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chapter 143
‘……!!’
For a moment, Lee Hyun felt dizzy, as if his mind was spinning.
He had braced himself, but this was not something one could endure simply by resolve.
A tidal wave of divine power, enormous in volume and scale.
Just standing before it made him feel endlessly small.
If swept away, not even a trace of his form would remain.
‘Just a drop of blood caused this much? Then how immense is the true body itself? And Sun Wukong defeated such a Jade Emperor…….’
Moreover, the divine power of the Jade Emperor carried within it the spiritual and magical energy of countless sacrificial offerings drawn for the ritual.
“Zhang Yi-hyuuuuuun!!”
At that moment, Xu Changyou leapt down from the altar, his face twisted in rage.
Shaaak!!
TheJadeEmperorlooksdumbfoundedatyoursuddenintrusion.The Jade Emperor looks dumbfounded at your sudden intrusion.
TheJadeEmperorrevealsdispleasureandattemptstoobstructyou.The Jade Emperor reveals displeasure and attempts to obstruct you.
A blizzard rushed forward.
‘Queen.’
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativegazesatyouwithfrozeneyes.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative gazes at you with frozen eyes.
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativewarnsyouthatthisisonawholedifferentlevelthanthelingeringthoughtsofpreviouslysealedbosses.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative warns you that this is on a whole different level than the lingering thoughts of previously sealed bosses.
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativeasksifyoucantrusther.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative asks if you can trust her.
The Snow Queen had realized what Lee Hyun intended, and asked earnestly.
‘……I still hate you for killing my comrades. No—probably I’ll never forgive you.’
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativenods,sayingsheunderstands.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative nods, saying she understands.
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativesaysshe,too,canneverforgethowyouharmedherretainersandpeople.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative says she, too, can never forget how you harmed her retainers and people.
‘But right now, you are my partner. Once I trust someone, I trust them to the end.’
Lee Hyun took a deep breath.
‘That’s my principle. I got burned badly four years ago, so I’ll be cautious—but it’s still a principle I will never abandon.’
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativefaintlysmiles.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative faintly smiles.
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativeattemptsDivinePowerFreeze!The <Snow Queen>’s narrative attempts Divine Power Freeze!
Hwaaaak!
The tidal wave of divine power was imbued once again with the Queen’s will.
Though the amount was overwhelming, to her it was instead a welcome challenge.
The<SnowQueen>’swilltorebuildherkingdomisstrong.Shebeginsbyabsorbingthemanaofrelicsconnectedtoherselfwithinthedivinepower.The <Snow Queen>’s will to rebuild her kingdom is strong. She begins by absorbing the mana of relics connected to herself within the divine power.
Thenarrative’srankrises.The narrative’s rank rises.
Shehasrestoredthe‘Seung(承)’stageofhernarrative!She has restored the ‘Seung (承)’ stage of her narrative!
Proficiencyin‘Relic:FrostveilBanner’increasesgreatly!Proficiency in ‘Relic: Frostveil Banner’ increases greatly!
The Queen sought to overcome the wave with wisdom—absorbing her own former mana that formed the ritual’s core, elevating her level, and then freezing the divine power.
With Gingoa’s support, it was possible.
Youhaveawakenedtheauxiliaryauthority‘AbsoluteZero’!You have awakened the auxiliary authority ‘Absolute Zero’!
Thus, the very power that once made Xu Changyou a high-ranker now manifested for Lee Hyun as well.
With it, the freeze was completed, locking the divine power deep within the Frostveil Banner.
Lee Hyun drew only the minimal divine power he needed into his mana circuit.
Trait‘CryogenicHuman’activates,restartingcoolingsystems!Trait ‘Cryogenic Human’ activates, restarting cooling systems!
Manacircuitoverloadquicklystabilizes.Mana circuit overload quickly stabilizes.
Thewaveringcoresteadies,reducingfatigue.The wavering core steadies, reducing fatigue.
Fatiguelevel:71,70,69……Fatigue level: 71, 70, 69……
That was enough.
Enough to face Xu Changyou and the Jade Emperor.
Light flared in both his eyes.
Flash!!
But this was not his usual blazing lightning—it was a biting cold light.
“Unseal.”
As he whispered the word like an incantation, somewhere deep within, a hidden switch in his mana circuit clicked.
Click!
CurrentHPisbelow30Current HP is below 30%. Conditions met to activate Cold-Blooded State.
Cold−BloodedCold-Blooded
Activates when HP drops below 30%.
