Evelyn never completely lost consciousness during her blackout. Through her spirit, she caught glimpses of her surroundings, each moment of awareness coinciding with shifts in sensation.
It had been a long time since she'd endured such a profound, crushing cold. A cold that penetrated to the bone, leaving her numb and in agony.
Because of this, each time the intensity of cold fluctuated, it roused her subconscious, a defense mechanism allowing her to survey her surroundings.
She watched as an exhausted young man left her. In that moment, she realized the Winter's Heart Drop's effects worsened instantly. Her body convulsed under its torment. Only when the young man returned did everything become more bearable.
She wanted to whisper her thanks, for she could see how utterly drained he was, looking as though he might collapse at any moment. But soon she slipped back into the formless darkness, continuing her invisible battle with the artifact that wrestled with her essence.
Hours later, she once again glimpsed the outside world. She saw the young man preparing to leave. Deep down, she understood but couldn't help feeling abandoned. Then, ultimately, he turned back and remained by her side. She couldn't hear what he said to the tiger monster keeping its distance. She only knew to be grateful that she hadn't been left behind.
The young man was remarkably attentive, arranging blankets and bedding to increase warmth for her. She felt the warmth radiating from outside her body all the way to her core.
Afterward, she found herself repeatedly awakening, leaning against a broad, strong back. The warmth became intense each time she was positioned this way. The unbearable pain became significantly more manageable. Her only regret was that she couldn't lift her head from where it naturally rested on his shoulder, no matter how embarrassed she felt.
In the time that followed, from the depths of darkness, she longed for the next moment she could lean against him, bringing comfort and warmth.
After an unknown passage of time, she nearly jolted awake when the young man placed the water-aspect supporting stone in her hand. The effect was immediate, the elemental similarities allowed her to absorb it without resistance or difficulty. The absorption speed of the Winter's Heart Drop increased significantly.
She caught the young man's relieved smile. Though he showed regret over the depleting stone, his cluelessness about it made her want to laugh. In the midst of profound suffering, this small joy made her fight harder, accelerating the process.
When only a small amount of the Winter's Heart Drop's essence remained, her spirit automatically gathered information from outside. Her protective companion was in danger. He had wrapped her against his chest, gritting his teeth as the numbing cold invaded his lungs and heart. In that moment, she desperately wished he would abandon her and flee. But she understood the young man's temperament despite their brief acquaintance. There was a stubborn persistence that radiated from him. If someone pointed it out, he would surely deny it, yet who else at his age would dare host dinner parties that attracted Maelivar's most influential figures? Recklessness was just one facet—he had enough courage and madness to face a Lava Drake. Not to mention the mysterious incident at The Pressuring Fall, which she still didn't fully comprehend.
All she could do was concentrate on accelerating her consumption of the Winter's Heart Drop, hoping to awaken in time.
Finally, she regained consciousness after the collision Argentius and Nathan endured. She hadn't completed the fusion process, but it was nearly finished, enough for her to suppress the Winter's Heart Drop's resistance, forcing it into a corner of her body.
"Right about time," Nathan said with a chuckle, his eyes showing relief as he looked at her.
Evelyn started, quickly pushing herself away to avoid their closeness.
She untangled herself from the blankets covering her and handed them to Nathan.
"Thank you," she said solemnly. "I'll handle things from here."
"Normally I'd say it's not safe and we should run," Nathan joked. "But my condition isn't great, so do whatever you want. If things get desperate, we'll leave this place."
Evelyn nodded as Nathan shook the bracelet for her to see. The protective ice layer had melted, so she could break it anytime.
Nathan leaned against a tree trunk, relaxing for the first time in days. He took out his Thunder Embrace liquor and drained it, preparing mentally for the worst-case scenario.
The four people surrounding them narrowed their eyes at the newly risen girl. They'd seen her wrapped in Nathan's arms from the beginning, assuming she wouldn't pose much of a threat. Now, however, they sensed an ominous pressure descending upon the surrounding space. Even the young man in purple clothing became cautious.
Argentius roared, his fur billowing as he released his power around him.
Evelyn glanced at the tiger monster, noticing the wounds it had suffered. Her gaze turned ice-cold, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet in an instant, sparing only the area around her allies.
