The snow had stopped.
A pale sky stretched above them now, clear and cold. The storm had passed, leaving behind a white, silent world. They stood at the lower ridge, where the land still lay beneath thick blankets of snow, but the towering silhouette of Frostspire Peak now loomed clear ahead.
Its jagged slopes climbed higher and higher, vanishing into the pale sky. Over six thousand meters of brutal ice and stone.
Noel stood quietly, eyes narrowing as he traced the path upward with his gaze.
"Looks like it's going to be a long climb," he said.
Selene stood beside him, hood drawn low over her face. "Yes," she replied softly.
Noel adjusted the straps on his cloak, then glanced toward her. "Do you know what kind of monsters we'll face along the way?"
Selene was quiet for a moment, gaze on the peak. Then she answered.
"From what I've learned…"
"A Frosthide Bear—Rare, Novice rank. An enormous bear with frost-hardened fur that can deflect most attacks."
