It was incredibly difficult to see in a blizzard this fierce. The swirling snow and biting wind seemed determio strip away their strength, and Ats couldn't help but wonder what a battle would look like in an enviro like this.

  Of course, once people started using their skills, the terrain itself would shift and break uhe force of explosions and attacks. The storm would grow more chaotid the already treacherous footing would bee even more unstable. But even so, if just surviving the weather was already this painful, fighting a war in these ditions would be a brutal challenge for anyone brave—or foolish—enough to try.

  Ats and his team kept trekking across the frozen terrain, their footsteps slow but steady. Occasionally, they came across deep cracks in the earth, f them to tread carefully along narrow ledges to avoid falling into the chasms below.

  It was a stark remihat this isnd was, at its core, a volid. Without the thiow and ice, it would likely look simir to Fre Peak Isnd, where va would pour from the mountains instead of frost.

  The group maintained a reasonable pace, but progress was still slow. Many of the troops were still battling their own minds, f themselves to push past the urge to stop and accept the brutal cold.

  Everyone khat whoever po cim this isnd would have to es dynamiviro. It was a unique challenge, as the weather could shift from oreme to another without warning.

  If they want this isnd, they o adapt.

  The real challenge was still ahead of them. What they faow was only the beginning.

  Ats kept his focus on the map in his system, watg as it gradually expanded with each step Kurogasa took. Occasionally, he noticed that Kurogasa’s movements paused—perhaps he had entered something important or was taking note of specific details.

  Kurogasa was a scouting expert, someone perfectly built for reaissance. His ability to blend into the enviro and move unnoticed made him invaluable, especially in hostile terrain like this. For him, even the brutal cold and harsh ndscape were just another part of the mission—almost a game to master.

  Ats khat other Lords, especially those from well-prepared alliances, were likely already targeting the key zones of the isnd. These key zones were critical to dominating the Dominion Skirmish and were divided into four categories.

  The most important was the Primary Key Zohe tral Fortress.

  This structure was typically located at the heart of the isnd, and whoever trolled it would gain the biggest advantages in the Dominion Skirmish. The tral Fortress would gee more Dominion Points than any other zone, provide valuable buffs, and serve as a deferonghold, allowing the Lord who trolled it to better protect their forces.

  It was that rge alliances would make the tral Fortress their primary target. They would pool their resources and deploy their stroroops to seize and hold this key structure.

  For them, this was the most reliable way to secure victory itle. By trolling the fortress together, they could domihe battlefield and eheir cim over the isnd.

  The sed key zone is the Outer Forts, which serve as sedary objectives that offer sistent Dominion Points (DP) and strategiefits.

  The Outer Forts are spread across the isnd. They are generally easier to capture than the tral Fortress because they draw less petition, but they still require defense and resource ma to maintain. Holding these forts give smaller groups a ce to stay relevant itle while building up their strength.

  The third key zone is the Supply Depots, also known as resource key zohese are essential for resource ma but do not gee DP.

  Supply Depots provided crucial materials such as mana crystals, food rations, and healing supplies. While they don’t tribute directly to a Lord’s Dominion Points score, they are key to sustaining a prolonged battle. Without a steady supply of resources, evero forces would crumble uhe pressure of attrition.

  In addition to these primary key zohere are potential variations of other key zohat appear oain isnds, depending on the isnd’s uraits:

  Mystic Shrine: Boosts mana regeion for allied troops.

  Watchtower: Increases visie and reveals enemy movements within a certain radius.

  Altar of Beasts: Allows the summoning of spirit beasts to assist in battle.

  Fme Bea: Creates fire-based defenses around the key zoo repel attackers.

  These variant zones are more situational and greatly impact strategy, but they aren’t guarao appear on every isnd. Their presence depends on the specifiditions of the isnd being tested.

  Because of the variety and spread of key zones across the isnd, it’s impossible for any one Lord to hold all the locations. They would o spread their forces too thin, and if the key zones were too far apart, it would backfire by weakening their overall defense.

  However, while trolling key zones provides advantages, it also makes the trolling Lord more visible. Once a key zone is captured, it bees a bea, signaling the presence of a rival Lord. This makes it easier for other Lords—especially those focused on hunting eroops—to trad ambush opposing forces.

  This is where the plexity of strategy es into py.

  Every Lord must earn as many Dominion Points (DP) as possible to secure victory itle phase. While capturing key zones is the most reliable way to achieve that, maintaining trol over these zones is a stant challenge, especially when other Lords may prioritize attag enemy forces directly to cripple their petition.

  Effectively utilizing key zones isn’t just about occupying them—it’s about knowing when to defend, when to attack, and when to fall back, all while managing resources and forces wisely. In this battle, every decision ts.

  Ats and his troops had begun asding a sloped terrain. They frequently had to take cover behind icy ridges wheorm intensified, waiting for the winds to ease before tinuing their march.

  The climb became steeper, and as time passed, it became clear they had been trekking for nearly half a day through relentless snow and ice. However, despite the harsh ditions, none of the troops had colpsed or passed out.

  Their destination was a high hilltop area with natural formations that provided shelter from the wind. Large frozen trees stood scattered across the ndscape, creating natural barriers against the elements. The location also offered excellent visibility, allowing them to observe the surrounding terrain.

  Finally, they arrived.

  Ats turo his troops, who were catg their breath.

  "Let’s set up camp.”

  He reached into his iory and pulled out two Rank-A Items: the Ethereal Tent, a rare item he had obtained from the Gacha system.

  Handing them to Edrik, he nodded. "Set these up."

  The Ethereal Tent was small in appearance, but eae could shelter up to 15 people—perfect for providing cover from the wild weather. While it wouldn’t solve all their problems, it would help the troain some strength and shield them from the storm.

  Edrik got to work, setting up the mais. Meanwhile, the other troops began strug additional makeshift camps.

  They khis was just the beginning—the storm would grow fiercer, and the challenges ahead would only intensify. But for now, they had a pce troup and recover, a momentary reprieve in the midst of the relentless cold.