"Regular training’s too dull for a lazy good for nothing like you so let’s do a trial by fire." Frost and Loki stood side by side staring down at the curled up, head lowered Kiba.

Frost brought up the Dungeon menu and inspected a few of the lower floors, searching for a group of adventurers that would make for ideal opponents. His search didn’t take long soon he found a party of four C-rank adventurers, three in the beginning stages and one in the mid, perfect for the peak C-rank that was Kiba.

"They’ll do fine, do you concur Loki?"

"I do Master." Like two peas in a pod, devils in Kiba’s eyes, devils that fed off his pain and misery.

"Kiba your first trial is to hunt and kill these four adventurers." He enlarged the screen to show Kiba the four individuals currently resting in a makeshift camp on the 9th floor. "You are forbidden from using the features of the Dungeon, meaning no using the screen to follow their movements, no using telepathy to coordinate between you and the monsters already present in the area and no use of the teleportation feature. You can enlist the aid of no more than 3 monster present on the 9th floor, and you have a maximum of 6 hours to complete this mission." Kiba was about voice his endless complaints, but Frost wasn’t finished. "Additional caveat you must not interfere or be seen by any other parties currently delving and no information about the attack must reach the city.....no survivors." Kiba was the only glacial winged tiger to inhabit this region so if a group of adventurers were attacked by one they would immediately think of him then Frost rather than a new denizen of the Dungeon. Glacial winged tigers were incredibly rare after all, pretty much guaranteed B-ranks after reaching full adulthood.

Frost wanted Kiba to rediscover his instincts, to act like the monster he was at heart rather than an overfed housecat gifted with blessed genes. The premise around his trial simulating something natural, an encounter that he’d likely come across if he lived within the Glacial mountains rather than here in the Dungeon.

"Garow? [ Is this a joke?]"

Bonk! His question earned him a swift, unavoidable blow to the head.

"Take this seriously Kiba while I’m still being cordial."

"Chuff [This is you being cordial]" Kiba whispered to himself which nearly got him another whack.

"We’ll inform you when another group enters the floor but that will be the extent of our aid."

"Garow? [can I know how many groups are there right now?]

"....." Frost thought for a second or two before agreeing to hand over at least this much information. "Apart from your targets there are currently two parties on this floor with similar levels of strength.....do not touch them." The group designated as Kiba’s targets were on the Dungeon’s free to kill list, a list that identified delvers who perhaps caused some minor disturbances in the city, didn’t play well with other adventurers, played with their hunts beyond what was necessary or sometimes simply those who wouldn’t be missed. They hadn’t done anything to warrant an involuntary visit to the Dungeon’s prisons but enough to deprive them of their lives over others, the Dungeon had to eat something after all.

The list itself was quite extensive and well thought out, a venture Frost started himself but was now conducted by Findley and Khuno those in charge of the Dungeon and the city’s security respectively.

"Grrrr." Kiba grumbled in acknowledgment, running the numbers in his head. There was no escape from the trial at least none he could fathom so the more information he had at hand the easier it’d be to complete.

"Good hunting Kiba." Before he even had a chance to ready himself for his excursion Frost waved his hand forcibly teleporting him from the training room and onto the 9th floor roughly 700 metres from his supposed targets.

"Keep an eye on him Loki, if he cheats in any way tell me."

"Yes master." Loki proudly saluted before bringing up his version of the Dungeon menu and opening multiple screens all showing different parts of the 9th floor.

Frost meanwhile resummoned his spear as well as one of the books Shivali had gifted him when he left Niflheim, one that outlined the next stage of the Niflheim royal family spear arts.

On the 9th floor Kiba was dropped from a height, forced to flap his large wings so as to break his fall. He internally cursed both Frost and Loki as he landed on the cold snow covered ground.

