Frost Ogres are ugly! Big, fat, blue-skinned creatures with brown eyes, lumbering along. Nowhere near as intelligent as the Frost Giants, that's for sure!

Colt keeps muttering something under his breath, and I can't understand a word of it.

"Try for the two off to the side," the Frost Giant leading the raiding party, Kile, tells us. "Together, the two of you can probably-"

"Last one to kill is a rotten egg!" Colt takes off running.

"Wait!" The Frost Giant bellows, and I chase after Colt.

When we draw near, we unleash a torrent of Firebolts and Icebolts into Frost Ogres.

I think Colt killed his a moment before mine, but I gained seven Levels, so it's not like that matters. I mean, he probably did, too…

"Let's see who can kill more!" I tell Colt.

"Yeah!" He pumps a fist, then casts a Firebolt at the Frost Ogres now charging us. "Die, you smelly beasts!"

I laugh, then begin my assault. One of the Frost Ogres throws its club at Colt. I start to run toward him, to stop the Club, because it's coming from his side, and there's no way he can stop it.

A moment before it would hit him, Colt turns and holds an arm out, his palm touching the club, which stands at least two feet taller than him, and probably weighs three times as much.

It stops moving the moment it hits his hand, and I sense his weird gravity magic at work again. The club shifts in the air, the Frost Ogres staring at Colt in shock as the club's handle moves to his hand. He grabs it with both hands, then spins around in a circle a few times before letting the club fly.

The moment he stops touching it, his magic stops affecting it, but that doesn't seem to matter.

Not only that, but the Frost Ogres are way too slow, and it slams into the chest of one.

"Oh, yeah!" Colt pumps a fist, then grins at me. "That's four!"

FOUR?

I'M STILL AT TWO!

I renew my efforts, the Frost Giants joining in the battle after realizing that we're not really in danger.

There were a total of forty Frost Ogres in the settlement we attacked. I hit Level 50, so I'm sure Colt did, too. He definitely killed more than me. I think I killed ten, and he killed fourteen. I also increased my Icebolt Level, Ice Barrier Level, and my Ice Manipulation Level.

Colt collapses onto the snow, his face red, a grin on his face and in his eyes. I drop down as well, pretty tired from that fun, but it was fun. Now that I'm thinking about his fight, he probably cheated. He has that unfair 'gravity' magic, and I didn't even think about using Ice Lance. I bet he gained a Level for that, too.

"Rock-paper-scissors!" I exclaim, and we play, but he beats me every time. "I'm too slow!"

"Gotta get faster!" Colt grins at me, then tackles me, and we start wrestling until we're too exhausted to continue, then just lie on the ground, staring up at the cloudy sky.

It's going to snow soon.

After a few minutes, I look over at Colt, and find him sleeping. At least, I think he's sleeping – his breathing is slow and rhythmic, his eyes are closed, and he looks peaceful and happy.

I turn my head back to looking at the sky, and close my eyes. The Frost Giants move around us, probably looting the Frost Ogres' corpses. I'm surprised that I didn't gain any loot from them directly – are their drops that rare?

Did Colt get anything?

The next thing I know, I'm waking up in my room at the castle, a thick fur draped over me. I sit up and look around my room, thinking about Colt.

He's stronger than me, is more durable than me, and more talented with magic than me, despite us both having the same Magic Talent. He learns it faster, and adjusts quicker. With our equal Magic Talents, is there really supposed to be this much of a gap between us? I have the higher INT, which means that I should be quicker at learning things.

Is his natural intellect really that much higher than mine?

Shaking my head, I clear those thoughts from my head.

No. He's just thinking of it first, and taking the risks that most people wouldn't take. Who would try out a new magic in the middle of a fight? Who would suddenly change his style to account for new spells, without forgetting about them?

I hadn't even considered Ice Lance during the fight, yet I'm sure he used it enough and with enough adjustments and precision to gain a Level in it.

I'm falling behind him simply because I'm not thinking about stuff. In addition to that, his Mana Pool expanding so much faster than mine means he can always cast more than me, giving him less time to actually gaining Levels than I do.

"Tch."

"What's up?" Colt pokes his head into the room.

"Nothing," I smile. "Ready to go train some more?"

"Bael wants to speak with us."

"Who?"

"King Bael."

That's his name?

"Come on," he says. "I think he wants to tell us he doesn't think we're strong enough for the Trial to Advance to the Third Tier."

