Chapter 53: Wrath of the Frost Monarch
Inside the Pluvius Palace, Fiona slammed her palm onto the table in a fit of rage, the wood splintering and shattering under the force of her blow.
"What do we do now?" Seraphina’s expression was grim. "Frost Monarch is clearly retaliating against us."
Fiona let out a cold snort. "I doubt it’s that simple. Based on what I know of him, he isn't the type to act without a clear profit in sight. He wouldn't strike out of nowhere like this; there must be a reason."
"Could it be... that little bitch Leona?"
Fiona shook her head. "Unlikely. I suspect it’s Tiana."
"So, Frost Monarch has sided with her?" Seraphina’s worry deepened. "Tiana’s influence is already reaching its zenith. If she has his support on top of that..."
Fiona’s gaze turned cold and calculating.
"Frost Monarch is nothing more than a gluttonous opportunist. As long as the price is right, he’ll work for us just as easily."
"But he killed—"
Fiona raised a hand to cut Seraphina off.
"Corvus the Guide knew too many of my secrets. It’s just as well that he’s dead. As for Frost Monarch... the fact that the Ruins of the Frost-Corpse couldn't contain him makes him the biggest wild card in the upcoming Throne War."
Seraphina looked surprised. "He’s just an Adventurer. Is he really that formidable?"
"We’ll see," Fiona sneered. "If he becomes a problem we can't buy, then we’ll simply have to dispose of Tiana."
It wasn't just the Queen’s faction; power players across the Astral Kingdom were reeling from the news, many deeply shaken by the shift in the political landscape.
At the Black-Wind Stronghold, Liam began looting the body after killing Corvus.
System: You have obtained Skill Tome +5.
System: You have obtained Equipment +13.
System: You have obtained 50 AP.
System: You have obtained Abyssal Decree +1.
System: You have obtained...
Items appeared one after another. Liam’s haul was substantial; the skills and gear Corvus dropped were top-tier. While the quantity wasn't massive, the quality was exceptional.
The skills were mostly large-scale area-of-effect (AoE) spells for the Mage class. Out of the thirteen pieces of equipment, there was one Gold Grade weapon, five Silver Grade pieces, and seven Bronze pieces. Although they weren't part of a set, they were still highly valuable.
Unfortunately, they all required Level 50 to equip, meaning he couldn't use them yet. Furthermore, since they were all Mage-specific, they were useless to him personally.
Then there was the AP. Liam’s pool was growing exponentially; he had already accumulated 1,350 points, a staggering amount by any standard.
Finally, there was the Abyssal Decree.
Abyssal Decree (Special)
Effect: A secret order from the Nether-kin. Carrying this allows the holder to enter the Abyssal Capital directly and grants immunity to the effects of Abyssal Miasma.
Durability: 100
The Nether-kin lived in the Umbral Kingdom, a realm over ten times larger than the Astral Kingdom. It was a place teeming with powerful entities and hidden opportunities. However, the Umbral Kingdom was saturated with Abyssal Miasma, which caused continuous health loss and inflicted various debuffs.
In the early stages of the game, very few players dared to enter. Without a way to counter the Miasma, they would die within minutes.
Liam stowed the items away. Now, it was time to collect his reward from Tiana. Clues regarding the Blessing of the Gods were invaluable to him, provided she wasn't playing games. He knew how easily "clues" could be manipulated—sometimes the information provided was correct, but the item was impossible to obtain through conventional means.
Before he could go looking for her, Tiana found him.
"You’re faster than I expected," she said, looking at him with genuine appreciation. "Here is the reward I promised."
She tapped the air, and a notification flashed before Liam's eyes.
System: You have completed Tiana's Quest.
System: You have obtained seven clues regarding the Blessing of the Gods. In the Astral Kingdom, the following individuals possess the prerequisite Quest Scrolls: Tiana, Seraphina, Leona, Fiona, King Abraham, Grand Chancellor Kaslow, and Grand Marshal Alistair Thorne.
Liam frowned. This information felt practically useless.
