They found themselves within the depths of a profound and mysterious rift valley. Midir looked up, but saw only an expanse of pitch blackness. Only Aila, with her keen vision, managed to catch a faint glimmer of light struggling to penetrate through the narrow cracks at the very top of the distant mountain walls. That light was weak and remote, like the most inconspicuous star in the night sky.
The ground of the rift valley was covered in a thick layer of snow. Judging by the marks on the snow, it was clear that no living being had set foot here for many years. Only a single trail led into the distance. Based on its size, it was clearly the path taken by the hound that the elemental creature had transformed into.
Although neither of them could use their powers now, a creature composed entirely of elements would fare no better here. Without much hesitation, the two immediately followed the trail under the shimmer of the fluorescent lights.
Sure enough, they hadn't gone far before they saw the elemental being struggling in the snow.
At this point, it couldn't even maintain its hound-like form. The ice crystals on its body were peeling off bit by bit, and once they detached from its frame, they simply vanished into the air, as if an invisible mouth in the atmosphere were constantly gnawing away at it.
“This feeling... could it be!” Watching the hound gradually dissolve before his eyes, Midir suddenly realized something. “Could this place... be a massive elemental stripping barrier?!”
The thought flashed through his mind, yet it fit the scene before him with startling accuracy. He knew that even at his peak, he couldn't have created a barrier of this scale. What lay before him had clearly existed for countless ages.
To confirm his theory, Midir immediately mobilized the mana within his body and once again created a thin film of the Power of Creation, covering the two of them like a cloak.
Once the rose-red light enveloped them, although they still couldn't project their power outward, the suffocating pressure from before vanished instantly.
“Did you use your Power of Creation to offset that feeling? To think such a thing exists beneath the Valley of Ice... I’ve never heard of anything like this.”
Aila spoke with surprise after feeling her discomfort fade. Neither the records she had gathered nor the legends she had heard from her parents had ever mentioned such a bizarre environment.
“Of course no one would mention it. If someone fell from that height with their powers sealed, and then faced an environment that constantly devours elements, I doubt any creature could successfully survive,” Midir replied, pointing toward the unseen heights above.
As they spoke, a crisp crack echoed nearby.
Aila turned to look. The elemental being's form had completely vanished, and its black core had become incredibly fragile upon contact with the air, shattering right before their eyes.
Seeing this, Aila hurriedly looked at Midir, who was still maintaining the output of the Power of Creation, and spoke with some anxiety.
“Then isn't our situation very bad? Is the drain from maintaining this barrier high? Can you handle it? If not, you should drop the barrier around me and save yourself first!”
But Midir did not listen to her. He simply shook his head gently. “It’s fine. At least for a short time, there won't be any problems. Instead of worrying about my power running dry, we should hurry and find an exit.”
Seeing him firmly refuse her suggestion, Aila could only bite her lip and give a soft nod.
Just then, a pale white mist suddenly rose from the shattered black core, and a dense fluctuation of water elements rippled out from within the mist.
This fluctuation was exceptionally resilient. Even in the harsh environment of the elemental stripping barrier, it showed no sign of diminishing.
Upon seeing this energy, Midir’s heart jolted. He immediately stepped forward and reached his hand into the pale white mist.
The moment Midir’s fingers touched the mist, an ultimate cold swept in from his fingertips, nearly freezing his body into an icicle.
However, he did not retreat. Instead, he closed his eyes, letting that bone-chilling cold penetrate his flesh and reach his marrow. In a posture that was almost prayer-like, he focused his entire being on sensing this gift from the depths of the elements.
Just as he had expected, this mist was the water element essence that the elemental creature had spent untold years condensing. After its form was destroyed, this essence erupted uncontrollably, containing within it the intent of Nirvana Ice.
Unlike the violent ferocity of the Flame of Destruction, Nirvana Ice—as the Ultimate Water—presented itself in his mind as a complete opposite.
The feeling it brought was one of absolute, utter silence. It was soundless, formless, heartless, and thoughtless. Everything that touched it would be frozen, to the point where even time and space could not escape.
On the Leon Continent, those with an affinity for opposing elements like water and fire were already rare. It was even more unthinkable for two such different Ultimate Powers to appear in the same person.
Yet Midir forcefully accepted the intent of Nirvana Ice. Thanks to his existing understanding of Ultimate Power, he was rapidly digesting this new intent.
If it were anyone else, they might not even have had the chance to sense it in this environment. But he managed to beat the elemental stripping, absorbing the intent completely into his body just seconds before the mist vanished entirely.
Feeling another powerful force beginning to circulate within him as he envisioned it, Midir finally came to his senses. By then, his exterior was already covered in a thin layer of ice.
With a gentle effort, the ice membrane covering his body immediately shattered into fragments. As soon as they left his body, they were reduced to nothingness by the elemental stripping barrier outside.
Midir had a feeling that the water element power now flowing within him was different from before. As for where the difference lay, he couldn't say for sure yet, but there was a strange sense of familiarity.
If not for the bothersome elemental stripping barrier in the valley, Midir would have wanted to try using Nirvana Ice right now to see how it compared to the Flame of Destruction.
Ultimately, he abandoned that plan. After all, in this unknown environment, preserving all his strength was the most important thing.
“What was that just now? I was startled when you were suddenly frozen by that white mist, but you seem to be doing quite well now. Did you get some kind of benefit?” Aila stepped forward and looked him up and down after he resumed moving.
Midir sensed his body once more, confirming that the power of Ultimate Water was slowly circulating within him. He looked up and said, “Indeed. My luck was quite good. I managed to comprehend Nirvana Ice from the willpower it left behind.”
“Eh! Another Ultimate Power? That’s incredibly rare! It looks like our trip down here wasn't in vain. I guess you could call it a blessing in disguise~” Aila’s eyes widened, and she spoke with a look of surprise.
However, Midir’s expression did not relax. He continued, “Even so, in this current environment, I can't use it smoothly yet. Our primary goal is still to figure out how to leave this place.”
Rate on N.U.
