Chapter 228 – Wendigo, the Soul Golem Monster

Quinn:

I’m trapped in a domain of ice! I thought, feeling panic start to grip me. The storm intensified, making the environment increasingly lethal. If my Infernal Armor failed, I would be frozen to death.

I’m definitely going to be killed by this thing!

“Screw this!” I shouted, sprinting toward the commercial district and using my fire magic to propel myself faster.

If I get close to the civilians, she won't bring that Soul Golem near them—or she might end up killing people.

I glanced back and saw the horned demon-like creature, its surroundings turning an eerie shade of blue as everything around it froze solid.

There’s no doubt—I’m dead. Is this the power of a Soul Golem with fused elements? I didn’t even know such a thing could exist.

I stared at my hand, or what was left of it where my fingers had been.

If I had been directly hit by one of that monster’s ice beams, I’d be dead. Fusing elements makes magic exponentially more powerful. So, a Soul Golem made from fused elements… is far stronger than a normal Soul Golem.

I focused all the fire in my body, creating a controlled explosion at my feet that launched me into the air at high speed. The wrecked streets below blurred past as the wind cut into my exposed skin, every motion sending waves of pain through my body. As I approached a thick wall of fog ahead, I plunged into the dense brume without hesitation, the icy sensation suffocating.

The streets of the commercial district were in shambles, with shattered buildings scattered about and ice covering the ground like a shroud. I unleashed another burst of wind and fire at my feet, propelling myself forward as I tried to plan my next move.

Behind me, I felt the oppressive air shift—the threat was closing in. The dense fog began to move like a living wave, cascading down the streets with Chloe at its center. Her feet were encased in a swirling vortex of water and wind, allowing her to advance at an impossible speed, like a predator closing in on its prey.

“She’s too fast,” I muttered, the heat of adrenaline barely keeping the cold at bay.

Every step I took, Chloe mirrored, her precision and control unnerving. She leapt into the air, using wind to propel herself, and landed in front of me with a force that cracked the ground beneath her. Her gaze burned with determination, and the blade in her hand gleamed with the diffused light of the surrounding ice.

She struck without hesitation. Her blade arced toward me in a lethal swing, and I barely managed to block it, the impact reverberating through my injured arm. Letting out a roar, I threw a fiery punch infused with wind, creating an explosive shockwave that obliterated everything around us. Chloe raised a barrier of ice to shield herself, but the blast was strong enough to push her back, forcing her to retreat several paces.

“Now!” she shouted with unwavering authority.

Before I could process what was happening, something massive slammed into me with crushing force. It felt like being hit by a speeding wall. My vision momentarily blacked out as my body was hurled through the air. The ground seemed to vanish beneath me as I smashed through walls and wrecked buildings until I finally came to a halt inside what was left of a tavern.

“Damn…” I muttered through strained, raspy laughter, spitting blood as I tried to push myself up. The pain was nearly unbearable, my legs shaking under the weight of my battered body.

When I finally looked up, I saw what had struck me: a colossal snowball hurled by the Wendigo, now standing a short distance away. Its monstrous, frozen body exhaled thick, icy mist as it loomed over me.

Chloe charged toward me, her sword raised high, her eyes burning with fierce determination. “Coward!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the ruins.

I ignored her warning, staggering away, my path deliberately aimed at the heart of the chaos—the civilians.

“Kill me!” I yelled, laughing like a lunatic as I sprinted toward the terrified crowd. “Just make your monster spit something powerful at me! Hahaha!”

My words carried the weight of a desperate strategy. I knew that no matter how determined Chloe was to defeat me, she would hesitate to endanger innocent lives.

Ahead, soldiers formed a defensive line, their shields raised in a futile attempt to protect the panicked civilians. Chloe shouted commands for everyone to evacuate, but chaos had already taken hold, and I seized every second to sow more destruction.

“Blazing Breeze!” I roared, conjuring a wave of scorching flames that swept across the area. The soldiers raised their shields in a makeshift barrier, but I knew it wouldn’t hold for long. With a leap, I launched myself at them.

Channeling power into my fists, I slammed them into the wall of shields with devastating force. The explosion sent soldiers flying, some engulfed in flames as their screams of agony echoed through the area.

