Ch.106Ice Dragon Sword

In another dimension, she wielded absolute power. The realm she had ascended to made it possible. Most of the reincarnators who arrived in this world shared such a past.

The loss of what they once possessed. Everything they had taken for granted, gone. Along with one more chance.

Yet living that life wasn’t easy. This world was far too exclusive. It rejected differences, drew lines, and defined boundaries—labeling anyone who crossed them as a reincarnator.

The organization called Cheong-ik was also a problem.

‘I must become stronger.’

That’s why reincarnators didn’t reject the faint whispers in their minds. They didn’t even question them. Reclaiming the realm they had once reached was only natural.

Handel, the nameless knight, was no different. She had been threatened with death by Cheong-ik. She employed every means to regain her power. That’s how she began breathing with starlight.

It was around this time that she came across information about Dragon Heart, a treasure said to strengthen one’s body. It was an unbelievable rumor. Yet she didn’t deny its existence. The world she had lived in also had such treasures.

Handel read the flow of the world through the stars in the sky. Unable to fully recover her past realm, she couldn’t see the clear future. She only noticed that many people were gathering in a specific region.

That was enough. That’s what made Handel head toward the snow-covered mountain, the Ice Dragon Range.

And now, here she was.

Having crossed through an unidentified space, she arrived before the source of power maintaining the space itself. She reached out first. Seeing something trivial blocking her way, she unleashed a burst of energy to crush it.

Stepping over the man who collapsed helplessly, the girl’s figure reached the sword. Without hesitation, she drew it.

Shing—

The blue sword accepted Handel without resistance. Simultaneously, an immense cold spread in all directions. Frost settled on the ice, and mana itself froze and fell to the ground.

It felt like winter had wrapped around her entire body. The moment Handel gripped the sword, she realized. This was the treasure called Dragon Heart.

She wrapped starlight around the blue sword. The pitch-black starlight lightened slightly. In that state, Handel turned around. The trivial man she had crushed while crossing over was trying to get up.

His gaze, filled with strong hostility and greed, was directed at the sword she held.

“It’s mine! The Ice Dragon Sword is mine!”

“Do you know this sword’s name?”

Ice Dragon Sword, he called it. How fitting. With that thought, Handel swung the sword. The slash that emerged from her light gesture was anything but light. Space froze as if a bitter winter had descended all at once. It was as if time itself had slowed.

This was no illusion. It was the power of the Ice Dragon Sword. Handel cut down the man with an astonished expression.

Swoosh—

The severed parts froze solid. Not a single drop of blood flowed out. His body was already frozen before the sword even touched it.

Silence fell over the scene. No one could speak. Even Handel, holding the sword, was the same. The move she had shown through the Ice Dragon Sword was too overwhelming.

Gulp—

The small girl’s throat moved slightly. The sound of swallowing dry saliva in tension. Only then did Handel’s gaze fall on Se-eo-rin.

She was the girl the original owner of this body had wanted before being reborn. Having received a new chance, she couldn’t completely ignore the original owner’s wish. Handel wanted to take Se-eo-rin. Winning her heart would come later.

This time, refusal would be futile. A tremendous power had come into her hands. Though she hadn’t recovered all her realms, she felt she could momentarily reach a similar point.

All thanks to the Ice Dragon Sword.

“Rona…”

She knew Rona was an alias. But she didn’t know any other name. Well, names didn’t matter. Whatever she chose to call her would become her name.

At that moment, Handel noticed the hands of the two girls clasped together. Small hands and long, delicate fingers intertwined tightly. As if they would never let go.

She didn’t like that. Handel’s eyebrows twitched greatly, and simultaneously, starlight descended on her shoulders. It looked as if a piece of the night sky had been placed upon her.

The absolute being wrapped in a cloak of starlight spoke.

“Those hands…”

Just as her voice flowed slowly and the starlight sparkled, the space itself began to ripple greatly, and from beyond it, a group appeared. Their individual capabilities varied widely. But they wore the same attire.

Cheong-ik.

Karnok arrived leading the massive group. As the aura of many individuals converged into one, Karnok swung his sword.

Clang—!

Those who arrived afterward each drew their weapons and descended into the space. Their number exceeded ten. The Cheong-ik knights, lightly arrayed, naturally formed a sword formation.

Cheong-ik was accustomed to fighting one against many. They showed no retreat even before the absolute being emitting starlight.

“Arrived just in time.”

“Is this the final destination?”

Glance.

Everyone looked at Se-eo-rin and Flora as they each spoke. It seemed like words thrown to ease tension. Only then did Se-eo-rin release Flora’s hand.

As their intertwined hands separated, a chilling cold seeped between them. Yet it didn’t feel cold. Se-eo-rin stood beside Flora with everyone else.

