Chapter 3: Let's Play With Ice
First Map [Meldivar]: South Section
Slicer's POV
It's so dark out here.
Honestly? I don't even know why I agreed to this grinding session at this hour. Midnight grinding in a creepy forest zone? I would've passed. I'm not even gonna lie—I'm scared of the dark. Like, legitimate phobia level. Since grade school. Don't ask me why. Let's keep that a secret.
Anyway, we're currently in Meldivar, one of the first maps in Enigma Online PH. We're headed south, following the winding trail deeper into the trees. Standard procedure: kill on sight. Everything that moves dies. That's fine—most of the mobs here are level 80–90 and barely tickle anymore. I don't even bother fighting them myself. I just let my pet Arcanus clean them up. He needs the XP more than I do.
Arcanus, my black-furred beast with glowing red marks, is level 40 now. He's big enough to mount and has a solid lineup of attack skills: Swift Claw, Deadly Fang, Tail Whip, Fire Shoot, and the glorious Fire Bomb. With his passive skill Swift, he moves crazy fast—Gwydox even said Arcanus might be the fastest land pet in the game right now.
Not to be outdone, Zaphro's pet Freyla—a dragon-type—soared above us like a divine threat. She's one of the few known legendary sky pets in the game. Ice element, hardened metallic body, insane AOE skill set. That time she froze an entire valley into an icy terrain? That was Freyla. She's basically a one-dragon artillery squad.
We were just reaching the edge of the map's southern border when I spotted it.
"There it is. The unexplored area of southern Meldivar," announced Shion_rio, sounding more pumped than usual.
"I wonder what's in there?" Jin asked, peering ahead.
"Let's find out," said Xavier as he stepped forward.
A new zone name flashed across our screens:
[You have entered: The Lost Village of Amana]
"Whoa… Even the name sounds creepy!" Accel exclaimed.
"Gwydox, got any info on this map?" Zaphro asked his animus.
A shimmer of purple light, and Gwydox materialized with his usual pissed-off face.
"Give me a second, Papa Z," he muttered. Cute voice, angry attitude. I still want an animus of my own someday… hopefully not this moody.
He hovered off to scout for a bit, then floated back in front of us.
"This map is divided into three areas: Amana Town Square, Amana Cave, and Amana Temple. We're currently in the Town Square, which is a non-hostile zone—no mobs. Just one NPC walking around here. Her name's Amana the Giver. She holds a special quest with a high-tier reward."
"What's the quest?" Erenir asked him.
"I don't f*cking know," Gwydox snapped without skipping a beat.
Yikes. Okay, someone's definitely cranky today. Do AIs get mood swings? Or is he just coded to be a walking insult generator?
"So grumpy," Verillion commented with a grin.
"Let's look for the NPC," Aryus suggested.
"I'm not detecting any movements or signs of NPCs or players," Zaphro said, narrowing his eyes.
"She's probably using concealment," Ayana concluded, then raised her hand and cast a spell.
A thousand tiny fireflies spread out in all directions from her staff.
"They'll be drawn to any presence that's concealed or invisible—NPC or player," she explained calmly.
Moments later, the fireflies started to gather near a broken statue in the middle of the square.
"There! Behind the monument!" I pointed.
The silhouette of a woman faded into view. Her name appeared above her: Amana the Giver. But what really caught us off guard—she had a visible health bar.
"Is she really an NPC? Why does she have a life bar?" Erik_Hertz asked, eyes squinting.
"Beats me. Ask Zaphro's grumpy little demon," I said, since the guy was now staring straight at me.
"To be honest, I don't know either," Gwydox replied, arms crossed. "Better let her explain it. Maybe her backstory has the answers."
So we walked over to Amana and triggered her dialogue.
---
Amana's Legend
Centuries ago, in a nameless village, there lived a girl named Amana. Everyone loved her—kind, helpful, beautiful.
But on the night of her 18th birthday, everything changed.
She discovered she could freeze anything she touched. One moment, a boy slipped and fell near her, and in panic, she accidentally turned him into solid ice.
Witnesses called it witchcraft. Fear spread. Accusations flew.
Terrified and heartbroken, Amana cursed the land, bringing eternal winter. She slaughtered every person who tried to hurt her.
---
While she spoke, the air grew colder. Snowflakes drifted from the sky, and the cobblestones beneath us began to frost over.
"So, what's the quest objective?" I asked.
Amana smiled softly. "It's very simple… Defeat me, and free the land."
Wait. What?!
"She's the source of the curse? That means… we have to fight her?" Verillion said, stepping back.
"That's right," Amana whispered, before her body started to glow.
Her white robes darkened, transforming into sleek blue armor plated with metallic ice. She held a long staff topped with a frozen gemstone, and her entire form radiated with dark mana. Her expression was no longer serene—it was wrathful.
A new name appeared.
[Amana the Ice Goddess]
Level: ?????
She rose above the square and let out a bone-chilling laugh.
"Sh*t! A special AI boss? Unknown level?" I shouted. "I knew it! I told you I hate unexplored areas! And now we're trapped?!"
Blue light shot up around the square, sealing us inside a barrier. No escape. No teleport. The kind that screams: This is a boss fight. You're screwed.
"GOOD LUCK TO US," I muttered.