Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)-Chapter 534: An Ice Coffin (2)

Third Person's POV

Arlene's mind was still filled with a storm of chaotic thoughts, with suspicion, doubt, and unease clashing endlessly within her.

But all of it was washed away in the very next second as her pupils shrank in horror when she witnessed her aunt doing something that instantly filled her with anger, disbelief, anxiety, and a surge of emotions she could barely suppress beneath her composed exterior.

A few seconds earlier…

The blue-haired woman had already realized that the true essence and magical vitality of the frost soul orchid had long since been drained away, and that what stood before her was nothing more than a hollow shell.

It was nothing more than a beautiful but meaningless remnant of a wondrous, magical plant that no longer possessed any real value.

A faint trace of frustration appeared in her eyes as to her, this was nothing more than a wasted opportunity and a useless object that no longer deserved even a second glance.

With that thought, she raised her hand casually, and a dim blue orb, no larger than a small golf ball, condensed quietly within her palm.

Despite its modest size, the orb was anything but simple.

Inside it, countless minute shards of razor sharp ice moved in a chaotic yet controlled pattern.

They swirled and darted like a vast school of tiny fish moving in perfect yet incomprehensible synchronization, their speed so fast that they blurred into faint streaks that were almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

The energy contained within that small sphere was terrifying.

It was constructed in very little time, and because of that, it was very violent.

Yet at the same time, it was held together with absolute control, with its destructive power condensed into a focused point rather than allowed to spread outward recklessly, making it a precise and efficient technique rather than a wide scale spell meant for indiscriminate destruction.

Without the slightest hesitation, and without any concern for the fact that her niece was watching her actions unfold without understanding their meaning, the blue-haired woman flicked her wrist and released the orb toward the frost soul orchid.

As expected, the moment the orb made contact with the gleaming flower, it shattered.

The orb exploded into a concentrated storm of tiny ice shards that engulfed the delicate, crystal blue flower instantly and shredded it apart.

In less than a heartbeat, the once beautiful orchid was reduced to nothing but fine icy dust that scattered into the air and vanished into the surrounding frost.

However, the destruction did not end there.

The storm of ice continued forward with the same relentless momentum, carving into the surface of the small island beneath the plant as the countless shards tore through the solid ice like a blade through soft flesh.

A portion of the island was shaved away entirely as layers of ice were being stripped off and scattered as fragments, the force of the attack far more devastating than its small size had initially suggested.

Behind the barrier, Arlene and the others watched this scene unfold in complete shock.

The mysterious and rare magical herb that they had come so far to obtain, the very treasure that had been the purpose of their entire journey, was destroyed so casually and effortlessly by the very person who had just saved them.

For a moment, no one spoke, and no one reacted, and the only thing they could do was stare.

Arlene's expression slowly darkened as anger and resentment surged within her and rose like a tide that she struggled desperately to suppress.

Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides, and her blue nails dug faintly into her palms as she lowered her head and allowed her cloudy blue hair to fall forward and obscure her face, hiding the emotions that threatened to surface.

Her opportunity, and the path she had carefully planned before, had just been erased before her eyes.

And she could do nothing about it.

However, before she could fully process the shock and disappointment that weighed heavily on her chest, her arm was suddenly jolted to the side.

The movement was abrupt and sharp enough that it pulled her out of her thoughts instantly.

She turned her head in irritation, her eyes flashing with suppressed anger as she glared at her maid, ready to rebuke her for such behavior.

But the maid did not look at her, not even once.

Her expression was frozen, and her eyes were wide as she pointed toward the small island in the middle of the icy pond with a trembling hand.

Feeling confused and slightly irritated at her maid's sudden reaction, Arlene followed the direction of her trembling hand.

Her gaze shifted toward the small island at the center of the icy pond, but the moment her eyes settled upon it, her breath stilled and her pupils constricted sharply in shock.

At first glance, she noticed that the surface of the small island had been carved down by her aunt's earlier attack, as its height had been reduced significantly.

Layers of hard ice covering the small island had been shaved away by the concentrated storm of razor sharp shards, but this alone was not what startled her.

What truly shook her was what had been revealed beneath.

At the exact spot where the frost soul orchid had once stood, something else had emerged.

It was a dark blue, transparent coffin that lay embedded within the exposed surface of the island.

Its form was smooth, and its appearance exuded a sense of mystery, radiating a strange and unfamiliar presence that immediately drew her attention and unsettled her instincts.

The exterior of the coffin was marked with faintly glowing vein-like blue energy marks that spread outward like roots.

It began from the top of the coffin and extended downward into its structure, as though something had been feeding or channeling energy through them for a very long time.

Within the translucent casing, a vague and blurred humanoid silhouette could be seen lying still.