The Star Eye's Takeover and the Duel with the Chill Silence
Just as the freezing aura was about to completely freeze Fa in that critical moment—
Buzz—!
Fa's consciousness seemed to plunge into an endless darkness. Bone-chilling cold, yet utterly silent. A sharp, intense pain shot through her right eye, the Star Eye, and immediately, a profound and clear voice resonated in the depths of her soul, as if coming from the ends of the stars:
"If you want to save your companions, let me control your body." A cold, vast voice, as if formed by the collective will of billions of stars, exploded directly in Fa's crumbling soul core! This voice carried no emotion, only absolute rationality and a indifference that overlooked dimensions.
Fa didn't hesitate at all. In her heart, there was only one thought—to save her companions, to save Arya, to save all those turned into ice sculptures in this Chill Silence Ice Palace. With her last shred of consciousness, she silently chanted in her mind:
"Okay."
Fa's will was like the final flicker of a candle, carrying resolute determination and the deepest prayer, completely releasing the last bit of control over herself and her right Star Eye!
In the next instant, Fa's consciousness was as if thrown into an endless void abyss, completely sinking and isolated. Her body, however, was taken over by an unimaginable high-dimensional will from the depths of the Star Eye.
Fa floated quietly three feet off the ground, slowly lifting her head. That face, originally filled with sorrow and despair, was now utterly blank. Only her right eye—that had transformed into a pure darkness, with countless galaxies birthing and dying inside, gravity distorting light like a "Black Hole Eye"—emitted a terrifying aura that froze the soul. An invisible force field began to madly absorb everything around it—the freezing aura, the ice domain, even Enuval's Chill Silence origin!
"This is... what power..." Enuval's thoughts carried shock and confusion for the first time, but his body began to tremble and wail unstably under the gaze of that Black Hole Eye! He tried to resist, raising his trembling hands, attempting to condense the last of his Chill Silence power into a massive pale ice blade, slashing toward Fa.
The Star Eye, controlling Fa's body, simply waved her left hand lightly. A barrier formed of starlight appeared instantly, and the ice blade shattered upon impact with a piercing crack, turning into scattered ice dust.
The "Fa" controlled by the Star Eye's will moved again.
No unnecessary actions, no incantations, no glowing energy. She simply raised her right hand toward the horrified Enuval, palm facing the throne symbolizing the ultimate cold.
"Analyze... Lock... 'Chill Silence Origin'... Path... Established..." A cold, inhuman thought echoed in the void.
Buzz—!
The "Black Hole Eye" in her right eye suddenly spun faster! An invisible and terrifying high-dimensional suction erupted! This suction didn't act on matter but directly on the conceptual core that formed Enuval's existence—the Chill Silence origin itself!
"No—!" Enuval let out a silent soul scream! For the first time, he felt the fear of "loss"! He frantically urged the Void Chill Marrow Staff, trying to mobilize the entire Ice Palace and the whole Eternal Frost Tundra's freezing aura to counter! Pale freezing aura surged toward "Fa" like raging waves, attempting to freeze and annihilate her along with that terrifying black hole!
However, a bizarre scene unfolded!
The pale freezing aura torrent, capable of freezing space and annihilating energy, was like rivers returning to the sea when it touched the invisible black hole force field around "Fa," forcibly swallowed by that dark right eye! Not only that, but the "cold" concept at the core of Enuval's body—that flowing ethereal blue magic ice with pale freezing aura like star debris—was stripped away strand by strand, thread by thread, turning into visible streams of pale energy flowing with starlight, madly surging toward "Fa's" raised palm, ultimately vanishing into the bottomless Black Hole Eye!
Enuval's massive body began to tremble violently and fade! On his ice-mirror-like face, the starlight rapidly dimmed and disordered. The throne beneath his feet, built from pure Chill Silence origin, emitted piercing "crack" sounds, with web-like cracks appearing on the surface, its light rapidly fading!
