Dungeon of Niflheim

"Roar!!" The moment the group started running tumultuous roars erupted in multiple directions, the frost giants had been summoned.

Cold sweat dripped down Frost's forehead as he tightly grasped the shaft of his glaive, his eyes and senses primed to react to even the slightest sign of movement. Their current situation was extremely dangerous.

Frost giants were strong, even their youngest and weakest members were dangerous individuals that could slaughter Borris and Avira without much effort. With Kiba having to carry everyone on his back, Frost was the only one who could effectively protect them, a heavy duty.

He did his best to restrain his aura, but it was only a matter of time, the moment their current aggressors failed too apprehend them and or fell to his glaive the big boys would come out to play. Frost knew his limits; he could go toe to toe with perhaps one maybe two entry level B-ranks but defeating them unlikely.

Their only choice was to run, to make it to the borders of Icethorne before they're overwhelmed.

As Kiba ran like his life depended on it, his weaker riders struggling to even hold onto his back Frost caught sight of 3 frost giants coming from their left while another scout came from their right with more on the way.

"Tsk [freezing fireball]" Not wanting these 4 individuals to impede their charge Frost went on the offensive casting multiple 3rd circle ice fire spells. Strong enough to curb their advance while also dealing some minor damage but not enough to send them into a frenzy.

"Kiba keep running north don't stop for even a second." Frost stressed with a pronounced frown knowing full well how dire their current circumstances were.

"Garow!" Kiba loudly chuffed before picking up even more speed, completely leaving obstacle removal to Frost.

More and more frost giants began to pop out from the snow with furious expressions. Twice Kiba was nearly caught by their outstretched palms, but Frost was quick, he lacerated them in an instant allowing the group to keep running.

"Rooaarrr!!" Unfortunately their aggressive fleeing finally drew the interest of a more powerful individual, not a B-rank but one just a half step from it.

This frost giant was a head taller than the rest of his kin but still shorter than the B-rank frost giant Valend. He appeared directly in front of their path with two comrades lining his side. He wielded a massive great axe forged from the bones of a mighty monster as well as high quality metal. His armour was also far more intricate than the others and covered more of his flesh.

Taking him down would be anything but an easy task.

"Shit! Kiba avoid him." Frost wasted no time ordering Kiba to take a wide berth, choosing to take a detour and risk further surrounding than to try and steam roll over the higher ranked frost giant.

"Coward!" The larger frost giant cursed aloud before making a few gestures with his hands. The next moment 2 frost giants appeared directly ahead of Kiba's new trajectory. He quickly turned to head in another direction but once again with a single gesture of the larger frost giant another two frost giants impeded his path, they were surrounded.

The larger frost giant and his cronies dead ahead, two to the left, two to the right and a building horde behind them leaving them but two options. One, to fight their way through one of the groups while the other was take to the air and fly over them alas the second option was not so easy.

All the frost giants bar the larger one wielded a set of hunting chains, perfect for capturing low flying prey.

Why not fly high then you might ask well that's because once you're above a certain height in the Glacial mountains the temperature plummets and the space is inundated with vicious flying monsters that care not for the boundaries between the external, inner and core regions. There was a very real possibility of a swarm of B-ranks or even an A-rank loitering around in the air above.

"Grrr!" Kiba growled in frustration, his paths all cut off while Frost glared at the larger frost giant, they were trapped, fighting being their only true option.

'He's smart, a true hunter.' Frost characterized the larger frost giant who was currently very pleased with himself as such.

Frost glanced beyond the larger frost giant and then towards the crevasse of Ymir in the distance, internally calculating a few things before sporting a heavy frown. The odds weren't great, they were still a decent ways from Icethorne and far too close to the crevasse for his liking, but they were out of options.

"Kiba focus on protecting V and Borris, leave the battle to me. Borris hunker down and rely on the strength of your plate armour while V only lash out when you have no other option, the moment either one of you is dislodged from Kiba's back it's over."

"Got it lad." Borris gruffly replied as the hairs on the back of his neck, arms and even back stood erect, he could smell the stench of death.

"What about magic? I don't need to move to use it." Avira however felt her blood boiling, her battle lust threatening to overwhelm her as a wild smile adorned her lips. She desperately wanted to test herself against the frost giants, monsters that were in the same league as dragons.

If this was any other time Frost would have encouraged such behaviour and enjoyed watching the young woman come into her own as a fellow battle maniac but unfortunately there was a time and place.

"Alright but no full arias, you need to keep your eyes peeled and retain focus on your surroundings." He gave permission for magic as long as she stayed firmly attached to Kiba and never lost sight of what was going on around her.

Avira curtly nodded in reply before sheathing her instinctively drawn rapier and instead grabbing hold of her wand with her left hand while the right held onto Kiba's fur.

While the group briefly discussed their options the frost giants were already moving in, shrinking the box that surrounded them.

"Looks like they're going to finally fight." The larger frost giant who was in command of the current group was smiling from ear to ear, his blood heating up from the carnage that was set to commence.

"Close the box and work as a group, our prey this time isn't simple."

""Yes captain."" The two giants by his side replied with a wild salute before fanning out.

The large frost giant was named Gageus and was the leader of the scouting groups in their current location. A young talent that was just a hairs breadth away from reaching B-rank, perhaps after defeating and devouring their current prey he'd finally take that final step and ascend to become a truly qualified member of their race, an adult.

As the frost giants shrunk the box and fanned outwards Frost made his decision.

"Kiba head north, we'll break through their strongest defence line and head straight for Icethorne." His reasons for such a decision were multiple. First it was the most direct route to their destination, breaking through Gageus and his direct cohorts would eliminate the need for a time consuming detour.

Second while the left and right routes held a weaker force Frost assumed that more were waiting behind them creating a false sense of power. Third it was clear that Gageus was the one in command of the current operation, taking him out or at least gravely wounding him would likely impede any follow up attack thus making the northern route the best option.

"Garow!" Kiba chuffed in agreement before tensing his entire body and letting loose a primordial roar that shook the snow beneath their feet and slightly intimidated the weaker giants trailing after them. In the next moment he charged dead ahead as directed, aiming straight for Gageus and his cohorts with a vicious expression.

As Kiba moved Frost closed his eyes, calmed his heart and covered his entire body in a dense layer of ice chakra armour, adding to his already substantial defence. His glaive however was decorated with ice fire chakra, sliver flames dancing along the blade edge, forming ice crystals in the air wherever it passed. Then without any hesitation Frost leaped from Kiba's back high into the air.

"Bring him down!" Gageus loudly ordered while readying his great axe, coating it in ice chakra giving it an even more frigid appearance.

His direct cohorts however took hold of heavy chain bolas and tossed them at Frost, aiming to drag him back down to the ground where their standard weapons could reach him.

"[Skyfall]" Frost expecting such a move reeled back his glaive and activated one of his few airborne skills. His internal energy was absorbed to create four identical glaives that surrounded the [wolf howling at the moon].

The next moment he was descending like a meteor his glaives loudly clashing against the thick chain bolas, cracking multiple chain links as they were sent hurtling into the horizon.

"[Freezing fireball]" Following up his glaive skill Frost summoned two balls of ice fire and sent them barrelling towards the two giants who launched the chain bolas.

"Tsk!" They loudly clicked their tongues and drew their twin hammers. With deft movements the two frost giants slammed the faces of their hammers against one another, obliterating the ball of the ice fire that lay between. Frost's magic was completely ineffective, leaving a few bits of frost on their brows, nothing more.

These two though they were weaker than Gageus, it wasn't by much, definitely peak C-rank.