Realizing there was no retreat, the two fire-users roared, radiating a red-orange halo to resist. Simultaneously, they formed fireballs in their hands and launched them at Evelyn.
She extended her hand forward, stretching out her fingers.
Before the disbelieving eyes of all observers, the fireballs froze, their flames extinguished as they transformed into perfect white spheres.
With his [Martial Art Mastery], Nathan vaguely analyzed Evelyn's technique. She had gathered the moisture in the air and instantly frozen it, neutralizing the opponents' attacks.
Seeing this, the enemies became more aggressive, their hands flinging forward continuously. Fireball after fireball blazed toward the blue-haired girl.
The frozen spheres multiplied in turn, hovering beside Evelyn.
The girl wielding lightning aspect smiled, sending forth a network of crackling serpents from her five fingers. They darted forward, using the frozen spheres as conductors, intending to electrocute her opponent.
Evelyn's face remained expressionless, her hair rising for a beat as an ice wall formed, deflecting each striking lightning bolt without allowing any to penetrate.
The white frozen spheres began to move, sharpened into points by Evelyn's will. Then, a storm of ice arrows shot forth.
The targeted contestants were skilled in evasion, allowing the attacks to slide past them. But the nature of Evelyn's power had fundamentally changed. Unlike before, when her ice bolts could only travel in straight lines, this time they paused mid-air, turned around, and gave chase.
The lightning girl fared better, utilizing her speed to maneuver. The two fire users struggled more severely, their mana shields constantly trembling. Sometimes the arrows pierced through, striking their armor. Though they hadn't yet reached skin, the impact was agonizing, especially as the ice spread from the contact points, inflicting cold damage and making their movements sluggish.
At this moment, the purple-clad young man made his move. Areas of increased gravitational force appeared. They made no distinction between friend and foe, creating pressure on both people and the ice bolts. The sound of shattering ice echoed as the bolts crashed to the ground, and teammates buckled under the sudden pressure they couldn't resist.
Evelyn withdrew her hand, warily eyeing the young man in tight purple clothing.
"Damn it," the remaining young man in the group cursed. "Couldn't you have given some warning first?"
The purple-clad youth smirked beneath his hood, speaking with indifference.
"Didn't I just resolve your difficulties? And mind your language. Don't attract more enemies."
Hearing this, the other man could only silently grind his teeth.
The lightning-using girl spoke up.
"What are you planning? Shouldn't we combine forces to defeat them? Standing aside like this violates our agreement."
"Our agreement didn't include this girl," the purple-clad youth pointed toward Evelyn.
"One more person means more points. What's there to worry about?"
"This is exactly why," the purple-clad youth snorted contemptuously, "you rely on others to progress. You obsessively focus on prey without noticing your surroundings. In doing so, you transform yourselves into appetizing meals."
"What do you mean?" the silenced young man retorted irritably.
"You were so fixated on your grudge against that tiger that you failed to properly scout the volcanic area, didn't you?"
The three briefly looked baffled, their eyes narrowing.
While the enemies showed signs of division, Evelyn retreated, positioning herself closer to Nathan.
With his understanding, Nathan knew the girl was planning something. Her silent actions were always the most dangerous thing about his teammate. He could only trust her, having no idea what she intended.
The purple-clad young man smiled discreetly, as if detecting something, but instead of warning his allies, he said:
"These two have over five thousand points. And there haven't been any challenge areas nearby. How do you suppose they managed that?"
"Tier 3 monster," all three muttered simultaneously.
They were struggling, not stupid—their rational assessment was simply compromised. Moreover, they only knew of Nathan Reed, a chef. No matter how powerful a Tier 1 cultivator might be, no one would believe they could fight a Tier 3 monster. His points, according to their instinctive reasoning, must relate more to his profession.
This was likely the purple-clad youth's thinking as well, though he remained uncertain.
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Following this line of reasoning, if Nathan were excluded, then someone else must be the central issue.
The blue-haired girl.
"I even saw the charred remnants of a Drake," the purple-clad youth remarked, as if confirming everything.
The team from the same organization tensed, slowly regarding Evelyn with growing fear.
