Bab 5: Ragnar Frost

"Death's... Blossom."

Everything that had just happened felt so weird.

It was like he was in some sort of lucid dream.

"First form, huh? And it doesn't even show me how many forms there are,"

Azriel muttered, gazing at the three headless bodies.

Strangely, he didn't feel as tired as he had thought he would.

Sure, it did cost some mana to perform the Dance of Death's first form, but not as much as he had expected.

"Perhaps I judged the god of death a little too earl-"

He couldn't finish speaking as the grade 1 wolf suddenly lunged at him.

Caught off guard, Azriel didn't have enough time to move his entire body out of the way or raise Void Eater.

Tilting his body sideways, he quickly froze his right shoulder blade with ice before the beast could bite into it, deflecting it from his neck.

Crack!

The sound of ice shattering echoed as the teeth sank into his right shoulder.

"Argh!"

"That fucking hurts!"

Screaming from the pain that nearly made him lose consciousness, he bit his tongue. His left hand crackled with red lightning as he plunged it into the void wolf's head, frying its brain.

The sensation of his hand penetrating its brain and the sickening crunch of the skull breaking made Azriel grit his teeth and swallow the vomit rising in his throat.

"Shit, this feels so disgusting."

Removing his hand from its head, the wolf fell with a thud on the ground next to him. His left hand was painted black from its blood, making Azriel want to retch.

Realizing he was about to get distracted again, he gripped his katana tighter and hurriedly looked towards where the last remaining void wolf was.

The grade 2 beast wasn't there anymore...

No matter where he turned his head, he couldn't see the wolf anywhere. After an entire minute, he realized that the wolf had actually fled.

"I guess that's why he had two eyes, unlike this one..."

It seemed the grade 2 wolf was smart enough to understand that it would have died as well after seeing the sudden death of its three companions.

"Tch, I always liked cats more!"

Saying that, he froze the wound on his right shoulder again, stopping the bleeding. He didn't have anything with him to help heal his wounds.

"Mmpfh!"

'Dammit, it really hurts getting bitten by those skinless dogs! Well, I shouldn't have been zoning out in the first place, I guess...'

He was lucky to use his ice fast enough, or else the grade 1 beast would have bitten his entire arm off.

'...Damn, I feel cold.'

Azriel wasn't wearing anything except for some torn, ragged clothes, and adding that to the ice on his body only made him tremble more as his teeth started to clatter.

"Right, I should harvest those mana cores, probably," he muttered to himself.

He decided to absorb their mana cores before any other void creatures found him. He was sure his fight with the void wolves had attracted some of them.

Though whether someone as insignificant as him would be worth killing or eating by the higher-ranked void creatures, he wasn't really eager to find out.

With his katana, he made a precise incision near where the heart would be. The blade slid through the flesh easily, but the sickly warmth and the smell of blood and offal made him gag. His hand trembled slightly as he reached into the body, feeling around for the mana core.

When his fingers brushed against the smooth, hard surface, he grimaced and pulled it out, covered in blood and bits of tissue.

"Ugh, that's disgusting," he muttered.

Moving to the next body, the process didn't get any easier. Each time he had to reach into the carcass, the nauseating sensation of warm blood and the slick, slimy texture of organs made him retch.

"I want to take a shower..."

********

"Haa..."

A tired sigh escaped Ragnar's lips as he walked through the corridors of a military base established in France — a safe zone.

Ragnar was undeniably handsome, with hair as pure and white as freshly fallen snow, cascading in smooth waves down to his shoulders.

His piercing blue eyes resembled sapphires, sparkling with an intensity that seemed to penetrate the soul.

He appeared to be in his late twenties, with chiseled, refined features. High cheekbones framed a strong jawline.

There was a maturity in his gaze that spoke of countless experiences.

Yet, what truly set him apart, making everyone he passed bow their heads in fear and respect, was the palpable aura of strength and authority he radiated. His presence alone had the ability to instill both awe and tremors in those who saw him.

A Grade 1 Grandmaster — the head of the Frost Clan, one of the four great clans ruling the Asian continent. The Crimson Clan ruled the eastern parts, while the Frost Clan governed northern Asia.