Regardless of prior narrative attributes, all mana attunes to the Ice element, granting access to the Snow Queen’s skills and powers.
-
Type: Trait. Amplifier.
-
Origin: Fairy Tale “The Snow Queen.”
The ultimate trump card—unlocking all of the Snow Queen’s skills and powers.
Finally, he could unleash what he had kept hidden all along.
‘And now, with the Jade Emperor’s divine power absorbed, the Snow Queen’s ceiling has risen dramatically. She hasn’t even restored her narrative to the “Climax” stage, yet she’s already regained nearly her full might!’
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativelaughsheartily,sayingheroldstrengthhasalmostreturned.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative laughs heartily, saying her old strength has almost returned.
Sheremarksthatoncehernarrativeiscomplete,she’llrivaleventheancientdragoncurrentlyhatchingunder<Saheon>.She remarks that once her narrative is complete, she’ll rival even the ancient dragon currently hatching under <Saheon>.
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativeexpressesgratitudetoyou.The <Snow Queen>’s narrative expresses gratitude to you.
Her messages overflowed with joy.
Lee Hyun recalled four years ago—the wall that had stopped him and the Cheongroe unit.
The Queen’s eyes as she sat upon her Frozen Throne, gazing down upon the world.
‘Authority:Cold−Blooded’activates.Youareassimilatedintothe<SnowQueen>’snarrative.‘Authority: Cold-Blooded’ activates. You are assimilated into the <Snow Queen>’s narrative.
Thenorthwindandsnowstormsrage!The north wind and snowstorms rage!
AuxiliaryabilityofAbsoluteZeroapplies.Auxiliary ability of Absolute Zero applies.
Whooooom!!
A storm of freezing air spread outward from Lee Hyun.
“……!?”
Xu Changyou, who had already closed the distance, suddenly found Lee Hyun’s hand reaching for him.
His eyes widened.
Lee Hyun had recreated the Absolute Zero power he thought only he possessed.
Kwooooom!!
“……Tch!”
Mana clashed against mana.
The blizzard surged upward into the sky.
Their power was nearly equal—but Xu Changyou faltered, staggering backward, sucking in a sharp breath.
His right arm was frozen solid.
It quickly crumbled into powder, but—
“What the hell did you do, Zhang Yi-hyun!!”
The curse of frost that had seeped into his body was far more vicious than before.
The curse would not melt.
“What, you’re shocked by just that? Your core isn’t even frozen yet.”
But all he received was Lee Hyun’s mocking remark.
“You……!!”
“Strange though. The toxicity should be worse than before, but the pain? Shouldn’t be much different from the old version.”
Lee Hyun smirked slyly.
“Don’t tell me…… you’re really in that much pain already?”
“……!!”
“Then I’m disappointed in you, Changyou.”
Whooosh!
The blizzard around Lee Hyun intensified.
His hair turned silver, like the Snow Queen’s.
His eyes gleamed like carved ice—his smile cold, his face merciless.
“I endured it for four whole years. I thought you crushed curses like this easily, the way you always boasted. Guess not?”
“You……”
“In the end, you’re not much after all.”
Shaaak—
This time Lee Hyun moved first.
No weapon in hand.
Only the Frostveil Banner blazing.
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativeraisestherankof‘FrostveilBanner.’The <Snow Queen>’s narrative raises the rank of ‘Frostveil Banner.’
ColdResistance(SS)ascendstoColdAssimilation(SSS),grantingdominanceovericeproperties!Cold Resistance (SS) ascends to Cold Assimilation (SSS), granting dominance over ice properties!
“Shut up!!”
Xu Changyou ripped off his crown and ceremonial robe, which hindered his movement.
Crack-crack-crack—
From the tattoos embedded in both his hands burst forth transparent white ice swords.
The Glass Swords (Liuli Jian).
The relics he had stolen from the <Ice Palace>.
The<SnowQueen>’snarrativerecognizesherroyalscepter,andbegsyoutoreclaimit!The <Snow Queen>’s narrative recognizes her royal scepter, and begs you to reclaim it!
“Let’s see if you can keep running your mouth after I tear it open!”
Rage twisted Xu Changyou’s features.
Claaang!!
The twin glass swords vibrated violently, as if echoing his fury.
Xu Changyou fell for Lee Hyun’s taunt all too easily—because of an inferiority complex he had never overcome, even as a high-ranker.
Even though he had grown stronger than Jet from four years ago, even though he had built Pingxin far larger than Cheongroe’s unit, he was still trapped in that moment of the past.
No matter what he achieved, the thought that it hadn’t been earned in a fair fight tormented him.