“AH!” one soldier cried out as he was hurled into the wreckage, his body consumed by fire.

Chloe acted swiftly, summoning a massive wave of water to extinguish the flames on the surviving soldiers. But I was far from done.

“Fireball Swarm!” I unleashed dozens of fiery orbs in every direction, targeting soldiers, civilians, and anything in my path. The chaos escalated as I laughed, watching the crowd scatter in terror. Chloe scrambled to mitigate the destruction, conjuring more water to save whomever she could.

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She charged at me, her face a portrait of determination, but I wasn’t about to make it easy for her. I leapt into the air, aiming straight for her.

“Where’s that monster of yours now?” I mocked, my laughter dripping with venom.

“You’re a coward, attacking innocent people!” Chloe shouted as she dodged and raised a wind barrier to shield herself. Her voice was laced with fury and contempt.

I laughed again, unleashing another torrent of fire in her direction. She evaded with precision, but the intense heat from the flames left more destruction in its wake, igniting what little was still standing.

“You’re a Shadow Child!” I bellowed, my voice sharp with scorn. “You’re not supposed to care about these people! Come on, kill me with that ice monster of yours. I dare you—take me down, even if it means killing everyone around you!”

I darted toward the crowd trying to flee through the ruined streets. My body, cloaked in fire, left a trail of flames in my wake. I spotted a man fall to his knees, his face etched with pure terror.

“Please!” he begged, his hands raised in a desperate plea.

“Please, my ass!” I snarled, firing a beam of flame that struck him directly. The acrid stench of burnt flesh filled the air.

“Enough!” Chloe’s voice cut through the chaos like a blade. “Avalanche!” She stomped her foot, and a massive wave of snow surged toward me, blanketing the ground in a thick, white sheet as it sought to trap me.

“AHHHHH!” I screamed, unleashing a burst of blazing blue flames. The heat was so intense that the snow melted instantly, leaving the ground a steaming, scalding mess. My energy surged uncontrollably, a storm of fire tearing through everything around me. Civilians fled in every direction, soldiers were pushed back by the searing heat, and Chloe fought to withstand the relentless attack.

When the flames finally receded, returning to their deep red hue, the scene around me was one of utter devastation. The commercial center was nothing more than a smoldering ruin. I stood amidst the wreckage, laughing as I surveyed the destruction I had caused.

“Is that all you’ve got, Chloe Evenhart?” I taunted, my voice echoing through the desolate ruins. “You’ll need more than that to stop me!”

“Come on, Chloe Evenhart. Aren’t you the duchess of this territory?” I taunted, my voice dripping with venom as I scanned the panicked crowd around her. “Come protect your people. Deactivate that Soul Golem, and I’ll stop killing innocents.”

I watched her rush to shield someone amidst the chaos engulfed in flames.

Damn her, I thought bitterly. She had used the snow from the avalanche to save some of them from my fire.

Taking a closer look, I realized it wasn’t just that.

When I activated the flames, she must have used some spell—similar to the one she cast at the port—summoning the snow to contain the fire and rescue even more people.

No matter. All I have to do is target someone again and make sure this time they die.

“A Soul Golem can’t be activated again right after it’s deactivated,” I explained, hoping to turn the tide in my favor. “If you deactivate that thing, we can settle this the way it should be. Just you and me. No interference.”

Chloe Evenhart was injured, gravely so. Her back was severely burned—she had probably thrown herself into the fire to shield someone. Her entire body was a wreck. She may have cauterized some wounds, but I could tell the internal bleeding persisted. Her left arm was raw, nothing but charred flesh.

But I wasn’t in much better shape. The Wendigo’s horn had come dangerously close to piercing my heart, and one of my lungs was damaged. I’d seared my own wounds shut to stop the bleeding, but I knew my bones were fractured. Chloe Evenhart had tossed me around repeatedly, each impact pushing me closer to death.

At least she’s worse off than I am. I’ll die, but she’s coming with me.

I charged at her, rage fueling every step, ready to end it all.

“Not going to say anything?” I asked, watching her carefully. Chloe was clearly analyzing the situation, her labored breaths a telltale sign of her worsening condition.

