Indeed, the person Duwei had rescued was none other than the cold and formidable ice maiden who had clashed with Vivian in Half-Horn City over the fear-mimic demon.
Now, however, this woman lay unconscious, her lips pressed tightly together, her brows furrowed in distress. Even in slumber, traces of fear and panic lingered on her pale face.
Duwei couldn't help but reflect on the night he had witnessed her immense strength. Seeing her now, vulnerable and terrified, he wondered—what horrifying ordeal had she endured?
The earlier earthquake and that inexplicable roar echoed in his mind.
Vivian sat cautiously beside her sister, holding a gourd of water. She looked up at Duwei, her voice hesitant and stammering. "H-how did you find her? W-what happened to her?"
Shrugging, Duwei gave a brief explanation. Vivian, still bewildered, examined her sister's condition. There were no visible injuries, but her breathing was shallow and weak.
Vivian attempted to give her sister some water, but the ice maiden clenched her teeth tightly. Impatient, Duwei knelt beside her, grabbed a branch, and forcefully pried her jaw open. Taking the gourd from Vivian's hands, he unceremoniously poured a mouthful of water into the unconscious woman's throat.
"No! Stop! She might choke!" Vivian exclaimed, grabbing Duwei's arm. Her wide eyes searched his face before she murmured softly, "Y-you seem upset."
"Should I be happy?" Duwei retorted. "You'd better think carefully. What will we do when she wakes up? With your magic failing, we won't stand a chance against her."
He sighed deeply. The dilemma had plagued him since he found her adrift on the iceberg.
To save her? She wasn't an ally. If she woke up and went on a rampage, it could spell disaster. Duwei vividly remembered her threat—to capture him and refine his soul into some kind of essence. He didn't know exactly what that entailed, but it was undoubtedly nothing pleasant.
To leave her? Letting someone die, even an enemy, felt like too cruel a choice.
Lost in thought, Duwei was startled by a sudden, choking cough. The ice maiden had awakened.
She coughed violently, struggling to sit up. Her body, weakened from prolonged unconsciousness, gave out, and she fell back. Still, her eyes opened, scanning her surroundings.
"S-sister…" Vivian whispered timidly, retreating closer to Duwei as fear flickered in her wide eyes.
The woman groaned, clutching her head. "What… happened? My head… hurts so much… Who… you two…"
As her confusion cleared, she focused on Vivian and Duwei. "You? What are you doing here? And… how did I end up here? Did you save me?"
Before they could respond, her expression shifted dramatically. Panic seized her features, and she let out a piercing cry. "My dragon! My dragon! My Frost Dragon! My Octet!"
Grief overwhelmed her. She dropped to her knees, cradling her face as heart-wrenching sobs erupted.
"My dragon… my Octet… My Octet is gone…"
Vivian blinked, tears welling up as she hesitated to speak. "S-sister… your dragon… what happened to it?"
The woman's voice broke with anguish. "What happened? It's dead! Dead!" She slammed her fists against the ground, clawing at the dirt in an attempt to vent her unbearable sorrow. "It was devoured by that monster! It sacrificed itself to save me, and now it's gone!"
Duwei's eyes widened.
A dragon… devoured?
What kind of creature could consume a dragon? Wasn't a dragon supposed to be the pinnacle of strength?
Vivian's sister sobbed inconsolably, her voice hoarse and her eyes bloodshot. No amount of comfort from Vivian could soothe her. Eventually, her sobs quieted, more out of exhaustion than solace.
Duwei stepped forward, pulling Vivian aside. He looked at the woman with a stern expression. "Tell us. What exactly happened? What was this monster you mentioned? What kind of creature is it?"
"Monster…" The ice maiden's eyes darkened with fear. "Yes… there's a monster."
She glanced at Duwei and Vivian, then, with a sudden flare of anger, pointed an accusing finger at them. "It's all because of you! Vivian! If only you had given me that demon! I wouldn't have chased you this far!"Du Wei raised an eyebrow, irritation bubbling within him.
"This is utterly preposterous, bandit logic at its finest," he thought, though he had no time to argue with the woman.
Her eyes glinted with hostility as she reached toward her waist.
"Looking for this?" Du Wei drawled, producing a jade-green flute from behind his back. It was her weapon, confiscated while she was unconscious.
"Hmph! Do you think taking my wand renders me powerless against you?" The icy beauty froze momentarily, then sneered. "Come, Vivian! Even without my dragon, I'll defeat you. You've never bested me, not once!"
With that, she inhaled sharply, lifting off the ground as she began to chant incantations at an alarming speed.