Walking a step behind him was his trusted right-hand man and servant, Thomas. Though not as handsome as his lord, Thomas was undeniably one of the most handsome men alive.

His silky blond hair and emerald eyes shone like countless stars in a dark night. While Thomas wasn't a Grade 1 Grandmaster like his lord, he was still a Grade 3 Grandmaster.

"The government agent said you need to stay in France for a few more days, my lord, instead of leaving today," Thomas said respectfully as they continued toward the control room.

"And who the hell do they think they are?" Ragnar retorted.

"Remind him and them that the Frost Clan doesn't work for the government, nor do they have the power to command us."

To the public, Ragnar was here to demonstrate that the four great clans of Asia, particularly the Frost Clan, supported and collaborated with the government to reclaim Europe.

But the main reason was something else...

There have been multiple reports of possible Phase 4 voidrifts appearing in France and Spain, yet nothing of the sort has happened yet.

Ragnar had been staying here for over a week because humanity couldn't afford to let all their hard-won control that they barely had in Western Europe go in vain.

However, there had been no signs of any void rifts appearing whatsoever in the past week. Not only that, there had been no signs of a void creature above the Monarch rank in France at all.

"We will leave today after one final check-up," Ragnar declared, showing his indifference to staying longer in this compromised country.

"I'll dispatch a few of our own to stay here and assist the military if necessary." he continued.

"Actually, my lord... There seems to be interference with the signals, making it currently impossible to contact anyone outside of Europe, though travel between continents seems unaffected," Thomas reported.

Ragnar halted, a scowl forming on his face as he faced Thomas. The bad feeling he had only intensified.

"How long has this issue been occurring?" Ragnar demanded.

"...Since the last hour," Thomas replied calmly, though a slight cold sweat betrayed his concern.

Ragnar shook his head and resumed walking.

"It doesn't matter. We are leaving today no matter what. Inform the government that the Frost Clan will send their representatives only once the signal is restored."

He was determined to return to Asia, not to the north but to the east instead. Tomorrow was an extremely important day for his best friend, Joaquin Crimson.

Unlike what many believed, the four great clans harbored no animosity among them — at least, not entirely. The Crimson Clan and the Frost Clan shared the strongest bond among the four.

Perhaps because of this, most preferred Asia, where the four great clans worked together competently instead of fighting each other.

This cooperation was also why the Hero Academy was located there — maintaining Asia's peace was crucial, as the fall of any great clan could lead to chaos.

Joaquin and Ragnar had been friends since childhood, attending the Hero Academy together.

And tomorrow... it would be the day after the birthday of Joaquin's only son, Azriel Crimson, who had been presumed dead or missing for the past two years.

'...they still haven't accepted his death after all. Well, it's not like they ever found his body or even knew exactly what happened,' Ragnar thought somberly, reflecting on the grief Joaquin and his family must be experiencing.

Finally, Ragnar and Thomas arrived at the control room.

Yet, as they approached, both men sensed something was amiss. They listened intently to the conversation unfolding inside.

"Do you think he actually killed those four Void Wolves by himself?"

"Well, do you see anyone else with him?"

"...still, he looks so young."

"And handsome."

"Quickly, save this footage for later..."

"What if he isn't human but actually a skinwalker?"

"Skinwalker or not, this could sell for a lot of money."

"Could be true, but he could also be a wanderer?"

A "wanderer" often refers to a human who has been unfortunate enough to find themselves in a death zone after entering and exiting a void rift.

Intrigued by their discussion, Ragnar moved forward with Thomas, suppressing their presence as they approached a massive holographic screen at the front of the control room.

It displayed footage from a drone positioned directly in front of a young teenage boy...

The boy sat nonchalantly on the corpse of a headless Voidwolf, playing with its empty mana core using his left hand, which was stained black with the beast's blood. A pitch-black katana was embedded in the ground beside him.

With messy, long black hair and blood-red eyes, his torn clothes and a patch of ice on his right shoulder suggested the recent battle that took place.

His hair fluttered in the wind as he stared directly into the drone's camera with a small smile.

Suddenly, he tapped the drone lightly with his right hand, causing it and the camera to sway.

"Hello? Does this thing have a mic?"

PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
Crypthh

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

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Pilih

KIRIM HADIAH

Bab 6: Hope and Doubts

If there was one word to describe the scene in front of him, it was "art."

He would have definitely bought a painting of it if it was on the market.

'That boy... why does he feel so familiar? And not only that, but that katana—'

'Void Eater!?'

It didn't take more than a few seconds for Ragnar to recognize the katana next to the boy.

How couldn't he?

After all, Void Eater originally belonged to his best friend, rival, and someone he considered a brother.

The number of times the two of them had clashed, and Ragnar had bled because of Void Eater...

He knew that Void Eater was eventually gifted to his only son, Azriel.

'...That boy... no, impossible. It can't be.'

It didn't take much longer for him to connect the dots as he gazed at the boy with trembling eyes.

Not just him—even Thomas gazed at the boy in utter horror.

"Lord Ragnar!"

"Grandmaster Thomas!"

Finally, the others noticed the presence of Ragnar and Thomas and bowed their heads instantly in respect.

"This is live footage, right?" Thomas asked, his voice trembling slightly as he gazed at the operators with narrowed eyes.

They nodded their heads lightly, confused by their reactions.

"Yes, Grandmaster Thomas, this is live footage from Paris where the boy is. We haven't yet discovered if it is a skinwalker, some other type of void creature, or a wanderer."

"Did you guys run facial recognition?" Ragnar suddenly spoke, his cold, narrowed eyes sweeping past each one of them, making them tremble and break out in a cold sweat.

"W-we have, Lord Ragnar, but we haven't found a match—"

"Azriel Crimson," Ragnar interrupted, making everyone look at him wide-eyed.

"W-what?" The female operator was bewildered, as were all the operators, hearing the sudden name of the son of the Crimson Clan.

Though Azriel Crimson was known for almost never showing his face to the public, that only made him even more mysterious and popular.

And the thing that stood out the most...

Rumors had been circulating that Azriel Crimson had been missing or dead for the past two years.

Obviously, the four great clans and the government tried their best to suppress the rumors as much as they could.

Only the gods could tell the aftermath if the only son of one of the four great clans had died somehow.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Ragnar spoke, his voice growing colder as the operators in the room felt a shiver run down their spines.

"N-no! Apologies, we are doing it right away!"

Not a moment later, one of the male operators behind their computers shouted, bringing everyone's gaze towards him.

"We got a match!"

Though no one shared his enthusiasm in the slightest as Ragnar's and Thomas's faces became grim.

Everyone gulped, seeing the atmosphere grow even colder.

"Give me a way to speak to him," Ragnar demanded.

An operator handed him a headset with a built-in microphone, allowing him to speak through the drone.

'...It can't be him, no matter what.'

'If it really is him, then where was he all along? How did he survive these past two years?'

'As a wanderer, there was just no way he could survive this long in the void realm all on his own at only this age.'

"The gods must be playing some cruel joke on us, my lord..." Thomas spoke softly, yet the words echoed through everyone's ears.

Today was...

Azriel Crimson's birthday.

No one believed in the slightest that the boy in the footage was actually Azriel Crimson.

It just wouldn't make sense.

Surviving all this time alone in the void realm or in Europe...

'If it is a skinwalker, then I will personally go there and kill it with my own hands...'

As he was about to speak, he hesitated.

'...What if it really is him?'

What if there was a slight possible chance that Azriel Crimson had somehow survived?

A slight hope ignited in his heart at the possibility of Azriel's survival.

Though he didn't interact as much as he did with his father, that didn't mean he didn't care for the boy.

If anything were to ever happen to Joaquin or Aeliana, he would have instantly adopted the two children and raised them as his own.

Not just that, he actually liked Azriel the most.

Though most couldn't see it, Ragnar clearly could.

The boy was talented.

Extremely so.

But for some reason, he never decided to reveal his talent and always tried to hold himself back whenever Ragnar saw him spar.

'I need to know more. There are so many unknowns here.'

"Can you hear me?" Ragnar spoke calmly with his usual indifferent attitude, addressing the boy.

A surprised expression came on Azriel's face before it turned into a relieved smile.

"Ah! Yes, I can!"

"What a relief. You see, I am, uh, what was it called again? Oh yes! A wanderer," he said, nodding to himself as he spoke cheerfully towards the drone's camera.

