The world had fallen eerily silent.
A frozen canyon stretched before Team Alpha, its jagged cliffs coated in hoarfrost and bleached ice veins. This was not just a ruin—it was a memory preserved in permafrost. Ruined towers protruded like broken spears, their tops glazed in shimmering snow crystals. A powerful aura emanated from the massive frozen gate carved with symbols of Dominion and Death.
The Dead Frost Crypts—one of the oldest remnants of the Pre-Rift civilization—had been unsealed by the Fractured Thrones Event.
And Iden would be the first to conquer it.
"Thermal readings are still fluctuating..." Arlen muttered, adjusting the mana-calibrated scanner linked to his mechanical eye.
"This place messes with perception," Kael added grimly. "Cold like this isn't natural. It's cursed."
Iden stepped forward, gaze sharp, wearing his [Command Sigil] cloak over dark skeletal-stitched armor, with the Dreadknight walking beside him like a silent mountain.
Behind him were his latest elite skeletons—each carefully chosen and equipped.
"Deploy Team Alpha. Formation Delta-One," Iden ordered.
3 Sniper Skeletons – each equipped with mana-stabilized bolt-action rifles, scoped and tuned by Iden and Arlen. (Accuracy mod: +30%, Penetration +20%)
2 Mage Skeletons – evolved into Cryomancer variants, specializing in frost disruption and field manipulation.
2 Warrior Skeletons – now [Frostblade Juggernauts], wielding twin frost-iron blades with mana vents.
1 Scout – equipped with a cloaking cloak and thermal vision lens.
Dreadknight – Tank and Vanguard.
Iden himself had a sidearm—Arlen's latest prototype: The Ember Lance Mk-I, a mid-range burst rifle channeling flame magic compressed into a single fire arc.
"No one has ever raided the Frost Crypts," Arlen said. "You're about to make history."
"Or die in the attempt," Kael added with a half-grin.
The main crypt entrance was sealed by six rune chains, each radiating cold mana and tethered to spectral statues.
"Looks like a puzzle. Trigger the wrong rune, and…" Iden murmured.
Click—! One of the statues began to crackle with ice magic.
"Sniper Unit One, ready mana bolt. Aim for the glyph behind the left statue."
The sniper skeleton crouched low. With precision beyond human, it fired. The bullet hit the glyph precisely—and the chain shattered.
"Only five left. We shoot our way through," Iden muttered, smirking.
One by one, each statue was engaged using tactical bursts, sniper shots, and mage spell combos. The icy chains shattered in sequence.
SYSTEM: PUZZLE CLEARED – ENTRY OPENEDRank: A+ for Precision ClearBonus Loot Generated: Cryo Crystal Shards ×20
The gates creaked open, unleashing a plume of white fog.
Inside, the crypt turned into a maze of narrow icy bridges, shattered courtyards, and dimly glowing runes. Spectral enemies rose from the ice: The Shiver Legion, long-dead warriors of frost who had awaited challengers for millennia.
Enemy: Frost Revenants ×12
Enemy: Cryo Arbalists ×6
Elite: Revenant Warlord
"Snipers, take elevation. Mages, channel AoE frost resistance barrier. Warriors, shield the scouts and punch forward."
The Revenants charged, howling in ancient languages. But Iden's forces didn't flinch.
Crack—!One sniper bullet tore through a revenant skull mid-sprint.Boom—!A Frostblade Juggernaut cleaved two in one brutal charge.Whirr—!The Ember Lance erupted in Iden's hands, fire spiraling into a frosty knight, melting through its cursed armor.
Kael's undead support squad pushed forward, cutting stragglers with scythe precision.
"Dreadknight, engage the elite!" Iden commanded.
The towering summon surged forward, halberd blazing with spectral heat, clashing with the Revenant Warlord in a furious duel that shook the chamber. Sparks and mana clashed like thunder.
Victory Achieved▸ EXP Gained: +8500▸ Loot:– Froststeel Ingot ×30– Revenant Helm (Rare)– Rune Crystal ×3– Throne Seal Fragment (1/3)
Most of the skeletons had reached Level 26–27 during this raid, inching toward the next evolution. Two of the snipers were glowing faintly—indicating imminent evolution to Ballistic Phantom-Class.
At the heart of the crypt, deep beneath layers of snow and mana runes, stood a throne of glacial obsidian, frozen in a sheet of blue fire.
As Iden approached, it flared with ancient presence.
SYSTEM: THRONE CLAIM INITIATEDTitle Acquired: "Conqueror of the Dead Frost"Buff Activated: Frost Resistance +25%, Ranged Accuracy +10% in cold terrain.
Throne Count: 2/3 Required for Throne Integration System
▸ [Sanctum – Ascendant Pact]: 2 Thrones▸ [Ironwall Alliance]: 1▸ [Obsidian Pact]: 1▸ [Crimson Flamebound]: 0
"Alert: Sanctum Now Holds More Thrones than Any Other Alliance. New Leader Bonus Activated."
The Teleportation Gate buzzed.
New allies arrived. Messages flooded in from prospective members. Other factions scrambled to locate their own Thrones.
Iden, exhausted but steady, turned to Arlen and Kael.
"Make more of the Ember Lance. We're going to arm an army… of death."
And above, the World Threat Meter ticked another point forward.