Chapter 34: Chapter 34 : Everyone has Limits

Meanwhile—

The basement trembled under distant roars and the relentless cracking of ice.

Jordan rushed down the final flight of stone steps. His breathing remained sharp but controlled as freezing air wrapped around him with every step downward.

’She must be tired by now,’ he thought, gripping the railing as he descended. ’After fighting that many hordes… and the boss monster of this gate… even Isabella Crown has limits.’

His steps quickened.

’If she’s already on her last leg… this is my chance to complete the quest.’

He stepped off the final stair—

—and froze.

The sight before him shocked him.

The entire basement had transformed into a frozen graveyard.

Thick layers of snow buried the ground. Jagged ice spread across the floor in uneven formations, reflecting pale blue light across shattered pillars and fractured walls.

Frost hung from the ceiling like deadly stalactites, turning the underground chamber into a world of ice and death.

And at the center of it—

Isabella stood.

Still standing.

A few feet before her, the massive Wolf Boss remained trapped inside a towering prison of crystal-blue ice.

Its claws were frozen mid-swipe.

Its jaws locked open in a silent roar.

Completely immobilized.

But Isabella—

Her entire body was drenched in blood.

Her armor was cracked and torn apart. Deep gashes covered her arms and legs. One shoulder guard hung loose, barely attached. Blood streamed down her fingers, dripping steadily onto the snow beneath her boots.

And yet—

She continued fighting.

Jordan expected her to put up a good fight against this level of attack, but she had completely surpassed his expectations.

Monster hordes lunged toward her from every direction, twisted beasts crawling across frozen ground and shattered debris—fanged maws snapping, claws raking ice shards into the air.

She moved like something possessed, her sword channeling frost mana in a glowing trail.

Every swing carved arcs of pale blue light through the air.

One horizontal slash—her blade whipped in a wide crescent from left shoulder to right hip, momentum building from a precise hip twist. Dozens of monsters split apart instantly, torsos sheared clean through in sprays of black ichor that froze mid-air into crimson-black crystals.

A downward strike—her sword plunged vertically with her full body weight behind it, driving deep into the frozen floor. A violent wave of frost erupted outward in a radial burst, surging like a tidal shockwave.

Charging beasts froze mid-motion, their limbs locking rigid as ice veins spiderwebbed across fur and flesh, shattering joints with audible cracks.

She pivoted smoothly on her lead foot, snow crunching under her heel—

Another strike followed, a rising diagonal uppercut that hooked into a leaping monster’s underbelly, eviscerating it mid-jump. Limbs scattered in a grisly rain, thudding into snowbanks.

Blood sprayed across pristine snow, steaming faintly before flash-freezing.

She fought like a goddess of war.

But she was not untouched.

A claw tore across her thigh from a flanking beast that slipped past her guard—fabric and flesh parting in a hot line, blood welling instantly.

Another monster sank its fangs into her side, jagged teeth grinding against cracked armor before she drove her blade straight through its skull with a brutal overhead thrust, twisting the hilt to pulp its brain. The corpse hung impaled for a split second.

She staggered for half a second, vision blurring from pain—

Then kicked the corpse away with a snap of her boot, sending it tumbling into a cluster of its kin and bowling them over.

She immediately accessed her storage ring and brought out two vials of potions.

She placed one vial between her teeth.

A healing potion.

She bit the cork loose and drank it in one gulp, golden liquid spilling down her chin.

Warm light spread across her wounds, knitting gashes with a tingling heat—but slower than before.

Then another vial—

A stamina potion, the blue elixir downed in a swift tilt of her head.

Energy surged briefly through exhausted muscles, steadying her grip.

But her hands trembled.

’It’s not working as well anymore…’

The effect was weaker now.

Wounds closed slower.

Her body was beginning to resist the forced healing.

Too many potions consumed within a short time overwhelmed natural recovery. Muscles repaired faster than they could stabilize. Mana channels strained under repeated artificial restoration.

Her breathing grew heavier.

’I can’t keep this up much longer.’

Another wave charged her—dozens of beasts converging in a frenzied pack, leaping over frozen corpses.