"I would appreciate it if I could get rescued, as I don't really think I will survive here much longer," he said with a bitter smile on his face.

Yet Ragnar merely narrowed his eyes at the boy.

No one spoke or dared to make a sound as they gazed between Ragnar and the boy, listening intently.

That voice... Ragnar had forgotten the sound of Joaquin's son's voice.

It is said that one's voice is the first thing you forget after someone close to you dies.

But...

'...Something is wrong.'

'Why is he so... unbothered?'

'For someone who is wandering in a dangerous part of Europe, he seems way too calm for some reason... like the void creatures won't attack him.'

'But he has already killed a few beasts...'

Doubts began to rise in Ragnar as he found the boy might not be Azriel after all.

"Something seems suspicious, my lord."

"Perhaps even a trap," Thomas said softly, his eyes glued to the holographic screen.

Ragnar merely hummed in response.

'He's right. Perhaps it is a trap to lure us out... is it really a skinwalker then?'

Hope and doubt clashed within Ragnar as he didn't know how to approach this situation.

'Is today meant to be a gift or a curse?'

The only way for him to confirm that the boy was really Azriel was to go there himself or send Thomas.

But he didn't know if going there was safe or not.

If it really was a skinwalker, he had no idea how it had gotten the body of Azriel Crimson.

There could be more lurking.

Their strength and numbers were unknown.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

'Could this be the reason we can't use our devices to communicate outside Europe? And the sudden disappearance of the leviathan-ranked void creature that was sleeping in Belgium?'

'...The monarch and titan ranks are also, for some reason, missing.'

A shiver ran down his spine again as he gritted his teeth.

"Be ready to send a message when I give the signal towards the other military bases in Europe for a possible phase six or perhaps even a phase seven category danger level in France."

Hearing his words, it felt like a thunderbolt had struck each one of them inside the control room.

The room became even more deathly silent as they all looked at Ragnar's pale face in pure horror.

A phase seven danger level would indicate the appearance of a phase seven void rift, which had never happened.

"...There is a possibility that the one we are looking at is a Defiled Skinwalker, perhaps a little lower, but it would make sense that a phase seven void rift has appeared without us noticing, and why the leviathan-ranked void creature has gone missing with the others."

Ragnar elaborated, but no one was relieved in the slightest as dread filled their hearts.

Was Europe doomed to stay fallen?

What continent was going to be next?

How many of those nightmares lurking in the void realm would keep appearing?

Everyone's mind was spinning with various thoughts before Ragnar spoke again.

"I might possibly be wrong as well... that is why we should wait with the signal. There is a possibility that the one in front of us is actually Azriel Crimson."

"My lord, we should keep asking him questions," Thomas spoke again, reminding Ragnar that the boy was waiting for a reply.

Ragnar could see that the boy was looking at the camera with a tense smile.

'...It really looks like Azriel, but just more grown-up and... he has become more handsome.'

He really hoped he was just being paranoid.

But the horrors he had encountered in the void realm...

He knew it was better to be prepared for the worst.

"Let me ask you a simple question first."

"What is your name?"

Hearing his question, the smile disappeared from the boy's face as a complicated expression showed.

'If it really is a skinwalker, it must be the best one of its kind in mimicking human expressions,' Ragnar thought, as the hope in him burned slightly again.

Perhaps he was wrong.

'Please be wrong...'

Praying inside his mind, the boy finally answered his question with a complicated voice.

"I don't know if you already know, perhaps you do and want to confirm it from my own mouth..."

"My name is Azriel Crimson, son of Joaquin and Aeliana Crimson."

Ragnar gritted his teeth at hearing Azriel's voice.

'Damn it! Should I go see for myself!?'

"...My lord, we need to keep asking him questions. A skinwalker only inherits part of one's memories," Thomas advised as Ragnar nodded with a grim expression.

"What if it isn't a skinwalker but some other unidentified void creature?" Someone mumbled, but everyone heard the male operator as they all turned to him.

Ragnar and Thomas glanced at him for a second before looking at Azriel again.

Ragnar spoke this time

not into the mic, but towards the operator and perhaps for himself and everyone there.

"Then this world really is doomed from the start."