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Chapter Text

Across the city, Wen Lang nearly overturned his desk.

“You’re telling me,” he growled at X-Holding’s second-in-command, “that Hua Yong—HUA YONG—went on a beginner dungeon excursion with new recruits?!”

Chang Yu nodded gravely. “Yes, Wen Lang. He entered under his own name. E-class Omega registration. The Association confirmed—”

“E-class—?!” Wen Lang’s eye twitched violently. “He suppressed his aura again?!”

Chang Yu could only nod.

Wen Lang dragged both hands down his face.
“That idiot. That absolute maniac. Does he want to collapse the entire region?!”

Chang Yu simply looked at him.

Wen Lang stilled. “…What?”

“The dungeon mutated. It was recorded escalating to SS-class before collapse.”

His expression shifted from murderous to horrified in a single breath.

“…Sheng Shao You was supervising that excursion.”

“Yes.”

Wen Lang shut his eyes and exhaled through clenched teeth.
“Oh no.”

Gao Tu appeared at the doorway, calm as ever. “Guild Leader, should we rescue them?”

“And interrupt his date?! No!” Wen Lang snapped.
There was no question which “he” he meant.

“We’re not getting involved. If he wants to pretend he’s an E-class little flower, let him deal with the consequences. I’m not cleaning up after him again!”

Gao Tu blinked once. “But if President Sheng realises—”

“He won’t!” Wen Lang snapped. Then hesitated. “…Probably.”

Gao Tu wisely said nothing.

Wen Lang groaned into his hands. “This is going to become a disaster. I can feel it.”

“The dungeon already closed anyway,” Chang Yu added helpfully. “No one can breach it until it’s cleared.”

Wen Lang just slumped further into his chair. 

________________________________________________________

The ground steadied once they moved far enough from the river, though the dungeon’s pulse remained—low, dragging, steady as a heartbeat beneath the earth. Shao You adjusted his grip on the sword, muscles coiled, every sense tuned to the shifting mana around them.

His mind was a whirlwind. The last official reading marked this dungeon as S-class. But with the escalation so far—and the monsters they had already faced—it was likely higher now. The air carried too much pressure. The terrain was warping and the mana density felt wrong. There was someone to protect, and a dungeon to clear.

Last time, it took him a week to clear an S-class— and that was with a full team.

Now he had no backup. No exit crystal. And he doubted a newly minted hunter would be carrying one in his pocket.

Another tremor rippled through the air. Mana density rising.

The Omega swallowed, voice small but controlled. “Um… I should introduce myself properly. My name is… Hua Yong.”

Shao You glanced at him—quick, assessing. “Sheng Shao You.”

“I… I know,” Hua Yong said, eyes lowering.

“Stay close,” Shao You ordered. 

They kept moving.

Brush crackled behind them. Shao You turned just as a mutated wolf burst through the undergrowth, jaws open, froth dripping from its fangs. A B-class variant—but corrupted by the rising mana, moving faster than it should.

Hua Yong froze but Shao You didn’t.

He stepped forward, blade flashing once. Ice bloomed, and the wolf crumpled soundlessly.

Hua Yong exhaled shakily. “Sorry—I’m not very good with—”

“You don’t need to be,” Shao You cut in. His tone remained calm, but his eyes swept the trees, calculating angles, exits, threats. “Just stay alive. I’ll protect you.”

Hua Yong looked at him, startled. “But I—”

Another pulse and another monster.

This time a serpent-like creature shot down from the branches, long body twisting, venom glistening at its fangs. Hua Yong stumbled back instinctively, feet slipping on loose soil.

Shao You caught the serpent mid-lunge, twisting his wrist. Ice crawled across the creature’s scales, freezing it solid before it hit the ground.

Hua Yong stared at the corpse, chest rising too fast.

Shao You shifted to stand in front of him, forming a barrier with his presence more than the frost curling off his sword. “Stay behind me.”

The Omega nodded, small and quiet, pressing closer but careful not to touch him.

Another tremor shook the dungeon and mana flared—sharp.

Shao You gripped his sword tighter. He glanced at Hua Yong again and exhaled slowly, letting frost settle along his arms. The old wound twinged, a sharp line of pain cutting across his back, but he ignored it.

The forest floor erupted and a boar-like monster, tusks blackened with corruption, charged out of the undergrowth with enough force to crack stone. Shao You moved instinctively, grabbing Hua Yong’s waist and pulling him back as the creature thundered past.

The boar turned, preparing for another charge.

Shao You exhaled, frost building. 

