Chapter 118: Ice Realm

Leonard observed the skeleton beneath him in greater detail.

"The remains belong to a man. By the looks of it, he was busy storming toward the Ironstone Fortress. However, amidst his charge, he... tripped... or was either shot in the head. Regardless, the end result remains the same. He fell face-first against the ground and hasn’t moved a muscle since."

He whispered quietly.

"As if his life was sucked out in a blink."

Crouching, he extended both hands toward the bone he had broken earlier to retrieve it.

Strangely, the black roots and vines that clustered around it clung tightly to the bone, refusing to let go. Leonard was forced to tug harder.

He succeeded, though the accumulated force caused cracks to run across it.

"Hollow... There is no marrow in them whatsoever." Leonard realized, a chill passing down his spine.

Similarly, the rest of the team soon came to the same harrowing realization.

"No skin, flesh, blood, or even marrow... This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this." Elizabeth admitted in a somber tone.

"This has to be the work of a monster! There is no way around it!" Russell declared, his forehead breaking into sweat. "Professor Albert, it’s clear whatever was here dealt with all the soldiers in the area. Our mission is compromised! It’s time to head back!"

Albert remained silent for a while. Then he shook his head.

"No, our task remains the same. We need to ensure that the Ironstone Fortress is under our control. The rest of the first-years are sent to check up on the nearby mines and then gather here. This outpost will serve as the base for all other missions from now on."

"So, in other words, no matter if there are Sandromia soldiers or monsters inside, they have to be dealt with?" Arabella narrowed her eyes.

"Precisely." Albert nodded.

"But what if these roots have something to do with it?" Winston’s face went paler than a ghost. "They are surrounding us on all sides!"

Silently, Leonard raised Titanic Oath and swung downward. His soul weapon effortlessly carved through the roots below.

"No reaction. Besides, I don’t sense any hostility from them. Even if they had been dangerous once, they are now as good as dead."

Some of the scholars hesitated, but staying out in the open was worse, as they were no different from sitting targets.

After some deliberation, they moved forward, now being mindful not to accidentally step on the remains of another human.

Finally, they reached the gates, which had toppled inward, allowing entry inside.

The passage was wide enough for two trucks to pass side by side and was infested with black vines that had crawled across the ground and walls.

Professor Albert remained at the forefront. His eyes peered inside the fortress, searching for any immediate danger.

Yet no matter how hard he looked, he didn’t find anything out of place. The outpost remained absolutely silent.

"Scholars, keep your eyes peeled." He ordered, entering the fortress.

The rest followed suit, remaining mindful of potential monsters.

More skeletons were scattered across the ground. Clear signs of a struggle were visible, yet no living beings were in sight.

"The whole place is deserted." Albert addressed the scholars following behind.

"We are left with little choice. We are going to start cutting off the overgrown roots. Once the whole fortress is rid of them, we will send a signal to the rest of the teams that we have cleared the area and that it’s safe to move in."

The team exchanged glances. The looming threat of danger still hung over them, so they wanted this to be over with as soon as possible.

"Let’s try it the easy way first." Leonard mused out loud. He conjured a fireball, its level maxed out, and hurled it toward the intruding wilderness.

Sadly, the roots functioned the same way as the black forest. Remaining immune to the fire, they collided with the skill head-on and dispersed it without leaving any mark.

"So we have to deal with them the old-fashioned way..." Harley wasn’t pleased one bit. Her rapier wasn’t going to be useful in cutting up the vines in the slightest.

"You are one to talk. Your weapon at least has a sharp edge." Winston crossed his arms. "What am I supposed to do with my hammer? Bash them straight in?"

"Are we comparing who has it the hardest?" William smirked and struck his two gauntlets together.

"Why do you look so proud of yourself?" Samantha raised an eyebrow at his display.

"L—Let’s not get in their way," Cassie suggested. "At least we healers are exempt from clearing up the place."

Leonard watched the banter of his friends, shrugged his shoulders, and gripped Titanic Oath tightly. His experience with wielding the axe was sure to help him get the job done faster.

