Chilly slumped as the Wendigo’s curse faded, leaving behind only the refreshing ocean breeze carrying a tinge of rot that clung tenaciously to the air.

“We’re all gonna...diiiee!” a penguin fell to its knees, its flippers flopping against the earth in a futile motion.

Chilly snapped his gaze to the penguin, “We’re not going to die,” he said. “I just need to get a couple levels, and maybe get some drain resistance...and...”

“It’s over! dead,” another penguin sobbed. “The dream is dead!”

“Hey...hey,” Chilly started, “you don’t...really think that do you?”

Another penguin, eyes wide with panic, sprinted past only to trip on a root and fall face first into the sandy soil. In a flash, Realm Walker left its flipper and it vanished in a puff of rapidly dissipating black smoke.

Chilly clamped his jaw shut. Pressure welled up in the pit of his stomach. A dark weight that threatened to crush him. If the penguins believed it was over, then who was he to think otherwise.

I’ll need to run, Chilly thought. The Wendigo was fast, but for now it was occupied in the Wyrm Tunnels. Hopefully it would take more than a reset or two for it to beat the boss. By then he could have returned to Teluria and if they wouldn’t listen he could escape beyond.

Chilly stood, turning towards the dead corpse of the crab boss. It was the Brine King if he recalled correctly. He didn’t know how tough it was, or any of its abilities, but if the Wendigo was just going to leave it behind, he would be more than happy to partake in the spoils.

Black flames whipped out, consuming the hardened shell of the boss in record time. Hard exoskeleton burned in smokeless fire, revealing pale white meat underneath only for that material to vaporize in turn. In only a couple of minutes all that was left was a couple of sparkling essences and a decrepit ship’s wheel with a faint blue glow around it.

Curious, Chilly approached. There were over a dozen essences piled neatly beside the ship's wheel. All were essences that he was familiar with. Steels, Arcanites, Rubies, and Jades. There were even a couple of Diamonds and Coal essences intermixed among them. For a single mob, it was incredible, but against a boss, it wasn’t a significant sum.

The ship’s wheel on the other hand, turned out to be an item.

Great Old One’s Ward

Magic

Offhand

iLevel: 20

100 knockback resistance

212 life

114 knockback resistance

Chilly picked up the...shield. Upon closer inspection, there were in fact two straps that he could use to hold on to the strange ship’s wheel, but they were practically camouflaged amongst the bits of dried lichen and aged wood.

Similar to the pants that he had received from killing the Priest of Purity, this shield had a different implicit then any of the other items that he had encountered along his journey. Knockback resistance as a mod was pretty powerful, especially against large monsters. It was therefore slightly ironic that the crab that could likely throw him halfway across the Frozen Wastes with one hit, dropped the one item that was good against it.

For now, however, Chilly wouldn’t use the new shield. 212 life was high for a single mod, but it didn’t come close to the current shields he was using. Partially because it was Magic, and not Rare, but also because its mods were less focused. If he managed to get back to civilization and craft the shield, it might turn out pretty great, since knockback resistance was better than flat life in his opinion, but for now he would just strap it to his back and return.

A sparkle of light caught his eye. He turned and saw a glimmer peeking out from a divot in the ground several meters away. Cautiously, he approached only to pause in surprise at what looked like the left half of a broken heart pendant made out of red crystal.

Ria’s Broken Heart

Unique Essence

Grants 100% increased fire damage

Does not require a crafting bench to use

Can modify races

Dissolves upon contact with air

Chilly gaped at the essence. Tiny red motes floated up from the surface of the pendant, glittering as the mass of the pendant was slowly consumed. Chilly reached out, his hand shaking, as he picked up the essence.

It was nearly weightless in his grip. Sparkling with exalted luminescence as it shed parts of itself into the surrounding air. Even as Chilly watched, more red motes separated from the crystal and it became even less tangible in his grip.

He knew what this was. This was what Tel had told him to find. One half of her and her sister’s broken heart. The heart that he needed to return to free them from their endless cycle.