He stepped forward, releasing the slender waist and guiding the Omega behind him. With a wide stroke, the blade descended—ice detonating along the line of the strike. The monster collapsed instantly, frozen solid from skull to hoof.

They moved deeper into the dungeon, the light fading into a muted grey-green haze. Shao You kept his sword ready, frost trailing in thin lines along the ground where he stepped. Each shift of his shoulders tugged at the old wound across his back.

Not now but he’ll deal with it later.

The dungeon pulsed again. This time the ground rippled, mud shifting like something underneath was breathing. The trees bent in slow, unnatural arcs. Mana curled low, thickening the air.

Shao You’s grip tightened around the sword. Frost gathered along the blade, stronger than before. 

They stepped over a fallen log, then across a shallow pool covered in swamp mist. The water trembled beneath their feet—the dungeon rearranging pathways, closing exits, pushing them deeper.

A sudden crack sounded and the ground beside the Omega collapsed.

Water surged upward, dragging the mud with it. Hua Yong slipped, body pitching sideways toward the dark pool.

Shao You reacted instantly.

His arm shot out, catching Hua Yong around the waist and pulling him back against his chest. Frost surged beneath their feet to stabilize the ground.

“Careful,” Shao You said, breath low beside Hua Yong’s ear.

Hua Yong’s heartbeat was a frantic flutter against him, hands gripping him tight. “S-sorry Mr Sheng… I didn’t see—”

“It’s fine.” Shao You set him upright, steadying him by the arm. “Watch the ground.”

Hua Yong nodded quickly, flushing.

Shao You stepped in front again, but the momentary closeness had left a faint, unwanted heat beneath his ribs, a reaction that hit harder than it should. Again, he buried it deep. 

A deep, resonant vibration rolled through the trees. Mana surged in a violent wave, scattering leaves and sending cracks spiderwebbing across the swamp floor. A foreboding weight settled over the air, and Shao You shifted into a defensive stance, ice spreading in a wide circle from his feet.

“Something’s coming,” he warned. “Hide behind the tree.” Hua Yong immediately stepped away, near the trees. 

Bushes exploded outward as a massive shape barreled out of the shadows

A Naiad Devourer—a mutated swamp predator with limbs like twisted roots, a jaw lined with spiraling fangs, and a body dripping with blackened water. Twice the size of the Ghariel, and faster.

Blood-red eyes locked onto them instantly, teeth curling in a snarl. A low growl vibrated through the swamp, and with a roar, it burst forward—tearing through the brush, water flying in sheets as its limbs clawed at the ground.

Shao You stepped in to meet it, blade angled low, snowflakes falling faster around him.

A shockwave erupted as the blade met claw, the impact reverberating up his arm. He dropped low, sliding beneath another sweeping limb, glacial ice slick beneath his feet. His sword arced upward, carving a line of ice along the Devourer’s arm.

The limb froze mid-motion— then shattered into jagged shards.

Another deafening roar ripped through the clearing, the Devourer howling in pain, blackened blood oozing from the amputated stump.

Weakened, it lunged. Twisted limbs scraped deep gouges into the mud as it launched itself straight at him—faster now, frantic with pain. But it wasn’t towards the S-class hunter. It was towards Hua Yong, who was standing half hidden behind a tree. 

Shao You moved. He crossed the distance in a breath, planting himself between Hua Yong and the incoming strike. Frost burst from his feet, snapping the ground solid beneath him as he lifted his sword—

Too late.

The Devourer’s remaining limb slammed into his side and pain exploded across Shao You’s torso. His boots slid back several meters, ice splintering under the force. The old wound on his back burns, heat spilling down his spine.

Hua Yong’s voice cracked. “Mr. Sheng!”

Shao You gritted his teeth, forcing his stance to hold. Better him, than the fragile E-class body. His body temperature further dropped, foggy mist exhaled with every breath. 

The Devourer reared again, blackened water dripping from its jaws. Its attention flicked between the two—Shao You injured, Hua Yong helpless.

It lunged a second time, past him. Toward the terrified Omega still half-hidden behind the tree. But mid-charge—its movement hitched. As if something unseen dragged at its limbs, gravity pulling it down for the first time.

Shao You took the opening.

A burst of frost detonated beneath his feet, propelling him forward in a blur of white. His blade drove straight into the monster’s chest, piercing deep into its heart. Ice tendrils erupted from the wound, spreading in sharp lines like a starburst—freezing tissue, bone, every vein.

The Devourer shrieked. Its whole body twisted violently, trying to tear itself free.

