Chapter 714: Inheritance Interlude

“Cheshire…”

Riley’s voice carried a mix of relief and irritation.

“Hello~ Riley,” Cheshire replied instantly, his tone as carefree as ever. “Apologies for the delay. This one and only reliable Cheshire had to take a bit of a detour—unexpected situations kept popping up one after another~”

He spoke like none of this mattered, like they weren’t standing in the middle of a near clash between two overwhelming forces.

Riley stared at him for a moment.

Seriously this cat….

The sudden entrance, the timing, the theatrics—it all fit.

If anything, it would’ve been stranger if Cheshire hadn’t shown up like this.

Whether he’d been lurking nearby the whole time or just chose the perfect moment to appear… that was something Riley didn’t even bother questioning.

With him, it could go either way.

And honestly—

That wasn’t what mattered right now.

“…Where the hell have you been?” Riley asked.

The faint distortion around him began to settle as his divinity slowly pulled back.

It didn’t disappear completely, but it wasn’t spilling out like before.

With Cheshire here, the pressure eased—just enough for him to think more clearly, though his guard around the Frost Queen never fully dropped.

Cheshire chuckled, floating a little closer, his oversized cat-like grin as wide as ever.

“Well, truth be told, I did come right away the moment you called for me~” he began, as if explaining something trivial. “But a certain someone decided to make things difficult and forced me into hiding for a bit. By the time I got free, you had already entered the dungeon.”

He paused briefly, tilting his head.

“And your presence, I might add, was in quite an unstable state. Finding you wasn’t exactly easy~”

His tail flicked lazily as he continued.

“Somewhere along the way, I ended up getting acquainted with our lovely queen over there…” he added, glancing toward the Frost Queen. “And well—here we are.”

It was a simple explanation.

Too simple.

Riley didn’t say anything, but it was obvious Cheshire had skipped over a lot. Important details, context, probably entire events—reduced to a neat little summary like it was nothing.

Still—

For now, it was enough.

Cheshire turned slightly, his grin never fading as his gaze settled on the Frost Queen.

“Now then~” he said lightly, “mind toning that down a bit, Icy Queen?”

The air was still heavy with her authority, though it had weakened slightly since he appeared.

“You wouldn’t want this to turn into something messy, would you?” he continued, his tone playful but edged with something more serious underneath. “Trust me… we have the advantage here.”

The Frost Queen didn’t answer right away.

Her gaze lingered between the two of them, calculating, quiet.

Then—

Slowly—

The frost receded.

The suffocating pressure that had filled the space began to fade as her mana drew back, the freezing authority she held loosening its grip on the surroundings.

The air felt… lighter.

Not safe.

But no longer on the verge of breaking.

Cheshire’s smile widened just a bit.

“Thank you~”

The Frost Queen quietly observed the two as they spoke, their conversation flowing as if she were no longer part of the scene.

It wasn’t ignorance on their part, but rather the result of everything that had led them here, a chain of events shaped by too many variables colliding at once.

Riley’s constant concern for Snow had already placed him in a state of vigilance from the very beginning, while her own intentions—left vague and unspoken—only made things worse.

On top of that, Gallan’s betrayal had shifted the entire situation in a way she hadn’t anticipated, placing the dungeon core directly into Riley’s hands, something she had never accounted for.

She had underestimated him.

More importantly, she had underestimated how much he knew.

The dungeon core was essential to her plans, not just as a tool but as a foundation for what was to come, yet she had never imagined Gallan would both discover its location and willingly hand that knowledge over.

Still, she couldn’t fully place the blame on him either, as her own detached approach to everything had created the space for such a betrayal to happen in the first place.

That was why she came here—not to fight, but to resolve things before they spiraled further, and to retrieve the core if possible.

However, her inability to properly communicate, combined with Riley forming his own conclusions far too quickly, had turned what could have been a conversation into a quiet but growing conflict.

From Riley’s perspective, his caution was justified.

