837. Goodbye, The Price of Paradise

837. Goodbye, The Price of Paradise

Frost did not answer him. Her golden hair and eyes only continued to intensify as she dragged Iscario forward as fast as she could. The only way to completely immobilize him now was to ensure that he was flush against her body.

The Effeulier La Dahla’s Attentive Claws were on the verge of breaking. It wouldn’t last another minute. But that one minute was all she needed. Frost covertly reached into her Dimensional Storage and pulled out a certain black forest clock.

But that clock slipped from her grasp as one of the False Lances of Annihilation nearly cleaved her entire hand off. The Effeulier La Dahlia could no longer aid her, and the Little Frosts were too far away to be of any assistance.

“AMALGAM! Do you wish to stall this till the end of time!?”

“No. I plan to finish this right here! Iscario... You were the first person I met when I came into this world! I made the mistake of trusting you! You knew I was just born then! You know I couldn’t have done anything wrong! And still you believed I was a monster! But you turned me into this!”

Frost slit the sides of her cheeks, unlocking her jaw enough to wrap it around Iscario’s right arm. Steam erupted from the sides of her cheek as she healed her face, creating a powerful lock. It was like biting into a lead pipe. Her teeth could not puncture through the Qliphoth Field, but if she could just somehow bypass it – then she could take Iscario’s arm and the Price of Paradise.

The blade reacted to her teeth.

It shivered almost as if in delight as it began to point itself towards the red star above Mount Saris.

“Ilya...?” Iscario uttered. “ILYA!? I’M RIGHT HERE!”

“That’s precisely why she wants to leave you.”



“Your voice. AMALGAAAAAAAM! LET GO! REMOVE YOURSELF! AGH – AAAAGH!”

Her teeth alone were enough to instill unimaginable agony. She felt herself slipping off, and so, she put her newfound Ability to use. Dark chains formed around Iscario’s right arm, twisting and wrapping them both in place.

She only had 4 minutes until her Nex depleted.

[Thermal Propagation] further increased her speed. The short bursts of speed made it difficult for Iscario to accurately strike Frost.

Unlike his pale rods, the Lance of Annihilation could not be telekinetically manipulated.

They moved across the desert like a shooting star. Trails of light followed wherever they went, and the sands beneath them glowed white hot. The sobs of Ilya, and the fact that she was so close to finally enacting even just one percent of her revenge was more than enough to finally push her into the anointed 5th State.

//////// < EXTREME WARNING > ////////



< The Amalgam Has Reached the Fifth State >



< All Corrupted Zones equivalent or lower than Apocalypse-Class are overruled by the Amalgam’s Corrupted Zone >



< There are no Paradise Lost Corrupted to borrow Skills from >



< Your Corrupted Zone overrules the Genesis Stone’s influence >



Unlike last time, Frost was entirely lucid. She did not begin to lose her mind. Her mind was ecstatic, and her heart throbbed with newfound flames as her already glowing eyes now began to display a depth unseen before.

It was like looking into an infinite mirror. The depth of her gaze was utterly ceaseless. If the eyes were the window to the soul, then what did that say about Frost? Iscario caught a glimpse into the meaning of infinity, and his mind was nearly lost in that split second.

His obsession with Ilya was the only thing that saved him.

“ISCARIO! DO IT! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!”

“SILENCE! AMALGAM! PERISH!”

This time, Iscario had a clear shot of Frost. There was nothing she could do. There were so many rods on her back by now that it was impossible to manipulate her body.

However, the Lance of Annihilation struck something other than Frost.

It was a crystal. A large, dense crystal that hummed like wind chimes when struck.

Crystal Chorus

Blue Chorus

“That crystal bastard dares to interrupt!?”

A piece of the Blue Chorus’ Ego intervened.

It was the last defense available to Frost.

She had let go of Iscario, resulting in him tumbling several tens of meters afar. Frost on the other hand, remained where she stood like a statue. Her mind was left in near tatters following the attack.

Insurmountable physical and mental exhaustion immediately took their hold alongside death’s cold grip. It was as though the weight of the world rested atop her shoulders. But strangely enough, she had never felt lighter before.

Frost quickly assessed her situation as a long, lulling silence brewed. It was just Frost and Iscario again. The Red Baron’s mouth was sealed shut. He did not expect Iscario to lose at all.

Her lungs were completely ruptured. She could not breathe even if she wanted to. Where the air came from to allow her to speak was a mystery. Her arms hung limply by her side, one twisted and mangled like a branch caught in a storm, and the other remained barely functional.

That same hand was the one that carried her engagement ring. The one body part that she considered invaluable, just like Iscario. Blood poured from the corners of her eyes. The toll of using Absolution was beyond immense.

If the Second State Absolution was enough to wind the Arbiter, then what about the Third? She was the first to know. It felt like every part of her body was being rearranged, which explained the countless spasms that occurred as she stood there.

Several rods that stabbed her vertically kept her upright. Additionally, the Ankou was nowhere to be found. But that was fine. It meant that she had more MP for herself.

Nav... I’ve taken a lot of damage. Anything I should know?

//////// < WARNING > ////////



< The use of Absolution without proper Tempering will result in a prolonged exhaustive state >



< Ergo, you will remain vulnerable for the duration of this unspecified time >

Frost | HP: 1

Unspecified... I really am the first... hah... agh... I’ve... never been in so much pain before.



< Frost. Are you safe right now? >



I don’t think so. I’ve lost my steam. I can’t even move... fuck...



< Iscario!? Is he still there!? >



He’s alive... Urgh... Nav... Should I be afraid?



< Aren’t you supposed to be scared? >



I can’t tell. I feel euphoric. Like I’ve won. I managed to free Ilya from him. I took what he couldn’t afford to lose. But...



< Frost! I’m issuing an order to every available person I can to your location! >



Would they even make it in time?



< ... I don’t know >



The Fifth State could not help Frost now. Nor could her Corrupted. The False Heart’s tether had been severed, and her hair had been cut down to shoulder length. The only thing that kept alive was [Prolonged Stasis] and its Mastery Effect [Black Dove’s Roost]. She couldn’t die so long as this was active.

However, her MP was not limitless.

MP: 400,000