Chang Long and Siegfried carefully examined the cavern they had just reached. Once sure there were no beasts inside, they found a place to sit and rest. Chang Long pulled out some snacks that Valentine had bought for her from her storage, planning to eat while waiting for their friends to catch up.

"Here!"

Chang Long handed Siegfried a pack of snacks. He smiled slightly as he accepted it, both of them munching and looking around the blue ice cavern with great interest. The cavern's walls were covered with blue ice crystals that sparkled like diamonds. After a while, they noticed a thick ice door hidden in one of the walls.

"Look at that, Siegfried,"

Chang Long called, pointing to something. Sigfried looked away from the ice door and glanced where she was pointing.

"Ice crystal?"

Siegfried looked at what Chang Long was pointing to with interest. What he saw was a large, shiny ice crystal formation resembling a giant termite mound.

"Look, there's something inside it,"

Chang Long pointed out. Siegfried moved closer to examine it. Indeed, something was encased within the ice, blending so well with the surroundings that it could easily be mistaken for ordinary ice without careful observation.

"This is..."

Siegfried exclaimed in astonishment. He recognized what was encased in the ice immediately. He could not believe it was hidden here. If not for Chang Long's keen observation, he would have missed it entirely.

"It looks like a staff or something,"

Chang Long said as she moved closer to get a better look.

"It's the weapon of one of the Seven Pirate Kings,"

Siegfried said, his voice calm but laced with excitement. Finding the weapon of one of the Seven Pirate Kings by accident was a stroke of luck, all thanks to Chang Long's observant nature. Siegfried had looked in this direction several times but never paid special attention to this particular ice formation.

"The weapon of one of the Seven Pirate Kings!"

Chang Long's eyes widened at the revelation, realizing it belonged to someone akin to Davy-chan's.

"This ice won't melt easily like regular ice,"

Siegfried muttered to himself as he examined the crystal. He pondered the possible ways to extract the weapon.

"We have to get it out, no matter what. It's the key to the tomb of its former owner,"

Chang Long spoke with a confident, experienced tone.

Siegfried knew Chang Long's words were 100% credible. Although she did not state it outright, he knew she was the one who discovered the first secret tomb of the pirate king. The proof was the Sovereign Sword and Davy-chan. Siegfried could not resist reaching out to touch the ice encasing the weapon, but as he did so, the ground shook violently, and the ice door they had seen earlier began to open slowly, releasing a chilling cold and a snowstorm.

Rumbleee

Thuddd!

The hidden mechanisms in the paths to this cavern activated, sealing off all entrances. Chang Long and Siegfried were trapped inside, alone with the new arrival. They watched with bated breath as something began to emerge from the ice door.

The violent tremors caused sections of the fragile cave walls to collapse. Wet Trash Can jumped with joy, finally reunited with the others after facing horror alone for so long. Peach Blossom and Kimhant were also delighted to see their friends again, but Peach Blossom's excitement quickly faded when she realized Chang Long and her brother were nowhere in sight.

"What the heck is happening? Why is the cave shaking so much!"

Oliang shouted over the noise of the tremors, clearly confused.

"I have no idea!"

Wet Trash Can responded, and the others shook their heads in agreement.

"It might be because master and Master Siegfried have reached the blue ice cavern!"

Kitsune shouted back.

"What! Chang has reached that cavern?"

Valentine exclaimed with excitement, arriving with Aden just as everyone was standing and talking.

"What's in that cavern, Mi?"

Draco asked.

"It's the entrance to the Queen's chamber,"

Valentine replied.

"Why is all of this happening then, Mi?"

Peach Blossom asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Because the Queen of this cave has appeared. Chang is so lucky to meet the Queen. The last time I was here, I didn't even make it to that cavern,"

Valentine said with a tinge of regret.

"Oh man! I really wanted to see the Ice Queen too,"

Kimhant exclaimed, lamenting the missed opportunity to capture a picture of the Ice Queen.

"What are we waiting for then! Let's go. We can't let those two have all the fun without us!"

Wet Trash Can shouted and started running ahead. In truth, he had spotted a group of Yuki-onnas stealthily following behind Valentine and Aden and thought it best to flee before they could activate their horror mode!

