Chapter 162: The Frostbound Ascent
The air grew thin as the Alpha and Omega began their climb toward the Crystal Spire. Every breath felt like inhaling needles of ice, and the path beneath them was narrow and slick with ancient frost. Above, the sky pulse with an eerie, rhythmic violet light—the heartbeat of the void growing stronger.
"It's getting colder," the Omega whispered, her hands shaking as she tried to maintain a small aura of warmth. "Not just a cold of the weather, but a cold that feels like it's draining my very essence."
The Alpha moved ahead, carving steps into the ice with his blade. "Stay close. The Spire is reacting to your light. The closer we get, the more it will try to pull from you to stabilize itself."
As they reached a jagged plateau halfway up the peak, a sudden, thunderous roar echoed through the mountains. It wasn't the roar of a beast, but the sound of the ice itself cracking open. From the deep fissures in the glacier, creatures of pure frost—The Frost-Lurkers—emerged. Unlike the Shard Wraiths, these beings were solid, hulking masses of jagged crystal and frozen earth, commanded by the erratic heartbeat of the Void.
"They are protecting the wound," the Alpha realized, stepping in front of the Omega. "They think we are here to feed the hunger, not heal it."
One of the larger Lurkers lunged, its crystalline fist shattering the stone where the Alpha had stood a second before. They didn't have much time. If they didn't reach the Spire soon, the resonance would break, and the Northern Barrens would become a permanent gateway for the Void to consume the rest of the world.
"Keep moving!" the Alpha shouted over the howling wind. "I'll hold them back. Reach the Spire, and find the resonance!"