SSS Awakening: Rebirth of the Strongest Vampire God-Chapter 142: Wake up, Sylvara!

In front of her, on the system screen, blinked at least a hundred, maybe even more, items, all tagged Ice Orc gear. Every single one suitable for players level 40 and above, and every single one of them boasting decent stat boosts.

"We need to buy this! All of it!" Sylvara shot to her feet, eyes bright with determination. If they could get their hands on this gear, their mission further north would be that much easier. It would boost their entire team’s strength by a few levels. This was invaluable to their guild!

However, Nevin let out a sigh and shook his head. "I’m not talking about that."

"Hmm?" Sylvara turned, puzzled. "Then what are you talking about?"

"Take a look at who’s selling all that gear," Nevin said quietly.

Sylvara’s eyes darted back to the screen, and only then did she notice the seller’s name and her heart nearly stopped. "Zero?" she whispered, staring at the name before whipping her gaze back to Nevin. "Isn’t that... Mark?"

Nevin gave her a bitter smile as the realization began to dawn on her.

"These many items... did that mean they came across some sort of hidden treasury full of ice orc gear?" she wondered aloud, still trying to make sense of it.

Nevin’s face twitched, and he face-palmed, exasperated. "Do you really not see what’s happening right in front of you? Are you that determined to stay blind, just to keep hating him?"

Sylvara opened her mouth, then shut it again, stunned into silence. Her eyes darted back to the auction screen, then back to Nevin. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but the words wouldn’t come.

"Zero is Mark’s in-game name," Nevin said quietly. "But the real seller here is Damon. Don’t you get it? Damon’s the one who cleared all those ice orcs in the Frost Caverns. He’s the one who single-handedly cleared out the place and saved our asses."

Sylvara’s breath caught in her throat. "No... but that’s..."

"That’s exactly what happened!" Nevin snapped, his eyes flashing. "He went in there alone and took down dozens and dozens of these orcs while we were still trying to fight a handful. While you were badmouthing him, he cleared everything out like it was nothing." His tone was almost awed, even if he hated admitting it.

"Maybe the other two also helped. But without the three of them, we would be long dead and completely wiped out. Heck, it would have taken a couple of months to get through these mountains. We wouldn’t have discovered the black pool either, or that trial ground."

Sylvara’s heart sank. Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of her wet robe.

Nevin slammed his palm on the ice floor, making her jump. "Wake up, Sylvara! Stop believing the words of some idiots and stop sabotaging grandfather’s preparations. I wish I had your position, but I do not. You are the one in the driver’s seat. You are the acting guild leader. Our clan will live or die based on your actions. You need to wake the fuck up!"

Sylvara’s mind reeled. Her chest ached with a mix of fury, shame, and grudging respect. That arrogant bastard, why was he torturing her like this?

A man who could do that to an unconscious woman was not a good, virtuous man. She would be a fool to trust him. She knew this deep down in her heart and yet...

Sylvara closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She was not willing, but she knew she simply did not have a choice. He hadn’t done anything wrong until now. There was nothing she could hold against him. Her grandfather had also scolded her to get everything straight. There was no point in fighting it any longer.

She might hate him personally, but for the sake of her clan, she needed to swallow her pride and make amends with that man. "I will take care of this. You can trust me." She patted Nevin and allowed him to recover.

Instead of heading further down, she then swam up to the surface once again. Even though the conditions improved as she reached closer to the surface, it was still quite taxing on her body. In the end, she gained a stat point in stamina.

Putting the thought of Damon aside, she decided to focus on training for the time being. Besides, that man had already gone further down. She wouldn’t be able to follow him down there straight away, even if she wanted to.

Sylvara picked herself from the black pool and sat down on the side to take a breather. Even staying for a few seconds in that water made her feel completely drained and exhausted.

All around her, Frost Throne guild members were essentially doing the same thing. By now, a huge crowd had gathered around the pool and even though every single one of them looked like wet dogs, they still trained meticulously by enduring the hellish cold.

Sylvara’s mind, however, remained stuck on Nevin’s words. Damon, that bastard, had cleared the way for all of them. The realization bit deeper than any frost could.

She glanced around, watching her clan struggle against the cold water, gritting their teeth and clutching at each other’s shoulders. Even the strongest among them looked like they’d been through a battlefield, with red faces, trembling hands, and eyes that shone with desperate determination.

Yet, they all pressed on. Just like she had to.

Sylvara’s eyes hardened. She didn’t have the luxury of giving in to her personal grudges anymore. If this place was going to forge them into something stronger, then she’d take every advantage, no matter how bitter.

Damon’s success here didn’t erase his sins in her eyes, but it didn’t erase his contributions, either.

Begrudgingly, she sent a message to their representative who was stationed near the auction house. This time to make up for the wrongs, they would have to buy everything the hard way. It was going to cost more gold coins but it was nothing they couldn’t handle.

With this as an apology, she would also be able to smooth things between Damon and their family. With this everything should be taken care of.

Sylvia did not linger on it for too long. Her entire focus was completely on the trial in front of her. Only as long as she was helpless and incompetent, she needed to cower in front of others like this. No. That will not do. This legacy will be hers no matter what.

She then squared her shoulders and dove back into the black pool without hesitation, determined to rise stronger than ever.

For the next few days, the entire Frost Throne guild focused solely on the black pool, all thoughts of dungeons, raids, and other quests cast aside. The black water trial had become an obsession, one that refused to let go of anyone who’d tasted its chilling embrace.

Guild members competed fiercely, some using potions, others relying solely on raw willpower. Every hour, the cavern buzzed with anxious shouts, cries of triumph, and the occasional agonized scream as another brave soul reached their limit and had to be hauled out before death claimed them.

Sylvara herself was fully immersed in the challenge. Her pride and determination burned brighter than ever, fueled by the knowledge that Damon had already passed this test with casual ease. She would not be left behind, no matter how much her body protested.

Every time she dove in, the cold gnawed at her bones, whispering temptations of surrender. But she refused to yield. Every breath she took in that abyss felt like a victory. Every second endured was a declaration that she would not be broken.

At the end of three days, her limbs trembling and her health bar flashing dangerously low, Sylvara finally reached the second break point. She gasped as she broke through the final icy barrier, the water parting to reveal a small air pocket like the one she’d stumbled upon before.

She clambered onto the ledge, her teeth chattering, expecting to see Damon’s arrogant smirk and maybe even Mark’s awkward smile. But to her surprise, the small space was completely empty. The three vampires, Damon, Mark, and Kate, were nowhere to be found.

Of course, the same three sentences were scribbled childishly on the icy walls.

"Blood God was here first!"

"K8 was here second!"

"Zero was here!"