Chapter 342: Ice Cold Flexing
"Explode," I said.
The moment the word left my mouth, the domain reacted. Essence twisted sharply around the Abomination, tightening like invisible chains. It thrashed and roared, sensing something was wrong, but it was already too late.
The runes within the domain flared to life.
With a sudden jolt, the creature’s body ignited from the inside, deep red flames blooming beneath its skin. Its eyes widened in panic as the heat surged, its limbs convulsing violently.
Then it happened.
A muffled boom echoed from within its chest, followed by a sharp, deafening explosion. Flesh, bone, and black fluid burst outward in every direction. The shockwave tore through the tunnel like a hammer, blasting dust and debris across the stone floor.
The four prisoners nearest to it were thrown back like ragdolls, skidding across the ground with grunts of pain and surprise.
Even nearby prisoners who weren’t part of the fight froze mid-swing, staring at the aftermath with wide eyes. The echoes of the blast lingered, followed by a stunned silence.
I stood where I was, the violet glow of the domain still burning around me, calm and unmoved.
"That," I muttered, "is how you clear a path."
The silence that followed the explosion was beautiful.
The prisoners who had been thrown by the blast groaned as they sat up, dazed and bruised. Others nearby were frozen in place, staring at me with wide eyes. Whispers spread quickly.
I didn’t say a word.
Instead, I closed my eyes for a moment and reached out to the Essence around me. It was still thick in the air, lingering from the destruction, swirling through the tunnel like smoke. My Psynapse touched it gently, then took hold. The domain responded.
I tapped my foot lightly against the ground.
A low crack echoed out, barely audible at first. Then it grew louder.
From the point where my foot touched, ice began to surge forward.
It wasn’t normal frost, it was Essence-forged, infused with absolute cold. The ground froze in a widening arc as the ice raced down the tunnel, fast and merciless. Prisoners leapt out of the way, shouting in surprise.
The wave of ice stretched out like a living force, snaking across the ground, creeping up the legs of the charging Abominations. One by one, they slowed. Then stopped. Then froze completely.
In just seconds, almost ninety of them had been caught. Their monstrous bodies were locked in place, trapped in thick, crystal-clear ice that shimmered under the faint light. Their snarls were cut off mid-roar, their claws mid-swing.
The temperature plummeted. Breath turned to mist. The air grew sharp, biting, cruel.
"Hey! What the hell?!" one prisoner shouted from front, his voice cracking as frost covered his arms. "You tryna freeze us too!?"
"Dammit, my teeth are rattling!" another cursed.
They turned, confused and shivering, to see me standing calmly in the center of the storm, completely unaffected. My eyes were focused, my body relaxed. The ice swirled outward like it was alive, like it knew who to spare and who to strike.
Then I moved forward.
As I walked, I passed by the frozen Abominations, each one towering, monstrous and completely helpless.
And with each step I took, the ice around them shattered.
Each frozen statue cracked all at once, fracturing into clean, sharp blocks of ice. There was no blood, no noise, just silence and falling shards. The Abominations inside were torn apart with surgical precision, their bodies broken down into frozen pieces before they could even think to resist.
One step. Shatter.
Another step. Shatter.
Again and again.
Behind me, no one spoke.
Even the bravest of prisoners, men and women who had fought monsters, who had endured years of hell were left speechless, watching as I walked through the tunnel like death itself wrapped in ice.
By the time I reached the front and came to stand beside Steve, the path behind me was silent, covered in broken ice and scattered frost.
Not a single Abomination remained.
I rolled my shoulder a little, letting the tension ease, and allowed a small smile to rise on my face.
Steve let out a loud scoff.
"What the hell, dude? You’re stealing my kills now?"
I shrugged casually.
He wasn’t actually mad, it was the kind of annoyed tone that said he’d expected nothing less. But despite his voice breaking the quiet, none of the prisoners around us dared to speak. Not after what they’d just seen.
My eyes drifted to North. She was watching me from across the path. There was a softness in her gaze, something warm but right beneath it, I caught the fire. That spark of fierce competition she always carried.
"Hey kid," a familiar voice called out, breaking the silence. "Can you do something about this freezing cold before we all turn into icicles?"
I turned my head. It was Ming, walking toward me with his usual calm, though I could see the frost clinging to his arms.
I chuckled and waved my hand. A wave of heat rippled outward from my body, melting the frost instantly and raising the temperature back to normal.
I winked at him and said, "Hope this temperature suits you, old man."
Behind him, Xin was still staring at me, mouth slightly open like he hadn’t blinked in minutes. Then, suddenly, he snapped.
"What the hell?! When did you become a Master? No, forget that, how are you this powerful?! You’re about to hit Grandmaster rank! What’s going on? Am I dreaming? Did some Abomination hit me with an illusion?" He kept muttering nonsense, rubbing his temples like he was losing his grip on reality.
Steve gave him a solid pat on the back and said with a smirk, "You’re fine, man. Nothing’s wrong with you. It’s just that this idiot," he thumbed at me, "has never been normal."
I shook my head and slowly turned to face the freed prisoners. Most of them were Empire soldiers, men and women once captured, now released and a few Nagas as well, their serpent-like forms standing tall among the crowd.
One by one, their eyes met mine. I held each stare for a heartbeat, studying them, making sure they understood that this wasn’t over. Then I spoke.
"The orders from the Empire are very clear."
Instantly, silence fell. The whispers stopped. The air grew still.
"Hunt down every last Holt in this realm. If you see a Holt... you kill a Holt."
A ripple passed through the crowd. Some faces lit up with fierce satisfaction, clearly, they had a score to settle. Others grew cold and serious, preparing themselves for what was to come.
"And no one," I said slowly, my tone firmer now, "no one is allowed to leave this realm or even attempt to leave until I give the order."
My eyes moved across the room and landed on the Naga warriors.
They stared back, unmoving. For a few seconds, the tension hung heavy. Then one of them gave a sharp nod. The others followed.
Only then did I continue.
"All right. No need to waste time. Let’s begin. And be careful, there are two Grandmasters fighting outside right now."
"Hell," Xin muttered beside me, rubbing his arms as if that news made the cold return.
A few more curses echoed quietly from the crowd, but no one panicked. No one ran.
Instead, like a switch had flipped, they started moving.
Weapons were checked, allies grouped up, and feet pounded against the stone as every freed prisoner rushed out of the underground prison, ready to join the chaos above.
As the last of them ran, I sent a silent command to Lyrate, to make sure no one uses the portals.