The deeper they went, the air turned sharp and cold, every breath frosting in front of them. The corridor ahead ended in a massive stone arch, beyond which was a cavern glittering with jagged pillars of ice. The floor was slick, the walls frozen over, and in the center stood an intricate set of shifting ice blocks—almost like a massive puzzle—blocking the only exit to the next chamber.
Klaus frowned the moment he saw it. "This… is a trial. We can't force our way through. The ice won't break from simple magic—"
Zura stepped forward, eyeing the blocks. "Simple magic? Nah, you're just scared your fancy noble mana isn't up to the task."
Klaus's glare could've frozen the room faster than the ice. "This isn't about power, it's about precision and—"
Sekke cut in with his usual smug grin. "Relax, boys. Let the great Sekke Bronzazza handle this with his Bronze Magic: Bronze Pimped-Out Puzzle Solver!" He slammed his hands together, forming a goofy-looking bronze contraption that… promptly slipped on the ice and clattered uselessly to the floor.
Mimosa giggled behind her hand, while Zura smirked and crouched low to inspect the nearest block. "Looks like these shift when you apply heat in the right spot. Move 'em wrong, though, and we'll seal ourselves in."
Klaus folded his arms. "And you know this how?"
Zura tapped his temple. "Because unlike you, I don't overcomplicate things. I just… figure 'em out."
What followed was fifteen minutes of them bickering over which block to move, each mistake causing an icy rumble through the chamber as frost spread closer to the floor where they stood. Zura's reckless nudges, Klaus's overthinking, and Sekke's failed "shortcuts" all seemed to doom them—until, without even realizing it, they started working in sync.
"Heat that edge, now," Klaus barked.
"Already on it," Zura replied, his flame-coated hand melting just enough ice for Klaus to slide a block into place.
Sekke wedged a bronze wedge in just the right gap without being told.
The final piece locked into place with a deep, resonant click. The wall of ice shimmered, then split open, revealing a narrow tunnel bathed in faint blue light.
Zura grinned, brushing frost from his sleeve. "See? Told you it wasn't hard."
Klaus muttered, "You didn't solve it alone…" but he didn't sound as smug as before.
They stepped forward together in the next chamber.
The chamber was silent. Too silent.
Frost coated the walls and ceiling in thin crystalline layers, light catching on them like shards of glass. Their boots crunched against the frozen floor as their breath misted in the air. There was an entrance. An exit. Nothing else.
Sekke was the first to break the stillness.
"Alright, I vote we rest here. Been in this dungeon for hours. My legs are basically suing me."
He didn't wait for an answer before plopping down, his armored backside clanging against the icy floor.
Klaus adjusted his glasses with that infuriatingly calm expression of his.
"Resting in an ice chamber is hardly ideal. There are warmer, safer areas in dungeons specifically meant for recovery. We should press on until we find one."
Zura wasn't sure what to do. He knew there was a treasure in this dungeon, but he wasn't exactly sure where. Unlike reading a novel, where everything was mentioned and described in detail, manga only had panels so knowing the exact spots and locations was hard.
Zura stayed quiet, eyes scanning the frost-bitten room. Something about it just didn't sit right. His gut gnawed at him like it had teeth.
"I don't know… this place feels… off," he muttered.
Klaus gave a small, dismissive wave.
"Empty chambers are common in dungeons. There's no reason to suspect—"
Mimosa's gentle voice chimed in, "Dungeons usually have designated resting spots. But if Sekke is already—" she glanced toward the man, "—well, resting, maybe we should—"
Zura cut her off, stepping forward.
"No. I'm telling you, this room's not right. In stories, sure, everything's written out for you—details, clues, the works. But here? This isn't a book. This is real. And my gut's telling me we get out. Now."
Klaus frowned, clearly unimpressed.
"Your 'gut' is hardly reliable data—"
"Yeah? Well, it's about to save your four-eyed ass," Zura snapped.
Still, the hesitation lingered. Sekke was already leaning against the wall, arms crossed like he was halfway to sleep. Zura's frustration was boiling when he finally barked,
"Fine! Stay here if you want. I'm leaving."
They'd barely taken a few steps toward the exit when it happened—
The ice walls shuddered. The ceiling groaned like a dying beast. Thick slabs began sliding inward, the air tightening as the chamber itself started to shrink.
"HA! CALLED IT!" Zura yelled over the echoing cracks, sprinting toward the exit. "WHAT DID I SAY?!"
The others bolted after him, slipping on the frost as the room tried to crush them. Mimosa stumbled, Klaus grabbing her by the arm and hauling her forward. Sekke screamed something about his precious face as he dove through the narrowing exit.
They tumbled into the next corridor just as the icy jaws slammed shut behind them, sealing the chamber completely.
Zura leaned against the wall, panting, but with that smug smirk plastered across his face.
"Yeah. That's right. Trust the gut next time, huh?"
Klaus adjusted his glasses again, cheeks flushed from the sprint.
"…Coincidence," he muttered.
"Sure," Zura said, grin widening. "Keep telling yourself that."