Malekith's scythe struck Mjolnir, unleashing a burst of energy that was a mix of black and silver. The shockwave forced Ye Mo back half a step, nearly causing him to slip and fall to his knees. The Steel Bone in his right leg made a muffled "crack," like a gear stuck in sand, and his entire leg went numb instantly. He gritted his teeth and braced himself against the stone pillar, his left hand pressing against the wound on his left shoulder. Blood was still seeping out, and the newly grown flesh clung limply to the old wound, Regeneration at a snail's pace.
Thor and Malekith exchanged a few blows, forcing each other to take a step back in the blink of an eye. But in that instant, the Dark Elves around them moved again.
Those who had just been driven back hadn't gone far when new ones emerged from cracks in the walls, drains, and ceilings, like a swarm of insects rising from the ground. They didn't shout or make a sound, but moved in perfect unison, gathering in groups of three or five. Their blades gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light, and their footsteps made almost no sound.
Ye Mo glanced at it, and his heart sank to the bottom.
These guys aren't afraid of death or pain. They can knock one down and get two back up, and even if they're knocked down again, they can keep going—they can wear someone down just by sheer numbers. What's more troublesome is that he can't even run anymore. His right leg is useless, his left shoulder is cut, his stamina is depleted, his Regeneration ability can't keep up with the consumption, and the system isn't responding either, like a dumb stone.
"We can't delay any longer." He stared at the approaching enemy, his mind racing through all the available abilities.
Lightning Control? I already exhausted myself with the resonance with Thor, and now I can't even ignite a spark with my fingertips.
The Wall Phasing Technique? Walls have nerve conduction responses; if you rashly try to crawl through one, you might get swallowed up instead.
Colossus's Body? It was shattered to pieces during the last round of hard-fought battles. Now, the Steel Bone on his body is all pieced together from fragments, and a strong wind could blow it apart.
He suddenly remembered something.
That day outside the Mutants prison, Iceman and Sentry fought, freezing the entire block and even cracking the air. He wasn't far away when the system "dinged" and inserted a fragment of ability, labeled " Low Temperature Control) ". He never had a chance to try it afterward, and didn't know if it was usable or how to activate it.
But now there's no other choice.
We can't just wait for these black-robed men to carry him back as a sacrifice.
He leaned against a stone pillar, using it as cover to quietly slip his hand into his overalls pocket and feel a small fragment of Vibranium. This thing had excellent conductivity; he'd previously used it to reflect light and distract enemies, and now it might be useful as a fuse. He held the fragment between his right index and middle fingers, placed his other hand on the ground, closed his eyes, and recalled the energy frequency of the Iceman's power—that feeling of chilling air seeping from his very bones, like taking a sip of ice-cold cola straight to the top of his head.
The energy within the body began to surge erratically.
It wasn't the crackling, restless feeling of an electric arc, but rather a kind of... coldness.
First, his fingertips went numb, then his wrists, and then his entire arm felt like it was submerged in ice water. He almost cried out, but managed to hold it in; a vein throbbed on his forehead.
"It's done?" He was overjoyed, but dared not open his eyes for fear of interrupting the rhythm.
He knew that this hastily assembled ability was unstable, and he might freeze himself into an ice sculpture before he could even freeze the enemy.
He took a deep breath and slammed his palms down on the ground.
"Seal it for me!"
A grayish-white mist shot out from his palm, spreading rapidly along the ground like oil droplets falling into water in a circular pattern. Wherever it passed, a thin layer of frost formed on the metal floor, and moisture in the air condensed into tiny ice crystals that fell down in a soft rustling sound. The three approaching Dark Elves froze, their feet clicking and freezing, their joints stiffening, unable to move. One of them, having charged forward too forcefully, crashed to the ground, his face slamming into the ice with a dull thud.
Those in the back row hesitated for a moment, and their offensive noticeably slowed down.
Ye Mo took a breath and quickly adjusted the direction of his output, controlling the cold mist to push it to the left and right. Four or five more people were frozen in the calves or waists, their movements becoming sluggish, as if walking in mud. He took the opportunity to move back two steps, regaining his footing against the stone pillar. He loosely clenched his right hand, and the Vibranium fragments between his fingers glowed slightly, guiding the energy flow to a more distant area.
"Well... this thing actually works." He grinned, his gums a little stiff. "It's just a hassle, like unplugging an electric blanket in the winter morning."
The frost was still expanding, already covering half of the battle zone. The Dark Elves who hadn't been frozen began to retreat, forming ranks below Malekith's platform, no longer charging rashly. They stared at the ever-spreading white frost on the ground, their eyes showing hesitation for the first time.