He had no reason to trust her.

Even now, that wouldn’t change.

But if she were to tell him everything… would he accept it?

The truth behind the trial wasn’t what he believed it to be.

Yes, the assimilation was real, and yes, something would be lost—but not in the way he feared.

It would not be Snow who was consumed, but her; her existence, her identity, everything that made her the Frost Queen would be absorbed and passed on.

And Snow…

Would inherit all of it.

The power, the memories, the weight of everything she carried—including the curse that came with it.

Even if Snow remained herself, she would no longer be untouched by it, and that alone could change her in ways neither of them could fully predict.

Whether Riley would accept that kind of future for her was uncertain, but the Frost Queen understood one thing clearly.

Sooner or later—

He wouldn’t be given a choice.

…..

“KUAAAAAGHHH!!!!”

The roar shook the very space around them, carrying a pressure that would have crushed even seasoned heroes where they stood.

The primordial beast of frost surged forward.

Its once unstable, formless body twisted and reshaped itself mid-motion, condensing into something far more defined—a grotesque humanoid figure layered in jagged, black ice.

Its limbs stretched unnaturally, and from its arms, claws of frozen darkness formed, sharp and heavy with killing intent.

It swung.

SWIIISHH—!!

Elea reacted instantly.

Just before the claws could tear into her, she shifted her footing and summoned ice beneath her feet.

A spike burst upward, launching her off the ground as she slid along its surface, her body lifting into the air in one fluid motion.

The attack missed her by a breath.

But the beast didn’t stop.

Its form twisted again, adapting without pause.

Its arms tore apart and expanded outward, reshaping into massive black wings, while its head morphed into that of a lion—feral, furious, and screaming.

Then—

It chased.

SWOOSH—!!

The distance between them vanished almost instantly.

In less than a second, it was already in front of her again.

Its talons came down—

Fast.

Relentless.

But Elea was faster.

[High-Level Ice Magic: Frost Mirror.]

A translucent barrier formed in front of her at the exact moment the claws struck.

The impact—

Exploded.

A violent burst of frost erupted outward, the force reversing the attack and sending the beast crashing back toward the ground.

BOOOOM—!!

The entire space shook as it slammed into the dark surface below.

Still—

It wasn’t enough.

Not even close.

The beast rose again almost immediately, its body reforming through the shattered frost like it hadn’t taken any real damage at all.

But Elea had already moved on.

Her staff remained pointed downward, her mana flowing without interruption.

[High-Level Ice Magic: Ice Oblivion.]

A massive magic circle unfolded beneath the beast the moment it regained its footing.

Then—

It activated.

Blue flowers bloomed across the ground.

Silent.

Beautiful.

And then—

They detonated.

A surge of bluish-white energy erupted upward, expanding like a blooming storm before collapsing inward on itself. The force compressed everything within its range—

And exploded again.

A second blast.

Sharper.

Denser.

More destructive.

BOOOOMMM!!!

The air itself seemed to tear under the pressure.

“…Cough—!”

Elea staggered slightly in the air, a small amount of blood escaping her lips as she steadied herself, her staff still aimed downward.

Her breathing had grown uneven.

This fight—

Had gone on for far too long.

Hours had passed.

And yet—

She still hadn’t found a way to end it.

“GROOOAAAHHHH—!!!!”

The beast roared again, louder than before, its body already regenerating, reshaping, refusing to fall no matter how many times it was struck down.

Elea watched it in silence for a moment.

Then she sighed.

“…How long are you going to resist?”

Her voice was calm, but there was clear exhaustion beneath it.

“Clingy curses…” she added quietly, adjusting her grip on her staff, “…are even worse than trash, you know.”

She already knew this wouldn’t be easy.

After all—

This wasn’t just any enemy.

The primordial beast of frost had once stood on the brink of destroying the world itself, and even at its peak, it hadn’t been something she could face alone.

Back then, it had taken her entire party—every ounce of strength they had, every strategy, every sacrifice.

