Chapter 49: Skadryn
Ethan looked at the menacing figures before him, his expression calm despite the clear hostility in their gazes.
"What if I told you I was actually lost here?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "Would you believe me?"
One of them, a Skadryn warrior with deep blue skin like the rest but striking yellow hair, sneered. "We do not believe the words of human trash."
"Wow," Ethan raised an eyebrow. "That's a really racist thing to say."
"You dared to trespass," the warrior growled, ice-cold fury in his eyes. "You will die here."
The attack came without warning.
Instantly, the air crackled with energy as multiple ice-based skills activated at once. The ground beneath Ethan exploded with jagged ice spikes, forcing him to leap high into the air. But as soon as he did, a javelin of pure ice materialized right in front of his face, hurtling toward him at terrifying speed.
"Shit—!"
Ethan reacted in a flash, thrusting his hand forward. A dense burst of pressurized water surged outward, colliding with the incoming projectile.
BOOM!
The impact sent him rocketing toward the ground, where two Skadryn warriors awaited with their swords drawn. A frigid aura surrounded their blades as they took a stance—
Ice Slash!
The glacial arcs of energy streaked toward him.
"For god's sake…" Ethan muttered.
His mind raced. There was no time to play around.
"System, use my rewards—S-rank armor card and the S-rank weapon card . Choose a sword."
The response was instant.
A sleek black armor with white streaks materialized around him, molding perfectly to his form. In his hand, a katana shimmered into existence, its blade exuding a quiet lethality.
Clench.
He gripped the sword tightly, raising it in a defensive stance as he activated a trick he had learned with his sound affinity—Resonance Wave.
A low, reverberating hum filled the air. The sound waves distorted space, slowing the incoming attacks just enough. Ethan pivoted sharply, dodging one strike and parrying the other with his katana in a precise arc.
But he wasn't done yet.
"System, upgrade my fire affinity to S-grade. Grant me Flame Maker and Flame Manipulation. Mastery at Grandmaster level."
[Ding! All done, Host.]
A sudden surge of heat erupted around him. Flames coiled at his feet, dancing up his arms like living serpents.
The Skadryn warriors froze in place. Their eyes widened as they instinctively recoiled, their bodies tensed in alarm.
"Oh?" Ethan smirked, rolling his shoulders. "So fire is your weakness, huh?"
Figures.
The momentary pause gave him the breather he needed. But he wasn't about to waste time.
With a flick of his wrist, he conjured dozens—no, hundreds—of fireballs, each the size of a basketball. They hovered around him like miniature suns, illuminating the battlefield with their scorching glow.
Then he added another layer—fire arrows by the dozens, sharp and deadly.
The temperature surged dangerously. The icy landscape around them began to crack and steam as the fire magic warped the air.
The Skadryn warriors shifted uncomfortably. Their breaths came quicker, their power visibly waning. They were beings of ice and cold—against Ethan's inferno, they were at a crippling disadvantage.
But Ethan wasn't finished.
"You like to gang up on people, huh?" His eyes gleamed with dangerous amusement. "Let me return the favor."
He reached into his inventory and downed an S-rank mana potion in one gulp. The moment the liquid coursed through his veins, he channeled a massive surge of mana into a new spell.
A flaming river.
The ground beneath them erupted with fire, a molten current rapidly expanding across the battlefield. The Skadryn warriors' expressions shifted from hostility to alarm.
"What the hell—?! How much mana does he have?!" one of them shouted.
"Don't let it spread! Freeze the ground!"
They moved quickly, channeling their energy together. Their combined power created a massive burst of ice, counteracting the river of flames and slowing its advance.
Ethan merely watched, smirking. Do you have unlimited mana potions like me ?Let's find out.
He lifted his hand and unleashed a volley of fireballs and arrows, forcing them to split their focus. Some had to defend against the incoming barrage while others struggled to maintain their freezing countermeasure.
The fire river continued to grow hotter, consuming the battlefield.
Ethan's smile widened. "Let's test my new ability."
He activated his unique skill, his talent.
Take the Ice Affinity.
[Ding! You have taken the ice affinity from the Skadryn warriors.]
[Ding! You have gained a new affinity: Ice (A-grade).]
A sudden, eerie silence fell over the battlefield.
The Skadryn warriors froze—literally and figuratively. Their bodies trembled as something within them was forcefully severed.
Then—
CRACK.
Their skin began to fracture. Their limbs stiffened unnaturally, like puppets with broken strings. The essence of ice had been stripped from them, leaving them as hollow, crumbling husks.
Some dropped to their knees, their eyes wide in horror. Others collapsed entirely, spasming as their very existence unraveled.
Ethan took a step forward, his black armor gleaming ominously in the firelight. His katana rested lazily on his shoulder as he gazed down at the fallen warriors.
"I really didn't expect taking your affinity would make you collapse like malfunctioning robots," he mused. "If I'd known, I would've done it earlier."
He clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Oh well."
Then, his expression hardened.
"Unfortunately, I need to kill you to clear the trial. So don't blame me."
Raising his hand, he conjured an avalanche of ice boulders—ironic, considering their origins. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them hurtling downward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The battlefield was swallowed in chaos. The impact sent up colossal clouds of ice and smoke, obscuring everything from view.
Ethan looked at this scene. He is feeling more and more at ease in battle. His battle instincts are being honed real time.
And he liked this feelings.
{Ding! You have completed your trial.}
{Ding! You have earned one opportunity to speak directly with the Goddess of Winter, Skadi.}
{Ding! Use it wisely.}
{Ding! You are being transported to the Rest Zone.}
⸻
Back in the Rest Zone
Ethan sat down, exhaling as he glanced at the new reward notification.
A conversation with a goddess, huh?
He smirked. Why not?
But then a thought struck him.
What could he even talk about with her?
He, a mortal.
Ask for a blessing? He didn't need it.
Ask about her divine life? He wasn't interested.
No, not all of this.
He was thinking about this all wrong.
The real question wasn't what he should ask.
It was what Skadi wanted.
What did a goddess crave?
And more importantly—
How could he use that to his advantage?
A slow, knowing smile crept onto his face.
Let's find out.
— End of Chapter 49 —