In a stretch of starry space outside the Spiral Ring Star Continent.
The fabric of space-time here was extraordinarily stable, carrying a chill that seemed capable of freezing all things. A towering, crystalline palace lay perfectly concealed within the folds of space-time, utterly silent.
On the throne inside the palace sat a figure clad in ancient, bloodstained battle armor-a silver-haired man with graying temples and a sword on his back. An icy aura suffused his surroundings.
At that moment, the Lord of Ice Peak's gaze seemed to pierce through layer upon layer of space, landing precisely on the Spiral Ring Star Continent, completely enveloped by a blood-colored light barrier, and on the hazy palace silhouette within.
"The aura of a Supreme Treasure-even if it isn't top-tier, finding one in a secret realm that hasn't fully evolved is quite interesting," the Lord of Ice Peak murmured. His voice was calm, yet carried a chill that could freeze the soul.
Without giving it much further thought, the Lord of Ice Peak vanished from the mountain peak and appeared outside the Spiral Ring Star Continent a moment later. There was no earthshaking spectacle; he simply stood in the void.
Whoosh!
Gazing calmly at the blood-colored light barrier before him, the Lord of Ice Peak did not hesitate. He slowly raised his right hand, gathering endless cold into a gigantic hand of ice crystals, large enough to crush stars.
Silently, it reached toward the blood-colored light barrier, aiming straight for the palace silhouette within.
Rumble!!!
The instant the giant crystalline hand touched the blood-colored light barrier, the entire Spiral Ring Star Continent merely trembled slightly. Yet the energy within that hand vanished like a stone dropped into the sea, redirected by some inexplicable force.
Crack! Crack, crack-
With the Spiral Ring Star Continent at