CHAPTER 33 – The Ice Wing Queen

*CRISTOPHER'S POV*

Right now, I was walking through the big cave where I fought the Ice Wing. It was a really big cave for having only one Ice Wing in it. Which made me curious. If this was just for one of them, how big would the cave of the queen be?

"Maybe she was just some kind of guardian? Or something like a GateKeeper? Either way. The size of this cave only makes me think about how this Dungeon should now be connected to a pocket dimension… I can't believe this is still under Inwangsan Mountain…"-I say as I make my way into some corridor at the end of the cave.

The corridor wasn't anything surprising. I mean, it was just some long corridor completely covered in ice. So, I could see my reflection on the walls and the ceiling, heck, even on the floor.

"Fuck… My coat is ruined…"-I say as I look at my sleeves, all burned up almost to my biceps. "*sigh…* If I'm not careful while coming back, people will see my stigma… Well, I'll worry about that later…��-I say as I start walking again forwards.

The corridor wasn't that long. I just had to walk for like two or three minutes, and I could already see the exit.

"Mother…Fucker…"-No other words got out of my mouth as I saw the big… cave? I don't know if it could be called a cave. Because the place was simply enormous. I could still see the ceiling, but the walls? Fuck… I never imagined I wouldn't be able to see them… Even the ones behind me, I could barely see the corner, or well, the round shape at the end, as it seemed it wasn't a cube, but more like an ice dome…

"*sigh…* There should be at least hundreds of them here… if not thousands…"-I say as I look in front.

I was in some kind of protruding rock, as at my sides there was only a nice falling and the walls of the dome. Also, in front, you could see a lot of what I could only describe as pillars with small plateaus over them and what could be called houses. Probably of the Ice Wings.

"Haha… Would you look at that… It's like the Dungeon tried to give them a place to live… You're breaking my heart… Oh well, nothing I can do… Don't blame me for what's about to happen."

It didn't feel good to kill women, but it also didn't feel bad, how could I call that feeling? Indifference? Maybe that's the best word to describe it.

Though. I may be able to stop anything wrong from happening if I get to talk to their queen… But if I'm not wrong… Making a pact with a Devil probably makes it impossible for her to get to an agreement with me…

Or well, not that impossible. Some Devils are basically impartial about human affairs. They don't look to destroy humanity.

{But. Still. I already killed one from the flock, so I wouldn't bet on her being friendly towards me. Sure, the last one did try to charm me with killing intent, but… That's not something the queen would accept as an excuse.}

Just as I ended up that last thought, I stepped aside.

*thud, thud, thud, thud*

Looking down, I see a few small ice spikes, almost like bolts, dug in the ground.

"The reception is already here."-I say while turning to look at the sky, to a group of five Ice Wings flying towards me, while the one in the front barely stops to flap her wings in my direction, sending more of those ice spikes from before.

I only step back a little.

*thud, thud, thud, thud, thud*

And the ice spikes, that actually come from their wings like bullets, dug again in the ground in front of me.

"You don't have to be so anxious; you know?"-I say as my right arm is covered in fire. "But well, that takes out any doubt left in me. If any."

With those last words, I swing my arm forwards. Throwing what could be perfectly called fire bullets.

One thing funny about Ice Wings is that they have a constitution somewhat close to humans. So, they don't have the resistance for the other foes inside the Dungeon, and that makes it easier to kill them.

While finishing my passing thought, my bullets reached the group of five. Killing two of them, while the other three evaded.

"Sure. You are not the kind to advance forwards no matter what."-I say swinging my right arm again and again and again. Sending multiple fire bullets towards them. "So, how do you plan on escaping right now?"

And just as I said. They can't escape. One of them tries to cover herself with her wings. But that only concludes in her wings burning and she falling from a killing height.

But as I expected. This was only the reception group. And not the only one.

"This is going to be a long fight… *sigh…*"- I murmur as I look at all my front sides. Several groups of Ice Wings, each with at least 5 of them in it, coming from everywhere and preparing to attack.

"Fuck… Freaking Dungeon…"- I say as I start throwing more bullets. This time from both arms. Swinging my arms as if there was no tomorrow.

Of course, I wasn't the only one attacking. All the groups started throwing her ice bolts, and even when I destroyed most of them with my bullets, the sheer number difference made it impossible to clear them all. So, I slowly started evading those that I couldn't destroy.

