Chapter 652 - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

A glacier being described as a river isn’t merely a reference to its shape, but its nature. Glaciers, like rivers, flow. Ice that freezes upstream travels incredibly slowly yet unstoppably toward the cold sea, embarking on an eternal journey. The Celsius family diligently measures and records these glacier movements annually. The serene flow of hard, cold ice captivated and engraved itself upon the mind of a young mage, becoming a wondrous mystery. Thus, Elisha's unique magic was born: the river of ice. The ice flows, turning from solid to fluid, creating a current more destructive and stunning than any rapid. Ice, grinding against the earth, surged forward. The torrent made of crystalline ice resembled a grinder with countless spinning metal shards. Ice, leaving traces of destruction, coiled like a dragon. Ice giants and ice dragons—entities found only in myths. Standing atop the ice, Elisha spoke. "This is your final warning. Restore the rules as they were immediately." "Huh? Sudden cold after warmth is quite harsh. Let's leave it as is. Warmth is better than cold, isn't it? Share the warmth with everyone, not just yourselves." It was merely a hollow statement. Elisha seemed unaffected. "There’s no need to extend such consideration to fools. Comfortable warmth breeds laziness, leading to neglect of self-improvement." "Weren't you all comfortable and living in warmth too, yet not lazy? Or was it your laziness that allowed someone like me to seize the rules?" "We haven’t lost them yet." From the ice dragon came a guttural growl. The very flow of solids was destructive. If that thing engulfed me, I’d end up crushed, unable to regenerate as even my blood freezes solid. "I'm giving you a chance to amend your mistake." "Oh, moving ice? What an amusing technique! Above all, it’s easily understandable for the audience!" Though it was meant as praise, it was an insult to a mage. It suggested that the power was so basic one could understand it at a glance. "If you insist on a foolish handshake." Ice surged forward. All the ice connected by her unique magic began to ripple like a liquid, rushing towards me. The basic principle of the unique magic was to 'imbue ice with the property of flow', and Elisha controlled the direction cleverly. A straightforward yet powerful operation of unique magic. "But the clearer something is, the easier it is to counter, especially now." I held Kelvin's thermometer in hand again. Let’s see, targeting only 'ice' as always. "Control of the Melting Point." If I change the conditions for ice formation, then this should be a futile effort... What? It’s not melting? I glanced hesitantly at the ice crashing down. Elisha responded with cold eyes. "Wrong." If it were Elisha’s unique magic alone, it would have worked. But Elisha possessed a relic—Olaf. It had the power to agglomerate moisture crystals. Even though I altered the conditions, the ice remained due to Olaf's power! In Celsius territory, where freezing and boiling points fluctuate wildly, the relic's power continued to uphold the ice! "A different relic?! Using unique magic and a relic simultaneously...!" "You would've been better off trapped. Now it's too late. Be washed away into the glacier." "Ahhhhh!" Without a chance to resist, I got swept away by the violent glacier current. My shadow was swallowed by the blindingly clear ice... A dramatic portrayal. Unique magic, the river of ice. As Elisha's gaze faltered, I stealthily borrowed the unique magic. Elisha's magic was the river of ice. The material in question was ice. Even if I used it, it’d only allow a bit of control over the ice nearby... So what? If I can just stop that dreadful torrent the moment it reaches within 1mm of me, it’s no different from ordinary ice. It’s a bit cold and confining, but... With safety secured, perhaps it's time for another spectacle. I counted silently, stretched my hand overhead, and murmured. "Simultaneous Control of Melting Point and Boiling Point. Triple Point." The pinnacle of Kelvin Celsius's unique magic. Above my head, within a minuscule area, a miracle happened. The boundaries between water, ice, and vapor blurred, leading to immense chaos. And typically, chaos ends in an explosion. Boom. Overhead, a grand explosion ensued. Half-formed crystals, cloudy vapor, and sparkling droplets scattered, creating rainbows. Perched atop the flowing ice, Elisha got swept into the explosion. "Kyaa...!" Olaf swiftly shielded against the explosion with his hands. As dense fog veiled the stage briefly, I emerged quickly, tidying my clothes and bowing. "H-How...?!" "It's up to you to figure it out. Magicians live on tricks. If I were to reveal it outright, would it be fair?" Magic, at its core, isn’t unlike illusion. Spectators merely witness unfamiliar techniques and slight deceit adding to the wonder. A technique that seems laughably simple when known, but shrouded in mystery for the unknowing. "Does no one, no one know what he did?!" No one responded to Elisha's question. The silence was a more painful defeat for Celsius than any loss. "At the very heart of Celsius, using our powers, yet having no clue what he achieved?! Are we...!" She nearly vocalized it as a perfect defeat. It's possible not to know. If not grasping a trick constituted a loss, I’d always win, wouldn’t I? Well, I did always win. "Now. Who’s next?" No one stepped forward to answer my question. On the street rules, I could pocket the winnings and walk away legally. Yet, these overly sheltered Celsius folks couldn't abandon their regrets. "Stop...!" The determination had already waned, but Elisha still had more to say. She pointed to a spot with her finger. "You may not know this, but Celsius also considered that method once. Condensing cold is far more intuitive and easier to use. However, after thorough calculations, it was not an option we could pursue." There, something—a blue crystal—glimmered suspended in midair. The crystal’s shape was not clearly visible. A mysterious, cool mist emanated from it, obscuring even its outline. Though it seemed smaller than a grain of sand, the power contained within was unimaginably vast and growing by the second. “Gathering the cold spread across the city? Sure, using Kelvin Celsius’ power, it could be done. But the nucleus of that gathered cold would become the Celsius family, and the gathered