novelraw Chapter 359: Frost Eater
Chapter 359: Frost Eater
Sure enough, beneath the shadow of the small white jade tree, a figure stood silently.
A humanoid creature over three meters tall.
Its entire body was a profound ice-blue color, with a slender, well-proportioned physique and smooth lines, like a perfect work of art carved from ice by a master sculptor.
It had facial features extremely similar to a human's, handsome yet utterly lifeless, its eyes like two bottomless vortexes of icy blue.
Merely making eye contact with it felt as if one's soul would freeze solid.
Visible bone-chilling white cold air permeated its entire body, causing the space for dozens of meters around it to warp slightly. The ground was covered in thick, solid ice, and even the air was filled with countless tiny, condensed ice crystals drifting slowly downward.
A terrifying pressure far exceeding the Special-risk level suppressed this entire area!
Frostgnawer!
Calamity-level!
Su Zhan's breath hitched, his gaze turning incomparably grave.He knew this type of Mist Creature all too well.
His teacher, Wang Mingyuan, had once been invaded by the cold energy of a Frostgnawer, which seeped into his meridians, leaving an incurable hidden injury. His strength plummeted, forever trapped at the Tide Realm, unable to advance another step!
Because of this, Su Zhan had once frantically researched all available information on Frostgnawers, gaining a thorough understanding of their characteristics.
Starting at a minimum of Special-risk level, their attacks contained an extremely vicious frost-gnawing property. Not only could it severely inhibit a target's recovery ability, but its cold energy could directly freeze meridians, causing permanent damage.
Among beings of the same tier, few were willing to provoke such a troublesome and dangerous creature.
And the one before him was actually Calamity-level Tier One!
Su Zhan clenched his fist tightly.
His biggest secrets, besides his identity as an Aberrant, were the Awakened abilities he possessed as "Su Zhan."
That was the foundation of his former identity as a genius of the Vermilion Bird Academy.
Back then, in order to survive, he had repeatedly forced himself to overdraw his foundational energy to activate his abilities, severely damaging his Awakened foundation.
Although his Aberrant abilities gave him a stronger method of advancement, his Awakened abilities had stagnated. Compared to his current Peak Special-risk Aberrant strength, the difference was like heaven and earth.
It was as if he had two engines inside his body. One was running at full throttle, roaring ahead.
The other was already rusted, nearly scrapped.
But if... if he could obtain this Reforge Fruit...
An intense, blazing light erupted in Su Zhan's eyes.
Upon consuming the Reforge Fruit, his damaged Awakened foundation would be completely restored!
At that time, he would no longer be just the singular Aberrant "Chen Qing," but a dual practitioner of both Aberrant and Awakened paths.
Two completely different power systems perfectly fused within one person—the potential and combat power that could erupt from this would absolutely be greater than the sum of its parts.
Its upper limit would be immeasurable!
The risk was huge?
Yes.
Facing a Calamity-level Frostgnawer, victory was absolutely impossible for him.
But the reward was equally irresistible!
He had to get it!
Su Zhan's thoughts were in turmoil, like raging rivers and seas.
The cycle of cause and effect was truly wondrous.
He had just narrowly escaped from the Abyssal Demon Mountain, practically forced into this Crystal Forest out of desperation.
Yet he never could have imagined that this seemingly hopeless escape route would lead him to this Reforge Fruit, which was so crucial to his future path.
Could this be considered fortune arising from misfortune?
Or... an even greater crisis?
If he hadn't encountered the Abyssal Demon Mountain, he might have still been cautiously exploring the previous areas and would never have ventured this deep into the Crystal Forest, naturally missing this Reforge Fruit.
From this perspective, he should thank that Calamity-level monster that forced him into this place.
Its appearance had guided him to this path that might lead to a new life.
But the price of this karma was far too heavy.
Just out of the tiger's mouth, only to enter the wolf's den.
