Ice Queen Wrath
With time slowed for Karsha, he would now be spending a little over two years inside the subspace, granting him ample opportunity to fully unleash his skills. Even without the threefold boost to his comprehension speed, these two years would prove sufficient.
Thanks to the rapid progress he had achieved, Karsha could push the mastery of his skills even further than he had initially hoped. Additionally, the treasures the system had led him to would further enhance his elemental abilities.
Karsha had been fortunate, and he was making the most of it to prepare for the Overlords. With two days allotted for each Overlord and the Book of Annihilation in his possession, he would become unstoppable if he utilized these two years well.
< Ding! You have eaten the Queen Fruit. The host is advised to remain calm and let the ice energy run through the meridians. >
Karsha, seated in a lotus posture, was frozen still, making him look more like an ice sculpture than a human.
This wasn't a bad thing, as it was a result of him eating the Ice Queen fruit. In most fiction, Ice Queens are scorpion-like ice monsters or beasts that reign supreme with their ice-cold powers.
They have the temperament of ice, so cold that a single touch can shatter bones and burn bodies.
Indeed, ice can burn anything it comes into contact with. While the burning effect isn't as intense as fire, the slow-burning flames of ice are more powerful than most fire variants.
However, this icy fire is rare and can only be obtained by killing an Ice Queen, a task deemed almost impossible. Killing an Ice Queen is akin to going against an entire world.
Aside from killing and absorbing the core and life crystal of such an evolved beast, seeking out the fruit called Ice Queen is another way to attain such formidable elemental power.
The Ice Queen fruit is a condensed form of the Ice Queen essence, primarily containing the icy fire said to be the absolute form of ice.
Just as there are Absolute Light, Fire, and Darkness, there is Absolute Ice—a type of ice ekement considered stronger than most, if not all, other types of ice.
Once fully absorbed, Karsha would gain the Absolute Ice Elemental and a significant boost in his ice skills.
For ten minutes, Karsha remained frozen solid but still alive. He was absorbing the essence of the Ice Queen fruit, carefully ensuring he didn't go overboard since he could feel the essence was more than he could currently wield.
Unfortunately for him, it is a fruit, not a seed that can be planted like the Healing Seed and further nourished to yield more gains in the future.
The Ice Queen fruit is a one-time-use item, and Karsha knew that, so he was making the best of it.
< Ding! You have absorbed enough Ice essence. >
< Ding! You have awakened the Absolute Ice Element. >
< Ding! All ice-based skills have received two-tier upgrades. >
< +300 Points added to all stats. +200,000 Points added to Mana. +200 Points to Charm. >
< You have gained a new skill: Ice Queen Wraith. >
< Ding! Congratulations to the host; you have gained the Ice Queen Recognition. Master your ice element and gain the favor of the Ice Queen. >
The ice around Karsha cracked and soon crumbled, revealing a magnificent mane radiating a chilling aura, akin to that of the Prince of Ice.
Karsha had once again undergone some subtle changes. He had gained even more charm, making him appear even more handsome, yet now a subtle danger lurked behind those magnificent red-golden eyes.
The charm attribute he had awakened stated that he would exude a charm that was benevolent to his allies and malevolent to his enemies. As his charm continued to increase, Karsha started to appear both more terrifying and equally charming.
He had become someone many would envy. The current him is just too gorgeous to the point he will become extremely irritating for any dude to see him around their women.
"I feel stronger, much stronger than before," Karsha muttered. He then accessed the system and decided to check the skill he had gained from the Ice Queen fruit.
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< Ice Queen Wrath >
Rating: E
Tier: 10
-- By gaining the recognition of the Ice Queen, you can now summon her in battle, and as long as you have enough Mana, you can maintain her avatar which holds a certain amount of attack power from the Ice Queen herself.
[ Ice Dance ]
-- Materialise an Ice Vortex that sucks everything inside and inflicts continuous damage for as long as the wielder has Mana.
Note: It takes 4000 MP every second
[ Ice Rain ]
-- By tapping into the Absolute Ice, create spears of rain that strike with lethal precision further inflicting icy damage for as long as the wielder has Mana.
Note: It takes 8000 MP every second
[ Starry Ice ]
-- Create small star-like ices that explode with fury upon contact with a target or targets.
