Chapter 258. Above the Frozen Land (9)
Chapter 258. Above the Frozen Land (9)
Lespina had violet hair, light-blue skin, and frightening white irises. Setting these aside, she could be called a beauty by human standard. However, her racial characteristics stood out too much and made her look like a monster than a woman.
When I pointed my spear towards her, she suddenly started a conversation.
[Hero, answer me. You’ve been to the Luka continent, haven’t you?]
“Haaaap!”
I ignored her and charged forward. After quickly shooting the aura remaining at my spear tip, I gathered nearby elementals and lengthened my spear blade.
“Elemental Blade!”
[Hic, I hate myself for riding this again.]
[Why are you crying? It’s a fun joy ride!]
[Roller coaster!]
[I told you, your skills won’t work against me!]
It seemed she wasn’t limited to using her power as she held up her sword against me. Although the blade made from Elemental Blade got shorter, I continued to charge towards her. When I used it, I had already assumed she would cancel it. Finding out that her power couldn’t completely cancel my skills was an unexpected benefit.
Lespina seemed to know that too, as she bit her lips and pointed her sword towards me. If this was all there was to her power, she wouldn’t have been able to use a piece of Antarctica as a vehicle.
[You won’t even have time to feel pain!]
A white aura erupted from her body. In an instant, I was surrounded by an incredible freezing energy. It was hard to resist it even with Ruyue’s power.
“Ruyue.”
[I’ve been waiting.]
Ruyue seemed to be feeling our opponent’s power as she immediately infused herself into my armor at my call. I then infused Sharana into my spear.
[What about me, Master?]
“You come inside my body, Peika.”
[Got it!]
When I used the three elemental simultaneously as Spirit Auras, a huge amount of mana was consumed. With the mana I poured into Wind King’s Rage earlier, I had to draw Peruta Circuit to its limit to keep up with the amount I spent.
Of course, with my boundless mana numbering 200,000 MP, I didn’t really worry no matter how much mana I used. As long as I had my mana potions, that is! While she looked at me with a shocked face, I took out about ten of the highest grade mana potions, putting one in my mouth and putting the rest between my belt. It was preparation in case she could seal my inventory like worlds’ enemies.
Well, I suspected she couldn’t. To confirm my suspicion, I held up my spear again.
[Elementals… As I thought, you are…]
“Huaaaap! Whirlpool of chaos!”
I didn’t use Peika’s energy, but rather ignited chaos flames and strengthened it with Mad Typhoon. When Sharana’s power was added and a whirlpool of white flames surged, she shouted once again. This time, with a hand gesture.
[I already said it’s useless!]
Feeling the energy sweeping over me, I nodded. I could somewhat feel the extent of its power. Although it couldn’t harm me directly, this power had the ability to drive away the power that wasn’t mine.
Rather than a curse, this power was more similar to a blessing. I deduced that it was the ability to turn all things into its pure state. In that case, I could see how she destroyed the Event Dungeons, as Event Dungeons were artificial prisons created by the Dungeon Lord, Sherafina, over the pathways broken through by demons.
Likewise, the power possessed by explorers didn’t belong to them. It was a power refined by the dungeon so that explorers could more easily wield it. Through the dungeon’s power, it was forcefully made to fit explorers’ bodies. It was still a genuine power, but it was still not a power purely honed by its user. I recently began to break out of this fence, so I realized what her power was doing.
However, this flame, the chaos flame…!
“Even a fistful of this flame will hurt a lot!”
[If you can burn me with that puny flame, try it!]
The whirlpool of flames surrounding my spear was far smaller than it was initially. Lotte and I charged towards Lespina with no hesitation, and Lespina swung her sword filled with freezing energy.
[Freeze!]
“Ha!”
I snorted and received her sword with my spear. In an instant, a terrifying amount of steam rose up.
[I can see why you’re arrogant! But your flame still won’t work against me!]
“Let’s see if you can!”
When her sword blocked my spear, I pulled back immediately and attacked her shoulders. Retrieving my spear and quickly attacking again was something I’ve been doing before I ever entered the dungeon. At my current level, my quick stab didn’t allow her to defend.
[As if that’ll work!]
