72: The Cold Prince

"If I waste time like this, I can never solve this problem. Instead of being the fastest to clear this floor, I might be the slowest to do it."

The screeching of the Spirits only intensified before they were so loud that it was getting dangerous. Even after closing his ears with his hands, Azekiel couldn't avoid the noise. 

He decided to leave this place for now as it was impossible to think of anything in this noise. He needed silence to think. However, before Azekiel could turn around, the noises stopped. It was as if everyone went silent at the same time. It was so quiet that Azekiel could even hear his own heartbeat.

The silence was soon broken by someone's footsteps. The footsteps appeared to be getting closer with each passing second. 

Azekiel didn't understand why, but the surroundings also started getting colder with each passing second. It was as if the closer these footsteps got, the colder this place became.