Frost chose to leave Avira to her own devices, checking on her only occasionally through either the Dungeon menu or through Nanna albeit after a certain incident he chose to avoid the former.
It wasn't a perverted scenario just a fragile one, through the menu screen he saw the valiant and headstrong Princess crying into her pillow, calling out for her mother and father as her body trembled from head to toe. He pitied her and stopped his hidden snooping from then on.
With just a few days until the deadline he previously set was up, the new wall in its true grandeur was there for all to see.
By this point it was clear that this large project wasn't something simple. The tall, menacing walls that promised to grow even further already eclipsed the walls present around Furano.
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This camp could no longer be referred to as such, it was now a city-state, a place capable of sheltering even regular citizens and their families safely.
Frost's territory was well and truly coming into its own, and with its new designation grander eyes would be drawn to its bounty.
However it would take time for these people to prepare their claws, time in which Frost would further develop his territory's defences as well as develop his own strength.
Clang! Schwing! Don!
Within the training space booming sounds reverberated throughout the room as two individuals clashed with nary reserve.
One a young man adorned in elegant robes and welding a mighty glaive in his hand while the other was a beautiful woman in a red cheongsam that exposed her athletic legs. Her weapon of choice was a pair of oversized intricate hammers that conflicted greatly with her shorter stature.
However the strength held within the young woman's arms was more than enough to occasionally overpower her male opponent, forcing him to avoid direct clashes.
Finally after who knows how many clashes the man and woman broke apart, exhausted and breathing heavily as they struggled to stay on their feet.
"T...This hu hu seal that....Dark God-sama placed on me is really....intense." The woman, Maya spoke through gasping breaths as she stared at her shaking limbs that could no longer support the weight of her mighty hammers.
Ever since the end of the 2nd family gathering all Guardians that chose to remain by their charge's side had the strengths sealed. This was to prevent the Dungeon cores from growing too dependent on their Guardians horrifying strength while at the same time allowing the Guardians to take on a more active role within their Dungeons and not upset the balance.
Maya for example after being sealed by Dark had her power plummet to the peak of C-rank, a sub-level beneath her charge, Frost.
Although Maya found the seal rather taxing and difficult to manage at first after repeatedly training with Frost as well as Findley whenever he was free she had finally gotten to a level in which she was comfortable.
And now despite only being at the peak of C-rank and having weapon mastery and magic levels to match such a rank she could boldly go toe to toe with Frost in a straight up duel and not lose.
This was mainly due to two factors, her abundant experience that couldn't be fully locked away as well as her mighty hammers. With these two supplements she could ignore Frost's utilisation of aura as well as his near limitless stamina while within the Dungeon.
Frost of course found this 'mildly' frustrating. Even with her strength restricted to below his he still couldn't win against her.
"Un, didn't you find it strange that all of us were rather young?"
"...Now that you mention it."
"My parents are still alive as are my grandparents and even great grandparents, how strong do you think they are in comparison to the youthful woman that is me."
Frost's head sunk low as the gears in his mind turned ceaselessly.
The bracket of S-rank was truly vast, with the elongated lifespan granted by reaching this fabled rank there was an immense amount of time for one to grow. Maya as well as the other Guardians were prodigies and geniuses, but they were still young. It was impossible for them to have accrued as much experience as their elders.
S-rank for the vast majority is the final endpoint. If they are unable to evolve and shed the last of their mortal shell S-rank is where they shall remain until their lives come to an end. However during that time they continue to grow in mortal strength.
Maya knew for a fact that she really wasn't much in the grand scheme, her chances at reaching the peak or even the late stages of the S-rank were slim let alone ascending to God status.
It was because she understood this that she currently bore such a conflicted expression that was filled with frustration, longing as well as hope and even a little despair.
Her volunteering to become a guardian despite the risks and possibly demeaning work involved came with benefits that she couldn't ignore as long as this desire remained in her heart.
Improving beyond her current level was immensely difficult in comparison to Frost reaching the mid stages of B-rank.
Thus once again Frost was shown how truly small he was in comparison to the world.
There is always a higher mountain, no matter how much you train or how much of a genius you are there is always someone better, someone stronger than you.
Although if that wasn't the case challenging the heavens would be too boring, no?
Frost and Maya sat in silence as they pondered their own thoughts on the matter but in the end smiles were evident on their lips, this didn't dissuade their goals in the slightest.
"Ready for another round?"
"Are you sure? Don't you have work to do?"
"Perhaps but after your revelation I feel the need to put in a little more effort." Frost smiled from ear to ear as he stretched and loosened his joints.
"Very well, come at me Frost." The sounds of a heated exchange once again filled the halls of the training space.
Meanwhile far to the north, a large fortress surrounded by walls over a dozen metres thick and nearly a hundred tall received some unsettling news. The news was so devasting that the man who controlled this mighty fortress, a person at the peak of A-rank collapsed into his chair, his heart shattering into a millions pieces.
"My Emperor."