Building My Empire in the Frozen Apocalypse (Riley Carter) novel Chapter 167

Chapter 167 Choosing A Path

Chapter 167 Choosing A Path

The glowing Crystal Rainforest surrounded them once again, the air thick with corrosive spores.

The sudden drop from a literal paradise back to a survival zone was jarring.

Riley instinctively reached out, trying to push the wooden door to the treehouse again.

“System: Access denied.”

“Instance entry limit reached for this area (1/1).”

“Guess we can’t go back,” Riley said, pulling her hand away with a hint of regret.

If she could have stayed in that treehouse, she would have happily stayed for a month, let alone five days.

“Riley! Look at the time!”

Tartking gasped, pointing at the system interface.

4

Now that they were out of the cottage, the system time was visible again.

Riley looked down and froze.

“Wait, that’s not right…”

She did a quick calculation in her head.

+20 Free Coins

They’d spent at least three or four hours on the puzzles, another hour on tea and rest, plus the capture and the loot settlement… they should have been in there for at least half a day.

But the system clock showed that only ten minutes had passed.

“Time dilation?”

Riley realized it immediately.

Time inside that cottage moved differently than it did outside!

Or rather, while they were in that “Reward Zone,” time in the dungeon was effectively paused.

“Clever girl, System.”

Riley let out a cold laugh.

If someone could hide in there until the dungeon ended, they’d be safe and living the high life. They wouldn’t get rewards, but they wouldn’t have to worry about random mob drops or survival.

But the system clearly prevented that “cowardly” playstyle.

No matter how long you stayed inside, it was just a blink of an eye for the dungeon’s progress. You wouldn’t miss a single second of the brutal survival challenges waiting in the forest.

1/3

12:23 pm P p pp.

Chapter 167 Choosing A Path,

As she and Tartking walked into the Crystal Rainforest, Riley began checking her new cards.

She first glanced at the Guild Charter

The golden card was currently grayed out in a frozen state.

+20 Free Coins

“System: This item cannot be used inside an instance. Please activate it at a designated territory once you return to the frozen

wastes.”

“Figures.”

Riley tucked it into the very bottom of her bag. It was too valuable to risk losing before she could use it.

Then, her eyes fell on the remaining two cards.

Class Change Card (Selectable)

Since these could be used inside the instance, she might as well use one now to gain an edge.

Level 10 was the turning point. Aside from the massive stat boosts from gear, changing classes unlocked a variety of specialized

skills.

Riley tapped the card, and a detailed class tree manifested before her eyes.

“Warrior: Balanced offense and defense. Weapon Master. Main Stats: STR, CON.”

“Pros: Durable and hits hard. Perfect for survivors who love the front line.”

“Tank: Extreme defense. The shield of the team. Main Stats: CON, END.”

“Pros: Can taunt and soak up damage. Mitigation mechanics. As long as I’m alive, the team is safe.”

“Assassin: Burst damage. Shadow dancer, Main

Stats: AGI, CRT.”

“Pros: Boosts base speed and provides stealth bonuses.”

“Marksman: Ranged physical damage. King of kiting. Main Stats: AGI, PER.”

“Pros: Damage bonuses when using ranged weapons.”

“Alchemist (Poisoner): Support class. Unlocks specialized potions beyond basic recovery.”

“Pros: +20% Alchemical insight.”

“Priest: Provides buffs to survivors and learns minor healing magic. Main Stats: Mana Affinity.”

“Pros: The only healing class.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify