Esmeria

Peng Xian stood silently before Ming Yu's house, his head bowed in shame and regret as Ming Yu's mother unleashed her grief and anger upon him.

"Why didn’t you save Ming Yu?! Why aren’t you the one who died?!" Her voice cracked with sorrow, each word a dagger that pierced Peng Xian's already burdened heart. He knew there was no answer he could give that would satisfy her anguish.

He listened in silence, his own guilt weighing heavily upon him. He blamed himself for the deaths of his two disciples, including Ming Yu. The onlookers, understanding the depth of a mother's pain, dared not intervene. They watched solemnly as the distraught mother's tirade continued, each accusation and lament driving deeper into Peng Xian's soul.

As Ming Yu's mother finally exhausted her fury, her legs gave way beneath her as if drained of all strength. She collapsed, her grief overwhelming her, leaving a stunned and sorrowful silence in its wake. Peng Xian remained rooted to the spot, his heart heavy with the weight of responsibility and remorse.

He extended a hand to help her up, but she slapped it away in anguish. Unable to bear the scene any longer, the other townsfolk stepped in to assist Peng Xian. Together, they gently lifted Ming Yu's mother and carried her back into the house, murmuring words of consolation and support.

Dealing with Chen Yang’s parents proved to be a stark contrast. Their grief manifested differently—they saw their son more as a financial asset than a beloved child. Peng Xian, burdened by guilt over Chen Yang's death as well, acquiesced to their demand for compensation. They asked for one thousand gold coins, and Peng Xian paid without hesitation. However, this transaction did little to assuage his guilt, especially in comparison to the profound loss he felt for Ming Yu.

Peng Xian made his way towards the prison with a firm resolve, intent on interrogating the two individuals he had captured earlier. As he approached the familiar stone walls, a sense of foreboding washed over him. The scene that greeted him was chilling and surreal—the prison was eerily silent, devoid of its usual activity.

His heart pounded in his chest as he cautiously stepped inside, only to find a grim tableau of death. The guards lay sprawled across the floor, lifeless, while the cells that had housed the prisoners were ominously empty. Panic gripped him as he realized the two captives were nowhere to be seen.

His gaze fell upon a message scrawled on the wall of an empty cell. Written in blood, the message bore a haunting threat: "We will be back to get your head."

"How is that monster a human?!" Annie exclaimed upon entering Gilles' room, her voice filled with disbelief and anger.

Gilles, already prepared to reprimand Annie for her outburst, froze upon seeing the burns and wounds covering her body. The injuries were a stark testament to the brutal encounter she had faced, passing through Peng Xian's lightning barrier.

"Sigh, Annie, I already told you not to—" Gilles began, but his words caught in his throat as he took in the extent of Annie's injuries.

Without hesitation, Gilles gently lifted Annie and carried her to her room, laying her down on the bed. He swiftly summoned his trusted servants and the physician, instructing them urgently to attend to her wounds.

"Father, it hurts!" Annie cried out, gripping Gilles' hand tightly as tears welled in her eyes.

"I will stay here with you. Go ahead and rest," Gilles murmured soothingly, trying to offer comfort amidst the agony.

"Argh! Father!" Annie winced in pain as the physician applied ointments to her burns, the sensation unbearable despite their efforts to alleviate her suffering with mundane medical care.

Since only a few magic users had an affinity with light elementals and could learn healing magic, the physicians opted to use medical ointments instead of magic.

Gilles could only offer his presence, holding Annie's hand throughout the long night to reassure her that she wasn't alone in her ordeal.

Meanwhile, Harun and Yasmin returned to find Annie in anguish, her injuries a grim reminder of the dangerous path they had chosen. Noticing the absence of Azraq and Banu, they exchanged worried glances, silently understanding what must have transpired between them and Peng Xian.

In the morning, Harun gently questioned Annie about the events that led to her injuries, his expression a mixture of concern and restrained anger.

"That... monster... killed both of them..." Annie managed to speak through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with pain and grief.

Harun's fists clenched in fury, ready to seek vengeance for their fallen comrades, but Annie halted him, recounting the truth of what had occurred. Yasmin, standing nearby, breathed a silent sigh of relief that their group hadn't provoked Peng Xian directly; knowing the consequences, they would have faced a fate similar to Azraq and Banu's.

Watching the display of Peng Xian's formidable power from the safety of his mansion, Gilles felt a shiver of apprehension. He realized that any plans to overthrow Luo Yang would need careful reconsideration, avoiding direct confrontation with Peng Xian and Xiao Jie at all costs. The prospect of Luo Yang's inevitable downfall loomed over Gilles like a dark cloud, causing him to doubt the certainty of his ambitions.

