Chapter 58: A golden spark
“You… What have you done?” Snow’s voice trembled as she stared at the monstrous serpent behind her. The sheer creepiness and malevolence it exuded were beyond words. Clearly, this creature was a boss of either a dungeon or an entire biome.
It was a beast of such fierce ferocity and power that no ordinary person could have possibly tamed it, making the situation even more horrifying as Snow slowly realized the implications of such an action.
“Did you—”
“Use a subjugation stone? Yes, what of it, Your Highness?” Auvin’s voice dripped with contemptuous amusement.
A seething rage built up inside Snow. “You sick bastard! Do you know what you’ve done? How many did you kill; how many did you sacrifice for all this bull—”
SWOOSH!
With a whipping noise that reverberated through the air, Snow couldn’t finish her words.
The snake’s gigantic tail slapped her away like a mere bug.
Snow flew through the air for a few seconds before crashing onto the hard ground with a resounding noise of breaking ice.
Though she managed to cast an ice shield just in time to block the attack, it wasn’t enough to absorb all the damage. The shield shattered, and the shards pierced the right side of her torso.
She lay there, gasping for breath, her vision blurring as pain seared through her body. Blood trickled from the wounds, staining the icy ground beneath her.
Struggling to push herself up, she felt the sharp sting of the shards embedded in her flesh, each movement sending waves of agony through her.
As Snow gasped for breath, she slowly opened her eyes, wondering what had just happened. Instinctively, she used her staff to erect a barrier around herself.
The attack had come so suddenly that she wouldn’t have been surprised if she had died outright. The only reason she was even in one piece was thanks to her natural instincts for sensing danger.
Blood trickled down her lips as she stifled the moaning sounds of pain from within. “Oh my, please forgive his rudeness, Your Highness,” General Auvin said with a huge smile on his old, wrinkled face. “He’s very sensitive when it comes to matters involving me.”
HIISSSSS!!!!!
The snake hissed at Auvin’s comments, as if trying to deny his words, before staring at the fallen princess.
Feeling the cold, trickling sensation of pain on its tail, the snake understood that dealing with this human woman was going to be troublesome.
This was the first time it had ever taken damage from such a mediocre and incomplete defensive spell.
The cold sensation it felt was similar to the frozen tundras of the misty mountains in the northern parts of the forest.
“Your Highness, I think it would be best if you go all out now,” Auvin taunted. “If you don’t, my friend here might accidentally kill you before I can give you a clean death myself.”
Snow’s eyes narrowed as she forced herself to stand, using her staff for support.
The pain was excruciating, but she couldn’t afford to show weakness.
Not now. Not to him.
With Auvin’s taunt, the snake lunged towards the princess once more, venom dripping from its fangs, its eyes glowing with deadly intent.
Snow immediately drew upon her already strained mana reserves and formed an even stronger barrier.
[Ice Shield Nova]
Frost enveloped her, creating a translucent and transparent blue barrier that surrounded her completely.
BOOM!!!
An explosive sound reverberated through the air as the snake’s fangs clashed against the barrier, failing to penetrate it.
HISSSS!!!
The snake screeched as its mouth became encased in ice, but it quickly retaliated. Its mana surged to a dangerous level, and a green, acidic aura coated its body, melting the frost and ice that had formed on its mouth. Its red eyes glowed with fury as it glared at the struggling human before it.
The snake reared back, drawing in a deep breath as mana gathered from its fangs to its throat, preparing for a devastating attack.
The intensity of the mana was palpable, making the air around them crackle with energy.
Snow’s mind raced, searching for a way to counter the impending attack.
She knew that launching an offensive spell was not an option; any spell potent enough to harm the monster would require a long casting time, something that she couldn’t afford to use at the moment.
Dodging wasn’t an option either. Her legs had already given out on her since the ambush started.
Both her body and mind were in agony, and using utility spells like telekinesis or short-distance teleportation was impossible due to the anti-magic field disrupting the mana in the air.
The only reason she could still use ice magic was because of her natural affinity for it.
‘Do I have no choice?’
Snow inwardly struggled with the notion of using her domain here.
Sure, she could kill the monster in front of her in one go, but once she used her only remaining trump card, she would be left with almost no mana, making her even more vulnerable.
The moment all her defenses were gone would be the moment of her death. Her head would probably be put on a pike for everyone else to see.
She glanced at the snake, its massive form coiled and ready to strike, venom dripping from its fangs.
