Amid sustained high-speed movement, Jack Harper gradually grasped the strengths and weaknesses of this combat style. With such extreme velocity, maintaining balance became a delicate affair—any disruption could prove fatal. It was like trying to throw punches while figure skating at full speed. Though Jack's sense of balance and agility far surpassed that of elite athletes, swinging a massive battleaxe while leaping and sprinting at over a hundred meters per second was already pushing the limit. To unleash the Windcleaver Axe, he had to momentarily halt. As for the more demanding Stacked Slash technique, it required a firm stance to initiate. Even if that pause lasted only a tenth of a second, it was more than enough time for Ligaruht to tear him apart.
Jack had initially planned to replicate the method he used to kill Agatha of the Blood—freeze the target to slow their movement. Unfortunately, Ligaruht was far too fast. Jack couldn't land a freeze on his joints or vital points. Worse, the Silver-Eyed Lion King's awakened form was only a fraction the size of Agatha's massive eight-legged platform, yet his yoki was several times stronger. The density of demonic energy in his body was leagues above Agatha's. Jack's frost barely penetrated before being repelled.
After several exchanges, Ligaruht had also figured out Jack's limits and began his counterattack.
In the original story, when Ligaruht slaughtered the Claymores, the power gap was so vast that the girls were instantly killed, leaving no room to showcase his combat technique. Later, when the protagonist Clare entered a half-awakened state, she overwhelmed him with speed and strength, again denying him the chance to display his skills—he was simply torn apart.
But now, Jack Harper was experiencing firsthand the talent and centuries of battle-hardened instinct that made this awakened commander so terrifying. He finally understood why Flora, famed for her sword speed, had only managed a half-cry of alarm before Ligaruht's claw touched her forehead.
It wasn't just speed. Ligaruht's mastery of motion and stillness, his uncanny ability to read an opponent's reactions, and his control over spatial dynamics were nothing short of sublime. Like a martial artist who could manipulate terrain and timing to make a gunman miss at point-blank range—while a faster sprinter would be riddled with bullets.
At first, Ligaruht had struggled to adapt to Jack's frost aura. But once he got serious, Jack was quickly overwhelmed. Forget stopping to use Windcleaver—he could barely find openings for basic swings. In close quarters, Ligaruht's positioning always landed him in Jack's blind spots, forcing Jack onto the defensive. His dark-gold Saint Armor was soon covered in claw marks, and he had no choice but to keep retreating.
Still, numbers helped. With several silver-tier Claymores supporting him, Jack remained at a disadvantage, but avoided serious injury. Though every moment was perilous, he managed to escape disaster time and again.
In the original story, this was the moment Clare would unleash her half-awakened state, her speed and power surging to near-Abyssal levels, and kill the Lion King. But here, Clare hadn't been pushed far enough. Though she remained in a yoki-released state, she hadn't crossed the threshold into awakening.
Jack was actually relieved. Awakening was a slippery slope—one step further and she'd become a full-fledged awakened being. If that happened, forget the mission—he'd have to deal with a gold-tier boss with a ravenous appetite. Newly awakened warriors craved human entrails, and with only a handful of humans in the area, Jack would be first on the menu. He doubted even his Death Charger's supersonic flight could save him from that.
The battle had raged for over ten minutes, yet the Dark Oath squad still hadn't made a move. Jack fought while thinking, "This can't go on. If Ligaruht loses patience and summons the awakened army to wipe out the Claymores, they'll be slaughtered without a leader. My mission will fail. Sure, I've got backup plans—but if I trigger the one that traps all the awakened here, it'll definitely draw the Northern Abyssal, Ilith, and maybe others. At that point, no plan will save us… Looks like I'll have to risk using the Stacked Slash. Even if it doesn't hurt Ligaruht, it might provoke him into focusing on me. Too bad he's the type who never backs down."