However, just before my spear pierced her shoulder, ice shot up from her shoulder and blocked it. Wrapped in chaos flames, my spear clashed with her ice, with only foggy steam being the result.
[This is all you can do as a Hero!? That’s why you ran when you faced His Highness Demon Lord! I’ll freeze you and offer you to His Highness!]
“Frozen meat doesn’t taste good!”
Although I rebutted nonchalantly, her freezing energy was truly terrifying! Its power was easy to see. After all, it was what froze an entire continent! The moment Ruyue left my armor, it might be able to freeze me in an instant.
I vehemently thrusted my spear and stopped her sword in its tracks. Steam continually rose and surrounded us, but neither Lespina nor I were rookies who would have our visions hindered by mere steam. At some point, Lespina seemed to have noticed that she wasn’t in her usual condition.
[You, you have Evil Eyes!]
“Were you so slow that you just noticed?”
[You think Evil Eyes of that caliber can slow me? Looks like you got your position as a Hero through a talking contest!]
Lespina’s movements suddenly became stronger. She injected a large amount of freezing energy into her sword and smacked away my spear. Then, she leaped up by kicking off the air. I encouraged Lotte to not give her any time to prepare her skill.
“Lotte, charge as quickly as you can!”
[Understood, Hero!]
I immediately activated Divine Speed and lowered my upper body. Lotte immediately radiated a dazzling golden light and accelerated towards Lespina!
As a Blaze Queen, Lotte had a close affinity to light and flame. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that she was the mixture of light and flame given form. If flame was the symbol of destruction, then the light was the symbol of incredible speed! Her instant acceleration was just as quick as my Divine Speed skill. The day the Lava King became Laki, her technique that pierced through the Lava King was also the result of this aspect of hers. As such, the moment Lespina shot up, we were soon catching up with her.
[Kuk!]
“Die!”
With chaos flames and the mass acceleration from Lotte’s charge, the Chaotic Spear carried a terrifying power as it shot towards Lespina. It seemed she didn’t expect that I’d chase after her so quickly. Unfortunately, her magic didn’t seem to require a long cast time.
[Shin!]
“Kuk!”
My spear stopped in its path. It was only a span of a hand away from Lespina. Could she have been quicker than me? No, that’s impossible. It was just that Lotte and I had been frozen.
I realized now that the crystals of ice left in Lespina’s path had swarmed towards us and restrained us. Although they were carrying a terrifying energy, they had hidden it while I was charging forward and had suddenly released it when enough crystals gathered.
[Huhu, that’s right!]
“Ku…”
[The air is strange! The air in this area must freeze whatever is in it!]
Ruyue screamed and radiated a large amount of light. Lotte also released terrifying flames she normally kept stored in her body and melted the ice covering us. Although we succeeded in defrosting ourselves before we were attacked… We had to accept that she pulled one over us. To think she’d leave a hidden magic in the air knowing that we’d chase after her!
[You can die now!]
“As if I’ll get hit by that a second time!”
A white light shot out from her body. I immediately used Ruyue’s power and created a large ice barrier around us.
[Lotte, push through! The ice barrier will block her ice!]
[Kuaaaaang!]
Lotte seemed unhappy that she, a Blaze Queen, had been frozen even for a moment, as she let out a long howl and rushed forward. Before I noticed it, the ice barrier created by Ruyue’s power was cut in half by Lespina’s sword, and my spear barely stopped her sword in time.
[Kuk, all you have is brute force!]
“Huaaaaap!”
I couldn’t let her fall back. I frantically pushed closer towards her. By continuously using Divine Speed, I attacked with my spear at a speed she couldn’t keep up. However, just like before, ice armor appeared just when my spear was about to reach her, protecting her.
To prevent my spear from losing speed due to ice, I endlessly poured mana into Chaotic Spear. However, none of my attacks had a great effect. Even though I had far surpassed her reaction speed, she just had too much mana in her body!
“How old are you? When were you born?”
[I was strong from the moment I was born! I could be born because of His Highness’ overwhelming power! My birth became the starting signal for His Highness Demon Lord’s plan to conquer all worlds, and his plan will succeed! Hero, killing you and taking your world’s power will be the first step to that goal!]
