The seal of cruelty has already been fully opened.
Thanks to this, Elric was able to cast the command with much more confidence than before.
Hwaaa!
First, the temperature within the reach of Elric's magic field plummeted.
As the temperature dropped further in an already cold situation, the yetis' movements had no choice but to become sluggish.
Then a cold wind blew.
Just like when Elric first managed to take one step at a time in the blizzard created by the Snow Mountain King.
The guys also lost their direction and hesitated when their vision was completely blocked for a moment.
It was as if heavy shackles were placed on their feet and I could not approach properly. Frost slowly formed on their joints, and ice stuck to them.
Meanwhile, a lot of condensed, sharp icicles suddenly fell from the sky.
Kieeeeek!
While the Yeti warriors are quickly falling apart.
Elric crossed those guys and approached the Snow Mountain King.
* * *
'The sensation of coldness continues to sharpen.'
The more he plundered insignias from the yetis.
Elric could quickly grasp the various effects conferred by the insignias.
The insignias not only altered the physique but also bestowed exceptional magic.
More precisely, they gradually enhanced one's affinity, resistance, and understanding of the respective attribute.
The fundamental characteristic of the insignia of cruelty was 'coldness'.
By enabling the body to endure the cold more effectively, it facilitated a much easier detection and manipulation of the elements constituting the cold.
Consequently,
Elric found himself continually manifesting magic related to ice.
'Blizzard', 'Ice Arrow', 'Ice Flower', 'Frost Wind'...
As a result, his speed in hunting yetis increased, and his ability to withstand the blizzards of the Snow Mountain King also improved.
Even guardians of a similar level to the first yeti leader had to be faced in groups of three or four.
Though he faced the brink of death several times during those encounters,
Elric managed to find a way to overcome them and pressed forward.
When Elric had reached the peak of his abilities,
He could intuitively sense that he had grown a step further than before.
And lo and behold,
Boom!
The insignia of cruelty, which had been gradually taking shape with each stroke, suddenly burst with a bright radiance.
Initially, only one jagged mountain was depicted, but now there was another one carved behind it.
'A 2-star.'
Elric grinned widely.
The sudden leap in his resistance and perception to the cold attribute, which had been progressing gradually, was enough to astonish even himself.
And as a result, his affinity with the cold attribute became more pronounced.
This not only made it easier for him to wield insignia magic but also expanded the size of his mana field slightly.
Still consuming a significant amount of mana and stamina, Elric cleverly replenished the shortfall by swiftly absorbing the insignias of the slain yetis.
And so,
Killing, plundering.
Continuing to enhance the insignia of cruelty as he moved forward.
"...I've arrived."
He finally found himself face to face with the Snow Mountain King, who still stood in the same spot as before.
However, contrary to expectations, the appearance of the Snow Mountain King remained indiscernible.
It was because his form was still shrouded in shadows, just as it had appeared from afar.
Certainly, he seemed to have a completely different appearance from the other yetis, which were clearly covered in fur.
His exact appearance remained elusive.
One could only guess that it appeared closer to a human form.
'But that shadow, could it be magic? Insane!'
How much magic would one have to wield to appear like that?
The color, clarity, and luminosity were all superior.
'Mephistopheles praised it so fervently. What kind of being was he in his lifetime?'
It was speculated that while he might not have reached the level of a demon king, he might have been a commander.
Even though he now possessed magic of a similar caliber, his aura and intimidation were far too insignificant.
'Perhaps it's madness. Is that the reason?'
Of course, he didn't let his guard down.
Even if he had improved, the Snow Mountain King was still a formidable opponent beyond his current capabilities.
No matter how many insignias of cruelty he had collected, there still existed a vast gap between them.
'I have no idea how to defeat something like this.'
Kwakwakwa!
'But still, I'll give it a try.'
Despite the significant difference in levels, it seemed that reason had completely left him.
Perhaps, depending on the strategy, there might be some way to overcome it.
Elric trusted in his cunning.
So, with determination, he squeezed the insignia of cruelty with all his might.
And he faced his second death.
* * *
'How did I end up like this?'
As soon as Elric opened his eyes, he burst into bitter laughter.
He had tried to exploit the Snow Mountain King's lack of reason.
But ridiculously, the memory ended abruptly right at that moment.
The reason?
Simple.
'He was just too powerful. Overwhelmingly so.'
Even though the blizzard instinctively emitted by the beast for defense was strong, it was too much.
He must have been frozen in an instant.
He didn't even have time to realize what had happened to him.
'Even with all these insignias collected, if I can't even get close, how on earth am I supposed to win?'
Indeed, an absurd level of difficulty.
Elric sighed heavily.
Yet, involuntarily,
"Sigh."
He clicked his tongue.
Even with insignias stolen from mere yetis, he was rapidly becoming stronger. But what if he could acquire insignias from beings of that caliber?
Just the thought sent shivers down his spine.
"Mephi."
『Why?』
"The Snow Mountain King. It seemed like a female."
It was just an impression from the silhouette.
But then,
Ah!
Mephistopheles' reaction was more noticeable than Elric had anticipated.
Although he tried to play it off as nothing, he couldn't fool Elric's perception.
『So, what about it?』
"Look at this?"