Was it her lung? I wondered. If her lung’s even slightly punctured, she’ll drown in her own blood soon enough.

I shifted my focus to a child lying amid the chaos. Her wide, terrified eyes brimmed with tears that streaked her dirty cheeks. Each of my steps made the ground creak, and her silent pleas seemed to echo in my ears. I pointed at her, my voice as cold as the ice surrounding us.

“Deactivate the creature, or you already know what will happen to this little girl… Duchess.”

Chloe’s eyes locked on mine, a mixture of despair and fury swirling within them. Her voice trembled, barely masking the rage and anguish that threatened to break through. “You’ll kill her, won’t you? Fine. I’ll deactivate the golem. But let her go… I’m your target.”

A bitter laugh escaped me as I crouched beside the trembling girl, who was too scared to react. “Did my sister get that choice?” I asked, sarcasm and bitterness dripping from every word.

“That choice?” Chloe’s voice cracked with barely contained anger. “Your sister was an assassin, just like you. You both started all of this!”

I stood slowly, spinning the knife in my hand. “So what? Screw that pathetic argument,” I spat, glaring at her. “Do you think I’ll just accept it and walk away? My sister is dead, and I won’t stop until you’re nothing but ashes… just like she was.”

My gaze fell back to the child, her silence fueling the fire of my wrath. “So, Chloe, what’s it going to be? Will you let this life slip through your hands?”

Chloe’s Soul Golem loomed in the distance, an imposing figure. She glanced at it briefly, hesitation flickering in her eyes before she muttered, “Fine…”

With a wave of her hand, the golem dissolved into a swirling explosion of snow that blanketed the area in frost.

“What a shame…” I said coolly, a smirk tugging at my lips. “A true Child of Shadows wouldn’t have cared about such an insignificant life.”

Seizing the opportunity, I drew a dagger from my storage bracelet and pointed it at the crying child, whose eyes were squeezed shut in terror.

“This is for my sister!” I roared, raising the blade.

“Please, don’t do this!” Chloe begged, stepping forward, her voice trembling with desperation.

"Goodbye!" I declared, my voice like a final verdict as I prepared to strike.

"No!" Chloe screamed, propelling herself toward me with a gust of wind. At the last moment, I used my own wind to pivot, redirecting my trajectory and hurling myself toward her in one swift, calculated move.

The impact felt frozen in time, an eternity compressed into a single heartbeat. Her ragged breathing mingled with my sadistic laughter. I had succeeded.

"AH!" Chloe cried out as my blade drove deep into her stomach. Blood cascaded down the blade, staining my hand crimson. She coughed up blood but still managed to lock eyes with me, her defiance unwavering.

"I warned you... for my sister..." I murmured, savoring the satisfaction of finally killing my nemesis.

But then, a sharp pain pierced through my chest. My body froze as I looked down to see the blade Chloe held embedded in my heart.

Damn it... she got me too.

"We were both meant to die... as I told you," Chloe whispered weakly, her voice a fragile echo as she collapsed backward.

I dropped to my knees, feeling the warmth of my blood mixing with the icy ground beneath me. Blood poured from my mouth as my body convulsed, the pain spreading like wildfire. The child, now free, ran off into the fog, disappearing into the shrouded battlefield.

Summoning every last ounce of mana, I forced myself to stand, my body screaming at me to give up. My eyes locked onto Chloe, lying on the ground, gasping for air, her blood pooling around her. She knew exactly what she had done. She had planned this from the start.

"Eliza..." I murmured, my vision fading as I prepared my final spell. "Just like before... before I die, I’ll make sure you feel exactly what I did."

My hand trembled as I gathered the energy to summon a blue flame, my last resort. Chloe's eyes began to flutter shut, her body surrendering to the inevitable. The stench of blood and destruction choked the air around us.

The fire danced in my hand, but my body was at its limit. Even so, I was determined to drag Chloe down with me. Chloe Evenhart's eyes fully closed, her chest barely rising as she drowned in her own blood.

I stumbled toward her, determined to finish the job, ensuring her body would burn to ash in the flames of my vengeance.