Dungeon of Niflheim-Chapter 760: Beware of the skies (3)

760 Chapter 760: Beware of the skies (3)

Frost and Kiba flew through the air faster than any arrow.

Desperation, frustration and even fear could be seen in their expressions.

The two had just left the vicinity of the Skarpion tribe and were on the run from a truly powerful entity, an Artic Zu. A monster that had the strength of an A-rank and not one in the early stages either.

A tyrant, a king of the skies that didn't take kindly to its territory being intruded upon by a winged tiger and whatever Frost was.

Nothing insults its majesty and gets away with it.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

The Skarpions were first but thankfully due to their quick acting leader they escaped beneath the surface before it could act.

Second were the bird monsters that initially moved to chase after Frost and Kiba, foolish beasts that froze in abject terror upon its arrival.

They made for a somewhat fulfilling snack.

The true targets however were Frost and Kiba, arrogant weaklings that ascended into the skies and challenged its authority.

It allowed them to run, to flee in terror while it gorged itself on the bird monsters, filling its empty belly before finally focusing on the true delight.

It rose into the skies, above the sights and perceptions of those dwelling on the surface. Its massive wingspan and durable feathers unaffected by the fierce buffeting blizzard.

Frost covered both himself and Kiba in dense chakra armour, tendrils of ice fire and of course a healthy layer of aura so as to counterattack the primal intimidation of the Artic Zu's A-rank aura.

Kiba was thankfully protected from most of the nasty side effects because of this. Frost however had bear the substantial brunt of the monster's gaze.

Since Kiba was the key to their escape Frost couldn't allow him to be affected by the Zu's presence, therefore he received the majority of his aura's protection.

'Fuck!' Frost cursed internally as he felt a great weight press against his organs and cold sweat run down both the front and back of his body.

The only reason he wasn't panicking and reduced to a weakened state was due to his experience. Thanks to Maya, his father (to a degree) and even Duke Runak he had become accustomed to those with auras that far surpassed his own.

He still couldn't summon the entirety of his strength, but he was much better than the average person. He could still think straight and fight at a reasonable level.

As they flew northeast towards where they believed the secret entrance to Niflheim was his senses were extended to their upmost limit and focused entirely on the Artic Zu.

The moment the beast finished its meal, locked its gaze upon the two of them and then rose into the air he felt the dread magnify by a factor of ten.

The hunt had begun, and he was to be the helpless prey.

The situation was far more dire than the time he fought against Adam Furano, Leo's uncle, more dire than the time he took part in Furano's defence against the monster stampede and even more dire than his recent duel against Bella and her frost giant subordinates.

At least then he had a back up plan, a way of escape and the high probability of receiving reinforcements.

This time however there was no saving grace, if they didn't manage to reach the entrance to Niflheim and enter the domain of the Primordial ice king then their fates were sealed.

Frost even with his talents, his powerful glaive and his mid B-rank strength was no match for someone at the A-rank, especially a monster like an Artic Zu. A being that was an unmatched king, a flyer that surpassed him in speed and probably endurance.

Kiba's presence allowed them to flee for a time but eventually the beast would catch up and begin feasting.

From the look in its eyes, its body language and even its actions Frost could tell that the Artic Zu enjoyed playing with its food. Their end would not be glorious and certainly not painless.

Caring not for efficiency Frost downed several potions to bring his strength back to maximum output or at least as close as he could get it.

He gripped his glaive [wolf howling at the moon] and readied himself for battle. His legs tightened around Kiba's waist and ice fire was conjured in his left hand and around the edge of his glaive while his eyes, ears and mana sense scanned the horizon and the skies above.

Whenever he couldn't track the Artic Zu he'd track another airborne monster, using their behaviour to work out roughly where the Zu was. How far away they were, how fast it was flying and how high it needed to be to escape his radar.

Slow aching minutes passed without anything happening.

Word seemed to spread below and above, terrestrial tribes dared not rise to the surface except for mere fleeting glances at the fleeing pair and to unleash their auras in an effort to dissuade them from landing.

While those that claimed the skies and the peaks of the surrounding mountains as their home kept a wide berth, daring not to intrude upon the Zu's chase.

All actions which only furthered Frost's sense of dread. He could feel the creature gazing down upon him, marvelling and relishing in his futile efforts to escape.

"Grrrr!" [Master over there]

While Frost watched their surroundings Kiba focused on what lay ahead and right now there was a hill, one that bore large caverns, caverns in which they could perhaps escape into.

"Go!" Frost wasted no time and immediately gave the order, hoping that by some miracle that the territory was uninhabited and that their speed would be fast enough to avoid any attempts by the Zu to stop them…Unfortunately.

Fwoosh!

The moment Kiba targeted the cavern and began swooping down towards it a sharp gust of wind, strong enough to lacerate steel came flying down from on high forcing Kiba to dodge sideways.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, now why would you try and do that my little friends." A voice in the common tongue reverberated in both their ears, sending a shiver down their spines.

A moment later the massive Zu appeared above them with an evil grin plastered on its face. Even at their current distance all it took was a mere flap of its wings and subtle use of its aura for Frost and Kiba to come across an impenetrable obstacle.

If Kiba had stayed true on his course his body would have been sliced in half, or his skull would have cracked against the invisible aura barrier placed before the cavern's entrance.

"Continue to run little mice, it's been a while since I last played with my food." Said the Artic Zu before once again vanishing into the blizzard.

"Fuck!!" Frost roared in hatred, veins bulging across his face and neck.

"Fly Kiba." He ordered with an intense tone that shook the young tiger's core.

Kiba was afraid, the situation was too much for his young mind to bear, Frost's frustration and expression weren't helping much either. Alas upon hearing the commanding tone in his master's voice he quashed his rising fears and flapped his wings, once again picking up speed and flying across the horizon with no destination in sight.

High above them in the middle of a raging blizzard the Artic Zu leisurely hovered, its gaze locked onto both Frost and Kiba.

"A Glacial winged tiger, how rare." It recognised Kiba's species and was quite shocked by it. Usually such monsters resided much deeper in the Glacial mountains, seeing one here in between the 1st and 2nd layer was quite surprising.

"Shame it's so weak." It continued, feeling both excited and disappointed at the same time.

The flesh of a Glacial winged tiger was sure to be delicious, it was after all a high ranking species, equal to if not even greater than its own.

However Kiba was only C-rank, he hadn't even developed his aura yet thus the taste and quality of his meat would take a substantial hit.

For a moment the Zu thought about keeping him around, rearing him until he grew a bit more, but it quickly erased such thoughts, it lacked the patience for such a task.

Its gaze then proceeded to focus on Frost, a sapient that was reminiscent of an elf but at the same time not.

"Strange there's something odd about the rider, he's afraid but not completely. His aura is strong, strong enough to fight against my intimidation and that smell along with my gut is screaming that there's something more to this individual." The Zu's smile stretched across its face, growing more and more evil the longer it looked.

Frost smelled even better than Kiba and its powerful senses knew that there was a special quality hidden within. A quality so special that it stoked the deepest part of its instincts.

"How delicious." It said before flapping its wings, quickly catching up with Frost and Kiba.

The chase continued and now that Frost and Kiba knew that their hunter was nearby it stopped erasing its presence from them. Every so often a sharp blade of wind or an impenetrable aura barrier would impede their path, making them dance in the air below.

The Zu enjoyed such spectacles, entertainment before it indulged itself in the upcoming meal.

For the meal however it strained their already taught nerves and drained their dwindling stamina.