This was a plunder occurring on the conceptual dimension! The Star Eye's black hole was forcibly devouring and assimilating Enuval's ultimate power—the Chill Silence origin—in a way he couldn't understand or resist!
"Stop! You... what exactly are you?!" Enuval's thoughts were filled with chaos and unprecedented weakness. He felt his centuries of accumulation, the meaning of his existence, being barbarically seized by that terrifying will in the tiny shell!
"Energy... Pure... Order... Integrate..." The will controlling "Fa" gave no response, only cold execution commands. The Black Hole Eye's suction grew more violent, and the entire Chill Silence Hall began to shake fiercely! Massive ice spikes from the dome snapped and fell, the indestructible ethereal blue ice floor cracked inch by inch! The spatial structure showed signs of distortion and collapse under this dimensional devouring!
Enuval's body became increasingly transparent, like a dissipating illusion. He watched his origin constantly flowing away, looked at those indifferent Black Hole Eyes, and on his ice-mirror "face," the flowing starlight finally froze in a complex emotion—not anger, but a relieved acceptance mixed with the melancholic end of centuries of solitude.
"So... this is... the scenery beyond the end..." His thoughts weakened, carrying a strange calm, "Very well... Eternal cold... is also... an eternal curse... The prison of the curse... is finally released... Thank you."
As the last strand of pale freezing aura containing starlight was completely sucked into the Black Hole Eye, the massive body of the Chill Silence Lord Enuval dissipated silently like a weathered sand sculpture in the trembling air, leaving only the dimmed Void Chill Marrow Staff clanging to the ground before the cracked throne.
The Black Hole Eye, having devoured the vast Chill Silence origin, slowly retracted and calmed its light.
"What a pity, the Star Eye's power hasn't fully awakened yet, so I'll return the body to you first..." After saying this, the high-dimensional will controlling "Fa's" body quickly withdrew.
"Fa's" body swayed, her vacant eyes regaining a bit of life, but what followed was an overwhelming weakness and soul-tearing pain. Her right eye burned and swelled as if about to explode, her vision flashing with countless shattered void cracks, her ears filled with sharp noises from unknown dimensions. She let out a muffled groan, her body softly collapsing backward.
The Chill Silence Ice Palace, losing Enuval's power support, emitted a wail of impending destruction! More violent shaking came, massive ice chunks smashed down from the dome, and cracks on the ground spread rapidly like spider webs!
The Team's Revival and Escape
At the same moment Enuval dissipated, "The Ice Palace... is collapsing! Run!" A weak but joyful voice rang out—it was Lirian, just awakened from the ice seal, her face pale! Following that, Kayla, Gorg, Tisk, Rex, Yuyuer, Zhamisi, Arya, Lin Ya, Salsa... all the frozen companions rapidly thawed like snow under spring sun!
The confusion and weakness of surviving a disaster enveloped everyone, but the instinct for survival overrode everything!
"Kayla! Carry Fa and Arya!" Zhamisi, though weak, moved the fastest, hoisting the still dazed Yuyuer onto her back. Kayla let out a low roar, enduring the stiffness from just thawing and the massive drain of her fourth-stage transformation, hugging the unconscious Fa in one arm and steadily holding the just-awakened, pale-faced Arya in the other.
"Tisk shout! Salsa, quick, on my shoulder!" Salsa's mechanical cat body agilely leaped onto the dwarf's shoulder, her soul form issuing urgent commands: "Shadow Falcons! Scout! Mark safe passages!" Three shadows instantly rushed into the depths of the collapsing Ice Palace.
"Gorg! Carry Lirian! Rex, cover the rear scan!" Jack picked up his "Thunderer," his voice hoarse but full of strength. Gorg said nothing, hoisting the weak forest elf Lirian onto his broad shoulders like a sack of loot. Rex's armor emitted an overload hum, his electronic eyes scanning the collapse paths frantically, his mechanical arm transforming into an energy shield to block falling ice chunks.