Her eyes hardened.

She raised her sword high overhead, feet planting wide for balance—

And slammed it into the ground with a two-handed overhead smash, the blade biting deep into ice.

The basement cracked violently under the impact.

A catastrophic pulse of freezing energy exploded outward in concentric rings, the air temperature plummeting as mana detonated like a glacial bomb.

The world turned white.

In an instant—

Everything froze, shockwaves encasing countless monsters mid-motion within thick layers of ice—leaping forms suspended, claws outstretched in eternal reach.

Silence fell.

Then—

Crack~

Crack~

Crack~

The frozen monsters shattered simultaneously, breaking apart like fragile glass statues and scattering into thousands of icy fragments across the battlefield, tinkling like deadly chimes.

For the first time—

She stopped moving.

Isabella drove her sword into the ground and leaned against it for support.

Her chest rose and fell violently.

Cold vapor escaped her lips in heavy clouds.

Blood streaked across her pale face as melting snow mixed with crimson.

She drew long, ragged breaths.

Jordan stared.

His fingers trembled slightly.

’So this… is the Wall of Talent.’

His jaw tightened painfully.

’The blessing I was never given.’

His teeth ground together.

’This damned Talent… the reason I was treated like trash.’

His eyes darkened.

’Until I received this accursed system… power in exchange for risking my life every moment.’

Suddenly—

He laughed.

Loud.

Sharp.

Unrestrained.

The sound echoed through the frozen chamber.

Clap~

Clap~

Clap~

He applauded slowly.

Isabella’s breathing faltered.

Her gaze lifted.

It locked onto him.

Her expression turned ice-cold.

Fury flashed briefly—but she controlled herself, knowing she needed even a brief moment to recover before fighting again.

Jordan spread his arms slightly.

“Well done, Miss Isabella… truly well done. I knew you were talented, but this… this is on an entirely different level.”

As his voice echoed—

Crack~

A fracture spread across the ice imprisoning the Wolf Boss.

Crack~

Crack~

The frozen prison shattered.

The gigantic wolf burst free with a thunderous roar that shook the entire basement.

It lunged toward Isabella.

She barely rolled aside in time, disappearing from its direct path and line of sight through sheer instinct.

The beast skidded across frozen ground—

Then its glowing eyes locked onto Jordan.

With another roar, it charged him at full speed.

Jordan didn’t move.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“You’ve done your work splendidly… Mr. Doggy,” he said calmly. “I don’t have much use for you now… but I can’t kill you either. Who knows how long this dungeon will last after that?”

He raised his hand.

Lightning erupted from his palm.

Chains of crackling electricity shot outward, wrapping tightly around the wolf’s massive body—bolts arcing wildly, sizzling against fur.

The beast roared in agony as violent currents surged through it, muscles seizing in spasms.

Jordan walked forward slowly.

Each step echoed across the ice.

“But maybe… I still have a better use for you.”

He grabbed the wolf’s skull firmly.

Clutching the boss monster’s skull tightly in one hand, he chanted an incantation under his breath. The wolf’s eyes flickered, shifting from feral red to a submissive glowing purple.

It stopped resisting. The lightning chains dissolved into sparks.

Suddenly, the beast bowed its massive head, completely tamed.

Jordan’s smile widened.

Behind him, new monster hordes crawled from the basement entrance, drawn by explosive sounds and the smell of blood.

The gigantic wolf roared.

As if giving a command.

The monsters halted.

One by one—they all froze in fear.

Then suddenly, the glow in their eyes also began to change from red to purple.

They lowered their heads just like the ruler of the dungeon gate.

Completely submissive.

Jordan chuckled softly.

Isabella, still leaning on her sword, watched while forcing her breathing steady.

The sight shocked her to the core.

Jordan raised his hand and pointed toward her.

“Bring her to me.”

The Gigantic wolf stepped forward.

The hordes followed.

Isabella gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand.

Her gaze moved from the monsters—

To Jordan.

Killing intent spread from her like freezing mist.

“I should’ve listened to Mala… this is turning out to be a nightmare.”

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