World Evolution Apocalypse: I Possess The Extraction Ability

Chapter 155: Encased in Ice [Random Bonus Chapter]

Feeling the plummeting temperature, Leon’s expression changed and he jumped off the dying creature’s head.

While he was mid-air, the snake released a loud wailing sound reminiscent of a roar, and the next moment, a five-hundred-meters radius around it became frozen.

The soil, shrubs, grasses, trees, even other mutated beasts that hadn’t escaped. Everything was encased in thick blue ice.

Leon felt his head knock against something hard, and he lost grip of his weapon. A hand pulled his hair roughly, then he was knocked to the ground.

He immediately lost consciousness, and only regained clarity after a few seconds. The first thing he felt was a throbbing pain from his head, then bone chilling cold that made him grit his teeth in agony.

He tried to keep himself warm, but barely managed to.

It was then that he noticed someone beside him moving, and the cold lessened considerably.

Heaving a sigh, he turned to see Selene laying beside him, her hair disheveled. The girl’s icy blue eyes were staring at the ice ceiling above them, and only then did Leon realize he wasn’t actually frozen.

It seemed Selene had been able to create a cocoon of ice just before the snake’s attack enveloped them, saving their lives.

"Thank you."

He said quietly, and she nodded with a faint sound.

The two of them lay there, tired and exhausted from the battle. That trump card of the mutated snake was unexpected, and this was the first time they had come so close to dying.

"Ha—hahahaha!" Leon laughed out loud, laughing until tears began to appear at the corner of his eyes.

Selene frowned in confusion. "Why are you laughing?"

"No, it’s... it’s actually funny," Leon laughed a little, then paused. "If someone told me two months ago that I’d be facing a wide-range ice attack that would almost kill me, I’d have probably beaten them to death."

To his surprise, Selene chuckled. "I guess you’re right."

He turned to look at her, noticing the smile on her lips. It wasn’t a cunning smile this time, but a genuine one.

The sight made him smile. Perhaps she wasn’t just an ice block after all.

The two remained silent for a few minutes, then Leon activated Stamina Regeneration. His numb body slowly relaxed, and he felt slightly refreshed.

"Can you uncover the ice above us?" He asked, staring at the ice ceiling just a few meters away from his chest.

Selene nodded and said, "Wait a moment. I’ll need to recover more mana."

Leon nodded and remained silent. He knew it must have been quite tough for her to oppose this seemingly absolute power of the mutated snake.

Just then, they both received the same messages.

[You have slain a Level 55 Tier Two Evolved Frost Serpent!]

[You cannot level up!]

[Progress has been stored!]

Leon sighed in relief, while Selene’s eyes glinted like she had received an extra message.

Although he was curious, Leon didn’t ask. After a few more minutes, Selene finally moved. She raised her hands and touched the surface of the ice ceiling above them.

Magically, it began to melt and recede on both sides, eventually opening to reveal the blue sky above them.

Leon stood up first, followed by the young lady. Everything around them was encased in ice, once again reminding them that they had been close to dying.

"Ah, damn. Where’s my sword?"

Leon’s eyes widened as he looked around, realizing he couldn’t find his weapon. Would he have to start digging through the ice?

"Relax, the ice should melt soon since the mana sustaining it has dispersed."

Leon pouted grumpily, then nodded. "Well, we should deal with that first."

He pointed at the mutated snake’s corpse, which was the only unfrozen thing in the area. The two began walking towards it, then stopped at its head.

One of its eyes seemed to have been damaged by the ice bullets, while the other was still wide open.

Leon looked at the frozen blood that had been running from its largest wound, then sighed.

’Ice is a really dangerous element.’

Selene also stared at the wound for a moment, then asked him. "Your sword. You did something to it, right? That’s why it was able to cut into its scales and flesh easily."

Leon nodded, but didn’t give an explanation. Selene was also fine with that, as she could make her own deductions later.

Meanwhile, her question reminded Leon of what he had done, and he realized he had opened another dimension of possibilities for himself regarding Thyra’s ability.

’I can’t wait to tell her what I’ve discovered.’

He smiled bittersweetly, suddenly feeling a little lonely. Although sometimes annoying, Thyra’s presence had become something he had gotten used to.

Clearing his mind of any nostalgic thought, he stepped forward and approached the creature’s head. His gaze was solely fixed on its soul crystal that shone with a blue glint.

Without looking back, he said to Selene. "May I borrow your sword?"

The lady hesitated, then handed him the sword. Although this might seem like something simple, it was actually a test of trust between the two.

Leon had turned his back to her, unarmed. This was his test to know if she would attack him while he was disadvantaged. After this battle, he felt like trusting her a bit more. Regardless of how strong he was, it was undeniable that he needed strong allies.

As for Selene’s handing him her sword, it was also her test of trust. If Leon turned around and attacked her, then that would mean that she had made a mistake in her judgement.

Fortunately, she didn’t.

Leon took the sword from her, then used it to cut out the soul crystal from the snake’s head.

"Looks beautiful," He said, turning to her as he returned the sword.

"Mn, beautiful indeed," She smiled back, her frosty expression gone.

Leon was stunned for a brief moment, as this was the first time he had seen her look so radiant.

’If I hadn’t met Thyra, she’d be the most beautiful woman I know.’

Right in front of her eyes, he sent the soul crystal into his storage ring, causing her to frown faintly.

Before she could complain, he spoke, "I’ll keep the crystal, you can have the rewards."

Instantly, Selene’s displeasure vanished. Her eyes glinted and she nodded before he could change his mind.

Leon smiled faintly, but didn’t say anything. He stepped aside and let her go pick the two rewards that were beside the beast’s corpse.

While she was busy cracking the treasure cubes and checking the equipments, he went to the other side of the beast, ensuring she couldn’t see him.

Then, he activated his Extraction ability and reached into the snake, pulling out its only ability.

[Ability: Tier One Ice Creation - Consumes mana to create and manifest magical ice from the user’s mana. The amount of mana consumed determines the size, durability, and complexity of the created ice]