He threw a glance at Miranda. Fortunately, her mana oversensitivity wasn’t a problem with no monsters present. She wielded her spear masterfully. By rotating it in circular arcs, she carved through the roots with little to no resistance.

Next, he shifted his attention to Elizabeth, who was staring at the roots with icy eyes.

"You don’t have any spells for them, do you?" He asked casually.

She blinked slowly, surprised by the question. A second later, she met his stare.

"No." She shook her head.

"Then... how about using your scythe? It looked powerful against the Crimson Snake. I am sure it will help us get the job done easier." He suggested.

Elizabeth’s demeanor shifted slightly, her usually cold persona faltering.

"I would rather not." She averted her eyes toward the vines-infested wall before her.

"It... hurts."

"..."

Leonard hesitated for a few seconds. Then walked up to her.

"Just for a few seconds? I want to see if I can help you anyhow."

Elizabeth didn’t answer immediately, hugging one of her arms close to her body uneasily.

Ga!

Just then, a familiar screech echoed from her sleeve. Before Elizabeth could react, Rimy emerged, using her wings to keep herself airborne.

"Rimy?" Leonard was surprised. The last time he saw Elizabeth’s familiar, she had looked like an ordinary lizard, yet now she bore proper wings and was even flying on top of that!

"So she managed to undergo her evolution after all." He murmured.

Seeing Rimy, Elizabeth’s uneasiness disappeared, and a faint smile spread across her face.

"Yes, she is now able to fly... though only for a short period of time before she has to come down to rest."

"Then can I have her give flying lessons to Callum later?" Leonard chuckled. "I’m sure he would benefit from it."

"Sure." Elizabeth replied calmly.

"So, what did Rimy say?" He asked, knowing that only Elizabeth could understand her familiar’s speech.

"That... it will be better if you take a look at my scythe after all..."

Ga! Ga!

Rimy said, pushing Elizabeth’s cheek with her head.

In the end, Elizabeth complied with a deep sigh.

"Okay, you can take a look... but don’t be disappointed when you fail. My father tried appointing many people to help me until, in the end, he gave up on me. Don’t expect to be any different."

Leonard glanced at his status.

Bloodline: Primordial

"That’s fine." He said with a reassuring smile.

Elizabeth nodded and used her Dimensional Storage ring to take out her weapon.

The beautiful scythe appeared in her hand, its blade ever so sharp and imposing. Its presence alone dropped the temperature around the area by several degrees. Fortunately, the two were far enough away from the rest of the scholars that nobody paid them any attention.

Leonard’s gaze scanned Elizabeth’s palm. With each second she held the weapon, her fair skin grew redder. She had to painfully force herself to keep from trembling.

"Can you describe the pain you are experiencing? Where does it hurt?"

"From the base of my palm throughout the rest of my body, with no exception. It’s throbbing, sharp, and unending. The longer I wield the weapon, the worse the agony becomes... It’s almost like a second heartbeat ringing out in my head."

She was forced to narrow her eyes from the pain.

"I see..." Leonard stroked his chin. "Anything else?"

"Voices."

"Voices?" He tilted his head in confusion. "Can you elaborate?"

"That throbbing sensation I described earlier? It doesn’t just bring pain." She said quietly.

"With each passing second, the pain worsens, and it is... accompanied by voices. At first, they are quiet, almost like whispers in my ear. Then they grow more violent, shouting over one another. In a way, that noise disrupts my focus and is usually the main reason I am forced to put the weapon aside."

Leonard didn’t expect that. Case in point, Ragnar, the spirit that lived inside his soul weapon, hadn’t bothered to make contact.

"What are these voices saying?"

"I don’t know." Elizabeth shook her head. "They are loud, but muffled. Regardless of how loud they get, I can’t grasp what they want to tell me."

It now made sense why she was reluctant to use the scythe.

"That is enough, I hope? Can I put the weapon aside now?" She asked breathless.

"...I want to try one more thing," Leonard replied calmly.

Then, without asking for permission, he reached out and gripped the handle of the weapon, curious to see how it would affect him.

"Wait—"

Elizabeth gasped, but she was too late to stop him.

[Primordial Bloodline stirs in your veins.]

[You have been transported to the Ice Realm!]