“A Sovereign?!” the panicked voice of my not-so-helpful prince companion rang out in my mind as I turned on the video.
If I die here, at least it counts.
“Uhm, hello, lady spirit. Nice to meet you?” I tried, forcing an awkward smile despite the icy terror crawling up my spine. “I’m called Charlie.”
The towering spirit exhaled a frosty breath, a hurricane of ice and wind that sent me skidding backward, my heels barely catching purchase on the frozen ground.
I love these new heels!
“Nice to meet you, Charlie,” she intoned, her voice a chilling melody that echoed through the air. Her translucent form shimmered brighter, her ethereal gaze locking onto me. “Take the art of Frost Weaving... And now... survive..”
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The system’s warnings flashed wildly in front of me, spewing some nonsense about an illegal approach. Yeah, yeah, I’m not supposed to be here. Got that already.
“Silence,” I hissed, using the keyword to shut it up.
Her power struck me like a drunken Irishman, the sheer force slamming into my body and flinging me backward. I felt the air rush past me as I flew at an impossible speed, the world around me a blur of frost and snow.
And then… something tugged at my mind. A surge of mana coursed through me, raw and ferocious, a torrent as wild and unconquerable as the Sovereign herself.
“Wait, wait, wait!” I finally shouted, twisting midair to orient myself. The power stopped me; my feet hit solid ground—barely—heels digging in, and I glanced around, my heart pounding in my chest.
We were standing on a frost-bitten plateau, the vast expanse of an arctic island spreading out before me. The ground beneath me was a patchwork of rugged ice and snow-covered rock, glittering like a fractured crystal. Shards of frost jutted upward in sharp, unnatural formations, as if the earth itself had frozen mid-battle.
Probably did.
To the east, towering glaciers loomed, their icy faces reflecting the light like massive mirrors. The wind howled through the landscape, carrying with it the frightening sound of ice groaning and shifting.
I had little time to admire the stunning landscape because the Sovereign decided I needed company. Five frost statues began to take shape in front of me, their icy forms shimmering like shards of broken glass under the light.
Each one was different, but they shared the same unnatural threat, like frozen predators waiting to strike. “Go,” Soverign permitted.
So they did.
The first shard whistled past my ear, so close that I swore I could hear the air scream in protest. A second wave came from the left, icy projectiles that blurred as they sliced toward me.
I stumbled, slipping on the slick, frozen ground, and barely managed to throw up a shield of ice in time.
What? Since when… The Sovereign!
It was created on instict; the impact sent vibrations up my arms, and I winced. My barrier cracked but held, the shards splintering harmlessly.
The cold wasn’t just biting now—it was alive. It wrapped around me, clawing at my skin, seeping into my bones, and stealing my breath. Above me, a blizzard howled down with a ferocity I’d never felt before. Each snowflake wasn’t soft—it was sharp, like tiny blades eager to carve me apart.
“Great! Love a fair fight!” I shouted through gritted teeth, my voice barely audible over the roar of the storm. I rolled to the side as another barrage of shards came hurtling my way, the icy missiles embedding themselves in the ground where I’d just been.
I had no time to think.
My body reacted on instinct. I slammed my hands down, and a wall of ice erupted in front of me, deflecting another attack. The force of the impact shattered the wall, sending shards flying into the air, glinting like diamonds before they vanished into the snowstorm.
That’s new.
“Okay, Charlie,” I muttered, trying to catch my breath as I dodged another volley of attacks. “Stop being impressed by yourself and focus.”
The first statue lunged forward, wielding jagged blades of ice for arms. I decided to name it Shardy, because why not? Shardy was determined to turn me into a human pincushion, and I wasn’t in the mood to oblige.
I ducked, narrowly avoiding one of its swings, but my feet slipped on the frost-coated ground, sending me sprawling. “Ugh, come on!” I groaned, scrambling to my knees.
A sharp pain shot up my side where I’d landed—only to be fixed by quick heal.