Decision made, Jack darted backward. Miria, having recovered somewhat, naturally stepped in to cover him. Jack retreated to Flora and Aha's position, took a deep breath, and said, "Draw him in."
His Stacked Slash was derived from Flora's Windcleaver Sword. Though its power had increased significantly, it came with complications—namely, a brief charge-up and the need to remain stationary during execution. To land a hit on someone as fast as Ligaruht, he'd need help from the other Claymores.
But before he could finish speaking, a greatsword thrust toward him.
The attacker—was Flora.
Scarlet blood splashed across Jack Harper's face.
"Flora!"
The Claymores cried out in shock as Flora's blade pierced Jack's face. Though Jack's newly trained inner energy allowed him to react quickly, he still took a deep gash across his cheek. His left eye was ruined, half his face drenched in blood, and his battleaxe had vanished.
The wound was severe. Though it hadn't reached his brain, it had split his brow and cheekbone. The blood was frozen by the snow, but the pain disrupted his thoughts and reactions. The fracture sent waves of dizziness through his mind. If not for the Hulk's life essence he'd absorbed earlier, which was now slowly healing the wound, he'd already be down for the count.
But more than the physical injury, Jack was stunned and furious.
"Flora, why did you—no, what's wrong with you?" He stared at the silver-eyed blonde girl with his remaining eye, only to see her expression blank. Suddenly, her yoki surged, her eyes turned gold, her face twisted, and her body began to swell.
Right before everyone's eyes, Flora awakened.
Her awakened form resembled a "half-human white deer"—smaller than the agile Silver-Eyed Lion King. Her upper body remained human, while her lower half transformed into a deer's, covered in shimmering white fur. Two jade-green, seven-pronged antlers sprouted from her head, and slender bone blades extended from each elbow.
That's when Jack realized what had caused Flora's mutation.
Her upper body was covered in blood-red spots—hundreds of bat-shaped tattoos. Their color and shape matched the bat form used by Lady Night, the Dark Oath's manipulator.
"These red bats… Elliot Gray said they once parasitized him too. Same bat-shaped markings. Called… Puppet Blood Bats? So that's what it meant. He only had one. Flora has hundreds. That must mean Lady Night's entire essence is embedded in her body—that's how she's controlling her."
But Jack had no time to think further. Flora's awakened form was already charging.
She had always excelled in speed and technique. Now, with her legs transformed into a deer's, her movement speed had multiplied—nearly matching Miria's Phantom Step. Her four slender limbs tapped the snow once, and she vanished into a blur. The next instant, she was in front of Jack.
As she closed in, the bone blades on Flora's elbows sprang forth, transforming into two massive scythes over four meters long. She swung both simultaneously—dual Windcleaver strikes—instantly engulfing Jack Harper in a storm of curved blade shadows. The slashing sounds were like dragonflies vibrating their wings, impossibly fast and dense. Flora's Windcleaver Sword had always been second only to the High-Speed Sword passed down by former No.3 Ilene to Clare. Though not quite as fast, it surpassed it in precision. But now, awakened, Flora's speed and power had surged to match the High-Speed Sword. And having discarded her heavy greatsword, she now relied solely on her limbs to execute Windcleaver strikes, pushing her speed to an entirely new level.
Faced with this barrage, Jack Harper didn't dare slack off. He switched to his highest-speed combat mode.
Supersonic dual fists—Diamond Meteor Shower.
Jack unleashed over four hundred punches per second, each one intercepting a bone-blade slash. His Dark Aquarius Saint Armor wasn't known for speed or durability, but its base quality was solid. Flora's awakened bone blades, though faster, were still biological in nature—not particularly sharp, and lacking the mass of a greatsword. For now, they couldn't pierce the armor, allowing Jack to weather the initial assault.
"Flora, what are you doing?" The question didn't come from Jack, but from Miria, the Claymore commander. While issuing orders to the others, she shouted, "Everyone fall back! Regroup by squad! Windine's team, move toward Aha's unit. Jean's team and Flora's team, rally to me!"