Lin Ya's emerald body glowed much dimmer, its branches covered in fine cracks, but it stubbornly extended roots, wrapping around nearby massive falling ice blocks aimed at the team, buying precious escape time. "Quick... follow me... path of life..." It emitted guiding thoughts, emerald mycelium paving a temporary path flickering with faint light ahead.
"Wait!" Zhamisi's sharp eyes spotted the masked person sealed under the throne, their surface ice rapidly melting! Thinking of Doomsday Rebirth's conspiracies and actions, her emerald vertical pupils flashed, her snake tail whipping out a reinforced cable from her waist, precisely wrapping around the masked person's abdomen, and yanking hard! "Bring this bastard! She might know a lot!"
No time for more thought, in the collapsing Ice Palace, they stumbled along Lin Ya's faint light path, Salsa's falcon-marked passages, and Rex's scanned safe gaps, fleeing for their lives. Behind them came deafening ice layer cracks and collapses, massive ice blocks smashing down like meteors, ethereal blue deathly chill aura spewing from fissures! Every breath carried ice shards and the scent of death.
Kayla, carrying Fa and Arya, her bronze arms bulging with muscles, erupted with astonishing strength, sprinting through the ice-shard-filled passages. Gorg, with Lirian on his shoulders, charged like a heavy tank, shattering blocking ice cones. Tisk's stocky body erupted with furnace-like potential, carrying Salsa, following closely. Zhamisi dragged the unconscious masked person, her snake tail gliding at high speed on the slick ice. Rex brought up the rear, ion cannons blasting deadly falling ice cones from above.
This was a race against death! Every second felt like an eternity!
Rest and Growth in the Wooden Cabin
When the last person tumbled out of that monster-throat-like Ice Palace entrance, a earth-shaking roar came from behind! The towering Chill Silence Ice Palace, this eternal tomb that had devoured countless lives, finally collapsed completely, turning into a massive ruin of rolling ethereal blue chill aura and ice crystals, stirring up sky-obscuring snow dust!
Biting cold winds mixed with ice shards assaulted them, yet carried the free breath of survival. Everyone collapsed onto the cold snow, panting heavily, lungs burning, bodies exhausted, a mix of post-disaster confusion and lingering fear.
"Lin Ya... please..." Lirian weakly pleaded.
Lin Ya said nothing, just pouring out its remaining life force without reserve. Emerald glow shone again, countless mycelium delving into the snow and frozen soil. Accompanied by slight but firm growth sounds, a simpler but warmer wooden house radiating life aura rapidly rose on the ice plain, becoming the only shelter in the blizzard.
Everyone supported each other into the wooden cabin. Warm air dispelled the bone-deep chill. Lin Ya's root floor emitted gentle heat, the air filled with the fresh scent of plants. The most severely injured Fa was carefully placed on the softest root bed, Arya ignoring her own weakness, staying close, gently wiping her forehead's cold sweat and the fine ice-crystal blood seeping from her right eye with a warm wet cloth. Fa remained unconscious, brows furrowed as if struggling in a nightmare, her breath weak and erratic.
What followed were long and heavy days.
Watch and Healing: The wooden cabin became a temporary fortress and ward. Gorg, Jack, and Tisk took turns guarding outside against the Eternal Frost Tundra's blizzards and potential lurking dangers. Lirian and Lin Ya focused on treatment. Lirian prepared her carried herbs, combining with Lin Ya's vast life energy to nourish everyone's meridians and souls eroded by the Chill Silence origin. Arya barely left, gently wiping Fa's cold sweat, the Star Resonance Stone emitting faint light, trying to soothe her soul wounds. Yuyuer and Zhamisi's frostbite was the most severe, slowly regaining sensation under continuous treatment. Rex busied himself repairing his severely damaged armor and energy core.