Note: The higher your mastery of the ice element and the skill, the more ice stars you can create.
[ Ice Queen Wrath ]
-- By expanding 20,000 MP you will gain 15 seconds to let loose 2% of the Ice Queen's total attack power and watch how powerful one can get when utilizing the Ice element.
[Cooldown: 60 mins]
Note: This skill has been condensed from excess ice essence from the Ice Fruit so the higher your mastery over the ice element, the stronger the skill gets.
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"Holy shit. This is incredible," Karsha exclaimed, unable to contain his happiness. He hadn't expected to gain such a powerful skill from eating a mere fruit. With this skill, especially the last ability, he would be able to end some battles within 15 seconds. Coupled with his super-hyper regeneration speed, he could regenerate his Mana within seconds.
"With this and the sword from Agni, I can be likened to an apostle of two powerful deities," Karsha laughed wholeheartedly before willing the skill to activate.
Immediately, the temperature around him dropped drastically. Behind him, a 30-meter-tall, incredibly beautiful Ice Queen Avatar materialized. Despite her human-like appearance, her scorpion features were visible. She had four scorpion-like legs extending from behind her, giving her the appearance of a majestic queen with six hands.
She wore a crown on her head and held a staff ending with a star-like sculpture firmly in her grasp. Her eyes shone with the intense cold of ice, sending chills down the spine.
"Is this an Avatar or the real deal?" Karsha muttered, unable to wrap his mind around what he was staring at. The avatar looks magnificent to the point that most people would mistake her for a real person.
Turning away from the time tablet, Karsha focused on the [Ice Dance] ability. The Avatar casually swung her staff, conjuring a massive yet relatively weak ice vortex that stood 50 meters tall with a circumference of 45 meters.
"I guess I'll have to master the skill before I can wield its full might," Karsha thought inwardly before dismissing the Avatar. Though the skill showed great potential, he knew that without sufficient mastery, he would only waste his mana.
The vortex created moments ago was impressive but insufficient for confronting an Overlord. Even a Tier 4 Monster could withstand its pull, let alone an Overlord.
Nevertheless, it was promising that, despite being at the E stage of mastery, he could unleash such an ability, capable of eliminating anything below Tier 3. With further mastery, he would unlock the full potential of the skill, gaining yet another formidable ability to aid him in the future.
"The Ice Queen's recognition," Karsha muttered as he accessed the last notification he had received.
< Ice Queen Recognition >
- The Ice Queen, the most powerful entity in the realm of ice, comparable to the gods themselves in mastery of the ice element, has acknowledged you as a wielder of the Absolute Ice Element.
From this day forward, you are designated among the chosen few tasked with bringing glory to the ice element. Those selected are destined to ascend the ranks and stand beside the Ice Queen as equals in their own right.
If you should one day surpass the Ice Queen in rank, you will receive an unknown blessing known only to few, and gain a formidable ally.
For now, you are under the Ice Queen's influence, meaning you can be summoned at any time to aid her and her allies.
You have the option to decline a summons, but this will impact your ranking. The hierarchy is as follows: Foot Soldier, Soldier, Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, General, Commander...
Answer every call and accumulate points to advance your ranking, unlocking mysterious benefits.
[Your Rank: Foot Soldier]
"Dude, how can I be reduced to a mere foot soldier? I'm about to face Overlords here; surely I deserve more respect," Karsha grumbled, feeling slighted by his current rank despite his past as a general.
Yet, he realized he hadn't yet contributed anything significant to benefit the Ice Queen and her allies. To advance in rank, he needed to heed a call from the Ice Queen or achieve something substantial in her service.
With none of these accomplishments under his belt, Karsha, despite his expertise in warfare and battle, remained a lowly foot soldier. Only by earning points and recognition could he climb back to the top and earn the recognition he sought from the Ice Queen.
"What am I even dreaming about?" Karsha muttered, settling back down. He retrieved the next item, 'The Titan Stone Seed'. As he held it, the ground around him began to react. Karsha could feel the stones and earth responding to the seed's presence, some even levitating in the air.
Ignoring everything else, Karsha focused on absorbing the Titan Stone Seed. In an instant, the seed dissipated and entered his body.
< Ding! You have absorbed the Titan Stone Seed. You have awakened the Diamond Earth Elemental. >