I'm not entirely sure if we are or not, to be honest.

"What Classes should we take?" I ask.

"I think," he says. "Our respective Knight Classes and Rogue Classes. Since Classes provide a small boost to Skills that work for them, it'll boost our fire and ice magics. For the final one… we don't have an advancement on any of our rogue Classes yet. We don't have ranged Classes, and we have Adept in magic. We could Advance Martial Artist. That will give us 2 STR and END, and one AGI. Then, when we complete the Divine Dungeon of the Second Tier, we can take on our respective Rogue versions."

"Alright," I say. "Taking them now."

"Alright," he scrunches up his face, then nods. "Done."

Colt and I make our ways through the halls, and I start thinking about him again.

His strength is greater than mine. Just how vast are our differences? We're racing and racing, and yet I feel like he's creating a gap I cannot hope to close.

Stats are a funny thing. They aren't 'set' in that two people with the same STR are equally strong. In the Tower of Aura in Loritar, people up until Floor 200 are often between 40 and 80 STR and 20 and 50 AGI. Colt and I were able to fight people with higher stats than us.

Why?

Because there's a difference between having a high stat and having actual ability. Instead of burning our Stat Points from Levels, we saved them so we could keep training our bodies. STR and AGI amplify our actual strength and speed.

Two people at 40 STR could be entirely different in actual physical strength. If Colt, at 40 STR and AGI, fought someone in the Tower of Aura with 40 STR and AGI, he would win over the other person. Why? Because that other person, no doubt, used Stat Points and Classes to reach 40 STR and AGI, while Colt actually trained his body. That person might have spent 30 points into each stat. Proportionately, it would be more akin to the other person having 10-15 STR and AGI, probably with Colt at 40 STR and AGI, when factoring in their bodies' actual traits.

After awhile, each point makes an even bigger difference, though. It becomes harder, which is why the free Stat Points every Level was a huge boost for people, and many probably grew furious that they lost it, not realizing just how powerful the new System can truly make someone.

If they can reach the Second Tier, they can become quite powerful. Yes, it's tough to hit Level 50 again – Colt and I had to kill a Frost Giant and several Frost Ogres each to do it, and that's not an easy feat. We could because we're prodigies.

Instead of gaining just three Stat Points per Level, which they could assign however they want, people can now gain probably five per Level, already distributed to their style. More, probably, since we could take on Level 2 Classes.

Colt and I have a boost over others, in that regard. We trained our bodies without using Stat Points. Even now, someone with the equivalent Stats would likely fail to win against us.

Yes, Colt has 10 STR more than me, but is the gap between us truly that great? Those ten points are a massive difference, for people who didn't train their bodies.

In terms of natural strength, I am superior. Same with speed. His stats might be higher, but we're probably more on even grounds.

There are only two ways I can think of where he's truly superior to me.

The first is his Mana Pool and Aura Pool – he started at 4 Mana and 4 Aura, so he gains them much, much quicker than I could hope to, though it seems to have slowed down, gaining small boosts when he drains himself of magic in a short period of time.

The second would be his unconventional way of thinking. I'm a risk-taker, but I'd never consider trying for a new magic in a fight. What if it doesn't work, and I lose my life as a result of it? With our limited Skills and spells, it's not like I could just change plans if something fails.

It takes a long time and a lot of training to learn a spell.

I slap myself in the face, and Colt turns to look at me, confusion and worry in his face.

"You alright?" He asks. "You were staring at the back of my head pretty hard, then just up and slapped yourself. In both cheeks."

"I'm fine," I grin at him. "I was just thinking something stupid."

Colt snorts, then resumes walking.

Colt and I aren't normal people. Our Magic Talent of 5 means we don't have to spend as long learning spells. We learn them faster.

I could probably do that, too. Because Colt comes from another world, he didn't grow up listening to the different rules and such that affect magic, he didn't learn that it's something you have to take a long time to study.

When he heard that he could learn magic quickly, his mind probably went in a different direction than mine. I thought it would still take us days or weeks of practice to learn, he probably decided it meant that, at least with basic spells, it's something that comes almost naturally.

Holding up a hand, I decide to try something, manipulating ice into a sphere in my hand, spikes forming across the surface.

"Whoa!" Colt spins around, looking at my spell. "That's amazing!"

Skill Gained!

Ice Bomb Level 1: Creates a bomb of ice, which explodes into frozen shrapnel when struck hard against an object

+1 INT!

So… I really have been an idiot this whole time.

