Chapter 39: Who Are You?
It was a one-sided slaughter.
The elite squads, unable to outrun Bai, fell one by one to Elthorp’s blade.
With every pause, he claimed dozens of lives, their essence feeding his Evil Blade.
The blade, now sated, pulsed with a cold, sinister light.
Elthorp was a master of slaughter. No one in the Abyss, or even on Solor, was more efficient at it.
The elite squads didn’t get far before he caught up to them, their lives and their blood now a part of his blade, his own power growing with every kill.
Yan Rong had been the strongest among them, and even he had fallen… the others were no match.
If Yan Rong hadn’t been injured, he might have been able to hold him off for a while.
And if this hadn’t been the Frigid Lands, Elthorp’s avatar wouldn’t have dared to face him.
And if this had been a volcanic region, Elthorp would have had to appear in his true form.
But there were no “ifs.”
His blade, now a weapon of a vengeful god, danced through the air, a beautiful, yet deadly, art of slaughter.
In a matter of moments, the snowy plain was a river of blood, the hot blood melting the frost, a crimson stream flowing through the desolate landscape.
Bai watched, her expression grim, as a figure approached.
He was strong, so strong that even she, at her peak, would have been hard-pressed to defeat him.
Unless she used her [Word of Command] or “Rewrite Reality,” she had no chance of victory.
…Of course, she wouldn’t use [Rebirth from Death] unless absolutely necessary. It was a desperate gamble, a trade of her own life for victory.
And Bai, after her last battle, was exhausted, her Ice Demon heritage now a liability.
And Ara, having used her Authority multiple times, was also weak, her head resting on Bai’s shoulder, her consciousness fading.
If this newcomer was hostile… she would have to use her last resort.
A moment later, a slender figure emerged from the swirling snow, walking towards them with a casual air.
“He’s here…”
Bai gripped her frost sword, her gaze fixed on him.
As he drew closer, she finally saw his face.
A young man, no older than sixteen or seventeen, his short, white hair stained with blood, a sinister smile on his face, his eyes a restless, unsettling void.
“Relax,” he said. “I’m just here to see you.”
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Elthorp, current leader of the Evil Blade Demons, and also a member of the Abyss Council, its temporary head… wait, what’s with that expression?”
He looked at Bai, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. When he had said his name, her expression had changed slightly, as if she had heard it before.
“Did Yin Hui mention me? It seems you did kill him.”
Without waiting for a response, he continued, “I’m curious why he betrayed me. Because of you? Doesn’t seem likely… but why would he mention me to you?”
He seemed to have many questions, but he asked them with a casual air, as if he didn’t really care about the answers.
Perhaps the answers weren’t important. Only the act of asking.
“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” he asked, gesturing with his hand, a look of eager anticipation on his face.
“A name is only meaningful to an enemy or a friend,” Bai said, her gaze fixed on his. “You should tell me more.”
“Heh, an interesting saying… I suppose we are enemies, in a way,” he said with a smile. “If I’m not mistaken, you two are guests from Solor.”
“…”
Bai didn’t speak, her eyes narrowed.
It seemed Yin Hui had been right. Elthorp had been targeting her from the start… perhaps he knew more than he had let on.
“By the way, are you here for Shaya? I’m afraid she’s busy at the moment. I’ll have to entertain you instead,” he said, then added, “Unfortunate, but you understand.”
“…You can call me Bai,” she said calmly.
“Good. Miss Bai is much more agreeable than I had expected. I thought I would have to fight you before you would listen to reason… this saves me a lot of trouble,” he shrugged. His earlier preparations had been… excessive.
A bunch of losers, hiding in the Frigid Lands. They were all dead now.
From the very beginning, he had had no intention of fighting her. He had only slaughtered the other elite squads to boost his own power, afraid she wouldn’t even give him a chance to speak.
Compared to the other, clueless elite squads, he, although he knew little about Bai, knew one important thing: her existence was deeply entangled with the Abyssal Lord.
And now, even though they were enemies, he preferred a peaceful conversation—the sealing ritual was on the verge of collapse. It couldn’t take any more stress.
“You’re about what I expected. Yin Hui’s assessment was accurate, and his advice… was quite sound.”
“Oh?”
Elthorp paused. “Yin Hui told you a lot. He had his own agenda. I knew that. But I didn’t have many other pawns of his caliber. I was reluctant to let him go.”
“But now, the outcome is acceptable. Not too bad.”
He hadn’t intended to come in his avatar. But Bai had caused such a stir that many other factions had reported to him.
If he hadn’t acted, things would have gotten out of hand.
“Of course, seeing you in person has overturned many of my earlier assumptions… you’re not that Ice Demon remnant, Ice Lily. I’ve met her.”
He stroked his chin. “So, who are you?”
“This question… many have asked me to ask you.”
