Chapter 1

Hundreds of insect-like monsters prostrated themselves on the ground.

The Ice Crystal Aranea, who was usually so confident, and the Frost Moss, who was so elegant, lay like mere insects before the absolute being.

Witnessing this scene, I once again realized the hierarchy of this world.

“This is… controlling even insects.” Frostia admired.

“Lycoris, you’re truly amazing…”

Her words left me perplexed.

Could it be that the ruler of Shia Kalt didn’t know the abilities of her own possessions?

The growth of Lycoris, which we had observed for a month, might be something new even to Frostia.

《Master!》

Lycoris’s root proudly wrote the words on the snow.

Seeing this, I recalled the memories of the past month.

At first, she was someone I feared, but now she could write letters and express emotions.

“Oh… she can write now.” Frostia’s voice was filled with emotion.

“Well, not ‘Master,’ just Frostia… but this is nice too…”

Her smile was filled with genuine affection.

In that moment, I realized something.

There was an unimaginable bond between them, one that we could hardly comprehend.

“But who are those humans?”

Her tone suddenly changed, freezing me in place.

Every cell in my body sensed danger.

Even someone like me, who had lived through countless battles, had never felt such absolute fear.

《Ugly humans! Lycoris trained them!》

“They… interacted with humans?”

The temperature around us dropped sharply.

This was no ordinary cold-it was the chill of death.

Everything inside me felt frozen.

I heard the sound of Brian’s sword falling, but I couldn’t blame him.

Nor could I hold my shield properly.

“We were just-“

Marianne opened her mouth, her voice trembling.

Her courage was admirable.

But at the same time, it seemed foolish.

Our words meant nothing before the absolute ruler.

“Silence.”

As expected.

Her words cut through the air.

《Lycoris! Language! Learned!》

Lycoris’s writing caused Frostia’s expression to subtly change.

It was as if she were calculating something-or perhaps discovering a new possibility.

“Hmm… interesting…” she muttered.

Her words sparked a small hope within me.

Perhaps we could survive.

“Originally, I was going to kill you and feed you to Lycoris…”

Oldin’s face turned pale, and Kevin seemed to have already lost half his mind.

It was the weakest I’d ever seen them.

But I wasn’t much different.

《No! Master!》

《Kind! Humans!》

Lycoris’s writing was rougher than usual.

The sound of her roots tearing through the snow could be heard.

In that moment, I felt a strange emotion.

Was Lycoris truly worried about us?

Or was this just an act to protect her plaything?

Frostia gently stroked Lycoris’s petals.

Her cold gaze softened slightly.

Like ice melting under the spring sun.

“Yes…” She sighed.

“A momentary existence, humans…”

Her words were filled with contempt.

We were but fleeting beings in her eyes, like dust.

My pride as an A-rank adventurer crumbled in an instant.

“Spare us. If Lycoris wishes it.”

The deadly chill receded.

Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath.

“But…” Her voice turned icy once more.

“If you appear before me again, your blood will be fertilizer, and your corpses will be compost.”

Lycoris’s roots lashed out at us.

In that moment, I saw her petals tremble slightly.

As if… in apology.

We stumbled backward.

As we fled, Frostia’s voice echoed behind us.

“Now, let’s have some time alone.”

A sweet scent and pastel petals filled the air.

Frostia’s gentle laughter echoed through the Shia Kalt Mountains.

…

We walked for a long time.

No one spoke.

Each of us was lost in our own thoughts.

“We… survived.” Haphel finally broke the silence.

Her trembling voice shattered the tension.

“Arthur…” Brian asked cautiously.

“Was that really Frostia, the ruler of the Great Labyrinth?”

I didn’t answer.

We all knew.

That being was the legendary existence, the absolute ruler of Shia Kalt.

All I could do was keep moving forward.

“Hurry up.”

My voice was shakier than I expected.

It felt as though I was still standing in her presence.

The moment when we were reduced to mere insects before the absolute ruler replayed in my mind.

When the village came into view, we stopped.

The peaceful village scene seemed unfamiliar.

It was a stark contrast to the terror we had just experienced.

People shopping in the market, children running in the alleys.

“They don’t know…” Oldin muttered.

“What kind of existence has awakened beyond those mountains…”

“But Lycoris… she helped us, didn’t she?” Marianne said.

Haphel laughed coldly.

“Helped us? She just wanted to protect her toy.”

“I disagree.” Brian shook his head.

“The conversations we had with her over the month, her sincerity…”

“Sincerity?” Rian interrupted.

“What sincerity can a monster have?”

I fell into thought.

Did Lycoris truly speak up for us?

Or was it just an act to protect her plaything?

Did Frostia truly spare us?

Or does she have a greater plan?

One thing was certain.

We had encountered a being who was now the stuff of legends.

And that fact filled us all with fear.

***

“Saintess, you’re heading to Shia Kalt…”

The High Priest of the Temple of Light asked with a worried expression.

Moonlight shone through the stained glass, illuminating Seraphina’s white robes.

“Mikel gave me a revelation,” Seraphina said quietly.

“I saw it in my dreams every night. The snowy mountains of Shia Kalt, and… her flower.”

She hesitated for a moment before adding.

“A flower drenched in blood was praying in Mikel’s name. This is surely a sign. There is someone I must meet…”

Her voice trailed off.

She smiled faintly, gazing at the distant snowy mountains beyond the window.