As the elder continued tugging at the jagged piece of ice jutting out of his arm, the boy walked forwards calmly.
His steps seemed to agitate the snow as it swirled upwards, circling around him and creating a tornado of white.
His cold gaze landed on the elder, who shrunk back in fear as he slowly stood up.
The boy stepped forwards, his hand landing on the elder's neck and lifting him up, ice crawling over his neck.
"I'll let you live if you give me a map and tell me about this world."
A maniacal gleam shone in the elder's eyes as he looked down at the boy.
"Of course, of course!"
"The map."
The elder stuck his hand into his bag, slowly drawing out a sheet of paper.
As the boy's eyes focused on the sheet of paper, a click resounded through the air. The boy's eyes widened as a bright yellow beam blasted out from the elder's cane.
"Tch."
He let go of the elder as a thin layer of ice rose out of the ground in front of the beam.
The tinkling of shattered ice resounded through the air as the boy skidded backwards, causing snow to spray in the air.
Blood dripped out of his mouth as he glared at the elder.
"Die."
Several pieces of ice embedded themselves into the elder, flinging his body into the snow.
The boy knelt down, searching the body.
He grabbed the cane as well as the map, looking down at it.
"The nearest city...Valkros, The White Palace..."
"Tch...let me finish absorbing these ice cores first..."
As he drained the gems of all their energy, they shattered into specks of cold light.
He stood up, the wind ruffling his hair as he gazed into the distance, signaling the beginning of a new journey.
Valkros, known as "The White Palace" was a large fortress, built to resist the invasions from the White Horde, a group of barbarians led by a mysterious figurehead.
No one had ever seen their leader before, besides the bodies that were buried in the endless snow of winter.
The road to the fortress was crowded with carriages and people. The crying of babies caused the boy to pause.
A patrol of heavily armored guards walked past him, causing him to overhear their conversation.
"Tch...looks like the Horde struck again..."
"Damn...don't we already have enough work?"
As they moved further away, their conversation became indistinct, blending in with the chaos of the crowd.
The boy's gaze turned to the imposing city. Built at a height of 20 meters tall, the bright white walls shone like a beacon in the glimmering sunlight.
As he entered the gleaming white city, Raki's eyes widened as the noise of the bustling city overwhelmed him.
"Hey kid, over here!"
A conspicuously dressed man waved at him from the side of the street, causing several bystanders to turn their heads curiously.
Raki's eyes twitched, ignoring the man as he continued to walk, until the man said something that stopped him in his tracks.
"I sense a strong elemental aura on you, boy."
"..."
Raki turned towards the man, his eyes full of panic.
[Shit! If he goes any further...]
Unconsciously, an icicle began forming in his hands as he stared at the weird man.
"Hehe...don't worry, I won't tell anyone, but looks like the city guards are coming...you sure you don't want to hear me out?"
"Tch...you got me..."
Raki knew he didn't have a choice as he followed the man into an alleyway.
To the bystanders, it seemed as if the two people had simply vanished. As the city guards stormed over, the bystanders quickly scattered, their whispers floating through the air.
The captain of the guards had a frown on his face as he watched his guards interrogate the bystanders.
"Riel, can you sense anything?"
A mage with light blue hair and cyan eyes walked out from behind the captain, taking out a small crystal ball.
"Hmm...there seems to be traces of elemental energy...and it's ice at that..."
The mage's last words caused the captain to raise an eyebrow.
"An ice mage, huh...could a Horde member have infiltrated the city? Well, in any case, make sure to send a report back."
"Understood."
As Raki continued to follow the man, his ears twitched as the conversation reached his ears.
[Wait...Ears?]
[Didn't that orb say that he turned me into an ice elemental?]
[Tch...looks like my race is still the same as in my past life...]
[I guess that's not so bad...]
As Raki lost himself within his thoughts, the man in front of him suddenly stopped, causing Raki to bump into him.
"We're here."
"Tch...you really think I'm going to follow you?"
The man turned towards Raki, his mouth curving into a mocking smile.
"You don't really have a choice, do you?"
"Ngh..."
[He's right...even if I could kill him, the city guards would lock down the city and hunt me down...]
"Hehe...don't worry, youngster. I won't do anything bad to you..."
The man turned back to face the wall, knocking his fist against it in a strange rhythm. As he finished knocking, a part of the wall slid open, revealing a wide hallway.
"You may enter."
Raki followed the man into the hallway, observing his surroundings quietly.
The eerie green glow of the torches lit up the hallway, revealing pale white skulls embedded in the walls.
Their eyes shone with a pale blue flame that seemed to dance in the empty eye sockets.
As Raki reached the end of the hallway, the man turned to face him.
"From today, you are now part of the Ouroboros Ring."
Raki's eyes had a cold flicker in them as the man declared Raki's position.
"And if I disagree?"
"Then we'll just have to train you and sell you to some noble as a slave."
The man snapped his fingers, several robed men rushing into the hall.
"After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch. You should repay me for saving you from the guards, right?"
His laugh echoed through the chambers as the green lights flared up, causing an eerie glow to fall across his face.