Some of them never made it back.

That was the kind of existence this thing came from.

And what stood before her now—

Even if it was only a remnant, a curse left behind—

It was still part of that same being.

Which meant it was still dangerous.

That was why Elea hadn’t rushed into this blindly.

She had prepared.

From the moment she chose to face it again, she had already decided how this battle would be fought.

Using her entire mana as a foundation, she forced control over the battlefield itself, suppressing as much of the beast’s authority as she could manage.

The space around them reflected that struggle.

The ice constantly shifted in color—black, then blue, then black again—like two forces fighting for dominance over the same domain.

The black ice carried absolute stillness, a cold that sought to freeze everything without exception.

Her ice—

Was different.

It didn’t just freeze.

It commanded.

It shaped.

It controlled.

Two opposing authorities.

Clashing.

Canceling each other out whenever they collided.

The beast understood that.

It wasn’t mindless.

It adapted.

It learned.

And because of that, it avoided relying too heavily on its authority.

Instead, it closed the distance, reshaping its body over and over, favoring raw, physical force to overwhelm her.

It wasn’t elegant.

But it was effective.

Elea clicked her tongue softly, her grip tightening around her staff.

“…Annoying.”

Because she understood something else.

The beast knew her condition.

Or at least—

It could sense it.

The curse left behind by the original primordial beast still lingered within her, buried deep in her core, slowly eating away at her from the inside.

It had never truly disappeared, only been held back all this time.

And now—

With her pushing herself like this—

It was getting worse.

Her mana flow wasn’t as stable as it should be.

Her body wasn’t keeping up the way it once did.

Every spell she cast, every movement she made—

Was costing her more than it should.

The beast didn’t need to rush.

It just needed to endure.

Because sooner or later—

She would reach her limit.

“…Too bad.”

Her grip steadied.

Her mana surged once more, forcing the surrounding ice to shift back under her control, even if only slightly.

“…HUMAN… RESISTANCE IS FUTILE…!”

The voice didn’t echo through the air.

It pressed into her mind.

From below, the beast’s form collapsed once more, melting into that shifting, formless mass of darkness and frost, its presence spreading like a stain across the ground.

“…I AM YOUR END… AND THAT CHILD’S LEGACY…”

The words dragged, heavy and distorted, as if multiple voices were speaking at once.

“I CANNOT BE KILLED.”

The space around them trembled.

“FOR I AM—”

“ABSOLUTE.”

Each word struck deeper than the last, forcing its way into Elea’s thoughts, trying to overwrite, to convince, to define reality itself.

For a moment—

Silence.

Then—

Elea let out a quiet scoff.

“…Haha.”

It was soft.

Almost amused.

“For something that’s already dead…” she said, wiping the blood from the corner of her lips, “you really don’t know when to let go.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“But I suppose that makes sense.”

A faint breath escaped her.

“…You were always just a beast.”

Her mana flared again.

Denser.

Heavier.

The air around her grew sharper, colder, as if even space itself was beginning to freeze under the pressure she was releasing.

“I may die soon…”

Her voice didn’t waver.

“…but I’ll win.”

There was no doubt in it.

No hesitation.

Only certainty.

Her eyes shifted downward.

To Celestine.

Still below.

Still caught in the aftermath.

“And one more thing…” Elea continued quietly, her gaze softening just slightly.

“You’re not her legacy.”

Her voice grew colder again.

“You’re just a stain in her story.”

A pause.

“And she won’t inherit anything from you.”

The frost around her surged.

Because she had already decided—

“…I will give her everything.”

Something changed in her eyes then.

The cold remained.

But beneath it—

There was something else.

Fragile.

Human.

She looked at Celestine again.

And this time—

She saw it.

Movement.

Awareness.

“…Ah.”

A faint, almost relieved breath escaped her.

“You’re awake.”

Below—

Celestine’s eyes trembled as her vision slowly cleared, locking onto the figure above her.