At the same time, the Silver-Eyed Lion King Ligaruht paused his attack, standing at the edge of the plaza and muttering to himself, "Oh? How strange. I've never seen a warrior awaken so willingly. Is she attacking humans out of hunger? Well, according to awakened rules, the first feeding after awakening must not be interrupted—unless it poses a serious threat to other awakened beings…"
His thoughts drifted to Priscilla, the strongest awakened being. Years ago, when she awakened, she rampaged from the central region to the north, slaughtering dozens of towns and devouring tens of thousands. Ligaruht had broken protocol to stop her, only to be utterly defeated. Even his master, the Northern Abyssal Ilith, fell to Priscilla, dashing any hope of revenge.
The memory dulled his battle lust. He abandoned Jack Harper and Miria's group, flashed over to a mid-ranked Claymore, and retrieved his severed arm. Without attacking, he leapt onto a nearby rooftop and began channeling yoki to reattach the limb.
Jack, however, had no time to worry about Ligaruht. Flora—now a puppet—was still relentlessly attacking him.
In the Claymore world, both awakened beings and warriors had relatively simple skill sets. Even top-ranked warriors usually had one signature move, and awakened beings typically relied on finger spears or horn thrusts. Only Abyssals possessed a broader arsenal.
Flora's awakened form had only one technique: Windcleaver Sword. But because of that singular focus, she had practiced it millions of times, refining it to perfection. Now, under external control, the move was executed without emotion—pure instinct. Not only had its power not diminished, it had become even sharper and more precise. At first, Jack could counter with speed. But after a few exchanges, the manipulator seemed to fully grasp the body's capabilities. The Windcleaver strikes grew smoother and more fluid, increasingly locking down Jack's movement. Though his armor held, the relentless blows disrupted his footwork, exposing more openings.
Losing one eye also dulled his reactions. The change in vision inevitably created blind spots in his defense.
"Damn it!" Jack felt himself being pushed back. His frost punches were repelled by Flora's surging yoki, unable to penetrate her skin. He suddenly stepped back and launched an uppercut toward the sky.
"Eternal Night Ice Cyclone!"
With a thunderous roar, a towering vortex erupted from the ground, hundreds of meters high, swirling with frost and snow. Anything caught within would be frozen instantly.
Unfortunately, Flora's awakened deer legs granted her incredible agility. And Lady Night, now controlling her, had seen this move before. The moment Jack raised his hand, she sensed something was off and leapt backward, narrowly escaping the cyclone's reach.
Retreat turned to advance. Before the vortex had even dissipated, Flora's twin blades were already descending toward Jack's exposed face.
Fortunately, Jack had caught his breath. Even with one eye, his Saint-class speed remained unmatched among his tier. As the twin blades closed in, he steadied himself and surged forward. His hands moved like shadows through illusions, slicing through the flurry of blade images.
Clack! Clack!
He caught both bone scythes mid-air.
The two figures froze in place, like statues.
After a moment, Jack spoke. "Lady Night, so this is your power? I heard you rank just below your captain in the squad—higher than the alchemist. I used to wonder if you and Magnor had something going on. But now I see—you've got real skill."
Flora's face remained expressionless, her mouth unmoving. But from the bat-shaped red marks on her body, Lady Night's voice echoed:
"Heh… Ice boy, you have no idea what kind of enemy you've provoked. Brandon Caswell was chosen by the True God. Our entire squad was formed to cultivate him. Now that you've killed him, the True God's seers and prophets have surely identified you. I suggest you let me carve you up right here. Otherwise, even if you escape us, the True God will hunt you down. And trust me—his wrath is far worse than mine. At least I'll only slice you into ribbons. I won't trap your soul."
Jack sneered. "What is this 'True God' supposed to be? Why should I fear him? In this Reincarnation Space, we face death and despair every day. Even if your god is powerful, can he be more dangerous than a system that endlessly spawns nightmare worlds? Besides, this space holds infinite possibilities. Just because someone got ahead doesn't mean others can't catch up."