The recent exchange had somewhat demonstrated the power disparity between both sides. The three initially still believed in their abilities. Now, not so much.
"Split up and run," the fire-using young man shouted, sensing trouble.
They had been talking too long.
"You bastard," the lightning girl cursed the purple-clad youth, abandoning all respect. This temporary ally had aided the enemy by stalling for time. He could have warned them earlier or suggested a course of action with the information he held. Instead, he toyed with everyone as if it had nothing to do with him.
"Too late," the young man laughed loudly beneath his hood.
A white mist suddenly appeared, completely enveloping the area where everyone stood. Each droplet carried a bone-chilling cold that threatened to freeze the world solid.
The three-person team clustered together, using fire to combat the strange power surrounding them.
"A domain?" the purple-clad youth exclaimed with interest, seemingly unaffected by the mist. "No, something lesser. Haha. That Tier 2 can touch this profound veil is truly rare."
Though unaffected by the mist's effects, Nathan couldn't suppress a feeling of awe. This had to be an upgraded version of the technique Evelyn used to freeze the Forest Hydra's head and the Lava Drake's lava flow. As for domains, he was clueless and hadn't considered them. He only knew that if Evelyn could have used this against the Lava Drake, they wouldn't have suffered as they did before.
The other three only felt their bodily functions slowing. Blood and mana circulation faced resistance, with every slight movement bringing unbearable pain. The protective fire surrounding them flickered unstably as their mana supply became interrupted.
The lightning girl's abilities became useless. She discharged in all directions but was hindered by poor visibility. Random strikes hit nothing. And even if they did, she believed Evelyn would easily deflect them.
The three exchanged glances, nodding once before pulling talismans from their spatial rings. Each channeled mana to ignite the mystical inscriptions on the paper.
At this moment, the mist condensed more rapidly, extinguishing the flames emitted by the two young fire users and freezing their talismans solid.
The young man roared, forcing flames to radiate outward once more. However, the talismans they held remained unactivated, encased in ice like popsicles.
Terror filled their eyes. This was beyond overwhelming. This ice and snow transcended anything they'd encountered. They were facing a monstrous prodigy among Caelindor Kingdom's elite.
Nathan was no different from the three. He was genuinely speechless before the capability Evelyn had just attained. This wasn't merely an aspect improvement, but something more precious. Bloodline. He had always been suspicious when Evelyn claimed she didn't possess the Sovereign Frost Constitution. Now he believed her. After being asked to help by Orin, he had researched this physical constitution. Though information was scarce, it was enough for a preliminary assessment. In essence, at Tier 2, even the Sovereign Frost Constitution wasn't extraordinarily superior to other cultivators of the same tier. The significant breakthrough came from Tier 4 and above.
Yet now, Evelyn's power was making all three unbearably suffer.
The lightning girl, seeing no escape, could only bite her lip until it bled. She smeared the blood onto her teammates' clothes in an obscure pattern. Then, without a word, her eyes flashed with electric streaks. Leaving behind an explosive sound, she dashed backward, hoping to escape the mist. If successful, she could use a secret technique to pull her teammates away. The substantial price to be paid afterward was one she was willing to bear.
The girl didn't believe this mist could hinder her.
She was mistaken.
The core of Evelyn's ice power had until now been merely the visible tip of the iceberg.
When entering the mist at high speed, the girl rejoiced at encountering no major obstacle. She couldn't fully transform into lightning, so her speed remained tangible. Nevertheless, with this acceleration, she believed she could leave the deadly area before the mist could freeze her.
That was merely the thought in her mind. Externally, she had completely slowed down after just seconds of exposure to the drifting mist particles.
Something strange occurred. The girl's limbs still emitted electric sparks, evidence she was still moving at high speed while utilizing her mana aspect. Yet an outside observer would only see her as if in slow motion, the movement of her raised leg gradual, leaving no afterimage as intended.
As if both space and time around her had been separated. Frozen in place.
Unable to escape the mist zone, the lightning mana aspect user was penetrated by the cold. In an instant, she was encased in ice, transformed into a statue mid-movement. Electric sparks still flickered beneath the statue's surface. Her eyes gradually filled with horror as she realized what was happening to her.
