulder.

"Good thing we’re a team now. One day, we’ll turn you into a proper social guy. Just you wait."

Sienna beamed, her eyes sparkling.

"I can’t wait for the next dungeon with you... It’s gonna be awesome!"

A few steps back, Crest watched. Frowning. Sienna’s words made something twist in his chest. But most importantly... Next? Weren’t they leaving?

Dusteria was the last to approach.

She walked slowly, hesitated, then finally stopped near him.

"You seem close to Cassandra," she said.

Bel raised an eyebrow.

She looked aside.

"Just saying... she’s a bit manipulative. Don’t let her fool you."

Bel didn’t respond, his eyes were doing the talking, and Dusteria could hardly handle it.

She kicked a pebble.

"Anyway... I’m... looking forward to next time."

Then, she left quickly. Bel watched her go, then turned.

He slipped away from the others, leaving the entrance of the dungeon behind, heading toward the forest.

The ice wolf’s core pulsed in his hand like a quiet heart, and the best part was about to begin.

Bel walked deeper into the forest, the trees swallowing the sunlight bit by bit until only dim beams lit his path.

Once he was far enough, alone and undisturbed, he stopped.

The glowing blue core pulsed gently in his hand.

He stared at it, then clenched it.

A slow breath escaped him as his body shifted slightly. His jaw cracked, bones stretching. Jagged scales appeared along his neck and cheeks.

It wasn’t a full transformation, just a partial beastification focused on his mouth.

He opened wide and bit.

CRACK.

The sound echoed like splintering glass.

The instant the core shattered in his teeth, a surge of ice burst from within it, like a tiny frozen star had detonated inside his mouth.

A freezing shock raced through him.

His breath hitched.

Frost shot through his throat, his lungs, his veins, even his bones. His whole body trembled violently.

He dropped to one knee.

Crystals began to form along his arms, creeping from his fingertips to his elbows. His breath turned to mist. His muscles locked.

It was like being turned to stone from the inside out.

"Ghhk—"

His eyes flared, body tensed.

And then, with a roar, he slammed both fists into the ground.

BOOM.

The earth cracked beneath him, a shockwave of force and frost blasting outward.

His red eyes shifted.

Now they were glowing blue, and his aura burned cold.

Frost circled around his arms, and every breath he took came out as fog.

[You have devoured: Ice Wolf Core (Boss Rank)]

[New Trait Acquired: Greater Ice Mastery]

[Greater Ice Mastery: Ice-based attacks are 100% more effective. You are immune to ice damage. Gain access to advanced frost manipulation techniques, MP cost proportional to energy used.

Advanced frost manipulations:

Absolute Zero: Create a frozen stasis zone where time and motion are drastically slowed for enemies within it.

Death Blizzard: Unleash a catastrophic storm of ice shards and wind that bypasses elemental resistances and slows enemy reactions.

Eternal Ice: create an ice that cannot be melted or destroyed by natural means. Remains indefinitely unless dispelled by superior magic or the creator.]

[Sheer Cold: Enhances physical and mental capabilities using cold-infused aura. Increases Physical and Mental toughness by 50% of INT. Physical attacks deal additional frost damage and have a 50% chance to inflict FREEZE.

FREEZE: Immobilizes the target for 3 seconds. Targets affected by FREEZE take 25% increased physical damage. If the target is already frozen, the next hit shatters the ice, dealing bonus damage equal to 10% of your INT.]

MP Cost: 10 MP/second

[Passive Acquired: Cold Touch - Your melee attacks deal additional frost damage.]

[Skill Upgrade: Perception -> Enhanced Perception (Tracks mana shifts and elemental flow with greater accuracy)]

[Stat Bonus: +15 INT / +60 MP / +15 AGI / +15 SPD]

Bel slowly stood.

His blue eyes gazed up at the sky beyond the trees.

And for a long moment, he said nothing.

Then, a smile crossed his face.