Chapter 221: Sword of Shadows
“I’m not interested. As I said, this information about the Black-winged Monarch could very well be made up by some con artist,” Verafia said with a snort, her golden eyes glancing sideways.
Initially, when they went out shopping, Miss Verafia was accompanied by Ophi and Flarn. However, Flarn was quickly drawn away by the Ice Dragon Girl’s burgeoning shopping desires, leaving only Igte by the girl’s side.
“Then, Young Lady…”
“Hmm, I heard there’s a rather famous forging workshop in Dorun City, where a Saint-level alchemy master is enshrined. I plan to have him help refine the ‘Frost Heart’.”
Verafia said, lifting her delicate face. But the girl soon fell into thought again, counting on her slender, jade-like fingers, tilting her small face.
“However, to hire a Saint-level alchemist… it should cost a lot of gold coins. Should I go to the Adventurer’s Guild to earn some money?”
Igte couldn’t help but chuckle.
Although he had some concept of money concerning this Miss Phoenix, unlike when they were in Vist City and she was clueless, Igte felt a touch of relief. However, to his knowledge, to get a Saint-level alchemist to act, it would cost at least a hundred gold coins, not to mention the materials.
Given how quickly this little phoenix spent money, earning another hundred gold coins one by one? It would probably take an eternity.
Of course, Igte wasn’t so arrogant as to dampen the Miss Phoenix’s spirits at this moment. Instead, he walked beside her and curiously asked:
“Young Lady, what is this ‘Frost Heart’ you mentioned…?”
Igte didn’t recall his young lady picking up any peculiar treasures recently.
As for the rare treasures that this little phoenix naturally possessed… that was even less likely. A fire phoenix and an ice-elemental item, how could they possibly be related?
“Hmm, Igte, you don’t know? Of course, the ‘Frost Heart’ I’m talking about is this!”
In Verafia’s slender, white hand, she produced a piece of Frost Crystal, covered in white frost and as clear as pure water.
On the girl’s pure white, delicate palm, a small, exquisite crystal of ice color floated quietly, surrounded by imperceptible, tiny ice shards.
Igte remembered, “Wasn’t it something Miss Ophi gifted you?”
Standing closer now, the “Frost Heart” appeared in Igte’s eyes as something exquisitely detailed and beautiful, like a carefully carved artwork. Even its slight angles seemed to lack perfection, and its deficiencies were few.
Beyond that, beneath the transparent crystal layer, fine markings were outlined by runes emitting golden light, and within it lay the energy of winter snow, terrifying yet calmly restrained.
“It certainly seems like a very rare item…”
Just as Igte was about to praise it, his pupils suddenly contracted. In his consciousness, a smear of darkness instantly permeated.
Igte instinctively grasped the hilt of his End, looking around. The surroundings were empty, but a black shadow was rapidly spreading on the ground.
“Wait, someone’s—”
Verafia also lifted her face in surprise, her golden eyes widening. Her fair, slender hand instinctively reached to grasp the “Frost Heart,” but at the same moment, black air currents in space, like rapidly growing vines, instantly submerged the girl’s figure.
“Miss Vera!” Igte exclaimed.
Suddenly, amidst the rapidly spreading darkness, golden flames flickered, and then the girl’s angry voice rang out:
“Who dares to steal my stuff without even showing their face!”
Verafia’s erupting fire magic quickly incinerated the black turbid current. A tall figure, a man with a dark, shadowy face, appeared before her, and a cold snort echoed as his black energy resisted the raging flames.
Within the flames, black vines coiled around the “Frost Heart,” and more energy seeped into the ground, forming a barrier. Dim, turbid markings continuously spread, suppressing Verafia, who was enshrouded beneath it.
“Damn it… you think I’m easy to bully!”
Verafia took a step back, drawing a staff formed of flame with her left hand, her golden eyes meeting the face hidden behind the heavy darkness; at the same time, the scarlet crystal on her slender wrist lit up.
The man in black paused in his actions, appearing slightly surprised.
However, in just a moment, countless slender, dark energies rose from thin air and instantly touched and entwined the red crystal bracelet on the girl’s wrist. The color of the scarlet gemstone trembled, then was severed by the dark, turbid colors.
“What… is this the ‘Severance’ talent? No, it’s far more than that—”
Verafia was startled, but seeing the opponent’s energy rapidly entwining and devouring the crystal bracelet on her snow-white wrist, she became anxious. Without thinking further, she pressed forward with the staff in her left hand, unleashing an attack.
“Hey, this is my bracelet! You can’t have it!”
A massive flame spell descended almost instantly, the blazing flames scorching the turbid dark currents. The opponent’s figure was exposed to the magical attack, but it was blocked by the light barrier rising from the ground barrier, stirring up violent ripples, and wisps of black smoke billowed.
The man in black, holding the “Frost Heart” and the crystal bracelet he had snatched, pressed his palm down and clenched them.
Verafia became more anxious, stomped her slender foot on the ground, and before the magic fluctuations from her staff had subsided, she instantly stirred up violent elemental fluctuations again, forming a magic array.
“Blazing Flame Storm, burning with endless light in the void, descend!”
The magnificent fire magic heavily collided with the endless dark turbidity condensed before the man in black. The sudden intense light caused the entire black domain to shake, and a trace of surprise finally appeared in the man’s eyes.
“Such intense flames, it seems…”
The man’s voice was not dry and rotten, but a suppressed hoarseness. However, the end of his words was instantly drowned out by the fierce sword qi stirred by the sudden drawing of his sword. The black greatsword was drawn from the arm beneath his black robe, stirring ripples like a storm!
Verafia’s golden eyes narrowed. As her recently cooled staff was just raised, the ground already cracked under the intense fluctuations. The residual flames in the air were directly cut by the black greatsword.
“Sister!”
From a great distance, Flarn’s surprised cry seemed to come. Immediately after, the sound of a spear blade piercing the air rang out, tearing through the cage. Blue ice crystals rapidly spread and froze, tearing apart the black domain!
However, the man with the black greatsword had no intention of paying any attention. Raising his greatsword, he focused it on the girl before him, converging into a heavy black light, and slashed straight down!
The girl bit her silver teeth, her eyes showing stubborn defiance. The flames before her slender, delicate body rapidly condensed into an elemental shield, and scarlet-gold runes shimmered, attempting to block even a tiny bit.
“Sword of the Blazing Abyss, the unyielding rage that burns endlessly at the abyss’s end…”
Verafia thrust her staff forward, rapidly chanting, and scarlet flames ignited in the air. The bright red fire blazed fiercely, quickly forming the shape of the “Sword of the Blazing Abyss.”
However, the black greatsword had already cut through the crystal shield of flames, its immense power almost causing space to collapse!
