Frostfire Legacy

Cassy's current state wasn't good. Even as praise, she couldn't be said to look presentable. Her face was covered with bruises and dried blood, her clothes stained from repeatedly rolling over the dusty ground.

Lorelai watched as Cassy patted the ground gently, trying to locate her meal. After watching her futilely feel around, she let out a deep sigh before kneeling beside Cassy, lifting the plate in her hands, and speaking a few words.

"Why destroy your eyes if you knew you'd struggle this much without your vision?" Her words carried a hint of ridicule, but behind it, a worried overtone. "Face over here. I'll help you eat."

"..."

Cassy bit her lips, her heart wavering greatly. This minor show of kindness, which she couldn't even figure out if it was done out of pity or necessity, kept piling up like specks of dust, slowly forming a great mountain in Cassy's heart.

"Lory," in the end, she couldn't help but ask, even though she already knew it was futile, "Please return to our party. It's not too late, you can still turn back..."

A touch of cold metal reached her lips, prompting Cassy to slightly part them. The taste of the watery gruel entered her mouth, which she chewed lightly while enduring the stinging pain on her cheeks before swallowing directly. Along with the bland taste of nothing but salt was the familiar taste of her own blood.

"You're persistent, aren't you?" Lorelai responded without a change in tone. "I have my own goals, and I won't stop before I reach them. I can't return to who I was before."

She explained, taking a short pause and a deep breath before continuing.

"And I won't."

Her voice sounded firm and final, but to Cassy's ears, her words felt more like a plea—a prayer. Words she said to solidify her resolve, and to keep herself from wavering in front of her goal.

Once more, as if to end the conversation, the tip of the metal spoon touched Cassy's lips gently. The salty taste of the bland gruel made her gulp prematurely, causing the food to go down the wrong pipe.

*Cough!* *Cough!* *Cough!*

"Here, water."

And like a caring mother, Lorelai patted her back gently, pressing the opening of the water bottle against Cassy's lips. She took a sip after her coughing fit mellowed, coughing a few more times. All the while, Lorelai's warm hand continued patting her back gently, filled with worry and affection.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"...Thanks," Cassy muttered after her coughing fit ended.

To her words, Lorelai simply shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm just doing what I need to do. You should eat slowly; there's no need to rush."

After that, an awkward silence spread between the two once more. Lorelai continued bringing a spoonful of gruel to Cassy's mouth in even intervals, while Cassy was careful not to choke again.

Just as they were almost done with her meal, the sound of footsteps running closer reached their ears.

Your journey continues with empire

"Lady Lorelai, this is bad!" The one who came was the pink-haired girl from before, Yinfa. "Powerful figures have entered the perimeter of our barrier! From the detectors, they're both over level 1000!"

"..."

Lorelai merely blinked, not a hint of panic on her face. She gently placed the remaining gruel down beside Cassy before standing up and patting the dust from her shin and thigh.

"They're most likely here to retrieve her." She muttered, glancing at Cassy lightly. "Execute Plan L-54. Relay my orders to the rest immediately."

"Y-Yes, Lady Lorelai!"

After hearing her orders, Yinfa hurried away. Her figure disappeared around a corner in less than a second, leaving the dreary underground storehouse behind.

"Aster...!"

Cassy, listening to their conversation, realized what was happening. She believed that it was Aster who had arrived, and with powerful figures to help him!

"Yes, it must be him." Even Lorelai agreed with Cassy's thoughts. "However, this is as far as he will go."

"...!"

Cassy, despite having no vision, could still "see" the surroundings through the natural mana present in the air. Of course, this was only applicable to things that had mana too. Inorganic objects like the ground, crates, or even her food were things she couldn't identify, as they didn't possess any mana.

But what surprised her currently was the figure of Lorelai in her view. Previously, it had looked like a calm river, flowing along its predetermined path. But now, it had changed into ravenous rapids, powerful enough to engulf the surrounding mana.

*Gasp!*

It was so powerful that Cassy could hazard a guess at her current level.

