Extremely Dangerous

“Why can't I move forward? The map says the Frozen Lake's terrain should be flat and covered in frost mist, shouldn't it?” A student with a sword stood stunned before the ice mountain. Behind him, ice demons were slowly closing in. He had no choice but to turn around, suppressing his shock and confusion for a final stand.

His flaming longsword hacked at the dense crowd of ice demons. Against the avalanche-like frost magic, those tiny sparks were utterly insignificant.

Many students saw the ice walls from afar. These walls were gradually growing taller than Snow Peak Mountain, reaching into the clouds. A faint blue glow emanated from the mountain-like structures. This ice was far harder than the Frozen Lake's surface; even a strike from a Great Mage could only shatter a portion of the wall, unable to break through.

Far off, the blue robed mage floating in the air breathed a sigh of relief. His deep blue eyes watched the scene within the walls. He held a deep blue staff, manipulating the icy barriers. This was Bordote, known as “Blizzard,” one of the Five Staves. He frowned, staring at the scene inside the perimeter, feeling waves of pressure like the abyss itself pressing against him.

Suddenly, he felt as if someone had struck him with a sword. The immense force nearly made him lose his balance in the air. He checked his body—no wounds, not even a tear in his clothes. In that instant, it was merely that someone had the intent to strike him, nothing more.

“Such powerful killing intent... Is this the helper Director Albert mentioned? This is terrifying... If Alchemy doesn't show up, we won't be able to control the situation.” Bordote tapped his staff lightly in the air. His robes began to change, layers of armor covering his body.

Though he didn't possess a divine raiment like Li Yue's “Death,” he could use his own power to manifest his Frost King.

“Director Albert, explain to us exactly what is going on.” A professor stood up, his voice tinged with displeasure.

“This was a decision made by the academy directors. We pushed the choice through directly.”

“What choice? Why wasn't I informed?” Ishtar, known as “Withering,” looked at Albert. Her eyes flashed with surprise, mixed with the shock and anger of feeling untrusted.

“It couldn't be helped. After all, the Saintess is also one of the Five Staves. She couldn't be allowed to know.” Albert smiled. “Did the Church really think their plan was well-hidden?”

“What plan? Are you saying they're collecting the remains of the gods they worship?”

“A god-creation plan, or rather, to resurrect one. It's a bit... balance-breaking.” Albert's expression darkened. “Although the Royal Court is currently too busy with its own affairs, without the Church's help centuries ago, we truly wouldn't have been able to defeat them. For better or worse, we can't really stop that Pope unless absolutely necessary.”

“Not even one of the Five Staves is his match. Where would a helper come from?” Ishtar frowned. As an established Calamity Warlock, the Pope could even communicate directly with the will of the gods. He was significantly stronger than the Saintess, “Daylight,” who shared the same elemental attribute.

“God against god. Since he can bring out the God of Redemption, then the God of Death has arrived as their destined calamity.” Albert chuckled. “Fate is a funny thing, full of coincidences. No wonder Merlin was always so cryptic. Even that letter he sent recently—if I hadn't met the person herself, I wouldn't have understood what those words meant.”

“Master Merlin? What did he say?”

“Death is hunting them down...”

The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly. No one dared to breathe heavily. They didn't even dare look at the projection in the center. The God of Death, the one who ended the Era of the Gods—the more they knew about her, the more they feared.

With a bang, the central projection vanished, leaving only flickering sparks. All the monitoring formations failed at once, turning into nothingness and dissolving into the air.

At the Storm Eye, the wind roared violently for a moment before stopping just as suddenly. This change gave Li Yue no respite in the center of the storm. The blood-red color in her eyes deepened; she was growing increasingly serious.

An enormous wingless dragon appeared within the gale. Its massive frame was even taller than the giant ice walls Bordote had just created. Standing atop the dragon was a magic user wearing a crown-like hat. He held a giant staff, shining as bright as the sun.

Amidst the clouds, the figures of ancient gods grew clearer, leaning down to gaze upon the mortal world.

The trainees turned into specks of starlight, teleported back to the centralized hall. They looked at each other, confusion evident in their eyes, but the earth-shaking roar that followed quickly replaced their bewilderment with terror.

The academy's outer walls activated all defense facilities. The last time they had faced such a crisis was against the Royal Court at the height of its power.