Review and Breakthrough
Arya: Her final arrow uniting five attributes failed to defeat Enuval, making her deeply realize her limits. Guarding the unconscious Fa, she reflected on better balancing light and dark forces, and tried incorporating Iron Heart Therapy into combat to repair teammates' mental traumas.
Tisk: The Lava Hammer in this battle made him realize pure strength wasn't enough against unknown-level enemies. In the cabin, he set up a temporary forge, using ethereal blue ice crystal shards collected from the Ice Palace ruins to repair and upgrade the team's gear, while researching how to combine lava power with ice energy to enhance the warhammer's adaptability. He vowed to craft stronger group defenses and attack equipment.
Salsa: Her soul form detached from the mechanical cat body, gazing at the distant massive Ice Palace ruins, her emerald soul fire leaping fiercely. "Lord Lakas's 'Breath of Annihilation'... shouldn't be limited to summoning..." she whispered. Drawing on the dense, undissolvable death and chill resentments lingering in the ruins after Enuval's dissipation, and her deeper understanding of "Breath of Annihilation," Salsa's soul form went alone to the Ice Palace ruins, hands forming seals, her soul erupting in profound ghostly light! "Undead Revival · Eternal Frost Guard!" Countless skeletons flickering with ethereal blue soul fire, shadow demon wolf knights clad in chill ice armor, even a few "Frost Bone Colossi" formed from massive ice beast bones and resentments, struggled out from the ruins, silently kneeling before Salsa's soul form! An undead legion fusing death and extreme cold traits became her new power on the tundra. Though the massive shadow demon dragon was still hard to summon stably, condensing a miniaturized "Shadow Young Dragon" for scouting and harassment became effortless.
Rex: The Void Singularity core's overload nearly scrapped his armor; he calmly analyzed battle data, concluding that against future super-strong enemies, pure tech firepower wasn't enough—more magical elements were needed. While repairing, he incorporated chill ice materials from the Ice Palace, enhancing the energy shield's defense, and added ice attributes and cluster algorithms to the drone swarm for better survivability.
Kayla: Under Yuyuer's suggestion, Kayla began reflecting on the berserk and uncontrollable nature of her fourth-stage transformation. "Power... needs to be harnessed, not to harness you." She sat cross-legged in the cabin corner, eyes closed, consciousness sinking into her bloodline depths. When she opened her eyes again, under her bronze skin, electric arcs and chill aura alternated. Boom! Her left side surged with lightning, transforming into a "Thunderstorm Giant Claw" wreathed in destructive thunder, her right side covered in thick ice armor, becoming "Frost Heavy Armor"! The two forms switched freely, power more concentrated, consumption greatly reduced. She even tried overlaying ice armor on the thunder claw, forming a "Thunder Frost Battle Arm" with both defense and destruction, though short-lived, foreshadowing fusion potential.
Yuyuer: Having felt the terror of the Chill Silence origin up close, Yuyuer's understanding of "ice" underwent a qualitative change. "Ice is not dead matter, but the extreme of water, the form of serenity." Holding his dragon bone staff, a fine yet pure strand of pale chill aura swirled at his fingertips. The crystal ball no longer showed surging waves but slowly rotating, crystal-clear ice crystal storms. He tried infusing this extreme chill into illusions; "Illusory Tide · Ice Crystal Labyrinth" not only confused senses but emitted real chill to slow enemies. Though far less powerful than Enuval's, it was his step into a new realm.
Zhamisi: She further purified the venom of her Poison Fang Curved Blade, trying to keep the poison mist active in any environment, and collaborated with Yuyuer to infuse water magic into poison arts, creating more corrosive attacks.
Everyone needed to become stronger, with better coordination, and never let anyone fall behind again! This became the silent vow in everyone's heart.
Fa's Mental Dreamscape
In her five days of coma, Fa's consciousness floated and sank in an endless void. No light, no sound, only absolute cold and solitude. Amid the vast star sea.