Lady Night, still controlling Flora's body, suddenly twisted her arms and flung Jack sideways. Her voice rang out, sharp and mocking:
"Infinite possibilities? Catch up to a god? You ignorant fool! Haven't you noticed? The Reincarnation Book only goes up to gold-tier. Sure, gold-tier powers can destroy a city, but that's just the equivalent of a few dozen nukes. Plenty of horror and disaster films feature powers far beyond that. Haven't you ever wondered what lies beyond?"
Jack twisted mid-air, planted his feet against the cathedral wall, and landed smoothly. He looked up. "A higher tier? You mean 'godhood'?"
"Heh heh… The Reincarnation Book can only collect skills, bloodlines, and items up to gold-tier. So the enhancements granted by this space are capped at gold. To go beyond, you must break the rules of this world yourself—forge your belief, energy, body, and soul into one, and push through the barrier. Only then can you transcend the Reincarnation Space and become an immortal god."
Lady Night's voice was cold and mocking. Her blade pointed at Jack Harper as she declared, "That's why, ice boy, you're far from qualified. Even if you've been lucky enough to gain power, you're still beneath Brandon Caswell. At least he's already begun breaking through the system imposed by the Reincarnation Space. His path to godhood is wide open. He kept it secret, thinking no one noticed—but the True God saw everything, which is why we were sent to cultivate him. You, on the other hand, have no such talent. Your current strength is just a patchwork of skills and techniques. Nothing you've truly understood. No matter how deep you train, you're still just a puppet dancing within the rules."
Jack Harper frowned. "You're telling me all this—aren't you afraid I'll grasp the truth and break through myself?"
Lady Night laughed. "You think I'm helping you? You think becoming a seed is just about training? Let me tell you—true breakthrough only comes in a moment of life-or-death despair, when your soul erupts with its purest will. The stronger you are, the more trials you've survived, the harder it is to reach that state. You're already at silver-tier combat power. If you hadn't known this secret, maybe you had a one-in-ten-thousand chance. But now that I've told you, you'll never reach it. In that critical moment, you'll think too much, try to force it—and fail."
She paused, then added with a sneer, "Ever heard the parable? A god taught a mortal the art of turning things to gold, but warned him: 'Never think of your nose while casting the spell.' The mortal failed every time—because the more he tried not to think of his nose, the more he did. He died without ever turning a single coin. That's you now. Even if I've handed you the secret, you'll never succeed."
"One more thing," she said, voice turning grim. "Becoming a god is the only way to escape the threats of the Reincarnation Space. If you don't reach that level, even if the True God spares you, you'll eventually die in one of the increasingly brutal mission worlds."
Lady Night fell silent, waiting to see Jack Harper panic or rage.
But Jack remained calm. After hearing this monumental secret, he simply said, "So what? This so-called revelation has no bearing on our current fight. You think you can rattle me, make me lose focus, give you an opening? Don't be stupid. If you survive, it means I'm dead—and whether I break through or not won't matter to a corpse. If I live, you die. And then your opinion won't matter either."
Lady Night was about to retort when a deep voice cut in: "Lady Night, you've said enough!"
With that, three beams of red, green, and blue light burst through the wall, shooting toward Jack Harper like lances.
It was Magnor, captain of the Dark Oath squad, unleashing his signature move—Triple Element Finger.
Having fought him before, Jack knew better than to take it head-on. He activated his newly learned Phantom Step, instantly dodging out of the attack's range. The beams swept across the plaza, carving three deep trenches into the ground.
"Huh?" Jack glanced at the marks, startled. "Your power's increased a lot since last time."
Magnor replied coolly, "In this Reincarnation Space, most martial artists rely on pills and artifacts to boost their strength quickly. I've always disliked that dependency, so I rarely used them. But to kill you, I had to make an exception."
