Frostfire Legacy

Just moments earlier, in a dimension far removed from where Aster and the others were, two rival groups faced each other in silent tension.

Two figures waited on one side, ready and poised: a blonde elf with piercing green eyes that suggested deep forests and old secrets, and a black-haired vampire with a sharp look and a silent, intense presence. Faeloria Shadowleaf and Vanessa Ross were obviously tense, adopting defensive positions in anticipation of the impending fight.

A group of four enemies stood against them, though two of them were huddled down at the moment, being healed by Chronalisa, the third member. They would be back on their feet in a few seconds, shifting the balance back in their favor.

"You don't happen to have any tricks up your sleeve left, do you?" Vanessa said to Faeloria in a low, wary whisper as her eyes darted across their opponents.

Faeloria's gaze briefly fell as her face drooped a little. "No," she muttered, her voice containing a hint of resignation. "They had already ruined my trump card. Right now, I'm limited to casting assistance spells. In addition to that..."

Vanessa noticed the strange pause in Faeloria's voice and cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. "Hmm?"

Vanessa turned slightly to face her friend again, and to her surprise, she saw that the elf's cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, and she was breathing rapidly and shallowly. Her face was a mixture of embarrassment and unease, and she seemed to exhale warmly with each breath. When Vanessa recalled something she had previously given to Faeloria, her lips suddenly parted in awareness.

"Oh," she exhaled, a smile lighting up her face as she realized. "Well, you know... if it gets too much, you can always... relieve yourself over there." Although her tone was lighthearted, it concealed a sincere worry.

Faeloria sputtered in protest, her face only getting redder. "As if! I'm not so gullible that a simple aphrodisiac could make me lose my concentration!" she growled, giving Vanessa a furious look.

"Yeah, yeah, I get—!"

But before she could say anything more, Vanessa's eyes grew fierce. She lifted a hand and made a quick arc in the air.

A dark, shadowy figure had started to move in their direction, forming a hideous, wide-open mouth with sharp teeth that were about to close in on them. Vanessa hurled a lance of flame at the approaching shadow without delay. Fortunately, she made it in time. The threatening creature was destroyed by the blazing projectile!

Selene, the Dark Elf, stood with her eyes narrowed and mocking, her hand still up from commanding the spirit to attack.

"Honestly, trying to take a bite out of us in the middle of a conversation?" With a hint of annoyance in her voice, Vanessa scoffed. "Didn't anyone teach you some basic manners?"

A sardonic sneer curved Selene's lips. "I came here to get rid of that elf that was hiding behind you," she shot out, her tone cold and heartless. "And you, I suppose, since you're in the way."

Vanessa retorted cynically, "Such a charming attitude," her eyes sparkling with a mischievous intent. "From the way you're talking, I'd almost think you have some kind of personal vendetta against poor little Fae here."

Selene's eyes briefly flickered as her face faltered. Vanessa saw the change and smiled more broadly.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" Her crimson eyes became more intense, illuminating her pointed features in a spooky way. "Well, either way, this little chat was useful."

Her tone became deadly serious as her face darkened. "I'm sorry, but it looks like we're done here. I intend to finish this as soon as possible."

Selene furrowed her brow, attempting to interpret Vanessa's comments. She looked at her allies, Kaz and Solara, who had already gotten back to their feet and were fully recovered, their injuries repaired by Chronalisa's skillful work. Additionally, Selene's power had almost doubled with their support skills enabled, increasing their odds of defeating their enemies.

It looked like victory was certain. Or so Selene believed.

In the meantime, Vanessa appeared utterly unaffected by the growing adversaries in front of her. She raised her foot carefully, revealing her juicy thigh while her leg hung in midair, her face composed but intent. Then, with a flurry of movement, she stepped down, her heels tapping the floor.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The whole ground changed the instant her foot touched the dirt. A strange ripple appeared where solid stone had been a moment earlier, as though the ground had changed into a liquid. It spread out in concentric waves from the spot where Vanessa had set her foot. With each inch they moved, the waves widened and intensified as they rolled toward Selene and her friends.

As though all the tumult and clamor had been muffled and only the sound of those ripples could be heard, a peculiar silence fell over the battlefield. Selene felt the shock, a sudden, chilling cold that stopped her in her tracks.

