Chapter 97: Star, The Ice Crystal (4)

Pah―!

Spreading his Jigwi wings wide, Chang-Sun flew quickly over the snowfield, where a blizzard raged.

[The ‘Tracking Rune’ is reacting!]

The cross pendant on Chang-Sun’s hand spun like a compass; a Tracking Rune, which could be used to track the original owner of an object by stimulating the traces of the owner’s energy left on it, appeared above the pendant and pointed in a certain direction.

The more energy there was, the more quickly the rune tracked down the target. Although Gwak Do-Woon, the pendant’s owner, had died, its other owner was still alive; thus, the Tracking Rune led Chang-Sun directly to Phantom Demon Jeong Yoo-Jin.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ looks at the rune curiously, believing she could hunt much easier if she had such a convenient tool.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ clicks his tongue, saying she should first gain proficiency in runes in order to use runes like you.]

Chang-Sun had left the main unit along the way because he sensed a reaction from the previously dormant Tracking Rune. As he moved, the reaction from the Tracking Rune grew more intense, which meant he was on the right track.

‘The?Highoff?executives are at the Winter Palace right now,’

Chang-Sun thought, recalling the information he had gotten little by little by torturing the illusion mages.

He had been dumbstruck to hear that the Highoff remnants had gathered in the Winter Palace. The Dungeon Quest of ‘Yeti Hill’ could be completed only after passing through the snowfield and conquering the Yetis’ castle, which was called the Winter Palace. In other words, the most powerful Yetis were in the Winter Palace, so it was surprising to hear that the Highoff remnants had successfully taken over the castle.

‘Yetis are pretty vicious and untamable… That was one of the reasons why the Sword of Ohsung Clan has been suffering losses, but the Highoff Players have not only conquered the Winter Palace without sustaining much damage, but also subdued all the Yetis in the Dungeon.’?

To be accurate, the Highoff Players had not technically suppressed all the Yetis; they had only subdued one.

‘The Winter King,’?

Chang-Sun thought.

The Winter King, also known as the ‘Yeti King’, was the ruler of all Yetis and the owner of the Winter Palace. Despite their belligerence, Yetis were very loyal to higher-level Yetis; they were especially loyal to their king, enough to die for him… Thus, if their king had been held hostage, the Yetis would have no choice but to follow the Highoff Players’ orders.

Chang-Sun only knew a part of what had happened: Phantom Demon Jeong Yoo-Jin had successfully lured the Winter King out with her ability, and the other remnants had immediately captured the Winter King afterward. Afterward, the Highoff remnants had enslaved the Yetis.

‘The area beneath the Winter Palace is connected to the mine that contains [Cold Iron] and [Ice Crystals], and the Highoff remnants want the [Everlasting Ice Crystal] from the depths of the mine.’

Chang-Sun’s priority target was at the Winter Palace. That meant he had to break in alone, fight against the vicious Yetis and the Highoff remnants, and get his hands on the [Everlasting Ice Crystal] in the depths of the mine. As Chang-Sun was not a ranker over Level 50, all of those objectives were basically suicide missions to begin with; even so, there was another, larger problem.

‘I have to finish all of this in three hours,’?

Chang-Sun thought, chuckling dumbfoundedly. The curse would activate again soon, and he would end up in the Changgwi cave again. It sounded ludicrous even for him.

‘Still… I have to do it,’

Chang-Sun thought, his eyes shining.

If he were to look at his objectives as a simple list, they would be impossible to accomplish. However, the difficulty of each one could change depending on which objective he took care of first. Chang-Sun put together a list of things he needed in his head.

[Incoming ambush!]

Swoosh!

Chang-Sun heard the faint sound of metal flying through the blizzard as a sharp-edged object cut through the air. He drew the Nameless Spear from behind his waist and quickly parried the projectile upward.

Clang!

With a clear yet heavy sound, the metal arrow flew through the air.

“Kek! Kek! Human! Kill!”

“He’s a damn human! Don’t spare him!”

Beyond a white ridge, roughly a dozen Yetis revealed themselves, pointing arrows at Chang-Sun.

[The ‘Yetis’ have appeared!]

Swish, swish, swish!

Arrows rained down toward Chang-Sun, who flew toward the Yetis without any hesitation. He spread his Jigwi wings, igniting the Eon Fire, and unleashed a fiery tornado that melted the snowfield as it traveled.

