Hartley’s purpose was clear: to have Shien use the Holy Sword to free her frozen clansmen. She had said that this was a difficult task for others, but a trivial matter for Shien. That’s why she personally went to the Human Realm after learning about the Hero’s reappearance.

“I originally wanted to ask Roselucia Mitra, the Kingdom’s Treasure, for help, but that princess hasn’t fully matured yet. Although her talent and potential are terrifying, her strength might not be enough. Moreover, her identity is special, protected by Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, and many other Goddesses of the God Race. Even I wouldn’t dare act rashly against her,” Hartley explained to Shien.

“I’ve also been searching for someone with spatial or temporal abilities all these years, but such individuals are rare, and even if they exist, they might not have the power to dispel the Ice Woman Clan’s ice.”

The Ice Woman Clan members were all powerful demon experts, reaching level eighty upon adulthood, some even Legendary Level.

When such beings unleashed their full power in a life-or-death situation, using [Ice Prison], the resulting power was unimaginable. Even Hartley, a Limit Level expert, couldn’t dispel her clansmen’s ice.

The uncontrolled power of a Legendary Ice Woman’s [Ice Prison] was enough to threaten even a Limit Level being. Even those below Legendary Level, although their [Ice Prison] might not threaten Hartley, she couldn’t dispel their ice without harming them. As for the Transcendent Level Demon Lords, their power was too overwhelming, and unlike Hartley, they didn’t possess [Ice Prison].

They could only use brute force, which might harm the frozen Ice Woman Clan members.

“In short, this is a rather tricky problem,” Shafney said, shrugging helplessly, “It’s not that we can’t solve it, but we don’t know how to do it safely.” If the Ice Woman Clan members were weaker, Hartley could easily handle it without the Demon Lords’ help.

However, the Ice Woman Clan had no weaklings. They all reached level eighty upon adulthood, and their uncontrolled power could freeze even a Legendary-level expert, putting them into an eternal slumber.

This was the nature of Unique Skills, defying logic and having unpredictable effects and consequences. Some Unique Skills even caused great trouble for their owners from birth, like Diere’s horn or others who became three-headed, six-armed monsters, or those whose Unique Skills had terrifying side effects, harming themselves and even those around them. Compared to them, those with useless Unique Skills were considered lucky.

The Ice Woman Clan’s [Ice Prison] was incredibly powerful, too powerful for ordinary beings. Without a matching mentality, spirit, and realm, possessing such power would only lead to a loss of control. The fate of the Ice Woman Clan members was a prime example.

“Back when the Demon King was still alive, she could easily solve this problem. Even if I lost control, she could free me with a wave of her hand,” Hartley said, then fell silent.

“…Indeed,” Shafney’s smile disappeared, and she murmured, as if reminiscing, “Although she always seemed indifferent, she never refused any of our requests.”

The atmosphere became heavy.

Shien looked at Hartley, then at Shafney, and suddenly said,

“So, you’re saying I can also do the same with a wave of my hand, but I’m not heartless at all, right?”

His words instantly dispelled the heavy atmosphere.

“You…” Shafney glared at him, but she knew he did this on purpose.

So, she played along. “If you can truly solve the Ice Woman Clan’s problem, the power structure of the Demon Realm might change drastically.”

Indeed. As a clan second only to the Dragon Race in power, although small in number, every member of the Ice Woman Clan could awaken the powerful Unique Skill [Ice Prison]. They were all strong, with many Legendary-level experts among them.

The Stone Woman Clan, the strongest tribe in the Succubus Territory, had three Legendary-level experts, while the Ice Woman Clan, excluding Hartley, had no less than five. Moreover, every other member was a ticking time bomb, capable of freezing even spacetime, dragging their enemies down with them. If such a clan reappeared, the impact on the Demon Realm would be immense.

Of course, the Demon Lords, as the apex beings, would welcome this, as it would increase the Demon Race’s overall strength.

“My precious Liel will be so anxious,” Shafney said cheerfully, not showing any sympathy.

“Are you a devil?” Shien asked seriously.

Hartley, however, made a serious promise to Shien.

“This time, if Master can help me rescue my clansmen, then the Ice Woman Clan will owe you a great debt, and we will repay you, no matter what.” Her promise, although not grand or dramatic, carried a weight that made Shien feel the immense value of this favor.

“The Ice Woman Clan is known for their honesty and straightforwardness. Since they said they’ll repay you no matter what, then even if you ask them to risk their lives, they will do so without hesitation,” Shafney said to Shien with a smile.

“You’ve gained quite the advantage, my dear Hero.”

Indeed, Shien had gained a huge advantage. For him, dispelling the ice of [Ice Prison] was a trivial matter. And this trivial matter could earn him the support of a force with one Limit Level expert, five Legendary-level experts, and numerous other powerful demons. It was like winning the lottery.

