Ethan stepped out of the tunnel that led to the outside world, the orb on top of his staff glowing softly from the magic he was constantly casting, the heavy snowfall parting around him like he was inside a glass dome as he manipulated it. Around him was the dwarven scout team, the ones still sporting their powerful rifles. Their leader, a dwarf named Mason, looked up to Ethan. “This way.” He pointed into the snowstorm and started walking, Andrew had told him he rarely speaks and only if it was necessary. The other members of the scouts were Tyler, Paul and Richard. The four of them were originally prospectors, working for a firm that determined new mineral locations but were pulled along with the other mine workers and their families.

  Mason walked in front of Ethan, he kept a few steps distance between them. The other three members of the group were surrounding Ethan, their eyes fixed on the snow covered landscape. While it was still early in the day they could barely see through the heavy snowfall, the pale sun not able to fully pierce the low hanging clouds keeping the valley in constant twilight. The group moved deeper into the snow covered valley, keeping a measure pace so they wouldn’t exhaust themselves literally five minutes into their exploration. Ethan didn’t even know where he was dropped by the system as he got captured right away by his dwarven allies, now he could explore his surroundings personally, glad Andrew asked him for help with the task.

  After he created the fortress and the dwarves celebrated their new home for an entire day and the following night it was early in the morning when Andrew pulled Ethan aside, his usually joyful expression was gone, deep lines were etched on his face. Ethan knew when the dwarf looked worried it was for a reason. The dwarf had opened his mouth a few times before finally speaking. “Ethan, I have a favor to ask of you, I know you might still be exhausted because well you just used your magic to create a literal fortress for us.”

  The dwarven chief started walking, Ethan matching his speed while they strolled towards the tent city that still remained for now, the dwarven warriors were also stationed there still guarding the mine entrances in fear of another attack, so far there was no sign of more moles coming their way but everybody was cautious.

  When they reached the city Ethan saw the four scouts checking their gear. Andrew stopped walking and turned to Ethan. “Not far from here is a forest, when we appeared here after the tutorial everybody was scattered over the entire valley and of course we tried recording every location that would serve as a landmark or was dangerous. We found stone formations and some smaller caves but…that forest was the only location we didn’t explore, because one of us died right next to it. We think something is protecting the forest in a very aggressive manner. Well the scouts returned from a small mission while we had our little celebration and brought a disturbing report. Something came out of the forest and is now travelling towards us, they found a large amount of snow that was disturbed by something. Would you help us investigate this further? You’re better suited than most of us for this.”

  Now Ethan was here, inside a snowstorm so strong he would have no chance conjuring something like this himself with his current abilities. While it was good for his future plans to build a stronghold here for his faction, which he now seemingly had thanks to Andrew and the dwarves, to use as a staging ground for his campaign. Even if he still felt like this was still just…not happening in reality.

  He and the group of dwarven scouts traveled in silence, the bubble he conjured kept the snow out but strong winds were still pulling on their clothes, in the case of the dwarves it wiped their beards around, at least until they stopped for a moment to tug them into their thick leather jackets. Sometimes the snow managed to slip from Ethan’s control, the fact that he still couldn’t fully control snow bothered him a lot.

  Before they went on their scouting mission Ethan gathered his small group of wraiths and sent them out in every direction, the first one that was outside since the summoning had a headstart and was already on its way towards the forest. But there was a flaw he noticed in the wraiths and that was their speed, they were super slow compared to a normal person. Their bodies crawling over the land at a sluggish pace. Even in their preferred environments they were basically moving at a normal walking speed despite the fact that they were incorporeal.

  The group continued forward and because there was nothing better to do with the dwarves keeping watch Ethan decided to finally use his saved up free points to shore up on his blatant weaknesses, with a thought he summoned his status window and looked over his stats, it felt so long ago that he actually checked it out, his growth feeling fast and slow at the same time.