Shao You inhaled, breath cold and thin, pain flaring sharply through his side and back. He forced more power into the blade. Snowflakes spiraled around him in a tightening storm.

The frost answered.

It exploded through the Devourer’s chest— freezing the monster from the inside out. Its roar died in its throat as its body went rigid. Cracks webbed across its torso, thin at first, then splitting wide—

And the Devourer shattered.

It collapsed in a cascade of ice and black water, scattering across the frozen ground at Shao You’s feet.

Shao You remained still for a moment, breath uneven, lips pale—almost blue with cold.

Hua Yong rushed toward him, hands trembling as he reached out, then froze mid-air, unsure where to touch. “You—you’re hurt—”

“It’s nothing,” Shao You said. His voice was steady as he sheathed his sword slowly, every joint stiff from the cold.

Hua Yong stared at him—eyes wide, shaken, and something else flickering underneath. He caught Shao You’s hand in both of his, slender fingers tightening.
“You’re freezing.”

Shao You opened his mouth, ready to reassure him—tell him to step back, to keep distance—when warmth suddenly spread from their joined hands. Soft at first, then blooming steadily through his veins. The ache in his limbs eased. The biting frost receded from his skin.

He inhaled, startled.

Hua Yong watched him with dark, earnest eyes. “I can help, Mr Sheng,” he whispered, voice coaxing, almost shy. “I can manipulate mana… just a little. Let me help.”

The warmth deepened—gentle, controlled, nothing overwhelming, but enough to loosen the ice clinging to Shao You’s bones.

Shao You found himself nodding before he fully realized it, the Omega’s delicate face tilted up at him in quiet determination.

“…Alright.”

Hua Yong’s fingers tightened around his. And the cold, for the first time since the dungeon began collapsing, finally relented.

The dungeon pulsed again—low, and deep.It still hadn’t stabilised.

They needed shelter soon. 

“We need to move,” Shao You said, eyes lingering on Hua Yong’s worried face. “It’s not safe.”

Hua Yong nodded quickly, still holding onto his hand as though letting go might break something fragile between them.

They moved deeper into the dungeon, fingers intertwined— steady, warm, and unwilling to loosen.

______________________________________________

It had been five days— five days of nonstop fighting and by the end of the first day, Shao You had already realised it: they were being hunted. Monsters drove them from every direction, never giving enough space to rest or regroup.

He was exhausted. 

Days of continuous combat had worn thin the edges of his strength. His ribs creaked with every inhale, sharp pain radiating down his back with each movement. He had long since used the last of his mana potions. His joints ache from the cold and still he forced himself forward, keeping the monsters away, shielding the Omega at his side. 

Through all of it, Hua Yong remained a steady and quiet presence beside him. Warm hands easing the cold that tried to consume him, soft mana stabilising the cracks in his frost core. 

They were currently huddled inside a small cave, an uneven hollow carved into the rock. Shao You had frozen the entrance, layers of frost sealing them in, but it was only a brief respite—an hour, two at most—before monsters inevitably found them and tore through their shelter. He had only managed short naps between attacks, taking turns resting with Hua Yong.

Shao You tried to give Hua Yong more time to sleep, knowing the Omega’s constitution was poorer, but Hua Yong had argued fiercely against it—always waking before the next attack came. Even now, he refused to rest fully. 

Rations were tight, and neither of them knew how long they would be trapped inside the dungeon. With the mana instability fluctuating wildly, Shao You didn’t dare risk cooking the monsters they defeated. Besides—he was the eldest young master of an elite family. He barely knew how to boil water.

They shared a single protein bar between them. Shao You finished his half while watching Hua Yong nibble quietly on his. As if sensing the gaze, Hua Yong looked up, eyes soft.

“Mr. Sheng, have more. I’m not very hungry,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

Shao You didn’t think—he simply reached out. His thumb brushed a small crumb at the corner of Hua Yong’s mouth, slow and careful, the gesture almost instinctive.

“I’m fine,” he murmured. “Eat yours. You need the energy.”

Hua Yong’s lips parted just slightly, breath catching, then he smiled, soft and small, and something in Shao You eased—unwound, loosened in a way he hadn’t felt since the dungeon sealed them in. Hua Yong finished his bar and shifted closer, careful in his movements, arms slipping around him with a warmth that felt almost unreal.

“Then Mr Sheng, you’re cold. Let me warm you.” 

Shao You nodded. The delicate face in front of him scattered his thoughts far too easily. And Hua Yong’s warmth—steady, enveloping—was impossible to refuse.