Jack's heart sank. A powered-up Magnor was extremely dangerous. And Lady Night, now controlling Flora's awakened body, was no less threatening. The two together meant certain death. And who knew where Golden Flash was hiding? Not to mention the Silver-Eyed Lion King, stronger than both.
Still, even as the situation turned dire, Jack Harper wasn't without options.
He glanced at both enemies, then shook his head. "You're stronger than I expected. No wonder you're veteran adventurers—your power is real. But you still can't kill me. If I want to leave, none of you can stop me."
As he spoke, the Headless Horseman's reins wrapped around his left arm began to glow—ready to summon his Death Charger at any moment. Only he and Elliot Gray knew: escaping didn't mean abandoning the mission. Even if he fled the battlefield now, he had a way to prevent the awakened army from reaching the south, sabotaging the Dark Oath squad's objective.
Even if they slaughtered many Claymores, they couldn't wipe them all out in time. Especially the top-tier girls—some might even counterattack. Worst case, if fewer than seven survived and Jack's mission failed, the penalty would still favor him. And if the enemy couldn't pay the survival point cost, they'd be erased.
Thanks to Elliot Gray's planning, Jack had contingencies. Even if the mission failed, he could afford the penalty. He was ready to retreat.
But just as he prepared to summon the Death Charger, Lady Night spoke again: "Ice boy! If you dare flee on that mount, I'll kill this puppet body."
Jack froze, hand still. "What did you say?"
Lady Night now wielded Flora's awakened form—silver-tier mid-rank combat power. Though not as strong as Riculdo, she was close to Magnor's level. Jack didn't know how hard it was to possess Flora, but given how long she'd waited to reveal this move—and the fact that she hadn't taken over an Abyssal—it must've been difficult and limited. Flora's body was clearly precious. Now Lady Night threatened to destroy it—what did that mean?
"Ahaha, I don't know either," Lady Night said airily. "The alchemist had a fit before dying. He told Magnor you might've fallen for this story character. So I was ordered to possess her and use her to threaten you. Not to make you surrender—but to stop you from running. That part, he said, would definitely work."
She continued, "Damn that alchemist. I tried to possess the awakened who could manipulate Yoki, hoping to use his power to control this Claymore. But you taught her that mutated small-cosmos burst technique—it completely purged her Yoki, making her immune to synchronization. I almost got killed. Luckily, when she killed that awakened, she got injured. I slipped in through the wound and spent three days transferring my essence bit by bit. Only just finished taking over her mind."
"If it was that hard to possess her, you're really willing to destroy her—just because you trust the alchemist's guess?" Jack asked, frowning.
"Honestly, I don't trust it," Lady Night admitted. "But Magnor trusted the alchemist—even after death. That's why he ordered me to use my most precious possession technique. I only get three in my lifetime. Damn that alchemist…"
She paused, then added slyly, "So go ahead—run. I'll kill this Claymore. That'll prove the alchemist was a complete idiot. How about it?"
"Hmph, I—" Jack started to say he didn't care, but stopped mid-sentence.
Did he like Flora? A second ago, he would've scoffed and called it absurd. Sure, they had some rapport, some shared moments. But he was a Reincarnation adventurer, and Flora was just a character in a mission world. Like someone dying for a novel character—it made no sense.
Yet at that moment, he found his steps slowing. His hand, ready to summon the Death Charger, felt heavy. As if a voice inside him was stopping him from cutting off Flora's last hope.
Damn it. What's wrong with me?
My emotions should've frozen long ago.
Why is there a feeling I can't control?
Flora… Flora… Flora… Flora… Flora… Flora… Flora… Flora…
"What? Did the alchemist really get it right? You actually fell for a story character?" Lady Night's voice rang out, delighted. "Hahaha… I can't believe he guessed it! Don't worry—once you're dead, I'll carve this Claymore into pieces to send you off."
As she spoke, Magnor leapt onto a nearby rooftop, forming a pincer with her.
