The Forsaken Heir's Ascension-Chapter 162: Frozen Ascension

In a silent cafeteria, Alex and Selene sat across from each other, Alex was eating toast and half fried egg with steaming black coffee.

Selene on the other hand having her favourite, pancakes dripping with sweet syrup. They ate in peaceful silence. Nearby, Hati quietly devoured his favorite steak.The faint clatter of cutlery echoed through the mostly empty hall.

One by one, soldiers began to enter—some in white uniforms with steel armor, others clad in gold and blue, and some in navy blue attire. Yet all shared the same somber expression, their faces downcast as if in mourning. The atmosphere grew heavy. No one spoke. Only the occasional clink of utensils against plates broke the silence.

After finishing their meal, Alex and Selene rose from their seats and walked out, with Hati padding along behind them. Some soldiers cast curious glances toward Alex, but no one dared speak—not a word about the events of the previous night.

The trio slowly made their way to the top of the outer wall. Alex stepped up to the barricade and gazed into the expanse of the Frozen Hell. In the distance, the faint silhouettes of jagged, frozen mountains pierced the horizon.

Nerzalia’s words echoed in his mind:"If you want to know about our ancestor, meet me at the mountain."

He shook his head gently and turned away, heading toward the quarters. When they reached Selene’s door, she paused. Turning to face him, her pale blue eyes searched his. In a soft whisper, she asked:"Will you be okay?"

Alex tried to smile, but it faltered halfway, landing somewhere between awkward and pained. In a strained voice, he replied, "Yes... I will be."

Selene stepped closer.He could feel her warm breath brushing against his skin, soft and fleeting.

She whispered, "Are you sure?"

Alex swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Yes... Yes, I... will be. You need rest too, you know."

Selene smiled gently and nodded. Then she turned, and as she passed, a few strands of her silver hair grazed his face. A soft, pleasant scent lingered, wrapping around his senses. Alex closed his eyes and stood still for a moment, completely entranced.

Even after her door clicked shut behind her, he remained there, lost in thought.

"Woof."

The soft bark jolted him out of his daze. He blinked and looked down at Hati, who was staring up at him with narrowed eyes and an expression that seemed just a bit too knowing.

Alex gave him an awkward smile and ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath as he turned toward his own room.

Then, suddenly, at the far end of the corridor, a door opened with a faint creak—and Marshal Sebeth stepped out.

Her presence felt... different.Something had changed. Something deeper.

Click... clack...

Each step she took echoed softly, her light blue armor shimmering faintly under the corridor lights. With every stride, a delicate frost spread out beneath her boots, kissing the floor with ice.

Alex’s eyes widened. He could feel it—her aura.It was colder, heavier... eerily familiar.It reminded him of Nerzalia’s—only weaker.

Sebeth stopped in front of him. Her expression unreadable.

With a neutral voice, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Snapped from his thoughts, Alex gave a silent nod.

She nodded back, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. But as she turned to leave, Alex’s voice broke through, laced with confusion:"What happened to you?"

Sebeth paused. Her gaze shifted between him and Hati before she spoke again, this time with a soft, almost sorrowful smile."I just took a step toward the Sage Realm."

A brief silence followed.Her eyes flicked around the corridor. Then she placed a firm hand on Alex’s shoulder.

"I’m glad you’re okay. But stay low. The nobles... we don’t like commoners. And a powerful commoner? That shakes the very core of our order."

With that, she stepped past him, her footsteps trailing frost as she disappeared down the hall.

Alex stood there, frozen, her words sinking into him.As her silhouette vanished, he whispered:"Yeah... I know. But I’m not strong. I’m weak."

Click.

He opened his door and stepped inside.Hati padded in quietly behind him.

Alex sat down on the floor, crossing his legs with a sigh. He closed his eyes and let his mind sink into the thoughts that had been haunting him for days.

"My dark element is only at the fifth circle... To reach the sixth—Grandmaster stage—I just need more elemental energy."