"Will Luo Yang's fall be inevitable after all?" Gilles pondered anxiously, wiping away the cold sweat that had gathered on his brow.

"Hey, Missy, we have arrived at Eisendorf!" The ship captain's voice broke through the chilly air, drawing Indienee's attention. Her purple hair fell in disarray around her face, the metal dress armor she wore gleaming despite the burn mark that marred her left cheek and neck.

Indienee nodded curtly, acknowledging the captain's announcement as the ship docked in Eisendorf. Adjusting the strap of her armor, she felt the weight of her responsibilities settle heavily upon her shoulders. Despite the burn on her face, there was a fierce determination in her gaze as she prepared to disembark into the snowy landscape.

"Thank you, Captain." She said, her voice steady despite the cold that seeped into her bones. Stepping onto the snow-covered dock, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever challenges lay ahead.

Indienee, tasked with finding a girl cursed by ice elementals, was undeterred by the freezing temperatures. Her prosthetic left arm and right leg, imbued with fire elementals, kept her warm and capable in this harsh environment.

In Eisendorf, her inquiries yielded no leads on the cursed girl. A local mentioned Nebelstadt, further north, as a possible place to gather information. However, the path to Nebelstadt was fraught with danger; it was infested with creatures known as Jack Frosts, who could freeze anyone to death with their ice magic.

Despite the peril, Indienee pressed forward, confident in her ability to withstand lower-tier ice magic thanks to her prosthetics. As she journeyed northward, the air grew colder, and the snowfall intensified, blanketing the path ahead.

Trudging through the snowy forest, Indienee maintained vigilance, keenly aware of her surroundings. The eerie silence was broken only by the crunch of her footsteps and the occasional whisper of wind through the frosted trees.

After an hour's trek, movement caught her eye. Emerging from the shadows were three Jack Frosts, their icy forms glinting with a mischievous gleam.

“Hehehehe whaat dooooo weeee seeeeee?”

“Hehehehe a humaaaan!”

“It’s a humaaaan!”

Indienee assumed a defensive stance, preparing for a possible confrontation with the Jack Frosts.

“Guuuuys we found a humaaaan!” One of the Jack Frosts called out, signaling for reinforcements.

Soon, more Jack Frosts appeared, encircling Indienee with their curious and playful demeanor.

“It’sss a reaaal huumaaaan!”

“Yaaayy a reeeeeaaaal humaaan!”

“Let’s plaaaaay!”

Indienee hesitated, cautious about making the first move. She didn't want to escalate the situation unnecessarily, she did not want to mindlessly kill anyone, monsters included.

“Yooou idiiottts!”

“We cann’tt plaaaay!”

“Wee neeed heeelp!”

Some of the Jack Frosts scolded the others, revealing their distress and the reason for their presence in Eisendorf.

For normal humans, playing with a Jack Frost meant certain death by freezing, as the creatures had no concept that other living beings needed warmth to survive.

“What do you guys want?” Indienee asked, trying to understand their intentions amid the chaotic chatter.

“Ouuur kinnngg kidnaaaped yeetis!”

“You idiioot! Yeeti kidnapped our Kinggg!”

“Ehheheeheee kidnapped kingnaaaaapped!”

Indienee pieced together the urgency of their plea. It seemed the yetis had driven the Jack Frosts from their territory, forcing them into Eisendorf.

“Help usss play together!”

“Help us save our kiinnnngg!”

Indienee considered their request carefully, knowing that aiding the Jack Frosts could lead to their departure from the area, thereby avoiding conflict with nearby towns or military forces.

"Fine, I will help you," Indienee agreed firmly, her tone brooking no argument.

"But you must promise me one thing: return to your original territory after this and leave Eisendorf."

The Jack Frosts eagerly agreed, their enthusiasm palpable even in their icy forms. With a determined nod, Indienee prepared herself for the task ahead, knowing that she couldn't afford to fail in her mission to save the kidnapped king and bring peace to Eisendorf

The Jack Frosts agreed to her terms and guided her to their old territory, Frosthorn Mountain, where the yetis currently reside.

Upon reaching the mountain's base, Indienee spotted two yetis standing guard along the path leading up. Motioning for the Jack Frosts to remain silent, she cautiously approached the yeti guards, keeping her movements quiet and deliberate.

“ACHOOOOOO!!!!” Just as she was about to attempt to sneak past them, one of the Jack Frosts sneezed loudly, creating a giant snowball and alerting the yetis to their presence.

“It’s the Jack Frosts!” One of the yeti guards shouted, rushing to alert others.

“You idioooot!!!!” Another Jack Frost smacked the sneezing one, but it was too late.

