CHAPTER 105

"From a distance, a pitch-black darkness was approaching. An icy cold and a blizzard were coming along with it... everything caught in its path froze solid."

"There was an immense noise! Like the sound of a swarm of bees...! We couldn't see anything in front of us!"

"We ran away. There was nothing else we could do."

The testimonies of the refugees were all similar.

Darkness.

Cold.

Blizzard.

And terror.

They all said that the moment they faced 'it,' they felt an overwhelming fear, despite doing nothing. 

And if they became paralyzed with terror, they were quickly frozen by the cold that 'it' brought.

The refugees who had fled to and were gathering in Anthromorph were all people who had escaped such a disaster. 

They had to leave the homes they had settled in since their ancestors, losing many family members and relatives in the process.

Because of this, the tribe leaders gathered in Tiger King Yul's tent were both furious and anxious, fearing that 'it' might come here as well.

[...Is General Winter really that frightening?]

Even though Elric had encountered General Winter in the present era, he had never suffered any significant harm, either by navigating through the situation with his mind's eye or by following the paths laid out by King Velence.

However, it seemed that what he had experienced was just a small part of the whole.

[In the present era, people have become accustomed to General Winter, and many countermeasures have been developed, significantly weakening its power. But back then, General Winter was truly a mystery, a disaster that couldn't be opposed.]

The God of Camellias, with arms crossed, had a sardonic smile on her lips.

[It was a disaster that couldn't be resisted... The one who successfully resolved the chaos, united the Beastmen tribes, and emerged as a hero was Tiger King Yul. However, it took a long time for even Tiger King Yul to do so.]

The God of Camellias silently stared at Elric.

It was a silent question, asking if he could handle it well.

Elric closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them.

"Yes. I will do it."

These words were directed at both Tiger King Yul and the God of Camellias.

Tiger King Yul nodded approvingly.

"Good. We will gather the tribe leaders and fighters here to form an exploration team. We will depart at noon tomorrow, so prepare yourself."

[....]

Meanwhile, the God of Camellias pressed her lips tightly together in silence.

***

The next day.

As Tiger King Yul had mentioned, the exploration team departed from Anthromorph. 

Among them were notable fighters from each tribe. 

Although complex grudges and conflicts existed among the tribes, no one paid attention to such matters now. 

It was a critical situation where the entire species, not just a tribe, could face extinction. Everyone moved with great tension, leaving no room for idle chatter.

At the forefront were Tiger King Yul, who was the de facto leader of the exploration team, and Elric, who was serving as the guide.

"[Illuminate]. And[Rise Up]."

Elric cast a spell, causing a ball of light to rise high into the air. 

As they approached General Winter's territory, the temperature dropped sharply, and the sky grew darker. 

Fortunately, they were well-prepared with warm clothing from the city's departure, but they still needed to secure visibility. To ensure those following could also see, he deployed a few more light balls.

'Search Light.' It was a basic spell, often used as a beacon in emergencies. However, its brightness and duration varied depending on the mana quantity and purity.

"Magic is always fascinating to watch," Tiger King Yul remarked, stroking his chin with interest as he observed the light balls.

Unlike the other beastmen who recoiled at the sight of the light balls, Tiger King Yul showed no such reaction.

"Do you want to learn it too, Chieftain? It seems you could easily grasp the basics."

"Hah! Why bother? I have you who can do it for me."

"You say things like that so casually."

"If you don't like it, why don't you become the chieftain?"

"..."

Elric sighed lightly, noting Tiger King Yul's confident attitude. He had known the king for over three months and found him to be quite obstinate.

[Maybe this is a good opportunity for some self-reflection?]

Elric ignored the God of Camellias' snickering.

"In any case, since meeting you, our tribe has changed a lot. Sometimes, I wonder if you didn't just fall from the heaven as a blessing."

"...Thank you for saying that."

Elric couldn't bring himself to say that he had, in fact, suddenly arrived here by unusual means.

