BOOOM!

A massive surge of mana exploded from Aestrea’s body, sending a shockwave through the air.

The ground trembled beneath him as the energy rippled out in all directions.

“Hah…”

A cold breath escaped his lips as he raised both of his hands.

Swiiisshhh!

Mana from the surrounding air swirled around him, pulling together like a gathering storm.

Behind him, a shadow began to take shape—a massive ice dragon, its form growing more solid with each passing second.

The temperature plummeted, frost creeping across the ground.

The Red Slayer, sensing the danger, immediately tensed up.

ROAARRR!

His eyes locked on Aestrea, and with a roar, he dashed forward, his sword lifted high, ready to cleave through the ice dragon’s shadow.

“Dammit…”

Aestrea clicked his tongue.

He had no choice but to react quickly. D

ropping his right hand, he quickly prepared another spell.

『 Shield Series: Winter’s Barrier! (✦ 6th-level Spell ✦) 』

A pentagram appeared above Aestrea’s head, glowing lightly.

Within seconds, a barrier of solid ice formed in front of him just as the Red Slayer’s sword came crashing down.

BAAM!

The sword slammed into the shield with a deafening crack, sending chunks of ice flying in all directions.

Dust and debris filled the air, the force of the strike shaking the very ground beneath their feet.

The shield had lasted against the boss’s attack, but it wouldn’t last a second hit.

Without a pause, the Red Slayer’s sword flared with blue flames, and he swung again.

Fwoop!

The heat from the attack rushed at Aestrea.

His skin tingled with the burn, but he didn’t flinch; instead, he used the opening to jump backward, putting distance between them.

BAM!

He landed, his feet skidding slightly across the rocky floor, as mana continued to swirl around him.

However, he also started using the mana from his body, causing it to grow chaotic.

“…The mana from the surroundings is too impure.” Aestrea bit his lip.

But before he could prepare another attack, the Red Slayer was already charging at him again.

His massive sword rose high, the flames around it burning even brighter.

“Fuck!”

Aestrea’s heart skipped a beat.

Without thinking twice, Aestrea quickly snapped his fingers.

『 Time Freeze (✯ 9th-Level Spell ✯) 』

The world around him went silent.

The Red Slayer froze mid-step, his sword hanging above him like a frozen moment in time.

Aestrea took a deep breath, then he backed away quickly.

The freezing sensation of the spell enveloped him, but he didn’t dare waste time, as he started gathering mana once again.

Just as quickly as the spell had begun, Aestrea snapped his fingers again.

BOOOM!

Time resumed, and the Red Slayer’s sword came crashing down where Aestrea had just stood, shaking the ground with a violent tremor.

The blade tore through the earth, leaving a deep gouge in the stone floor.

“Fuck… this should be more than enough.”

Seeing the incoming monster, Aestrea didn’t hesitate.

He stretched his arm out, pointing his hands straight at the beast.

Freeze…!

At that moment, the shadow of the ice dragon had finally solidified, with its light blue eyes staring down at the Red Slayer

The air around Aestrea grew colder, the temperature dropping even further as the ice particles began to swirl around Aestrea’s hands like a tornado.

Then, the words slipped from his lips.

『 Ice Dragon: Breath of Frost! (✯ 7th-level Spell ✯) 』

The ice dragon’s mouth opened wide.

A blast of icy wind shot forward, cutting through the air like a freezing hurricane.

Ice particles flew everywhere, as the dragon’s breath hit the Red Slayer, freezing the air around him.

The Red Slayer’s flames flared as he tried to block the freezing air, but the ice tore through him, chipping away at his armor and burning his flesh.

Blood spattered from the wounds as the freezing wind bit deeper.

CRACK!

The Red Slayer growled in pain, but he didn’t back down.

His sword flared with more flames, and he charged through the freezing gale.

SHHRRKK!

“…This isn’t enough,” Aestrea muttered.

The spell faded from his hands as he jumped back.

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

The Red Slayer finally opened his mouth, voice booming like thunder. The blue flames around him flared wildly, swallowing his whole body in raging fire.

Swip!

He drove his sword into the ground with a violent clang, stone cracking under the pressure. Then he raised both hands high above his head.

Aestrea’s eyes locked onto the motion.

“…This fucker—” his voice dropped, breath catching in his throat.

He was going to use his ultimate ability!

Without wasting a second, Aestrea made Lumi vanish from his grip and bolted across the battlefield.

『 Titan’s Wrath! 』

“What?! He’s already finishe—”

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The explosion was grand.

A blinding wave of blue lava surged from the Red Slayer’s hands like a crashing tidal wave, swallowing everything in its path.

The sheer heat warped the air, and the ground cracked and hissed beneath it.

Hisss!

The molten wave thundered toward Aestrea, fast—too fast.

“Shit… I’m gonna run out of mana—!”

He had one shot.

One.

Aestrea’s heart slammed against his ribs.

His chest burned.

His vision blurred.

“Fuck it…”

He clenched his teeth—hard enough to hurt—and raised a trembling hand.

Snap!

The sound cracked like thunder through the cave.

『 Time Freeze (✯ 9th-Level Spell ✯) 』

Silence.

The roar of lava vanished.

The monster’s scream froze on its tongue.

The world was locked in place like a frozen frame of death.

The wave of blue lava hung in the air, solid and still, like a frozen explosion—light trapped in heat, horror paused in beauty.

But he felt it.

The price.

His mana didn’t just drop.

It plunged.

Fifty percent. Gone.

Thirty percent…

Ten percent…

Nine…

Eight—

“Fuck—!”