"Catch!" I toss it to him, and he holds out his hands, fire rippling forth and melting my bomb. He grins at me.

"Was that a trick?" He asks, and I grin at him. "It was! What would it have done?"

"Probably blown up when you caught it," I stick my tongue out. "But you're probably too soft to trigger it at its starting Level! Race you to the throne room!"

I take off running, and Colt races after me, keeping pace with me the entire time. Or am I keeping pace with him?

We burst into the throne room, startling the dozen or so Frost Giants standing around in there, the King looking amused. We run up to his throne.

"Who got in here first?" We ask.

"It looked like a tie," he answers. "You two are full of energy, as always."

"And hunger!" Colt exclaims. "Can you hurry this up so we can eat?"

"Show our King respect, human!" A Frost Giant standing to the right of the King demands.

"Enough," the King holds up a hand. "Tyler is a prince among his kind, and soon, the blizzard may one day be a King in his own right. He and his associate are not normal humans. Did you not hear of the hunting party they took part of earlier?"

"Yes, but-"

"How many Frost Giants," the King says. "Do you know of who can take out ten or more Frost Ogres in a single battle on their own? I can name thirteen. How many do you know of who can do that without having taken a single hit? I can name two – myself, and my brother. The Berserker Mages are unlike any humans we have encountered before. Given time and training, and their most basic spells could probably be used to slay our kind."

"Berserker Mages?" Colt's eyes are wide as he probably shows as much excitement as I'm feeling. "Frost Giants hate humans, and they gave us nicknames, Tyler!"

I smile at him, then look to the King.

"Majesty," I say. "Colt said you wished to speak with us."

"Yes," he nods. "As talented of magicians as you two are, I would like to know what your Magical Talents are. I doubt it's as simple as fire and ice, for your companion and yourself."

"Correct," I nod. "My Magical Talent is blood magic, and Colt's…"

I look at Colt, realizing that Kyle never did tell us exactly what his was.

"I actually don't know Colt's," I look back to the King. "We did the test together, but his had a weird effect. We couldn't perceive whatever the effect was, yet it was there. Kyle – our mentor in Aura, who taught us how to do the test for both – didn't really tell us. He kept avoiding the subject."

The King orders someone to bring a human wineglass filled with water, and we wait for that to be brought as the King asks us for every detail we can of Colt's effect. Colt tries as hard as he can, but can't think of whatever it could be.

"How powerful were you?" The King asks. "When you two attempted it?"

"We had just unlocked it," I answer.

"The effect will be much, much stronger, now," he states. "Due to your vastly greater Mana Pools and control over your Mana."

By the time the wineglass has been brought on a tray – the servant actually brought four, for some reason – Colt still hasn't been able to give more information than I did.

Colt sits down, crosses his legs, and puts his hands to either side of the glass, shrouding his hands with Mana and letting it influence the water.

The same thing happens. I still can't figure out what the effect is, and Colt looks frustrated.

However…

The Frost Giants gasped when he did it. All of them did. Colt tries again, and again, and again, with the same effect.

What is his effect, though?

"You said," the King looks at me. "That your talent is Blood Magic. Show me."

I sit down beside Colt, set a wineglass in front of me, and shroud my hands with Mana. The water turns to a thick, crimson liquid, the smell of iron filling my nose.

That's a much stronger effect than the slight pink it turned last time I tried this.

"Amazing," the King says. "To think that not only would we be before a Gravity Mage, but boys with those Magical Talents."

"Blood Magic isn't that special, though, is it?" I ask.

"In my entire life," the King says. "I have known of only four human wielders of Blood Magic."

Four… human wielders?

"It is a power inherent to an entirely different class of beings," he continues. "The Enlightened Species are capable of wielding it."

"The Enlightened?" I ask.

"Demons, angels, dragons, unicorns, fairies, gods, and the like," the King nods. "Same with Colt's Magical Talent. The reason you two can't perceive what the difference is, despite there being one, is that he's altering our perception of the glass itself. His Magical Talent is perception itself. Not one, but two beings with Enlightened Magical Talents… your Aura Talents must be truly extraordinary."

"We enhance," Colt stands back up.

"Enhance?" The King asks. "You're both just Enhancers?"

"No," I stand up. "When we test separately, there's not a difference between the waters and waters that haven't been tested. If we test on the same glass – or at the same time to the same glass – the water becomes able to enhance other peoples' powers."