Suddenly, a point of starlight ignited. Then, a torrent formed by billions of stars! Countless fragments of images, sounds, and emotions assaulted her near-shattered consciousness like a cosmic big bang:
Frozen Despair: Yuyuer's arm turning to ice in shock, Zhamisi's soul-burning poison flames mercilessly frozen and annihilated, Tisk's lava dragon turning to dead black stone in a crashing fall, Rex's void beam solidifying into ice spikes in absurdity, Jack's thunder and Gorg's war cry vanishing silently before the pale vortex, Lin Ya's emerald glow withering under annihilation ripples, Kayla's world-destroying beast form sealed in pale solid ice in powerlessness, Lirian's life arrow turning to ash in sorrow, Salsa's soul form solidifying into black glass in poignant beauty... Finally, Arya's arrow condensing all power, silently annihilated before the black hole palm, her gaze toward herself filled with attachment and reluctance... These scenes cut her soul like the sharpest ice blades, bringing suffocating pain and endless guilt. "It's me... I'm too weak... I couldn't protect everyone..."
Star Abyss Whisper: A vast, cold will fragment as ancient as the universe itself echoed in her consciousness:
"Chill Silence... is not destruction... it's reset... the endpoint of all things' increase and decrease... also... the starting point of new birth..."
"Star fragments... Light Feather Dome... The Wing Clan's watch... closely related to that abyss shadow..."
A blurry image flashed: In endless void, an indescribable giant eye formed by countless twisted stars gazed greedily through a cosmic rift. Where its gaze fell, stars extinguished, space froze, all things returned to dead silence. A chill fear purer and more ultimate than the Chill Silence Lord instantly gripped Fa's soul!
Companions' Bonds: In the abyss of despair, points of warm light stubbornly seeped in:
A rose formed of pure light elements, eternally blooming (Arya), quietly flowering in the void, emitting warm and gentle aura, dispelling the piercing chill.
A heavy hammer burning with unextinguishable forge fire, covered in resilient runes (Tisk), smashing ice layers, bringing vibration and strength.
An icy core formed of countless tiny gears and data streams (Rex), steadily flickering blue light, analyzing chaos, bringing a thread of rational order.
A pair of beast claws wreathed in ice thunder, full of wild power (Kayla), tearing frozen space, bringing berserk vitality.
An emerald forest deep and serene, nurturing endless life (Lin Ya), roots delving deep into nothingness, continuously channeling life's warm flow.
A snake shadow nimbly shuttling between light and shadow (Zhamisi), guarding an ocean surging with wisdom waves (Yuyuer).
A dark portal opening and closing between real and illusory (Salsa), with faint falcon cries and demon wolf howls from behind.
A pair of scale-covered strong arms (Gorg) and a mechanical eye flickering with insightful light (Jack), forging paths in the blizzard.
A forest flowing with moonlight and shadows (Lirian), softly singing nature's elegy and hope.
These warm light points, like stars in a dark universe, though tiny, echoed each other, weaving an invisible net that lifted her from complete sinking and nothingness. "I'm not... alone... I... have companions..."
"Exactly." The Star Eye suddenly spoke, "Your right eye can control star fragments, containing infinite potential. As you grow, this power will gradually awaken. The integration of the Chill Silence origin lets you master ice magic, but this is just the beginning. You need to learn how to control it, avoid backlash, and in the future, it will be influenced by your good or evil."
In the dream, Fa had a long conversation with the Star Eye. The Star Eye taught her how to sense star power, how to fuse earth, water, and the new ice magic, and integrate it into short-blade combat. Meanwhile, Fa recalled her past—from an ordinary girl, to the Star Eye's awakening, embarking on the journey to find star fragments, and the trials shared with her team members.
At the dream's end, Fa asked: "Arya... everyone... are they really okay?"
The Star Eye looked at her gently: "Yes, they're all alive, guarding you. Your journey isn't over; more challenges await ahead. Remember, star power is not just strength, but a symbol of responsibility and protection."