We bypassed the massive scar in the ground and the ensuing forest without too much of anything worth remembering happening.

  By now the air was more than just a little chilly. It was definitely cold. Not cold enough to really affect anyone in the group but we could still tell it was cold.

  The surrounding landscape had gone from a warm woodland environment to a frosty snow covered scene all around us.

  It was truly odd.

  If we turned and looked behind us, we could easily see the stark difference in environments not that far away. It really was quite the sudden shift.

  Either way, Nate kept leading us forward towards the base of one of the many mountains that made up the mountain range that seemed to block us from entering deeper into the frigid landscape.

  Only a few hours later we had reached where the Dungeon supposedly was.

  There really didn’t seem to be anything of true significance in the area.

  Just trees covered in snow, a few inches of it below our feet, massive mountains around us, and a few critters scampering about.

  Until now, I had the understanding that all Dungeons would be easily discernable from their surroundings. Not necessarily something flashy and eye catching, but something different.

  This was one very different.

  We all patiently watched as Nate fidgeted about for a few moments. He explained he was searching for the entrance to the Dungeon. Eventually he wondered a little close to the mountain and then right before our eyes he vanished.

  “Nate?!”

  Irene instinctively screamed out for a moment before covering her mouth in embarrassment. It wasn’t hard to blame her though. It was definitely a little surprising to watch someone simply vanish like there were never there.

  It wasn’t like teleportation that we experienced during previous Dungeons, nor was it like the experience from watching someone use the MTS.

  Nate simply vanished.

  I waited a few moments before calmy walking to the area he vanished at.

  I expected to feel some type of sensation as I was teleported, but I felt no such thing.

  One second I was walking, and the next I was here.

  A wide expanse of a forest, and in the distance a disgustingly massive mountain that seemed to be the center of the world itself loomed before me.

  “Weird right? There wasn’t a single warning or anything at all to even hint at a Dungeon being here. I almost shit myself when I first fell in here. Thank God it allowed me to leave otherwise I don’t know if I would’ve made it back.”

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  “Yeah I can see why you’d be worried…”

  “So, you felt it too right?”

  I looked at Nate for a few moments before nodding.

  What we both were referring to, was the feeling of being scanned.

  I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but it felt like something looked at me then at the same time it did a probe of my entire being.

  The moment was quick. A second or two at best before the gaze of whatever looked in my direction looked away.

  To say the least it was a bit troubling.

  It was then that a notification finally popped up before, while at the same time footsteps could be heard crunching the snow nearby. The boys had entered.

  Welcome to the Frost Dungeon

  Objective: Defeat the Keeper of Ice

  You may leave at any time

  I read over the notification a few times as the sound of everyone else entering the Dungeon could be heard.

  Defeat the Keeper of Ice huh.

  I’d be willing to bet that whatever scanned me is probably the Keeper of Ice this objective is referring to.

  And honestly with that in mind. I don’t think it’s something we should fight, at least not yet.

  But I could be wrong so we will at least investigate. Especially since the safety net of being able to leave at any time was there for us to rely on. Not that I liked having a crutch, but it wouldn’t the smartest idea to ignore the advantage it provided.

  I stood calmly and starred at the mountain in the distance for a bit as everyone kind of discussed the fact they all felt the same feeling of being watched and scanned.

  Even Irene who wasn’t able to feel it as clearly as the rest of us showed a bit of a reaction.

  Everyone found it troubling, but it wouldn’t stop us from investigating the Dungeon.

  “Ash Guard scout the area. You have a few hours. If you run into danger return as quickly as possible, prioritize your life.”

  The members of my personal guard left to carry out their orders with swiftness. Not needing me to tell them to scout in different directions.

  Honestly it was still a little odd, but they seemed to take it seriously, so I’ll at least do the same.

  Even the name. I mentioned on the journey here that calling them my personal guard just felt awkward, and it sparked a small debate having a whole different name.

  The debate was mainly headed by Irene, but almost everyone chipped in to the discussion.

  Even Lirian and Frian chipped with comments of their own. I was a bit surprised because they never usually spoke to anyone apart from me, but it seemed this topic in particular grabbed their attention.

  A few suggestions came up, but after much deliberation they all settled on Ash Guard. Something that related to fires. My flames didn’t leave ashes behind as even those were burned to nothingness, but the idea of the Ash Guard was clean up any remnants I leave, or to take care of threats before they reach me, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

  Or something like that.

  I was willing to go with it.

  Anyway, I stood there and watched as the seven men that accompanied me, vanish into the surrounding forest.

  Irene then walked up beside me.

  “So, what do you think Raz, this is like a whole new world right? It doesn’t feel like any Dungeons I’ve been in until now.”

  Irene had a point, the Dungeon felt…different.

  Even the Dungeon in the Tutorial that had an entire Village living in it didn’t feel this. Those dungeons felt like the real world as well, but I don’t know, it wasn’t hard to remember that it was a Dungeon.

  This one though…

  “Your right, it feels different. It’s almost like we could live here if we needed. For some reason I get the feeling that the Dungeon won’t close to reset even if the objective is completed.

  “I could honestly just be imagining things, but that’s the feeling I got…”

  Nate chimed in at that point.

  “Live here huh, if that’s true that could change a lot for the City. We could claim the Dungeon and send people to manage it for long periods of time. What do y’all think?

  “Hmm, well who would want to live in a frigid Dungeon? I know I wouldn’t, I like warm weather too much.”

  Both Irene and Nate went back and forth for a bit as I mulled over the thought. This could be considered a satellite city for the Black Cove City if we wanted, but do we even need that? Who knows, but I guess that depends on what we find here huh…and plus we have no idea if that feeling of mine is even accurate.