Arc | Chapter. 56: Frost, Stasis, Eternity, and a Prophecy (Patreon)

Chapter. 56: Frost, Stasis, Eternity, and a Prophecy

Heya all, sorry for the extremely delayed chapter, it was incredibly hard to write, hope it's great!

Things were calm, almost empty since Arc had left. Ceylon wasn’t used to it, the last time they talked was in the afternoon where her companion and savior explained her situation and why she couldn’t come. It was a hard pill to swallow, certainly, but eventually Ceylon accepted it and focused on putting all the knowledge she learned in her formative years to work.

Everything about administration and business; about distribution and logistics. It was hard, but things had been going well for the business that she had started thanks to Arc. It wasn’t a complicated thing really, it was simply time consuming to her. Though…

Ceylon sighed.

She was unsure if this life was for her, it was tedious and boring; sure it was relaxing. But walking around in the forest was relaxing in a much better way, Arc’s presence, their lifestyle⁠— everything was just so much better with Arc around. Though, at least Ceylon figured she had to use this opportunity to learn things; not necessarily to obtain knowledge, but to become more helpful towards Arc.

To grow her capabilities in the way that it mattered. Whether it was cooking, actual thinking and reflection, or educating herself on commodities that Arc might enjoy.

Ceylon didn’t know why she wanted to go to such lengths for the woman that had saved her life; after all not once had any kind of repayment been requested. And at the same time, Ceylon did not feel a sense of having to pay back either ⁠— she did at first ⁠— but now her emotions were different.

Now she wanted to help Arc, someone who Ceylon herself perceived as… needing help. As strange as that was. Perhaps it was how easily Arc got irritated sometimes, her reactions to eating food till this day, or even how impulsive she was; there was really nothing that Ceylon could point specifically at, but Arc wasn’t…

Another sigh left her as she stared at the contracts before her desk.

Perhaps it was due to the content in the contracts negotiating for one of Arc’s ice sculptures. It came from the capital itself, and more specifically the kingdomship of Draliz. Ceylon didn’t know what they wanted the sculpture for specifically, but nonetheless it was something very important, and something that closely reminded her of Arc.

Perhaps it was that.

Ceylon smiled to herself. “I really should stop thinking that much, huh?” A small chuckle left her. “Though I still want to help you⁠—”

She shivered. Her heart skipped as she bolted up from her seat. Ceylon felt sweat starting to form as her heart refused to calm.

The temperature had shifted.

She quickly moved to the window in a hurry as she had a bad premonition, and then it happened: past the horizon, past the clouds, past everything she saw a thin line of pale blue light, one that pierced the sky, one that carried insurmountable power, and one that made her shiver.

Somehow and in some way, Ceylon felt like it had to do with Arc, and not in a good way. She frowned, hoping for Arc’s safety.

* * * * *

Regis’karr shivered watching the beam of light engulf the Maw of Dragons. It was arcane magic. Power which was meant to be forgotten. Power that messed with the System itself and created…

The edges of the light distorted flickering in and out of existence.

Corruption.

A thing only to be found in the Forgotten Places, but now it was here in this world. Regis'karr watched it flicker. It was here in Arlas…

And yet in spite of everything all he could do was stare. Lost on what to do. All while hoping that Arc would be safe.

* * * * *

It happened in a blink.

The world itself cried, the earth at my feet shattered, and yet I myself stood there. Unaffected by the blue light that seemed to freeze the air itself. Before me, stood the Dragon of Frost, or somewhat. I saw lines of light coursing through his extremities, ones that would lightly flicker in and out of existence and sometimes distort his body.

But that didn’t matter, not right now. Not while I felt danger, not while I felt fear. It was the same kind of fear as with the Immemorial Emera Spider ⁠— the fear of the unknown.

[Dragon of Frost. Tier:̵̛̩̭̎ S̷͉̻̍̎S̷̯̞̚.]

I was watching it, his Tier distorting, flickering, glitching. It wasn’t a hard realization, the fact was, I was staring at the corruption. He met my gaze, his blue eyes staring at me with resolution and anger.