The environment on the 9th floor was predominately similar to that of the [Beginner’s ice magic] monster lair that Frost had visited all those months ago, a 2 star quality glacial steppe. Ice, snow and beautiful blue crystal as far as the eye could see. Temperatures well below freezing and high density ice mana in the air, crippling to those underprepared and poorly equipped. Some areas were high altitude, surrounded by gnarly and dangerous cliffs while others were flat, laden with thick mats of snow that hid ambushing monsters underneath. D-rank adventurers would struggled here, a real test of their skills while C-rank would find it appropriate for their level.

Kiba’s current location was the 2nd of the 4 large, doubly expanded rooms on this floor and his targets who had made this room their hunting grounds were at their campsite, resting their bodies after long hours of high intensive activity. Food was being prepared and two of their numbers were treating minor wounds. Smiles were on all their faces; they had made quite a haul this time around and one of them even felt the shackles keeping him at early C-rank loosening. A party with two mid C-ranks was considered truly veteran in their line of work and earned much more respect amongst their peers.

"Like yesterday we’ll engage in one last hunt after eating." The leader of the group a small woman with a twisted wooden staff in her left hand, cloth based armour and a black eyepatch over her right eye spoke. Her name was Eha and she was a mage specialising in the earth element, late thirties and with most of her potential already tapped out. She may reach upper or even peak C-rank given enough time, but B was beyond her means. The same held true for another two members Lur and Khiran, an archer and hammer wielder respectively. The last one however, a younger man, the one who felt the shackles of his rank loosening still had a great deal of his potential untapped. He was Eha’s nephew, their faces bearing a strong resemblance with one another.

"Yes boss." Lur and Khiran replied back with vigour, keen to get back to work. Work equalled money and they both loved money....unfortunate gamblers at heart.

"Nanuk how’s your wound?" Eha asked in a much gentler and affectionate tone.

"I’m good, a little spit and bandage and I’ll be as good as new." Nanuk said with a bright smile, slapping his wounded arm with gusto.....a mistake.

"Fool stop trying to show off and drink a potion or lather it with medicated cloth." Eha shook her head immediately reprimanding her nephew. Talent and youth, a dangerous combination.

"Hehehe yes auntie." Nanuk used a sword and shield, a standard frontline vanguard who was always in the thick of danger.

Eha performed her regular rounds, checked their supplies, their hunted materials and peered into the distance, searching for any signs of danger.

Once they finished resting for a bit they’d embark on their nightly hunt and if yesterday was anything to go by they’d be sleeping in their makeshift bunks by around midnight.

Around here upper D-rank monsters were the most prevalent and early stage C-ranks were considered merely uncommon. Their primary targets were frost drakes and if they wanted more of a challenge ice drakes, monsters known well for their tenacity and durability. Even working together seamlessly it took them some time to bring down these mighty beasts, but it was worth it. Ignoring the test of their limits the amount of materials gained from their deaths was staggering. High quality meat in high quantities, tough scales that could be fashioned into 2 star armour, blood that was perfect for alchemy, artificing and engraving and then the cherry on top a dragon aspected magic crystal, more durable and often larger than those found in similarly ranked monsters. Their party had been effectively and efficiently farming them for the past few weeks, earning themselves a pretty copper but now they were about to face the wrath of the Dungeon, the price for being so prolific in their hunting.

Beyond the sight of Eha, Kiba was watching, stalking his would be prey, analysing their strengths, weaknesses, the layout of their camp as well as taking stock of his own strength. He was superior to them, a peak C-rank with a powerful bloodline, more than a match for them in a straight up fight but doing so posed a risk. Even a rat would bite a cat when cornered. This had to be a perfect hunt otherwise his cruel Master would only up the training schedule.

Crouching in amongst a set of thick bushes, his entire body pulled taught Kiba thought up his plans, how he’d take down this foursome of adventurers.

Frost said he could enlist the aid of no more than 3 other monsters, likely to even up the numbers between him and his opponents but he’d surely get a bad grade if he simply sought out the most powerful present on the floor no, if he wanted to show off his worth they he needed to be the focus of this fight.

The other three if he even needed that much would be nothing but an accompaniment.