"So, I have a gift for you."

A gift? On the way to investigate General Winter?

Elric wanted to ask if it wasn't an odd time for a gift, but before he could, Tiger King Yul began reciting a series of words.

"Shoot, Stealth, Across, Strike. Wave, Field, Collect, Release, Explode."

Elric furrowed his brow slightly at the string of words. It seemed familiar yet difficult to fully grasp. Just hearing them made his heart flutter.

"What is this...?"

"Did you remember?"

"Shoot, stealth, cross, strike? Scatter, secure, gather, release, explode... Is that right?"

"As expected, you always impress me with how sharp you are. You understood right away."

"So, what is this?"

"The final chapter of the key techniques."

"...!"

Elric abruptly stopped walking.

Key techniques.

This was the reason Elric had approached Tiger King Yul in the first place. And now, he was bringing it up?

Elric felt a chill run down his spine, and his fingers trembled as if he had been shocked.

[Oh, I didn't expect this.]

The God of Camellias watched Elric and Tiger King Yul with a curious look, finding Elric's reaction amusing. Tiger King Yul's smile became even more playful.

"Hah! Did you think I didn't know?"

"...When did you know?"

"From the beginning."

"...!"

"You claim to be an orphan who learned Body Strengthening Art from a hidden master? That's suspicious enough, but let's say it's possible. However, magic is a different story. Other beastmen might dismiss magic because they don't understand it well, but I'm different. You know it's nearly impossible to learn that on your own, right?"

"..."

"And stirring up trouble only with tribes that were hostile to Anthromorph was clearly to get my attention. I let it slide because I found it amusing."

Elric scratched his cheek with his finger, feeling embarrassed. In hindsight, everything he did seemed reckless and contrived.

"Then, as we got to know each other, I noticed your interest in my Body Strengthening Art."

"...Then why did you leave me alone? And why did you teach me the final chapter of the key techniques?"

"Even though your motives were questionable, the fact is that you've been loyal to our tribe. It's the same for humans and beastmen alike; pursuing one's own interests is natural. I let you be because you were beneficial to me. Plus, watching you was quite entertaining."

Elric had to force a wry smile, realizing he had been under Tiger King Yul's scrutiny all along.

"But I still don't understand why you taught me the final chapter of the key techniques."

"To survive."

"...?"

"When you enter General Winter's territory, many may die. But you will survive, one way or another. You can't die after all the trouble you've gone through to learn the key techniques, can you?"

Elric understood that this was Tiger King Yul's way of showing care. He wanted Elric to use the key techniques to overcome whatever challenges lay ahead in General Winter's territory.

Elric was deeply grateful, even though Tiger King Yul wasn't aware of Elric's ability to rewind time.

"Of course, this isn't the end. The final chapter is split into two parts. I'll give you the second part if you come back alive."

Hearing this, Elric felt determined not to use his time-rewinding ability this time. It wasn't just about obtaining the last part of the final chapter; he was moved by Tiger King Yul's genuine concern.

[Really? Do you really think so? I don't think so.]

[....Please don't ruin my moment of gratitude.]

Ignoring the God of Camellias' remark, Elric suddenly stopped walking.

In the distance.

Sss...

Screech!

A wall of darkness surged towards them like a tidal wave. The cold wind and chilling breeze it brought made a noise that sounded eerily like wailing spirits.

***

Elric's first impression upon seeing the true form of General Winter was very simple.

Demon.

It was undoubtedly a 'demon.' 

There was no other way to define it. It was filled with raw malice and sinister intent, so potent that mere exposure seemed enough to taint one's soul and consume it.

And then...

'It feels just like the aura that the God of Camellias exuded during the incident, only... there's no central figure.'

Elric thought that if the God of Camellias, the entity at the center of that presence, were removed, what would remain would be this dark force.

'A shell... a husk... something left behind by the God of Camellias? What kind of demon queen was the God of Camellias? With power like this, it's on par with the legendary great demon kings.'

