Chapter 124: King of Ice

In the depths of the Skylands, a young man with green hair who looked to be about 15 years old was lying unconscious on the ground. Some blood was visible on his head, but apart from that, there was nothing wrong with his body.

'WAKE UP!'

John did not realize what was happening with the voice he suddenly heard in his mind. Although he quickly turned his head and looked around, he did not know where he was. He had last encountered a Legend and he was dead. At least he thought he was dead.

John stood up and started to listen around. He could have sworn he had just heard a voice in his ears saying 'Wake up'.

'You didn't hear wrong, son.'

John heard the voice once more and jumped up in fright. He immediately looked around and started to run.

John looked around for a long time but still couldn't find anything. It seemed that the man who had spoken had run away.

'I'm not going anywhere, John.

John heard the voice once more and pulled Xues out and held him forward. He had his legs tensed and was ready for any attack.

'Don't get into position for anything, John. I'm in your mind.'

'Now you're thinking about who I am and what I'm doing in your mind, aren't you? I can see it in your expression, even though I can't see your face. Young people are so ignorant.'

When John realized that the man speaking was in his mind, he immediately sat cross-legged on the floor and began to meditate.

The voice that saw what John was doing was making noises that indicated it was impressed.

John opened his eyes once more in his mind. Amid the Ice Land, a man dressed in battle clothes was standing there. His gaze was sharp and his posture was straight. His white hair and white eyes reminded one of winter. No aura emanated from his body, which could only mean one thing. The man in front of him was strong enough to destroy his mind with his aura. That's why he was suppressing his aura.

John looked at the man in front of him without any sign of respect. The man dressed in battle dress simply looked at him and smiled.

"So you are not ignorant."

"Who are you?"

John asked without waiting. He didn't know if his body was safe or not and he couldn't trust this man.

A bubble floated in the air as the winter-white man stared at John. On the bubble were the things John had been thinking about a few seconds ago. John couldn't stop his mouth from opening when he saw his thoughts floating in the air.

"We're in your mind, John. It would be nice if you paid attention to your thoughts."

"To answer your question, I'm Malark. Malark Faringray. I am the past King of Ice, I died in the Battle of the Sky, and because of a strange ability of Sky Island, my spirit remains here. No King's spirit can leave this island disembodied."

John was looking directly into Malark's eyes. His gaze was like a wild animal looking at its prey.

"What, you're going to give me your power? Are you going to make me the King of Ice?"

John's arrogant question caused a smile to form on his face.

"Did you think it would be that simple? No! I can't give you the title of Supreme Commander of the Golden Age because you don't deserve that power! You use the power of ice to protect yourself alone! The power of ice is to protect your loved ones and friends!!! I won't give you this power until you think you deserve it."

Malark's words contained great contempt. He clearly said that John was not qualified for this power and did not deserve it.

John was arrogant and his desire for revenge overcame his humanity. To be humiliated was to play with his pride and John was furious.

John said nothing and broke the meditation. He immediately stood up and started walking through the trees.

For a long time, John did not know where he was going. In the mountains, his tears were caught in the leaves and disappeared. It was not because he could not become the Ice King. It was because Malark's words were true. Even if he ran to escape from him, he could never escape from him. Not without putting aside his selfishness.

"We finally managed to find a prey, luckily only at the head of Green Lightning."

As John stood where he was with the voice he heard, he looked at the young man who seemed to be 18-19 years old with blond hair talking about him behind him. The young man was in the center of Green Lightning. 6 more people came out from his side. 3 more were in the center of Green Lightning. 2 of them were at the top of Green Lightning. 1 was in the Orange Lightning.

When John saw them, he realized that he hadn't realized how long it had been since the Tournament had started. He also realized that he could not defeat the group in front of him.

John immediately turned around to run away, but the person in Orange Lightning was staring at him.

"You're not going anywhere."

John cursed his luck and thought about how to get out of this situation. He looked around to see if there was anything that could help him, but he realized that there was nothing that could save him.

"Run John!!!"

BOOOM!!!

There was a big explosion in the forest with an explosion sound. John could not see anything because of the dust curtain surrounding him. Even the men who had surrounded him were no longer there. Nothing could be seen because of the dust and smoke.

"Follow me, John."

John turned his gaze from the skin on his hand to the moving young man. He couldn't see his face, but he had a feeling that told him to trust him.

John started running through the smoke with the young man in front of him. After moving on the ground for a while, the duo climbed trees and started moving that way.

As the two were hanging from tree to tree, John finally saw the face of the young man in front of him. He immediately threw himself forward and caught up with the young man in front of him.