A heart that, if he understood correctly, he could use on himself to modify his race. Modify it from Human to...something else. Something that had 100% increased fire damage. Permanently.

The other half, likely Tel’s Broken Heart, was apparently in the other boss. The Endless One if he recalled correctly. If he followed the Wendigo, he might be able to collect the other fragment and free Tel and Ria without actually having to work very hard to kill the bosses himself.

The red crystal pendant in his hands grew smaller.

Except...that wouldn’t work. In just the couple of minutes that Chilly was holding on to the heart, it was almost completely gone. There was simply no way that it would survive the journey to the Wyrm Tunnels and beyond. Hell, it likely wouldn’t even survive the short walk to the beach.

Which meant...it was useless. All of it.

To reunite the hearts he would have to kill both bosses at the same time and then somehow figure out how to transport the pieces across miles of frozen tundra. Something completely infeasible considering he doubted he could kill one boss even with a group of people helping, let alone two.

That left....using the essence on himself.

Chilly‘s lip curled in a grimace. For some reason, the idea repulsed him. He saw what happened when he used other essences. They broke. Shattered into a thousand pieces. Their light and energy entirely consumed to modify items. If he used Ria’s Broken Heart - broke it further - he would get stronger. It might even be enough to beat the Wendigo, but would it be worth it?

Would breaking the heart ruin Tel and Rias’ chances of redemption? Would it do so permanently?

Chilly watched the heart fragment fade even further. Wracked by indecision. Plagued by doubt. He had worked for his levels. Gone out every day. Fighting exhaustion, pain, hunger, and more for every ounce of power that he had gathered. He worked to make his build work. To collect life through skills and gear that would boost his damage and survivability to untold heights. He had worked for it, and yet. And yet, it was still not enough. The Wendigo was always one step ahead as if it was a shadow and the sun was to his back.

Without even trying the beast had more than five times his life pool. Such an obscene quantity that he doubted that even the crab boss had as much health. Without even trying, it got abilities that absolutely neutered his build. It was stronger, faster, and more comfortable in the wilds than him. The more he dwelled on it, the more impossible it seemed. Perhaps he really should just run away. Let someone else deal with it.

Except...now he had a chance. This essence. This heart. It was something that the Wendigo had left behind. Something that it had failed to consume in its wanton rampage. A resource that Chilly could use - and abuse - to finally get ahead of the Wendigo. Get ahead of it and stay ahead of it.

With 100% increased fire damage, it wouldn’t matter that he would be missing 30% of his life due to the Drained status ailment. With some careful dodges he would be able to avoid getting one shot and the combination of Irradiated and his vastly enhanced fire skills would eventually cut through the Wendigo’s impossible defenses.

It was dangerous. Unimaginatively risky, but if he crafted some gear with Drained resistance then it was definitely possible. All he would need was to—

Someone snickered behind him.

Chilly turned, blinking owlishly at a small penguin struggling to hold in mirthful shudders.

“Thank you for the chapter!” the penguin said, its shoulders shaking.

Another penguin popped into existence beside Nobody.

“Thanks for the chapter!” It chirped.

And another penguin beside it.

“Thank you for the chapter!”

“Thanks for the chapter!”

“Thanks for the chapter!”

“T-thanks...for the chapter,” Chilly murmured, bewildered by the sudden onslaught of penguins.

Nobody snickered again, “Now we know she has Daddy issues.”

“The...Wendigo?” Chilly murmured. “Right, I suppose...I...was there when it was born.”

“Next time,” Nobody said, shaking its flipper in admonishment, “be a better father.”

Chilly blinked, then a slight grin bloomed. “Next time, huh?”

Nobody grinned, “Next time!”

“So we aren’t going to die?” Chilly said, a glimmer of hope piercing the sludge welling in his soul.

“Nah,” Robo Runaway stood, as the crocodile tears streaming down Human Bean’s feathered face vanished in a flash. Black mist coalesced off to the side to reveal Gzxytos, grinning wide and happy. All three penguins, bowed once, twice, then joined the collection of penguins arrayed before him.

