The arrival at the top of the rocky elevation revealed a scene of imposing vastness and absolute isolation. The frozen Gorge finally gave way to a vast circular plateau, whose edges were surrounded by sharp peaks of ancient ice that rose toward the gray sky of the tower. At the back of this natural square, embedded directly into the mountain rock, stood a colossal monument: the great gate of black iron and runic stones that separated the seventeenth level from the next floor. Two large sheets of wrought metal, covered by centuries-old layers of frost and sealed by thick magical chains, kept the passage firmly locked.
Despite the monument's grandeur, the silence hanging over the elevated square was dense and unnatural. The violent howling of the wind, which had pursued us throughout the entire climb along the slope, seemed to have suddenly been blocked by the arrangement of the surrounding rock formations. The air there was extremely clean, but the temperature remained at a critical freezing point, causing our breaths to form thick and constant clouds of vapor.
"We have reached the transition point," declared Liriel's assistant, adjusting her glasses and walking to the edge of the plateau to examine the iron structure with her clipboard. "The seal keeping this gate locked responds directly to the floor's energy core. Until the local guardian is completely eliminated, the passage will remain inaccessible."
"And the environment is far too calm to be merely an empty location," commented Scarlet, taking three steps forward with her right hand resting on the hilt of her longsword, sweeping every corner of the plateau with her attentive warrior's gaze. "Calmness in this type of terrain usually precedes enemy movement."
Rai'kanna stepped forward in the vanguard, stopping the march and keeping her ears alert and her gaze fixed on the layer of snow covering the circular square. Suddenly, she tightened her posture, releasing a low and focused warning that made the entire group instantly assume a combat stance.
"There is something beneath the surface," Rai'kanna warned, drawing her twin blades with a fluid and agile movement. "It isn't in the air... it's coming from beneath the frozen ground!"
The confirmation of the warning came the following second. The layer of snow and ice covering the center of the plateau began to vibrate loudly, opening dozens of deep cracks in the rock beneath us. Without any prior audible warning, multiple whitish figures emerged from the snow at impressive speed, surrounding our team in a complete ambush ring.
They were monsters native to the icy biome: medium-sized quadrupedal creatures composed of a mixture of black volcanic rock covered by a thick shell of pointed ice and teeth as sharp as stalactites. Their eyes glowed with a cold bluish light, and their claws cut through the snow with frightening ease. More than two dozen of these beasts surrounded the group, releasing an icy hiss that froze the air around them.
"Coordinated ambush!" I immediately ordered, drawing my runic blade with a clean movement as I positioned myself in front of the group. "Circular defensive formation! Vanguard on external containment, support in the rear!"
"We won't let them close the encirclement!" Scarlet shouted, lunging to the left and delivering a clean diagonal slash against the first monster that leaped toward her. The steel blade of her longsword collided with the creature's icy shell, generating a shower of incandescent sparks and breaking the monster's armor with a resonating impact.
Two beasts advanced simultaneously along my right flank, attempting to take advantage of the moment of transition in our formation. I channeled a precise portion of mana into the surface of my runic sword, causing the sacred metal to shine with an intense silver hue. With one continuous rotating movement, I dodged the first lunge by adjusting my center of gravity and cut the creature from side to side, splitting its frozen shell in half before it could hit the ground. The second attacker was intercepted in midair by an enchanted arrow from Elara, which pierced the beast's glowing eye with impeccable precision, causing it to collapse lifelessly onto the snow.
"Excellent shot, Elara!" I praised, keeping my stride firm and advancing to cover the central line's position. "Liriel, Vespera, protect the inner perimeter with support barriers!"
"Elemental containment barrier!" Liriel activated, driving the base of her sacred wooden staff into the rocky ground. A wave of golden light instantly expanded from the point of contact, creating a protective dome that enveloped her assistant and Lyannis, repelling the attacks of the creatures attempting to flank our rear.
Vespera used her wind magic to create concentrated repulsion gusts, throwing three monsters backward as they attempted to leap over Liriel's protective dome. The creatures collided violently against the mountain's side rocks, their rigid shells being fragmented by the impact.
Rai'kanna moved through the snow with frightening agility, using the lightness of her body to slide beneath the beasts' attacks and deliver lethal blows with her twin blades to the vulnerable joints of the creatures' necks and legs. Her mobility brilliantly covered the space between the defenses, creating ideal openings for the immediate finishing of the targets.
Lyannis, positioned in the rear cover, used her battle axe with disciplined strength, delivering devastating downward strikes that crushed the frozen plates of the enemies that managed to get past the first line of containment.
As the battle unfolded with extreme fluidity in the circular square, I allowed a brief and clear tactical reflection to fill my mind. A perfect ambush on adverse terrain has the primary intention of sowing panic and breaking the cohesion of a group of combatants. When the enemy suddenly emerges from beneath the snow and surrounds the formation from every angle, the instinctive reaction of most explorers is individual dispersal. However, in a highly disciplined and trained team, the opponent's ambush becomes an opportunity for concentrated annihilation. Instead of dispersing, we closed our formation; instead of acting in chaos, each member assumed her sector with blind confidence in the companion beside her. The true strength of our Alliance did not lie in the absence of surprises on the battlefield, but rather in the ability to turn any enemy trap into a pure demonstration of control and tactical synchronization.
"The first wave of attackers has been completely neutralized!" Scarlet announced, delivering a final thrust into the chest of the last monster on the perimeter and wiping the dark blood from the blade of her longsword with a sharp movement of her arm.
"All sectors are clear within the immediate perimeter!" confirmed Lyannis, resting the head of her axe on the ground and taking a deep breath of the icy air while maintaining vigilance over the rear.
"Damage and resource consumption analysis?" I asked, slightly lowering my runic sword while maintaining my combat stance and my senses alert for any new movement.
"No injuries recorded among any members," replied Liriel's assistant, adjusting her glasses and quickly checking her notes. "Mana consumption remained below 5% of our total capacity. The vanguard's response was extremely efficient."
"Excellent work, everyone," I praised, walking toward the center of the plateau and watching the remains of the ice creatures slowly dissolve into arcane dust that evaporated in the cold mountain air. "The reaction was impeccable. No one hesitated, and we maintained control of the terrain from beginning to end."
Rai'kanna slowly approached across the snow, sheathing her blades and checking the observation points beside Elara, who was collecting the usable arrows with quick and practiced movements.
However, before we could advance toward the great black iron gate to examine the runic lock, the rock at the exact center of the square began to tremble with an intensity far greater than that of the previous attack. A deep and heavy crack reverberated throughout the plateau, indicating that the true threat of the seventeenth level had just been awakened by the elimination of its support troops.
"Attention, everyone!" I ordered in a firm and calm tone, repositioning my runic sword along the combat line. "The floor's defensive guard has been destroyed, but the true guardian of the gate is emerging. Maintain the same discipline and focus. Let's finish the challenge of this seventeenth level once and for all!"
With the group reorganized, invigorated by the quick victory and perfectly positioned on the terrain, we turned together toward the center of the plateau, ready to face the colossal creature that was beginning to break through the frozen rock of the mountain.