"Summer, what are you doing here?!? I thought you'd already gone to town."

Summer's blonde hair was blowing in the wind and he was looking behind him every second. John, on the other hand, still didn't realize anything with the shock he suddenly experienced.

When Summer looked back once more, John turned his head slightly and looked back.

"Are those guys still following you?"

Summer shook his head from side to side.

"The ones who ambushed you aren't. I already killed them. There's an emperor after us who's after me."

John didn't know what to say because of Summer's words. Then he noticed the discrepancy between Summer's steps.

'He's slowing himself down to my pace.

At that moment, John finally realized what he hadn't realized since he met Summer.

Summer was wearing a robe. On the back of the white robe was a Red Lightning.

"You're a Senior?"

"Yeah, sorry, I can't tell you now. Someone at the academy tried to kill me. I killed him and became a senior, and then I ran into this guy. He's been after me for a few days for killing his mates."

Summer had been through a lot and proved that he was very capable of escaping from an emperor, but there was one thing missing.

Summer emitted his aura to find out where the Emperor was, but as he emitted his aura, John's foot slipped off the tree, Summer immediately grabbed him by the arm and lifted him back up.

John was looking at Summer with disbelieving eyes. Summer continued to move forward without a care in the world. He didn't know that John had been asleep for a long time. That's why he thought he had been poisoned or his strength was weakened because he had stumbled into a trap.

"Summer... Are you in the middle of the Orange Lightning?"

Summer was surprised by John's question. After looking at John for a moment, he turned his head back to the road and spoke. He had a strange smile on his face

"Hehehe, yeah. I was a bit... lucky."

John took a deep breath. How long had he been asleep? How far behind the others had he fallen? His heart ached with these questions. As he took a step, his awareness increased and he realized something new.

"Why did you save me, Summer? I'm just weighing you down now, it's only a matter of time before the Emperor catches you. Why don't you use me as bait?"

Hearing John's words, Summer started laughing.

"Hahahaha why would I use you, John? No matter how cold you act, you are my friend. This is the same for all of us."

Malark started to think when he heard Summer. He realized that he was surprised to see John. John did not know anything about this subject.

'Then I'll make a decision based on his judgment.

John and Summer continued to move along the tree branches. But as time went on, Summer's face became more and more conflicted. He frowned.

"Isn't it here?"

"It's close."

As Summer and John moved forward, John stopped. When Summer saw that John had stopped, he turned around and started pulling him.

"Come on John, we have to hurry! This is no time to wait!"

"You go, Summer. I'm already too far behind you, I should at least be able to help you escape."

Summer gritted his teeth and climbed up the tree and started to move when the sound of trees began to be heard.

John was left alone, but there was no fear in his gaze. It was already too late for everything. And yes, he had friends now. He would gladly give his life to protect a friend. His heart was the same as before and the ice heart that Mairo had provided him was beginning to crumble. John was slowly going through the test Mairo had given him and opening his borders.

Suddenly a red-haired man appeared in front of him and John didn't know what to say. The power of the Red Lightning was too great, and there was no way John could even distract the man in front of him.

The man raised his sword. He wanted John to see his death with his own eyes.

'Maybe I was wrong about you, John.

'You may not have any friends, but you're a man worth having as a friend.

"Let this be my gift to you before you go.

The red-haired man raised his sword but could not bring it back down. John's body began to be covered with icicles as ice began to spread from the earth into the forest at an incredible speed.

John's hair froze and a wide jacket covered his body, extending to his arms. The sleeves of this jacket made of ice were wide and John felt strange when John was wearing it.

The jacket lifted off John and wrapped around the red-haired man's feet, completely ice in the air.

John held his hands forward and gritted his teeth. The words came out of his mouth involuntarily and his body moved involuntarily, but he was still able to keep a puzzled expression on his face.

"Pure Life Ice of the Land of Ice!!!"

As the life ice enveloped the body of the man in the Red Lightning, a crackling sound was suddenly heard from John's body. Then another and another and another...

John ascended to the center of the Orange Lightning. 

This was how great the power of being transformed into a king could be. His development had now reached a completely different level. Now John could hold the Emperor.

There was a flash of light through the trees, and from the point where the red-haired man had come from, white sword light severed the Emperor's head from his neck.

Summer took a deep breath as she fell to the ground and turned to John.

John had an excited look on his face. His green hair was free of ice and now his ice was swirling around him. While the delicate movements of the ice gave John peace, John clenched his fists with a smile on his face and looked at Summer.

"I am the King of Ice now."