“I did it…!”
Elric shouted in delight as the gamble he took surprisingly paid off.
It was the plan that he would completely neglect defense, focusing solely on his destructive power, charging in to temporarily neutralize the Snow Mountain King’s snowstorm attack, and executing a surprise assault.
He honestly didn’t think it would work.
Due to the recent continuous failures of his plans, he tried this new strategy, and who would’ve thought it would be such a success?
Until now, piercing through the shadow of the Snow Mountain King was his greatest achievement. Being able to cut off her left arm was nothing short of a miracle.
Yet Elric’s joy didn’t last long.
Even though the Snow Mountain King was injured, she didn’t show any signs of pain or faltering. She stretched out her right hand and swiped toward him.
A condensed magical power exploded from her palm.
A technique Elric had previously named ‘Ice Rupture’.
It was an immensely powerful attack that had defeated him several times. It was the Snow Mountain King’s signature skill.
Kwaruruung.
Instinctively, Elric flattened himself to the ground.
“Damn it! She doesn’t give me a break. Tch!”
Spitting blood mixed with phlegm on the ground, Elric charged again.
Despite his swearing, a wide smile was plastered on his lips.
Finally, he was able to absorb a ‘portion’ of the Snow Mountain King’s seal.
Psssh.
Reaching out, Elric grabbed the falling left arm of the Snow Mountain King.
The arm disintegrated like sand and was entirely absorbed into the seal.
Hwaaak!
The previously 3-star ‘Seal of Ruthlessness’ became clearer. An image of three mountains with a stream flowing in front of them was depicted.
It indicated the beginning of its transformation into 4-stars.
Thump, thump!
His heart raced even faster than when he had absorbed the other seals.
Elric was certain.
The seal he just absorbed held more power than defeating several average Yetis.
And sure enough, fragmented memories and knowledge associated with the Snow Mountain King raced through his mind.
Kwakwang! Kwakwakang!
Psssh.
Once again, activating the seal’s magic, Elric smiled triumphantly.
It felt like the end was near.
A world filled with nothing but darkness.
She slowly opened her eyes.
It felt like she had been asleep for a very long time. Her mind was hazy.
‘Who… am I?’
As confusion caused her face to scrunch, a voice echoed in her head.
A voice so authoritative, it seemed it couldn’t be defied.
“‘Acknowledgment’. It’s amusing that your ancient kind speaks this way, even though you’ve forgotten your True Name. Do you even realize how excessive your demand is”
“If you still intend to be greedy until the very end…”
“Fine. Prove it. Prove that you have the qualifications to become a part of our race.”
It didn’t take long after that moment for Elric to realize the peculiar change in the Snow Mountain King.
“Is the magic wavering?”
Ripples began to form in the shadow that had enveloped the Snow Mountain King, which had been solid like armor until now.
As if it might break apart at any moment.
Kuaaaa!
Even the Snow Mountain King seemed taken aback by her own change, her face showing signs of disturbance for the first time.
“Now!”
Seizing the opportunity, Elric launched an even more aggressive attack.
Kwakwakwang!
The shadow quivered even more. Shattered magic fragments flew into the air. The Snow Mountain King couldn’t withstand the onslaught and began to retreat slowly. In contrast, Elric’s steps were unwavering.
Elric continually absorbed the shattered magic fragments. As he consumed the seal that formed the Snow Mountain King, his growth rate accelerated.
His muscle fibers became finer. Magic circulation became more active. His Mana Circuit became denser.
Above all, his actions and spells, which had once seemed like mere imitations of the Snow Mountain King, became natural.
Elric seemed as if he had become the Snow Mountain King himself.
Assimilation.
That was one way to see it.
But the Snow Mountain King was different.
She seemed to be losing herself.
Her blizzard weakened. Her movements became sluggish, and her hands and feet started to wander. Ice didn’t form properly, and the magic she cast continuously failed.
It looked as if Elric was literally stealing the very existence of the “Snow Mountain King” from her.
As this was happening, Elric began to understand what Otto Han had said.
“I told you, I never said I’d knock her down. I only said to consume her.”
“You’re trying to ‘understand’ the Snow Mountain King. The seal isn’t merely for consumption. You also need to grasp it deeply. It’s a very good attitude.”
Sealing didn’t simply mean consuming the talents and abilities of the demon race.
It meant consuming the whole existence of the demons themselves!
Kwang.
“He’s basically a con artist. Asking for something even harder than winning.”
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A sarcastic laugh naturally slipped out of him.
If it was as easy as it sounded, why would anyone go through hardships?
One just had to simply snatch what others had achieved.
Yet the path was revered because it was so formidable.
It was also honored because it was challenging.
Littered with adversities and trials that ordinary people wouldn’t dare step into, the path was both worshiped and respected.
The Snow Mountain King’s path was the same.
She discovered the true doctrine of the Yetis that everyone had forgotten and honed it.
She aimed to place her clan back on a pedestal of pride.
Throughout this journey, many obstacles stood in her way, but she overcame them each time, making her name resonate in the world.
The Yetis still cherished her name and intended to leave it as a legend because they didn’t want to forget her great achievements.
Otto Han told Elric to snatch away such a legacy of the Snow Mountain King.
It was indeed a suggestion worthy of a thief’s mindset.
“Well, if it truly becomes mine, the story changes.”