The only escape route they left Jack Harper—was toward Riculdo.
Magnor sneered. "Rime, this time, you're not getting away."
At that moment, Jack Harper found himself surrounded. Though he couldn't be sure whether Ligaruht would side with the Dark Oath squad, he couldn't afford to take chances. The Claymore girls, confused by the sudden turn of events, remained on high alert but didn't dare act rashly.
What now?
Jack didn't feel completely cornered—after all, his enemies had their schemes, and he had his own. He'd prepared multiple contingencies before the mission began. Even in a desperate situation, he had ways to escape.
But now, an unexpected variable had emerged: Flora had become a puppet under enemy control. Setting aside Lady Night's threat, the real question was—could he bring himself to destroy Flora?
If he wanted to protect her and still complete the mission, he'd have to avoid direct conflict with the Dark Oath squad.
But clearly, they weren't going to let him walk away.
And with the awakened army looming…
Then, among all his contingency plans…
Should he gamble on the most dangerous, most insane option?
Should he?
Why not?
In that instant, Jack Harper made up his mind. He turned to Magnor and Lady Night, his expression cold and resolute.
"So this was your setup? Looks like killing that alchemist was the right call. He really knew how to read people. I didn't even realize I had feelings like this—but he saw it first and built a trap around it. Good thing he's dead. If he were still alive, I'd be in real trouble. But don't think a dead man's scheme can decide the outcome. I was hesitant before, but now that we're here—let's gamble."
He raised both arms, clasped his fists above his head, thumbs locked in a distinctive formation.
With his Dark Aquarius Saint Armor gleaming, the pose instantly evoked a terrifying technique.
"Aurora Execution?" Magnor's face changed.
That ultimate move could unleash absolute zero frost, capable of killing anything below godhood. No one could take it head-on. Seeing Jack assume the stance, both veterans tensed, fully alert but unwilling to charge. Even though Aquarius wasn't known for speed, Saint-class fighters were unmatched in their tier. There was no way to intercept Jack before he struck.
But they couldn't just stand there and let him unleash it either. They prepared to dodge—only to find their feet locked in place by a surge of bone-chilling frost.
Throne of Winter—the trap Jack had laid days ago—was now triggered.
Jack smirked. "Wrong guess. This one's called Ice Coffin."
He slammed his fists into the snow-covered ground.
The reaction stunned everyone.
BOOOOM—
Like a meteor crashing into the sea, a massive burst of blue-glowing frost erupted from beneath Jack's feet. A geyser of ice shot skyward, hundreds of meters high, then cascaded outward like a blizzard tsunami. The entire plaza was instantly engulfed in a downpour of frost.
This wasn't ordinary snow—it was ultra-low-temperature frost, below minus 250 degrees Celsius. Anything it touched, even atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen, froze solid. By the time the snowflake-sized particles reached the ground, they had grown into fist-sized hailstones of condensed air. These hailstones fused together, instantly encasing everything they touched in transparent ice coffins.
In a flash, the avalanche of white hail transformed the plaza into a towering glacier. Awakened beings, Claymore girls, cathedral ruins, the plaza itself—even Jack Harper—were frozen in place, locked in crystal-clear ice, their forms preserved in the moment of freezing. All sensation, all thought, ceased.
And the hail kept coming. The frost storm expanded outward, with Jack at its center. A gloomy blue light pierced the sky, dragging clouds downward. The hail thickened, the ice grew, and the frozen structures merged into one massive glacier. Within seconds, it rose above the cathedral's spire, reaching dozens of meters high.
From afar, one could see a majestic ice mountain rising from the heart of the town, expanding rapidly, swallowing the entire settlement in shimmering crystal.
A minute later, the eruption ceased.
The largest ice-bound amber in the world had been born.
The town of Piet had vanished.
In its place stood a towering glacier, gleaming in the twilight, nestled among the northern peaks.
Even the awakened beings stationed outside the town were stunned, speechless before the transformation.