"Has this guy been alone too long or what?"

Oliang said with a chuckle, then followed his friend.

"Overly excited,"

Valentine agreed.

"He's always like this, just ignore him," Draco added. He hoped to meet the Queen of the cave, whom players had described as both alluring and terrifying.

"It's not that, guys. Can ran away because of those things!!"

Kimhant's hands shook as he pointed behind Valentine and Aden.

"What... is that!"

Everyone turned to see what Kimhant was pointing at. A large group of Yuki-onnas had blocked their retreat. They crept closer in to combat range without any of them noticing

"Die, intruders!"

The Yuki-onnas chorused, their beautiful faces becoming terrifying.

"Ahhh!"

The two girls and Kimhant screamed.

"Can, you jerkkk!"

Oliang cursed his friend angrily. He had run off alone without a word to anyone.

"Stop screaming and help uss!"

Draco struggled to draw his weapon. Luckily, Aden quickly regained his composure and helped him fend off the attacking Yuki-onnas.

"A level 90 Snow Queen Beast King has appeared,"

the system announced in Chang Long and Siegfried's heads. Just then, a beautiful woman in a white silk kimono, embroidered with soft pink cherry blossoms, emerged from the ice door. She lifted her gaze, revealing black eyes as striking as jasper that left the two newcomers staring in awe.

The Snow Queen had pristine white skin, with lips and cheeks tinged a soft pink, contrasting with her glittering black eyes. Her long, sleek black hair flowed down to the middle of her back like fine silk.

"Please remove your hand from that object..."

The Snow Queen spoke in a calm, steady voice, her gaze fixed on Siegfried's hand, which was placed on the clear ice crystal that encased one of the weapons of the Seven Pirate Kings.

"Is that thing yours?"

Chang Long asked, not surprised that a high-level beast could communicate so clearly with players.

"Whether it belongs to me or not is irrelevant, but no one can take it out!"

The Snow Queen's voice hardened, and the atmosphere grew colder as a fierce snowstorm began to whip through the air.

"What if we want to take it anyway? Ah!"

Chang Long challenged but quickly had to dodge a shard of ice that the Snow Queen hurled at her.

"If you want to take it, you must die!"

As soon as the Snow Queen finished speaking, the snowstorm intensified, severely reducing visibility.

The beautiful woman transformed into a demoness with pale, frosty skin covered in icy scales. Her long black hair billowed around her face, which now had blue eyes without any whites. Her previously well-proportioned lips parted wide, revealing a mouth full of sharp, icicle-like teeth.

"F... Fight her, Siegfried!"

Chang Long whispered as she backed away to a safer distance.

"Haha! Not going to help me out, are you?"

Siegfried laughed dryly. It seemed Chang Long was content to observe rather than join in the fight. Though he was not sure if he could win, he could not let her see him giving up even before putting up a fight .

"I'll help! By trying to get that thing out of the ice. You keep that angry girl busy,"

Chang Long whispered. Siegfried smiled wryly but knew he had no choice but to trust her. He liked her too much to do otherwise. Protecting someone he liked was an honor, and she was not actually leaving him here. He believed Chang Long could find a way to extract the weapon from the ice.

The young man drew his trusted weapon, fully prepared for battle. He knew he was at a significant disadvantage in the enemy's domain. The snowstorm not only reduced visibility but also slowed his movements considerably. His chances of defeating the Snow Queen were slim.

A dozen ice spikes shot toward Siegfried. Fortunately, his quick reflexes allowed him to fend off the attack with relative ease. He knew that the only way to effectively attack the Snow Queen was to get close to her, but achieving that would be no simple task.

"I can barely see anything!"

Siegfried grumbled in frustration. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but blinding white snow. He strained his eyes to search for his target while continuing to dodge the ice spikes that relentlessly assaulted him. Eventually, he spotted the Snow Queen standing far away, near the end of the vast cave.

"Found you!"

Siegfried whispered. He immediately sprinted toward the Snow Queen, who was far away.

His eyes widened as he nearly could not stop in time. Sharp ice spikes shot up from the ground, rapidly closing in on him like a deadly carpet. Running on the slippery ice was challenging enough, and stopping suddenly only added to the difficulty. He could not avoid the approaching spikes in time.