"Shit…"

And as logic has it. When the amount of Ice Wings got to a high enough number. My fire bullets were completely overwhelmed, and with almost no room to keep evading, I had no other choice than to jump down from one of the sides of the seemingly small plateau I was standing upon, close to the dome's wall.

Of course. It wasn't as if they would stop attacking me just because I'm falling down. The ice bolts keep coming towards me.

Thankfully, gravity did its thing, and most of those were off the mark. After all, I was falling down without anything to slow me down.

I also kept firing my own fire bullets. Killing some of the slower ones and destroying those ice bolts that could almost reach me.

"34… 35… 36… 37 groups… huh… That's what? Like two hundred? Fuck… This is a big flock. Not like I would expect anything less from the flock of a Queen."-I said as I keep exchanging blows with them, or well, mostly burning through their numbers with my fire bullets.

But I had something else to worry about. The fall. And there wasn't that much time until the floor would stop my free falling.

"Now!"-I shouted, as I turned my body and strongly kicked the wall of the dome. Propelling myself towards one of the big pillars of ice that supports their houses. In the middle of my gliding, I started rotating while covering myself in a small tornado of fire. This gave me more gliding speed and helped me deviate some of the better-thrown ice bolts.

Right when I was about to get to the side of the ice pillar, I stopped the fire tornado, condensed fire in my arms, and used my fingers as claws to stop myself from going forwards while nailing myself to the side of the Ice Pillar. Thankfully, they were big enough for me to stop.

After that, I concentrated mana on my feet and used it to stand on the wall of the ice pillar. But as if they wouldn't let me be for a mere second, ice bolts started coming again.

"They are going quantity against quality huh… Can't say it's a bad choice."-I say as I start running up.

{As much as I would like to be on safe ground. This won't stop until one of our sides perish. So better end it as fast as I can, even if I have to go to their home ground.}- I say as I run up, evading as many bolts as I can, and destroying those I can't with fire bullets.

Even if I wished to, right now I'm not in an advantageous enough position to answer their attacks, so my first priority is to keep going up.

{If I at least had my wings… Shit. This happened to me for being overconfident and not training as I should… And there I was lecturing Hajin as if I was any better…}-I thought while running as fast as I can up the pillar.

I even reinforced my legs to go faster. Evading and destroying anything that put itself on the way.

It wasn't long until I finally reached the top of the pillar. But being normal, there was an ice plateau upon it. Which makes it impossible to keep running straight. And if I were to run in a horizontal run, the ice bolts would get to be much accurate.

Of course, it is important to say that the amount of Ice Wings went up the three hundred. Making it harder work to evade all those attacks.

"Shit! Fuck this freaking place! This never happened in The Novel's Extra!!!"-I shout as I keep going up. All the while concentrating a fireball in my right hand and shooting fire bullets with my left arm.

The fireball condensed and condensed, soon transforming into a small sun floating over my right hand. But this time. Instead of throwing it. I grab it and close my right hand. Making it disappear shortly until it soon started to seep through my hand and covered my punch in a small flame sphere, rotating at high speed.

"Get the fuck out of the way!!! YOU SHITTY WALL!!!!"- I shout as I punch the plateau border that gets in front of me. If you can't evade it. Better destroy it.

*BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!*

A sudden burst of cone-shaped flames exploded in front of me right when I punched the "wall" obstructing my way up.

Everything in front of me was destroyed. Blown up and evaporated. No ice in front of me stayed intact. Even a part of the ice pillar I was running upon got evaporated.

That opened a way for me to go up the plateau, which thankfully. Was still intact even if a border was eradicated.

What I saw there, left me speechless. Yes, there were houses and stuff. But that wasn't what struck me speechless. It was the sheer amount of Ice Wings waiting for me. I was too preoccupied with the attacks coming towards me, that I didn't even care to check my surroundings.

"Well… I'll be honest. Being surrounded by a such number of beautiful girls really leaves me speechless."-I said while looking around. A quick count would leave me with at least hundreds if not more than a thousand of them. Each one with different hair shapes and even some with different hair colors. "So… I guess an apology wouldn't be enough?"-I said, noticing that the explosion I made before not only destroyed some of what could be called their houses but also killed a few of them that were in range.

Thankfully, they stopped attacking me after that explosion. Maybe wary that I would do something worse that could endanger them, or maybe just waiting to make a better plan.

