Dream Encounter

Five days later, in a mountain range in northern Freljord.

Ato casually cut down a beast that had been lying in ambush. Only then did he realize that ever since he'd sheathed the Demonic Sword of the Dark, beasts had been harassing him. He'd already been attacked more than a dozen times over the past five days.

"Could it be that the sword's aura used to be what kept them away? Maybe the beasts could sense it with their keen instincts, so they never attacked me before?"

The attacks posed no threat to Ato, but their frequency was starting to get on his nerves.

"I'd better get back to civilization soon. It's too wild out here. The Sword Sheath's disguise is completely useless in these parts..."

"From up on the mountain, I can already see the sea to the north of Freljord, dotted with floating icebergs. The Frost Guard Fortress from my memories should be nearby. Hey, before I crossed over, I used to play ARAM on the bridge in front of the fortress every day."

"ARAM? Was there a war there often?" Aatrox's voice sounded beside Ato's ear.

"No... Well, I can't say it wasn't. Anyway, it wasn't a war as you understand it." Ato suddenly felt an itch in his fingers. "Good grief, I haven't touched a computer in two months! I want to play ARAM!"

Ato had tossed out several more baffling terms without explaining them, so Aatrox stopped asking.

The Sword Sheath had improved his patience along with his reason. He was no longer as irritable as he used to be.

Ato moved quickly. Every step carried him more than ten meters, and even in the steep mountains, he strode as easily as if on level ground.

By the time he reached the foot of the mountain, night had fallen completely. He decided to find a cave to spend the night in.

Night was no time to visit the Frost Guard Fortress. He'd prepared for the worst: he might clash with the Frostguard there, or even Lissandra herself.

Without the sun, Freljord's nighttime temperatures were beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

If a fight broke out, the cold would put Ato at a serious disadvantage.

If Lissandra were the only one there, Ato might have charged straight in. But he knew there were other monsters inside that would be a real pain to deal with.

After an hour of walking along the foot of the mountain, Ato finally found a cave sheltered from the wind.

"Pretty lucky. No signs of beasts..."

Ato sat down wherever he pleased. Unlike the past few days, he took off the Sword Sheath and drew the Demonic Sword of the Dark.

He made the Sword Sheath cancel its disguise, revealing the sword's original, fearsome form, then plunged it into the ground beside him.

"...What are you doing?" Aatrox was baffled by Ato's unusual behavior.

"We're already close to the Frost Guard Fortress. Old man, you probably haven't met many people older than you, have you?"

"Most who lived in my era have long since turned to dust. Even the Angel Sisters are far younger than I am. The only being I've met recently who was older than me was Ornn the Demigod."

"You still can't forget the Angel Sisters... Losing to them bothers you that much?" Ato felt like covering his face.

"There's another ancient monster in the Frost Guard Fortress, someone who's lived from ten thousand years ago to the present day... No, an Old Hag... No, that's not quite right..."

"Is she strong?" Aatrox cared more about strength.

"Hard to say. We'd have to fight to find out. But I don't want to take that risk, or get into a conflict with her. You wouldn't want to know what it feels like to be frozen in True Ice."

"Then why remove the disguise tonight?"

"So I can invite her into my dream," Ato explained. "Ten thousand years ago, she lost her sight to gain power. In exchange, she gained the ability to walk through dreams."

"So the Old Hag definitely stays awake at night, wandering around in other people's dreams..."

"You want to use the sword's aura to lure her into your dream?" Aatrox finally understood.

"Exactly. With my knack for running into heroes, she's bound to show up."

"I'll meet her in my dream first and let slip a few things I know, then see how she reacts. If it goes well, the Frostguard will line up to welcome us when we reach the Frost Guard Fortress tomorrow."

"But it'll be tricky. Lissandra will do anything to keep her secrets. I'll have to think carefully about what not to say..."

Night fell. Lissandra stood in a chamber inside the Frost Guard Fortress. Thanks to her special senses, she knew the moment had come when she could see the world.

She was tall, wrapped in a dark blue robe and wearing an oddly shaped, pointed hat that covered her eyes.

The arms extending from her robe were unlike those of ordinary humans, fading into a deep blue. Beneath her feet lay a layer of True Ice that never melted, bearing her weight.

Freljord was dangerous at night. The cold was even more terrifying than during the day, and there were beasts and monsters that were difficult to guard against. The people here usually went to bed early.

Lissandra spread her arms, and her consciousness walked among the dreams of the people of Freljord.

She concealed herself and let her consciousness spread. As long as she wished, no one could detect her in their dreams. The only exception was when the dreamer was Iceborn; then she would appear and guide them into her service.

She saw a strong young man from a tribe being invited by a War Mother in his dream to enter into a Blood Pact with her. The War Mother obeyed his every word, and as soon as the ceremony was over, they hurried back to their room.

She saw a warrior of barbarian blood being attacked by more than a dozen ice wolves. The wolves' teeth sank into his torso, arms, and legs, while the warrior grimaced and fought back with boundless fury.

She saw a Yeti, nearly extinct, carrying a young boy in its arms. It used its thick fur to shield the boy from the biting wind as it ran across the snowy plains.

She saw a frail girl in a warm room, her parents holding her hands as they shared the prey they'd caught that day. But the next moment, the dream shattered like glass—the girl was dead.

Lissandra's expression didn't change as she was forced out of the dream. This was commonplace in Freljord.

Tribes fought every day. The survivors of a defeated tribe could hardly survive alone in the freezing winds. The poor girl.

Just as she was about to continue searching through the dreams, she suddenly sensed an unusual presence not far from the Frost Guard Fortress.

She approached the peculiar dream. It was unlike any she'd encountered before, as if some incomprehensible power lingered within it. For the first time in a long while, Lissandra felt curious.

Lissandra smoothly lowered her consciousness and entered the dream without encountering any resistance.

The noisy surroundings kept her from seeing what lay before her at first, so she had to draw on her power to try to bring the blurry scene into focus.

"A dreamer with powerful mental strength..."

But when Lissandra finally saw the scene in the dream, she couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.