And the wolf before him was the Frostgnawer, even more aggressively inclined than the Abyssal Demon Mountain!
Unlike the Abyssal Demon Mountain, which might ignore an insignificant being like him, this Reforge Fruit was something it was guarding. Anyone approaching would face its most merciless attack.
Su Zhan's gaze remained fixed dead on that fruit flowing with a seven-colored halo.
Risk? Of course he knew.
This was a high-stakes gamble with his life on the line.
His opponent was Calamity-level, an existence that could easily tear him apart.
But, if he lacked even the courage to take a gamble, if he gave up this possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity out of fear, then he, Su Zhan, wouldn't deserve to have come this far, let alone dare to hope for any future!
He would do it!
Su Zhan's objective was crystal clear.
Get the Reforge Fruit, obtain it, and then escape at all costs!
Su Zhan measured the distance between himself and that small white jade tree, estimating the attack range of that Calamity-level Frostgnawer.
He forcibly suppressed the guilt in his heart towards his teacher, Wang Mingyuan.
His teacher had sacrificed too much for him. That hidden injury that had plagued him for years—Su Zhan constantly thought about curing it.
But there was only one fruit.
Moreover, once the Reforge Fruit left the unique environment of the Mist World, its spiritual essence would be completely lost in just three days, turning it into an ordinary object.
He couldn't possibly carry it through countless dangers and obstacles to deliver it to his teacher's hands.
Time wouldn't allow it.
The best choice, the only choice, was for him to consume it immediately!
Only by transforming this opportunity into his own immediate combat power and potential would be the greatest respect for this chance and the greatest responsibility towards all those who cared for him.
His teacher's kindness was engraved in his heart. If he encountered another opportunity in the future, he would spare no cost to seek it for his teacher.
But right now, he had to be selfish this once.
Only three Reforge Fruits had ever been recorded in Daxia's history!
This information made him realize how heaven-defying this opportunity before him was, how fleeting!
If he missed it, he might truly miss it forever.
Time Abyss Pupil, Future Vision, activate!
The scene before Su Zhan's eyes doubled. Reality and countless possible trajectories of the next five seconds flashed and intertwined.
He saw himself charging recklessly forward, intercepted by an ice wall that appeared out of thin air.
He saw countless ice spikes attacking from the side.
He saw the Frostgnawer raising its hand to point at him...
Countless trajectories of failure flashed through his mind and were rapidly eliminated.
Su Zhan's brain processed this information, searching for a path that could reach the Reforge Fruit.
Found it!
"Boom—!"
The Flame of Destruction erupted with a violent, roaring intensity.
Dark red flames transformed into a roaring torrent of fire.
Not for attack, but to clear a path!
The fleshy wings on Su Zhan's back vibrated with all their might as he charged forward fiercely along the safe path captured in his Future Vision.
The Frostgnawer noticed this audacious insect.
Its perfect ice-sculpture face showed no expression as its slender finger moved slightly.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The attacks Su Zhan had foreseen arrived exactly as predicted.
The ground in front of him instantly erupted with countless razor-sharp ice spikes.
The crystal clusters on both sides suddenly exploded, shooting out dense showers of ice crystal fragments.
A condensed, deep blue ice spike traversed space, appearing directly in front of his heart.
Su Zhan had already seen through everything.
His body had already risen several inches the moment the ice spikes erupted, the tip of his foot tapping against the side of a spike to change direction.
The ice crystal fragments shooting towards him were mostly annihilated in advance by the Flame of Destruction swirling around him; the rest were skillfully batted away by his fleshy wings.
As for that deadly deep blue ice spike, he had already initiated a dodging movement, letting it brush past his ribs.
The cold energy cracked the scales on his side, bringing a piercing pain, but it failed to stop his momentum.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Su Zhan, enduring the Frostgnawer's first wave of interception, forcefully broke through the layers of obstacles and charged right up to the small white jade tree.