153 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

The small point concentrated on Ashies. The frosty aura flickered for a moment before it burst into light, enveloping the fortress. As the light dimmed, the transformed battlefield revealed itself. The severe cold had frozen the entire fortress, and except for a select few strong orcs, the rest stood as ice statues, unable to resist. The stronghold of the dark orcs was now bathed in the winter glow of ice. This wasn't some reckless rampage. The slaves who had been under threat were safe, and Karami was unaffected by the cold. Ashies clearly understood who needed protection from whom. "Ha…" At the center of the icy fortress. Ashies exhaled, her breath visible in the cold. Fragments of ice orbited around her like tiny moons, and the hem of her dress extended into a thin sheet of ice. At a glance, she might seem unchanged from before, but there was an undeniable resoluteness shining in her blue pupils. This was the tenacity Valkrash had sought to unearth from Ashies. Though he had seemingly gotten his wish, Valkrash couldn't laugh it off casually. A warning alarm blared in his mind. What had changed? Staring didn't reveal any answers. But it was unmistakably different from before. She was far from a soulless puppet. Valkrash readied his axe, preparing for battle. Ashies gazed steadfastly at Valkrash. With a slight tilt of her head, she quickly lowered herself and kicked off, gliding across the ice as if skating. Valkrash swung his axe upwards towards the sky. Ashies parried horizontally with her sword, intercepting it. The clash of the icy sword and the double-edged axe announced the resumption of the fight in the frozen world. Valkrash's muscles bulged. He pressed down with all his might, trying to drive Ashies into the ground. Boom. The ground sank under the weight of his force, leaving cracks in the ice. Despite nearly being driven into the floor like a nail, Ashies didn't falter. Her ice sword, maintaining its original form, likewise didn't back down against the double axe, as though compelled by its owner's firm intent. Instead, the cold crept over, infiltrating the axe. Frost formed on its blade as if consuming it. "What?!" Valkrash's pupils dilated. His bewilderment was apparent. The double-edged axe, reinforced and glowing red from Valkrash's mana, was freezing under Ashies' magic. Ashies didn't miss the chance from Valkrash's dismay. The axe seemed to waver slightly, and she swung her sword sharply, repelling the axe. For the first time since Ashies and Valkrash began their battle, this moment unfolded. It felt like the beginning of a harbinger heralding a change in their ending. Ashies looked up. "Prepare yourself." Erasing everything from her vision except the enemy before her, she hardened her expression. "Little fox climbing up!" Valkrash swung his axe diagonally. As Ashies crouched low, the axe futilely split the air above her head. Ashies reached out, thrusting her sword into the exposed center of Valkrash's chest. Thunk. Her sword pierced the skin that was nearly impervious to even the most trained of humans. This confirmed something vital. Ashies had become stronger. The Holy Grail had responded to her desire. "Hmm..." Valkrash let out a low growl, furrowing his brows. It wasn't a fatal injury. To Valkrash, it was merely a scratch. But it wasn't a good sign. To prevent further intrusion, he grabbed the blade with his hand. Unable to break it, he pulled out the sword and threw Ashies along with it. Ashies spun through the air. But under her feet, the path of ice unfolded, ensuring the Ice Princess's steps did not falter midair. Sliding across the ice once more, Ashies advanced swiftly. "Jumping around like a rabbit!" Valkrash swung his axe horizontally, the dull drone of the heavy cleaving ringing out. Lightly stepping up, Ashies used the axe as a springboard to jump. Executing a graceful tumble, she leapt over Valkrash's head, stepping on a ready platform, quickly securing a rear position. An acrobatic feat beyond ordinary human capability. A series of maneuvers that only Ashies, who wielded ice as her limbs, could perform. Swiftly taking advantage of Valkrash's rear, Ashies unleashed relentless attacks. Her barrage of sword strikes from the back tilted Valkrash forward. "Ugh! Stop with the petty tricks!" Valkrash erupted with brutal mana. A violent explosion of red energy whipped a storm of force. Judging in an instant. Ashies kicked off Valkrash's back, using him as a springboard to leap back, landing gracefully. "Urrgh." Valkrash breathed heavily through his shoulders. His body heaving mightily. The mirage of red light shimmered, with steam rising from his