BXBX NOVEL Chapter 195: A fury of ice.
Strax adjusted his position, concentrating enough to see what was in the room ahead… "Some guards and a woman," he thought, before turning to the women accompanying him.
"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice a barely audible whisper.
"Let's go, we don't have time to waste," Yennifer said, with a dangerous look.
"Yes, let's finish this… we have a lot to do still," Cristine added, raising her blades.
"Don't kill her directly, okay? I have a plan…" he murmured, and signaled; the three moved forward. He slipped through the door, muscles tense and ready for action.
On the right side of the room, a guard was distracted, looking at a letter on the table. Without making a sound, Strax approached and, with a swift movement, delivered a precise blow, cutting the man's throat.
The guard fell silently, the letter slipping from his hand.
Yennifer acted simultaneously, moving to the left.
With impressive agility, she struck at the second guard, who barely had time to react.
Cristine, already close to Selene, charged at the third guard, her blade slicing through the air before hitting the target with a precise strike.
Selene, sensing the change in the environment, turned quickly. Her gaze was cold and calculating, but there was a hint of surprise. "Who are you?!" she shouted, trying to shake off the fear surrounding her.
She was an extremely beautiful woman, far more than Strax had thought. Her body was sculptural, with a pair of large breasts wrapped in a tight red dress that accentuated her hourglass figure. Her hair was as red as fire, and she wore a complicated expression on her face.
Before she could do anything, Strax stared at her, his gaze penetrating and emotionless. "We're here to end you," he said firmly. "But we can discuss it, if you prefer."
The women quickly looked at him, confused. 'Discuss this?' Yennifer seemed to ask Cristine with her gaze, but she merely shook her head, as if to say, 'Just wait...'
Selene hesitated, her expressions shifting rapidly between defiance and caution. "Negotiate? With you? And why would I do that?"
"Well… because you could tell me 'What you desire most'?" Strax said while using charm on her; he had never used this ability before, so he didn't know what to expect...
[Charm Ability - Used Successfully]
Selene's eyes glimmered strangely, as if a shadow had dissipated from her mind. Strax's charm, unexpected and powerful, had penetrated her defenses, revealing not only her desires but also her weaknesses.
"I want to erase the Black Association from the map," she said, in a trance.
"Erase the Black Association from the map?" Strax repeated, his tone slightly curious. "Why is that so important to you?"
Selene, now visibly less defensive, began to speak more clearly. "They promise me power, influence… everything I've always wanted. But deep down, I know I'm just a pawn in their game. They don't see me as an equal, and I'm tired of being manipulated. I want to end this, but I can't do it alone."
Yennifer and Cristine exchanged glances, intrigued by the shift in dynamics. Strax realized there was potential here, an opportunity not just to gain information but also to turn Selene into an ally. He knew he needed to leverage this weakness.
"So, if we help you take down the Black Association, you would help us in return?" Strax suggested, his tone carefully neutral.
Selene nodded, but there was a glimmer of distrust in her eyes. "And what do you gain from this? What can I offer besides my knowledge?"
"Your life, for example," Strax replied, his gaze steady. "And depending on what you know, the possibility of eliminating a threat that could turn against us. You might be more valuable than you think."
"Valuable? How do you know I won't just turn against you after this?" Selene challenged, but her voice was tinged with skepticism, as if she were struggling against the new reality Strax had created.
"Because I'm someone who values strategic alliances," he said, approaching her calmly, almost persuasively. "And I don't tolerate betrayal. Let's build this together. You will have a place by our side, a chance to prove your true worth."
Selene's hesitation seemed to be dissipating. She looked at the fallen guards around her and realized she was, in fact, surrounded. The reality of her situation was becoming clearer; the power of the Black Association was not invincible. And perhaps Strax and his companions were the key to her liberation.
"Alright, I accept," Selene finally said, her voice firmer now. "But before anything else, I need to know what exactly you plan to do."
[The charm ability has surpassed level one; you have reached charm level 2.]
[Charm Level 2 - Can persuade women to the point of denying intrusive thoughts of betrayal.]
'How funny hahaha this thing was waiting for me to do this, is it trying to tell me something? Of course not, this thing just wants me to collect more women!' Strax shouted internally while looking at the System messages, which Cristine could also see...
'So that's it…' she thought as she read what was written.
"We need to infiltrate the Association and uncover their plans," Strax explained. "You can help us access the information we need, right?"