Auvin stood not far behind, his eyes fixed on her, a confident smirk playing on his lips. He was enjoying this, savoring her desperation and fear.
HISSS!!!
As the snake finished charging its attack, a long streaming breath of pure toxic poison spewed forth from its mouth, melting and corrupting everything it touched.
Snow immediately reinforced her barrier, but she knew that in a battle of attrition against such a monster, she would eventually lose, even if she were at full health.
CRACKKK!!!!
Cracks started to form on her barrier, her options limited. It was clear that Auvin was baiting her, waiting for her to use her domain. But under these circumstances, what choice did she have?
“HAHAHAHA~” General Auvin laughed hysterically as he watched Snow struggle for her life. The moment the barrier breaks, the acid viper’s poison would spread and melt her like heated butter.
Although it wasn’t the type of end he wanted, it could also prove more beneficial, especially if he wanted to send a message to the empire.
With Snow’s death, their cause would finally be justified.
Snow’s mind raced, trying to find a way out. She knew that using her domain would be a last-ditch effort, one that would drain her completely and leave her vulnerable.
But seeing the barrier shatter before her eyes, she realized she had no other choice.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused. She could feel the mana within her, the essence of her power, and she began to draw it out, channeling it into her final spell.
The air around her grew colder, and the ground beneath her feet started to freeze.
[Frost Domain!]
A surge of power erupted from Snow, spreading out in all directions.
The ground turned to ice, the air filled with swirling snow and frost.
The snake’s advance was halted as the icy power enveloped it, freezing its movements.
The toxic breath was neutralized, the poison turning brittle and shattering in the cold.
Auvin’s laughter died in his throat as he watched the scene unfold. The sheer power of the Frost Domain was beyond anything he had anticipated.
Snow, standing at the center of the icy maelstrom, looked like a vengeful spirit of winter, her eyes glowing with a fierce determination.
The snake, now encased in ice, struggled to break free. But the cold was too intense, and its movements slowed, its strength waning.
Snow took this moment to gather her remaining energy for one final attack.
[Ice Lance]
A massive spear of ice formed in the air before her, shimmering with lethal intent. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it hurtling toward the snake.
The lance pierced through the frozen beast, shattering its icy prison and impaling it through its heart. The snake let out one last, ear-piercing hiss before collapsing, its life force extinguished.
Snow, drained of her mana and barely able to stand, turned her gaze to Auvin.
The general’s face was a mask of fury and disbelief, but also… satisfaction.
Falling to her knees, Snow struggled to maintain her blurry gaze. Although she couldn’t see properly anymore, she knew the general’s figure was looming, walking closer to her.
She had given her best shot with that last attack, using up most of her mana in the domain, hoping it would reach the general.
But it seems luck wasn’t on her side this time; it took the entirety of her mana just to kill the snake.
Pluck!
Feeling herself being lifted into the air, Snow’s eyes opened wider in shock as she struggled to breathe.
The firm grip of a hand was choking her throat.
“That was truly impressive, Your Highness… if only you weren’t born into that wretched family, our paths wouldn’t have led us here,” General Auvin’s words slipped past her ears as she tried and struggled to make him let go.
A punch, a kick, a scratch—she tried everything to make the strong hands around her throat release their grip. But no matter how much she struggled, none of it affected Auvin whatsoever.
The world around Snow blurred and darkened, her vision narrowing to a pinprick as the lack of air and exhaustion took their toll.
She could feel her consciousness slipping away, her body growing weaker with each passing second.
Desperation surged within her, but her strength was already spent.
There was nothing she could do about this situation now.
“Oh my, are you crying? don’t worry my dear all of this will be over in just a second.” Auvin’s words were a mockery, cutting deep. Snow had promised her mother that she wouldn’t shed a tear, that she would always remain strong and uphold the dignity of the imperial family. Yet here she was, breaking that promise as the threat of death loomed near.
‘I’m sorry, Mother… In the end, I grew up to be someone meaningless….’ she thought to herself.
Slowly, she stopped struggling and held onto her last breath.
Closing her eyes, she waited for the impending end.
But then…..
RUMBLE!
RUMBLE!
The skies rumbled above, golden sparks reverberating in the clouds as lightning danced across the heavens.
BZZZZTTT!!!
Lightning crashed from all directions, and the wind pressure from the already windy plains increased dramatically.
In the distance, a reflection of golden lightning caught Snow’s eye.
A gigantic wolf, crackling with electricity, snarled at them with thunderous threats.
Its presence exuded a heavy pressure that bore down upon everyone in the field.