Shardy wasted no time, leaping toward me with both blades raised. I thrust my hand forward, willing my mana to respond, and a cluster of shards erupted from my palm. The projectiles struck its torso, sending it staggering back, but it didn’t fall.
Behind me, I could hear the blizzard intensifying.
A cyclone of frost was forming—Blizzy, I decided to call it—its swirling winds pulling at my dress and pelting me with shards of ice. The cold stung like needles against my skin, and I could barely keep my footing.
With a growl, I slammed my foot into the ground, and a pillar of ice shot up beneath me, launching me clumsily out of Blizzy’s grasp as I desperately clasped the edge to not fall.
If I keep this power, this needs to be polished.
“Up we go!” I shouted, my breath visible in the freezing air. From my perch, I could see Melty—another statue—leaving a trail of slush in its wake as it advanced.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Melty, I hate your stupid puddles!” I yelled, conjuring a storm of shards and hurling them toward it. The shards collided with its body, cracking its icy surface, but it kept stubbornly moving.
Below me, the pillar crumbled under the combined assault of the statues. I leaped down, landing awkwardly and skidding on the frozen ground. Pain shot through my ankle, but I forced myself to keep moving.
Pointy—the most annoying of the lot—was circling me, firing a barrage of spikes that I barely blocked with a hastily conjured shield. “Come on, Pointy!” I gritted my teeth, hurling the shield at it like a battering ram.
It struck home, sending shards of Pointy’s body flying, but it wasn’t enough to take it down.
The blizzard thickened, the air so cold now that it burned my lungs with every breath. My fingers were stiff, my movements sluggish. I crouched low, wrapping a shield of frost around myself to block the relentless storm.
You can do this, Charlie. Just keep moving.
The first crack of victory came when one of my stray shards struck Jumpy—the most agile of the statues—dead center. Its form splintered, the cracks spreading like spiderwebs before it exploded into a fine mist.
“One down!” I shouted, spinning to face the others.
Shardy lunged at me again, its blade slashing through the air. I ducked just in time and retaliated with a spike of ice that pierced its torso. It froze—literally—for a moment before crumbling into shards.
“Two! Who’s next?” I taunted, breathless but determined.
Blizzy’s cyclone was still raging, but I could see its core now.
Raising both hands, I focused a sizeable chunk of my mana into a barrage of ice lances and sent them hurtling toward the swirling mass. The first few bounced off, but the rest struck true, piercing the heart of the storm. The winds faltered, then stopped entirely as Blizzy shattered into glittering fragments.
“Three! I’m on fire!” I quipped, dodging Melty’s latest attack. “Or… ice? Whatever. You’re going down too, puddle-boy!”
I slammed the ground with both hands, creating a slick surface that sent Melty skidding uncontrollably.
Before it could recover, I launched a shard straight at its core. The impact sent cracks racing across its body, and it collapsed into icy debris.
That left Pointy.
Pointy was fast, darting around the battlefield and pelting me with shards.
I could feel exhaustion setting in, my mana reserves running low, but I wasn’t about to let it wear me down. Summoning every ounce of strength, I conjured a wall of frost to trap it.
The wall closed in, halting its movements.
With a final, desperate effort, I hurled a massive shard at its frozen form. The impact shattered Pointy into glittering dust, the sound like breaking glass echoing through the still air.
I stood there, panting, surrounded by the icy remains of my attackers. My breath came in ragged gasps, visible in the freezing air.
The Sovereign watched silently, her expression unreadable.
“That’s five,” I muttered, leaning on a crumbling ice pillar for support. My limbs were trembling from the cold and exertion. “Who’s next?”
“Splendid, Charlie,” the Sovereign said, her voice giving a frosty melody that echoed through the icy air. “After the year-long journey, you’ve defeated the last challenge. Well done.”
I glanced at her towering form, her ethereal figure gleaming like ice caught in the first rays of dawn. Her translucent features softened into something that might’ve been pride—or amusement. Giving her a small smile, I managed, “Yes, totally. It was… uhm…” My mind scrambled for a believable story, but exhaustion had drained me of all creativity. “Uhm… a perilous journey indeed.”