"Yes, I can… but we'll need to be cautious. The Association has eyes and ears everywhere. Besides… we were attacked by General Kryssia," Selene warned. "They are affected now, which is why we are all separated..."
"Then let's be smarter than them," Yennifer interjected, a glint of determination in her eyes. "Do you have a plan?"
Selene hesitated again, but Strax's intense gaze encouraged her to continue. "I know where they meet. There's an abandoned warehouse where they conduct their most secret operations. If we can get in there, we can find out what they're plotting."
"And how do we get there?" Cristine asked, her gaze evaluating.
"I'll need some time to prepare everything. But I can create a distraction, something that keeps them busy while you look for the information," Selene suggested, her expression now more resolute.
Strax nodded, satisfied with the new alliance. "Then let's go. Prepare for the distraction and tell us what else we need to know."
…
As Strax thought everything might go well…
A woman was advancing into the building, which was supposed to be heavily guarded, but… her ice sword was doing its job faithfully. The air around her seemed to freeze as she moved; her steps were slow, and only the sound of her heels echoed throughout the area, leaving trails of icy crystals.
The soldiers following her moved in silence, their hearts racing, the tension in the atmosphere almost palpable.
She had lost her patience. The information she received indicated that the Dragon Heart was there, somewhere, and the thought of it being elsewhere infuriated her. Memories of her previous battles against the Black Association consumed her.
Each soldier beside her trembled in fear, but Kryssia was unconcerned; her focus was on destruction.
A door opened before her, and she didn't hesitate.
With a fluid motion, she raised her sword, channeling her magic.
The air around her intensified with a chilling aura, and a moment later, an explosion of ice erupted, sending sharp fragments everywhere.
The screams of the guards echoed as they turned into shards of ice, each reduced to cold, gleaming cubes.
"Advance!" she commanded, her voice low and filled with fury. But the soldiers hesitated, paralyzed by fear. Kryssia did not wait for them. She knew she needed to act quickly; the destruction could not be interrupted.
She moved through the corridors, each step more determined than the last. With every door she opened, a new level of violence unfolded. In each room, she raised her sword and conjured her elemental magic, each attack becoming an explosion that froze everything around her.
The screams of terror were music to her ears, and the chaos energized her.
The guards tried to respond, but it was a futile effort. Kryssia moved like a storm of ice, each swing of her sword cutting through flesh and metal. A group of soldiers gathered, trying to surround her, but in a swift motion, she launched a mantle of ice at them.
The surface solidified instantly, trapping them in a crystal prison.
The despair in their eyes made her feel alive.
"Do you think you can stop me?" she whispered, her lips curving into a grim smile. "I am the storm. I am winter."
As she walked, each corridor seemed to transform into a nightmare scene.
The walls were stained red, and the frozen bodies formed mountains of crystal around her.
Kryssia showed no compassion; there was no room for weakness.
Pressing on, she found a larger room where a team of guards was preparing. They held weapons at the ready, their faces pale with terror upon seeing her threatening figure enter. Without hesitation, Kryssia raised her hand and concentrated her energy.
A blast of ice erupted from the ground, rising like a geyser, capturing the guards in a devastating wave.
Their screams were muffled as the cold enveloped them, each transformed into a crystal statue. Kryssia took a deep breath, allowing the wave of adrenaline to consume her.
It was a dark ecstasy, and the destruction around her was her masterpiece.
She did not stop. With firm steps, Kryssia continued, the echoes of screams and explosions still reverberating in her mind. She knew the Dragon Heart was near. The power emanated through the environment, but something was wrong. With each room she passed, her frustration grew. Where was it?
Finally, she arrived at a room that seemed to be the Association's operations center. The walls were covered with magical artifacts, and the air was thick with the sensation of power. "Here… it has to be here!" she shouted, her voice sharp as ice.
But as she approached the central table, her eyes widened in shock to see that the Dragon Heart was not there.
"DAMN!!!" With a scream of fury, she raised her sword and delivered a powerful blow to the table, shattering it into pieces. The impact generated a wave of ice that spread throughout the room, freezing everything in its path.
"Where the hell is that Dragon Heart?!" Only frustration and anger consumed her.
The soldiers watched her, petrified with fear. Kryssia was in a state of pure rage, and each of them knew that if they did not move, they could become the next targets of her wrath.