But not everyone had been frozen.
Thud— A figure crashed onto the snowy plain. Long beard, ancient robes, wielding a traditional Chinese longsword—it was Magnor, captain of the Dark Oath squad.
He wasn't the fastest, but his ice-based inner energy gave him the highest frost resistance. Though the storm caught him, he used his sword techniques and Triple Element Finger to carve a path through the ice, barely escaping. The effort drained him.
A golden-armored figure rushed over and caught him—Golden Flash.
"Magnor! What happened? What the hell was that? The whole town's buried under an ice mountain!"
Magnor gave a bitter smile. "We thought we had him cornered. Turns out, he had us cornered."
Golden Flash was confused. "What do you mean? What was that explosion? Did that kid really have that kind of power? Is he already gold-tier?"
Magnor shook his head. "Clearly not his own strength. When he triggered it, I felt something familiar. Looking back, it was alchemy. He killed the alchemist and somehow extracted his most precious ability. Then he laid a massive ice-based transmutation array beneath the town, gathered all the northern frost energy, and detonated it. Judging by the scale, he must've used the alchemist's stash of Philosopher's Stones. Otherwise, this wouldn't be possible."
"Lady Night's frozen in there too?" Golden Flash asked.
Magnor nodded. "He froze our feet first, then triggered the ice mountain. I've got Frost Fist and Storm Legs—Lady Night's awakened body is fast, but lacks frost resistance. She's trapped."
Golden Flash stared at the glacier, swallowed hard, and asked, "So what's the point of this? He froze the Claymores too. Doesn't that mean his mission failed? He should've just run."
Magnor sneered. "He's no fool. This ice is so cold it freezes instantly, but that also means the frozen ones might not die. Those Claymores are tough. His plan is to seal us all in and stall until the mission ends. As long as the girls survive the freeze, he wins."
"That's devious!" Golden Flash exclaimed.
Magnor shook his head. "Not really. It's a gamble. Once he used this move, he had no backup. If we had a way to break the glacier—alchemy, nukes, whatever—he'd be dead. Or if we had long-range kill methods—ghosts, curses—same result. But we don't. And while the glacier is massive, it's not indestructible. A gold-tier could break it. Hm?"
Just then, Magnor turned sharply. A violent sound erupted nearby—a massive figure burst out of the glacier.
It was Ligaruht, the Silver-Eyed Lion King.
Though he'd been frozen before escaping, his peak silver-tier power allowed him to punch through the final ice layer. He landed, drained, and reverted to human form.
With no common enemy left, Magnor didn't dare linger. He gathered his energy, grabbed Golden Flash, and fled around the glacier. Ligaruht, exhausted, didn't give chase.
"Too bad. If Ligaruht hadn't escaped, we might've convinced the awakened army to dig through the ice. Now that's off the table," Magnor sighed.
Golden Flash asked, "Boss, we really can't break through the glacier ourselves?"
Magnor raised his left hand, pointed at the ice mountain, and fired three beams of colored light. They carved three deep tunnels, each ten meters long and two meters wide. But within seconds, the walls thickened and sealed, erasing all traces.
Magnor said, "If I'm right, this transmutation array is powered by Philosopher's Stones. Until they're depleted, the glacier regenerates endlessly. No way through."
Golden Flash asked, "What about Lady Night?"
Magnor waved dismissively. "No need to worry. She's using a high-tier awakened Claymore body—far more resilient than normal. She'll survive until the mission ends and get teleported out. She's safe. We, on the other hand, need to finish our original task—clear the southern path for the awakened army. If we fail, we won't have enough survival points to pay the penalty."
Golden Flash looked at the glacier one last time, then nodded. "Alright, boss. Let's move. We need to stay ahead of the awakened."
"Yeah. Too bad we'll have to wait until next time to kill him. Lady Night's new body is silver-tier high rank. Next time, he won't escape," Magnor said bitterly.