[System Log: Sub-Mission – Northward Expansion Activated]
Squad Leader: Unnamed Ice Phoenix (Frostborne Variant)
Assigned Beasts: 16
Objective: Explore and secure Sector N-4
Region Status: Frozen Labyrinth – Sealed Glacial Domain
Hazards: Soul-freezing storms, hidden spirit beasts, ancient seals
Bonus Objectives:
– Awaken a Glacial Relic
– Form contract with a Northern Spirit Beast
– Recover a Pure Ice Essence Core
---
The wind howled like a dirge.
The Ice Phoenix flew in silence, her wings gliding over an endless expanse of snow and ruin. Beneath her, jagged cliffs of sapphire ice pierced the clouds, hiding frozen rivers and long-forgotten temples.
Sixteen cold-resistant beasts followed from afar—snow leopards, ice-armored wolves, frost crabs, and a lone silent owl with spectral eyes.
No orders were given. Only intent carried them forward.
---
They passed through a crevasse rimed with glacial Qi. The phoenix paused—there, encased in a wall of crystal, lay a mural of an ancient beast: a great Roc made of stormcloud and hail, circling a pillar of frostfire.
The mural pulsed faintly.
> [System Alert – Ancient Ice Seal Detected]
Region: "Frozen Echo Temple"
Trial Site: Frostbound Sanctum
Status: Dormant
Requirement: Phoenix-Tier Beast or Above to Activate
The Ice Phoenix extended one claw and let a single drop of divine frost Qi touch the wall.
It cracked.
---
> [System Alert – Trial Initiated]
Trial Name: Voice of Winter
Objective: Defeat the Slumbering Crybeast – a soulbound ice entity born from ancient sorrow
Time Limit: 20 minutes
Failure Penalty: Permanent loss of regional Spirit Qi affinity (Ice-type)
---
The air stilled. Then shattered.
From the ice emerged a beast unlike any other—its body serpentine and translucent, its wings a thousand shards of memory.
Slumbering Crybeast
Type: Forgotten Emotion Spirit Beast
Rank: Peak Earth Grade
Special Traits: Soul-Howl, Mirror Frost Scales, Memory Echo
Status: Semi-Awake
The battle began with silence—then came the sound.
A piercing cry echoed through the glacial chamber, striking at the hearts of all. One wolf collapsed, weeping tears of ice. The owl screamed and vanished into snow.
But the Phoenix did not flinch.
> "Your sorrow is old. Mine is deeper," she whispered.
With a beat of her wings, she unleashed Absolute Zero Gale, freezing the echo mid-flight. Her feathers glowed silver-blue—each one infused with divine bloodline flame, turned cold through cultivation.
They danced—a duel of sorrow and stillness. Then, with one final strike, she drove her talon into the Crybeast's core.
The beast gave a silent cry—and shattered into snow.
---
> [System Log – Mission Success!]
Sector N-4 Secured
Frozen Echo Temple Reactivated
Rewards Obtained:
– Pure Ice Essence Core x1
– Soulbound Ice Contract Scroll
– Legacy Trait Fragment: Winter's Sovereign Blood (Locked)
– Artifact: Iceflame Feather Relic (Inert)
Territory Beast Count: 374 / 1000
Northward Zone Attunement: +220% Ice Qi
Contracted Ally: Ghostclaw Lynx – a guardian beast bound to the northern seal
---
As the frozen wind quieted, the Ice Phoenix looked to the temple behind her—now softly glowing.
> "The north remembers. And now… it obeys."
She turned, wings flaring with pale blue light.
One more territory conquered. One more step toward dominion.