At least he had found solace watching Lee Hyun’s life collapse, telling himself he was different from that fool.
But now—Lee Hyun had returned, stronger than ever.
He had gathered his comrades.
He had powerful backing.
Faith. Fame. Background. Strength.
In none of these was Xu Changyou superior.
And now even his specialty—ice—was being contested.
He had lived with pride as the world’s greatest ice sorcerer.
With relics from a 4-star dungeon, he believed he held an unrivaled position.
Yet Lee Hyun had struck at his last remaining pride, declaring it false.
‘Still… at least in combat skills, I……!’
Shaaak!
The glass sword scraped across the ice floor and sprang diagonally upward, a sharp, strange motion.
Lee Hyun twisted his body to evade.
‘Got you.’
Xu Changyou sneered.
He was confident in his martial and weapon skills. Even back in the academy and Cheongroe days, his grades had far surpassed Lee Hyun’s, and he had never ceased to train since.
Moreover, the glass swords were unique weapons—an odd soldier’s tool. Dodging once wasn’t enough; they could be fired like hidden weapons.
Boom!!
They were forged of transparent ice—hard to detect, razor-sharp, deadly.
One of them would pierce Lee Hyun’s forehead—
“So these are the Glass Swords?”
“……!!”
The launched sword was caught in Lee Hyun’s hand.
How had he noticed? Even Peng Jinghao hadn’t detected this hidden-weapon technique.
“I barely remembered what they looked like at the time…… but thanks to you, I learned something interesting.”
Lee Hyun gripped the dagger-sized glass sword in reverse and slashed quickly.
Claaang!!
The sword, strengthened with new frost, grew harder than before, its transparency making it nearly invisible.
Swift, decisive cuts—brilliant swordplay.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Xu Changyou’s arms and legs were driven into disarray.
‘……Me……!’
Lee Hyun’s offensive was sharp, precise—so much so it was hard to believe it was him.
Had he trained under some master?
Even his instincts surpassed Xu Changyou’s.
Crunch—
A newly drawn glass sword of Xu Changyou’s shattered under the pressure.
Thud!
Lee Hyun’s glass sword stabbed into his left shoulder.
‘……Me!’
Crackle-crackle—
At once, the frost curse spread rapidly.
His mana circuit was moments away from freezing. The agony made his vision blur.
His last confidence, the one area he thought he excelled over Lee Hyun, was denied.
Despair—and fear—gripped his spine.
Swoosh!
Fwoooosh—
Without hesitation, Xu Changyou severed his own left arm.
He could not fall here.
He had to climb higher.
No—he had to surpass Lee Hyun.
“At last…… let’s end this.”
Lee Hyun’s icy gaze no longer even truly saw him.
Instead, he looked past him.
And in that instant, Xu Changyou realized.
He had thought himself further ahead—but he was still trapped in the past, four years ago.
Lee Hyun, whom he thought had been frozen in time, had walked four years forward.
That decided their fates.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
Glass swords pierced Xu Changyou’s body in rapid succession.
As the dreadful curse froze his joints and circuits—
Crack!!
At last, Lee Hyun’s glass sword pierced his heart.
“……Guh.”
The frost curse surged again. His frozen mana no longer functioned; his heartbeat slowed.
“H-how…… you……!”
Trapped in an icy coffin, Xu Changyou forced his voice out.
His vision blurred, frost clouding even his retina—he could hardly see Lee Hyun’s face before him.
He remembered Lee Hyun losing his eyes in the Ice Palace.
Was he now suffering the same fate?
He wanted to ask—how had Lee Hyun escaped that hellish time?
But before he could—
“I was trapped too, in that time. Just like you. No—far deeper. Because I bound even myself.”
Lee Hyun’s calm words seemed to answer his thoughts.
“But…….”
“But you were alone. I wasn’t.”
“……!”
Xu Changyou lifted his head weakly, as if struck.
“I had people who would always pull me out, no matter how far I fell. You never kept anyone like that.”
“……”
“That’s the difference between us.”
“Hah……”
Xu Changyou let out a hollow laugh.
“The…… weak’s…… pathetic…… excuse……”
Even in the end, he refused to admit his fault. With a sneer still on his lips, the ice closed up to his chin.
And just before his last breath—
Crunch!
Lee Hyun swung the recovered axe, crushing his skull.
Shatter—!
Like glass breaking, Xu Changyou’s body shattered into pieces.
“The weak one is you—dying here.”
Lee Hyun’s gaze as he watched his foe’s end was cold as ice.
