Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 69 Mercury Blood
Like dreaming with a pressure on your chest, the suffocating feeling shatters all beautiful fantasies, leaving only a premonition of death and traces of darkness.

But in that most terrifying dream, he felt warmth.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and Himil's movements were frozen in place.

Light covered his body.

It surges with magnificent power, like ten thousand angels singing hymns, or like ten thousand suns rising at the same time.

It travels through every corner of the world, as if existing in a priori realm, becoming a guarantee for the existence of that world.

It seems that it is about to descend, to proclaim its laws on earth in the greatest and most glorious form.

It has been missing for far too long, but it must come.

Then, Xilun heard some sound, faint and indistinct in his dream.

"Don't you want me to be born?"

A voice rang out in Xilun's mind in surprise.

He clearly sensed a strong resistance in Xilun's mind; the suffering shepherd, the shepherd who fought for him, was actually opposing his arrival.

why?
Then, countless thoughts, memories, and ideas exploded in Xilun's mind, like open pages of a book, allowing him to turn them at will.

He didn't know how much time had passed, whether it was a fraction of a second or a thousand years, when he suddenly heard a voice.

"Hey, stop looking, is it that good?" Xilun's voice echoed in my mind.

"Interesting." He seemed somewhat surprised. "You're still conscious?"

“Ah… how should I put it?” Xiren was puzzled for a moment. “Actually, I’m not sure either. Maybe it’s because I have memories of two people in my mind? But that’s not the point—how should I address you? God?”

"Suit yourself," the voice said. "Just as you think, I am nothing more than the Other. Does it matter what letters you use to symbolize my existence?"

"Ah...you really did a thorough job of spying." Xilun smiled helplessly.

"But I haven't gotten to the point yet," he said nonchalantly. "Why are you resisting my arrival?"

"Your condition doesn't seem too good, does it?" Siren asked.

The voice fell silent.

"If you didn't exist, that would be one thing, but since you do exist and can still summon those ice men, it must be beyond your capabilities?" Xilun pressed.

The voice remained silent.

"I'll take that as your agreement—in that case, don't try to disrupt my plans. At least this time, I don't need you to lift a finger."

"Your plan?" He chuckled, seemingly mocking Xiren's arrogance.

"Yes, once you descend, people will look forward to your arrival whenever they encounter danger. They will only hope for the arrival of a righteous and upright official, rather than relying on their own strength to survive the apocalypse."

“If you were truly omniscient and omnipotent, that would be one thing, but as it is—you clearly are not.”

The voice was silent for a moment. Having read Xilun's memories, he naturally knew who he was talking about.

"So—given that you can't deny that your god also has limitations, what do you plan to do?" He chuckled.

For the first time, Xilun revealed a sly tone, "I told you I had a plan, and you'll find out when the time comes."

“Go,” he said. “Save your energy for what you should be doing. It would be better to warm the world a few degrees than to argue with me here. At least for now, I don’t need your help.”

The voice didn't speak, but Xilun sensed a feeling of helplessness.

“Then let me see,” he said. “How will you use your belief in human strength to get out of this predicament?”

"Aldridge! How do I open the Red Mercury carriage?!"

Amidst the raging wind and thunder, Mathilde roared wildly.

Aldridge snapped out of his prayers, and after a moment of confusion, thought, "The valve at the rear of the car... wait, what are you trying to do?!"

“Let the giants burn,” she said, turning to grab Kyle’s shoulder. “Come with me!”

People followed her instructions, bewildered yet obedient; at such a time, they needed someone to lead them.

When faith is on the verge of collapse, the only nonbeliever becomes the pillar.

Mathilde found the largest valve, but it was frozen solid.

She wasn't surprised at all, and simply instructed Kyle: "Holy Fire Spell."

"Oh, okay!" Kyle quickly agreed, and a ball of holy fire ignited on it. He was completely panicked. As long as he could save the bishop, everything would be fine. He even put the flame directly on the valve handle to burn it.

The ice and snow melted rapidly, and the valve began to get warm until it became scalding hot.

Mathilde's hands suddenly pierced through the sacred flame and gripped the valve tightly!
"Hey!!" Kyle quickly withdrew the Holy Fire spell, but he knew that the surface was made of scorching hot steel!
Her hands made a "sizzling" sound as snow water, which turned into vapor, rose up from them, making Kyle tremble with fear.

But she was by no means a pampered young lady; her strong hands were covered with calluses from hardship and misfortune, and numerous old scars were the marks of poverty.