Being honest. Just throwing bolts of ice was a pretty great strategy with the amount of Ice Wings here. But, not the best.

Though they were still glaring at me. Really angry at what I've been doing. Not that I criticize them for it, I too wouldn't like to see other people dear to me being killed right in front of my nose.

"HUH! Do you think you still can apologize!? As if we were going to forgive you in the first place."-Said a sudden voice out of the hundreds or thousands of Ice Wings.

I turn to look at one side of the flock, where the Ice Wings were suddenly splitting apart as if making way for someone to go through. Seeing as it wouldn't be a way for me, I'm sure it should be for their queen.

"You don't only step in hour home. You even dare to start killing us. And you have the guts to ask for an apology?"- Said the Ice Wing Queen.

Beautiful isn't enough to describe her. She was stunning. A truly icy pale skin, as if being carved out of ice. Voluptuous breasts, with a tinny waist and hips to die for.

Sadly, she was covered in what I could only describe as an ice bra and panties, and some kind of negligee, that seems like you could see through, but finally won't let you appreciate any part of her body.

Her face was a real piece of art. With clear icy blue eyes, a sharp small nose, and sizeable lips of a pale color. Covered with white long straight hair that goes until their hips.

"*whistle~ whistle~* Would you mind accompanying me for a dance? My lady?"-I say to her with a small reverence, with head slightly bowed, my left arm on my back, and my right arm and hand extended to her.

"*snort* As if I would dance with some bastard like you."-She snorts while crossing her arms under her boobs. Making them look even bigger.

"You sure know how to make a gentleman suffer…*sigh…*"-I said in a theatrical way while shaking my head. "Well. Answering your first question. Of course not. I'm not that stupid to think you would forgive me. I'm knowledgeable enough to know that an Ice Wing Queen wouldn't even try to speak to me after killing just one of her flock. And that leads me to my next question. What's this? Why coming out to talk so openly?"

"I don't want any more blood from my sisters being shed."-She says while glaring at me. "And while I don't think we can't kill you. I do accept that a lot of my sisters would have to die for it."

"Mhm~ Mhm~ It sounds like a reasonable deduction. Well, most of it. So, what does that have to do with you coming out so openly? Want to make an agreement of some sort?"-I ask after crossing my arms.

"Exactly. That's what I was thinking, hum… Well… You're not exactly human, right?"-She says, sizing me up, as if trying to confirm something, especially my eyes. "Whatever. I'm not stupid enough to think that I could ask you to die peacefully, and I do know that any charm magic won't work on you."

"Look at you, what a perceptive woman you are. So? What's your next best choice?"

"Stay here. As a prisoner. You won't die. But you'll be restricted of your freedom, at least until the day my flock and I are able to leave this enclosed space."

"Mmm…"-I make a contemplative face, with one hand caressing my chin and the other crossing my chest. "Do I get to sleep with you?"-I ask with a serious face.

"YOU BASTARD!!!!"

"LET'S KILL HIM, QUEEN!!!!"

"HE DARES TO INSULT YOU AND TREAT YOU SO UNRESPECTFULY"

"HE DESERVES TO DIE!!!"

"WE CAN'T LET HIM STAY ALIVE!!!!"

"KILL HIM!!!"

"KILL HIM!!!!"

"It looks like they're don't agree to your thinking, my queen."-I said with a mocking grin.

*SILENCE!*-Suddenly the queen's voice resonated everywhere, almost as if not coming from her own mouth.

"YOU ALL SHUT UP. And for you."-She says while pointing at me. "I'll forgive your unrespectful treatment. Don't ever ask that question again, as I'm not going to go to bed with someone that dared to kill my brethren."-She says with a glaring frown.

"Oh, man… That's so sad… I surely wanted to have some fun with you…*sigh…*"-I say while dropping my arms and my head.

"Stop this nonsense. What's your answer? Do you agree to my terms?"-She asks.

"Are you insane? Of course not. Who would let go of their freedom on their own? That's really stupid."

"Do you think freedom is a better choice than to keep your life?"-She asks with a somewhat mocking face.

"Of course. And it seems you're confused about something. I'm not forfeiting my life. I'm sure I'm getting out of here alive."-I say with a mocking grin. "Though, I'm curious. Could you answer me something before we start killing each other?"

"… You sure overestimate yourself. Sure. I'll at least give you the chance to make the last question. I'm that magnanimous."