"Since you know what I’m after, why not just give me the Quest Scroll in your possession?"
Tiana shook her head. "I can give it to you, but not yet."
Liam’s brow furrowed further.
"Killing Corvus was a start," Tiana continued, "but as a show of loyalty, I’m afraid it isn’t enough."
"What else do you want me to do?" Liam asked.
Tiana paused, considering her words. "I haven't decided yet. However, I know the Queen is hiding more than she lets on. Keep an eye on her for me."
"Fine. Is this a formal quest, or a personal favor?"
"A favor?" Tiana let out a non-committal laugh. "You truly are insatiable."
"Am I? I'm an Adventurer. To us, you and your lot are just passing travelers in our journey."
Tiana stepped closer, her faint, delicate fragrance drifting toward him. "Just travelers? I wonder if that’s true. If I become Queen, I will lead the Astral Kingdom through its Kingdom Ascension."
Liam was genuinely surprised. Kingdom Ascension was similar to a Fiefdom's promotion—it meant elevating the realm to the next tier. And the tier above a Kingdom was an Empire.
The difference in power between the two was astronomical. While Tiana spoke of it casually, Liam knew that achieving Ascension was an almost impossible feat.
"What? You don't believe me?" Tiana circled him, moving behind his back. "My Goddess is nearing her Resurgence. Between my preparations and my coronation, the Ascension of the Astral Kingdom is an inevitability."
Liam fought the urge to laugh. He knew the Frost Goddess’s soul was shattered. Even if her spirit could eventually reform through her Divinity, it would take ages while in a Sealed State. Moreover, even a reformed soul couldn't break the seal from the inside.
As for anyone else trying to help, the difficulty was insurmountable. The Traces of the Frost-Corpse dungeon was brutal; Liam estimated that the seal could only be interacted with on Hell Difficulty. Much like his encounter with the Hydra-Cypress in the Novice Village, no one in his past life had ever reached it because Hell Difficulty was simply too punishing for the vast majority of players.
"If you can pull off an Ascension, then congratulations," Liam said. "If you can't, it doesn't really affect me."
"That’s true enough," Tiana agreed. "But it affects me deeply. Everyone else is a piece on my board, moved according to my design. But you... you are the only variable I didn't account for."
Liam’s eyes narrowed as a sense of foreboding washed over him. Almost instinctively, he triggered Void Blink.
Boom!
A Mystic Ice Formation erupted exactly where he had been standing a split second ago. Liam glared at Tiana. "Killing me won't do you any good. I'll just respawn. It won't change anything for me."
Tiana nodded calmly. "You would respawn, certainly. But what if I simply removed you from the Astral Kingdom entirely?"
As she spoke, Mystic Ice Formations materialized beneath Liam’s feet, above his head, and all around him.
"Mystic Ice: Freeze!" Tiana commanded.
Suddenly, nine generals clad in silver armor charged forward. A frigid chill swept through the air, threatening to lock Liam in a block of ice.
Unfortunately for Tiana, she could never have imagined that Liam possessed total immunity to frost damage—and by extension, the frozen status effect.
"Tiana!" Liam’s voice was icy. "You’re courting death. You had a winning hand, but you made the fatal mistake of crossing me!"
A murderous glint flashed in Liam’s eyes. He had planned to play the long game, but if Tiana wanted to die today, he would be happy to oblige.
In a heartbeat, he dumped 785 AP into his Attack Speed, pushing the stat to a flat 20. He stopped there because, past 20, the diminishing returns kicked in hard—one AP would only grant a measly 0.005 increase.
"Quintuple Shot!"
Ignoring the ice, Liam unfurled his Glacial Wings. With an Attack Speed of 20, he unleashed a torrential downpour of over a hundred arrows per second.
Tiana’s face paled. "Crowd control immunity? That’s impossible!"
Her plan was simple: ambush him, freeze him, and use a specialized teleportation scroll to exile him from the kingdom. Without Liam as a wild card, her path to the throne would be guaranteed. But now, she had no time for calculations. The sky was filled with Liam’s arrows.