Elric considered that the husk left behind by the God of Camellias might have undergone a form of evolution over the years or perhaps transformed due to encountering a curse from a demon god. Whatever the reason, as the current head of the Melvinger family, Elric couldn't simply ignore it.

'This is incredibly painful,' he thought, as the Preta Sense was screaming at him to flee, insisting that he needed to get away from there. 

However, instead of fear, Elric felt a surge of competitiveness.

"Our goal is to enter that black mass and find out what it truly is. Everyone, be careful... we're moving in."

As Tiger King Yul gave the command to execute the plan, he led the way, pulling hesitant members of the exploration team along with him. One by one, they entered the darkness.

As they did, an extreme cold far more intense than they felt outside assaulted them, and a blizzard blinded their vision.

"Damn it!"

"I can't see! I can't see anything...!"

The beastmen were clearly taken aback. While they could use mana to fend off the cold, many of them relied more on senses other than sight. The darkness of General Winter disrupted all these senses, leaving them feeling as if their hands and feet were tied.

Elric, however, fared somewhat better. He just needed to follow the path illuminated by his mind's eye. But even that was challenging, as the threads of perception constantly tangled and shifted, threatening to lead him astray at any moment.

Elric had to focus intensely on his mind's eye. Eventually, he realized that he was alone; there was no sign of anyone else around him, not even the God of Camellias, who had been with him.

'Where did everyone go?'

A chill of fear ran down Elric's spine. Trapped alone in a world filled with nothing but darkness and swirling snow, he realized that without limitless physical and mental endurance, he would eventually succumb. 

Even the food he had with him was limited.

If this continued, not only he but also Tiger King Yul and the entire exploration team would face total annihilation!

'I'll need to use something beyond my mind's eye to reach the core.'

With this realization, Elric's thoughts naturally turned to the Seal of the Winter Wind. 

Like General Winter, the Seal of the Winter Wind was derived from the God of Camellias. More accurately, while General Winter was just a husk, the Seal of the Winter Wind was its root. Utilizing this could potentially pave the way forward.

However, Elric had only glimpsed a part of the past associated with the Seal of the Winter Wind and had yet to fully 'comprehend' it. Without completing the trigger, he couldn't activate the seal. He had been waiting for the fifth restriction to lift.

'If I don't have a trigger, I'll have to create one myself. There must be a way, a hint...!'

Something suddenly flashed in Elric's mind.

-You will learn how to take the General Winter.

It was something Otto Han had said.

'Take... it?'

An idea struck Elric, and he quickly reached out into the air.

"[Absorb]."

At Elric's command, the Seals of Cruelty and Maleficence emitted a chilling light. Shadows, previously invisible, began to move across the ground like beasts, jaws open wide.

Crack! Crack!

With each motion of the jaws, small pieces of General Winter's darkness were torn away, filled with pure demonic energy from an ancient demon queen.

Hehehehe!

A strange laughter echoed, likely from the Seal of Maleficence, reveling in the feast around it. Alongside it, the Seal of Cruelty voraciously absorbed the cold from General Winter at a furious pace.

'I had always used the Seal of Cruelty to expel cold, never considering drawing it in.'

The Seal of Cruelty's attributes were ice and cold.

Since General Winter's coldness was essentially of the same nature, it could be 'overcome' with the backing of mana from the mana core. Moreover, using it alongside the Seal of Maleficence, it could even be 'take it'!

As Elric absorbed more of the cold and demonic energy from General Winter, the Seal of Cruelty emitted an increasingly intense chill. The lines of the seal became clearer, and its shape began to change slightly.

Then,

Boom!

The Seal of Cruelty finally emitted a clear sound, taking on a complete form.

Ten stars.

This signified that the seal's potential had reached 'completion.'

And then,

Wriggle!

The mana emanating from the Seal of Cruelty naturally connected with the Seal of the Winter Wind, causing it to react for the first time.

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