cold would transform into 'ice crystal'." "Ice crystal?" "The cold gathered by the rules gradually condenses, turning into a pure crystal of cold. It's a curse of cold waiting to explode. Just approaching it can freeze you solid." The crystal formed by accumulated cold, ultimately solidifying in the atmosphere at the rules' behest, becomes the ice crystal. Approaching it is forbidden. The surrounding air chills and freezes everything that gets near. It’s analogous to the solidified atmosphere seen in the Blue Tower Lord’s unique magic. A force so potent it caused the Green Tower Lord and the Black Tower Lord to tremble and required the Demon King himself to intervene. Unlike magic that mimics this end result, that crystal is a pure result of amassed cold, making it even stronger. "If left alone, the ice crystal will grow and engulf the family. It’ll reach a point where it can't be controlled. When that happens, the fools who basked in its warmth will pay the price all at once. Will you leave a bomb set to explode just lying around without taking responsibility?" "Responsibility? Me?" Do I have to bear all the consequences just because I made a change? And has Celsius borne their part of the responsibility? "You left it as is. Even while holding this rule in your hand, you left the outside cold and the ignorance of fools untouched. Who took responsibility for that?" It’s all the same. Everyone’s just imposing on one another. Responsibility? I haven’t seen a single person who speaks of responsibility actually live up to it. "You’ll have to manage it somehow, won’t you?" "So irresponsible...." "And honestly, you can manage the ice crystal, can’t you?" Why pretend otherwise? They rejected it because it wasn’t viable, not because it was impossible. The strength of the Celsius family isn't that weak. "Are you talking about Elisha?” "Huh?" Elisha, the Blue Tower Lord? Why bring up that name now? Until now, Elisha had maintained at least a minimal grace, but, “Yes, Elisha. If it's my foolish younger sibling’s power, she might be able to control the ice crystal. Her unique magic is hard to use, but... it can control the ice crystal.” The unique magic of the Blue Tower Lord has the ability of forced solidification. Even air can be included. It’s different from condensing cold, but with that ability, she could interact with the ice crystal. “Yes, if it’s the Blue Tower Lord, she could easily control it.” “…Do you even understand what that means?” Elisha gritted her teeth and glared at me with murderous intensity. “You’re telling my sister to become a relic through death.” She doesn’t need to die. If the Blue Tower Lord dealt with the ice crystal periodically, the region would be much warmer and more livable. But accidents happen. If the Blue Tower Lord is absent for a long time, suddenly loses control, or dies unexpectedly, the means to control the ice crystal are gone. Relics, however, eliminate that worry. “She’ll be pressured daily to become a relic before she dies of old age. She may eventually try to meet those expectations. She's sensitive, with a tender heart. A small trigger could lead to a quick decision.” Perhaps. The Blue Tower Lord isn’t foolish, but she does care more than most mages about others. “You asking to share warmth with everyone is the same as sacrificing Celsius. The rules of this land are built on Celsius’ knowledge and sacrifice. Those fools contribute nothing to these rules! Are you asking us to take on greater sacrifice to care for them? We have no reason or obligation to do so! They could live cold and hungry instead!” She makes a valid point. After all, Celsius created and advanced it. Asking for greater sacrifice would be unfair. Yet, you can't remain silently discontent, can you? "Why are you so fixated on someone dying and becoming a relic? Isn’t there another way...?" They want to keep their privileges. Reluctant to sacrifice more. They freeze anyone with complaints. Any self-rescuing black magic is taboo. So what? Live forever by maintaining these rules? Human compromise should allow negotiation with the rules, shouldn't it? “Do you think finding another method is so simple?! It’s easy to say, but you have no plan!” No. There is a way. Or at least, a path towards a solution. They’ve just chosen not to walk it. “No. There is!” As if to answer my response, someone else's voice broke through. The first impression was fire. Just being nearby radiated intense heat. Ice, typically unyielding due to the rules, shivered before melting away. No, it blazed. The north is cold. People’s demeanor and attire tend to be closed off. However, the intruding woman seemed as open as if she came from the south. Her upper body was barely covered with a small tank top, and her lower clothing was so torn at the thigh it could hardly be called pants. A fashion even people sweltering in the heat would rarely attempt. Yet, such attire suited her perfectly. Red eyes. Hair as red as her eyes. Flames swirling around her. Her skin, seemingly scorched by her own heat, appeared intriguingly anomalous. "The sky we thought was the ceiling of the world is an illusion. The stars are far beyond. Limits are just the excuses of those who claim them to be boundaries. In magic, there are no limits! There is always a way!" The red-haired mage exclaimed with conviction, snapping her fingers. A massive pillar of flame enveloped the ice crystal. The flames were bright enough to illuminate the world. Even if the sun momentarily vanished, no one would notice its absence. The magical flames incinerated the perilous ice crystal and soared skywards without spreading further. The atmosphere was drawn in. A sudden updraft lifted ice and snow. Snowflakes, hail, mist, clouds—within seconds, these fragments of snow took on new forms and vanished, sparkling high above. Although the magical power was immense, that wasn't all there was. Even if it wasn’t fully formed, the power of the ice crystal was formidable and challenging to handle with magic alone. It was possible because it was a magic augmented with the power of unique magic. "You are... as expected...." Recognizing the identity of her opponent, Elisha broke into a cold sweat. The last heir of the fallen Fahrenheit family. The Red Tower Lord. And the central figure of the Magic God’s War. The Red Tower Lord. Dutch Fahrenheit. The most radical and fiery mage had appeared in Celsius territory.