Just on a whim, I thought I'd try poking around.
But this changes things, doesn't it?
Elric chuckled softly.
"Are you dating?"
『What...!』
"No, just kidding. Got you?"
『What nonsense are you spouting!』
"Well, if that's the case, then I'd be the one at a disadvantage for saying it."
『Your Majesty! Is it even reasonable that I, who have ruled over countless demons with the grace of the Master, should be questioned by a mere subordinate...!』
Despite Mephistopheles shouting that it wasn't the case, it seemed like he was just making a lot of noise.
Without paying much attention to Mephistopheles' retort, Elric once again delved back into his thoughts.
'This way, I can keep teasing him for a long time.'
From then on,
Elric would charge at the Snow Mountain King whenever he found an opportunity.
And he would die.
Several times over.
'If it doesn't work on the first try, then the second. If not the second, then I'll try three or four times.'
If he could keep retrying several times, the story would change completely.
He could try out multiple plans and strategies in sequence.
And if he failed, he could immediately reflect on the feedback from that process and come up with a new plan.
'But no matter how many plans I come up with, as Mephistopheles said, the fundamental basis should be the attainment of insignias. I need to keep collecting them.'
Fortunately, the yeti warriors kept appearing incessantly no matter how many Elric slaughtered.
He continued to collect insignias while massacring them.
And thus,
He drew closer.
'Insignias alone won't be enough. I need to break through with magic too.'
He needed to use the insignia of cruelty more efficiently.
Luckily, he had an excellent reference.
'The Snow Mountain King.'
Always standing in the same spot, like a colossal wall.
'What if I could mimic his magic?'
No matter how many times he observed the Snow Mountain King's magic, it served as a great catalyst for his inspiration.
With each challenge, new features and aspects that were previously unseen emerged as his knowledge deepened.
As the being who had grasped the insignia of cruelty most profoundly, it was likely the closest thing to the 'correct answer.'
The problem lay in the stark difference between Elric's constructed worldview and the Snow Mountain King's worldview.
It was only natural considering their different origins and races. But Elric had no intention of giving up on that front.
'If it doesn't work, I'll just steal it.'
So, he sought to emulate everything about her.
Her habits.
Her actions.
Her approach.
Her theory.
Elric gradually became closer to the essence of the being known as the Snow Mountain King.
And so, this time.
He drew even closer.
"So you're trying to 'understand' the Snow Mountain King. It's not just about plundering the insignias; you also need to deeply comprehend them. That's a very good attitude."
Auto Han observed Elric's demeanor and casually remarked with a smile.
From there, Elric gained yet another new hint.
'Imitation and theft have their limits. To surpass even those limits... I must grasp the meaning of the Snow Mountain King itself.'
Of course, it wasn't easy.
'There are things I can't handle right now. Many things that aren't theoretically understood or can't be filled with imagery. For those... I'll fill in the gaps from the library.'
Once he had an insight, he would organize the theory into books and attempt experiments against the Snow Mountain King.
There couldn't be a more certain method of acquisition.
And thus,
He took the third step.
Unending challenges.
Unending deaths.
And an equal amount of experience and study.
As these elements intertwined,
The fourth and fifth steps followed.
Kukukuku!
"...I've reached her."
Elric finally approached the Snow Mountain King's vicinity.
It was the first time he had set foot in her 'territory,' which seemed impenetrable.
Thunk!
An ice arrow shot towards the Snow Mountain King.
As the shadows tore apart, a woman with the focus of her eyes disappearing beneath them emerged.
Kyaaa!
As if expressing her displeasure, the Snow Mountain King let out a scream for the first time. It sounded like the roar of an enraged beast, with a boiling raspiness.
But Elric couldn't help but feel delighted by it.
The one who had been standing like a statue all this time finally showed a reaction to him for the first time.
It was clear that he, who had never even registered in her eyes before, had reached a certain level.
'Somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling fear even when meeting her eyes.'
Now, he was finally on equal footing.
Whoosh!
The insignia of cruelty, now at 3 stars, sparkled brightly.
* * *
"Indeed, even with a clear disadvantage, the chosen descendants turn out to be quite peculiar characters," Auto Han chuckled.
Normally, if one were to challenge to such an extent, their sense of self would have crumbled long ago.
But it wasn't just a matter of Elric experiencing death.
Freezing to death was the norm, but there were also cases of limbs being severed or excessive bleeding leading to death.
There were even times when he fought until he was on the brink of death.
It was a hellish ordeal that an ordinary human could never endure.
Yet Elric never yielded.
Not only did his will never falter, but he also laughed heartily with each retry.
It seemed he was enjoying it too much.
Whether he found exhilaration in dying or he simply enjoyed getting hit, it was unclear.
Auto Han found Elric's demeanor quite appealing.
Having such an unyielding will and an endless drive for improvement was remarkable in itself.
Of course, his innate talents were a bonus.
And so,
Auto Han could easily define Elric in a simple manner.
"He's a lunatic. A lunatic that won't appear in our family for the second time."
And just as his soliloquy ended,
Fwoosh!
For the first time, the Snow Mountain King's left arm was severed and flew into the air.
"You've done it. Finally."
Auto Han laughed heartily.