Chapter 1108: Chapter 1108: Winter’s Blessing

“No…”

Miss Chloe almost let the uncontrollable “not enough” slip from her lips.

Her heart raced due to that abnormal sensation, blood circulating from her heart flowing through her body, as if her heart had turned into a sun warming her entire physique. The irresistible impulse made her softly moan as she tried to suppress her urge to continue drinking blood. With a flushed face, she broke free from Shard’s embrace, feeling as though she had truly regained much of her vitality.

“This feels so good.”

The taste of the exquisite wine lingered in her mouth. She dared not look into Shard’s eyes, only whispering in admiration:

“Just a bit of warmth is enough to restore my health. Let’s continue, climb to the peak.”

“Alright, let’s set out.”

Shard also stood up from the mat on the ground. After Miss Chloe insisted on retrieving the severely damaged tent, Mrs. Marques and the unnamed man carried the luggage. Shard led the way, with the three behind him walking in a line, facing the blizzard, advancing towards the higher peaks.

Footprints were left in the snow, but they were soon covered by the swirling snowflakes.

The higher they ascended, the colder it became. All four were wrapped in cotton clothes, and the vapor from each breath seemed as if it would freeze into ice crystals the moment it left their mouths and noses. However, the danger was not only from the extreme cold. The mental pollution and the intense Whisper Element and Desecration Element at the mountaintop even made Shard feel a headache and dizziness.

He needed to frequently look back to check on his companions, and at some point, Miss Chloe began holding onto the corner of his coat.

Mrs. Marques and the man’s conditions seemed manageable, at least enough to continue onwards, but Miss Chloe soon became pale, unable to even stand.

She was almost leaning on Shard’s back, nearly being carried by him. Shard had to stop temporarily, wanting to offer his blood to Miss Chloe, but she refused:

“I am Witch Chloe. I can climb to the top; this is the final stretch, the final stretch.”

She kept repeating, supporting herself up by Shard, looking towards the peak, biting her tongue to stay alert, then striving to move forward with Shard’s support.

The howling wind, under the oppressive black sky, carried countless snowflakes swirling. The snow emitted a silver glow, sometimes giving the illusion of marching in place.

Compared to the vast Silver Mountains, the four seemed as tiny as ants, squirming along the pristine snow surface. The wind blew their scarves backward; the snow grazing their cheeks left a sensation like a knife cut. Footprints formed and were covered again by the falling snowflakes. Although their progress was slow, they were indeed moving step by step closer to the summit.

Shard truly admired the young witch beside him. The decisive and determined spirit and faith Miss Chloe demonstrated amidst the harsh snow mountain was indeed as bright and captivating as a torch.

She bit a small lock of her silver hair, using her right hand to support Shard, moving forward relying on her strength. Despite trembling all over, despite biting her lips and tongue to stay awake, she did not stop moving forward.

The brilliance of her spirit and faith also attracted the Evil Fiends and Phantom Monsters concealed within the dark snowy mountains. Naturally, the final arduous stretch was not without enemies to hinder them. Mrs. Marques and the man seemed nonexistent as they followed behind the pair; Miss Chloe noticed the bizarre black haze swirling under the eerie black sky. Shard tugged at her hand:

“You just need to keep moving forward, always move forward, leave the rest to me.”

The swirling black mist transformed into streams of light stabbing towards the pair. The exploding Golden Shield appeared so dim in the snowy mountains under the darkness. The silver Thunder Spear in hand was hurled into the sky, as thunder roared in the air, silver moonlight swept towards the odd shadows following behind.

Towering steam emerged amidst the colossal clash and the piercing screech of a whistle, the sound seemingly capable of shaking the entire snow mountain. A gigantic Ring of Fate radiated Four-Color Aura from the peak like a sun, and the silver moonlight erupting afterward nearly illuminated the entire black sky.

Atop the mountain root with a shimmering silver glow, endless shadows appeared, drawn by The Lost Ones attempting to ascend to the highest peak. This would be their last chance to prevent mortals from touching the forbidden.

“You go ahead!”

Facing the enemies behind with utmost strength, Shard gave Miss Chloe a push, the aura of the Ring of Fate illuminating him. Shard did not turn to look at the witch but held the Moonlight Greatsword in one hand, with a roaring silver thunder in the other, resonating with the Brass Wheel behind him carrying improbable warmth.

Miss Chloe pursed her lips, watching him:

“You promised me, to reach the top with me.”

She lowered her head, leading Mrs. Marques and the frightened man as they braved the blizzard upward.