Aestrea launched upward, rock cracking beneath his feet.

BOOM!

His fist drove into the wall above—BAM!—dust rained down like ash from the sky.

He dug his fingers in, blood smearing the stone as he pulled himself up, anchoring his body against the ceiling.

Muscles burned.

Every second was heavy.

Then—

Snap!

Time came crashing back.

HISSSSSSSSSS!!

The blue lava smashed into the walls below, splashing upward.

Molten drops whistled through the air, hissing as they grazed the ceiling.

One drop came inches from his face.

It sizzled against the stone beside him.

“HUH?! WHERE DID THE ANT GO?!”

The Red Slayer’s voice echoed, angry and confused.

And seeing this, Aestrea exhaled and then licked his dry lips.

“Three percent…”

He made the calculations…

“That should be enough.”

He summoned Lumi again.

The scythe dropped into his hands like it had always belonged there.

His grip tightened.

Blood soaked the handle.

Then, his lips curved into a slow, cruel grin.

“Alright… Let’s end this.”

His red eyes glowed dimly…

Aestrea let go.

He fell.

Swoooooosh…

Back-first, he dropped from the ceiling. Wind roared past him. Silver hair whipped around his face.

His body was still, almost peaceful.

Eyes closed.

Lips parted in a whisper.

Mana flared around him like soft moonlight.

Time seemed to slow again—naturally this time—as he neared the ground.

Five seconds until collision…

Four…

Three…

Two…

And right at this instant, he twisted mid-air, his red glowing eyes snapping open.

“Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art….”

『 1% Strength—Fifth Move! (✦ Thousand-Lotus Guillotine ✦) 』

CLANG.

A bland noise that echoed throughout the whole cave.

Then—

SHHRRRRRK!!

A sound like blades tearing silk as thousands of shimmering ice petals exploded from his scythe, rushing through the cave in a glittering storm.

The Red Slayer turned, confused.

CRACK!

SPLURT!

His body split open—over and over—as dozens, thousands of cuts slashed across him in a heartbeat.

Blood shot from his wounds like geysers, splattering the stone, the air, even the ice petals themselves.

Each gash left behind a glowing lotus—small, cold, deadly.

“K-KAUGH!”

A mouthful of blood spilled from his lips.

His legs gave out.

His arms dropped.

And then—

SPLURT!

His head tore free from his shoulders, flipping once in the air before crashing to the floor.

A lotus bloomed where his neck used to be.

Still.

Glowing.

Silent.

Step…

Aestrea landed gently on the ground, his boots hitting against the stone gently. He stepped toward the corpse slowly.

The scythe vanished in a shimmer of light.

He stared down at the remains—body still twitching, petals fading into frost.

His voice was low.

Tired and cold.

“You better have a fucking great drop.”

If his mana pool could be shown in numbers…

He would definitely have a single point of mana.

Aestrea approached the fallen corpse without hesitation.

Fwoop!

His hand shot out, plunging into the mangled chest of the Red Slayer.

With a swift jerk, he pulled his hand free.

In his grip, a small, glowing red orb pulsed faintly.

“…Change characteristics to identity items, and use the scan.”

[Done… proceeding…]

[Name: Red Slayer’s Mana Core]

[Rarity: SS+]

[Effects: Allows the user to evolve their “Fire Element” to “Azure Fire”. Restores 5% of mana for every single minute.]

[Details: This core was torn from the heart of a fire demon by the infamous Red Slayer. If refined into an artifact, it could have incredible regenerating effects. However, the Red Diamond Crystal must be used as one of the reforging materials.]

Aestrea’s eyes widened slightly.

“…This could be useful,” he murmured, turning the orb in his fingers.

“I’ll need to find an artifact refiner…”

He sighed, shaking his head.

“Gosh… that’ll be fucking expensive.”

Then, he glanced over at the Red Slayer’s Sword.

He activated another scan.

[Name: Bloodbane, the Infernal Blade]

[Rarity: SS+]

[Effects:

⤬ Infused with Bloodfire Essence—every strike channels a burst of flame magic, dealing additional fire damage based on the user’s health.

⤬ Passive Effect: Absorbs the vitality of enemies slain with it, restoring 5% of health with each kill.

⤬ Unique Skill: “Crimson Torrent” – Unleashes a wave of blood-red flames that burns all enemies in a 15-meter radius. Can only be used once per day.]

[Details: Forged from the molten steel of the Red Slayer’s Mana Core, this sword holds the power of a warrior who never feared death. It has claimed countless souls, growing stronger with each kill. Now, it thirsts for more. Even a drop of blood feeds its power.]

Aestrea snorted, the corners of his lips curling into a dry smile.

“And this… is fucking useless.” He shrugged, rolling his eyes.

“Might as well sell it. Could get a nice penny for it.”

He already had Lumi, so he didn’t need another weapon.

『 Storage 』

Throwing his new loot in the storage portal, Aestrea turned around.

There was a red, swirling portal that had materialized after the Red Slayer’s defeat.

He didn’t waste any time and stepped into it.

A brief dizziness overtook him, the world spinning for a moment, before he opened his eyes again.

But this time, a sharp voice rang out, cutting through the stillness.

“Hold it!”

The voice continued, cold and commanding.

“Aestrea Moon, you’re under arrest for conspiring with the Dark Order! If you dare defy any of my orders, you’ll be branded a traitor and exiled from the country!”

Aestrea was silent upon hearing those words.

But the intensity of the glow in his eyes only increased as his lips parted, a dark laugh barely escaping.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep