Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Gift Chapter 75 — Gift Noah and his team now stood outside the Forest of Darkness. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶 He had easily killed the S-rank beast and taken its corpse—along with the Wyvern’s. As a Creator, Noah could forge weapons, tools, or even powerful artifacts from them. Creation was a form of growth, after all. He glanced toward Eric, who had undergone a complete transformation. His body was now lean, muscles compact and hard. His hair and eyes had turned as dark as a starless night, while his skin was a pale ivory. He was no longer human. He was a shadow—a being molded by Shadeva herself, the First Daughter of the Shadows. Through the transformation, Eric had inherited a bloodline, and his affinity for shadow had soared beyond SSS-rank. A budding physique was awakening inside him. He was no longer the same boy who had once walked into the Forest of Darkness. And Noah was pleased. From Eric, he could feel deep gratitude and awe—proof that Noah had made the right decision by not enslaving him. Thinking about it... Everyone had changed. Elizabeth had awakened her celestial bloodline. Yuki had evolved and created her own unique technique, even earning a Title from the Akashic Record. Eric had become a true shadow. Ester had shed her feelings of inferiority and evolved herself. Now confident in being Noah’s shadow. And Noah... Noah had gained something even rarer—a new shadow. An original one. One that could kill beings and turn them into loyal shadows. But— ’My powers have been downgraded,’ Shadeva said. Noah had expected that. If he was right, Shadeva’s true level had once far surpassed even the Goddess he was now fighting against. ’What’s your current level?’ Noah asked. ’The same as yours,’ Shadeva sighed. ’A-rank. And now I can only summon up to S-rank shadows. Anything higher would require too much mana.’ ’At my prime, I could summon all my shadows and let them live freely... but now... sigh.’ Noah smiled faintly. ’Don’t worry, Shadeva. You’ll reach that rank again.’ Just as he was about to continue comforting her— Elizabeth suddenly stopped walking. Yuki and Eric immediately twitched, a bad feeling in their hearts. "Please, Elizabeth, not again," Eric pleaded, already dreading what her oracle powers would announce. "Yes, just shut up," Yuki added bluntly. She was tired. She just wanted to go home and sleep. Elizabeth’s lips twitched. "You think I like it?" she retorted, turning toward Noah. "Bad news, my love." Noah raised an eyebrow. "What is it, my dear oracle?" Elizabeth smiled sweetly at the nickname but quickly gathered herself. "The Saintess is coming." Her eyes glowed, intricate lines swirling inside them. "At blinding speed, by the way. She’ll be here in... five minutes." Noah smiled softly. "Five minutes?" "That’s more than enough." Then he tilted his head slightly. "How are you sensing her? I thought the Goddess could hide her subordinates from your sight." Elizabeth smiled slyly. "Not anymore. My talent isn’t what it used to be." Noah nodded, unsurprised. He had expected as much. Five minutes, huh? Noah chuckled quietly. He still had the teleportation tool his master had given him—the one capable of transporting him to the White Realm from anywhere. He wasn’t worried. But still— How could he leave without leaving a little gift for the Saintess? "Gather behind me," he ordered. Everyone obeyed instantly. Noah opened his right palm. Ice began to gather around it, swirling, condensing. His affinity with ice had now reached the Transformation Rank, and his Ice Talent had ascended to EX Unique Rank. His ice was no longer what it once was. The swirling ice formed into delicate petals, arranging themselves into a mystical, intricate shape. Soon, a lotus was formed. An ice lotus. But Noah wasn’t done. As a Sword himself— and wielding an EX Unique Rank talent in Swordsmanship— he injected sword energy into the lotus. Sharp. Cutting. Lethal. The aura of the lotus swelled, freezing the surroundings, while faint sword slashes cut the air itself. Noah wasn’t just making a bomb. He was crafting an affinity killer. He imbued the lotus with a purpose—to sever the light affinity of the Saintess. He embedded that purpose deep within its core. Minutes ticked by. Everything was ready. He had poured everything he had in this ice lotus. "In five seconds, Noah," Elizabeth warned calmly. Noah stood tall, the ice lotus floating gracefully above his palm. Everyone behind him wore serious expressions. Suddenly— A cluster of brilliant light appeared before them, twisting and forming into a woman’s figure. The air itself trembled under the weight of her presence; the grass wilted beneath the brilliance. Solaris. The Current Saintess. Her golden hair shone like the sun itself. She scowled at Elizabeth. "After all we’ve done for you?" Solaris said, voice dripping with betrayal. Elizabeth scoffed. "Spare me the act. We both know you’re here to silence me," she said coldly, as if she weren’t standing before an SS-rank monster. She turned toward Noah and said sweetly, "My love, she has nothing important to say. Let’s go." Solaris shifted her gaze to Noah. "Noah Weaverheart," she said, her voice low and dangerous. Noah smiled politely. "I didn’t expect the Saintess herself to come all this way just to meet us." He shook his head in mock sadness. "No... it won’t do. How can I not offer a gift after such a beautiful woman made the effort?" Solaris stared at him as if he were insane. Noah didn’t care. He sent the ice lotus floating toward her—slowly, delicately. Solaris watched it approach, unfazed. She was an SS-rank being. What could an A-rank child possibly do to her? Even if that child was special. And if they want to escape, do they think they can do that with me here? Foolish. But Noah didn’t care about her thoughts. His voice rang out, cold and clear: "I might run today. But next time— I won’t." "So enjoy this gift while you wait." "Because next time... You will either kneel before me— or be buried in the ground." He smiled sweetly. At that moment, he activated the teleportation tool. Noah and his team vanished— but his voice lingered like a ghost. "Explode." Silence fell. Solaris’s eyes widened in shock. "W-What—?" She didn’t even have time to finish the sentence— BOOM! A violent explosion of cold erupted. The world around her turned into an endless frozen wasteland— ice creeping and devouring everything in sight. Sword energy slashed wildly across the frozen land. A new forbidden territory was born on the world of Laeh that day. One created by a mere A-rank child. A Land that will be later known as— The Frozen Land of Sword. —End of Chapter 75—