Behind them, the intermittently flickering Spiritual Light and the moonlight illuminating the darkness informed them of how intense the battle was. But for Shard, confronting countless shadows surging from the base of the snow mountain alone, he did not feel a bit overwhelmed.

This was not only because his own power was particularly suited to dealing with such bizarre entities but also because it seemed as though these entities perfectly matched his combat capacity. It neither overly challenged Shard nor placed him in peril.

Their presence seemed designed to keep him here, allowing Miss Chloe to climb alone.

Therefore, although the scene appeared very critical, it was actually no more dangerous than Shard’s solo venture deep into the Pantanal Swamp a few hours earlier.

“Do you know why this is?”

The voice came to his ear, but it wasn’t “her” voice.

“Of course, I know. The next part of the journey, she must finish on her own.”

Shard replied, and as he swung the longsword in his hand, he glimpsed the Winter Maiden in a white robe, holding a white oak staff, standing barefoot by his side.

The deity in the Godfall state had silver hair very similar to Miss Chloe’s, and the silver strands fluttered in the wind.

“Since that’s the case, can you make these enemies disappear? I’m facing powerful foes in my own time as well, and I can’t afford to consume too much here.”

The deity smiled, marking the first time Shard saw it smile; every previous appearance had been with a cold expression:

“Yes, the epic of the Sixth Era, the chapters that concern the world’s fate… truly, you shouldn’t consume too much here for this adventure. Yet, these enemies are not summoned by me. They are the final devils in the heart of a certain mortal.”

It stood there, though it seemed only Shard could see the deity, as those bizarre, dark mist-shrouded enemies attacked only him.

But at least it got warmer now; Shard didn’t turn back to look at his Ring of Fate, thus not realizing the abnormal heat it carried, which was quickly melting the surrounding snow.

The steam seemed to battle the surrounding environment, each Spirit Rune on the brass circle trembled as it flowed on the surface.

Boundless black mist surged toward Shard, who fought while painstakingly retreating to higher ground on the mountain behind him. Spirit and stamina rapidly consumed, but with the deity’s appearance, fine golden cracks quickly spread over his body, leaving a trace of what appeared to be glowing golden embers in the wind as it reached the ends of his sleeves and hem.

He began to emit light in the darkness, and the moonlight before him became more intense than usual. The emergence of the “Divine Afterglow” state made the battle simpler:

“I know what they are. Rather than being seen as this Snow Mountain’s malice, they are more like a part of Witch Chloe.”

The deity did not comment on Shard’s words but instead softly asked:

“Outlander from a far land, have you ever envied the chill of winter?”

“Yes.”

Shard nodded immediately, knowing well this style of question meant the deity intended to grant him some power. But this time, the deity did not tell a story; instead, it bent down to scoop a handful of snow.

The sparkling, luminous snow was compressed into a snowball in the deity’s hand, floating toward Shard. Shard opened his mouth to catch the snowball, the cold snow almost instantly turning into snow water and flowing into his body:

“Outlander, you have encountered a ‘Miracle’.”

“Outlander, you have received ‘Winter’s Blessing’.”

“In the winter, your Spirit recovery speed and stamina recovery speed are moderately increased, and your luck is slightly enhanced. The natural environment of snow and wind will not harm you. After consuming snow, you won’t get stuck in it. Snowflakes become your sustenance.”

“Outlander, you have gained insight into ‘Winter,’ ‘Snow,’ and ‘Freezing’.”

The snowball personally shaped by the deity brought not only the deity’s blessing but completely restored Shard’s Spirit and stamina to unprecedented abundance. He knew what needed to be done:

Taking a deep breath, Enlightenment – [Sleeping Princess] abruptly glowed on the Ring of Fate behind him.

The silver coffin crashed down at his feet, and a colossal castle emerged in the Snow Mountain, lifting Shard and the deity into the sky. Shard extended his hand, gentlemanly allowing the Red Dragon Witch to place her hand upon it as she emerged from the coffin.

The deity lightly tapped the castle ground with the white oak staff, amplifying Shard’s arcane technique with the power of winter, transforming the castle summoned by Maze Lock into an ice-blue hue.

Roar~

The dragon’s roar arrived with a surge of fiery sea, as Spirit within Shard rapidly depleted, while the deity chuckled softly, and the witch’s breath of flame swept away all the enemies.

“So, even the deity’s laughter is not as enchanting to me as yours.”

This was Shard’s last thought when the avalanche occurred.

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