Ten minutes later, we arrived toward the Icy Lake, the most precious place for all Ice Elves.

The Icy Lake unfolded before us like a breathtaking masterpiece, an expanse of glistening, crystalline water framed by towering, snow-kissed cliffs and ancient pines dusted with frost. Its surface shimmered under the soft light of the pale sun, with frozen, diamond-like ripples that caught the light in dazzling, shifting hues of blue and silver.

Gentle wisps of mist curled and danced across the lake, creating a mystical, almost otherworldly aura. The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying the scent of fresh pine and a cool, invigorating breeze that seemed to cleanse the very soul. Jagged ice formations jutted out from the shoreline, sculpted by the whims of nature into shapes that resembled frozen waves, each one glistening like a jeweled fortress beneath the sky.

Above, the heavens stretched wide in an endless canvas of deep azure, flecked with lazy, drifting snowflakes that sparkled like stardust as they descended onto the pristine landscape. The reflection of the towering cliffs and frosted trees mirrored perfectly on the lake’s icy veneer, as though the world had split into a realm of pure, undisturbed beauty.

Every detail spoke of a wild, untamed majesty, a place where nature had woven together splendor and harshness into a scene so incredible that it felt almost sacred. It was a place that whispered secrets of ancient magic, a timeless, ethereal paradise where the natural world displayed its most stunning and awe-inspiring form.

The harsh of the Snowy Mountains did not even reach it. It was truly ethereal. It was as if the outer world couldn’t reach this place. I now understood why Zero was using this place as his backyard; it was definitely nice to look at, and what was even better was the fact that you could get benefits from going inside the Icy Lake.

However, looking around, there was absolutely no one within the facility. Zero wasn’t there.

He wasn’t there, waiting for us like I thought he would have.

I clenched my fists, already thinking of the worst. “Don’t tell me that he ran away from me… tell me there’s a mistake.”

As the words came out of my mouth on my own, everyone just snapped their heads and looked over to me, wondering what was happening to me.

“He might be away, he might come back soon. Didn’t you say that his subspace was nearby?” Amelia said as she started to look around herself. However, there was still nothing to be seen from the looks of it. “Let’s search for it. It’s bound to be close to here.” Read latest chapters at empire

As Hank heard those words, he didn’t even bother helping them as he just sat right beside the Icy Lake, looking at it without much care.

Though, I knew that he wouldn’t help us search, so I left him to do whatever he wanted.

“Alright, let’s search for it. It’s bound to be close to here, somewhere.”

A few minutes passed, and there was still nothing.

Hank was still looking toward the Icy Lake as if admiring his own reflection, and we were still looking around it, trying to find something that could be linked to a subspace.

Then, a few more minutes passed, and there was still nothing. We had searched absolutely everywhere, and there was still nothing. There was no pathway to a subspace on the outside of the Icy Lake.

Losing hope that Zero was even there, I released a sigh and joined Hank as I stayed on the outer rim of the Icy Lake, soaking my feet into the lake just like he was doing. I expected the lake to be glacial, just like the name indicated. However, surprisingly, there was a certain warmth to it that was navigating through my body. It felt amazing, refreshing even, as if all the muscle aches and tiredness that I had accumulated over the years were now gone in the blink of an eye.

This was absolutely amazing. I had never experienced anything like it before. Its recuperative effects of this liquid, which didn’t seem to be water, were absolutely otherworldly and unheard of even for a veteran like me.

Still, as I felt the amazing effects, I couldn’t help but look over to Hank and ask, “Did you find anything while we looked around?”

He shrugged. “Well, the beast is still watching from far away. However, all I can say is that we only need to wait and that Zero will show up.”

I frowned as this made little to no sense to me.

“Why? His subspace is gone? He probably left this place as soon as he heard that I was looking for him.”

However, to those words, Hank just shook his head slightly with a sigh. “You underestimate your enemy. His subspace is still in the area; you simply didn’t find it. Also, our enemy is not scared of you. He isn’t one of the demons you faced in the war that would cower at your presence. He is much stronger and extremely confident.”

I just couldn’t follow what was happening. Hank was talking with so much confidence as if he knew everything about Zero when he had never met him before in his life. He was also convinced that the subspace entry was still nearby, as if he had already found it.

“How do you know all those things?” I asked, still confused on the matter.

“It’s simple. The entry to this subspace is right under us in the Icy Lake, and from what you told me, he did not seem to be the kind of man who would be scared of fighting against you. I’m telling you, it’s only a matter of time, so just sit here and relax.” Hank smiled slightly. “The girls can join too if they want.”

Amelia and Phoebe then walked over; however, I shook my head. “Zero could appear at any given time. You need to leave this place and hide. Once everything is over, you can come back. I repeat, only once it’s over. Do not show yourselves to him.”

Then, as Amelia and Phoebe started walking away from us, a strange noise resounded from below us. Zero’s subspace was being opened, and out of it came a single man who swam up to the surface. He was still wearing a mask, just like before, hiding his face and identity, thinking that I still hadn’t figured it out.

As he came out of the Icy Lake, he noticed both me and Hank sitting on the outer rim of it.

With an arrogant smile, he waved at us. “Oh, hey there. I hope I didn’t make you two wait for too long.”

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