"What's with you all kings and queens with the fucking magnanimity…*sigh…*"-I murmur to myself before asking. "You… How did you get here? I mean. If I'm not mistaken, it wasn't possible for you all to be here a few hours ago…"

"Indeed. It seems you're not that stupid. We were brought here, from someplace I somehow don't remember. I just remember that something told us that we would be able to live a better life out of this place once the time comes."

"What? You got to be kidding me… So, in other words. You all were tricked into being confined in a Dungeon? Such a great queen you are… And what about your pact with an unidentified being from the Demon Realm, why did you make a pact with something you don't even know?"

"Insolent! I only look for what's better for my flock! It doesn't matter if I have to sell my soul to some Devil out there!"

"So, the pact was made before coming here… That's weird. But it at least tells me that you don't come from some other universe or dimension. But still comes from the Novel's Extra's story… *sigh…* Man… That's good. I was worried that some shit from another place would make its way here too…"- I sigh in relief.

To be honest. I was worried that some other being came from outside this novel. Just as I did. But if it is as she says. It means that she, at most, came from a lower-level dimension inside this one. Like the "game" Hajin and co plays later in the novel.

{Still. I better prepare myself. This modification to the Dungeon may not be the only one. I somehow have the feeling that this world is slowly adapting to me. That's the only way for it to suddenly add Natural Energy Resistance and Spirit Resistance to the equation. And I'm not even sure those will be the only changes made.}

"I don't know what nonsense are you spitting on, but, it's that all you wanted to know before dying?"-She asks while putting her hand up.

"Sure. Oh, you magnanimous queen. That was my only doubt."-I answer in a mocking tone.

"*snort* Kill him."-She says while dropping her arms towards me.

Immediately, all the Ice Wings started throwing bolts towards me.

{Again with the quantity better than the quality plan.}-I thought as I start evading and destroying any incoming bolt with my bullets.

The queen doesn't stay quiet for too long, as she is seemingly conjuring something. But every time I try to throw a bullet towards her, another Ice Wings puts herself in the way, sacrificing for their queen. The funny part is, I can see how the queen flinches every time this happens.

"Such a loving flock."-I murmur while keeping up the evasion and destruction of the incoming bolts.

From time to time, some of the Ice Wings also conjure ice magic bellow me, taking the advantage of the big ice platform I'm standing upon.

Frozen spikes come out of the floor, almost every one of it the size of a big spear. I try to evade them as much as I can, but the ice bolts make it difficult. Thankfully, they need a lot more time to conjure the frozen spikes than the ice bolts. Though, truth be told, it matters nothing when you have at least a hundred of them conjuring at the same time.

While thinking that, I changed my plan. I stopped attacking the queen. And concentrated my bullets on those that were trying to conjure spells instead of just throwing some ice bolts.

A few of them noticed before it was too late. But most of them perished. Right when I ended a hundred of them, the queen opened her eyes and extended her arms.

"LEDUS VĒTRA!"

An ice storm incomparable with the snowstorm from when I met the first Ice Wing suddenly appeared all around, while the Ice Wing Queen went back, somewhat tired.

If it was just snow. I wouldn't have any problem with it. But it wasn't. Chunks of ice of varying sizes were flying all around inside the storm. The funny thing is, they only seemed to target me. Not any of the other Ice Wings. Which isn't rare considering it was her queen who invoked it.

"Shit… This makes things harder."-I murmur while evading now both chunks of ice and ice bolts.

Thankfully I still could see around me. Which made it possible to evade the now incoming Ice Wings.

{Mmm… It seems they're confident that I'm not able to see them coming.}

""""Ledus nagi!""""-Said the four Ice Wings that came close range. Invoking big claws of ice on their hands.

Each one of them threw herself at me from different places. As if trying some surprise unavoidable attack. Which I didn't let continue.

Raising my hands up, condensing even more fire on them, and finally dropping them to the floor, I made an outburst of fire strong enough to send the four of them away, though they still were alive, as they somehow used those claws as some kind of shield. Of course, the claws ended up all destroyed. But nothing that couldn't be repaired by supplying more mana to the spell.

Still, my problems were not finished, as the ice storm was still raging and the ice bolts coming from basically everywhere.

"Shit… This isn't going anywhere. I don't think Spirit Fire would do any good here. And my Apocalypse's Black Fire is still sealed."