Heat seeped into his bones, easing the ache, softening the tightness in his chest. His eyes grew heavy, drooping despite his effort to remain alert. He needed to stay awake—monsters could arrive any minute—but fatigue clung to him, dragging him under.

Another wave of warmth rolled through him, deeper this time. A faint ghost-orchid scent curled around him, gentle and soothing.

“Rest, Mr Sheng,” Hua Yong breathed against his ear. “I’ll protect you.”

Shao You exhaled, a soft sound slipping from him as the last of his resistance dissolved.

He drifted to sleep in Hua Yong’s arms.

_____________________________________________

Hua Yong smiled, arms wrapped securely around the slumbering S-class hunter. One hand rose to trace the lines of Shao You’s face—slow, gentle, almost reverent. Ghost-orchid pheromones thickened in the cave, soft and sweet, settling around them like warm mist.

His Alpha.
So strong.
So brave.

A being the world admired.
A being Hua Yong wanted to take and keep—
to hide away where no one else could touch him,
or look at what belonged to him.

Outside, the sound of monsters scraping against ice rattled the cave walls. Fractals of magenta crystal spread across the entrance in response, swallowing the creatures whole before shimmering away into dust.

Hua Yong leaned in, brushing the faintest kiss across Shao You’s forehead—soft, fleeting, careful not to wake him.

Rest, Mr. Sheng, he thought, thumb stroking his cheek.

Nothing will reach you. Not while you’re in my arms.

_______________________________________________________

Shaoyou woke up surprisingly well-rested. A faint trace of ghost orchid lingered in the air—warm, sweet, grounding. A calm heartbeat at his ear. He pushed himself upright and turned toward Hua Yong, who was already awake, watching him quietly.

“Did you rest?” Shao You asked.

Hua Yong nodded. “I did.”

Shaoyou stood. Judging by the dim shift of dungeon light, it had been a few hours since he’d fallen asleep. His ice barrier must have held longer than expected.

Fatigue still tugged at him, but his body felt lighter than it had in days. Breathing didn’t stab at his ribs, and the deep pull along his back had eased enough to ignore. His mana, though low, no longer scraped painfully at the edges of his core.

“Hua Yong,” Shao You called. 

Hua Yong was tidying their makeshift shelter, brushing frost from a blanket of packed leaves. When he lifted his head at Shao You’s call, the soft-eyed gaze hit him without warning. Shao You’s heartbeat stuttered—again.

Shao You cleared his throat, “We should go.”

Hua Yong straightened immediately. There was no hesitation or fear—just quiet acceptance.

“I understand,” he said.

They left the cave quietly, stepping back into the dim, grey-green haze of the dungeon. The ice barrier Shao You had formed was cracked in several places, claw marks deep and frantic along its surface. Something had come during the night. Many somethings.
But none had broken through.

Shao You said nothing as his hand reached out and neither did Hua Yong as he grasped his hand firmly.

They walked.

Two nights had passed before they finally found signs of the boss' lair.  

The path narrowed as they moved deeper, the dungeon growing darker, heavier—mana gathering like storm clouds pressing low against the ground. Mist curled along the floor, thin tendrils rising and dissolving into the grey-green air. Shao You led, Hua Yong a half step behind, their hands still joined. Monsters emerged from the shadows and fell just as quickly, cut down by swift strikes.

The dungeon pulsed—slow, deliberate—each thrum of mana stronger than the last. Trees twisted into shapes that barely resembled wood, trunks spiraling upward like carved stone. The ground hardened under their feet, the soft earth shifting into dark, slick stone interspersed with shallow pools of water.

Ahead, the forest opened.

The trees fell away, revealing a vast basin filled with dark water. The surface lay eerily still, broken only by the faint glimmer of bioluminescent algae drifting beneath. Ancient stone pillars jutted out at crooked angles, half-submerged, their runes long eroded by mana and time.

They stepped beneath a wide arch of stone—natural at first glance, but too symmetrical to be accidental. Mana swirled as they crossed the threshold, dense and pressurized, metallic on the tongue.

Shao You tightened his grip on the sword. His other hand remained in Hua Yong’s, warm and steady.

A ripple disturbed the still water.

Subtle at first—like something exhaling beneath the surface—then stronger, sending concentric waves across the basin. Shao You’s hold on his sword tightened. Frost curled down his wrist.

Another ripple.
Then another.

The water split.