Her companions fared no better. Though Evelyn's special effect couldn't activate as the mist particles were blocked outside, they still couldn't withstand the quality of her power. Their Aspect Affinity wasn't high enough to produce a superior fire, nor did they possess any special bloodline to resist.
The two even used a different aspect of poison to push their limits.
Black filaments appeared on their faces, helping energy circulation. Poison speed combated the ice power that had infiltrated their bodies slightly. Not enough to be affected, just enough to hinder actions from becoming fluid.
This wasn't an ideal solution, as the poison's side effects were difficult to address. Even using antidotes required time to fully heal. They were simply gambling on their teammate.
After maintaining for three minutes, the two looked at each other, their eyes dissolving in despair. Lightning was a speed-oriented aspect. They understood their teammate. Especially the blood mark on their backs—the longer it remained, the harder this secret technique would be to use. The outcome they dreaded had arrived.
They didn't even bother seeking help from that purple-cloaked bastard. This revealed another aspect of The Shifting Trials contestants. Though alliances formed, their foundations were more fragile than soap bubbles. A minor incident was enough to completely reverse the situation. They had arrived as the superior party, but now found themselves inferior with no recourse. The stronger ones saw them merely as tools. And what could they do? Being a tool was one way to rise. Everything was simply a matter of betting wrong.
The two abandoned their resistance, allowing themselves to become ice statues.
Evelyn single-handedly defeated three cultivators of her generation, her manner casual, as if nothing was challenging.
Nathan couldn't comprehend what was happening with his limited visibility. He only heard applause echoing from among the trees.
"Powerful, too powerful," said the purple-clad youth.
Surrounding him was an area of increased gravitational force. This downward pull caused mist particles entering to plummet to the ground, unable to approach him in the slightest.
He waved his hand, casting away the metal rings he wore. These inherently carried their own gravitational zones, making mist yield wherever they passed.
These metal rings struck the bracelets of the three frozen statues before pausing and flying back.
"Over two thousand points, not bad," the purple-clad youth chuckled.
Though Nathan couldn't fight, his hearing was sufficient to catch this. That bastard had just stolen Evelyn's hard-earned work.
He simultaneously realized Evelyn remained stationary to protect him. Argentius did the same. Both somehow sensed that Nathan, in his weakened state, would be the target. He didn't feel like a burden because of this. After all, just over half an hour ago, he had been Evelyn's protector. What goes around comes around.
"I'm done playing with you all. Until we meet again."
With those words, the purple-clad youth released his metal rings. They hovered as he jumped onto them, and those he stepped on flew upward, continuing to serve their master by forming steps.
Higher and higher he rose, escaping the mist's range. With a loud laugh, he leaned against the metal rings and drifted slowly down to another area.
Evelyn exhaled as the enemy departed. She closed her eyes, her body trembling once, and the mist gradually disappeared.
"Is he really gone?" Nathan asked.
"Really gone," Evelyn nodded in confirmation.
Nathan also sighed in relief. He finally had his moment of rest. He relaxed his vigilance, laying his entire body flat on the ground.
"You lied to me," Evelyn accused.
"Lied about what?" Nathan didn't understand, struggling to lift his head to ask.
"You said you could recover quickly, right? I believed you because I saw your physique was truly extraordinary."
"Oh, that," Nathan chuckled. "I didn't really know! So it can't be considered a lie."
Evelyn said nothing, clearly still contemplating this.
"I'm sorry," Nathan gazed at the bright sky, its warm rays caressing his cheek after the period of coldness. "I put both of us in a dangerous situation. One misstep, and your life would have been difficult to preserve. I had no idea the Winter's Heart Drop would be so capricious."
"I didn't know either," Evelyn murmured. "If anything, it's my fault for wanting to absorb it without understanding."
"What's this?" Nathan teased. "You want to compete for apologies with me? That's not acceptable."
Evelyn, in a rare moment, broke into a smile, ceasing to argue with her teammate.
She helped Nathan set up a campfire, but demonstrated her clumsiness in such matters. She refused Nathan's assistance, attempting to do everything herself. Though the result wasn't perfect, it was serviceable.