“This is a curse, a curse that I will have to use in order to kill you,” he growled. “You should be dead already and yet you stand before me, all due to your existence being one with Frost. How stupid, how laughable, and how…” His eyes narrowed. “Infuriating!”

At that moment, the air stopped, my skin burned from an insurmountable cold, and then⁠— it resumed. And fine snow began to rain, a tiny flake touched my skin, and⁠— it bled. My arm was cut, at that moment, my eyes grew wide in surprise, then moments later it turned into a blizzard.

Fuck⁠—

I made armor around my body and I immediately used [Quick Step], finding refuge underneath a formation of rocks. A gasp left me as I raised my arms and hundreds of flakes stabbed into my armor; with the use of mana an ice barrier was cast. One that immediately began to crack less than a second later.

It had just been a couple of seconds and my heart was already rushing. Adrenaline was now coursing throughout my body. My hands were shaking against the barrier, mending it by the moment, and my mind⁠— it was confused, baffed, and fearful.

What even was that…? So many questions had passed through my thoughts, but that was the most prevalent one, yet it wasn’t the one I needed to ask.

The real question was: could I win against this…?

I took a small breath as I heard the maddened laugh of the Dragon of Frost. And deep down, I felt like I could do it. But only with that skill and only because it was frost against frost. The chances were slim, and it would take at least a second to cast, however…

Running wasn’t an option.

I had no choice.

I took a breath and readied myself.

* * * * *

Malz knew what to do, she could barely sense what was happening past the light, but she still knew she had to help. Gritting her teeth, she tried flying in only to be hurriedly stopped by the other elders.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” The Dragon of Earth questioned. “Don’t you see that if you touch that light you will die?!”

“But we must help her!” Malz growled. “After Arc dies will we be next? It’s arcane magic⁠— something that will bring doom to the world!”

The Dragon of Earth opened his mouth. “That is not⁠—”

“I have a plan.” Regis’karr, interrupted. “The light, as lethal as it is, is only covering the outside of the mountain, though the inside is probably just as dangerous. However, if Malz wants to enter then we should support her in doing so.”

The Dragon of Earth stared at him.

“Are you insane?”

“I’ll do it.” The Dragon of Wind agreed from the back.

There was a small hesitation, but the Dragon of Nature spoke soon after.

“I will assist the Dragon of Shadows.”

And soon, all the others joined. The Dragon of Earth was quickly singled out, and he thought about arguing, but in the end he too relented.

“Fine let us help, Arc.”

* * * * *

What was judgment?

It was a question I had asked myself about one skill I possessed, [Judgment of the Ice God]. It was the most destructive of them all, and yet long ago in training I had tried to make a ramification of it, but I never succeeded. Till this day I didn’t have the confidence to do it, all because I had yet to understand what the judgment part actually represented, but I knew now.

Seeing this arcane magic, Judgment of the Coldest Frost, I had understood it. It was never meant to judge, it was meant to condemn. [Judgment of the Ice God] was for death, whereas Coldest Frost was for…

I felt my skin be prickled, instantly made to bleed as I appeared looming over the Frost Dragon with a giant ice mallet.

Suffering.

My skills had long been cast, [Broken Stasis] in effect, and now only the ending came.

“[Deathblow]!”

And I swung, the mallet blurred and hit the Dragon of Frost, the ground beneath its feet shattered, ice formed, and yet all the dragon did was smirk at me as parts of his skin broke off akin to shards of glass. My eyes grew wide, and his arm moved⁠— trembling for a second before he swiped at the air⁠—

My armor shattered, my ribs nearly broke, and I crashed against the mountain ground, coughing up blood with immense pain.

What even was that? My mind hardly understood, but I still stood up, now much more certain about the capabilities of my plan. My body trembled, constantly being pelted by the sharp ice, all while I cast a spear. Under my breath, I began to chant my skills, pulling back my weapon. The Dragon of Frost stared at me, almost amused.