"Together," Colt continues. "We can wield magic far more powerful than either of us can perform individually, on a level that far exceeds any ordinary group spell."

"Unison," the King muses. "Not just an Enlightened Talent, but a Divine one. You two did not meet by chance or fate – if I had to bet, a god would have brought the two of you together."

"Tyr did," Colt confirms.

"Tyr?" The King looks completely and utterly confused, which is funny on the face of a guy who is thirty feet tall. "The God of Fun and Games?"

"Yup!" Colt nods happily. "He even gave the two of us a Quest to complete Tyler's Quest of Heirs. Once we do, we'll both gain the Title of Paladin of Tyr, whatever that means!"

The moment he says our reward, everyone in the room freezes and stares at us in pure shock. That's not something people normally advertise, but for my friend from another world, he probably doesn't realize what that means.

"Why does everyone look so shocked?" Colt asks, then looks at me.

"Paladins," I say. "Are rare beings who has not just gained a god's attention, but their blessing. They don't have any additional powers, but they do have a direct way to communicate with their gods. They're powerful beings with many achievements under their belts. Very, very few ever gain the status of Paladin – this has been set since before the System was set into place.

"Right now," I say. "There are three Paladins. You've actually seen their gods – fire, light, and shadow are their specialties. I've dreamed of being a Paladin of Kirta since I first learned of him, but Tyr seems more like a fun god to be the Paladin of. To hold a Paladin Title is the greatest honor any being could hold – and it means that they're no ordinary being, but a warrior or magician to fear the wrath of. For an unknown or minor god to name a Paladin happens once every two or three centuries."

"Every god," the King finally speaks up. "Has named a Paladin at least three times, save for one – Tyr. He has never, not once, ever named a Paladin before. You two are nearing the power level of Paladins of other gods, yet I sense that he granted you this Quest when you were much, much weaker. Your God has a very unusual sense of things. If he wants you two to be his Paladins, then failure in your Quest is not an option. I can only wonder what it is that he has set for you, for your Quest of Heirs."

"That Tyr set for me?" I ask. "I thought the mountain set them for us?"

"The mountain?" The King asks, then laughs. "Is that what your people believe? He enforces the rules, but only because of what happened the first time someone attempted to prevent a companion from assisting – it's the same reason your people no longer allow outsiders. Tyr was not happy that his rules were ignored.

"It is the God of Fun and Games," the King continues. "Who sets the Quest of Heirs for your lineage, Blizzard. Why else do you think the requirement wouldn't appear as a Quest notification? He likes leaving things as a mystery."

(Colt)

They gave us a nickname! The Berserker Mages! That's so cool! I guess that means they respect us, now! Not sure if it's a friendly respect or grudging respect, but whatever!

Plus, Tyler learned how to make Ice Bombs! We learned that Tyr is the one who sets the Quest of Heirs, that being his Paladin is a really huge freaking deal, and that my Magical Talent is perception itself!

Oh, and that Tyler doesn't like it when I disappear from his perception when he's talking to me, but it's all cool! We fought it out, with him using his Blood Magic to sense me. I couldn't figure out how to block his perception of my blood.

Plus, they're calling us Firebrand and Blizzard, now! I'm pretty sure it's because of our battle! That's so cool!

Since we still have a couple of weeks before we're going into the caves, so that the Frost Giant tribes can gather and we can get closer and rest up before entering, Bael said we should attempt to reach the Third Tier.

Some of the other Frost Giants expressed concern, reminding him that if we die in it, we won't be able to come back, and Bael just laughed, asking him if he really thought that we were capable of actually dying.

Probably. Dying scares me. But as long as I'm having fun, I'm not going to stop. I'm just going to make sure that Tyler doesn't die after me.

Now, Tyler and I are standing before the entrance to the Divine Dungeon the Frost Giants have used since the shift in the System, its doors identical to the ones near Kielv. The kingdom, since we're on the mountain named the same.

It's windy as hell out here, and I wish these furs did a little bit more to keep the chill out. Tyler doesn't seem bothered, though, and I know I'm going to increase my resistance some more, if not now, then probably on our way back to their village.

I activate the door, select the Second Tier, then grin at Tyler and give him a thumbs-up. He returns it, and I confirm our entrance for the Advancement, and we find ourselves in a tunnel identical to the one we were in last time.

"Seriously?" We ask at the same time. "Tyr! A maze?"

We look at each other, then start laughing.

What's our luck gonna be, this time?