D*mn it! Du Wei cursed inwardly, wanting to slap himself. He had foreseen this exact scenario—saving a woman who would awaken only to attack her rescuer.
But as he fumed, something unexpected occurred.
The icy beauty, hovering at treetop height, suddenly wavered mid-air. Her face paled before she plummeted, landing unceremoniously in a heap.
Thankfully, Vivian rushed to catch her, though both tumbled into the undergrowth.
The icy beauty shrieked, her expression twisted in terror. "What did you do to me?! My magic—my magic!!"
She shoved Vivian aside and chanted again, her voice tinged with desperation. This time, all she managed was a small, palm-sized flurry of frost that struck Du Wei. Though it stung, a realization struck him.
"Your magic... it's failing?" he exclaimed.
"My magic!" The icy beauty stared at her hands in disbelief. Moments ago, she had cast a mid-level spell, Frozen Frost Wave, yet all she'd conjured was a pitiful shard of ice.
Du Wei's expression turned peculiar before he burst into laughter. "So even your magic is useless here! Hahaha!"
"How dare you!" she roared. "What have you done to me, Vivian?! What spell have you cast?"
Du Wei smirked, his voice dripping with mockery. "Oh, please. We're enemies. Did you expect us to sit idly by, waiting for you to regain your strength and strike us down?"
"It's your doing!" Her face turned ashen, fear creeping into her gaze.
"No, no, sister…" Vivian stammered, hugging her tightly. "M-my magic has failed too… I-I can't use it either…"
Du Wei clicked his tongue. "Vivian, you're too kind. Why tell this vile woman the truth?" But then he grinned, pondering. "So, both your magic and hers have failed. That means the cause isn't either of you. It must be this place suppressing all magic!"
Realizing the icy beauty had lost her powers, Du Wei felt an immediate sense of relief.
A tiger without claws is far less intimidating.
With newfound confidence, he sauntered closer, grinning wickedly. "Well, my dear mage, what now? Care to turn me into some ethereal soul crystal, or perhaps unleash a spell?"
As he leaned in provocatively, her eyes flashed with malice.
Du Wei felt a sinking sensation.
Pain exploded in his stomach as he was sent flying, landing heavily on the ground.
The icy beauty clenched her fist, glaring at him. "Fool! Even without magic, do you think you can bully me? I am not just a mage—I'm also a warrior, a certified Level Six swordswoman!"
Cursing inwardly, Du Wei managed a wry smile.
I got cocky. How could I forget she's a dual-class expert, skilled in both magic and combat?
Before he could recover, she advanced, poised to deliver another blow. Vivian dashed forward, shielding him with outstretched arms.
"Don't! Sister, please don't hurt him!"
The icy beauty sneered. "Oh, how precious! Protecting your little lover, are we?"
Blushing furiously, Vivian stammered, "H-he's not my lover! He… he saved us both! He brought me water, found food, and even rescued you! You can't hurt him!"
The icy beauty hesitated, then stepped back, her fists lowering. "Fine. Since he saved me, I'll spare him this once."
"Th-thank you," Vivian sighed in relief.
Du Wei, however, chuckled darkly, struggling to his feet. "If I'd known this would be your gratitude, I'd have left you to drown."
"Hmph." She shot him a scornful glance. "Too bad you lack the strength to throw me back into the sea."
"I won't argue with that," Du Wei admitted coolly. "But let's cut the bickering. Your magic is gone, and we're stranded. There's barely any food or water here, no means of escape, and—if I heard correctly—a monster capable of devouring dragons roams this island. We need to talk strategy, now."
Her expression darkened at the mention of her dragon, grief flickering across her features.
"My Orkt… my poor Orkt…" she whispered.
"Save the mourning for later," Du Wei said curtly. "If that creature can eat a dragon, it can eat us too. Tell us everything you know so we can prepare."
Drawing a shaky breath, the icy beauty steadied herself.
"It attacked just as I landed. A massive creature emerged from the sea, its body grotesque and partially submerged. It looked like a colossal fleshy orb with eyes on either side. Its magic was overwhelming—it summoned waves nearly 30 meters high, enough to knock me and Orkt out of the sky.
"Orkt fought back with ice magic, but it was useless. The creature's body was shielded by a magical barrier that deflected every attack. I've never encountered anything so powerful—not even top-tier mages can maintain a barrier like that under such an assault."
"And then?"
"I tried to escape, but it was too late. The creature had created an invisible barrier, trapping us. No matter which direction I flew, I was forced back. Eventually, a massive wave struck us down, and…"
"And?"