A pale shape rose slowly from the depths, humanoid from the waist up, serpentine from the waist down. Scales shimmered in shifting blues and greens, each one reflecting faint mana light. Its eyes opened—slitted, luminous, ancient. A crown of bone-like fins flared behind its head, framing a face too sharp and too still to be called human.

A Naga Sovereign. An S-class, water-attuned dungeon boss. They were known for their intelligence. 

It coiled upward, towering over the waterline, arms resting atop the surface as if it were solid stone. The basin trembled beneath its aura.

Shao You stepped forward.

“Hua Yong,” he said quietly. “Hide.”

Hua Yong hesitated—just a breath—but stepped back into the shadows of the carved stone pillars.

“Stay hidden. No matter what happens.”

Hua Yong’s eyes lingered on him—wide, worried, reluctant—before he disappeared behind a collapsed altar, ghost-orchid scent thinning until it barely lingered.

The Naga hissed. A low, reverberating sound that vibrated the water. Its tail coiled, muscles rippling beneath liquid surface tension. The entire pool shifted with its movement.

Shao You exhaled once, sword ready, mana gathering and leaped. 

Water speared upward in a dozen sharp pillars—too fast for any ordinary hunter to track. Frost bloomed beneath Shao You’s feet, sliding him across the stone as the first pillar sliced cleanly through the space his head had just occupied. More followed. He twisted, evasive, each movement threaded with ice.

He countered—an arc of frost slicing toward the Naga.

The serpent dissolved into water and reformed behind him.

Shao You spun, blade rising just in time as a scaled arm slammed into his side. The impact ripped a sharp breath from him, boots carving a harsh line across the flooded stone as he slid back. His ribs protested. 

The Naga’s eyes narrowed—amused.

It struck again, angled perfectly toward his injured left side. A sphere of condensed water formed in its palm—high-pressure, razor-edged, deadly. It launched forward with enough force to punch a hole through bedrock.

Shao You dodged, the attack missing him by a hair’s breadth. The sphere tore through a stone pillar instead, carving a perfect tunnel straight through the center. He retaliated, slashing upward. Frost curved toward the Naga’s throat—

But again, it dissolved, reappearing on the far edge of the lake, summoning another tidal strike that rose like a wall.

Shao You’s breath misted sharply as he stepped back. His body temperature dropped another degree.

The Naga lifted both hands and the entire lake responded.

Water heaved upward in a massive swell, a wave towering high enough to swallow the basin and everything inside it. It crashed forward in a single violent surge, aiming straight for the hunter. 

Shao You dashed in, sword cutting a wide arc through the air. The pressure split a seam in the rising wall, just enough for him to push through. He burst forward in a blur of frost, appearing directly in front of the Naga. His left hand swung, an ice-dagger aimed at its chest.

The Naga reacted—faster than before.

Water coiled around its torso, forming an armored shield that absorbed most of the blow. Frost laced across the liquid barrier but didn’t hold—the water shattered it outward with a pulse, spraying shards across the ground. 

There was no time to gather himself as the Naga’s tail whipped forward—fast, heavy, aimed to crush. Shao You pivoted, blade raised, the impact reverberating down his arm as steel met scaled muscle. Before he could regain footing, the Naga twisted, a clawed hand slicing toward his throat and Shao You dropped low.

The claw tore through the air above him, scattering droplets that froze the moment they touched his coat. He retaliated, a sharp upward slash aimed at the Naga’s ribs—
only for it to dissolve again, reforming behind him in a swirl of water.

Shao You spun.

Tail slammed into his side and pain erupted across his ribs as he staggered back, boots skidding across slick stone. The Naga pressed forward—relentless—both arms swinging in a flurry of strikes meant to overwhelm.

Shao You blocked the first—
parried the second—
ducked the third—

But the fourth caught him across the shoulder, sending a jolt of pain down his arm. Frost bled from the wound on impact, snowflakes scattering in the air.

The Naga hissed, scenting his weakening aura, and lunged. Shao You met it with his free hand this time—his palm slamming into its jaw, a burst of frost freezing half its cheek. The creature recoiled, tail whipping around in retaliation, but Shao You vaulted over it, twisting mid-air as his sword carved down in a vertical strike the Naga narrowly avoided. 

Their next exchange blurred together: Shao You lunged first, blade cutting a clean line through the air only to crash against a sudden wall of water as the Naga summoned a shield to parry. It countered instantly, a clawed hand slicing toward his throat; he twisted back, the strike missing by inches before a whip-like tail lashed out. He vaulted over it, frost spiraling beneath his feet, and brought his heel down in a sharp, frozen kick that cracked against the Naga’s chin, snapping its head sideways. The creature hissed, forming a spear of compressed water that launched point-blank—Shao You caught it on his blade, shattering it into icy fragments even as he closed the distance again.

