Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: Chapter 339: 4th Rank "Hand of Austere Winter (2/2)
At that instant, the icy water pierced his skin like needles all over his body, Archibald’s breathing became rapid, but the determination in his eyes did not waver in the slightest.
Ordinary people would likely die in moments, he strenuously swam through the ice river, each contraction of his muscles accompanied by the intertwining of cold and pain, as if the icy water sought to devour all his heat and strength, but Archibald’s heart remained as firm as rock, constantly telling himself, he must endure, must last until the final moment.
An entire hour passed, his limbs gradually numbed, but he still clenched his teeth and swam forward with all his might.
I can’t do this anymore…
The sudden thought deflated Archibald, he violently tried to continue moving his body, but it felt as if there was a heavy weight tied to him, completely unable to swim freely.
Should I use flame, that could save me, but the ritual would fail…
Just then, he saw a shadow at the bottom of the river, which he gradually made out clearly.
It was Savoie’s body!
A few days ago, Savoie arrived at this snowy mountain before him, but after entering, he never came out again, in fact, Archibald had already predicted this in the depths of his heart.
Savoie…
His heart felt heavy, as Savoie, a younger member, had once surpassed him on the Path of Calamity, and it had always been an uncomfortable matter in Archibald’s heart, even feeling inevitable jealousy deep inside.
However, at this moment, Savoie, whom he regarded as the greatest rival in his life, had died here due to a failed advancement ritual.
Until the very end, Savoie hadn’t given up on the ritual, hadn’t used the Flaming Knight’s extraordinary power…
A strong wave of sorrow swept over him, along with rage and strength.
“Puff!”
Finally, he swam across the entire ice river and struggled to stand up from the water, his body so stiff he could hardly move, but his heart was filled with the joy of victory.
Archibald stood on the bank, letting the cold wind blow against his drenched body, his heart brimming with pride and satisfaction.
He looked toward the river.
“Savoie, thank you.”
After bringing Savoie’s body back to Nasir, he finally reached the 4th Rank “Hand of Austere Winter.”
Archibald’s physical aptitude increased by 150, Spiritual Power by 50, and he also gained two extraordinary powers, “Ice Solidify” and “Winter’s Might”
The former allowed him to be enveloped by absolutely hard ice, enter a state of forced hibernation, and emerge from it after a long sleep, and even conventional Monarch powerful experts would find it difficult to easily break through that hard ice.
The latter gave Archibald the ability to manipulate ice, able to instantaneously create an icy winter wonderland within hundreds of meters.
After returning to Nasir City, he silently stood by a newly dug grave, his face etched with the marks of time, his eyes filled with endless sorrow and resolution.
Archibald held a handful of soil in his hand, resolved to scatter it over the resting place he had prepared for his friend.
“Rest in peace, Savoie.”
His silhouette stretched long in the sunset’s afterglow, lonely and desolate, his face without tears, but his profound eyes were full of unspeakable grief.
He bowed his head and slowly sprinkled the soil into the grave, each grain carrying his reluctance, bidding his final farewell to his friend.
The air around seemed to freeze, with only the occasional call of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind, Archibald took a deep breath, his eyes becoming even more firm and resolved.
He stood up and gently dusted off his hands.
“Maybe this is the fate of us Extraordinary Exponents, sooner or later, each of us will die, Savoie… I don’t know when I will die, but I know what I will die for.”
“I won’t die of old age, I will surely die fighting for the Fischer family and the Dawn Church, believe me!”