As if the air itself had turned to molasses, Selene's body defied her instincts, screaming at her that danger was approaching. As she fought against the unseen grasp, her heart racing, she saw Vanessa walk forward with a serene gaze.

"What the devil is this?"

With a scarcely discernible whisper, Selene let out a gasp. The dark, overwhelming energy that made the hairs on her neck stand on edge was the power coming from Vanessa.

Vanessa's eyes were fixed on Selene as her lips formed a menacing smile.

Her tone was almost casual as she whispered, "Just a little something I had saved up for occasions like this," but her eyes revealed the deadly meaning underlying her words. "I did warn you I'd end this quickly."

The fabric of reality itself was twisted as the ripples kept moving outward. As they got to the very end of the island, everything changed at once. A wall of blood arose, enclosing the whole island, and them, inside it.

Selene's party watched in fear, motionless and powerless to break free from the invisible force that held them.

Right then, Vanessa's voice echoed out, victorious and sweet, as the last traces of her footfall vanished into the unreal silence. "Let the games end here."

Selene experienced a chilling chill at that very moment. Vanessa could feel the threat closing in on her, regardless of the enchantment she had cast. She made the split-second choice to ditch her comrades behind and jump for the shadowy jaws of the Shadow Spirit King, Scheid, to flee.

Vanessa smiled knowingly as she observed her. "Good instincts," She whispered, "but it's too late. You won't get away."

The island on which they stood changed with those words. The margins of the floating continent burst into a red curtain that stretched high overhead, forming a tall wall of blood that bent inward. The red barrier merged overhead in a matter of seconds, creating a massive, menacing dome.

Now they were imprisoned in what appeared to be a cocoon of blood.

"Blood Palace Descent," Vanessa said, as though relishing the moniker. There was a bleak finality in her tone. "I never really thought I'd need to resort to this here…"

The suffocating aura of the dome started to take effect as if in response to her words. Blood began to flow from all living things inside the dome. As though pulled by an invisible force, it poured out of Vanessa's adversaries' bodies like a torrent rather than a trickle. Blood spurted from their lips, eyeballs, and pores, collected on the ground below, and then sinisterly gathered around Vanessa.

"Agh—my eyes!" exclaimed Kaz, gripping his face in pain as it looked as though life was evaporating from him.

"I'm scared! What's happening?!" Solara's voice trembled with pain as she coughed out.

"Help me... Please, Selene." Chrona, the weakest of them, spoke in a weak and frantic tone.

Selene, on the other hand, was suddenly thrown out of Scheid's mouth after barely reaching it. She had lost her sanctuary; even the Shadow Spirit King had been banished from the Blood Palace! She fell to her knees with a stinging pain on her skin and blood dripping from her ears, nose, and every pore.

"This... this isn't possible." When Selene discovered how unfathomable Vanessa's strength was, she gasped in horror.

Her vitality was already being rapidly drained by the Blood Palace. The thin, sickly streams of blood that continued to pour from her body fed the expanding pool at Vanessa's feet.

Under her feet, the blood grew, glimmering with red vitality.

With her subtle, menacing smile, Vanessa appeared to be a villain straight out of a horror film, quite comfortable in the lethal red light around her. Each drop that gathered beneath her was more than just a morbid accumulation; it had a purpose. Vanessa saw the blood as life itself, a huge store of energy she could use to refuel herself if she was hurt.

"This is... awful!"

As Selene searched for a way out of the nightmare, her thoughts were racing. She instantly realized the destructive effect of the Blood Palace: it was a method intended to drain the life and blood of any target in its path. In a sense, Vanessa had successfully turned the battlefield into a source of strength by using her opponents' life force as a weapon.

Given her heightened strength, it didn't seem possible to stop Vanessa immediately. The vitality only increased as she drained more blood, repairing any wounds she could have sustained if they fought.

However, as Selene considered her choices, a new strategy started to take shape.

"STOP!" she cried, her voice tinged with desperation.

Her tone was harsh, and her gaze was fixed on Vanessa. "If this doesn't stop... I'll let Scheid rip through this dimension's walls! We will all eventually drift into space—forever!"

There was a brief pause while Vanessa's smile dimmed a little as she considered the ramifications of Selene's threat.

Selene realized that bluff or not, it was her only chance left. It was a desperate gambit, a deadly play to force a stalemate!