"And I fell. I watched as that monster swallowed Orkt whole." Her voice trembled. "In one bite."
One bite?
Du Wei felt a chill crawl up his spine.
The size of such a creature was unfathomable.
Swallowing his unease, he pressed on. "So, what now? If that thing can devour a dragon, we can't waste time. We need to act before it comes for us."
The icy beauty hesitated, then nodded, her grief hardening into determination.
"Yes. Let's plan."Chapter Thirty-Three: A World of Three
The news brought by the ice maiden cast a heavy silence over the group. Du Wei's heart grew heavier as he furrowed his brows, lost in thought.
A beast capable of devouring a dragon whole.
A creature so formidable it could overpower both a dragon and an eighth-level mage.
Leaving the two sisters behind, Du Wei wandered to the seaside, hoping the crisp ocean breeze might untangle the chaotic web of his thoughts.
A beast... A place that suppresses magic... No magic, no food, no fresh water...
He sighed, murmuring to himself, "It seems there's only one course of action left..."
Resolutely, he turned and made his way back to the grove where the two sisters were locked in what appeared to be an argument—or rather, one-sided scolding. For with Vivian's timid stutter, it was impossible for her to hold her ground in any verbal confrontation.
"You should have handed over that cursed phantom demon to me long ago! Do you even realize? That old man doesn't even know where we are now. Are you still counting on him to save you? Hmph…"
"What's going on?" Du Wei approached, glancing at Vivian. Her reddened eyes and forlorn expression told him all he needed to know. She glanced at him cautiously, her voice barely audible. "N-n-nothing…"
Du Wei gave a dry chuckle, sitting down as he began gathering twigs to start a fire. "You two sisters… One is as meek as a newborn chick, and the other? Fierce as a dragoness."
The ice maiden scoffed. Though annoyed by his bold remark, she was bound by her earlier promise not to trouble him out of gratitude for saving her. Reluctantly, she held her tongue.
Vivian, however, glanced hesitantly between her sister and Du Wei, then inched closer to him, seeking a sense of safety.
The ice maiden noticed and muttered under her breath, "A conniving rogue, luring innocent girls."
Unfazed, Du Wei shot back, "And a bandit, stealing from others without shame."
The ice maiden's temper flared instantly. She glared daggers at Du Wei, her rage building like a storm about to break.
But then, at the worst possible moment, a sound shattered the tension.
Grrrr... Grrr...
Du Wei stifled a laugh, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he looked at the ice maiden.
Her face flushed scarlet, the anger on her face quickly giving way to a blend of embarrassment and frustration. What had once been pure fury now seemed almost laughable.
"How strange," Du Wei mused aloud, feigning confusion. "Could it be the island beast roaring in the distance?"
The ice maiden's face burned even brighter as she shot him a venomous glare, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's... It's me."
"You?" Du Wei widened his eyes in mock surprise.
"Yes!" she finally snapped, exasperation spilling over. "It's me! My stomach is growling! I'm starving! It's almost dark, and none of you seem to care about eating!"
"Of course, we eat," Du Wei drawled lazily, stretching. "But only if there's anything to eat, naturally."
From the side, Vivian timidly reached into her bag, pulling out a handful of dark, unidentifiable roots. Her sister's eyes widened in disbelief as she stammered, "S-s-sister... If y-y-you're hungry... you can eat... eat this…"
"What is this?" The ice maiden's face contorted in disgust. Then, as realization dawned, her fury reignited. She spun toward Du Wei, fuming. "You dare make my sister eat such filth?! Tree roots?!"
Du Wei's response was cold. "If you don't want them, then go hungry."
The ice maiden's anger boiled over. "You useless fool! Can't you hunt a single wild animal?!"
Du Wei laughed nonchalantly. "Wild animals? Be my guest! If you manage to catch one, I'll gladly sing praises to the heavens in honor of your greatness. Go ahead!"
Vivian tugged gently at her sister's sleeve, whispering, "S-s-sister... There's n-nothing on this island…"
Du Wei turned away, his tone growing frosty. "Decide for yourself. Eat, or stay hungry. By tomorrow, when you're too weak from hunger, perhaps I'll have my revenge by kicking you into the ocean."
That remark worked better than anything else.
The ice maiden snatched the roots from Vivian's hands, chewing on them with visible reluctance.
She grimaced, her face contorting with every bite. Never in her life had she imagined eating something so vile. Grass? Roots? Was she a horse or a cow?
Her humiliation was complete, and Du Wei couldn't help but smirk, finding the scene both amusing and pitiful.