CHAPTER 44: THRIXELL

This was the price they paid for accepting a mission without knowing anything about the terrain or the monsters they would face.

Right from the start, they were thrown into chaos—facing a beast so powerful it could kill a Master-tier hero.

Now, all of them were running for their lives through the deep forest, hearts pounding, fear gripping every step.

Just before Gabby turned to flee, he caught sight of another beast in the distance. It stood on a stone outcrop, far away but it was massive, far larger and more terrifying than the one chasing them.

Gabby’s eyes widened. "That’s the king of the pack," he thought.

The creature looked straight at him. Their eyes locked.

Gabby didn’t flinch. He returned the gaze with a cold, calculating, then turned and vanished into the dark forest.

The leader, Von himself of the squad didn’t run as he cursed and remarked, "These cowards, running for their life like rats. Afraid of a kitten."

Instead of fleeing like the others, he stepped forward—toward the pack of monsters.

He approached them with confidence. The air grew colder and colder. The forest, once full of noise and panic, became completely silent.

Then it happened.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spine. Not from fear—but from the sudden cold. The air around him sparkled with frost. As he walked, the ground under his feet turned pale, then cracked, then froze.

With every step, ice spread out in a wide circle. At first, it moved slowly—but then it sped up, like it was alive. Trees creaked as frost climbed up their trunks. Grass turned hard and broke apart. The monsters, ready to attack, suddenly stopped.

Then, in just a moment, the whole moss was covered in ice.

A huge area, dozens of meters wide was now covered in thick, shining ice. The monsters caught in the ground were frozen and were completely trapped, like statues made of terror, sealed in clear ice. Their bodies stuck mid-movement, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

He stopped walking.

His breath came out in white mist. Slowly, he raised his hand and whispered, just loud enough to hear:

"Sixth Class Spell: Winterbind."

But it wasn’t just the monsters.

Some of his teammates, too slow to react, had been caught in the spell. Ice crawled up their legs, locking them in place. In seconds, they were frozen solid—eyes wide, mouth open in shock, trapped in the same icy prison as the beasts.

Von stepped forward and shouted, "Those who can use fire magic, start freeing the teammates trapped in the ice! I had no control over my spell."

He turned his gaze toward the frozen monsters, his voice sharp and commanding. "And those who wield swords, finish them. Strike down the monsters while they’re frozen!"

Gabby wasn’t caught in the ice. The moment he sensed danger, he quickly climbed a nearby tree, escaping the spell’s reach.

The monsters that hadn’t been frozen by the magic had already retreated into the tall grass, unwilling to face the overwhelming cold.

Wanting to be useful, Gabby drew his sword. With a steady breath, he leapt down from the tree and approached one of the frozen beasts. His blade glowed faintly with aura as he struck.

The sword sliced cleanly through the frozen monster. It slicedwithout resistance and dead before it could even react.

Everyone had gathered around after finishing off the monsters.

The priest stepped forward and stood before their fallen comrade—torn apart by magic and killed by the fangs of the Thrixell. He gripped his rosary tightly, closed his eyes, bowed his head, and began to pray in a low, steady voice.

"Cleanse his pain, lift his burden, and guide him to eternal rest.

May his name be remembered, and his sacrifice never forgotten.

In your mercy, we pray to you, God Jeremiah, with your boundless love."

Though some of the fallen were not their close classmates, they had all come from the same Academy, lived through the same hardships, and fought under the same sky. The weight of the moment settled over them.

Touched by the prayer, some dropped to their knees. Others bowed their heads. A few wept quietly.

And as one, they whispered the final word with the priest:

"Amen."

The priest gently collected the torn belongings of their fallen comrade, keeping them as a memento.

After the prayer, Von stepped forward. He was firm, steady, and filled with resolve. He remarked:

"We will not stop here. We will not let fear or loss break us.

We will move forward—not just to survive, but to conquer this dungeon portal.

We were not trained to run. We were trained to rise.

Some of us may fall, but their sacrifice will not be in vain.

We carry their hopes, their courage, and their memory with us.

We fight not only for ourselves, but for those who can no longer stand beside us.

Let their bravery be the light that guides us through the darkness.

We are the shield that stands between chaos and the world beyond.

And we will not falter.

Let us honor the fallen—not with tears, but with victory.

Gabby thought to himself, "A grand righteous speech."

Von’s speech stirred something deep within them. The weight of fear and loss was still there—but now, it was joined by purpose.

Their morale surged.

One by one, the squad raised their weapons—not with cheers, but with silent resolve. There was no chant, no cry of war. They couldn’t afford to draw more monsters.

After everyone had calmed down, Von broke the silence.

He looked out toward the frozen battlefield and said quietly, "That was my first time seeing those monsters."

Maya remarked, "I’ve read about similar monsters in the encyclopedia. But what I read wasn’t nearly as terrifying as that. The ones in the book were smaller and they are solitary monsters.They’re called Threx."

Von nodded thoughtfully. "Then there’s only one explanation—they’ve evolved. And now they live in packs, which makes them even more dangerous." He paused, then added, "We’ll call them Threxill."

He smirked. "My logical thinking just saved your asses."

The seniors looked down, ashamed.

Von continued, "Speed is weak against ice."

He then took charge of the conversation and began discussing their individual restrictions.

"I lost my sense of smell," Von said.

Gabby added, "I’ve felt sick ever since we entered the portal. Like something’s wrong inside me."

Bald Robin spoke next. "I can’t feel fear."

Gabby glanced at him and thought, "That’s more of an asset than a weakness. Lucky bastard."

The girl who had cast gravity magic earlier said, "I’m not sure if I have a restriction. If I do, I can’t feel it."

Another senior admitted, "I can’t use my magic at all."

And one of the swordsmen said, "I can’t use aura."

One by one, the group revealed their restrictions. Some was minor and some was crippling.