Dungeon of Niflheim

Though Frost and his soldiers moved at a slightly slower pace after the difficulties on the third floor they still made great time and suffered minimal casualties, losing only a fraction of their weakest monsters. Karrick however was continually on the back foot, his defences whether they be monster, trap or environment failed to endure against their indomitable march.

Carnage and slaughter was all that was left in their wake.

The young red scaled dungeon core felt his heart thump away madly in his chest as he watched his elder brother lead his forces closer and closer to his position. There seemed to be nothing in his arsenal that could forestall the inevitable but even, so Karrick refused to back down until he tried everything.

"Summon more yuanti and low ranking flame drakes!!" Karrick roared as he saw Frost enter his fifth floor.

"But sir our DP Levels." His trusted fire drake aide immediately spoke up but was quickly shut down.

"I know and I don't care, I'm not going to allow my elder brother to see me as weak even if it means we have to expend all we have." Karrick would rather ruin his future dungeon development than allow Frost to continue to breeze through his dungeon as if it was a peaceful stroll.

"How's our own invasion going?" He asked another aide who was left in charge of their offensive team.

"Not good master, we're barely at the end of the first floor." The other aide who was of the minotaur species replied with a frown. Their invasion was not much better than their defence.

A few hours earlier Karrick's forces charged through the black energy wall established by Dark and arrived in the dungeon of Niflheim's winter highlands section where they were met with Frost's first and weakest line of defence.

"Pah far too cold for my liking, let's heat the place up men!"  A flaming tusked minotaur who was one of the invasion team's leaders roared out in arrogance as he stamped down on the snow covered floor which was quickly melting due to his ambient body temperature.

Unlike Frost's forces Karrick's soldiers didn't feel their strength being sapped away by the environment, the cold didn't affect their battle capabilities in the slightest.

The flaming tusked minotaur received loud cackles in response as more and more fire monsters entered the winter highlands and quickly raised the surrounding temperature. The snow that was beneath their feet quickly melted, even the reinforced ice walls and battlements showed signs of dripping, and this was without the use of magic.

Under normal circumstances it was obvious that any ice monster would surely lose against one of fire, but this situation was anything but normal.

The first line of defence established by Frost had been in place since the monster stampede. They knew well how to handle invasions on a massive scale and how to minimise the damage they received. Even if Karrick's soldiers managed to breach their lines the vast majority would be able to retreat to the second or third floor thanks to their strict training.

"Enemy sighted, ready your bolts, arrows and magic and wait for my signal." A frost troll lieutenant was left in charge of the first line of defence along with several frost dwarves to serve as his officers. This was not an overly strong defence, but it was a well-trained one who were prepared to meet the enemy calmly.

At the frost troll's words dozens of clicks could be heard from the crossbows being primed and bows being pulled back. Magic users also calmed their bodies and readied their veins for a sudden rush of mana. All that was needed now was for the enemy to enter their range.

The image of hundreds of fire based monsters charging ahead with flames decorating most of their forms was quite a scary sight especially for those borne of ice but none of Frost's forces faltered. They'd been face to face with a berserk onslaught before and had learned to trust in their lord and the officers in command.

"Hold." The frost toll lieutenant raised his hand up priming to give the order to attack.

DOON DOON DOON!

The stamping of heavy feet caused the very ground to tremble yet still the defence team waited, nary moving a muscle as the enemy quickly charged at them with their weapons raised.

"KILL THEM ALL!!!!!" The flaming tusked minotaur bellowed out loud from the front of the pack. Wielding a massive battle axe in hand he kicked the ground hard in an attempt to leap over the large ice wall protecting Frost's forces… but failed. He barely managed to catch the slightest smirk on the frost troll lieutenant lips before the ground beneath him gave way.

It was a trap, one that he fell into hook line and sinker. And not just him dozens of monster following in his wake were caught off guard by the sudden hole in the ground.

"FIRE!!!" The hole itself caused little to no damage to the enemy but lined them up perfectly for a powerful volley.

Ton Ton Ton

Arrows, crossbow bolts and magic ice bolts thundered down on the temporarily stunned vanguard, at least a dozen lives were reaped over the course of 2 seconds with many more to follow.

"RAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" The flaming tusked minotaur who fell first pushed aside the corpses of some weak fire goblins who fell in after him and leaped out of the trench. Arrows and crossbow bolts barely even managed nick his skin, as was the capabilities of a C-rank monster, only the weakest and more numerous would fall to such tactics. But the frost troll lieutenant was already aware of that.

The first line of defence's job was to weaken the invaders, soften them up for the next line of defence not stop them dead in their tracks. That was far too tall a task but even, so they did have a few tricks up their sleeves.

"Frost trolls pin the enemy D-ranks in place, ballistae operators lock and load!"

"Yes sir." One of the frost dwarf officers, the one in charge of the ballistae replied with a salute before having his subordinates pull back several cloaks that hid their war machines from sight. A regular crossbow bolt may not be enough to pierce the skin of a minotaur but what about a massive tempered steel ballistae bolt.

Before the enemy could even register the sight of the mighty ballistae the skilled operators had them primed and aimed at their chosen targets.

Ptwang!

A solid metre long steel ballistae bolt launched at the flaming tusked minotaur commander catching him by surprise but as previously mentioned he was a C-rank monster. The bolt was certainly more impactful than something from a crossbow or a standard bow, but the mighty beast reacted in time, deflecting it with the blade of his axe.

His arm tingled but other than that no wounds…the same couldn't be said for his subordinates, however.

More than a few D-ranks and even some large E-ranks were poked full of holes by the sudden volley, once again curbing their aggressive momentum. Those that still made their way towards the ice wall through the death filled volley were met with the stalwart shields of the frost trolls. Karrick's first charge was thoroughly quashed, reducing the battle to a slugfest.

Over the course of several hours Karrick's forces only managed to gain ground through dozens of casualties, the complete opposite of Frost and his soldiers. Karrick was severely outmatched; time only amplified the difference. Tactics, quantity of monsters, quality of monsters even mastery of traps and environments Frost surpassed his younger brother with ease.

Yet despite this difference Karrick didn't feel all that hopeless at least not to the same degree as when he faced Pyro.

That battle was….brutal, Pyro simply destroyed him through sheer tyrannical force, but Frost felt like a teacher, showing him the many ways in which he could improve. Karrick could see the situation happening in his dungeon and hear the many reports coming from his invasion team and from it he could see why he was losing, what he could have done better and or what he needed to reflect upon.

His initial anger and arrogance was quashed not with strength but with education.

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"I never knew you could fight like that…it's inspiring." His eyes shined brightly as he watched Frost get closer and closer. He no longer seemed to panic about his situation instead taking it all in like a dutiful student. He could feel Frost's intentions, there was no malice or hatred, he truly was teaching him some manners like an elder brother, simple as that.

"Hahahahaha summon flame serpents to aid in the invasion force and get more willowisps for the sixth and seventh floor, that pesky veil needs to be brought down for good otherwise my brother will leave without a scratch." Karrick laughed joyfully as he gave out new orders, taking notes from how Frost easily pierced through his previous defence efforts to rearrange his blockades.

Don!

After giving out a new round of commands and with a reinvigorated passion Karrick summoned his personal weapon, a long 3 metre spear with a bright red feather tassel attached at the end.

"I'll leave for the final blockade, Kenta, Margo with me leave the command centre to your most trusted subordinates."

"Yes milord!!"

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