“And to think I thought you gave up on our battle when we first started.” His smile turned to a grin. “I shall then give you a magnificent death.”

I finished and let go of it⁠— all the stored kinetic energy instantly thrown towards the Dragon of Frost, who spoke.

“Arcane Magic: Restriction of Immerial Frost.”

My muscles grew slow, my mana stalled, and heaviness permeated my body. The Dragon of Frost smirked, and the spear hit⁠, he barely winced as I raised my hand towards him. It was slow, slower than anything ever, something that seemed to amuse him as he began to walk towards me.

“[Judgment⁠…]”

“You really are stubborn, no wonder you refused my offer.”

He said, shaking his head, almost disapprovingly, yet a haughty tone hung in the air.

“[... of the⁠…]”

“Yet you remain here, tenacious and waiting.”

A sigh left him as the mana pulsing around his limbs flared.

“[... Ice Go⁠—]”

And all the air was knocked out of me, the world spun as I was pinned into the ground. I watched as he held me between the tips of his claws, pressed against the freezing surface below me. I coughed as the Dragon of Frost stared at me.

At that moment, I realized that…

I really didn’t stand a chance of winning.

“I know you are betting everything on your SS Tier skill, but you won’t use it. Your current life ends here and now.” His eyes narrowed. “As for your true life, if you refuse to become my puppet then it too shall be forfeit, I can force you to be reborn in this mountain.”

His chilly voice echoed in my ears, as he pressed harder. Blood beginning to pool beneath me.

“So what do you say, will you join us?”

It was… I mean… I didn’t really stand a chance, and I had a lot to live for. But… his offer was basically forfeiting my life. It was a miserable thing, and it was also… funny. Funny that he’d even ask, because the answer was obvious.

I laughed. “Fuck you, of course not!”

His face dropped, changing into pure anger as he immediately raised his other claw.

“If that is your answer then die⁠—”

I saw a rainbow, a myriad of elements hit against the blue and a moment later part of the blue wall exploded. A shadow went in and a harrowingly dark voice echoed.

[My Crown, My Reign & My Darkest Behest]!

The Dragon of Frost screamed, a tidal wave of shadows sent him flying as the entire world became nothing but a dark void. And a moment later, as another scream was drawn a voice echoed in my mind.

“I heard your plan, use your strongest skill now.”

I didn’t even stand up as I pointed my hand forward, and this time I focused, I could barely sense the Dragon of Frost but it was enough. Enough to do it. I pulled the mana with my fingers, reciting in my mind almost at slow motion.

[Frost…] where all coldness became mine.

Another tide of shadows sent the Dragon of Frost flying, his ability to retaliate with ice instantly gone as an angered scream echoed.

[Stasis…] where time itself truly became something I could control.

The Dragon of Frost locked up mid attack, immediately being slammed by shadowed figures and a gigantic dragon.

[Eternity…] where everything became everlasting.

Another attack came, one that seemed to linger in the air as a scream distorted.

[And a…] finally what connected it all.

“Enough!” A deep bellow shook the mountain. “Arcane Magic: Freeze of All That is Known!”

At that moment everything stopped, then a moment later the shadows shattered. The Dragon of Shadows Malz was thrown to my side as she began to bleed profusely, black ice shards permeating her body, deeply embedded.

Then, where my hand was pointing the Dragon of Frost was, my body was unmoving as he met my gaze with a frown.

“Now it is time for your death.”

[... Prophecy].

And the world broke. All of the frost in the vicinity came to my control as the outside world was shut off, the Dragon of Frost began to experience frostbite as the prophecy came in place.

[Frost, Stasis, Eternity, and a Prophecy]. It was a skill that couldn’t be stopped, one that rewrote a small part of reality itself within a small space, and now in this space all of us were. Malz, the Dragon of Frost⁠—

“What have you done?!” And one of his arms shattered from the cold as a screech echoed.

And lastly I.

I met his gaze, as his body involuntarily shivered, his eyes watching in horror.

“The one who will administer judgment and condemn you to a painful death.”

---

I really hope it was worth the wait, what do y'all think?