Anaakca

"Anaakca... Anaakca... Anaakca..."

Aatrox's call echoed throughout the mountain range. Lissandra and her Iceborn subordinates maintained basic vigilance, constantly watching for any anomalies.

The sound gradually faded, and the mountain range was as silent as ever.

"What's going on?" Lissandra sensed carefully but found no abnormal energy. "Could she no longer be here?"

"No, she's here." Aatrox was in a rare good mood.

As soon as he spoke, a dazzling blue light shot up from the distant horizon. It soared into the sky, drew an arc, and then changed direction, charging towards the foot of the mountain where they were.

"Careful, RPG!"

Lissandra didn't fully trust the Darkin. She changed her hand seals, erecting a shield of True Ice that enveloped everyone. She dared not gamble on who the blue light might hit!

A few seconds later, it landed fifty meters away from them, cracking the ground and sending up clouds of white smoke.

Aatrox disdained Lissandra's defensive action. "My loyal subordinate, even as a Darkin, will not threaten my safety."

"Heh, also corrupted by the Void, I don't know what will happen if the Watchers influence me through the seal."

"But I can be sure that for my subordinate, my command is above all else, above the Void's influence! This is the pride of an Ascended, the pride of Shurima!"

The white smoke dissipated, revealing a large pit where the blue light had landed. Lissandra lowered her shield and cautiously approached with her people. Only then did they see the object in the pit.

Shattered ice fragments were scattered everywhere, indicating it had been encased in ice before.

It was a giant weapon about five meters long, with a strange appearance, resembling a spear but with only a tip. Deep blue and blood-red intertwined on its surface, exuding a dangerous aura.

"Darkin War Spear, Anaakca." Aatrox, in his Demonic Sword form, floated in mid-air, circling his loyal subordinate. Ato could feel his elated emotions.

"I've only seen it in card games..." Ato also looked curiously at the new Darkin that only existed in lore.

"It's still a weapon now, it hasn't awakened." Lissandra had finished her assessment and marveled inwardly. As expected of a former Ascended.

Her hidden power, the magically modified Troll, would only be annihilated if it clashed with a Darkin. This trade was indeed a sure profit with no loss...

"Next, I need to shape a body for Anaakca. Little Thing, the flesh and blood absorbed from the big ship should be put to use now."

"I was ready long ago."

Ato was fortunate that Gangplank had given him such a great gift.

When he single-handedly took on the "Leviathan," besides Andrew and the crewmates who jumped overboard to escape, he had used the Demonic Sword's abilities to absorb everyone else on the ship—about a hundred or so.

Since then, Ato hadn't been injured again. The flesh and blood in the Demonic Sword hadn't been consumed, and the reserves were quite ample. Shaping a body for Anaakca would only require a small portion of it.

Under Ato's control, dense Blood Qi erupted from the Demonic Sword of the Dark, merging into the war spear. Loraka and the others felt breathless, and Lissandra had to cast magic again to resist the Blood Qi.

The Darkin War Spear changed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Its rear half gradually closed, forming a long rod resembling a hilt, while the front end embedded in the ground split into three blades. A figure, barely recognizable as humanoid, took shape beside the war spear.

(She) had slender limbs and an inverted triangular head. (She) gripped the weapon, which had transformed from the war spear, in (her) left hand, with bat-like wings at the joints.

Purple blood flowed within (her) semi-transparent body. (She) had only a pair of eyes emitting a faint blue aura on (her) face, and a thin layer of frost covered (her) skin.

"Two thousand years have passed. It's been a long time, Anaakca." Aatrox said with emotion.

"Gen...eral..." Anaakca uttered in a hoarse female voice. (Her) body hadn't fully formed yet, but (she) struggled to call out the name of the person (she) was loyal to.

Ato, seeing this, instantly imagined many melodramatic scenarios.

For instance, a female warrior goddess from ancient Shurima, who, through countless battles, developed both admiration and affection for the powerful general, but before (she) could express her feelings, fell into becoming a Darkin...

Another two minutes passed, and the Blood Qi transfusion was complete. Anaakca's body was finally shaped.

(She) forcefully pulled out the war spear embedded in the ground, approached the floating Demonic Sword of the Dark, knelt on one knee, and said in a hoarse female voice, "General, I've returned..."

"You haven't changed at all, Anaakca." Aatrox's emotions soared with the return of (his) subordinate.

"I obey the General's command... What are the General's orders..." Anaakca's sentience seemed low, with only an instinctual loyalty to Aatrox. (Her) speech was also intermittent.

"Have you been in the iceberg for these two thousand years? After the Star Spirits sealed us, did no one else find you?" Aatrox really wanted to reminisce with Anaakca.

"I obey the General's command... What are the General's orders..." Anaakca repeated the same words.

"How could this be..." Aatrox wished he could frown, but (he) was just a sword. "It seems the seal has damaged her intellect, making normal communication impossible."

"Then try giving her a command? Maybe she'll understand," Ato suggested.

"That's the only way." Aatrox carefully chose his words. "Anaakca, I need you to remain in Freljord, at Frost Guard Fortress."

"You will assist this Madam and monitor the seal beneath the Abyss. That is where the Monster we fought is sealed. If the situation becomes urgent, you may obey her orders. This matter is extremely important. Can you do it?"

"I obey... General..." Anaakca lowered (her) head deeply.

"It worked! She understood!" Ato breathed a sigh of relief. If Anaakca's sentience was too low to understand Aatrox's command, it would have been troublesome, and the deal with Lissandra would have fallen through.

"Rise, my subordinate. We shall return to the fortress together."

"I obey... General..." Anaakca silently stood up, leaning on the war spear beside the Demonic Sword of the Dark, like the most loyal guard.

"There shouldn't be any more problems," Ato said, looking at Lissandra.

"As you can see, Aatrox's command is still effective. Now, we only need to worry about what impact the Watcher will have on the Darkin. Let's return to the fortress immediately."

Lissandra finished observing Anaakca but didn't completely lower her guard. Because (she) understood the corruption of the Void all too well, (she) knew even better the hidden dangers of those who had been corrupted.

"Let's go back."

Lissandra began to cast Teleportation Magic. A layer of True Ice spread beneath everyone's feet, enveloping the Iceborn, the five-meter-tall Anaakca and the Demonic Sword of the Dark, and finally Ato.

Throughout the entire process, Anaakca showed no reaction, oblivious to the aura of the magic.