“You wield the power of ice as is proper,” she said, inclining her head slightly. As she moved, tiny fractals of frost spun in the surrounding air, catching the dim light. “But know this—it is only half of your power, hero. The spell I lent you—Frost Weaving—you used it well, as I expected.”
Wait, wait. Hold up. Wasn’t the reward for completing this entire ordeal supposed to be a nice passive upgrade to my ice magic? What the hell is Frost Weaving?
I wobbled to my feet, finally rested enough to stand without leaning on my crumbling ice pillar.
My clothes, battered and dirtied from the fight, still looked decent. The wish magic must’ve been real because they were showing no tears or permanent stains despite everything. “Lady Spirit, I am… uhm… in awe,” I said, channeling as much reverence as my fried brain could muster.
“As you should be, mortal,” the Sovereign said, her crystalline voice cold. “For being the first to complete my minor task,” she continued, her frosty aura growing brighter, “and for defeating my five guardians, I grant you the choice to evolve your ice magic. Your god gifted you a spell of great power, but I feel this one—Frost Weaving—is better suited to you.”
“Upgrade? Like… an increase in grade?” My tongue slipped out in excitement before I could stop myself. “So cool!”
“Pretender!” the prince in my ring grumbled, his voice filled with disdain.
The Sovereign’s gaze shifted to my hand, where the faint glow of the ring pulsed. A curious smile spread across her lips. “You carry a Greater Spirit with you. Tell me, mortal, are you imprisoning him?”
“She refuses to release me!” the prince immediately ratted me out, his tone indignant.
“What? Yes, that’s true,” I admitted, throwing my hands up. “But without me, you’d still be stuck in that closet for another hundred years! Can’t you wait a bloody few days?”
The Sovereign tilted her head, as though listening to some far-off melody. Her expression didn’t change, but I could sense the weight of her judgment. “The matter is yours to resolve, hero,” she said finally, dismissing it with a wave of her frosty hand.
“Now,” she continued, “tell me, Charlie—do you wish to make Frost Weaving permanent?”
Her words hung in the air, as heavy as the ice crystals forming at my feet.
“Replace Ice Dance?” I asked, my voice carrying a hint of sadness. I’d grown attached to that spell, even if it wasn’t the most practical. The Sovereign only nodded, her gaze steady and unyielding.
There was no real choice to make. “Yes,” I said firmly.
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[Previous Skill: Ice Dance has evolved]</td>
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Type: 7-legendary
The threads of winter bow to your will, weaving frost and ice into creations limited only by your mastery. The frost is not your ally nor your servant—it is yours to command, shaping the frozen world as an extension of your intent. With each weave, your bond with ice deepens, and its untamed power awaits your touch.</td>
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Legendary skills. I stared at the cryptic description, rolling my eyes. Of course, the system stops holding your hand when it matters most. The description is as useless as ever.
Before I could voice my thoughts, the prince’s voice rang out from the ring, full of indignation and desperation. “Please, Sovereign! Punish this elf and release me! I plead with you!”
My heart skipped a beat as I noticed the Sovereign tilting her head slightly, her icy gaze shifting to me with new intent. Her expression, though calm, hinted at the possibility of her taking him seriously.
“Thank you for the skill, Sovereign!” I blurted out, bowing slightly as I tried to diffuse the situation. “But I really need to go!” My words tumbled out faster than my mana reserves after a boss fight.
She regarded me for a moment longer; her flickering form radiating an almost palpable cold. Finally, she spoke, her voice like the first crack of ice on a frozen lake. “Be well, Charlie,” she said, her tone more a command than a farewell.
I wasted no time. Focusing on the ring’s power, I pictured the last place I wanted to visit today.
When I opened my eyes again, the sharp chill was gone, replaced by a soft, welcoming warmth. I stood in a serene meadow, the air alive with the gentle hum of life. The transition was so stark, so sudden, it left me momentarily stunned.
The calm was almost unnerving. No threats. No golems. No Sovereign towering over me, scrutinizing my every move. Just a meadow where everything was still and tranquil.
“Oh.”