Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 129: What just happened

They entered the palace, and the only thing keeping the cold away was Vale. The temperature inside was freezing, and everything was covered in thick layers of frost that crunched beneath their feet.

They walked directly into the single-room palace, where towering pillars held up ceilings that vanished into darkness. The boss and the hundreds of thousands of statues were immediately visible.

The statues were lined along the walls like ornaments, their cold, lifeless forms stacked atop one another. It was as though they were the walls.

The yeti sat in the center of the room, its sharp blue eyes already fixed on them. Each breath it exhaled came out in puffs of white frost and fog. The creature was ape-like, a mix of ice and white fur, standing at an intimidating eight meters tall.

Dlodus hissed when he saw it. "This is a Greater Beast!"

Vale immediately recalled what he had learned. Greater Beasts were classified as high-threat monsters because it was at this stage that their intelligence began to peak.

And they could start using magic inherent to their nature.

"Tiber... Slya," Vale said in a low voice.

The two nodded and peeled away from the group, heading toward the door instead. It was a good vantage point to survey the fight and keep an eye on the overall situation.

The air around Vale heated quickly, melting the ice beneath him. His green eyes flashed like fire, and the yeti’s gaze locked onto him. Born from the bitter cold, the creature’s inborn hatred for heat was unmistakable.

However, the monster didn’t make any hasty moves. Instead, it stood, stepping closer to them, the ice crunching under its weight.

"Don’t forget, we’re going in fast and quick," Vale reminded them, and immediately slashed with his sword.

The arc of energy from his blade shot across the distance in a flash. Despite its size, the yeti moved with startling agility, twisting its body to avoid the attack.

The glowing arc slammed into the wall, striking the head of a statue. The sleeping monster cracked as half its head melted away, taking the two statues beside it down as well.

Vale and everyone else froze. Even the monster seemed to pause as they watched the statues crumble and shatter. Silence followed, broken only by the sound of howling wind from outside.

Dlodus cursed under his breath, his body quickly enveloped in lightning, which gleamed like armor. Even Serdan flinched, holding her wooden rod in front of her like a shield.

Manefor crouched, his body swelling as he transformed into Blightfur, his eyes glowing crimson.

Vale smiled as nothing else stirred. "It seems these hundreds of thousands are in too deep a sleep. No need to fear them."

The yeti bared its crystalline fangs, unleashing a deafening roar as it slammed its clenched fists into the ground.

BOOM!

The ground shook as frost and ice spears erupted from the floor. A white fog immediately filled the room. Vale leaped away as human-sized icicles blurred past him.

Twisting and turning, he evaded the projectiles, but no follow-up attack came. That was when he realized what was happening. The fog covering the room wasn’t normal.

It completely blocked sight and sound.

’Should I use Dominion... no... I don’t even know where the others are, let alone the monster. I can’t alert it to my location... wait... what if it’s going after our weakest members?’

Alarm coursed through him. Vale turned toward the direction of the door, where he knew Slya and Tiber had gone. The thick fog resisted him, curling around his limbs like it had gained weight, trying to trip him.

He swung his sword through it, melting the fog in his path. Opening his mouth, he let out a shout, but it came out as a wave of fire that burned through the mist ahead.

It opened up the space in front of him and he found his predictions right.

The Yeti was there, hammering its fists against a black-and-red shield that kept repairing itself. But it was clear the damage was coming faster than Slya could sustain.

Vale raised his sword, filling it with fire essence until it became liquid flame. Before he could strike, a rope of lightning shot through the air, wrapping around the yeti’s right arm and yanking it back.

The monster stumbled with an enraged roar, struggling to regain its balance. Vale used the distraction to close the gap. He leaped, slashing down at the Yeti’s outstretched arm. His flaming blade hissed as it cut through fur, ice, and flesh.

The creature howled, jerking its injured arm back. It flung Dlodus forward, forcing him to release the lightning rope.

The fog vanished, and with it, the yeti seemed to disappear as though melting into the mist, even its presence immediately escape their notice.

But it hadn’t truly disappeared; it was simply fast and had used the fog to fled. They followed the trail of blue blood that was already solidifying into ice.

The yeti had retreated to the side, its glowing blue eyes blazing with anger. It cradled its injured arm as ice grew over the wound, glowing softly. The creature ignored them, focusing on mending itself as if they were insignificant.

Serdan approached cautiously. "What just happened?"

Manefor was already beside them, growling. "That fog blocked our senses, and it went straight for the weakest. Greater Beasts are as intelligent as they’re said to be."

Dlodus scowled, his body shimmering. "What now? We don’t even know how many techniques it has."

Vale shook his head. "It’s strong, but nowhere near our level. That’s why it went after them first instead of facing us head-on."

"That’s good to know, but not when it can use tricks like that fog!" Serdan said, shuddering at the thought of the creature being so close without her knowing.

’And I could’ve burned away the fog with Dominion if I weren’t so worried about turning you all to cinders.’

Just then, the monster stood and began to change.