Water Mage in the Flame Realm-Chapter 306 - 296: Confrontation Across the Chasm of Power
Andrew, like Dean Charlie, also noticed the giant ice pillars rising from the ground around the Royal Court.
Compared to Dean Charlie, Andrew even felt it more vividly and clearly.
Andrew had already detected: his Water Magic Power was not purely of the Water Element, but like Dean Charlie and Yorkshire, it secretly harbored a hint of a non-water attribute, though he didn’t know exactly what that non-water attribute was for now.
Last night, after practicing "Water and Fire United" with Barbara, he assimilated a trace of Flame Power.
Plus, after escaping from the Extreme Cold Ice Prison, he stored the "Ice Prison Gemstone" in the "Gate of Enlightenment," adding a layer of Ice Power to his own strength.
——Andrew’s power now still centers around water but is much richer in its inclusions than before.
If the path of Magic Lord has allowed Andrew’s Magic Power, once it enters the "Whole Power State," to have a total strength far surpassing other mages of the same tier.
Then now, his power is not only "abundant," but its "quality" is beginning to change, undergoing further transformation.
Such power, once activated, means Andrew now doesn’t need to deliberately unleash "Water Spirit Sensing" to naturally perceive even the most subtle changes in the surrounding environment.
Coupled with gaining the "Ice Prison Gemstone," Andrew is like having a central hub of the Royal Court, with exceptionally clear perception of everything in the Royal Court; he feels as if he knows it like the back of his hand. At least within the Royal Court’s scope, Andrew’s perception ability temporarily surpasses that of Dean Charlie, and even surpasses all the people present in this Eternal Frost Hall!
"Hmm? What is this...?" After Dean Charlie and Andrew sensed it, the others present also felt the change in the Royal Court.
Because the change was now "visible to the naked eye."
Only to see the dome and four walls of the Eternal Frost Hall slowly descend, turning the entire hall into an open-air venue.
As the dome and walls of the hall descended, nearly a hundred giant ice pillars around the Royal Court rose completely under the astonished gazes of the people.
These ice pillars were not identical, but varied in height, forming a harmonious pattern.
Although the ice pillars were enormous, they didn’t seem out of place with the surrounding environment; rather, they appeared to link the distant sky with the nearby tundra and snow-covered mountains, conveying a sense of gathering the power of heaven and earth, then solidifying an invisible but enormous array power.
Even though the crowd couldn’t see the invisible array power, they could all feel: that power, once formed, ultimately fell upon the king.
In an instant, the array of ice pillars and this Northern Country became one.
And the king, also known as the Female Assassin, seemed to have blended seamlessly with the ice pillar array and the entire Royal Court!
"The third negotiation match has already started," the Female Assassin, speaking with the authority and posture of the king, said, "Andrew, although you have returned, you are late. For the upcoming negotiation match, unfortunately, you still cannot participate."
She was somewhat dazed upon hearing "the Extreme Cold Ice Prison has disappeared," so she temporarily remained silent, holding back her expressions.
At this moment, invoking that array power upon herself, she spoke up again.
Andrew still did not know that the king was the Female Assassin, and the Female Assassin was the king. But by now, he was very clear about the style of the Magic Guild and the king standing on its side: simply put, it was about lacking enough confidence to win the negotiation match openly, resorting to crooked ways instead.
Afraid of losing, they’d use poison.
Afraid of losing, they’d plot and ambush before the fight began.
Afraid of losing, they’d tell you: you’re late, so you don’t qualify to battle.
Andrew was now very familiar with this sort of trick!
And he despised this style from the bottom of his heart.
Not only because it was so underhanded, so sleazy.
But also because: it’s unnecessary.
It can be seen, when the king’s speech concluded, the Flame Turtle then laughed again, very satisfied with this. But what about Capella? What about Yorkshire? As representatives of the Magic Guild in the negotiation match’s third battle, they didn’t have the slightest expression of joy on their faces.
Because the Magic Guild’s every possible means to prevent Andrew from participating in the third battle, in fact, is the greatest insult to Capella and Yorkshire.
"I’m late? Sorry, I don’t think so."
In the incredible gazes of the crowd present, Andrew spoke up, surprisingly with a tone directly confronting the king.
Yesterday Andrew grasped "Heart of Assistance," more helping Catherine, Dean Charlie, and Barbara with support and aid.
Today he was the warrior himself, and coupled with pent-up anger from being trapped in the Extreme Cold Ice Prison not long ago, he unleashed it now without concealing his sharpness.
As he spoke, Andrew adjusted his magic power to "Whole Power State," then infused that power into the "Ice Prison Gemstone."
Whether this gem is the ancestral burial ground of the Royal Court Andrew didn’t know, but Andrew knew this gem was certainly one of the central hubs of the Royal Court’s array. Otherwise, his stealthy return all the way would not have been as smooth, easily passing through all the large arrays and guards inside and outside the Royal Court.
"The arrays of the Royal Court that I passed through before were arrays. Now, these ice pillars are also arrays," Andrew thought to himself, "As long as they are arrays of the Royal Court, I can manipulate them with the ’Ice Prison Gemstone,’ at least to cause disruption!"
Indeed, as Andrew’s words fell, several Frost Guards couldn’t help but angrily shout, "Kid, who do you think you are? How dare you speak to His Majesty like that?!" But halfway through their words, they all fell silent again.