'At least a thousand!'

Of course, the way she had gained her levels was simple. While saving other Aracelli Race members, she had killed many of the military personnel guarding the place. And from killing those who were way above her level, her experience had increased abnormally, pushing her past level 1000 quickly.

What worried Cassy was that since her level had reached over a thousand, her racial ability—her eyes, which could control anyone who stared into them—had become a lot more powerful too.

'Aster, be careful...!'

Cassy prayed, hoping that her prince, coming to save her, wouldn't fall short.

---

"Everyone, Lady Lorelai relays her orders!"

Soon enough, the pink-haired woman, Yinfa, reached the ground floor where the others rested. She didn't waste her breath and explained in short words. "Execute Plan L-54!"

"Plan 'L'? You mean the Artificial Labyrinth plan?" The red-haired man scoffed, as if disliking the decision. "Isn't that overdoing it a little? Only two Level 1000s are coming here! I bet I can hold them off myself!"

"Don't be so arrogant, Lionel."

The black-haired man, Sebastian, glared while reprimanding him. "Remember, you already lost to someone half your level." He added, hitting below the belt.

"Shut up, old man...!" Lionel gritted his teeth, forced to recall a memory he didn't want to remember. "That bastard! If he shows up before me, I'll kill him above all else!!!"

*Clap!*

"Alright everyone, enough banter."

Before the atmosphere between them could worsen, the blonde-haired woman, Chronalisa, urged everyone. "The enemy has already broken through the second line of defense. They'll be here shortly." She added without urgency in her tone.

"Tsk! Aight, I know, I know..." Lionel grumbled before taking out a small crystal from his pocket and crushing it between his fingers.

As soon as he did, a powerful wave of mana surrounded him before his figure disappeared. The thumb-sized crystal-like item he used was none other than a portable teleportation crystal, sending him to a predefined location!

"... Then I'll get going too."

One after another, the rest also took out teleportation crystals from their pockets before activating them by destroying their fragile surfaces. One by one, they teleported out of their previous location.

Soon after they had all left, a single figure entered the room, scanning it lightly—Lorelai. After seeing that everyone had already gone to their posts, she closed her eyes and waited. From her senses alone, even without relying on the detectors and radar present in the room, she could tell that there were indeed presences approaching them rapidly.

Two of them, as reported, were over Level 1000. Their powerful aura was enough to even give her goosebumps.

"... Hmm?"

But the third presence made her tilt her head. It was weaker than the other two, but from the strength of his aura, he could be around level 150 to 200. Furthermore, it was a familiar presence to her.

"Aster? No way..."

Lorelai hadn't expected his current strength. When they took Cassy, he had still been at level 50, after all. Still, Lorelai wasn't flustered. She could imagine what method he had used to increase his level in such a short time, especially since the two presences beside him were ones she had marked beforehand.

"Magnus really didn't hold back on sending support." She muttered offhandedly. "Sending in the Vampire Princess and the World Tree's Guardian together—what an extravagant surprise."

Lorelai stood still, her eyes closed as she allowed her mana to spread through the air like a sonar, sensing every detail of the approaching group. Her lips curled into a subtle smile, not out of joy or excitement, but in acknowledgment of the challenge ahead.

The two high-level figures accompanying Aster were no ordinary combatants; they were beings of legend in their own right, known for their devastating abilities. Even with her newfound strength, the fight ahead would be anything but easy.

Still, her confidence did not waver.

"They've broken through the second perimeter faster than I thought," she murmured, her voice barely audible in the dimly lit room. She opened her eyes, their glint sharp like steel. "It seems I'll have to adjust the plan."

She turned her gaze to the path ahead, thinking of her next move. While her subordinates carried out Plan L-54, Lorelai's mind wandered to Aster. The boy had come far, far faster than she ever anticipated.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but there was no room for sentimentality now. "Let's see if you're ready, Aster," she said softly, her tone still resolute.

With a flick of her hand, she sent out one last silent command to her forces: "Prepare for the inevitable clash."