Although Shien already had more powerful allies, with [Ice Prison] being so strong, even Demon Lords weren’t sure how to deal with it, gaining the support of such a force was definitely beneficial.

“Alright, I’ll do my best,” Shien nodded, accepting the task.

“Thank you,” Hartley said softly, her gratitude sincere despite her simple words and calm tone.

Shien, feeling pleased, followed Hartley to the deepest part of the grove.

There, a patch of snow lay unexpectedly. A chilling aura filled the air, making even Shien, protected by [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree], shiver. Instinctively, he activated his [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree].

He immediately noticed something.

“The space here is already frozen…” His eyes flickered.

“See? This is the effect of [Ice Prison],” Shafney said, unfazed, even teasing him.

Shien ignored her, sensing carefully and reaching a conclusion.

“Teleportation is unusable here, magic power can’t be released externally, and even the ambient magic power is stagnant. In such a situation, even the strongest magician can’t cast a single spell, right?” The ability to freeze spacetime was truly powerful.

“No wonder Sara sent Hartley to capture that Original Demon Apostle.” With this ability, the frozen Gorud couldn’t possibly escape. Hartley even transferred him a thousand meters underground, probably also using the spacetime manipulation of [Ice Prison].

“Although my Unique Skills are broken, this Unique Skill… well, I’m a little envious,” Shien thought, trying not to show it. His own Unique Skills, although powerful and even broken, were both support-type, not directly enhancing his combat ability. And as he grew stronger, learning all kinds of skills and fusing them into the seven Heaven’s Decree skills, his level also approaching its limit, these two skills would eventually become useless.

He hadn’t learned any new skills in a long time, and the seven Heaven’s Decree skills couldn’t be further fused. Only the effect of maximizing his growth upon leveling up was still somewhat useful, but even this would be lost once he reached Limit Level. Therefore, he naturally wished his Unique Skills were as powerful as [Ice Prison].

“Well, I shouldn’t be too greedy. I should be content,” he thought, suppressing his envy.

“We’re here,” Hartley said, stopping and slowly extending her hand.

“Weng!” The entire area trembled.

“Rumble…” The ground shook, sending snow flying. A chilling wind blew, distorting the frozen space. Soon, ice pillars rose from the ground, a spectacular sight gradually forming.

In the snowy grove of the forest, late at night, a white, cold mist spread rapidly, far denser than before, enveloping the surrounding trees. The trees, although not frozen, seemed locked in place, not a single leaf stirring even in the strong wind. The space itself was frozen.

“Roar!” The scaled lion-tiger beast beneath Shafney sensed the danger and roared, then its cry abruptly ceased as it froze, unable to move.

“Impressive,” Shafney said admiringly, her magic power swirling around her like flames, preventing the cold mist from approaching.

“Clang!” A brilliant light shone from Shien’s Holy Sword, which he had drawn and unsealed at some point, protecting him from the encroaching cold. Facing this power that could freeze even spacetime, he didn’t dare rely solely on the protection of [Outer Manifestation of Heaven’s Decree], unleashing the Holy Sword’s power to resist the extreme cold. With the Holy Sword, he could stand in this icy domain unfazed.

However, his gaze was fixed on the scene before him. Before Hartley, surrounded by a white, cold mist, ice pillars stood tall. Some pointed towards the sky, others were sharp like blades, some resembled statues, others ice plateaus, some like magnificent glaciers, and some like giant, sharp thorns. And within each of them, a figure was frozen, as if sleeping.

“The Ice Woman Clan…” Shien murmured.

“Yes,” Hartley said, looking at them, as if gazing at the past, “They are my clansmen, the honorable and formidable warriors of the Ice Woman Clan.” Among them were acquaintances, elders she had never met, even friends and family. Unfortunately, over the long years, they sacrificed themselves on the battlefield, becoming what they were now.

“Indeed, honorable and formidable,” Shafney said, her gaze sweeping across the ice pillars, then a wry smile appeared on her face. Clearly, among them were also some she had once known.

“Some have been frozen for over ten thousand years, some for a thousand,” Hartley said softly.

A thousand years was the shortest. Because in the final battle a thousand years ago, all Ice Woman Clan members sacrificed themselves, unleashing power beyond their control, using [Ice Prison] and falling into a semi-permanent slumber.

Only Hartley, already at Limit Level at that time, didn’t have to do this. After all, to force a Limit Level expert like her to lose control, it would take a Transcendent Level being. And at that time, the only Transcendent Level beings on the God Race and Human Race side were Hero Mitra, the Three Goddesses, the Goddess of Justice, and the Three Goddesses of Time. Hero Mitra charged towards the Demon King under everyone’s protection and naturally didn’t fight Hartley.

The Three Goddesses, the Goddess of Justice, and the Three Goddesses of Time each faced one of the Six Demon Lords. Therefore, at that time, a Limit Level expert like Hartley was practically invincible on the battlefield, no one able to force her to self-destruct.