“The Dragon Heart? Was it real?”

“It’s an extraordinary sword… My skin tingles just being near it…”

“Can we really win this?”

Everyone freely spoke their minds. They were uninhibited. A faint order was felt in that disorder. Though contradictory, it was true. Se-eo-rin unconsciously counted the members.

The number was a few short. There had been more when they set out on the mission.

‘I shouldn’t ask.’

A slight sadness was felt in the glances of the senior members passing by. Se-eo-rin took a deep breath. Her small chest rose and fell repeatedly. Blue mana flowed from between her small lips.

Handel, glaring at the Cheong-ik members blocking her way, thought they had met at a good time. The group she had planned to annihilate once she fully regained her original realm had appeared on their own.

“You’ve come to die.”

“You’re not the only one.”

Karnok sneered. Simultaneously, Cheong-ik moved. Moving with more than ten in number, they felt like a single person in their aura. Sharp slashes poured out in a natural flow.

“Follow the vice-captain.”

“Focus on defense rather than attack.”

This was impossible without trust in each other. But Cheong-ik could do it. They had shared their lives with fellow members across the line of death many times.

All Cheong-ik members, including Se-eo-rin, didn’t use their main sword techniques to match Karnok. Everyone returned to basics. They deployed the Empire’s Dawn to maintain harmony.

The flow of mana was also consistent. The individually distinctive mana qualities became simplified. Everyone except Karnok was like this. This was because all members were using the Blue Sky mana cultivation method.

The resonance of similar energies, and the power amplified by it. Karnok utilized that with his own mana. He swung it with his sword, and sometimes wrapped it around his body to block the opponent’s attacks.

As starlight and mana clashed, the space was shaken. A storm of mana arose, and other individuals appeared from all directions due to spatial displacement phenomena.

But most couldn’t do anything. They were either swept away by the battle’s aftermath or wisely retreated to other spaces.

The fight itself didn’t last long. Fighting as a collective is harder than fighting individually. As the body grows larger, protection becomes more difficult.

Members whose mana depleted first dropped out. Handel targeted them. Appearing as if crossing space, she swung her sword.

Clang—!

Karnok, arriving just after, blocked the attack. Such scenes unfolded repeatedly.

The number of fallen members was now four. Karnok’s fierce aura had diminished significantly. Rough breaths flowed from his mouth, and blood seeped from his entire body. Yet the smile on his lips remained.

‘What a monster…’

Karnok thought. If only he could draw out a moment of carelessness.

That’s when it happened. From behind, Se-eo-rin coughed lightly. Cough, cough— As the cute voice echoed through the space, Handel’s gaze, which had been fixed on Karnok, moved sideways.

A gap formed. Karnok didn’t miss that fleeting moment.

The massive mana swirling in his heart burst out of Karnok’s body. The blue light of shattering mana scatters like blue wings.

Sensing danger, Handel moved her hand belatedly. But it was too late. Karnok’s body was already advancing greatly toward her.

His strongly extended leg steps on the ground. Simultaneously, a blue storm burst forth and spread in a whirlwind. The impact pushed back the starlight covering Handel.

It was as if a shadow had retreated from light. He couldn’t completely strip it away, but it was enough.

Swoosh—!

Karnok’s sword, pushing through space, advances toward Handel’s right arm. By then, Handel’s sword moved. It seemed like she was trying to block the attack with a rotating movement.

But Karnok’s sword struck it faster.

Clang—!

The delayed sound echoed. Simultaneously, the storm of energy that burst forth pushed everyone back. Only Se-eo-rin, whose body was relatively light, rolled far away from the group.

Whirl—

The Ice Dragon Sword, fallen from Handel’s hand, flies rapidly while rotating. Its direction is toward the rolling Se-eo-rin. As if guided by fate, the Ice Dragon Sword plunged right in front of Se-eo-rin.

Clang—

He had poured all his strength into that move. Karnok couldn’t attempt another attack and had to catch his breath. Though the opponent had lost her sword, she hadn’t lost all her energy.

“You, you…!”

Greatly angered, Handel created a sword with her starlight. At that moment, Se-eo-rin, rising from her position, drew the Ice Dragon Sword stuck in the ground.

It fits perfectly in her grasp. The length of the sword also suited her. Like a sword made for someone with a small build. Simultaneously, Se-eo-rin realized. Her thoughts were correct.

This sword was made for a small girl.

Massive memories begin to surge like waves. At the same time, the surrounding cold began to concentrate in one direction. That direction was toward Se-eo-rin.

The gathered cold creates mana crystals. Crystals made of ice fly behind Se-eo-rin and take their place. Then, a massive circle made of ice crystals slowly begins to rotate.

Keeng—