“Mother—!”

Her voice broke.

Elea’s expression softened.

Not as the Frost Queen.

But as a mother.

Please…

Her thoughts didn’t reach Celestine.

But they lingered all the same.

Forgive me… for being selfish.

Her grip tightened slightly around her staff.

Don’t try to stop this.

Just accept it.

Her gaze stayed on her daughter.

Gentle.

Live your life.

A faint smile touched her lips.

And be happy…

The mana around her surged.

Violently.

“I’ll make sure of it.”

VOOOOM—!!

The pressure exploded outward.

The darkness that filled the world began to crack, splitting apart under the overwhelming cold.

Black ice shattered, dissolving as something purer forced its way through.

White.

Endless white.

The entire space was consumed by absolute frost, a cold so complete it erased everything else in its path.

“HUMAN!!!”

The beast’s voice tore through the frozen space, no longer filled with arrogance—but something closer to panic.

It had noticed.

Too late.

“HUMAN—YOU DARE—!!!”

Its entire form twisted violently as it tried to exert its authority, the surrounding black frost surging in response.

The air cracked, pressure building as it attempted to reclaim control over the battlefield—

But—

It failed.

The dark chains binding it to the pale blue core flared to life, tightening, restraining, rejecting its will.

The more it tried to force its power outward, the more something else pulled it back.

No—

Not just restrained.

Drained.

Its own authority was being siphoned away.

Drawn into something else.

“…Don’t tell me…?”

For the first time—

The beast hesitated.

Elea smiled faintly, her eyes calm as she watched its growing distress.

“So you finally noticed.”

All this time…

The beast couldn’t understand it.

Couldn’t accept it.

How could a mere human—

Carry something like this?

The power surrounding her wasn’t just her own anymore.

It was layered, overlapping, pulling from the very authority the beast once held.

The cold bent toward her, responding not just as a force—but as something being claimed.

Assimilated.

Refined.

Made hers.

“HUMAAAN!!!”

It roared again, this time trying to break free through sheer force, its massive body lurching forward—

But the chains of frost surged upward, binding it tighter, dragging it back down as if the world itself refused to let it move.

It struggled.

Thrashed.

Failed.

Above it—

Elea raised her staff.

Her voice, when she spoke, was steady.

Final.

“Let all motion fade…”

The air stilled.

“Let all ages fall silent…”

Even the beast’s movements began to slow, as if time itself resisted continuing.

“By the frost before time…”

The white around her deepened, swallowing what little darkness remained.

“By the silence beyond time…”

Her mana reached its peak.

And for a brief moment—

Everything paused.

“I command the world…”

Her eyes softened for just a second.

“…to cease.”

The magic answered.

[ULTIMATE LEVEL – ICE MAGIC]

[AETERNUM GLACIALIS]

Voom!

The world—

Turned white.

Not in an explosion.

Not in destruction.

But in absolute stillness.

Everything was frozen.

Perfectly.

Completely.

When it ended—

There was nothing left of the battle.

No roar.

No resistance.

No darkness.

Only a vast, endless field of snow stretching in every direction, untouched and silent.

At its center—

An ice castle stood.

Still.

Eternal.

And beneath the pale, dim sky—

A single figure remained.

Celestine.

She stood alone, her body unmoving as she stared upward, her eyes reflecting the slow, quiet fall of snow.

The sky above her darkened gradually, heavy clouds spreading as if mourning something that had just ended.

Then—

A soft glow appeared.

The core.

It descended slowly from above, drifting gently until it hovered right in front of her.

Celestine’s lips trembled.

Her vision blurred.

Tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them.

“…Mother…”

Her voice barely came out.

And as the core drew closer—

Something responded.

A faint chill spread across her head.

Then—

A crown of frost began to form.

Slowly.

Delicately.

Like blooming ice.

It settled upon her as if it had always belonged there.

And in that moment—

Something ended.

And something else—

Began.

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