A penguin stepped out from the crowd.

“More eyes watch than you know. Few speak. I have watched for a long time. I am glad I can finally tell you, truly, Thank you for the chapter.”

“You are...welcome, I suppose,” Chilly said, suddenly embarrassed. “It's a team effort, so...yeah. Thanks for the chapter in return I guess.”

Storm Wyrm grinned, gesturing off in the direction the Wendigo ran off to. “It is scaling to you, like the ashen ruler. Only beaten with others. Find someone with a holy build. It is undead, and it may die like one.”

“Others...” Chilly mirrored. “You think they’ll listen to me? I’m not level nineteen yet, and Gar-Khan seemed pretty, uh, stubborn last time I checked.”

“The worms have done nothing wrong,” Mr. Birb scoffed. “Now, revenge is due.”

“They’ve done nothing right, either,” Chilly grumbled, then acquiesced. “Alright, you’ve convinced me, but what should I do with this ess—”

Chilly looked down, and saw that Ria’s Broken Heart was completely gone. Vanished without a trace into a gently rising pillar of red particles.

“Huh...”

Nobody snickered off to the side. Chilly shot it an incredulous look but then chuckled in chagrin.

“I can’t tell if you just want to see me struggle, or if not using the heart is actually the right choice,” Chilly said, then he slapped his thighs and got up. “Welp! Let’s get this show on the road. Long way back to Teluria.”

Chilly teleported across the Spires and used a mixture of jogging and teleportations to cross the Frozen Wastes. He avoided any monsters, but some battles were unavoidable. At this point, however, they were very one-sided. His level was too high compared to the surrounding mobs. Any monsters that even sneezed into his domain, erupted into pillars of balefire that completely eradicated their existence from the face of the earth.

It was cathartic in a way, how he had outgrown this zone so completely, but Chilly didn’t dwell on it. Every second wasted was a second that the Wendigo was out there. Farming. Killing. Eating.

Every step he took, every ounce of focus he had was for getting back to Teluria as fast as he could. Getting back and thinking of some way to convince the Telurians. If they didn’t help, he didn't know what he would do.

Before the reset could repopulate the zone, Chilly arrived at the base of the mountain. He looked up, preparing for the final leg of his journey when a penguin appeared before him.

“Behold!” the penguin gestured grandly to a rock beside the stairs. “The consequences of thine actions!”

Chilly blinked. Completely at a loss as to what the penguin was referring to.

Mr. Daka sighed. Then winked twice, and jabbed Realm Walker in the direction of the rock.

“...right,” Chilly muttered, then raised his voice. “Hi, there!”

“That is sooo unfair!” a feminine voice called out, as a distortion in the air stabilized and Chaeli’s armored form appeared right outside the radius of his domain. “You are such a filthy cheater. How can you see through my ability? So unfair!”

Chilly blinked. He had completely forgotten about Chaeli when he had left. After learning she was a kid, he had put her from his mind. So it was a total surprise to see her down here at the base of the mountain.

“...consequences of my actions?” Chilly muttered softly, struggling to drag his brain back to the present. A thousand questions rushed through his brain, but they all came grinding to a halt when his eyes flicked up and he saw her level.

“You got to level fifteen.” Chilly stated, kind of surprised.

“Yeah! You got a problem with that?” Chaeli challenged. “I see you got to level e-eighteen. Oh.”

Mr. Daka waddled in from the side. “You need the assassin. You may have no more loose ends. Leave no child behind.”

Chilly opened his mouth, then closed it. It was true that an assassin would be pretty useful on his team. Plus, Chaeli was one of the few people he had met who seemed seriously interested in just killing monsters for levels.

“What are you looking at? Come here to gloat?” Chaeli snapped, her arms crossing over her chest.

“Hmm?” Chilly said, “Ahh, no. I was just going to congratulate you.”

“You’re not...huh. For what?”

“You hit level fifteen. Congrats.” Chilly shrugged. “I know it’s a big thing for you guys. What skill’d you get?”