On the high platform, Malekith slowly lowered his scythe and looked down at his feet.
The icy mist was still three meters away from him, but the temperature had already dropped, and tiny ice beads condensed at the edge of his Cloak. He didn't move, but just stared coldly at Ye Mo, his eyes like those of someone looking at an ant that had just jumped around.
Ye Mo also looked at him, maintaining her output while secretly moving her right leg.
The Steel Bone was still stuck, but at least it had stopped leaking oil. He figured this tactic wouldn't last long; after all, it hadn't been optimized and was just relying on brute force to hold up the energy—it was like trying to connect a plastic water pipe to a fire hydrant—it could explode at any moment.
He muttered to himself, "System, if you mess up now, I'll burn paper money for you on my live stream from now on."
As soon as he finished speaking, the edge of the icy mist trembled slightly, like a television screen with a poor signal. His heart tightened, and he quickly increased the force, slapping the ground with his left hand again, pushing out another wave of icy mist. This time the range was smaller, but it was thicker, freezing the lower bodies of the two Dark Elves who were trying to flank them into the ice layer, leaving only their upper bodies writhing around like pinned beetles.
"Works!" He perked up, looked up at the platform, raised his right hand, and gestured for them to proceed. "Come on, closer? Let me show you what 'frozen dumplings' are all about."
Malekith ignored him.
He stood still, black mist slowly swirling around him, forming a miniature barrier to insulate him from the low temperature. He seemed to be assessing the situation, or perhaps waiting for something.
Ye Mo didn't expect to scare him away with just a few words.
He knew the real battle was yet to come; this Ice Manipulation move was merely to buy time, disrupt the enemy's rhythm, and shift his position from passive defense to temporary dominance. As long as he could hold out until Thor dealt with the main threat, or Emma Frost regained her Mental Scan, there was a chance to turn the tide.
Taking advantage of a lull, he quickly surveyed the battlefield.
Most of the frozen enemies were concentrated on the southeast side, which blocked the main passage to the core platform. The remaining few who had not entered the ice domain hid behind stone pillars and watched, not daring to make any rash moves. Malekith on the high platform still stood in place, his momentum undiminished, but at least for the time being, he could not directly press forward.
"That's enough," he told himself. "A minute or ten seconds is fine, just don't leave me to carry this alone."
He raised his right hand, the Vibranium fragment twirling gently at his fingertips, reflecting a faint light that illuminated the shadowy corner to the left of the platform. There was a drain there; he'd just seen a dark shadow flash by, possibly a new reinforcement route. He deliberately shifted the icy mist slightly in that direction, testing the waters.
Sure enough, the person in the shadows didn't move.
It seems they're afraid of a lockdown due to the low temperatures.
He twitched his lips, about to say something to ease the tension, when he suddenly sensed an intensified fluctuation of energy within his body.
The chill began to backfire, spreading from his palms to his heart, even his breath was filled with white vapor. He quickly withdrew his hands, lifting them off the ground. The expansion of the cold mist immediately stopped, and the edges began to slowly melt.
"No, I can't take it anymore." He wiped his face and noticed frost on his eyelashes. "If I let it sit like that again, I'll freeze into an icicle."
He leaned against the stone pillar, panting heavily, his body temperature slowly rising. His right leg still wouldn't obey him, but at least he could stand. He looked up at the platform; Malekith was still standing there, surrounded by black mist, his expression unchanged, as if the wave of icy mist from before was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
"You're quite the troublemaker," Ye Mo yelled at him. "Standing so high, are you afraid your feet will freeze when you come down?"
Malekith did not respond.
But he raised a hand and slowly pointed at Ye Mo.
Ye Mo's heart tightened, and he immediately assumed a defensive stance.
But the opponent didn't attack; instead, they simply flicked their wrist.
There was a noise behind me.
He whirled around and saw two Dark Elves attempting to break through the ice at the last unfrozen passage. Their hands were pressed against the ice, their bodies glowing with a dark purple light, as if they were heating and melting it.
"Want to thaw?" Ye Mo sneered, enduring the discomfort as he raised his hand again, preparing for another wave of cold air.
But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Thor's figure flashing past on the other side of the platform, quietly circling behind Malekith.
He immediately changed his mind.
He raised his left hand, not to attack, but to lightly tap twice in Thor's direction.
The movement was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.
But the message is clear: I'll create an opportunity for you to make your move.
He took a deep breath and pressed his palms to the ground again.
Even if we can only hold out for another ten seconds, we must weld this icy area shut.