Chapter 328: Heading to Arthur Vance [Sealing Lock]

Chapter 328: Chapter 328: Heading to Arthur Vance [Sealing Lock]

Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler left the safe zone without a moment’s delay.

They plunged into the ice-and-snow-covered city outside.

The cold wind whipped pellets of snow against their faces.

But for Seraphina Sullivan—whose body had been completely transformed by the Meteorite Gemstone, and whose Crimson Gemstone Talent constantly absorbed stray Energy and radiation from the environment—this once bone-chilling cold now felt like nothing more than a cool breeze, making even her heavy, insulated clothing seem redundant.

Sean Chandler didn’t have Seraphina’s ridiculous resistance, but his constitution was already strong. Coupled with the potential of the Demon Beast, he could also withstand the extreme cold and snow.

The two moved quickly across the snow-covered roads, their speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Seraphina felt the faint streams of Energy slowly converging between her eyebrows from all directions.

’This Crimson Gemstone Talent really is useful,’ she thought, satisfied once again.

"Maybe Justin Brooks’s prophecy is true,"

she murmured to Sean Chandler as they hurried along. "The temperature really is rising, just so slowly that normal people can’t perceive it."

Seraphina’s new Talent made her perception of temperature exceptionally sharp.

Sean Chandler nodded, his voice steady. "Prophet Players have all sorts of bizarre Abilities. The natural disasters on Azure Star are terrifying, but humanity is also adapting and evolving. There will always be a way to solve these problems."

Following the general directions described by Dexter Luther and using landmarks they identified along the way, they headed north, deep into the mountains.

After more than an hour, the faint outline of a strange cluster of buildings, nestled in a leeward valley and covered in ice and snow, appeared ahead.

As the two carefully drew closer and got a clear view of the entire complex from a high slope, a flicker of surprise passed through Seraphina’s eyes.

It wasn’t a naturally formed ice cave or a group of simple shacks.

It was... a palace-like structure of considerable size, built from a mixture of ice, snow, and some kind of translucent crystal! 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Although its construction was crude and its style was an odd, mismatched blend of Gothic spires and Eastern-style upturned eaves, it was anything but ordinary.

But its main structure was intact, refracting a cold, faint light under the bleak sky, like a fairytale ice castle.

"Someone... actually used an Ability to build something like this?" Seraphina whispered in amazement.

This was no natural formation. It had to be the product of one or more Players’ Abilities, and one could only imagine the cost and difficulty involved.

Looking closer, however, this "Palace of Ice" was clearly not unscathed.

The palace’s outer walls and roofs were riddled with pits and cracks of all sizes. Some of the spires had even snapped off and lay scattered on the ground.

Apparently, the terrifying giant hailstorm from a while back had also "graced" this place, causing considerable damage.

But strangely, judging by the palace’s interior and the cleared areas around it, it didn’t seem as cold here as one would expect.

’Does the building material itself have insulating properties, or... is there another reason?’

Seraphina suppressed her curiosity.

This wasn’t the time to study architecture.

"Invisibility, silence."

she said softly to Sean Chandler, simultaneously pulling two prepared [Invisibility Stickers] and [Mysterious Whisper Stickers] from her Space and slapping one of each onto herself and him.

A familiar fluctuation of Energy washed over them. Their figures instantly faded and vanished into the snow, and even the sounds of their breathing and footsteps seemed to be absorbed by an invisible force, becoming inaudible.

Like two true ghosts.

Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler crept silently toward the Ice Crystal Palace standing tall amidst the snow and ice.

The rescue mission had officially entered its most dangerous phase: reconnaissance and infiltration.

Under the dual cover of the [Invisibility Sticker] and the [Mysterious Whisper Sticker], Seraphina Sullivan and Sean Chandler slipped into the Ice Crystal Palace like two invisible shadows.

In contrast to its cold, magnificent exterior, the inside was more like a crowded, chaotic, and strictly hierarchical slave camp.

They soon saw groups of people gathered together.

These people were clearly divided into two types.

One type wore relatively thick clothing, their faces marked with arrogance, cruelty, or apathy. They carried crude weapons or whips, patrolling haughtily or driving the other group of people.

The other type had vacant eyes, or eyes filled with numb fear.

They were like the living dead, performing heavy labor in the biting cold.

They moved blocks of ice, cleared away building debris, or processed the remains of some unknown beasts.

The slightest hesitation or slowness immediately drew scolding and even whipping from the first group.

CRACK! With a sharp snap, a frail old man slipped and fell to the ground.

A bloody welt immediately appeared on the old man’s face. The burly man with the whip cursed at him, "You old bastard! Stop playing dead! Get up and get back to work!"

Hidden in the shadows, Seraphina watched this scene, a nameless rage flaring up in her chest.

Her fingers clenched into tight fists.

’We’re all just poor souls struggling to survive this apocalypse... What gives you the goddamn right?! What right do you have to act so high and mighty, to treat others like cattle?!’

Seraphina cursed inwardly, wishing she could immediately take down all the tormentors.

But she forced the impulse down.

The primary mission was to find and rescue Dexter Luther and his team. Alerting the enemy would only make things worse.

She and Sean Chandler exchanged a look.

They moved even more carefully, avoiding the crowds and heading deeper into the palace, toward where the captives might be held.

Seraphina discovered that the Ice Palace was actually quite impressive. The temperature inside wasn’t bone-chillingly cold, as the palace seemed to retain heat.

As long as you were dressed warmly enough, you wouldn’t freeze to death living here.

Seraphina avoided several spacious ice halls that were clearly rest areas or gathering spots for the "Supervisors."

She moved through a maze of intricate ice-crystal corridors and simple partitioned rooms.

She hadn’t found any trace of Dexter Luther’s team yet, but her [Eye of Resume] had locked onto two extremely conspicuous targets.

They were the two dangerous individuals specifically mentioned in Dexter Luther’s intel!

At the entrance to a relatively warm and more heavily guarded ice chamber, Seraphina saw them.

A tall, muscular man with a sinister gaze was impatiently kicking an ordinary person who was kneeling on the ground, polishing the ice floor.

His information was instantly read by the [Eye of Resume]:

[Name: Arthur Vance]

[Gender: Male]

[Level: Level 2]

[Professional Skills and Talents: Sealing Lock: Can consume spiritual power to create Energy Chains or shackles with a "Seal" trait. Once a target is successfully bound, all Extraordinary Power within their body derived from Talents, Skills, or system enhancements will be temporarily sealed, regressing them to the physical condition and state of an ordinary person. The Seal’s strength and duration depend on the difference in spiritual power between both parties.]

[Skills: Basic Slash, Heavy Punch]

[Weaknesses: Extreme fear of multi-legged insects. In severe cases, it can trigger uncontrollable panic.]