skin. An even stronger momentum. It was the berserk rage of the Orc King. Ashies, instead of recklessly charging in, sought an opening. Valkrash's entire being, from head to toe, was a weapon. A direct hit would signal the end of the battle. She avoided a frontal confrontation. She hunted for a gap. Creating blind spots. The activation of magic. A spike of ice shot forth from Ashies, hurtling toward Valkrash with fierce speed. "A futile act!" Clenching his fist, Valkrash swung his arm. The ice shattered, scattering shards everywhere. Countless reflections of Valkrash's form were captured in the ice fragments. From the shattered pieces, new ice spikes emerged. About ten in total. The spikes aimed to puncture holes in Valkrash's body. But once again, his punches reduced them to helpless splinters. And then, yet again. The original ten shards multiplied to a hundred, and from each of those shards, new spikes grew. Spikes grew from the spike pillars, and spikes sprouted again from the grown spikes. Valkrash couldn't fend off the seemingly infinite spikes. The ground around him had already become an ice field, making it hard to take even a step. When he tried to swing his arm, ice that emerged from the ground pulled at it. Obstacles everywhere. It was as if the element of ice itself was aiding Ashies in every way. By the time Valkrash realized, spikes of ice filled the battlefield completely. Like a seamstress' meticulous stitching, the spikes surrounded Valkrash's body from all sides. In such a cramped space where even the slightest movement was difficult, Valkrash was effectively trapped. Directly in front of Valkrash. In the artificial blind spot crafted by the spikes, Ashies charged in. The spikes, which had previously allowed him no movement, parted to clear her path. Thud. The ice sword, imbued with frosty magic, once again targeted Valkrash's chest. Penetrating deeper in line with the previous wound. "Ugh…!" He felt the burning pain. But more than that, the icy chill spread through his wound. Seizing the sword to immobilize it, Valkrash raised his axe with his other hand. Ashies, without hesitation, relinquished the sword and retreated backward. Taking some damage and having the sword taken away would be an exchange in favor of Valkrash. Crunch. The embedded sword disappeared, reappearing instantly in Ashies' left hand. All Valkrash was left with were his wounds. The surreal outcome elicited a sigh of frustration from him. The battle, like treading on thin ice, continued. Dodging the scarlet flashes by a hair's breadth, Ashies delivered a torrent of sword strikes. Her speed, magic, and swordsmanship had all risen dramatically. With countless wounds inflicted on Valkrash's body, fresh blood gushed forth. Yet, none of the blood splashed Ashies. The hot blood turned into icy threads and fell. The symphony of ice and swords played on. Valkrash's roar added a fierce accompaniment. His entire body, densely covered in blood and wounds, Valkrash—a giant who seemed unbeatable—finally staggered. "Hah… hah…." Ashies, who had driven the Orc King Valkrash to the brink, caught her breath. Although Ashies' magic defied the fundamentals of magical systems, it wasn't all-powerful. Casting magic naturally consumed mana—especially when Ashies transformed her magic into forms that defied conventional norms, requiring a larger expenditure of mana. She had used her magic recklessly. The recoil had accumulated within her. The next attack would settle the score, they communicated without words. Then. Boom──! Valkrash moved first. Gathering all his internal strength. The berserker's unique red mana. However, the Orc King's mana was anything but ordinary. Tinged with a sinister energy, a black hue mixed in. His mana whipped around like a storm. The ice shattered upon contact with his mana, collapsing. Bending his knees and lowering his center of gravity as much as possible, Valkrash leaped toward the sky. A soaring leap, unexpected for a massive figure. "Think you can evade this too?!" Positioned high above, Valkrash swung his axe back to its limit. A full-force. Power Stump. The ultimate strike of the Orc King, which had turned countless cities to dust, descended on Ashies from above. Ashies realized. It was unstoppable. It shouldn’t be stopped. It shouldn’t be dodged either. The impact of the attack would affect the entire stronghold. If Ashies dodged, not only the slaves but Karami would also be consumed. What to do? As Ashies hesitated, Valkrash began his descent. Like a guillotine meant to cleave the world in two. Lost in thought, Ashies… …leapt. Freezing the air to create platforms, Ashies ascended. 