Zenian's breath came out in ragged gasps as the numbing frost of the Eternal Frostheart gripped his body, leaving him immobilized. He stood there, half-frozen, unable to move, unable to fight back. The agonizing cold gnawed at his very soul, a cruel reminder of his folly—his greed, his obsession.
And yet, across from him, the man responsible for orchestrating all of this, the one who had lured him into this trap with surgical precision, was smiling.
Arfrotian.
Zenian's teeth clenched as he glared at the man before him, his pride refusing to accept this reality. Ice Phoenix, who stood nearby, her glowing blue eyes fixed upon the scene, found herself entranced and utterly bewildered.
One moment, she thought she understood Arfrotian—his perceptiveness, his cold logic, his strategic mind.
And yet, the next moment…
He was a completely different person.
That smile.
It wasn't one of arrogance. Nor was it one of mockery.
It was the smile of a man who had already won before the battle even began.
Zenian, through gritted teeth, demanded, "What's so funny? What the hell is your plan?"
Ice Phoenix felt her heart quicken. She, too, wanted to know.
Arfrotian, still smiling, cocked his head slightly as if Zenian's confusion was adorable.
"Oh?" Arfrotian mused, his voice as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "Did you still not get it? Don't you remember what I said earlier?"
Zenian's eyes twitched.
"...What?"
Arfrotian exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly in amusement.
"The rat taking the bait," Arfrotian repeated. "Yeah, remember when I said that very initially when Ice Phoenix and I caught you red-handed at the entrance of this Ice Temple? Do you?"
Zenian's mind flashed back to that moment.
Back then, he had dismissed those words. He had been too blinded by his rage—too consumed by his jealousy of this unknown man who had somehow earned Ice Phoenix's attention.
But now… now it hit him.
Arfrotian had set this up.
From the very start.
Zenian's body trembled—not from the cold, but from the sheer terror creeping into his heart.
Still, his pride refused to yield. He scoffed. "Yeah? So what?" His voice came out hoarse, his throat dry. "What, you plan to kill me now? Since I'm frozen in place and defenseless? Oh, I see. You're just fulfilling Ice Phoenix's wish for revenge, huh? You're just her little pet, doing her bidding, right? You mortal fool."
Ice Phoenix's eyes widened at Zenian's words.
But before she could say anything, Arfrotian tilted his head and smiled deeply.
A different kind of smile.
One that sent chills down Zenian's spine.
"Oh?" Arfrotian's voice dropped into something silkier, sharper."Did you think that was my plan all along? Did you?"
He then paused, as if something had suddenly occurred to him.
"You know what?" Arfrotian mused, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous."You actually just presented a rather nice option for me to explore."
Zenian's stomach dropped.
Arfrotian's gaze flicked to Ice Phoenix for a brief second before turning back to Zenian.
"What do you think?" Arfrotian continued, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Should I try to impress the Ice Phoenix and kill you? The same Ice Phoenix you so desperately lust after that you'd even want to wield the Eternal Frostheart that you failed at your first attempt?"
Zenian's breath hitched.
He wasn't supposed to know that.
The reason Zenian had been so obsessed with wielding the Eternal Frostheart was because of Ice Phoenix herself.
As the guardian of the Eternal Frostheart, Ice Phoenix was bound to serve its wielder.
If Zenian wielded it… she would have been his.
And yet, Arfrotian knew.
Zenian swallowed hard, his lips trembling as he asked, "H-How… how did you know?"
Even Ice Phoenix herself had never known his true intentions.
Arfrotian's eyes gleamed. "Oh, I do see! Interesting!"
He took a step closer, looming over Zenian.
"So, you wanted Ice Phoenix all for yourself, huh?" Arfrotian continued. "I mean, hey, I can't blame you. She's a beauty, isn't she? In both her phoenix form and human form. Absolutely enchanting."
Ice Phoenix's breath hitched slightly at Arfrotian's words.
Zenian's fists clenched.
Arfrotian chuckled softly. "Man, if I were anything like you, I'd probably be head over heels too."
Then—
He stopped smiling.
And instead, his expression shifted into something even more unsettling.
A look of pure, calculating amusement.
"But…" Arfrotian let the word hang in the air for a moment.
Then, slowly, his smirk returned.
"Where's the fun in that?"
Zenian's breath caught in his throat.
"I mean, really," Arfrotian continued, his voice dropping into something almost hypnotic."What's the fun in chasing after a beauty… when you can just play your game instead?"
Then, he leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a whisper.
"You see, Zenian… when you bait a rat, you have to use cheese, don't you?"
Zenian's eyes widened in horror.
"If you were my RAT…" Arfrotian's lips curled into a sinister grin. "Then Ice Phoenix was my CHEESE."
Zenian's heart pounded.
The whole thing.
Every single moment.
Every decision he thought he was making on his own.
It was all part of Arfrotian's plan.
Ice Phoenix's body tensed as she listened.
Arfrotian's smirk deepened as he straightened up.
"And this whole thing about impressing Ice Phoenix by taking you down and making her fall for me? Seeking revenge for her?"
He let out a small chuckle.
Then—
His expression darkened.
"Why the hell would I need to do that?"
Zenian's stomach twisted in knots.
He felt sick.
Terrified.
He had underestimated Arfrotian from the very start.
And now…
He had no idea what was coming next.
Zenian's voice came out hoarse. "Then… then what is your plan?"
Arfrotian smiled at his ignorance.
"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, almost lazily.
Then, his smile turned sharper.
"My original intention for coming to this Megaverse…" he whispered, "…was to control my innate ability. The sleeping monster within me."
Zenian felt his world spinning.
Arfrotian continued, stepping forward. "And you? You were just a necessary piece in my game."
Zenian's mind screamed.
Arfrotian had played him like a fool.
Zenian struggled to speak. "C-Coming over…? Sleeping monster…? Original intention…?"
His brain couldn't piece it together.
Arfrotian smirked. "No need to stress that tiny brain of yours."
And then—
He delivered the final blow.
"Because what I want… is the Eternal Frostheart itself."
Zenian's body froze in sheer horror.
The devastating backlash of the Eternal Frostheart was about to be released.
And yet—
Arfrotian was planning to take it for himself.
Zenian's thoughts spiraled into chaos.
"This man is insane… this man is insane… this man is INSANE—"
And with that—