Episode 289
“A celestial avatar, you say?”
In that instant, the ice statue before Zeke began to crack.
Crack!
Shards of ice fell away, forcing Zeke to step back.
Rumble!
A sudden noise made him turn around just in time to see the door he had entered through closing.
Thud!
“Damn it…”
The ice statues shattered completely, revealing a figure with pale blue skin rising from within.
The avatar unfurled two pairs of wings, their crystalline beauty shimmering in the light.
Zeke sensed an unusual aura emanating from the being.
“Not human, but not quite a demon either. What is it?”
The avatar lifted its head, slowly moving its six hands, and pursed its lips, gazing at the ceiling.
A sound beyond human hearing resonated throughout the hall.
“Ugh!”
At that moment, the ice statues lining the entrance began to crack.
Richmond gasped, staring at the statues.
“M-Master! The ice statues are coming to life!”
Crack!
The statues shattered, revealing armored warriors rising from within.
Thud!
The warriors, faces hidden by helmets, exuded a menacing aura as they brandished their weapons—greatswords, battle axes, spears, and maces.
Zeke shouted to the panicked Richmond.
“Richmond! Summon a wall!”
At Zeke’s command, Richmond hastily conjured a wall of bone.
Crunch!
The bone wall sprang up, creating a barrier between Zeke and the warriors.
Zeke summoned a holy flame outside the bone wall.
The light-infused flame caused the warriors to hesitate, their advance halted.
Meanwhile, the avatar, the Snow Queen, hovered in the air, slowly approaching Zeke.
Zeke equipped Hershion and turned to face the Snow Queen.
As he approached, the Snow Queen paused mid-air.
A voice echoed in Zeke’s mind.
[■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■]
The system couldn’t interpret the words.
It reminded him of something Hades had once said.
“The system called it a dead language back then.”
Seeing Zeke’s confusion, the voice in his mind shifted.
[You insignificant human, unable to comprehend the divine tongue.]
The Snow Queen spoke in ancient Chronos, and the system translated it for Zeke.
Zeke addressed the Snow Queen.
“You were sealed as an avatar. You’re not a demon, so what are you?”
The Snow Queen’s body trembled slightly at his words.
She finally turned her gaze down to Zeke.
[How insolent for a mere human. To me, you are no different from worms crawling on the ground. How dare you ask such presumptuous questions.]
The Snow Queen extended all six hands and wings as she continued.
[Though you are like a worm, I shall spare you for freeing me from my seal. Kneel and worship me now, or I will retract my mercy and freeze your worthless red blood.]
The Snow Queen descended to stand before Zeke, her posture demanding reverence.
Zeke, unfazed, called out to Arataso.
‘Arataso.’
The spirit, now fully settled in the green sword, responded to Zeke’s call.
‘What is it? I was having a good nap.’
‘The being before me. It’s not a demon, so what is it?’
‘I can’t see well from in here. Take me out.’
Zeke retrieved the green sword from his inventory.
Arataso vibrated, exclaiming loudly.
‘What is that?’
‘That’s what I’m asking you.’
‘No, I mean… that’s a Nephilim! How is it still around?’
‘A Nephilim?’
It was a term Zeke had never heard before.
‘It’s a being born from the “sacred blood” of the celestial realm!’
The Snow Queen looked down at Zeke and spoke again.
[Even when shown mercy, you ungrateful human.]
She spread her wings and ascended into the air.
[I will start with you and then kill all the insignificant humans. Then that wretched Kaishir will have no choice but to come crawling to me.]
“Kaishir?”
A memory flickered in Zeke’s mind.
It was the legend of the “White Witch,” one of the most famous tales of the Hero King Kaishir.
The story told of a white witch who brought eternal winter, freezing the land and water, causing suffering. Kaishir, with his knights, defeated the witch, bringing spring back to the land.
“Could this avatar be the White Witch?”
The Chronicles of Kaishir also mentioned the White Witch.
“Master Kaishir did say he hated the cold, and it was a hassle to deal with her.”
The Snow Queen’s body glowed white, and a blizzard began to swirl around her.
Crack!
Everything caught in the blizzard turned to ice crystals.
Zeke shielded himself with the holy flame.
Even with Hershion’s power, he felt the cold seeping into his body.
“What an intense chill.”
Zeke turned and ran towards the bone wall where Richmond was.
But the wall was already frozen, losing its defensive capability.
Fortunately, the undead were immune to freezing, but their movements had noticeably slowed.
Richmond shouted to Zeke.
“Master! I can’t see anything!”
Warriors from the ice statues charged at Richmond and the undead.
Roaring, the warriors attacked the dragoons.
One of them lunged at Zeke.
A heavy mace swung towards him.
Crash!
Zeke blocked the mace with Roland.
“Haaah!”
With the holy flame, Zeke sliced the warrior in half.
Thud!
But no blood flowed from the warrior’s upper body.
Instead, ice crystals gathered, reattaching the halves and doubling the number of warriors.
“This is insane…”
The two newly formed warriors charged at Zeke.
He struck them with a hammer of light.
Boom!
The powerful light shattered the warriors.
But soon, more warriors formed from the ice crystals.
“I need to take down the avatar.”
As Zeke turned to face the Snow Queen, dozens of ice golems and several ice kings appeared.
Screech!
The ice kings let out chilling screams as they advanced on Zeke.
He retreated, unleashing another hammer of light.
Boom!
The light devastated the area, allowing Zeke to escape.
Looking around, he saw Richmond and the undead struggling to hold back the advancing warriors.
“Master! We’re being overwhelmed!”
Zeke quickly summoned the Kaiman and Gurab units.
Screech!
Gurab swung its massive tail, smashing the warriors against the walls.
But the relentless cold continued to press in.
He felt his body growing sluggish.
Then an idea struck him.
“What if I apply Defense Mode here?”
Zeke shouted urgently.
“Richmond! Create another wall!”
Richmond gathered his magic, forming a bone wall.
Zeke activated Defense Mode through the system, establishing a domain.
[Defense domain established.]
[Updating domain information.]
[Abnormal temperature detected within the domain.]
[Adjusting abnormal temperature using user’s skills: Holy Flame and Magic Reflection.]
Vroom!
A spherical barrier of holy flame formed within the bone wall, repelling the cold.
With the cold gone, Zeke felt his body recovering rapidly.
Thud! Thud!
The system displayed the Defense domain’s status.
The wall’s durability was decreasing.
“System, is there a way to maintain the defense?”
[Utilizing the user’s summoned guardians can enhance defense.]
Zeke had the Guardian Horus from the Celestial Sanctuary and the Guardians Idas and Lynceus from Death Valley.
“Can I use the guardians now?”
[They can be deployed within a limited range.]
Following the system’s guidance, Zeke summoned the guardians.
Vroom!
Guardian Horus, resembling a celestial being, appeared alongside the twin guardians Idas and Lynceus.
[Linking guardians with Defense Mode.]
Horus moved to the bone wall, fixing itself in place, its eyes glowing red.
Zing—
A red beam shot from Horus’s eyes.
The ice golems and ice warriors attacking the bone wall melted away instantly.
At that moment, the twin guardians, Idas and Lynceus, climbed onto the bone wall, securing themselves in place. They extended their hands, conjuring bows and began firing arrows made of light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The light arrows exploded, sweeping away the surrounding monsters with their sheer force.
Watching the guardians in action, Zeke was taken aback by their power.
“So that’s how you use Defense Mode.”
He realized that if Defense Mode were properly utilized in a fortified setting, it could unleash tremendous power. The problem was the enormous mana consumption required to maintain both the guardians and Defense Mode.
“We don’t have much time. We need to finish this quickly.”
Zeke turned to Richmond. “Richmond, hold off the monsters while I take down the avatar.”
“Understood, Master!”
Activating Hersion once more, Zeke soared out of the defense zone on dragon wings. The cold enveloped him again, but he extended his hand, using magic suppression to repel the chill.
Suddenly, something flew towards him from above.
Screech!
The Ice King, riding an ice bird, aimed his staff at Zeke.
Whoosh!
A gust mixed with icy blades rushed towards him. Zeke steadied his breath and unleashed a field of fire.
Fwoosh!
He carefully controlled his power, creating a blue flame, and launched a fiery strike.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The blue flames engulfed the icy wind, melting the Ice King in the process.
Amidst the ice storm, the Snow Queen emerged.
[That flame… Could it be the cursed flame of Kaishir?!]
Zeke charged at the Snow Queen, sword in hand, shouting, “This time, I’ll erase your existence entirely!”
Fwoosh!
The blue flames from Zeke’s sword flew towards the Snow Queen. As the flames wrapped around her, she flapped her two pairs of wings.
[Pathetic fool! I’ll crush you like an insect!]
In her six hands, ice spears materialized. All six spears flew towards Zeke simultaneously.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The very air froze, sharpening and enlarging the ice spears as they flew.
Zeke steadied his breath again, increasing the output of his fire field. The mana consumption was immense, as he was maintaining both the defense zone and the summoned creatures.
The flames surrounding Roland gradually changed color, transforming into pure white flames.
Fwoosh!
In an instant, the white flames enveloped Roland in a dazzling flash.
Zeke launched a strike imbued with the white flames at the incoming ice spears.
Fwoosh!
The essence of pure fire, the white flames, revealed their true form. Like a bird in flight, they swiftly melted the six ice spears and continued towards the Snow Queen.
Fwoosh—
One of the Snow Queen’s arms was caught and engulfed by the white flame bird.
[Aaaah!]
As her arm burned, the queen screamed in agony.
Zeke seized the opportunity. He switched his sword from Roland to Bahamut, summoning his energy.
Vroom!
The aura of the Astral Sword gathered on his blade.
Zeke assumed the stance of the Infinite Sword Technique.
The Astral Sword, a blade that cuts through essence, imbued Bahamut with its power.
Zeke propelled himself forward, charging at the Snow Queen with relentless determination.