Chapter 96: The God of Eternal Winters (2) - The Dark Hold
The moment Melvin appeared among the barbarian forces, he descended slowly from the sky like a falling flake of winter itself.
He landed without a sound in the middle of their marching column.
Thousands of hulking warriors surged around him, axes and Warhammers gleaming, their war cries shaking the air.
Yet, Melvin stayed rooted to the spot, his short black hair barely shifting in the breeze.
His white, unblinking eyes held nothing but a cold, deadly intent, the last flicker of anything alive within him.
Everything else was gone.
No sorrow lingered, no anger boiled beneath the surface, no trace of doubt or uncertainty—just an insurmountable chill, like ice running through his veins.
He extended his Divine Sense outward in a silent wave, stretching it across thirty-nine thousand kilometers in an instant. Every warrior, every scout, every commander lit up in their mind.
The mightiest of them barely reached Tier 16, which to him was hardly worth noting. He remained still for a few moments, taking in the sounds around him.
The voices of the barbarians drifted through the air, carried by the wind — coarse, eager, and brimming with bloodlust.
"... We must strike the Joint Kingdom before they grow too strong!"
"Lord Von’El commanded it! We must finish controlling the East now while they’re still weak!"
"Forward! For the Titan Prince!"
In that moment, Melvin absorbed every word, realizing he now had all the information he needed. As the Prince of Blackwood, even with the lack of training in his early years, he was well acquainted with the major powers that ruled the Eastern Continent.
So, the mention of these Barbarians didn’t surprise him.
Still, learning that their ambitions extended beyond striking the Kingdom of Blackwood to conquering the entire east was another matter entirely.
His eyes grew colder, the weight of his promise to make Blackwood a kingdom worth remembering pressing heavily on his mind.
Not only that... he thought of Dreamer’s Peak.
’Master... you won’t have to worry about the East,’ he thought, the emptiness inside him mingling with an unshakable resolve.
Despite the cold void within, he felt a deep gratitude toward Akasha for granting him the strength to free his family and for giving him the means to pursue his revenge, determined to wipe out every last remnant of the Loria Bloodline.
HUMMMMMMM!!!!!
Without another thought, he released a few of his affinities.
[Ice Affinity]
[Frost Affinity]
In that moment, the temperature dropped so sharply it felt like the world itself recoiled.
The air seemed to shriek as every bit of moisture crystallized mid-breath, hanging in the frozen stillness.
From Melvin’s body burst a raging blizzard, whipping and roaring in every direction as if the storm had a mind of its own.
If there was one thing Melvin had taken away from his time with Akasha, it was the value of efficiency.
He learned to focus on his objectives, to carry out his kills with precision, and never to let situations drag on longer than needed. If there weren’t a good reason to engage fully in a fight, he simply wouldn’t.
Without a second thought, he poured out 200,000 DP, not even pausing to consider the cost.
[-200,000 DP = ??? (Tier 18) Construct]
A vast and elaborate ice structure burst forth from the earth beneath the entire barbarian horde, sending shards glittering in every direction.
Towering walls of crystal surged skyward with a thunderous roar, locking together to form an unbreakable cage that began to close in swiftly and relentlessly.
CRRRRAAACKKKKKK
BOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!
In an instant, the warriors erupted in panic as the walls began to close in.
Axes slammed against the ice, splintering into useless shards.
As bodies pressed tighter and tighter together, the cage constricted without mercy.
The clamor of screams rose in desperation, then dulled, then faded entirely, until nothing remained but a small cube of ice — thousands of warriors locked forever in their final, frozen expressions of fear.
Seeing this, Melvin began to walk as he removed his mask.
CRUNCH!!!!!
His first step shattered the ice cube as if it were nothing more than, well, ice.
Each movement was slow and purposeful.
The only sounds were the gentle crunch of his boots on the frost-covered ground and the far-off howl of the eternal winter trailing behind him.
He made his way back to the Blackwood Kingdom without a word.
-----
Six Months Later, far from the icy disaster gripping the Eastern Continent, in a curious in-between land tucked between all the continents — a hidden place in the shadowed underbelly of Kalpa — a different kind of darkness flourished.
This was the Dark Hold, a sprawling underground nexus of black markets, forbidden knowledge, and desperate souls.
Dim red lanterns floated lazily through winding alleys lined with stalls selling everything from cursed artifacts to stolen divine blood.
Whispers and hushed deals filled the narrow paths as shadowy figures moved like predators in the perpetual twilight.
At the heart of this underworld stood the most imposing structure of all — a massive upside-down tower, its spire plunging deep into a vast, churning ocean of blood that filled an enormous cavern below.
The tower’s base reached toward the surface like a dark mirror of the sky, its walls pulsing faintly with captured Divinity.
Deep within one of the tower’s inverted chambers, Liliana Salvatore — known here only as the Red Lady — sat upon a throne of blackened bone and crimson silk.
Her long hair shifted slowly between deep midnight black and blood-red, cascading over her pale, shimmering skin.
Her crimson eyes glimmered with a dangerous intelligence as she listened intently to her subordinate’s report.
"The Academy of Veils has begun its move," the cloaked figure murmured in a low voice.
"They’re conquering the Southern Continent under the banner of Lord Dream. However... the power of the peak masters, and even the Head Master, has grown tremendously.
Then there’s the disappearance of the Kings and Queens, which has thrown the entire world into chaos. Many believe he’s connected."
Liliana remained silent for a long moment, her sharp nails tapping slowly against the arm of her throne.
’Lord Dream... Husband...’ she thought a complex mix of pride, longing, and concern swirling inside her.
’You continue to show me, your magnificence... And Amber... my sweet girl. I wonder if I will ever be able to see either of you again without bringing danger to your door.’
For more than six months since she’d left the Academy of Veils, it was clear she hadn’t been in seclusion as Akasha had assumed.
Instead, she’d been keeping her distance, aware she was drawing nearer to uncovering her origins.
Not knowing what such a discovery might bring, she was determined not to cause anyone unnecessary trouble.
Leaning back slightly, she spoke in a calm voice, edged with quiet resolve.
"It’s time," she murmured to herself. "I’ve stayed at the Academy of Veils long enough..."
She turned her gaze back to her subordinate. "What of the Wanderer himself?"
The subordinate hesitated, then spoke in a near-whisper.
"He was spotted a month ago... at the Oldest Ruin on Kalpa."
The words lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Everyone in the Dark Hold understood the peril of that place — a forbidden zone even the Gods dared not enter.
Liliana exhaled slowly, her sigh deliberate and gave a single nod.
"Leave me."
Her subordinate bowed low before melting into the shadows.
Rising from her throne, Liliana’s long hair deepened to a richer blood-red as she moved toward the chamber’s exit.
Her steps were elegant but burdened by centuries of secrets and unfulfilled yearning.
She was done waiting.
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