Argentius returned with prey in its mouth, throwing it to Nathan for preparation. Simultaneously, it cautiously reported that monsters were becoming much scarcer in the surroundings. Mostly just Tier 1 remained, with Tier 2 almost impossible to find.
So the event is moving toward its next phase, Nathan thought as he began cooking. This task couldn't be left to Evelyn.
The long-absent aroma from Nathan's culinary skills wafted through the forest clearing.
Just as Evelyn had previously been drawn by the alluring scent, this time additional people were guided by it.
Nathan wondered whether he should use his cooking to lure others into a trap.
Zahra parted the foliage blocking her view, her nose sniffing loudly, mouth watering as she approached.
Outside the pocket dimension, discussions arose endlessly about the performances of The Shifting Trials contestants.
Screens distributed evenly were broadcasting footage of notable contestants or interesting challenges.
In one area, screens displayed challenges specifically for Artificers. With complex puzzles or intricate assembly requirements, participating contestants all had to rack their brains to overcome them.
The remaining area was a mix of various contestants. Some screens repeatedly showed the achievements of noteworthy contestants based on PsiLink requests.
Adrian's performance, broadcast since day one until now, had begun to cool down. Zeryn was the next star attracting everyone's attention. The genius displayed in his Intent training area left people speechless. Others would have abandoned the challenge due to the exceedingly long time requirement. Zeryn alone never showed any hesitation, confining himself for over four days to completely overcome it, creating a breakthrough for himself.
Another screen showed Keira. She wasn't operating alone but acting in a group. The point distribution could be decided by consensus among members, yet she always took the larger share. Viewers would struggle to distinguish whether she established relationships with those around her simply through charisma or through her Illusion Aspect.
A special small screen was reserved for Lachlan. Those following this channel gleefully ridiculed the notorious young master.
Other smaller areas were dedicated to contestants from Maelivar's four great houses and Duke Kael's forces.
Currently, the largest screen in the square was replaying a scene that stirred everyone's hearts.
Nathan and Evelyn's battle with the Lava Drake.
Nathan's transformation became the hottest topic on PsiLink. Questions about the origin of this power emerged like a tempest. Discussions about whether it related to food were also quite lively. Nathan's past gradually surfaced, eventually leading to Darkan at Verdant Spire Sect.
But the Berserker path wasn't mentioned. Hypotheses were raised but sank quickly. Simply because no one knew Darkan practiced Physical Cultivation. Available information only reported him as a Tier 4 in Spirit Cultivation elder like other elders.
Thus, everything gradually revolved around the most endorsed hypothesis: Nathan's bloodline. Some said he was a descendant of some Dragonoid clan. Others said he had mutated by eating monster meat. There was even information suggesting he belonged to one of the world's hidden races, now emerging to establish his name.
Evelyn was also mentioned but not given much importance. They knew she used ice, and information about ice was plentiful—easy to research on one's own.
But a human who could transform while still so young was a rarity. Other contestants might have bloodlines with various powerful effects. But none could fully transform like Nathan. Moreover, it brought power far surpassing others. Discussions even placed Nathan and Adrian on the same scale, questioning who would win.
The betting odds for Nathan gradually decreased, placing him on par with Adrian, Zeryn, and Zhanyu.
A chef was capturing everyone's attention.
Including the eyes of the highest echelons. Youth or commoners discussing was one matter, but the attention of high-tier cultivators was another. They understood more about this world, grasping secrets not everyone knew.
Elder Nalani of Verdant Spire Sect was under pressure due to her disciple's performance. She couldn't believe Nathan possessed such combat prowess. Simultaneously, she felt irritated, as if deceived by Darkan. Nathan's potential was immense given his recent display. She felt foolish for unnecessarily making enemies. Most importantly, she couldn't answer the interest from other forces. Among them were individuals from tiers higher than Sect Leader Alaric. She was no different from a mortal standing before a deity, incredibly diminutive. A feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.
Receiving no answers, these perpetually hidden figures requested a meeting with Duke Kael. They made a demand that couldn't be refused. Not for benefits, but simply because they were stronger, and no one dared oppose.
They wanted to know what Nathan's bloodline was.