“Oh, uh. Assassinate.” Chaeli said, twiddling her fingers. “Let’s me teleport to an unsuspecting target and deal a bunch of damage.”

“Congrats,” Chilly said, with a genuine smile. “I’m heading into town to warn people about a Named Wendigo. Want to come with?

“A Named? You sure?”

“Yeah, it's pretty dangerous, so I’m hoping that I can work with Gar-Khan and Rahlin to mount a defense.”

“I think they know,” Chaeli said, relaxing her tight stance. “They put up the barrier earlier today.”

Barrier? Chilly thought. “Could you show me?”

Chaeli shrugged and gestured for him to follow. They quickly joined the same party so that Smoldering Embers wouldn’t fry her, and then dashed up the stairs. Within minutes they both stood at the peak staring at a grayed membrane separating the lush spring lands of Teluria from the harsh rocky outcrop.

Chilly frowned, approaching closer and watching as the impermeable prevented his ground effects from spreading underneath it, thereby preventing Smoldering Embers from chewing at the barrier.

“This won’t be enough to stop it.”

He had encountered stationary barriers before. They were all relatively tough, but only when they significantly out-leveled him. There was only so much they could survive when they couldn’t block or dodge blows. Clearly, there was some extra stuff with this barrier. Hopefully, it was immune to bleeding and corrupted blood, but even then it would need absolutely massive resistances or regeneration to out heal the Wendigo's attacks. It should be possible, especially if he could get on the other side and spread consecrated ground beneath the barrier.

That didn’t mean that the Wendigo wouldn’t just bring an army of trash mobs to whale on the wall until it crumbled.

“It is pretty tough...” Chaeli said from behind.

“The Wendigo has more life than this. It will shred through it like paper. If not alone, then with an army at its back.” Chilly said, stepping forward and moving to pass through. To his mild surprise, the barrier stopped him, simply rippling slightly at his touch.

Chilly turned to his erstwhile companion. “How do I get through?”

“Gar-Khan should be coming.” Chaeli said, looking down. “He knows if anyone touches the barrier.”

“Good, at least it’ll serve as an early detection system,” Chilly said, stepping back and settling into a resting pose to wait. “You want to come with? Maybe celebrate your level up with a couple of drinks at Rahlin’s bar?”

“Uhm,” Chaeli kicked at the dirt. “No, that’s ok. You go on ahead.”

Chilly shot the girl a sideways glance. She was behaving oddly again.

“Can your stealth ability fool the town notification system?” he said instead.

“...what?” Chaeli looked up, caught off guard by the non-sequitur.

“Your skill. If you walk into town, will Gar-Khan get a little notification about it like he does for me?”

“Uhm, no...No he shouldn’t.” Chaeli said. “Why?”

“Hmm? Oh no reason.” Chilly said, stretching his arms above his head. “I was just thinking it’ll take me a while to step through the barrier once Gar-Khan makes it permeable. Got this heavy shield to lug along. You know?”

“What are you—”

“I’m gonna head over to Rahlin’s bar. It’d be a shame if I had to drink alone. Only if you want, of course, though if you prefer to sleep out here, more power to ya.”

“Oh...oh!” Chaeli murmured then vanished in a swirl of smoke just as a familiar purple figure stepped out of the treeline. The Yawm ambled over, its shoulder mounted eye staring unblinkingly at Chilly with unnerving intensity.

“You’ve returned.” Gar-Khan rumbled, his eye shifting to the Great Old One’s Ward. “With spoils, loot and goods.”

“I have.” Chilly nodded. “Mind letting me in? I’ve got some news that you’ll like to hear.”

Gar-Khan rumbled, his shoulder eye-lid dipping low. Then the barrier between them in a roughly door shaped area shifted and became fully transparent.

“Thanks,” Chilly said, stepping through. The moment he was halfway through, he stumbled and dropped his ship’s wheel shield. “Ahh, sorry. Thing is heavy.”

“Be like the wind, human. We wish not for enemies to sneak into our lands.” Gar-Khan rumbled, making no move to help Chilly.

