Aren stood at the mouth of the skull-shaped ice cave ❄️💀, watching the tiny blue horse shake its glowing mane and point its nose toward the entrance.
The creature trotted in small circles, snorting softly, like a polite tour guide making sure its guests understood the destination 🐎✨.
Behind Aren, Ben hugged himself and shivered.
"B-Brother… it's freezing…" 🥶
King bent down and kicked a frozen stick near his boot.
CRACK.
The stick shattered like glass.
King frowned.
"These aren't sticks, Ben," he said slowly.
"…They're bones."
Ben stopped shivering.
"Oh."
Inside the cave, frost crawled along the walls like living veins. Ice crystals pulsed faintly, reacting to something deeper within. A low growl echoed from far inside, vibrating through the ground.
Wind hissed.
Ice dust fell from the ceiling.
Every breath hurt.
Aren stepped in first, calm as ever, his breath fogging the air 😮💨.
"According to the book," Aren said evenly,
"Stage One is always a fight."
Ben sighed.
"Of course it is."
🦁 The Ice King Wakes
They reached the central chamber.
There, curled like a living glacier, slept the Ice Lion 🧊🦁.
Its mane was made of frozen shards.
Its claws were translucent blue, sharp enough to cut steel.
Cold rolled off its body in visible waves.
The king of the frozen domain.
Ben swallowed.
"…That thing looks strong."
King cracked his knuckles with a grin.
"Good. Let's light this be—"
"No," Aren interrupted calmly.
Both turned.
"You two break its legs," Aren continued.
"Do not kill it. I want it alive."
Ben and King stared.
"…Alive?" Ben asked.
"Yes."
"…Okay," King said after a pause. "I trust you."
That was new.
They charged.
Ice cracked beneath their feet as they closed the distance.
The Ice Lion's eyes snapped open—two pools of glowing blue fire 🔥❄️.
ROOOAAARR!!
The cave shook violently.
Ben ducked under a massive swipe.
King rolled aside as claws shattered stone.
They struck together.
Punch.
Kick.
Elbow.
They focused only on the joints.
Ice exploded with every hit 💥.
The lion howled, frost spiraling wildly as one leg finally snapped with a thunderous CRACK.
The beast collapsed, roaring in pain.
Ben and King staggered back, breathing hard, bodies bruised, arms trembling.
"…Done?" Aren asked calmly, standing up.
King bent over, hands on knees.
"Y-Yeah… done…"
🧨 Aren's Method
Aren walked forward and opened his container cube.
From inside, he pulled out a massive metal barrel—twice the size of a man.
Ben blinked.
"…What's that?"
"You'll see," Aren replied.
He shoved the barrel straight into the Ice Lion's open jaws.
The beast tried to bite down—
CLANG!
The metal jammed its mouth wide open.
Then Aren calmly walked back and unfolded a giant shield, planting it in front of Ben and King like a wall 🛡️.
King frowned.
"…What now?"
Behind them, the tiny blue horse began tapping its hoof on the ice.
Tap.
Ten.
Tap.
Nine.
Ben's face went pale.
"Uh… Aren…?"
"Stay still," Aren said.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
The Ice Lion thrashed wildly.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One—
ZERO.
💥 BOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion shook the entire mountain 💥💥💥.
Ice blasted outward.
Shockwaves tore through the cave.
Snow vaporized instantly, forming a white storm that swallowed the broadcast crystal screens.
Across the Academy—
Students screamed 😱.
Teachers jumped from their seats.
Workers dove under tables.
Commentators lost their voices.
The dust cloud rushed out of the cave like a blizzard.
When it finally cleared—
Half the cave was gone.
The Ice Lion lay outside, unconscious, blasted free from its domain.
Ben stared at the destroyed cavern.
"A-Aren…" he whispered.
"What… did you do…?"
Aren dusted off his coat calmly.
"Simple," he said.
"You cannot defeat an Ice Lion inside its cave."
The Academy froze.
Aren continued, tone flat, like explaining math.
"If it dies inside the cave, it resurrects. Infinitely.
The cave is its anchor."
King's eyes widened.
"So…"
Aren nodded.
"No cave. No resurrection."
Ben's jaw dropped.
"…So we only needed to pull it out?"
"Yes," Aren replied.
"But this was faster."
🏁 Stage One — Complete
The Academy exploded.
"WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT?!"
"HE BLEW UP THE WHOLE CAVE?!"
"IS THIS EVEN ALLOWED?!"
"THIS STUDENT IS A DISASTER—!!!"
Teachers panicked.
Judges screamed.
student stood up, stunned 😳.
Meanwhile, Aren checked his cube for damage.
"Acceptable," he muttered.
Stage One: Cleared.
Record Time.
Clean Victory.
The Ice Lion, defeated outside its domain, counted as fully conquered.
And as Team Father walked away from the ruins—
Students, nobles, teachers…
Even monsters watching from afar…
All stared at Aren with the same thought:
That is not a human.