Indienee stood there speechless, inwardly chastising the Jack Frosts for their carelessness.

"How can you even sneeze? You're made of snow…"

“I aammm specciaalll! Teeeheeeheeeeee” The sneezing Jack Frost stuck out its tongue, seeming unfazed by the situation.

The Jack Frost received another smack on the head from its companion.

“You idiiooott! Nooww we can’t snnneak inside anymooore!”

Before Indienee could intervene further, the lone yeti guard charged towards the Jack Frosts in anger, ignoring Indienee as it believed a mere human posed no threat.

“[Ice Boooolts]! Attack himmmmm with [Ice Booooolts]! the Jack Frosts desperately shouted, but their attacks were ineffective against the yeti’s thick fur.

“Eeeh!” Just as the yeti was about to strike, Indienee intercepted its attack with her left arm.

“Wooooow! She bloooocked it with juuuust her leeeft aarmmmm!” The Jack Frosts exclaimed in amazement.

“Stay back!” Indienee commanded firmly, feeling annoyed by the Jack Frosts' lack of awareness.

Undeterred, the yeti continued its assault, hammering Indienee with its fists, expecting her to succumb sooner or later.

“Sorry, you won’t defeat me with just this.” Indienee grabbed one of the yeti’s arms with her right hand and unleashed [Shock Blast], electrocuting it into submission.

“Wooooowww!”

“This huuumannnn can shoooot outt electric!!”

The Jack Frosts marveled.

“I am not a human, I am a lightning demon.” Indienee clarified calmly.

“Wooow this huumannn is a deeemoonnn!”

“Let’ssss play, huuumann deemooon!”

The Jack Frosts exclaimed excitedly.

Indienee sighed, wondering how the Jack Frosts had survived this long with their antics.

"Have you guys ever considered that maybe your spells are ineffective against the yetis because they have resistance to ice elements?"

“!!!!!” The Jack Frosts' eyes widened as if they had just realized the yetis' resistance.

“Thiiis huumannn deemoonn iss cleeeeveer!”

“Whaat do wee dooooo?!”

“We caaan’t saaave ouuur kiiinnnngg!”

“I’m still here to help you guys save your king.” Indienee reassured them.

“Yaaay wee fooouunnd heeeeelppp!”

Indienee chose to ignore the Jack Frosts for the moment, knowing further conversation might only complicate matters.

As they ascended the mountain, they were ambushed by four yetis hurling giant snow boulders.

“Ugh, it’s going to be exhausting, at least it’s good I prepared a fire one.” Indienee swiftly countered with a fiery blade generated from her prosthetic arm, dispersing the snow boulders.

“Huumaaan Demoon deeestrooyed the roooocks!”

“Wooooow!”

“Huuumaaaan Demooon isss strooongg!”

As the yetis fled in fear, Indienee reminded them,

“I have a name, Indienee. Please stop calling me 'Human Demon.'”

“Okaaayy indieeeeeneeeeee huumaaan demoooon!”

“Indieeeneeee huumaaan demoooon!”

“Savioourrrr indieeneeee huuumaaan demoooon!”

“Forget it, continue calling me human demon.” Indienee sighed inwardly, resigning herself to their persistent moniker. She felt that if they continued to drag out their speech, especially with the long nicknames, it might prove fatal to the group in the event of sudden danger.

As they continued up the mountain, six Yetis emerged from beneath the snowy ground. All six of them relentlessly hurled snowballs at Indienee's group.

“Awwwoucchhh”

“Weeee areee dyyyingggg heeeelp!”

The impact from the snowballs hurt the Jack Frosts, despite their bodies being technically composed of snow.

Jack Frosts had high offensive capabilities, but their defensive capabilities were low. Their susceptibility to impact and fire damage further weakened their already low defense.

“Cast [Ice Shield], you guys could do it right?” Indienee commanded the Jack Frosts while blocking the incoming snowballs.

“Yeeeeess wee caaan oucchh!” The Jack Frosts gathered their magic and conjured a giant [Ice Shield], successfully blocking the snowball barrage.

“Thooseee Yeeti’s aattttack areee weeeak!”

“Weeee are stroooong!”

While the Jack Frosts celebrated their first successful attempt at blocking the Yetis' snowball barrage, Indienee quietly sneaked behind the Yetis to attack them and prevent their escape.

She unleashed her [Shock Blast] toward the six yetis grouped together, paralyzing them.

“Weee defeeeaated thooose yeetis!”

“Weeee didd iiiitt!”

"How have they survived until now?" Indienee stared at the Jack Frosts incredulously, pondering how they had managed to survive this long.