In the blinding white room, Arthur stood still. He didn't move, didn't speak—just waited for the god before him to say something more.
"So... what do you mean by this 'Goddess'?" Arthur finally asked after a pause, his voice calm but wary. "And... does she have anything to do with you?"
It took a long while for Anguta, the God of Death, to respond. Arthur shifted slightly, arms crossed, still waiting.
"She's my daughter."
Two simple words—yet they struck Arthur like a sudden wind.
"You're kidding—wait, you were married?!" Arthur blurted out, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Adopted daughter."
"Oh... I thought—" Arthur murmured, trailing off.
"So what should I do then? How do I avoid fighting her?" he asked again, this time shrugging with a tinge of helplessness.
"She's dangerous. She managed to break through my power—and shattered it."
Anguta's voice echoed throughout the white void, though Arthur had long gotten used to the way the god spoke—like thunder in a silent sky.
"Your best bet is simple. Don't die again. Negotiate. Convince her not to fight you."
Arthur clenched his fists and nodded. "Got it!"
===
Back in the snowy wastelands, at the edge of a salty lake twisted by divine intervention, Sedna—the Goddess herself—stood motionless, staring at Arthur's broken corpse.
There was something odd about a human lying here—this place wasn't meant for mortals.
Still, Sedna didn't seem too concerned. She turned away from the ruined body and looked out over the bitter lake she called home.
Then, without a word, she walked away.
As she left, something began to stir. Arthur's shattered form started rebuilding itself—bones knitting, flesh returning, breath returning.
"Ugh..." he groaned softly.
Sedna froze.
She turned her head—then her whole body—and stared at him, wide-eyed. He was alive. No, more than that—he was healing.
"What...!?"
Arthur saw her reaction—and smirked. The curse, along with the strange skill he'd received, had kicked in. His hands shimmered, encased in thick layers of magical frost—defensive ice that could shield him from any retaliation. But that wasn't all.
Anything he touched—whether object or living being—would now begin to freeze.
===
Evelyn gritted her teeth as she fought for her life. Beside her, Ababil and three strangers were locked in a desperate battle against their current nightmare—an Ant Queen boss.
No strategy. No plan. Just blind, raw survival.
Everyone was exhausted. Magic reserves were running low. Even Ababil could feel the stiffness in his hands—his dark magic was starting to falter.
He glanced at the three unknown allies.
One of them stood out—a massive man wielding a sledgehammer like it weighed nothing.
"Hey... you with the hammer," Ababil called out between gasps.
The man turned, slowly. His tone wasn't exactly friendly.
"What?"
"Uh—"
"My name is Nex. So? What do you want?"
That gave Ababil a spark of hope.
"I'm sorry! But can you smash the shell on her head? I swear, I can finish her off with my magic if you just break that part!"
Nex narrowed his eyes, sizing Ababil up. He could see it—power was radiating from the smaller man, even if it was hidden behind fatigue.
"It won't be easy," he said, lifting the hammer onto his shoulder, "but I'll give it a shot."
"Thanks!" Ababil shouted, his voice full of renewed energy.
The others straightened up, fixing their stances. Fatigue lingered in their bones, but their eyes held fire. They were ready to strike again.
At the front of the group, Nex took the lead. His heavy footsteps echoed as he charged forward, followed closely by the two warriors behind him.
The Ant Queen let out a screech, bracing for impact. Her massive form stood firm, confident in her shell's defense—yet she didn't know what was coming.
With a fierce roar, Nex swung his massive hammer down—straight onto the Queen's head.
Crack.
The impact rang out like thunder. Before the Queen could react, the two behind him followed up, striking hard and fast. Cracks spread across her armored skull like lightning across glass.
"Now!" Nex barked.
"I'll take the chance!" Ababil raised his hand, channeling every last drop of mana he had left. The air around him twisted, shimmering as a dense shadow gathered behind his back.
Dark tendrils—like living smoke—burst forth, shooting straight into the fractured shell. They slithered through the cracks, forcing their way inside, tearing and devouring from within.
Everyone watched, silent and in awe.
Then—like glass meeting the final tap—
The Queen shattered.
Her massive body collapsed into pieces, a rain of broken chitin and twitching limbs.
...
Nightfall came.
The sky was dark, and the battle was over. Everyone gathered to share the spoils, voices filled with gratitude. Laughter mixed with tired sighs—relief in every tone.
Nex and his team were the first to leave. Quietly. Without fanfare.
Only Ababil and Evelyn remained.
The two walked side by side through the dim night. Streetlights lit their path in pools of gold, but neither spoke.
No words were needed.
They both knew exactly what would come next.
===
Sedna, still shocked, watched Arthur transform from dead to alive, his wounds now healed. But her expression and gaze had turned serious, and she raised her left hand, waiting for something to come. Just then, the trident, made of water, arrived and landed in Sedna's grasp.
Arthur's face looked panicked as he saw Sedna now wielding a weapon.
"W-wait!" Arthur said.
"What?" Sedna's expression relaxed.
"Can we avoid a fight?" Arthur pleaded.
"No."
Sedna lunged at him without warning, throwing her trident. Arthur dodged the attack and began to think of a tactic that might work.
But this time, Arthur could only run, constantly avoiding Sedna's attack patterns, which were now quite predictable. Sedna, increasingly familiar with Arthur's movements, began to make things difficult for him. Until one powerful lunge sent Sedna flying toward Arthur himself—the instant Arthur turned, his body turned 180 degrees, and he struck Sedna squarely in the face.