But Shao You was slowing.

The strain of the last three days made each movement grew a fraction heavier. His breath misted unevenly, his footing less sharp.

The Naga felt it.

Its pupils thinned, sensing the opening as predator instinct surged. It lunged—fast, precise, fangs bared—yet…

Its strike dragged.

As if moving through dense, syrup-thick air.

Shao You slipped aside just in time as the attack missed him by a hair.

The Naga hissed, confused. It lashed out again—another swipe, another tail crack—but its speed faltered, each motion lagging half a beat behind its intent.

Shao You’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t doing that.

The creature’s gaze darted sideways—toward the shadows where Hua Yong hid.

Ghost-orchid pheromones lingered in the air, sinking into the battlefield like invisible threads. Mana shimmered faintly around the Omega’s position—subtle, delicate, but unmistakable to a creature as mana-sensitive as the Naga.

The Naga understood then. Its pupils dilated with fury as it shifted, preparing to strike past Shao You, straight toward Hua Yong—

Shao You moved. He intercepted the Naga mid-lunge, blade slashing upward, frost detonating along the creature’s scaled chest. The impact forced the boss back several meters, water spraying as it crashed against a broken pillar.

“Your enemy is me,” Shao You’s voice came out colder than his frost. 

The fight turned deadly.

A clawed arm tore through the air—Shao You parried, blade shrieking as water hardened around the Naga’s forearm like armor. Another blow slammed into his side, the impact rattling bone. Shao You feinted left, before pivoting again, sword flashed in a burst of frost, cutting a deep line across the Naga’s ribs, steam erupting as freezing mana met boiling water.

The Naga screamed. With its movements slowed, they were evenly matched—its overwhelming speed blunted and its strikes no longer impossible to dodge. Steel and water collided again, the chamber ringing with each impact. Shao You pressed forward, blade flashing in relentless arcs, frost detonating with every strike. Again and again he pushed, carving through scales, forcing the creature back step by step.

The Naga roared, enraged, its tail lashing so violently the waterline trembled. Its eyes bled into a deeper red, pupils narrowing to slits as the water beneath it began to churn violently. Mana surged in a chaotic spiral, the entire pool boiling as spires erupted upward, turning the arena into a battlefield of liquid blades.

Shao You braced, the cold in his limbs biting sharper now. 

The Naga lunged—faster now, movements wild and unpredictable. Water hardened along its limbs, forming natural blades. It struck downward with enough force to split stone.

Shao You blocked the first blow—

The second tore across his abdomen.

Pain exploded, sharp and blinding, ripping the breath from his lungs. The strike hurled him backward, boots skidding across the flooded stone as frost desperately struggled to form beneath his feet. He clamped a hand over the wound, ice spreading under his palm, slowing the bleeding by force of will alone. 

A tidal whip slammed into his side, sending him skidding across the slick stone. His back struck a pillar with a dull, sickening crack—bone or ice, he couldn’t tell. Pain flared white-hot along his ribs, stealing his breath. He coughed and blood hit the ground. Ribs, then. He wiped blood from his mouth, breath sharp. He couldn’t take another hit like that.

The Naga surged across the pool, body a blur of scales and water, a clawed arm rearing back and aiming straight for his throat—when ghost-orchid burst through the air, dense and suffocating before vanishing just as quickly. The creature faltered mid-strike, its attention snapping toward the source of the pheromone, and in that brief hesitation, Shao You moved.

Frost burst from his feet, propelling him into the Naga’s guard as he drove his sword upward, straight through the creature’s chest. The blade pierced scale, bone, and the glowing core nestled between its ribs. Ice detonated outward—starburst patterns racing across the Naga’s body as frost consumed muscle and vessels. 

He forced more mana through the blade, breath trembling as the monster froze solid. Snow gathered on his lashes, lips turning blue, his core temperature plummeting down. Still he pushed, feeding every last fragment of mana into the creature until it was wholly encased in ice. 

His pulse slowed. Blood pressure dropped. Vision dimmed at the edges. Shao You barely felt his hand slip from the sword as his body fell.

Soft arms caught him—lightly, easily—as if the air itself bent just to deliver him into a warm embrace.

“Rest, Mr. Sheng,” a quiet voice murmured against his ear. “It’s over.”

And Shao You let his eyes close.