His brow furrowed.

"But to break into the seventh... I need more than power. I have to understand the very nature of my dark element."

His thoughts shifted.

"I already have five wood element rings, all connected. That’s one more element. And the poison that also resonates with it and still merged with my dark element. It felt woven into the dark. Then there’s black lightning—my fourth element. It too is tied to the dark and the poison."

He opened his eyes slightly, voice barely a whisper."If I want to move forward, I need to understand my dark element. And to do that... I need to understand my ancestor’s connection to it."

He shut his eyes again and entered his mind space.

Within the Mind Space

He appeared as a glowing wisp—a small, radiant sphere hovering above a still, endless ocean. The sky above was just as motionless, a perfect reflection of the sea’s tranquility.

In the center, a lone island of white sand rested like a forgotten memory.

He drifted forward and circled the island, then called out into the stillness:"Dragon me! Where are you? Red-purple dragon, answer me!"

His voice echoed across the sky and over the sea, but no reply came. Only silence.

He called again. And again.Still—nothing.

Doubt clawed at him.Was it all a dream? Some hallucination from the past?But in his heart... he knew."It was real."

He snapped back to the real world, frustration etched deep across his face."I know my ancestor on my mother’s side was the Red Snake," he muttered. "But the other... the dragon... was it from my father’s side? The Veylor clan?"

A pause.His eyes widened."But... I don’t feel any connection to the Veylor bloodline. No Space element. No affinity."

He groaned and dropped onto his back, arms sprawled on the cold floor."What should I do?" he muttered, staring up at the ceiling, his voice barely more than a breath.

Meanwhile...

In a small room bathed in the soft glow of warm yellow light reflecting off icy walls, Selene sat silently—clad in a blue top and black shorts. Her pale skin shimmered under the dim light, and her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, glowing faintly like moonlit silk.

Her chest rose and fell in slow, rhythmic breaths.Blue light began to gather around her, drifting like mist. With every breath, it flowed into her body—pure.

Inside her mind, thoughts swirled in chaos, but one word pulsed like a heartbeat across the emptiness:"Eternal Frost."

Within Selene’s Mind Space

A frozen sea stretched endlessly in all directions, the ground beneath her feet like polished crystal-blue ice. Above, a cloudy, hazy sky loomed—silent and eternal. In the center of this still world, a single blue flame flickered.

Tiny. Yet unwavering.

Drawn toward it, Selene focused, and something deep within began to awaken.Pride.Not vanity, not arrogance—but the fierce, unshakable pride of a being who stands tall, even in solitude.The Pride of the Ice Phoenix.

She had understood it before—intellectually.But now... she felt it.

It rose from her soul, clear and cold.The blue elemental energy around her surged, swirling with increasing intensity.Within her heart, a new circle began to form.The seventh circle.

And as it took shape—time itself froze.

Selene sat still, motionless... yet her heart kept beating.Her breath never faltered.

Then, suddenly—her eyes snapped open.

She wasn’t in her room.She was flying.High above the world, wind cutting across her in invisible streaks, clouds stretching out to every horizon.

Panic hit.

Where am I?!

She looked down—and froze in horror.

Where her feet should have been, there were sharp talons, slicing through space itself with every flap. She whipped her gaze around—no ground, no walls—just endless sky and mist.

She screamed, but no human voice emerged.Only the hauntingly beautiful cry of the Ice Phoenix echoed across the sky.

She looked at her arms—no, her wings—long, feathered, and glistening in radiant blue.

Confusion clouded her mind."What is going on?! Am I dreaming? This must be a dream!"

She climbed higher, flapping furiously in a panic, her pale blue eyes wide with fear.

And then—it happened.

Her body stopped responding.She was no longer in control.She could still think. Still feel. But she could no longer move.Only watch.

Panic gripped her again, deeper this time."Why can’t I move? Why can’t I control my body?! If this is a dream, why can’t I wake up?""Why... why am I in the body of the Ice Phoenix?"

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