From my arms, I kept throwing fire bullets, which were still a good option, if only to stop the incoming bolts. As the ice storm ragged, the power of my fire bullets was reduced, and that made it impossible to reach any of them between all this storm.

"Fuck… What should I do…?"-I was thankfully physically strong enough to safely keep this pace for a while. But it wouldn't be long before I get tired.

"*SIGH…* Nothing I can do. I better bet for a quick end as I was thinking before."- Saying that I rush to the front, evading any incoming attack and ice. The four from before were quickly coming closer again, seemingly generals of some kind among the flock of Ice Wings. "Sage Mode."- I slowly said as I stopped for a second.

My right arm lit up. Or well. The stigma over it. It quickly started expanding all through my body, slightly burning through my clothes, but nothing too serious. Right now, inside my clothes, the stigma quickly crept all over my body. Covering it in symbols and runes, while my white hair also lengthened all the way down to my waist like some kind of wild flowing mane.

Right then. All the incoming long-ranged attacks came, with the four Ice Wings from before slightly away from me.

*BOOOOM!!!!*

A big cloud of ice dust, steam, and ice shards suddenly rose from the ground.

"Is it done?"-asked one of the four that was following me close. One with ice armguards.

"Maybe, right? I mean… that was heavy rain of attacks… And they did hit him directly after all…"-Said another one with short blond hair.

"Yes… I think he's done for…"-Said another one with shoulder-length icy blue hair.

"*sigh…* finally…"-Said the last one. That had a scar from the left side up of the face all the way to the right side down, passing through the middle of the eyes.

"You shouldn't be so sure until you don't see the corpse of your enemy. Such naivety could kill anyone."-I whisper to the short-haired blond one. Appearing right behind her. And punching right through her heart.

"*Cough!*"- She barely coughed blood, when suddenly everything around us, including the storm, just went away in a fiery storm that turned her to ashes.

"RUN!!!!!"-Shouted the Queen as she flew to the plateau.

Immediately, the other three escaped from the small firestorm that surrounded me.

"Leaving so fast? And I thought we were going to have some fun."-I said while dusting my hands from the remaining ashes.

"You monster!"- Said the queen once she got down in the plateau, right in front of me. "How could you!?"- A small snowstorm keeping my firestorm away from her.

"How could I? What do you mean? *snort* This is a fight. A war. Where only one of us can go out of this alive."-I said while looking at her sternly. "'hiw quild yi!?' Are you stupid!? HUH!? I thought that as a queen you would be smarter. But look at that! Asking such a stupid question in the middle of a fight…*sigh…*"-I sighed taking out my sword from the scabbard. "What did I expect from someone that basically let her flock be trapped inside a Dungeon? I don't have much time. So, let's end this before the eight minutes mark.��

Sage Mode is a powerful technique that I learned before. It allows me to use all the Natural Energy inside my body to enhance my body and other abilities to a ridiculous degree. It also increases my natural regeneration and the perception of my surroundings. Normally, I wouldn't need to care about a time limit, only about my body's endurance. But coming here ended that, and my limited Sage Mode, right now, can only hold for as much Natural Energy as I had inside at the moment it was activated.

Right now, I'm feeling the rate it is exhausting from my body. I would barely be able to hold this mode for like eight minutes, so wasting too much time talking was a stupid thing to do.

"YOU!!! *KILL HIM!!!! ATTACK FROM OUT OF RANGE AS I HOLD HIM!!!*"-She shouted. Her voice resonating through all the place, right before she threw herself to me.

"LEDUS NAGI MĪL"-She said. Her entire body quickly covered itself with an ice armor, with big claws instead of gauntlets, and a weird coattail made of ice, which still seemed able to move as if it was some kind of cloth. "You're going to pay for what you've done."-She said, before the armor ended extending towards her face, decorating her head with a horned ice helmet with a somewhat demonic face. "I'll make sure you do."-Finally, the ice armor slowly took a crimson hue, with demonic energy going out of it.

"Talking about selling your soul to the Devil…"-I said while preparing my stance with my legs slightly bent, my sword pointing towards the Ice Wing Queen in my right arm, and my left arm upped at shoulder level. "Let's end this. Idiot Queen."

"*snort* You'll take that insolence of yours to the grave."-She says right before charging at me.

"Sorry. But right now, I still have a bet going on."-I said before receiving her claw's strike with my reinforced sword. "So, I'm not planning to die yet."