  Status

  Name: Ethan Delaney

  Race: Winter Elf, Progenitor

  Level: 40

  Patron: Ouroboros, the Eternal Serpent

  Class: Wizard of Glacial Chains

  Subclass : Frostforger - Level 35

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  Health Points (HP): 720/720

  Mana Points (MP): 3520/3520

  Stamina: 250/250

  Stats

  Strength: 10

  Dexterity: 25

  Vitality: 72

  Wisdom: 352

  Intelligence: 352

  Perception: 35

  Willpower: 110

  Free points: 48

  Looking at it there were some areas he was still lacking, one of them was of course strength but he didn’t even bother thinking about investing points into it, for now. While it might be a useful stat for others he was a purely magic based class, he used close combat before and it worked like shit especially since that was in the tutorial, now in the real world he had to fully embrace the role he chose as a mage, staying in the stupid back and use magic, nothing else.

  But being agile and dexterous was an advantage he could use especially in things like spellwork and rituals for example, so while he wouldn’t overspend he added five points to dexterity for an even thirty points.

  Next followed eight points in vitality to boost his health a bit, in the past and just a few days ago against the mole he overspent his mana again, only his high health, at least compared to some other stat, kept him alive. So until he learned to not be a stupid idiot he would spend points on vitality, which were now at eighty already.

  With that he had thirty five points left and without hesitation he invested every single point into one of the most useful stats, one he neglected long enough - Perception. With his choices made he gave a mental node to the system. Ethan took a sharp breath and closed his eyes, stopping mid step and slamming his hands over his ears. Doubling his perception stat put him into a hyperfocus which waned as quickly as it came but for a second he felt like he saw everything, heard everything, felt everything at once.

  He took another deep breath to calm himself down and enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction for his choices before he opened his eyes again. He saw the worried faces of the dwarves which seemingly revealed more details to him than before, he could pick up on little cues in their facial expressions he didn’t even notice before. “We can continue.” He said and recast his sphere around them, walking towards the forest once again.

  During their trudge through the snow they didn’t encounter anything at all, Ethan’s now sharper eyes tried to find any sudden movement around them or spot displacements in the snow, the dwarves doing the same. The snowstorm wasn’t letting down and visibility was abysmal but Ethan had his methods now. After around thirty minutes he stopped the dwarves, he didn’t offer an explanation instead he raised his staff to cast a spell.

  His previous soldiers got damaged in the mole attack but he healed them but during the festivities some dwarves wanted to spar and they got destroyed in the following fights, now he had use for new ones but instead of the usual ones he tried to create something…specialised…he made them thinner, their arms and legs longer, the features he got used to like the armor-like appearances vanished for smooth surfaces. What appeared were five soldiers that stood twice as tall as Ethan. They looked more like elongated, ravenous and featureless monsters. But with a simple command he sent them out, their long limps and slender frames made them perfect runners, their appearance might even be useful to frighten anybody they would encounter.

  With his summoning finished they continued their slow walk, but only five minutes later his first soldier got smashed to pieces, the connection cutting out instantly. Another one died two minutes later, the third followed a fem moments later as it wasn’t spared the same fate. He ordered his remaining two to pull back but walk in a large semi circle back to the group, no need to lead the enemy straight towards them if he could avoid it.

  “Enemies, they killed three of my scouts, be careful and ready your weapons.” he said, his voice like shattering ice as the calculating look appeared on his face like always when the cold overtook his mind giving him the clarity he needed in a fight. The scouts got ready, two in the front on their knees, the other two behind them, the rifles resting on their companions' shoulders. They wait patiently for a target in order to attack it the moment it reveals itself. Ethan expanded the sphere that held the snowstorm off, right when his two scouts appeared in a mad dash from the left and right. The dwarves nearly shot them but their trigger discipline was impeccable.

  Issuing some simple commands through their link to make them move forward, they walked slowly which looked almost comical due to their long limps, still only after around thirty meters the one on the left was destroyed by something, even Ethan couldn’t make it out in the snowstorm and there was no sound whatsoever as it was destroyed. He took a deep breath and summoned his chains, a torrent of them broke through the ground, launching towards the attacker. A mighty bugle sounded out, accompanied by a sickly sweet scent that drifted towards them.

  He had managed to wound it…whatever it was, another cry followed. The earth shook as it charged towards Ethan and his dwarven companions. With no time to waste he casted large ice spikes, angling them towards the attacker. His magic flaring as he pushed even more of the snow away that was smashing against them. Still he deflected it with his ice manipulation skill. With a shout he launched another set of chains, the dwarves shooting at the attacker the moment they could see red shining eyes through the dense snowfall.

  Another fight was about to begin.