Eternal_Winter
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Chapter 21
🕑 Added 2025-05-02 13:13:22 +0000 UTCEthan had cooled off, it was like his anger froze solid and drifted away like snow. After his outburst he managed to bring his emotions under control again and for the first time he just relaxed. From the dungeon he decided to stay in the swamp for now instead of pushing into the next circle. While the forest in the center wasn’t small by any means the circle the swamp formed around it was truly massive. While wrapping around the forest already gave it an impressive size, but it reached out so far he never spotted the end even after hours of walking. So for now he wanted to explore and gather some experience, at some point he should even be able to pick his new class but like always the system wasn’t very helpful in providing information.
While he walked on another ice path he had a nice surprise, during his journey the path broke at some point as a ghoul jumped from the ice cold water. While he killed it easily he still needed to evade its rusty weapon. But when he looked down he wasn’t on the path anymore and stood literally on the water, the first thought he had that some religion wouldn’t call out heresy if they saw it. A shiver ran down his spine thinking about some old life encounters he didn’t want to think about.
It turns out the boots that would “always provide firm footing” meant anywhere so the moment he stepped on the water a large snowflake manifested under his feet. It wasn’t a solid object either, more a projection that moved with the water and kept him on his feet. That’s how he stopped using his mana to form an ice path and just walk over the water.
During his walk he used all his accumulated free points and took a look at his new reference, since becoming a so-called winter elf he never had the time to look properly.
Name: Ethan Delaney
*Update* Race: Half-Winter Elf
Level: 15
Patron: Ouroboros, the Eternal Serpent
Class: Mage
Subclass: Plague Mage - Level 6
Health Points (HP): 270/270
Mana Points (MP): 710/710
Stamina: 150/150
Stats
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 15
Vitality: 27
Wisdom: 71
Intelligence: 71
Perception: 12
Willpower: 32
Free points: 0
General skills
[System Language] [Identify] [Staff Mastery (Basic)]
Update Race Skills
[Perfect Ice Manipulation] [Frozen Blood]
Class skills
[Aura - Winter’s Domain (Special)] [Elemental Infusion (Basic)] [Frost Poison (Basic)]
Subclass skills
[Plague Creation (Advanced)] [Plague Rain (Advanced)] [Weaken immunity (Advanced)] [Frost Plague (Advanced)] [Frost Plague Caltrop (Advanced)] [Ritualism (Basic)]
The first thing he saw was his race change, being a Half-Winter Elf, it sounded weird to him, shouldn’t it be Winter Half-Elf but what does it matter in the end. It must be important in some way. The second thing was the addition of race skills, based on the information he had, admittedly that wasn’t a lot, it seems races could have race specific skills from the beginning.
Once more, he thought, humans were the basic version again. Besides his stat increases he also spotted the disappearance of his ice skill from his mage class, interestingly his frost skill under his plague class persisted, maybe because they’re a different form of magic? The last thing was his newest skill. Ritualism wasn’t a general, race or class skill but put itself under his plague mage class. An interesting fact because it suggested that rituals should be used to improve his area of effect attacks.
Once he looked at his entire status it felt massive? He knew games utilized a lot of skills but in his new life he had no time to check wikis for skill combinations or improve his build for maximum damage output, this was real. So he made a plan in his mind, a guideline for his future growth and how he wanted to develop himself as a person.
For his class, he wanted to increase his damage output but while his ice element was great he knew it wasn’t the best in terms of damage. What he would excel at was control, slowing enemies down, freezing them in place, lowering their stamina and health regeneration. Ice was an element of stillness and while he would find ways to do more damage he needed to utilize the core of his element more.
His subclass was a different matter, if he was honest with himself he found it gruesome. It was painful, bloody, deadly but not quick or easy to use. He regretted picking the class for a moment but he wouldn’t shy away from it either. While gruesome it was effective, especially against large groups of enemies. He just needed to make it work and if Ethan had one thing, then it was time.
During his walk he didn’t even need to watch his surroundings. His new improved aura had grown in size; it felt like a dome of several meters surrounded him, the ice in the water and the occasional crack he heard from mud piles expanding due to the frost.
When he was finished with his thought he looked at Nora and send her his thoughts. Telepathy become easier every day for both of them. Could you find me some enemies? It doesn't matter what kind of monster as long as it’s a larger group. For a moment she didn’t answer but then she shook her head and nodded. Of course, give me a moment Ethan.
Even before his evolution, it was clear something was going on with her but their bond wasn’t strong enough. Most of her thoughts and feeling locked were away behind a mental gate she had set up. He did the same, not comfortable to share his whole being with her for now. It took a while but her ability had improved a lot since they entered the swamp and what he lacked in perception, she had in droves for both of them.
Around two hundred meters to your right is a group of zombies, it will make you happy to hear there are humanoids and not the beaver things from before. She wrapped around his arm a bit tighter and was once again occupied with her own thoughts.
Ethan skipped over the water, with his increased stats it was easy to jump larger distances, his new boots kept him on his feet no matter how slippery the ground or how rough the terrain. When he got closer to around one hundred meters he summoned ice pillars, forming stairs from them until he stood several meters above the undead.
His pale blue, snake-like eyes focused on the group of about fifty zombies moving through the swamp like a mindless horde of zombies. He crouched on his ice column and reflected on his class. He quickly widened the top of the column and began to scrape off the ice. He could use his finger, and the ice effortlessly formed itself to his liking.
The ritual he drew was basic, so basic it shouldn’t even be counted as a ritual. It was just improving what was already there, reach and strength. But this time he combined it with multiple skills. He sat down inside the circle and crossed his legs, the staff held in front of him, the end resting on the ice plate in the middle of the ritual. Ethan closed his eyes and concentrated
He knew a disease couldn’t harm a zombie that much, the undead didn’t fear them and even if he made them cough up their organs they would just keep walking. But one thing should work, a form of hyper aggressive necrosis, for that he wouldn’t use his ice magic.
His focus on the plague creation skill he willed his intent to form into something new. A form of necrosis that attacked the tissue of the zombies, making them rot away with each drop of plague rain landing on them. The plague rain skill was one he hadn’t used so far but he was excited to see it in action. With his plague ready he let his mana infuse the ritual under him, a stream of pale blue mana appeared from the crystal on top of his staff, shooting into the sky with the speed of light. A few seconds passed where his mana pool drained considerably, the stream cut off and pale blue clouds formed, streaks of putrid green and black mixing with it. The cloud moved over the land and a moment later the rain started. It smelled awful, like foul eggs mixed with old milk and rancid flesh.
Ethan gagged and pulled the top of his robe up to block his mouth and nose. The zombies on the other hand didn’t react in any way, not even when the first rain drops hit them and their grey flesh started to turn black from the effect of the plague. With each raindrop a new circle of black appeared on them, it took some time, like before but soon the first zombies toppled over, their now exposed brains corroded from the necrosis. Limbs broke apart and made them fall or stumble and soon the only thing left was small pools of black liquid that slowly seeped into the ground.
The cloud continued on its way, plague infected rain mixing with the water. Even diluted it would still kill small beings. Ethan pulled the robe down and took a deep breath. “I need to improve my proficiency with this class…it’s good but slow…” His mind already formed ideas how he would improve his plagues while he jumped from the pillar and continued on his way, the sun was getting closer to the horizon and he wanted to find a place to rest for the night, far away from the plague rain he had unleashed.
