The frost market buzzed with life, hawkers' calls mingling with the clink of coins and the scent of smoked herbs. Stalls lined the narrow streets, their awnings heavy with frost, while veiled figures bartered under lanterns that flickered like dying stars. Qin Mo moved through the crowd, his team trailing—Yi's frost-tipped fingers brushing her cloak, Ren's eyes scanning for threats, Lian's bow slung low but ready. The shard pulsed, sensing prey, its heat a sharp contrast to the market's chill.
[Predator's Ledger: Hostile beast detected — Ice Serpent, 50m ahead. Threat level: Moderate. Cold attunement: High.]
A narrow alley led to a smuggler's den, its entrance hidden behind a tattered curtain. Inside, the air grew colder, the walls slick with frost. A coiled serpent hissed, its scales glinting like frost under moonlight, its eyes twin glaciers locked onto Qin Mo. The den's shadows shifted, as if the beast's presence warped the light.
[Environmental note: Cold attunement enhanced: 20%. Heat dissipation increased: 15%.]
Qin Mo moved first, Flame Step flaring, closing the gap in a burst of heat that melted frost from the floor. The serpent struck, jaws wide, ice shards spraying like needles, stinging his face. He dodged, Frost Thread weaving from his blade, scoring its flank, scales cracking like breaking ice. The beast roared, tail lashing, splintering a wooden crate, splinters flying like shrapnel.
Ren darted in, pinning its tail with a dagger, the blade sinking into scales with a grinding crunch. Yi's frost threads spiraled, binding the serpent's jaws, ice meeting ice in a crackling clash. Lian's arrow pierced an eye, the beast thrashing, its tail sweeping crates into the air. The market's noise masked the chaos—vendors' calls drowning out the serpent's hisses, passersby oblivious, as if a ward cloaked the den.
Qin Mo ducked under a second strike, blade slicing for the underbelly. Scales parted, cold blood spraying, the shard burning as it sensed the kill. The serpent's tail whipped, grazing his ribs, pain flaring but not slowing him. He drove his blade into its heart, steel sinking deep, the beast's roar fading to a gurgle.
[Opposed essence intake: Cold (Ice Serpent). Balance shift: Heat 45% / Cold 55%. New passive: Frost Veil — Reduces detection range by 20%.]
The serpent's essence flooded him, a chill like a river surging through his veins, warring with the wolf core's heat. His vision swam, the den's frost walls pulsing in time with his heartbeat. The shard growled, resisting the cold, a low rumble in his chest.
[Balance warning: Cold attunement dominant. Seek heat essence to restore equilibrium. Progress: 48% / 52%.]
Ren wiped his blade, smirking. "That's two beasts. How many more before you're full?"
"As many as it takes," Qin Mo said, steadying his breath, the cold settling under his skin like a second pulse.
Yi frowned, her frost threads dissolving. "This market's crawling with eyes. Someone let that thing loose."
Lian notched another arrow, scanning the alley. "Smugglers don't keep pets like that without a reason. Azure Flame Sect?"
"Or the Silent Tax," Qin Mo said, the bells in his pouch heavy, silent but waiting. The shard pulsed, urging him onward, deeper into the market's shadows.