Even later in the war, when she encountered the Sun Goddess, a Limit Level expert who governed light and heat, Hartley fought her to a standstill.

Therefore, until the war’s end, Hartley wasn’t forced to risk her life.

As a result, she was the only survivor of the Ice Woman Clan.

“After that, the war between the three races, which lasted for countless years, ended, and the Demon Race began to integrate into the world of the God Race and the Human Race. However, a thousand years wasn’t enough for them to let go of all their grudges and help each other unconditionally.”

“Therefore, I didn’t ask Lildas, the Goddess of Fate, nor did I contact the Three Goddesses of Time, to save my clansmen.”

“It wasn’t until a thousand years later, when I heard that the Kingdom’s Treasure inherited Mitra’s Holy Sword, that I thought of asking her to help me after she matured.”

“But I didn’t expect you, Master, to arrive before that.”

Saying this, Hartley turned and bowed to Shien.

“Please, Master Shien, free my clansmen.” Her voice finally carried a hint of emotion, showing that the Ice Woman Clan, although naturally indifferent, wasn’t heartless. Perhaps what was frozen by [Ice Prison] wasn’t just their enemies and their bodies, but also their hearts.

(Since when did I become so sentimental?) Shien chuckled inwardly, then looked at Hartley.

“Don’t worry,” he said, nodding in agreement without further ado.

“Be careful,” Shafney said, also observing this, “The Holy Sword is like poison to demons. You can cut through the ice that froze them, but don’t touch their bodies, understand?” Otherwise, he wouldn’t be saving them, but harming them.

“I know,” Shien naturally understood.

He tightened his grip on the Holy Sword, feeling its power, and walked towards the nearest ice pillar. Frozen inside was a little girl who looked about the same age as Airi, Millu, and Lilith, seemingly not even an adult yet. However, through [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree], Shien saw that her level was actually eighty-eight.

Although Ice Woman Clan members reached level eighty upon adulthood, that was without any training, simply through natural growth. If they consciously trained from a young age, with their talent, reaching level eighty before adulthood wasn’t impossible. And if there were geniuses among them, reaching level eighty-eight at such a young age, close to Legendary Level, wasn’t entirely out of the question.

“What a broken race. No wonder their population is so small,” Shien thought. Based on his observation, there were less than twenty Ice Woman Clan members here.

“Then let’s begin.”

Shien calmed himself, then, without hesitation, raised his Holy Sword.

“Clang!” Without charging up or any unnecessary movements, he casually swung the Holy Sword, the blade wreathed in brilliant light, slashing at the ice pillar before him.

“—” Silence.

A few seconds later…

“Crack…” A crack suddenly appeared on the ice pillar.

“Crack, crack, crack…” As if triggering a chain reaction, more and more cracks appeared, the cracking sound continuous.

“Bang!” Finally, the ice pillar, covered in cracks, shattered.

The little girl within, freed from the ice, fell downwards.

Shien instinctively reached out and caught her.

“Mmm…” After a while, the little girl groaned, slowly opening her ice-blue eyes, which met Shien’s gaze.

Looking at her, Shien said,

“It’s alright now.”

The little girl stared at him for a long time, then, as if losing her strength, she closed her eyes again and fell asleep.

However, this time, she would eventually wake up.

…

Shien continued, using the Holy Sword to shatter the ice pillars one after another, freeing the Ice Woman Clan members. Like the first little girl, they all briefly regained consciousness before falling into a coma, a sign of magic power exhaustion. After all, they had unleashed their full power before being frozen.

Shafney helped check on them, then said, “They just need some rest. They’ll wake up soon, and they’ll be fine.”

Then, the once feared Ice Woman Clan would reappear in the Demon Realm.

“Is that all?” Shien asked after freeing the last Ice Woman and handing her to Shafney, his task complete.

However, Hartley, who had been tending to her clansmen, stood there silently, as if lost in thought.

“What’s wrong?” Shien asked, puzzled.

Hartley didn’t answer immediately, her gaze sweeping across the area, confirming there were no other ice pillars, a strange flicker in her eyes.

“…She’s gone,” she finally said.

“What?” Shien and Shafney were both startled.

Hartley remained silent for a long while, then said, “There was another ice pillar, but it’s gone.”

“This…” Shien and Shafney were surprised.

Hartley stared at the snowy ground.

After a long while, she murmured, as if in a daze,

“The Ice Woman Clan’s method of reproduction is different from others. We don’t give birth, so we don’t have the concept of family.”

“But if an elder feels her time is near, she can use her remaining life force to create a descendant.”

“Not many Ice Woman Clan members are born this way, only about twenty percent.”

“And I happened to have a younger sister.”

Hartley didn’t say anything more.

But both Shien and Shafney understood.

Hartley’s younger sister was missing, completely gone without a trace.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.