Chapter 711: Ice Apples

Third Person’s POV

He had known that restoring a weapon of this caliber wouldn’t be easy, but he hadn’t expected the process to be so demanding.

Even after feeding it a top Rank Three dark scythe and a large collection of precious Rank Four materials, the saber had only just reached Rank Three.

At this rate, restoring its former glory would require an absurd amount of resources.

Nevertheless, his frustration didn’t last long.

As he considered the weapon’s extraordinary potential, his thoughts gradually shifted from the cost of strengthening it to the possibilities that awaited him once he had gathered enough suitable materials.

The Life Devouring Saber had only just awakened, and he had barely begun to simulate its abilities and ways of combining it with his magical spells and fighting style.

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face as he continued toward the others, eager to test the weapon’s capabilities once he had a suitable opportunity.

Ethan returned to the bonfire and settled down beside his mother.

Eleanor turned toward him with a warm smile, which he happily returned before glancing at Aurelia as well.

After exchanging a few words with them, he took out some dried rations from his storage ring and shared them with the two women.

The trio sat together around the fire, quietly eating their food while watching the flames dance in the dimly lit cave.

Outside, the fierce ice storm continued to howl through the mountainous peaks, its chilling winds occasionally producing a low, eerie whistle that echoed through the cave entrance.

However, with the fire burning steadily before them and their immediate surroundings finally free from danger, they could enjoy a brief moment of peace.

"Would you like these, Mister Eryndor?"

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Ethan turned his head and found Arlene standing nearby, holding four white, spherical fruits in her pale hands.

Their smooth surfaces were faintly translucent, with light blue veins visible from outside.

And although they appeared ordinary at first glance, a suppressed chill emanated from them, causing the surrounding air to feel slightly colder.

Ethan examined the fruits with some curiosity, immediately recognizing that they were no ordinary produce.

"Rank Three Ice Apples?"

Before he could say anything more, Eleanor’s slightly surprised voice sounded beside him.

"Ice Apples are quite useful for ice-element mages.

Not only can they help restore their mana, but they can also assist in improving the control and cohesion of ice mana, making it both an abundant but highly sought rare magical fruit.

One such fruit can cost well over ten mid ranked elemental crystals."

Her explanation confirmed Ethan’s initial assessment, and he glanced at Arlene with a hint of surprise.

Rank Three resources were hardly worthless, especially when they possessed such practical benefits for mages specializing in a particular element, especially if he considered the fact that the average price of normal rank three magical weapons were between ten to thirty mid ranked weapons.

He was about to politely refuse the offer when Arlene seemed to notice his hesitation.

She quickly stepped forward, her expression earnest as she spoke.

"Please don’t refuse them.

These aren’t to useful to me as I am too weak to consume so many of them, and its just a small token of my gratitude.

Besides, you just fought such an arduous battle and effectively saved our lives by dealing with two powerful otherworldly enemies whose abilities were completely unknown to us.

I hope these will help you recover more quickly."

Arlene’s sincerity was evident in her expression, and Ethan found himself momentarily unsure of how to respond.

At the same time, he couldn’t help noticing the displeased looks directed at Arlene from Aurelia, Reed, and Pebba.

Their reactions were subtle but unmistakable, as though they weren’t particularly pleased with whatever the thing that was happening in front of them, though their reasons were pratically opposite.

Edhan, on the other hand, remained seated in a corner, watching the exchange with a faint smile on his face.

Ethan briefly considered refusing the fruits once more, but Arlene’s explanation had given him a reasonable justification for accepting them.

After all, he had indeed fought a difficult battle against those two otherworldly enemies, and the fruits could help him recover even better.

Who knew there might be hidden injuries inside his body or hidden complications from the harrowing battle he fought in the ruined city..

He needed all the help to protect his family from the dangers of this ice abyss.

He eventually nodded and reached out to accept the fruits.

Just as he was about to settle back into his seat, Arlene moved closer and sat down beside him, as if she were quite familiar with him.

She then leaned toward him slightly and lowered her voice, making it clear that she didn’t want Edhan, Reed, or Pebba to overhear their conversation.

"Is Professor Eleanor your sister, Mister Eryndor?"

Ethan paused briefly at the unexpected question, but he quickly took one of the Ice Apples from Arlene’s hand and bit into it.

The fruit’s crisp exterior broke easily between his teeth, releasing a refreshing chill that spread across his tongue.

He finished it in two bites before taking the second Ice Apple and offering it to Eleanor, knowing that she was also an ice mage who could benefit from its properties.

"No, she’s my mother. And my name is Ethan, not Eryndor."

He delivered the revelation in an almost casual tone, as though he had merely corrected a minor misunderstanding.

Arlene, however, reacted as if she had just heard something utterly unbelievable.

Her cherry-red lips parted slightly, and her starry blue eyes widened until they were almost perfectly round.

For a moment, she simply stared at him, seemingly struggling to reconcile his words with what she thought she knew about him.

Ethan met her gaze with his crimson eyes, allowing her astonishment to linger while he studied her reaction, and admired the beautiful girl in front of him.

Taking advantage of her distraction, he quietly released several faint, silvery strands of soul power.