Dream Encounter

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

Ato casually killed a beast that had ambushed him in the dark. Only then did he realize that ever since he put the Sword Sheath on the Demonic Sword of the Dark, he had been constantly harassed by beasts. In the past five days, he had already been attacked more than a dozen times.

"Could it be that before, it was the aura emanating from the Demonic Sword that sensitive beasts detected, which is why I wasn't attacked?"

Although the attacks posed no threat to Ato, their frequency was starting to annoy him.

"I need to get back to civilization quickly. This place is too wild, the Sword Sheath's disguise is useless here..."

"Standing on the mountain, I can already see the ocean dotted with icebergs to the north of Freljord. Frost Guard Fortress should be nearby, according to my memory. Hey, before I transmigrated, I used to play Brawl on the bridge in front of the fortress every day."

"Brawl? Does war happen there often?" Aatrox's voice appeared in Ato's ear.

"No... or rather, not in the way you understand war." Ato suddenly felt an urge. "God, I haven't touched a computer in two months! I want to play Brawl!"

Seeing Ato utter several more incomprehensible terms without any intention of explaining them, Aatrox stopped speaking.

The Sword Sheath, while enhancing his sanity, also increased his patience. He was no longer as irritable as before.

Ato moved at a rapid pace. Each step covered more than ten meters, and even in the steep mountainous terrain, it was as if he were walking on level ground.

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

Night was not a good time to visit Frost Guard Fortress. He was preparing for the worst, anticipating potential conflicts with the Frost Guard there, or even with Lissandra herself.

Without the sun's rays, the temperature in Freljord at night was unimaginably cold for ordinary people.

If a fight were to break out, fighting in such a cold environment would be a significant disadvantage for Ato.

If it were just Lissandra, Ato might have charged in recklessly. However, he knew there were some troublesome monsters inside.

Ato walked around the foot of the mountain for another hour before finally discovering a cave sheltered from the wind.

"Good luck, no signs of beasts..."

Ato casually sat down in a spot. Unlike the previous few days, he removed the Sword Sheath and drew the Demonic Sword of the Dark.

He controlled the Sword Sheath to cancel the disguise on the Demonic Sword, revealing its terrifying original form, and then plunged it into the ground beside him.

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

"We're very close to Frost Guard Fortress now. Old Man, you probably haven't met many people older than you, have you?"

"Most of the people from my era have turned to dust. Even that pair of Angel Sisters are much younger than me. The oldest being I've encountered recently, besides myself, is the Demigod Ornn."

"You still can't forget about the Angel Sisters... Does losing to them still bother you that much?" Ato felt an urge to cover his face.

"There's an old monster in Frost Guard Fortress who has lived for ten thousand years... No, an Old Hag... No, that's not right either..."

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

"Hard to say, we'll know after a fight, but I don't want to take the risk or get into a conflict with her. You wouldn't want to experience being frozen by True Ice."

"Then why did you choose to reveal yourself today?"

"To invite her into a dream," Ato explained. "Ten thousand years ago, she lost her sight in exchange for the power to walk in dreams."

"So, the Old Hag definitely doesn't sleep at night and wanders into other people's dreams..."

"You want to use the aura of the demonic sword to attract her into your dream?" Aatrox finally understood.

"Exactly. With my constitution of always encountering heroes, she's bound to come."

"I'll make contact with her in her dream beforehand and reveal some things I know to gauge her attitude. If all goes well, tomorrow we'll head to Frost Guard Fortress, and the Frostguard will welcome us with open arms."

"However, this is rather difficult. Lissandra is someone who will do anything to keep secrets. I need to consider what not to say..."

As night fell, Lissandra stood in a secret chamber within Frost Guard Fortress. Through a special sense, she knew the moment to visually perceive the world had arrived.

She was tall, her deep blue robes covering her entire body. On her head, she wore a strangely shaped pointed hat that concealed her eyes.

Her arms, extending from the robes, were a different color from normal humans, a gradient blue. Beneath her feet lay a layer of never-melting True Ice, supporting her body.

The Freljord at night was extremely dangerous, not only due to the more terrifying low temperatures than during the day but also from elusive beasts or monsters. Thus, the residents here usually chose to rest early.

Lissandra spread her arms, her consciousness traveling through the dreams of the Freljord people.

She concealed herself, allowing her consciousness to spread. As long as she willed it, no one could detect her in their dreams, unless the dream's owner was of Iceborn blood, in which case she would reveal herself and guide them to her banner.

She saw a strong tribal youth invited by a War Mother in his dream to forge a Blood Pact with her. The War Mother was completely obedient to him. After the ritual, they eagerly returned to their room.

She saw a warrior with barbarian blood being besieged by over a dozen Ice Wolves. Ice Wolves could be seen biting his body, arms, and legs. The barbarian warrior's expression was ferocious as he counterattacked with endless rage.

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

She saw a frail girl in a warm room, her parents holding her hand as they enjoyed the prey caught during the day. But the next second, the dream shattered like a broken mirror—the girl died.

Lissandra, expelled from the dream, showed no change in expression. Such occurrences were common in the Freljord.

Conflicts erupted daily between the various tribes. Survivors of defeated tribes found it difficult to survive alone in the harsh winds. An unfortunate girl.

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

She gradually approached the peculiar dream. It was completely different from any dream she had seen before, seemingly permeated by an incomprehensible power. This piqued Lissandra's curiosity, something that had always been calm and undisturbed.

Lissandra skillfully submerged her consciousness, entering the dream without any obstruction.

The chaotic environment around her prevented her from seeing clearly at first. She had to mobilize her power, attempting to sharpen the blurry images.

"A dreamer with strong mental power..."

However, when Lissandra finally saw the scene in the dream clearly, she couldn't help but gasp.