She blurred into motion, dodging the projectiles while a Mystic Ice Greatsword materialized in her hand. She swung the massive blade, sending waves of sword qi tearing through the sky toward Liam.
Liam retreated steadily, his hands a blur as he continued the bombardment. No matter how strong Tiana was, she couldn't tank a focused assault from a berserk Liam indefinitely. However, the sheer volume of her sword qi made it impossible for him to dodge everything. He used his Glacial Wings to weave through the gaps as best he could.
"God-Blessed: Seal of Eternal Frost!"
Tiana wasn't one to hesitate. After suppressing Liam with her sword qi, she raised her hand. A massive frost seal descended from the heavens, carrying a weight that seemed capable of crushing the world itself.
Liam sneered. So she had God-Blessed equipment from the Frost Goddess? No wonder she was so confident. But if the Goddess herself couldn't handle him, what hope did Tiana have?
Facing the Seal of Eternal Frost, Liam didn't even bother to dodge. He simply kept firing. Tiana, occupied with controlling the seal, couldn't defend herself properly, but her nine generals stepped in. They formed a wall in front of her, using every skill at their disposal to intercept the arrows.
Liam’s gaze grew deep and cold. He didn't stop.
BOOM!
The frost seal crashed down on him.
-0!!
The glaring white number left Tiana and her generals stunned. A God-Blessed strike had dealt zero damage.
"Retreat!" Tiana hissed, her face contorting. She had a suspicion now, one she desperately didn't want to believe.
Frost Immunity.
It was a terrifying trait. Could the Frost Goddess grant such a thing? Yes, but only to her true successor. Was this man her chosen heir? Tiana refused to accept it. She had always believed she was the one destined for that legacy. What right did this Adventurer have to take it from her?
"You think you can just leave?" Liam’s voice was like a winter gale. His Attack Speed was at its limit, his arrows a continuous stream of death.
System: You have slain Silver Grade General Wade Volkov. A server-wide broadcast is about to commence. Do you wish to hide your name?
System: You have slain Silver Grade General Wolf Volkov...
System: You have slain Silver Grade General Winston Volkov...
Under the relentless hail of arrows, some generals were simply overwhelmed by raw damage, while others were instantly executed by the Death Cycle. All nine Silver Grade generals fell, one after another. At a hundred arrows per second, even without critical hits, the damage output exceeded twenty million. Even without triggering the Death Cycle, these generals never stood a chance.
Watching her elite guard being slaughtered like cattle, Tiana’s expression turned deathly grim. She took a step back, mounting a flying sword, and vanished toward the horizon in a streak of light.
Liam’s eyes burned with killing intent. He pulled out the Tome of Mortality and scribbled Tiana’s name across the page.
Miles away, the fleeing Tiana watched her health bar plummet.
-45,998
-45,998
The massive DoT (damage over time) terrified her. She pushed her speed to the limit, streaking back to the Royal Palace and diving into the Royal Altar.
Inside the Palace’s Altar of Restoration—a facility far superior to a player’s Altar of Rebirth—her stats began to recover rapidly. As long as she stayed inside the Altar, Liam’s damage wouldn't kill her.
But if she was forced to hide in the Altar indefinitely, her chances of seizing the throne were effectively over.
Tiana sat in the Altar, her face twisted in a mask of loathing. "How? It’s impossible. Why would the Goddess groom him as her successor?"
She had calculated everything. She had even brought nine Silver Grade generals to ensure a perfect capture. All she had needed was to freeze him for a moment to send him away. Instead, she had returned in a humiliating defeat. And she was still losing health from a source she couldn't identify.
What hurt the most, however, was the realization that he was immune to her element. It was proof that he had inherited the Goddess’s legacy.
As Tiana spiraled into dark thoughts, the server-wide broadcasts began to chime repeatedly.
Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch for slaying Silver Grade General Wade Volkov! A monumental feat!
Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch for slaying Silver Grade General Wolf Volkov...
The advance reading chapters on have reached 12chapters. Thank you for reading!
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