True to being a descendant of the Melvinger Family, Elric nonchalantly accepted the ignoble request of his ancestor.
Therefore…
Pssshhh.
Whoosh!
He could see it.
Within the broken fragments of various seals, the life of the Snow Mountain King was there.
–Kiek! The God has bestowed his trust! This woman will become our King! She will lead the plateau! The mountain range will become ours! The north will be under our feet!
Originally, Snow Mountain King was the successor of a chieftain, growing up with great expectations from birth.
And she possessed qualities even beyond what was expected of her. Contrary to the typical naïve nature of a Yeti, she was intellectually sharp. By the time she reached adulthood, she was ready to unify the plateau and expand her power throughout the entire Plateau of the Snow People.
But the Snow Mountain King’s ambitions didn’t end there.
-We Yetis were once members of the great demon race! Let’s begin our journey to reclaim our lost position!
The Snow Mountain King was confident.
She was young, powerful, and had a vast territory. She trampled on humans, and many different species kneeled before her.
She made a declaration to become a demon, and even becoming a Demon King herself seemed to be within reach.
However…
-Prove it. Prove that you’re worthy.
When she met Mephistopheles, the Snow Mountain King hit a wall for the first time. This wall seemed insurmountable.
Still, the Snow Mountain King tried relentlessly. She honed her skills and sought to evolve her seals. If she became the Demon King rather than just a Military Commander, perhaps she could earn Mephistopheles’s recognition.
However, the Snow Mountain King encountered another obstacle.
Perhaps it was a wall even more formidable than Mephistopheles.
‘Otto Han Melvinger.’
Otto Han led the magicians and stopped the Yetis, who were rampaging beyond the Plateau of the Snow People, trampling many kingdoms.
With overwhelming power, he repelled them and drove them back into the Plateau of the Snow People. Not stopping there, he turned the plateau into a wasteland, ensuring the Yetis wouldn’t rise again.
Destroying their entire livelihood.
-Humans already have everything! Why can’t you let us have something for ourselves?
The Snow Mountain King shouted with rage, but Otto Han didn’t even pretend to listen.
Instead, he settled on the Plateau of the Snow People, keeping a watchful eye on the Snow Mountain King.
The peculiar coexistence of the Snow Mountain King and Otto Han began then.
Hence, nowadays, among the Yetis, Otto Han is remembered not as an enemy but as a ‘friend’ of the Snow Mountain King. But their complex relationship and how the Yetis wanted to hide their defeats were stories for another time.
What was certain was that while Otto Han remained an insurmountable obstacle for the Snow Mountain King throughout her life, he had a special relationship with her, even building her a tomb.
“…As he said, it seems I was being manipulated.”
Then, as the magic nearly faded, the blizzard that was following the Snow Mountain King stopped as if it had been a lie.
The Snow Mountain King looked at Elric with somewhat focused eyes.
Thanks to that, the ice arrows that were aimed at her also stopped in their tracks.
“Have you regained your senses?”
“A bit.”
The Snow Mountain King, even after losing a significant amount of magic and seals, still held an intense gaze.
She had once held control over the Plateau of the Snow People and even aimed for the Demon King’s throne, emanating dignity.
“You seem to be the descendant from the distant future he spoke of… Haha! But since you managed to alleviate my madness to some extent, it seems his boasting wasn’t entirely without merit.”
He.
The Snow Mountain King referred to Otto Han that way.
It was almost like she was calling an old lover.
Elric looked at her and tried to be courteous out of respect.
Apart from their fight, having glimpsed a part of her achievements made him hold some admiration for her.
However…
“Stop. What are you doing?”
She had a brief moment of realization.
The Snow Mountain King returned with a sharp look, glaring at Elric.
“That is…!”
“Weren’t you my enemy?”
She had a firm tone.
Elric’s eyes widened slightly.
“The fight is not over yet. Although I’ve ended up like this because of my wrong choice, that doesn’t mean I deserve pity from an enemy. If you want to be courteous, knock me down with all your might. That should be enough.”
Was it sympathy that flickered in the Snow Mountain King’s eyes?
Elric thought perhaps that was the case.
After all, getting glimpses of the Snow Mountain King’s life revealed many tragic moments.
However, the Snow Mountain King rejected such a view.
Until the end, she wanted to remain a King who led her people and a warrior.
Therefore, Elric steeled himself.
And he decided to give his all to overpower everything about the Snow Mountain King.
Kwaahh!
Kwakang. Kwakang.
Blizzards clashed.
One spinning clockwise, the other counterclockwise, sending shockwaves in all directions.
The ice cracked, and shards of ice soared into the air.
And then…
Whooosh.
In a flash, Elric dived deep into the Snow Mountain King’s embrace, striking her chest.
Kwang!
The spot where his palm struck.
There was a hole that was as big as a human head.
Ice Rupture.
It was an imitation of the Snow Mountain King’s signature skill.
The Snow Mountain King looked down at her chest and laughed in satisfaction.
“Quite impressive…!”
Pwak!
The Snow Mountain King couldn’t finish her words.
Her body shattered with a splash of blood.
Whoosh.
The magic that composed the Snow Mountain King was sucked entirely into Elric’s right hand.
The Seal of Ruthlessness took on a new appearance.
Three glaciers with flowing ice streams.
It had achieved a complete 4-star status.
“…Hoo!”
Elric took a deep breath and lifted his head.
It was the end of the first test.
