Three hundred thirty-eight days.

Jack had counted every single one of them during the journey across Floor 24's crimson wasteland.

The forest was the only exception to the environment.

Every morning waking to that blood-red sky. Every night making camp while Kyren stood watch with inhuman patience.

Three hundred thirty-eight days of planning, and preparing for what lay ahead.

And now, finally, he stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking his destination.

The Black Ice Castle.

Jack's yellow eyes narrowed as he took in the sight before him, his breath misting slightly in the suddenly frigid air.

The temperature had dropped at least thirty degrees in the last mile, a clear indicator that they were entering Pho's domain.

"Well," S said from beside him, peeling a tangerine with his usual casual precision, "that's certainly impressive. In a 'I'm compensating for something' sort of way."

The castle wasn't a castle. It was a fortress city carved entirely from black ice.

Massive walls stretched as far as Jack could see in either direction, easily a hundred feet tall and thick enough to march an army across.

Towers rose at regular intervals, each one bristling with what looked like ice sculptures but were probably defensive weapons.

And at the center of it all, dominating the skyline like a frozen mountain, stood the main citadel.

The structure was impossibly large. Spires of black ice reached toward the crimson sky like clawed fingers trying to tear it apart.

Bridges of frozen crystal connected various sections, creating a three-dimensional maze of walkways and passages. The entire thing pulsed with a faint blue-white glow, as if the ice itself was alive and breathing.

"It's the size of a small country," Jack muttered, his jaw tightening as the full scope of what he was facing settled into his mind. "We could spend days, maybe weeks, just trying to figure out the layout."

Fluffy shifted beneath him, the hellhound's massive form radiating heat that fought against the encroaching cold.

The contrast was almost comical. Standing on a creature of living flame while staring at a fortress made of eternal ice.

Kyren stood to Jack's right, motionless as always, his hollow eyes fixed on the distant castle. "The defenses are extensive," the reanimated demon observed.

"Guard towers every fifty meters. Patrol visible on the walls. I would estimate at least two thousand soldiers garrisoning the outer defenses alone." S cut in.

"And that's just what we can see," Jack replied, his mind already working through possibilities and discarding them just as quickly.

A direct assault would be suicide. Even with all his training, all his demon abilities, all his preparation, throwing himself at those walls would accomplish nothing except getting him killed.

He needed information. He needed to understand the layout, identify weak points, and find where Pho actually was inside that frozen labyrinth.

'I traveled for almost a year,' Jack thought, frustration building in his chest, 'and I still don't have a clear plan for how to actually kill this bastard.'

S finished peeling his tangerine, the citrus scent somehow cutting through the cold air.

He popped a segment into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully while studying Jack's expression.

"You're overthinking this," the contract demon said casually. "Which, admittedly, is better than your usual approach of 'charge in and figure it out later,' but still it could use some work."

Jack shot him a look. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Reconnaissance," S replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You have a perfectly good aerial scout standing right there." He gestured at Corvin, who was perched on Jack's shoulder, preening his black feathers with apparent disinterest in the conversation.

The raven looked up at the mention of his presence, cocking his head with those beady intelligent eyes that had grown sharper over the past year.

CAW!

"Send Corvin to do some actual scouting," S continued, pulling out another segment of tangerine.

"Let him fly over the castle, map out the layout, and identify key locations. You need to plan carefully, Jack. Pho isn't some Terror-rank grunt you can overwhelm with brute force. He's Disaster-class. He's survived for centuries. He didn't build all this by being stupid or unprepared."

Jack turned to look at S fully, noting the unusual seriousness in the contract demon's tone. "You're not going to help, are you?"

S's smile was sharp as broken glass. "I've already helped more than you realize. The maps I gave you? The intelligence on Pho's operations? The fact that I haven't abandoned you during this absurdly long ride across hell?" He shook his head.

"No, Jack. This fight is yours. I'll intervene if you're about to die, because I have a vested interest in keeping you alive. But beyond that? You're on your own."

The words should have been discouraging. Instead, Jack felt a strange sense of relief. He'd been relying on S's knowledge and resources for months now, and part of him had worried he was becoming too dependent on the contract demon's assistance.

"Fair enough," Jack said, reaching up to stroke Corvin's feathers. The raven leaned into the touch, making a softer sound than normal.

"Alright, Corvin. I need you to scout that castle. Figure out the layout, see if you can identify any weak points or important locations. And most importantly, stay hidden. If Pho realizes we're here before we're ready, this whole thing gets a lot harder."

Corvin's eyes gleamed with understanding. The raven had grown more intelligent over their time together, and Jack sometimes wondered if the bond they shared allowed Corvin to understand complex instructions or if the bird had always been this smart.

CAW CAW!

The sound was affirmative and confident. Corvin spread his wings, the black feathers catching what little light filtered through the crimson sky. Then, with a powerful thrust, the raven launched himself into the air.

Jack watched as Corvin climbed higher, his black form becoming harder to spot against the dark sky. Within seconds, the raven was little more than a distant speck, circling toward the Black Ice Castle with the casual grace of a natural predator.

"Now what?" Jack asked, settling into a more comfortable position on Fluffy's back.

"Now we wait," S replied, already pulling out another tangerine from seemingly nowhere.

"And you think about what you're going to do once Corvin returns with his findings. Because let me be very clear, Jack. What you're about to attempt is borderline suicidal. Pho is Disaster-class. His lieutenants are all Nightmare-rank on the verge of their own evolutions. You're walking into a fortress filled with thousands of demons who are loyal to him through gold and fear."

He paused, his red eyes fixing on Jack with unusual intensity. "You have three advantages. First, surprise. Pho doesn't know you're coming, or if he does, he doesn't know when. Second, desperation. The clans you bound are his former customers, and losing that revenue stream has to have him worried. Third, and most importantly, you have a level of ruthless determination that most mortals lack."

S leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping. "But those advantages only matter if you're smart about how you use them. Charge in blindly, and you'll die. Take too long planning, and Pho will either escape or prepare defenses you can't overcome. You need to find the balance between caution and action."

Jack absorbed the words in silence, his mind already turning over possibilities. S was right. This wasn't like fighting the Glowcaps or even Vok'thar. This was far more complex.

And far more dangerous.

"I'm not planning to fail," Jack said quietly, his yellow eyes never leaving the distant fortress.

"No one ever does," S replied, his tone almost gentle. "But failure happens anyway. The question is whether you're prepared to pay the price if things go wrong."

Kyren shifted slightly, drawing both their attentions. "Master will succeed," the reanimated demon stated with absolute certainty. "This one has observed Master's growth. Master is stronger than he was. More dangerous."

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