She didn’t just stand around and get hit by my spear. Though slower, she also attacked with her sword. I blocked her attack with Ruyue’s power covering my armor, but I couldn’t stop damage from building up. Although I fiercely thrust my spear towards her chest and used Lightning Spear Storm, the skill wasn’t activated properly, as expected. This ability of hers was truly irritating.
She endlessly poured her unique energy towards me and spoke.
[Huhu, it’s getting harder and harder to use the dungeon’s power, right? This power was given to me to destroy you, Hero, and all those related to the dungeon!]
“You’re going to die here, so dream on!”
[I’m going to die here? … You’ll be the one who will die, Hero!]
At the same time that she shouted and slashed down with her sword, the mana inside her exploded fiercely. A truly absolute freezing energy!
“Ruyue, Sharana!”
[I’m already ready!]
[I’ll empower Ruyue!]
In an instant, a barrier was created around Lotte and me. However, it wasn’t enough to block her attack. The barrier was slowly broken, and Lotte spoke out in anger.
[A mere demon dares to attack Hero and me! Kuaaaaak!]
Lotte breathed out flames that looked like light! Lespina’s freezing energy, which had penetrated Ruyue and Sharana’s barrier, clashed with Lotte’s dazzling breath. At that moment, someone approached me from behind.
“I’ll help Daddy!”
“Ina!”
In this potentially dire situation, where extreme freezing energy was clashing with extreme heat, I smiled at Ina. I sounded calm, even in this situation.
[Your daughter is also that strong? Earth’s power is strangely high…! Still, it’s useless in front of my power!]
“You should only be able to nullify the dungeon’s power!”
I rebutted and ignited aura around my spear. At the same time, I spoke to Ina.
“Ina, Daddy will take care of that woman. Ina should go help other members of Revival.”
“Daddy will fight alone?”
“Of course, she’s nothing. Plus… it might get a bit dangerous. Leave the aerial battle to Laki and go fight the demons on land with Mommy. Got it?”
“Un! I’ll tell Mommy!”
Ina was too innocent and kind. She nodded without a shred of doubt and turned around. At that moment, a spear of ice shot next to me. Its speed was so terrifying that I almost missed it.
[I’ll kill your daughter first!]
“Good joke.”
However, I wasn’t worried. If I thought Ina’s life was in danger, I would have made her fall back the moment she arrived. Though I told her to go back, it was only because she couldn’t win against Lespina. Even so, Ina would never die to Lespina. Rather than believing that she could, it was more believable hearing that Walker died in a goblin’s ambush.
“Dangerous. Mean. That was really mean.”
Ina touched the ice spear with her finger and easily lifted it up. Even though it was under Lespina’s command, the ice spear followed Ina’s commands like a docile sheep.
[What…!?]
That was a realm of dominance that couldn’t be explained with mana. I didn’t know how it was possible, but in the past, even without the dungeon’s help, Ina was able to match evenly with Hwaya and me. Now that she’d become a Gold ranked explorer, her control over ice was unmatched by anyone else.
“Actually, I want to be with Daddy. I’ll punish evil people.”
“But, Ina, with your power…”
“Skadi.”
In an instant, an immense freezing energy swirled around Ina. Though somewhat similar to Lespina’s, the energy that swirled around Ina was holier. Ina looked up with her eyes dyed blue. The ice spear in her hand instantly split into thousands and hovered in air. The sky, which had been Lespina’s territory, had now become Ina’s.
All freezing energy belonged to Ina, and her breath became freezing energy and gathered in midair.
The air transformed. Until now, it felt like the world was hostile, but now, it felt like the world had become my ally.
Ina raised her finger and pointed to Lespina. With just that, the freezing energy in her body scattered. It was so incredulous that I burst into laughter.
“If you bully Daddy, you’re a meanie! If you bully me, you’re a meanie! If you bully Daddy and me, you’re an even bigger meanie! I’ll punish you!”
[Impossible… A little brat!?]
She was a child given an even greater blessing and curse of ice than the ice elemental Ruyue.
… And the fifth member of Revival to have obtained a god’s true name.
Tell me about these things sooner, Ina!