Absolute Craft-Chapter 90: Anonymous House (9)

Chapter 90: Anonymous House (9)

<You have used The Conqueror of the Winter>

The moment he activated this legendary skill, Blake’s cold aura intensified, merging with the very air around him. It was no longer just a faint chill directed at Alex—he had become the embodiment of ice itself.

Cold steam hissed from within him; his eyes shone like blue moons, and ice fanned out from his body like well-trained soldiers. Since he no longer wore gauntlets, thick plumes of frigid steam gathered around his hands.

It was nearly impossible to see how he wielded his katana, or even predict which stance he would shift into next.

Blake had used The Conqueror of the Winter without even realizing it. He briefly considered using Superbia to reclaim Sol and crush this woman with doubled stats. But that would rouse the little one from his slumber, and how could he do such a cruel thing to his adorable elemental?

This train of thought cleared his mind, granting him a clearer perspective on the entire situation.

Once more, Blake pondered Sol’s actions. What was Sol trying to tell him? Why would a young dragon undertake such a risky endeavor, spewing something so dangerous?

That line of reasoning led Blake to a crucial question: why did Sol produce white flames? How had he drawn himself closer to the dragon race? And what was the true origin of The Sun Elemental?

It suddenly dawned on Blake.

He should have questioned these things sooner. After discovering a fun new battle style when fusing with Sol and Beatrix, he still unconsciously relied on his katana as his main weapon, relegating the elements to a supportive role.

His old self had depended too heavily on passive skills and raw intuition.

This new Blake needed to broaden his horizons.

He couldn’t say for sure if this was the perfect solution to his discontent, but Sol had helped him arrive at this idea, and he intended to explore it.

Within his Blizzard, Blake drew inspiration from everything swirling around him. Encased in the storm, he recalled his time on the mountain’s spire, along with his first contact with The Blizzard Forging and The Blizzard Smithy.

It had been so enjoyable.

Crafting was so enjoyable.

He now saw himself more as a crafter than a swordsman.

<You have used The Blizzard Smithy (Legendary)>

A skill he believed only possible atop the mountain’s spire activated by his will. Because he was in combat, it didn’t manifest as a smithy. Instead, it expanded Blake’s Blizzard even further, creating a snow-globe-like space where only he had unobstructed vision.

Caught up in the intoxicating drive to craft, Blake summoned an Ice Statue—a key component for The Blizzard Forging. Rather than shaping itself into him or Kyria, the ice mirrored Alex instead, capturing her beauty as well as her current state—her broken armor, ripped kneesocks, and cracked skin.

The statue stood across from him, facing its real-life counterpart. It connected to the true Alex through an invisible link, which only Blake sensed.

New system windows appeared before him.

He strode toward the statue, and as he passed through it, he flicked his katana, beheading the frozen figure. Its head dropped to the icy floor, fractured slightly on impact, and rolled away.

By that time, Blake had already vanished into the raging blizzard.

-

<You have entered The Blizzard Smithy>

<You have been linked to the Ice Statue depicting yourself>

<You have been inflicted with Headless Statue Debuff (Legendary)>

<Headless Statue Debuff (Legendary) — From now on, ice will crawl over your head until it’s completely frozen in place. You have ten minutes before it fully takes effect. During that time, your neck and head will steadily grow heavier and slower. Once the debuff succeeds in freezing your head, your stamina consumption will rise, your cold resistance will drop, and you won’t be able to move your head for ten minutes.>

Standing in the blizzard, Alex read these system notifications. While it was handy that her game interface could appear even in this murky storm, the news wasn’t good.

The White Oni had cursed her. If her head became immobilized, her field of vision would shrink drastically, creating openings Kyria and Blake would undoubtedly exploit.

As if that weren’t enough, the blizzard was already slowing her movements!

’Legendary skills... so he’s one of those players who caught up to the beta testers,’ Alex thought, bracing herself for any surprise attacks. ’I’m no legend yet, but I’m close.’

Her black, withering aura gnawed at the ice, clashing with the Headless Ice creeping toward her head. She managed to hold the debuff at bay, but the longer she lingered here, the more certain her defeat seemed.

Just then, Blake lunged out of the blizzard with his bare hand, aiming to grab Sol. He failed to snatch him away because Alex spun around just in time. However, Blake promptly summoned his katana—just as he did with his crafting tools in The Blizzard Smithy—gripped its hilt tight, and slashed at her from an unexpected angle.

Blood splattered across the snow.

Blake then retreated. In his place, an ice track surged forward like a speeding train, ramming into Alex. With a powerful kick, she demonstrated her quick reflexes and immense strength, stopping the ice craft in its tracks.

But it didn’t end there.

A second track tumbled down from above like an avalanche. She whirled around and countered it with another precise kick, neutralizing the threat again. This time, however, the weight was much greater, and it pinned her to the spot.

Seizing the moment, Blake slid along the first track, darted past Alex, and scooped up his adorable elemental. Then he signaled his companion, who unleashed red lightning bullets from a distance. Each projectile dug into Alex’s flesh, marking her as a target.

’I need to escape this place. If I switch locations, the ice effects should vanish, and Kyria won’t have such a clear shot. A dense forest would be perfect,’ Alex thought.

Yet it was pointless to believe she could outrun the enraged demon.

No sooner had she tried to implement her plan than a towering ice wall rose before her, blocking any exit.

’This is too much for me alone. Maybe if I had a healer or a fire mage...’ Alex realized she had been too overconfident in challenging the enemy guild leader and his allies by herself.

Behind her loomed the White Demon, his imposing frame and presence overshadowing her. Ever since he’d begun molding the battlefield to his advantage, he’d been the undisputed victor of this fight.

Alex glanced over her shoulder and offered a weak smile. "I forfeit. I’m sorry for trying to steal your precious pet. I might come back someday to fight for the little one’s affection, but for now, I’ll concede. Also, I’m curious about using your ice skills to support The Hounds, which includes me, so I’ll be in your care for the upcoming event. Sound fair?"

Blake, however, was in no mood for bargains. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

He slammed his palm into the ice wall, causing deep fractures, then loomed over her with his taller form, studying her like a hawk.

That glare stole the breath from Alex’s lungs, forcing her to turn and stare at him, wide-eyed and gasping. Her heart pounded, and any thought of resistance slipped away.

"There’s nothing you could possibly offer me in exchange for Sol. He’s irreplaceable. If you harbor even a shred of intent to steal him from me in the future, I’ll knock that idea straight out of your head."

He made no allowances for her gender or how merciless his statement might sound.

He’d do the unthinkable to her, right here and now, until she logged out or swore never again to covet Sol.

All it would take to avoid this fate was a single lie—just telling him that she would never go after Sol again.

’He’s naïve and relentless, willing to do anything for his goal... He’s disturbingly similar to Supreme Blade,’ Alex thought, steeling herself as she locked eyes with Blake. Under his intense gaze, she felt smaller and more fragile, so endearingly pitiful that most people would hesitate to oppress her further. "I promise," she said quietly, "I’ll never go after him again. I’ll even protect him if I must."

Blake searched her eyes for a moment, then turned and faded into his own blizzard, which soon subsided.

Now, only two players remained:

Kyria and Alex Red Moon.