[Vol. 9] Chapter 31: Sudden Change in the Sea
Along with Lian’s furious roar, he suddenly coughed out a mouthful of bright red blood that he couldn’t control.
At the same time, all the priests who were sending energy into the seal he held also felt their strength being drained, as if something was sucking it away. But right then, in the sky, a huge shining seal, hundreds of meters wide, grand and majestic like a castle, slowly formed!
It was as if it had been guided to appear in a very precise spot. Directly below the seal was exactly where Moraya had just rushed out of the sea. That enormous seal looked like it could suppress everything in the world. Even before it fully descended, the power it gave off pressed down so hard that the sea below it sank deeply inward!
Gigantic icebergs that had been lured here were suddenly exposed and then held in place in midair, unable to fall back into the water. Under the crushing pressure, their massive bodies quickly cracked apart. Strange lights that covered their surfaces flashed wildly, as if trying to resist the terrifying force from above. But how could they resist the finishing move that the young lady of the fortress had prepared, even using herself as bait?
Hundreds of evil beasts, all drawn together by Moraya, were instantly torn apart by the power of the [Divine Ice and Snow Seal]. Their glowing halos that represented their spirit completely vanished. And yet, within that same powerful range, Miss Snow Maiden herself seemed to have some kind of special privilege. Though she was also frozen in place in the air, she wasn’t harmed by the seal at all.
“Good! It worked!”
“Lady Fortress, mighty as always!”
“Praise the Snow God!!!”
Lian slapped his hands together excitedly. The priests’ faces lit up with joy, and the soldiers raised their weapons high, cheering loudly. The whole north city wall of Nofenburg was suddenly filled with celebration and relief.
But the joy didn’t last long. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Lian carefully put away the now dim seal. Violet had already figured it out: though the power of the [Divine Ice and Snow Seal] looked like it came from the item in Lian’s hands, once it was activated, it was actually beyond his control.
The one who truly controlled it, or had the power to, was most likely Moraya.
Neither Lian nor the young fortress lady could have used this trump card alone. Their relationship was clearly not just simple allies. There must be some hidden bond or mutual restriction between them.
What’s more, although the [Divine Ice and Snow Seal] was extremely powerful, the price for using it was obviously very high. It might only be usable once. That was why Moraya had to take the huge risk of acting as bait, making sure that the attack’s limited range could cover all the evil beasts that had invaded this time.
As Violet quietly analyzed and gathered all this information, her expression remained serious. Unlike the others who were relaxing, she could see more clearly than even Lian or the fortress lady still standing above the icy sea. She knew very well—
This matter was far from over.
“Xiao Guang.”
“Yes.”
The priestess gave a secret look to her dragon girl companion, who instantly understood. And just then, deep within the icy sea, something shocking suddenly happened!
A massive, terrifying tentacle, thick and covered with countless eye-like suckers, shot out of the water. It looked like an octopus arm, but as huge as a black pillar reaching the sky. With unstoppable force, it struck upward against the fading [Divine Ice and Snow Seal], clashing hard with the shining seal in the sky!
“BOOM!!!!!!!!”
Like a meteor slamming into the earth, the clash of those two enormous forces shook the entire frozen sea. Even the aftershock alone was so powerful that everyone on Nofenburg’s north city wall lost their footing, staggering and falling to the ground, their faces filled with fear!
“What… what’s going on?”
“By the Snow God, what is that thing? An evil beast? How could there be such an evil beast?!”
“No… Your Highness, run!!”
Just as Lian shouted in shock, at this very moment, Moraya, who was caught right in the center of the clash, wrapped within the power of the divine seal, had become the first target. In fact, it seemed like that terrifying tentacle that suddenly burst from the frozen sea was aiming at her all along. Only because the [Divine Ice and Snow Seal] had not fully disappeared yet did she manage to block the first strike by luck.
But the seal’s power was not endless. It had already consumed much strength suppressing the evil beasts earlier, and now it had clashed head-on with an enemy of equal might. The once-solid light projection was turning faint and unstable, trembling in the sky as if it could vanish at any moment.
Anyone could see it, once the seal’s power was gone, Moraya, standing directly against that being far beyond human understanding, would surely die. Worse still, if the tentacle turned toward Nofenburg on the coast… the consequences would be unthinkable.
By now, this was no longer a simple “evil beast tide.” This was a disaster on a whole different level. People had no time to wonder why such a terrifying monster existed beneath the frozen sea. The cowardly couldn’t even turn to flee. And yet, the battle above the waves had already taken a sharp new turn!
Facing the tentacle’s next strike, a terrifying force that looked like it could crush heaven and earth, the snow maiden slowly closed her cold, beautiful eyes. She drew in a deep breath, and suddenly her body shone with dazzling light.
“No!!!”
Realizing something, Lian’s face turned pale. He quickly shouted to stop her, but his voice had no effect on Moraya. Almost in the next instant—
“Please… let the god descend.”
Her voice was calm and cold, but it spread like a powerful hymn washing over the world.
A stream of light came rushing from the north, soaring across the sky at incredible speed. It poured into the girl’s body, forming an ice-blue eight-petal mark on her forehead. Instantly, the nearly fading [Divine Ice and Snow Seal] seemed to be supported by this new power. It shone with a brilliant light once again, even stronger and more solid than before!
Her long ribbons fluttered as the snow maiden lifted one hand to the heavens, as if she could hold the hundreds-of-meters-wide seal in her palm. The tentacle rising from the icy sea sensed the danger. Black waves of energy spread out around it as it swung upward in attack!
“Woooong!!!”
The [Divine Ice and Snow Seal] pressed down again. This time, unlike the earlier equal struggle, the seal now reinforced by the mysterious power Moraya had called upon was clearly stronger. The giant tentacle was pushed back step by step, and a thick layer of white frost quickly spread across its surface!
“RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!!!!!”
The two mighty forces crashed into the sea. Even the shockwaves from their clash alone raised waves nearly a hundred meters high. Ice shards and sea spray blocked all sight of Nofenburg’s direction. Only the terrifying sounds of violent collision kept echoing from beneath the waves, making hearts tremble. No one knew what was truly happening down there.
“It’s over… it’s all over…”
The fortress lord had revealed divine power, using her own strength to block the monster that could have destroyed Nofenburg. Yet, instead of joy, the priests who knew the truth all looked deathly pale. Their faces showed only fear.
Before Lian, the clear leader, could even speak to give orders, the priestess suddenly turned her staff sideways without warning. In an instant, her body became a streak of golden light, shooting toward the far side of the stormy sea!