'Upward. Higher.' Before Valkrash landed. In that fleeting moment of crossover before Valkrash fell, Ashies slipped sideways and mounted above him. "What?!" Creatures without wings have limited mobility in the air. Unless they could control magic as freely as Ashies could. Valkrash had no means of shaking Ashies off. Together, they continued their descent. The contact with Ashies began to freeze Valkrash's back. The cold sensation painted Valkrash's expression with surprise. "Get off me, you leech!!!" Valkrash's mana exploded into a storm. Leaving cuts on Ashies' face and making her blue-white hair wildly flutter. Ashies held her ground. Quietly, she gathered the remaining mana. The cold blue frost-like mana gently overlaid Valkrash’s crimson mana. His frozen back. Targeting the location of his heart with her sword tip. Calmly. Yet firmly. "This is punishment for all the harm you’ve caused." She conveyed her intent. "Stop! Stooooppp────!" Valkrash's screams failed to reach Ashies' frozen heart. Without stopping, the comet merged of red and blue inevitably plummeted to the ground. As snow particles exploded and the impact of the fall threatened to obliterate the stronghold… Crack! Ice erupted upward. Like a flower welcoming winter. Resembling a closed flower bud, it enveloped the two, absorbing the explosion's impact. At the center of the bloom lay Valkrash's ice statue, his heart impaled. Frozen in place with a wide-open mouth and eyes, captured in shock. "Ha…" Ashies took a deep breath, exhaling in exhaustion. Her tiara, out of power, shimmered and scattered into light fragments. Rising, Ashies surveyed her surroundings. The captives stood agape, but fortunately, the ice had absorbed the shock, preventing any further harm. Ashies turned her gaze towards Karami, meeting his eyes. Watching all along, Karami smiled and waved gently. Silently observing him, Ashies carefully raised her hand and made subtle movements. A gentle wave. Just like a flower petal swaying. Slowly. **13 Comments** **피폐너무좋아 2024.12.20 01:35:** Now Ashies will feel emotions too, lolol. I can't wait. 1 **Hking0848 2024.12.20 02:16:** How's her first emotional experience the thrill of defeating a boss? 0 **디오사이드 2024.12.20 09:14:** Emotions!! 0 **얼룩이 2024.12.20 02:19:** Ashies feeling emotions, I can't handle this. 0 **누나꼴려요 2024.12.20 04:48:** Finally, the Ice Princess is about to be freed. 0 **Karon 2024.12.20 06:34:** Looks like abandonment soon. 1 **미궁속으로 2024.12.20 07:59:** Time for abandonment, huh. 1 **tokieu 2024.12.20 08:41:** Are they going to abandon her now? 0 **이경영 2024.12.20 16:49:** Please abandon her. 0 **퍼리충이아니되고시퍼 2024.12.20 18:18:** I thought they had to defeat a dragon before abandoning her, lol. 0 **qhtm 2024.12.21 01:40:** Is it time... for abandonment? 0 **개와고양이 2025.01.11 06:41:** Let’s make a new slave contract. 0 **관장초6학년해달 2025.01.14 02:54:** Phew... is it time to do that now? 0 **Only registered members can post comments.** **Weekly Best** - Mature - BL/GL - +3041 I have to go to work even if I fall into a ghost story. - +992 I was mistaken for a war maestro. - +363 I declared a breakup with the heroine who hates me. - +2884 How to live as a wizard in a magic school. - +1245 The liberated slaves become obsessed. - +316 The mad priest of the slums. - +937 Normalizing dark fantasy. - +408 Mistaken for a temple of catastrophic ghost stories. - +809 I want to be a former VTuber. - +1910 The heroine took my regression. - +4011 Surviving in this damn fantasy world. - +16812 The genius magician who takes medicine. - +17313 The childhood friend of the world's best. - +1514 The crown prince raising a secondary character. - +7515 Martial arts are nothing special. - +5616 30 years after reincarnation, it turned out it was a romance fantasy? - +9117 Life is easy if you're handsome. - +5418 Isn't this a dating sim? - +5119 I told you, I'm not the boss mob. - +2020 Mistaken for a genius magician in a game. **New posts** - "Adopt now" - Sells clothing because I'm anxious - Check it out while logged out - Below, a novel I searched for the whole week (hoping to forget the side story). - Even though it looks like this, it's a happy ending?! - "Please give me a kitten" +2 - 02.23 Death March Rhapsody Volume 27-29 available - 02.23 Fabre in Sacheondang Vol. 445 available - 02.23 Author Hyun Min Ye's Reverse Harem Three Kingdoms, please give me the throne! - 02.23 Requesting Legendary Genius Black Magician - 02.23 Requesting "Swallowing a Top Star's Talent" - 02.23 Requesting "The Villain Captures a Duke" - 02.23 Requesting "Tyrant Yeon San" - 02.23 Requesting "Bad Boy Cheoljong" - 02.23 Recommend campus stories to me - 02.23 Webtoon recommendations **The Liberated Slaves Become Obsessed Chapter 153 (154/218)**