“Right, right, sorry about that.” Chilly said, slowly lifting the shield and securing it onto his back all while standing within the doorway. Gar-Khan’s eye narrowed dangerously, as the purple worms along his skin began to writhe and twist.

Just a second before he thought the Yawm would explode, Chilly caught a penguin giving him a large, overexaggerated wink, and he stepped through and gave the purple man a glib smile.

“Let’s go to Rahlin’s bar. I’m starved.”

Chilly followed Gar-Khan through the forest, spotting Ria the Summer Guardian along the way. Gar-Khan ignored her and turned off the path a second later but Chilly took a second to note her downcast gaze and shuffling steps even as flowers bloomed at her feet. It was expected, but it was still reassuring that the maiden respawned during the reset.

He didn’t stop to say high, electing to follow the Yawm up into the canopy and before he knew it, they were sat at Rahlin’s bar with the buff Dragonborn leaning forward and serving them two plates of steak, vegetable, and flagons of amber ale.

“You’re back boy.” Rahlin chuckled, slapping his belly. “Knew you’d make it.”

“Off by one error,” Chilly grunted, gesturing to the level symbol that he knew Rahlin could see. “Story of my life if I’m honest.”

“Ha! I’ll take your word for it. Eighteen is still rather respectable, if’n I do say so myself.”

“Mhmm,” Chilly said, taking a deep draft of ale. “Still have a day before the deadline, but figure that there are more important things.”

“Eh?” Rahlin grunted, pulling himself a draft and leaning up against the bar.

“The Named. I met it again.” Chilly nodded, pointing a fork at the Dragonborn. “Get this, it can talk now. Yeah, scared the shit outta me.

“It is not unheard of for a Named to gain intelligence as they level. Though it is strange that it refuses to hunt you down.” Gar-Khan rumbled from the side.

“Yeah, well, I’m not complaining, but it did give me a little tinsie weensie threat on its way out. I managed to distract it by sending it down the Wyrm Tunnels but after that, it’s coming here.”

“Here?” Rahlin grunted, low and long to the point that it was almost a growl.

“The Town Wall shall keep it out.” Gar-Khan stated, taking a genteel sip of his beer.

Chilly grimaced. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, bucko. When I saw it, it was...already level 20.”

“Impossible. There are no level nineteen monsters in the frozen lands.” Gar-Khan froze, its shoulder mounted eye swiveling to face Chilly in earnest.

Chilly raised his brow. “You willing to bet your eyeball on that?” He gestured to the Great Ones Ward, lying at his feet. “Where’d you think I got the shield?”

Rahlin raised a meat palm, forestalling Gar-Khan’s response. “It’s killing bosses?”

“Yup,” Chilly said, taking a bite of the steak. “And eating ‘em. It will chew through that shield of yours like a hot knife through butter.”

Gar-Khan slammed his palm into the bar. “Enough. It matters not. A Hunter group will arrive within the week to deal with this Named.”

“What’s that?” Chilly said, between a mouthful of succulent veggies.

“A group, party, team. High leveled and powerful. They will deal with the beast. Until then, the barrier will hold. We will survive.” Gar-Khan said.

Chilly gave the Yawm a long look, then set his fork down with a sigh. “I have a plan for defeating the Named.”

“Unnecessary.” Gar-Khan said.

“Let the boy speak.” Rahlin rumbled.

“Unnecessary,” Gar-Khan turned his huge shoulder eye towards the barkeep.

Rahlin grunted, then took a huge gulp of his beer. “How strong was this Named last you saw it, Chilly?”

“Fought it when it was level seventeen. Did around three thousand damage with one hit, plus something called corrupted blood and bleeding. Nearly brought me to one-third with one hit, and I have two and three hundred cold resistance and armor respectively.”

“And presently?”

“Didn’t fight it. More like I just stood still as it talked. It had more than twenty five thousand health and drained me with a look.”

