Tears of the Ice Queen

Ka Ji, the perceiver, was restless.

To his left Linsey, who had led him from the outside world into the Volcano City of Spectrum, and whose abilities and skills were unfathomable.

To his right was Kuit, a great merchant from the Riverbank Merchant Guild whom he could only look up to on a high mountain, and one of the top rulers of the Courtyard in the Forest.

Just a few minutes ago.

The two continued their fight in hushed tones in the underground sewers.

But now, just minutes later, the two stand on either side of Ka Ji, staring at each other.

Since no one spoke, the oppressive atmosphere made it difficult for the perceiver to persevere.

The only thing that made Ka Ji feel somewhat at ease was that after the battle ended, the two of them had signed a defensive alliance agreement.

At least until the plant [Yulaman Suo Er] is dealt with, the two sides will not fight again.

"Cough cough—"

The perceiver coughed twice, feeling himself a little short of breath.

I had no choice but to muster my courage and bite the bullet to speak:

"My lords, shall we now discuss how to deal with this plant?"

Hearing Ka Ji break the silence, Kuit, with a fake smile on his face, nodded and said, "That's right, we can't just sit here doing nothing."

"Besides us, there is another person in these ruins. We don't know how they got to the top. Now, every second counts!"

Linsey neither confirmed nor denied this, but instead said directly, "Before discussing methods, let's exchange some information."

Kuit had no objection:

"I know this plant is very sensitive to sound and temperature, and cutting its stems and leaves will not harm the plant itself."

Linsey added, "The only weakness of Yulaman Suo Er is its Core Amongst the Roots."

Kuit asks:

"How do we break it down—or rather, how do we remove the obstruction of the root system and find its core?"

Before Linsey could answer, Kuit offered her own idea. "When we were fighting this guy, I found that he seemed to hate low temperatures. We might be able to take advantage of this habit."

Linsey shook her head in rejection:

"It won't work."

"Yulaman Suo Er's aversion to low temperatures is not fear."

"This approach will only incite its ferocity and bring more trouble and danger."

The businessman retorted, "It's ultimately just a plant. As long as we can properly utilize its likes and dislikes, I don't think it's a problem."

Linsey asked:

"So, based on your ideas, what is the specific action plan?"

Kuit smiled:

"I have a way to quickly lower the ambient temperature and affect the plant's normal activities."

"With our skills, we can rush in, find its core, and crush it."

"Ha—" Linsey sneered, "What if we rush in and get surrounded by its roots, then we'll be attacked from all sides?"

Quite immediately explained, "Since this is my plan, I will bear the consequences."

"If I really fail, I'll just spend money to buy a way out, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Linsey shook her head slightly and described her thoughts. "I think it's more appropriate to attack by exploiting biological weaknesses."

"Take flames, for example—"

Even as a supernatural being, Yulaman Suo Er could not escape its plant-like essence; therefore, this approach is the most suitable.

Kuit countered this point by saying:

"Then how can you be sure that the flames won't unleash its ferocity and attack us instead?"

Linsey was not to be outdone:

"At least I've tried it, low temperatures definitely won't work!"

"..."

Linsey's ideas were entirely derived from his practical experience.

But Kuit still doubted Linsey's attitude towards her, and therefore was unwilling to give up her low-temperature plan.

The two were once again at an impasse.

Having witnessed the entire discussion, Ka Ji had no choice but to speak up once again, forcing himself to say, "Since everyone wants to solve this problem, why can't we work together?"

"Even if we compromise further and each of us follows our own methods, is that acceptable?"

Linsey and Kuit eyes.

If the argument continues, they may not reach a conclusion even after another day and night.

Mu Le Na Hu En has now crossed Yulaman Suo Er and successfully reached the upper levels.

They can't afford to waste time here.

"Then let's each try it out and see whose method works?"

"In short, bound by the contract, all our actions will prioritize killing this plant."

Linsey and Kuit reached an agreement.

The signed contract ensures that the two will not attack each other.

As for whether their action plan is right or wrong, only reality can provide the answer.

Linsey instructed Ka Ji:

"Ka Ji, lead us in the direction we heard earlier."

Ka Ji quickly replied:

"No problem, I remember that direction perfectly!"

The person who perceived it even felt a sense of relief.

Compared to this ancient plant that dwells in the ruins of the secret realm.

On the contrary, the confrontation between Linsey and Kuit felt even more terrifying to him.

The three resumed their journey, cautiously exploring the waterway.

With Ka Ji as their perception expert, the team quickly found the right direction in the waterway.

As a massive plant capable of blocking a city, the enormous size of Yulaman Suo Er is clearly beyond the capacity of small spaces.

In fact, its root system occupies a large part of the waterway system.

As Linsey and his companions approached, they saw thick, pillar-like roots wriggling and rubbing against the ground, resembling the intertwined feet of a giant.

Wherever the roots reach, the ground is extremely dry.

Only in some more distant locations on the ground were there some remaining traces of water.

"..."

Linsey didn't speak, but simply pointed to the puddle at her feet.

Seeing the warning, Kuit and Ka Ji bypassed the small, uneven traps and continued their approach.

The three moved closer to Yulaman Suo Er.

This crazed plant has an incalculable size; the closer you get, the clearer you can see its details.

Its thick rhizome is covered with countless roots, and the brownish-red roots look like intertwined muscles, exuding a powerful presence! Its enormous size, terrifying strength, and active wriggling motion are striking.

When humans see such a being, they instinctively feel an unimaginable sense of oppression.

"..."

Linsey and her two companions stopped and looked at each other.

If we go any further, Yulaman Suo Er's thermal perception should take effect; this is already the limit we can approach.

In order to prove her point of view correct, Kuit was the first to react.

He took two small steps forward and walked ahead.

Seeing this, Linsey waved to Ka Ji to stop, and the two watched as Kuit continued to approach.

Kuit first used a small sum of money to buy off the effects of her body temperature.

He then calmly approached the wriggling roots and took out an ice-blue iron kettle from his merchant space.

The iron kettle is covered with a thin, white insulating film, and contains a pure white liquid.

—— [The Tears of the Ice Queen]

This is a rare item that Kuit purchased 14 years ago in the Windermere Mountain.

The liquid emits a powerful chill, freezing things without harming the very essence of life.

In critical moments, the condition of a seriously injured person can be preserved while awaiting rescue.

But at this moment.

Once Kuit took out the item, it became a weapon to deal with the plants in front of her.

He carefully opened the lid of the iron kettle and dripped the "Tears of the Ice Queen" onto the ground.

Sizzle sizzle—

The ground was instantly covered with a layer of white frost, and the roots extending from the waterway also retreated with a 'whoosh' to avoid it.

Just as Kuit had thought, the low temperature forced the roots of [Yulaman Suo Er] to retreat.

"..."

The wealthy businessman wore a smug smile.

But the corners of his mouth had only just begun to curve slightly.

The reddish-brown roots that had just retreated immediately went berserk, waving countless afterimages, tearing through the air, and rampaging back and forth in the dense waterways, crashing against the walls with a loud rumble.

The Garden Enclosure trembled violently, as if an earthquake had suddenly erupted.

As for Kuit himself, he was instantly enveloped in it!