Chapter 24: The Iceblade Demon

In the deep of night, spring had come to the city, and a hundred puppets roamed its streets. From time to time, piercing and desperate screams echoed through the darkness—victims discovered by the snow fiends, who shattered doors in their relentless search.

Within the horde of snow fiends, every few hundred were accompanied by figures distinct from the ordinary. Though they retained a vaguely human shape, their limbs and bodies had been stretched long and thin, and most notably, their shoulders, elbows, and knees sprouted sharp, gleaming blades of pure white ice, jutting menacingly outward. These creatures were clearly far more deadly than the common fiends—true monsters.

They drifted among their lesser kin, and when the mood struck, would whirl like spinning tops, slicing everything around them to shreds with their vicious ice blades. Even their fellow snow fiends were not spared. Afterward, they would emit a hoarse, sticky croon of satisfaction.

But that was not all. These particular monsters seemed to possess senses unlike those of the common snow fiends. The ordinary ones simply wandered aimlessly through the city’s streets, occasionally battering at doors and windows at random, their chance of finding humans left entirely to luck. The special fiends, however, prowled with eerie purpose—their icy, pale eyes glinting with some unnatural sight. From time to time, they would break away from the main group, weaving through alleys, as if drawn to homes with tightly shuttered doors and windows. With a flick of their razor arms, they would slash through the barriers and burst inside, to the terrified screams of those within.

Sometimes it took mere seconds, at most a few minutes, before they would emerge dripping with blood, their twisted faces contorted in a grotesque semblance of satisfaction.

In a narrow lane of the northern district, deep within a densely packed neighborhood, one such special monster left the main horde and advanced step by step, cruel and cunning light flickering in its ice-white pupils.

I see you... I see you... that pitiful creature burning like a beacon...

I’m coming for you...

A guttural, revolting hum forced its way from its throat as it vaulted over a high, locked gate, coming to a halt before a wooden door. In its vision, a bright, flame-red shape—human—stood out starkly within the house, hiding just behind the door as if aware of its visitor.

A human-like smile twisted across the monster’s face. It deliberately let out a low, menacing drone and stood quietly at the threshold.

An instant later, both its elbows swung down in a flurry of strikes. The ice blades extending from them carved lethal arcs, gouging deep grooves into the flimsy wooden door.

With a series of splintering cracks, the door shattered into pieces, crashing to the floor.

The human behind it now stood revealed—a flowing athletic coat, a calm visage, a concealed right eye, and a brilliant, arresting left eye. And, most striking of all, a metal baseball bat wreathed in a flame-like crimson glow.

Super Home Run!

On instinct, the monster raised both arms to block with its ice blades.

With a sharp crack, the metal bat smashed into the crossed blades—and shattered them instantly.

Without pausing, the blazing red bat swept forward, cleaving the tall, slender monster clean in two at the waist.

Zhou Yan watched as the creature’s upper half spun through the air, its remains not yet fallen. In his mind’s eye, he imagined it as a tumbling block in a game of Logic Flow.

Then, as if by reflex, he brandished the bat like a wooden sword.

Southbright Sword—Eagle’s First Strike!

Eagle, hawk, kite, buzzard, vulture, condor, osprey!

A rapid series of explosive strikes, seven in all, battered the monster’s body as it twisted in the air. In his Ace Enforcer form, Zhou Yan’s physical prowess was monstrous—far surpassing his normal self. The metal bat, heavier and with a completely different balance than a wooden sword, should have been impossible to wield for such techniques. Yet in his hands, it felt light as a feather, the swings twice as fast as during ordinary practice.

If he were to take the Logic Flow block challenge in this state, he could easily finish in under three hundred seconds.

The final blow—a vertical slash from above—brought the bat crashing down, smashing the monster’s head in a burst of crimson light.

[You have slain “Iceblade Fiend.” Gained 71 Spirit.]

[You have obtained “Rune Factor: Agility (1).”]

Zhou Yan straightened, standing calmly before the thoroughly obliterated monster. With a flick of his right hand, he shook the blood and viscera from the bat, then wiped it clean on the creature’s tattered clothing. He tucked the bat under his left arm and reached out to touch the monster’s corpse.

[Iceblade Fiend]

[Type: Demon]

[Description: A monster mutated from a snow fiend after multiple devourings of life. Possesses heat-vision, allowing it to easily detect objects warmer than itself. Hard, razor-sharp ice blades form at its joints, granting it greatly enhanced strength and speed in cold environments.]

[Rating: 0-Star, Tier 1]

[Attributes: Physique 12, Agility 14, Spirit 6]

[Note: Slash, kill, devour!]

[Detected a compatible chaotic entity. Would you like to add it as a material for the “Ultra-Fusion” talent?]

Should he replace the fusion material?

Zhou Yan hesitated briefly. The Iceblade Fiend, though rated at the same level as the “Soldier Thrall” whose bat he now wielded, did seem a bit stronger judging by the spirit yield. Its description also promised “heat vision,” “condensed ice blades,” and “cold environment boost”—features that would certainly make for a more useful form than “Ace Enforcer.”

After a moment’s consideration, Zhou Yan opted to pass. Strong though it was compared to the bat, it was still only a “0-Star, Tier 1” entity. He didn’t know the precise rating criteria, but it was clear its power was limited. In his previous world, he had dispatched a “0-Star, Tier 2” Soldier Demon with ease, meaning his current strength was already overflowing. If he were to replace his fusion material, it ought at least to be with something Tier 2 or above.

Surely, such materials must exist in this world...

Zhou Yan’s eyes glinted as he stood up. He affixed the agility rune, immediately sensing an even greater mastery over his own body. Physique enhanced overall physical capability—the higher the stat, the stronger the muscles, bones, and organs, improving all aspects of bodily function, most directly reflected in raw strength. Agility, on the other hand, governed nervous response and motor control. In plain terms, with equal physique, the more agile one was, the more nimble, faster, with higher attack frequency and precision.

He checked his rune count.

[Runes: 8/10]

Just two more and he’d reach ten—a tantalizing prospect. What changes would that bring?

As Zhou Yan pondered, a strange vibration suddenly rippled through the air. Across the city, every snow fiend let out a simultaneous, furious roar.

Alarmed, Zhou Yan bounded off the walls in a series of leaps, landing atop the roof. In the next moment, he saw a massive white pillar of light erupt from a building to the north, piercing the clouds above.

“So, that’s where the Lotus of Karma resides?”

His gaze flickered as, in the wake of the white beam, the snow between heaven and earth seemed to thicken still more. Silently, he returned indoors and closed his eyes to rest.

Sleeping deeply was out of the question—if the Iceblade Fiend could find him with its so-called heat vision, others would surely follow. Tonight, he would stand guard here and see how many would deliver themselves to his door.

Tomorrow, he would storm the City Lord’s Hall at dawn.