“Irrelevant.” Gar-Khan grumbled. “We will not fight this thing. We shall wait until the Hunters arrive and defend the best we can until then.”

“It won’t take it more than a cycle or two to kill the Endless One.” Chilly retorted. “Then it's coming straight here. If we let it be, then Teluria won’t be standing by the end of the week.”

“The other option is to allow an unknown element that is on speaking terms with a Named to lead us out of our stronghold of safety.” Gar-Khan turned his main eye on Chilly.

Chilly opened his mouth, then snapped it closed with a click of frustration. It was true. From their perspective, he could be working with the enemy and he had nothing that could prove his innocence in this matter. He was specifically alone when he encountered the Wendigo. Even Chaeli hadn’t ever met the Wendigo face to face. At best, these people may have caught a brief glimpse of it after it had killed Ria almost a week ago.

“I’m not on the Wendigo’s side,” Chilly said, frustration welling in his core as he realized just how useless saying that was. Despite how unlikely it was to convince them, he had to try. “You’ve got to believe me. I gain nothing from working with it. Not food, not companionship. Not real help.”

Chilly looked between the two larger men. Their faces were inscrutable, alien. Were the periodic shudders in the purple wriggling worms an indication of trust? Were the dilated snake eyes of the Dragonborn a sign that he believed? Or were those signs of slow-boiling anger that would lead to his rejection?

Rahlin broke the silence, pulling his flagon forward and cleaning it off in one deep gulp.

“You are correct in a sense. If the beast is hunting bosses, then the Town Wall won’t do us much good. However,” Rahlin lifted a finger at Chilly’s growing smile. “Gar-Khan’s more right, Chilly. We cannot fight this being.”

“Why not.” Chilly retorted. It seemed ridiculous to be so adamant about this. Especially when there might not be a choice.

“I do not know where you came from, human, but here. In this place. In this dungeon. A single high leveled opponent can lay waste to an army and leave completely unscathed.” Gar-Khan rumbled. “Before the level cap, numbers are meaningless.”

Rahlin nodded, “Aye, Chilly. We might be able to fight it. But without knowing every one of its abilities we will take losses. Real ‘eavy ones. Why not wait for the support to come?”

“They won’t arrive in time.” Chilly gritted his teeth. “It's growing fast. Really fast. Faster than me. By the end of the week, I won’t be surprised if it can challenge the Hunters. Or, at the very least, be smart enough to avoid them until it can. We have to fight it soon. Yesterday, if possible.”

“How many will die if we go with your plan,” Rahlin said. He leaned forwards, a serious glint in his eye.

“None.” Chilly shook his head. “If my plan works, then there shouldn’t even be anyone within range of the beast when it falls.”

“Oh?” Rahlin said. “Bold claims.”

“It won’t work if I do it alone. It can't work if I do it alone. I need your help.” Chilly beseeched, placing both hands flat on the table. His meal and drink ignored.

Rahlin grunted, refilling his flagon and swirling the amber liquid around as he considered. Time seemed to slow as Chilly watched the buff Dragonborn. His leg bounced once, but he forced it still. Confidence was key.

“Gar-Khan,” Rahlin rumbled, drawing the chaos beings gaze. “I believe in the human. We should listen to his plan.”

Chilly felt his breath freeze in his lungs. Anticipation like a tightly coiled spring clenched in his chest.

“Irrelevant.” Gar-Khan replied, his largest eye blinking once. “He is not of this town. He has no say. No voice. No vote.”

“I’ll back ‘im.” Rahlin rumbled, and suddenly a rolling wave of shivers passed across Gar-Khan’s purple tentacles. “I’m calling in your debt, old friend. We listen to his plan. With open eyes and willing hearts. Consider it. Assess it. Judge it. If it is truly as safe as the human says, then we shall enact it.”

Gar-Khan’s numerous eyes danced in their sockets, exhibiting such flexibility that if he were a human, Chilly would be worried for his health. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the pseudo-seizure stopped, and all of the Yawm’s eyes turned to Chilly.

“Speak human.” Gar-Khan intoned. “I am watching.”