Slash!

Crackkkkk!

Siegfried leapt into the air, slicing through the ice spikes with his sword, shattering them into fragments. He spun in mid-air, landing safely on the ground once more. He stared intently at his adversary, trying to devise the fastest way to get close to the Snow Queen before he was overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Chang Long tried using the Sovereign Sword to slash at the ice crystal containing the weapon of one of the Seven Pirate Kings. However, the sword seemed to dull inexplicably for no reason, no matter how much force she applied. The ice remained unscathed.

"Oh my! Why is this ice so hard? If Kitsune were here, it would be helpful,"

Chang Long muttered in frustration. Despite her efforts, she could not break the ice to retrieve the weapon.

"What about using fire!"

Chang Long thought, her eyes lighting up with an idea. She quickly used the Flaming Burst skill from the Eye of Fire, hoping to melt the troublesome ice into water. However, she was disappointed to see that only the surrounding snow melted, leaving the problematic ice intact.

"What! Spirit Summoning Davy-chan!"

Chang Long shouted in exasperation. She summoned Davy-chan from the spirit tablet, hoping he could assist her.

"Why did you summon me? It's freezing!"

Davy-chan complained upon finding himself amidst a snowstorm.

"You're a ghost, and you still feel cold!"

Chang Long raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a figure of speech. When you're in a place full of snow and ice, you have to complain about the cold. But why did you call me out?"

Davy-chan shrugged.

"How do I get that thing out?"

Chang Long pointed at the problematic ice crystal. Davy-chan followed her gesture, his eyes widening in surprise. He floated closer to inspect it more carefully.

"The Caduceus, Heaven's weapon!"

Davy-chan exclaimed, a hint of excitement in his voice. He had not expected to come across another weapon of another pirate king.

"Is that its name?"

Chang Long asked, furrowing her brows as she stepped closer to scrutinize the ice-covered weapon again.

"Yes, it's the signature weapon of Heaven, the only non-human Pirate King,"

Davy-chan replied solemnly.

"Not human?"

Chang Long asked warily, her mind racing with possibilities of what else a pirate King could be if not human.

"He wasn't human; he was an elf! Heaven was an elf, a friend, and my eternal rival... Well, actually, all the Pirate Kings were rivals,"

Davy-chan answered, his eyes reflecting a distant memory from his past life.

"Oh! ...So how do we get it out of the ice?"

Chang Long quickly changed the subject, sensing the somber mood.

"How did you get my sword out last time?"

Davy-chan asked back. If Chang Long had managed to retrieve his sword from its hidden place, she should be able to do the same now.

"I had Kitsune turn the stone into jelly,"

Chang Long replied softly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"What!?"

Davy-chan repeated, thinking he must have misheard.

"I had Kitsune turn the stone into jelly..."

Chang Long repeated, still in a soft, sheepish tone.

"Good grief,"

Davy-chan drawled, his face contorting in disbelief, feeling as if his pirate king's dignity had been thoroughly trampled on.

"Well, at that time! I was still at a low level, and I didn't have good weapons either..."

Chang Long quickly explained, her voice lowering to an almost inaudible whisper.

"Forget it! This ice seems to be enchanted with special magic. If there's no one to dispel the magic, you'll need a power greater than the magic itself to break it,"

Davy-chan replied seriously, pushing aside the bitter memory of her ignoble past.

"Does that mean if I let you or Hisa-chan possess me, I might be able to get it out?"

Chang Long asked. Davy-chan nodded slowly and then stepped back to stand at a distance.

"If you manage to get the Caduceus out, what will you do with it since you can't wield any weapon other than the Sovereign Sword?"

Davy-chan asked, reminding her that each pirate king's weapon could only have one true master.

"That weapon isn't for me. It's for Siegfried,"

Chang Long replied with a smile, sensing a hint of jealousy in Davy-chan's tone.

"Is that so!" Davy-chan muttered in a low voice, but a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Hehe, who should I let possess me!"

Chang Long scratched her head, pondering whether to let Davy-chan or Hisa-chan take over.

"Use Hisa-chan. He's more likely to execute it than I am,"

Davy-chan suggested. Chang Long nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Spirit Summoning, Hisa-chan."

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