She had been injured countless times by factory machinery and molten iron, and had been beaten all over by the canes and whips of the men. She had slept on straw and looked up at the starry sky. From a young age, she had worked countless jobs in poverty, trying to earn a few pennies.

“Jehovah Rafa!” she cried out as flesh and blood healed and burned wildly, even the newly grown granulation tissue sticking to the steel.

“Open it!!!”

The fragile valve, which had been frozen and then heated to a scorching temperature, suddenly burst open, tearing off a large piece of steel plate along with it—the gate of that carriage swung open with a roar!

Crimson mercury gushed out, like fresh blood.

The heavy liquid flowed from the wound into Mathilde's hands as she stood amidst the mercury.

Kyle's eyes widened: "Wait... no! Mathilde! Come out!"

But she did not answer.

The moment Red Mercury sensed the Frost Giant, it became agitated, releasing bursts of bright red steam.

It was originally a non-flammable substance, chemically inert, and hardly reacted with any substance, but at this moment, it ignited itself completely!
combustion!

Sixty-seven tons of red mercury in one carriage rose violently into the sky, expanding and expanding like a blooming red lotus in karmic fire!

The raging flames engulfed Himil and also Xiren. The air blockade was lifted in an instant, and Kayle rushed in, grabbed Xiren, and pulled her out of the fire.

The light faded away helplessly, as if it had never been there, or as if it had been defeated by its own shepherd, carrying with it both regret and relief.

Amidst the apocalyptic thunderstorm and blizzard, people stood together, watching the fiery storm and roar surge into the sky, staining the underside of the clouds red, like a raised battle flag.

The sky was like a frozen, dark blue glacier, and in the eternal darkness within, raging storms and snow would unleash judgment and fury upon the disobedient.

The towering sea of ​​fire, like a surging crimson tide, with undisguised violence and fury, tore at the bottom of the clouds, attempting to burn through that frozen majesty.

The cloud wall, however, pressed down with the frigid heat of the entire sky, a weight of countless years' accumulation, seemingly high above and endless. In that place where extreme cold and extreme heat intertwined, Mathilde was no longer visible.

People gazed at that place with sorrow.

Xiren awoke under Kael's [Awakening] spell, coughing violently, and cast two Holy Light spells on himself.

“What happened?” he asked.

Kyle didn't know how to explain, and whispered, "Matilda..."

"Look!"

Before he could finish speaking, Arthur suddenly shouted.

Amidst the raging flames, the crimson light, and the surging waves, the black-robed nun gripped the frost giant's neck tightly!
Her black robes fluttered like ashes in the flames, and her orange-red hair was also set ablaze. She was like death born from the fire, reflecting the ferocity and boiling of the flames!
She was definitely not the kind of person who would shout for sacrifice and then die. When she turned on the valve in the car, she didn't think about dying—not only did she not intend to die, she even intended to kill that guy!

She leaped from the red mercury at some unknown time, landing on the frost giant's shoulder, and behind her, a new holy relic rose up.

It depicts the clash of ice and fire, with crimson flames sweeping across the land from bottom to top, and eternally frozen snow pressing down on the sky from top to bottom.

Amidst the indomitable flames, the nun, resembling a black peregrine falcon, gripped the frost giant's neck tightly, and the red mercury burst into magnificent flames.

【Sacred Relic: The Fire of the Rebels】!
She would never succumb to any oppression, nor would she bow to the gods. When she ignited the mortal world with a torrent of red mercury, she was not only unafraid of death, but she never even considered death.

Xilun stared at her blankly, then a slight smile appeared on his face.

That kind of death-defying violence reminded him of many things. When people feel oppressed and powerless, they will use violence to break the shackles. They don't know what kind of new world they want to build, and they have no theoretical guidance. They only know that they are in pain now, so they rebel.

They will shed a lot of blood, their own blood, other people's blood, and they will kill many people, the guilty, the innocent, and themselves.

Blood will flow across the ruins of history, leaving future generations to judge and praise it.

If it weren't for this extreme cold and apocalypse, he believed Mathilde would have been the best leader in her working-class community.

Golden holy symbols danced wildly behind her like a twisted dragon; her left hand was plunged into the frost giant's neck, while her right hand was raised high.

Crimson blood flowed through her veins, her heavy pulse and violent heartbeat shattered the entanglement of flames, and all the liquid in her body evaporated into white mist. In the world of flames, she was the only one shining.

Divine Art: Mercury Blood!

