Dungeon of Niflheim

Ryan had come across more than a dozen people at B-rank and even those higher, Frost did not give him such a feeling, but he also didn’t seem like the type to lie plus he had the items in his spatial ring and all of them were rather fresh.

Frost was far more than meets the eye, someone with great potential, his merchant spirit was screaming to latch onto this young man’s leg. Telling him that if he did, he’d be swimming in cash and rare materials. It’d been a fair number of years since he felt this way, thankfully he wasn’t too old to take some risks.

After the exchange of materials and money, Ryan recommended a few good vendors for Frost to visit after hearing his future plans. He then walked Frost out the office door with a large smile on his face, feeling incredibly happy. The moment Frost was out of earshot and sight however, Ryan’s face became very serious, and a rather malicious grin appeared on his face.

“Amber,” he called his young secretary with a commanding tone.

“Sir?” Amber appeared a moment later, her eyes slightly frowning due to rarely being called with such a tone but given her cold visage to the untrained eye there was barely any change.

“I need you to send a message to the higher ups but keep it under wraps.” Ryan spoke with all seriousness. Amber nodded her head in understanding. “Tell them that a newbie with incredible potential has shown up, worthy of pulling into the organisation.” After speaking with Frost for the past hour and analysing him with his experience, he had great expectations, so did Callie it seemed since she sent him here.

He and Callie were far more important than the local camp manager Stuart. They were quite high up in the order of the ice shield whereas Stuart was permanently assigned to Beta camp. Not only was Ryan a high level merchant he also functioned as the eyes and ears of the order, apprising them of changes in the local areas and of possible recruits. Merchants dealt with a great number of adventurers after all. Callie also functioned in a similar way, but she wasn’t an official member of the intelligence team, just did what she could wherever she was assigned. Her purpose was more monitoring the management of the camps as well as the quests on the notice board.

As long as people performed quests for the order of the ice shield, such as those posted on the notice board or given out directly by the managers, they would earn not only money but recognition from the order. Higher recognition or reputation would allow them access to more important quests and perhaps even permanent employment in the organisation. Further beyond that they could be then be offered the opportunity to join the order of the ice shield, becoming true members with a say in their direction and management like Ryan and Callie.

.....

Ryan’s recommendation to the higher ups would allow Frost to skip a lot of extra work, from the moment the higher ups received this report, Frost would be on their radar. They’d monitor his progress and if they found him worthy they’d straight up offer him a place in their organisation. Young adventurer’s such as Frost were high up on the order’s list of people to employ, it’s much harder to pull in people who were already powerful and or established. Plus, they wouldn’t be the only ones trying to recruit them. The native kingdoms of the glacial mountains, the Northrend empire and others would all want to count powerful people among their own. Striking first would always be beneficial.

Frost was unaware that he’d garnered such an appreciation from Ryan and that a powerful group would be monitoring him for evaluation but even if he did, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. Being desired by these groups would allow him easier access to their resources. There was also the war ursa battalion token he got from Jared; two powerful groups now recognised his potential.

With his spatial ring now emptier and his coffers much deeper and a full belly, Frost made his way to the yurts and dorms ready to call it a night. He’d continue his journey to the gamma sector at dawn.

Frost opened the animal skin door or Yurt number 7; it was incredibly warm and cosy. Animal skins covered the floor, walls, and ceiling, keeping in the warmth emitted by the magic furnace in the centre of the room. A regular fire would need to be ventilated thus reducing the heat insulation of the yurt. Magic devices such as this special furnace worked wonders, and only required a low rank magic crystals to function for the entire night. A small holder was beside it containing half a dozen crystals that the tenants were free to use. four animal fur, covered beds were arranged in the room in a square giving each tenant ample space. They could store their valuables under the beds and attached to the side of the yurt was a smaller yurt, one that contained the promised bathtub. The water of course had to be fetched by oneself from the well or summoned through magic but overall, in was a nice touch, worth the premium.

Frost was the only one in the yurt for now, so he had his pick of beds, not that it made much difference, each of them were the same distance from the furnace.

“Should I take a bath?” Frost asked himself while tilting his head. Since he was alone in the yurt -at least for now- he felt comfortable stripping down and soaking in some warm water. It was a feeling that using magic just couldn’t replicate and after talking to Agar his lich younger brother he garnered as new respect for bathing.

With a nod of his head, he decided to go on ahead. Opening up the door to the bathroom a large copper tub was in the centre of the room with a primitive toilet hidden behind a screen to the left (basically a hole in the ground). It wasn’t much but it’d do the job.

Knowing that time may not be on his side Frost got ready. He summoned water with lifestyle magic and heated it with another type lifestyle magic. There was a magic hotplate device attached to the tub, requiring low rank magic crystals to function to but he felt it’d be a waste when he could simply use magic himself. Quite quickly steam started to fill the bathroom, the water was ready.

Without waiting, Frost stripped down to his birthday suit and hopped in, displacing some of the water.

“Huuuuuuuuu” following Agar’s example he sunk down so even his neck and shoulders were submerged before releasing a long deep breath. He let the warm water open his pores and leaned back against the tub’s frame, truly relaxing. The loud noise from the raucous adventurers and guards in the camp was all but silent in the yurt thanks to the thick walls of animal pelts. It allowed one to truly remove themselves from the danger of the glacial mountains. Sometimes the mental and emotional strain can be far more debilitating than the physical.

Frost enjoyed the bath for close to an hour before removing himself from its warm embrace, thankfully no one entered the yurt during his bath time or throughout the rest of the night. He slept very peacefully without interruption and woke up at the crack of dawn, well rested. Though he did have a slight trepidation that Callie may pull a prank on him during the night, but it never came to pass.

At the crack of dawn, the room was alight by the bright sun peering in through the pelts, Frost redressed himself and stretched his back producing a loud crack. His stamina had been recharged and he was ready to continue his long journey to the gamma sector, of course he’d have breakfast first.

The moment he opened up the animal skin door to the yurt, the loud voices of adventurers and merchants could be heard once again.

‘Seems this camp never sleeps, no matter the time, there’s always people up and doing business.’ In fact, the crack of dawn was one of the most busiest times here in the Beta camp. Adventurers liked to leave early, when monsters were either still groggy from a night’s sleep or exhausted from a long night of activity.