[A firestorm is raging!]

‘Why did they have to appear when I’m so busy…?!’?

Chang-Sun thought in frustration.

[Yeti]

A natural-born hunter that lives in a snowfield. They hide in snowfields and go after humans.

Chang-Sun thought of eliminating the Yetis in front of him first, so he could take care of the uninvited guests who had appeared behind him.

Rumble―!

Swish, swish, swish!

“Kieeeh!”

“Kyaaahhh!”

Chang-Sun pierced the slope beyond the ridge with the Nameless Spear, unleashing a series of explosions that ‘melted’ the Yetis away amid a raging firestorm. The Yetis’ characteristics made them particularly vulnerable to a Jigwi’s attacks.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…!

The intimidating blizzard seemed at first as if it would dampen Chang-Sun’s fire, but it could not withstand the heat, and the ice and snow melted in midair.

“Why don’t you come out now?” Chang-Sun called out, looking in a certain direction after gaining some visibility.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp-eyed man quietly muttered, “…How did he know?”

Several people who had been hiding on a snowy hill appeared one by one; Chang-Sun was familiar with one of them. The man was Kim Hyeong-Jun.

* * *

“…”

“…”

“…”

The Winter Palace’s proud hall had been silent for the past several hours. The Highoff Clan members fixed their gazes on the floor, unable to look at Phantom Demon Jeong Yoo-Jin, who frowned as she sat on a throne. She was over 40, but she still looked beautiful and elegant.

“How’s the mining going?” Yoo-Jin asked, breaking the silence after a long time.

“W-We’re trying, but… not yet,” a demonic being reported.

“I’ve already given you time! Why can’t you do your jobs?!” Yoo-Jin yelled angrily.

“I-I’m sorry!” the demonic being exclaimed, kissing the floor and trembling.

Worried that they would be caught in the crossfire, the other demonic beings looked away, but the one who was kissing the floor felt that Yoo-Jin was being unfair. The [Everlasting Ice Crystal], which they had been trying to get their hands on, was located in the deepest area of the ‘mine’ that lay beneath the Winter Palace.

The problem was that even though the place was referred to as a mine, it was actually the root of a gigantic iceberg. Usually, most of an iceberg was hidden beneath the surface, and it required a tremendous amount of effort to dig deeply into one. Apart from that, the Highoff remnants’ objective was blocked by ice that had to be very sturdy to contain the [Everlasting Ice Crystal], which meant most magic spells were ineffective at melting the iceberg.

That meant they needed a lot of time just to dig into the mine. However, the part that drove them up the wall the most was the mine’s terrain. The snowfield outside already had rough terrain, where most Players could easily end up buried in snow; and yet, it was practically warm compared to the mine.

Defensive equipment? Artifacts? Nothing worked. The [Everlasting Ice Crystal], which the Highoff remnants knew as the [Frost Monarch’s Breath], nullified such items, which meant nothing could protect them in the mine.

Another problem was that the deeper they went into the mine to find the [Everlasting Ice Crystal], the colder it became. A number of demonic beings who had entered confidently had failed to return, and even the Yetis, who were very used to cold weather, refused to enter the mine.

In order to buy more time and look for a way to dig up the [Everlasting Ice Crystal], Yoo-Jin had split her forces, even though she already lacked manpower. She had ordered Gwak Do-Woon, the assistant Clan leader, and several other demonic beings to create chaos within the punitive force.

If they could not buy more time, she at least wanted to get one step closer to getting the [Everlasting Ice Crystal]. When she got her hands on the [Everlasting Ice Crystal], she would be able to drive out the arrogant punitive force and begin to counterattack.

‘A Frost Demon…! If I can just acquire the [Everlasting Ice Crystal], I’ll be able to create it,’?

Yoo-Jin thought, biting her lower lip.

According to the information the Highoff remnants had obtained, the [Everlasting Ice Crystal] held a Hidden Piece most people were unaware of. Under normal circumstances, the [Everlasting Ice Crystal] could be used to create elixirs or items, but when it was used in a special way, it could enhance one’s body and change one’s magic organ.

If she could just complete what the Clan had named the ‘Frost Demon’ project, Yoo-Jin would be able to instantly become as powerful as a high ranker and acquire the ‘frost’ attribute. After that, she could apply the attribute to all her illusion magic spells.