The red mercury that flowed into the body through the wound was no longer a calamity, but transformed into the body's power. With each heartbeat, each pulse, and each breath, a large amount of heavy red mercury frolicked and rampaged in the blood vessels!
Her right hand plunged fiercely into Himil's newly grown head.

And then—it blossoms!
Countless fine red mercury threads burst forth from the pores of her palms, like a death blanket woven by fate.

【Blood of Mercury】is an extremely rare divine technique that enhances physical strength. The blood in the body is replaced with heavy, viscous red mercury, and the heart's strength is increased countless times to pump this "blood". The physical qualities of the whole body are also enhanced.

In the church's records, there was only one instance of this kind of magic, but unfortunately, the exam didn't test the life of that predecessor, so Xilun didn't record it.

The frost giant's entire head was infused with red mercury, and as it burned in flames, it resembled something like a hell knight.

But it seems to be missing something—even amidst raging flames and red mercury, it persists, with icy blue light and a rainbow bridge descending from the heavens, fiercely protecting its child.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Xiren pushed away Kyle's attempt to help him up.

He coughed weakly twice, then gripped the cross on his chest, his right hand holding the shotgun in his arms.

Three semi-sacred relics unfolded in succession—

Everything else remained unchanged, except for the [Snowstorm Rescue] feature, which had some additions.

The main scene remains snow and a wrecked train, with frail figures pulling the bodies of survivors out of the ruins.

But beside it, the decapitated corpse of a frost giant knelt on the ground, with a knight's sword burning with holy fire stuck in the ground.

Returning to a familiar place has unexpectedly given it new meaning.

It's not just about saving, it's also about protecting.

If the sacred fire spell represents warmth amidst wind and snow, then beheading the giant symbolizes the ferocity and fury of the flames.

The shotgun in his right hand ignited with flames from the muzzle, which spread little by little until the golden-red sacred flames engulfed it completely.

The gun barrel began to melt, the stock began to burn, and the sacred flame spread to Xilun's right wrist, but he could only feel a trace of heat.

Then, it quickly melted into a mixture of molten iron, and the flames changed from golden red to pure crimson. In that crimson fire, it was gradually reforged into a golden red cross-shaped longsword!
—Just like the halberd held in the hands of the angel cherubim in countless murals and stained glass windows.

Sweat beaded on Siron's face; this was the first time he had felt so strained since Mass.

His divine sense was being rapidly extracted, as if a black hole was tearing at and devouring his power. A feeling of weakness surged over him like a tidal wave, and then transformed into the most terrifying flame at the tip of the sword.

He softly recited: "So he set forth a flaming sword that turns in all directions to guard the way of the tree of life."

That is the sword that guards the Garden of Eden, the sword that protects the Tree of Life.

Holy Fire Technique: Sword of the Cherubim!

All his divine sense was drained at this moment, but even so, it seemed to only fill a small part of the vast hunger of the Cherubim's sword.

It burned with great dissatisfaction, spewing out plumes of black smoke.

That is the power that seals off Eden, the authority of the second angel, the Cherubim, something that Siron in his present state could not possibly control.

Theoretically, this is not a power he can obtain at present.

That was something of the same rank as the frost giant, and it was his reward for severing the giant's head.

With immense energy concentrated in his right hand, Xiren could barely control himself. His weakened hand used the last bit of strength—he could do nothing else but thrust forward violently!
Then a magnificent flame surged from his hand, and the blazing red light illuminated half the sky. The sharp blades on all sides pierced through the wind and snow with materialized divine thoughts, and the judgment of heaven fell to earth!

Himil let out a desperate roar. He sensed the terrifying power, but Mathilde held his head tightly, and red mercury spread from his head downwards. The great fire of divine sense had already enveloped him.

He couldn't move an inch.

Then, in the next moment, a red light streaked across the sky, and people could only see crimson flames stretching across the horizon, like the gates of the Garden of Eden in mythology.

The massive divine sword pierced straight through Himil's chest, and raging heavenly fire quickly spread across his icy body.

Himil didn't even have time to let out a final cry before he was completely engulfed by flames.

Amidst terrifying high-temperature white steam and explosions, the enormous body shrank almost instantly and then disappeared.

Mathilde leaped from mid-air, her black robes turning into red, fragmented butterflies in the flames, her long hair burned into jagged pieces, and her face covered in ash.

A final, furious clap of thunder echoed across the sky, the wind and snow finally subsided, and the raging fire of the red mercury gradually died down.

—This was the third person to die after the end of the world.

In the distance, a group of panicked refugees looked up and saw the burning fire and the dissipating thunderclouds, as if they had seen the direction of hope.

(End of this chapter)