At this moment, the king, Catherine beside the king, Principal Charlie, Havier, the Magic Guild’s Flame Turtle, including Capella and Yorkshire, and all the Frost Guards present, were incredulous to see: following Andrew’s words, those towering ice pillars surprisingly began to sink back into the ground with a rumbling sound! The sense of connection between the king and the entire Royal Court was immediately severely disrupted, if not cut off entirely!
The ice pillars did not completely sink; when they were halfway down, they were held up by a force.
Naturally, stopping the ice pillars was the female assassin who presented herself as the king. She had already stood up from the throne, staring fixedly at Andrew: "The Extreme Cold Ice Prison, is in your hands?"
She finally knew where the "vanished Extreme Cold Ice Prison" had gone.
But the more she understood, the more uncertain she became.
She couldn’t comprehend how a Tier Four brat could possibly have the ability to possess the "Extreme Cold Ice Prison."
And her doubts were precisely Andrew’s greatest advantage at this moment: the less you understand my true background, the more confident I am to say, "I’m not late! Even if I was really late, I’m still not late! I’ve already set my mind on this third negotiation and competition! No one can stop me!"
Andrew indeed didn’t know the true relationship between the king and the female assassin, but with the asymmetry of information, he gained an advantage, not only against the opponent; Andrew now was also exploiting the opponent’s lack of understanding about himself to the fullest extent, striving for the initiative!
Yes, I’m just a small Tier Four misfit, naturally insignificant in your War God Level eyes.
But even the Extreme Cold Ice Prison couldn’t trap me, and the Ice Prison Gemstone is now in my hands! Don’t you want to know why?
The female assassin certainly wants to know why!
The more she thinks, the more she dares not act rashly. Because very naturally, she would think: this kid, has someone strong behind him? Who could it be? Who could rescue him from the Extreme Cold Ice Prison, kill the Royal Court Warrior Chief, and snatch the "Ice Prison Gemstone"?
Beiru Chairman, has he... come to the Royal Court?!
Regarding Beiru Chairman, who heavily injured her with a single remote attack through the Shield of Flowing Fire, the female assassin still harbors fear.
In fact, she always hesitated to expose her identity—whether appearing in the capacity of the king or acting in the role of the female assassin, always wearing a mask—was due to the fear of Beiru Chairman: if the three major Earth Fire Scholars don’t intervene, the female assassin knows she’s ultimately not Beiru Chairman’s match.
Thus, the ice pillars came to a halt, but did not rise back to their highest point.
A stalemate formed.
Everyone present saw the mighty War God Level king, facing off against Andrew, a mere Tier Four, forming a stalemate, feeling everything before their eyes was so surreal.
Principal Charlie, however, was stirred when he heard the king say those words "The Extreme Cold Ice Prison is in your hands," thinking: "So, Andrew was really trapped in the Extreme Cold Ice Prison before? But... but why..." His gaze quickly glanced at Catherine beside the king.
If memory serves, not long ago, Principal Charlie asked Catherine: "Was Andrew imprisoned, like in the Extreme Cold Ice Prison?" And Catherine’s answer was: "I personally checked, Andrew is not in the Extreme Cold Ice Prison."
Principal Charlie’s heart sank slightly, feeling uneasy, and he couldn’t help but fall into silence.
Everyone present was astonished that Andrew could form a stalemate with the king, each with their own thoughts, all falling into silence.
After the hall turned open-air, one could see the sky above the Royal Court and the towering stone pillars surrounding it, incomparably vacant and bright. However, the cold wind howled past, and with so many people present, for a moment, all fell into a brief silence, with no one speaking.
Andrew withdrew his gaze from the king for the moment and turned to look beside him, then softened his tone, saying gently, "Sorry, I came back late, made you worried."
Barbara was right next to Andrew. She was the only one present who didn’t glance at any changes like those ice pillars rising and falling. After Andrew arrived beside her with "Duet Dance," she was always watching Andrew.
Upon hearing Andrew’s gentle comfort, Barbara responded with a soft "Mm," didn’t say much, just took a step forward, opened her arms, and hugged Andrew tightly.
She held him extremely tightly, as if afraid of losing him again.
Since Andrew’s disappearance last night, Barbara had maintained maximum calm and restraint with powerful inner strength, and only now, feeling Andrew’s body heat and heartbeat, did her tears silently stream down.
"It’s okay, it’s okay! I’m back now, aren’t I?" Andrew likewise hugged his beloved girl tightly.
He spoke lightly, but internally, his feelings were much like Barbara’s.
Previously, in the Extreme Cold Ice Prison, Andrew also once thought he’d never have the chance to see Barbara again. At that time, Andrew didn’t even know if, after capturing him, the female assassin went further to do something to Barbara?
Only at this moment, tightly pressing the girl in his arms, did Andrew finally feel his previously suspended heart completely settle back in place.
Andrew did not know the female assassin was the king, so standing from his perspective, he was actually confronting the king, while thinking, "And what about the female assassin? The female assassin must still be somewhere in the Royal Court, but where exactly?" The psychological pressure was still immense.
At this point, tightly embracing his beloved girl, Andrew felt that concerns about the female assassin, instead, seemed temporarily not as important. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
The important thing is at this moment, having each other, that’s enough.