What would happen if she could freely create raging blizzards while she used her illusion magic? She was sure that she would become peerless in Korea. At most, Sword Sky Tiger of the White Tiger Clan could take her on, but he preferred to avoid taking damage for no reason. Thus, Yoo-Jin was sure she would be able to negotiate with him if she reached that level.

‘But it’s all gone down the drain… The assistant Clan leader’s efforts were futile,’?

the demonic beings thought.

The demonic beings standing in the hall knew what had happened in the outside world very well. The death squad had been exterminated without producing any results, and even Do-Woon had been captured and killed by an unknown person.

“The punitive force is now right at our doorstep, meaning we have nowhere to fall back to,” Yoo-Jin said again after staying silent for a long time. She sounded much calmer, but her voice still held deep anger as she called out, “Hyeong-Bin.”

The demonic being who had been kissing the floor raised his head and answered, “Yes, ma’am…!”

“You have my permission to use [Agni’s Yawn],” Yoo-Jin said.

“B-But that’s…!” Yoon Hyeong-Bin, the demonic being, began with a trembling voice, and all the others’ gazes lost focus.

[Agni’s Yawn] was an artifact that contained the Celestial Fire of Agni, the fire deity. Its fire was very intense, and the artifact could create a tremendous explosion. Thus, there was a risk of blowing up the mine and the Winter Palace, rather than digging up the [Everlasting Ice Crystal].

“We have no other options anyway, so use it,” Yoo-Jin said. She forced her subordinate to proceed, knowing they would have no future if they failed this time. They were going to die either way; if they were going to end up with the same result, they would at least make a frantic last-ditch effort.

“…I understand,” Hyeong-Bin said, quickly exiting the hall when he realized nothing would change Yoo-Jin’s mind.

“The same goes for the rest of you. We can’t let them take over the Winter Palace. The punitive force will try to find a way into this place, so make sure the [World Net Circle] doesn't break down,” Yoo-Jin ordered.

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The demonic beings nodded.

“Go,” Yoo-Jin ordered.

Just like the [Phantom Maze Circle], the Phantom Demon Jeong Yoo-Jin herself had created the [World Net Circle]. It could not only prevent people outside from detecting those inside the circle, but also ensure any invaders would inadvertently dig their own graves.

At present, the [World Net Circle] had been installed at important points in the Winter Palace and had nine complicated layers; thus, the Highoff remnants had turned the Winter Palace into a giant fortress. The Highoff remnants were sure that the enemies would be unable to breach the [World Net Circle] easily, and were especially determined to not let any White Tiger Clan members enter.

“Lastly, Grand General,” Yoo-Jin said, looking away from her Clan members toward the crowd standing in the middle of the hall.

The crowd was made up of the Yetis, who had been forced to let uninvited guests take over their palace. Among the Yetis, who held titles such as [General of the Winter Palace] and [Royal Knight of the Winter King], there was one Yeti who emanated the most intimidating aura of all.

[Grand General of the Winter Palace Lv.??]

Aside from the boss monster, the Winter King, he was the strongest monster in ‘Yeti Hill’—no, more than that; the Winter King had no special powers apart from the command ability, but the Grand General was the Yetis’ emotional anchor.

If the Highoff remnants had Gwak Do-Woon, the Yetis had the Grand General. No, he was actually at a much higher level than Do-Woon. In fact, Do-Woon had said that he was unsure whether he could win in a one-on-one fight against the Grand General.

Unlike the Winter King, the Grand General had great magic resistance, enough to resist Yoo-Jin’s illusion magic spells. Still, he answered Yoo-Jin. Beneath his deep white knight’s helmet, the warrior’s eyes shone sharply like a pair of icy wisps.

“What do you want?” the Grand General asked, causing the air to tremble.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Crack!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh―!

Frost spread out from beneath the Grand General’s feet and covered the floor. All the demonic beings felt uneasy. However, resting her chin on her hand, Yoo-Jin nonchalantly replied, “You know what to do even if I don’t tell you, right?”

“…Do I have to take out all the intruders?” the Grand General asked.

“If you can,” Yoo-Jin said, tilting her head.

“I’ll return soon,” the Grand General replied, then turned in the opposite direction to walk toward the hall’s entrance, followed by many generals and knights.

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