The Dream of Frost

Ma Guohao broke out in a cold sweat.

The claw halted just above his pants.

It wasn’t that he stopped himself.

Red intervened.

Invisible telekinetic force locked Ma Guohao’s hand in place.

“There’s no need to go that far.”

Red’s tone was calm, unchanged.

As she spoke, she cast a brief glance at White.

“And whether you can be a partner or not isn’t her decision.”

“That’s mine.”

“T-that was way too extreme…”

White instinctively wiped sweat from her palm.

She truly disliked Ma Guohao, but this outcome wasn’t what she wanted either.

“But…”

Ma Guohao still seemed to want to say something.

“So, You’re basically acknowledging him now, right?”

“…More or less.”

At this point, White stopped pushing.

If she kept going and this lunatic really castrated himself on the spot, things would spiral fast.

“Then what are we doing today?”

Ma Guohao immediately switched gears, as if nothing had happened.

“I remember you usually go out at night, Red.”

“Where do we start?”

“Then you two fight first.”

Red said it plainly.

“Eh?!”

White and Ma Guohao exclaimed at the same time.

“What are you staring at?”

“When I knew White was coming, I planned to spar with her anyway to see her combat style.”

“But since you’re here, Ma Guohao, you’ll fight her instead.”

“Let’s see how much you’ve improved.”

“That’s fair.”

“Just talking doesn’t prove anything if you don’t see it.”

“Ehh—can’t we save our energy for tonight’s mission?”

White clung to Red’s arm, trying to act cute.

“My magic isn’t really suited for combat anyway…”

“If you lose,”

Red looked at Ma Guohao, expression firm.

“Don’t come back for a while.”

“Win first, then we’ll talk about hero work.”

“Sorry, kid.”

White cracked her knuckles, clearly excited.

“I’ll have to go all out.”

Evening approached.

The setting sun bathed the courtyard in gold and crimson.

A breeze swept over the lawn, carrying floral scents.

That peace shattered quickly.

White and Ma Guohao stood facing each other on the grass.

Tension crackled.

White wore her white combat dress, staff in hand.

Her face was cold and distant, like a snow lotus atop an unreachable mountain.

Opposite her, Ma Guohao’s metallic right arm reflected the sunset like molten gold.

His expression was stern.

His eyes burned with fighting spirit.

Red stood nearby, watching intently.

“If I hurt you,”

Ma Guohao said uneasily,

“then… sorry in advance.”

“You should save that for yourself.”

White sneered and raised her staff.

“Dream of Frost!”

Snow and wind spiraled violently around the staff.

They condensed into a massive ice tornado, roaring like a frost dragon.

It surged forward, carrying bone-chilling cold.

Ma Guohao leapt sideways, narrowly avoiding the strike.

His right arm reassembled instantly into a massive hand cannon.

The muzzle glowed dangerously.

He aimed—

Then froze.

More than a dozen Whites were charging him.

The closest was less than two meters away.

This wasn’t just illusion.

That speed and reaction time were terrifying.

He abandoned ranged combat and shifted tactics.

The cannon barrel sprouted sharp axe blades.

He charged, swinging at the nearest White.

The struck figure shattered into snowflakes, sparkling in the sunset.

But others closed in.

Some attacked with icy claws.

Others prepared ice orbs from afar.

The temperature plummeted.

Frost crept across the lawn.

He was constantly surrounded—and constantly breaking free.

Each clone was weak, but relentless.

He reconfigured his arm into a heavy shield and short blade.

He slashed close-range clones while blocking ice projectiles.

Ice balls slammed into the shield with dull thuds.

Shards scattered across the ground.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, instantly chilled by the cold.

“You can’t win.”

“Why not give up?”

A voice came from the five o’clock direction, about ten meters away.

Ma Guohao spun and fired a metallic spike-tendril.

The White it struck collapsed into snow.

By now, the courtyard had become a frozen wasteland.

His breath fogged the air.

His left leg stiffened from cold.

‘This won’t work.’

‘I need the real one.’

He scrutinized every clone.

No differences.

Damn it—

How could snow clones be this realistic?

Then realization struck.

“Heh.”

“The one who should give up… is you.”

He slashed a charging clone.

It hit his face with a staff before dispersing.

Harmless—but deliberate.

“The pattern is obvious.”

“You can’t win.”

“As a monster…”

“I once had fire.”

The clones hesitated.

Ma Guohao pressed his hand to his chest.

Blade and shield disintegrated into countless needles.

They slipped into his chest.

Black blood dripped.

Metal condensed on the ground.

He had once chosen fire—

When he first lost control during monsterization.

But he abandoned it.

Because he couldn’t control it.

Because Red had taken most of it to wake him.

Now, he was reclaiming what remained.

White stared, stunned.

This was when she should have stopped him.

But curiosity won.

His hand plunged into his chest.

Blood poured.

He collapsed, coughing.

“Red!”

“Do something!”

“He’s going to die!”

Red remained calm.

One eye glowed red with magical power.

“He’s fine.”

“And if he isn’t, I’ll step in.”

White was furious.

Cold-blooded.

She nearly surrendered outright.

Then heat crashed over her.

Flames burst from Ma Guohao’s chest.

His wounds healed.

Metal flowed back into his body.

“…Monster.”

No ordinary monster could do this.

All clones rushed him.

They were incinerated instantly.

The courtyard became a sea of fire.

Only one White remained.

Behind a melting ice wall.

Panting.

Flushed.

“It’s over.”

“Not yet.”

Ma Guohao’s arm reshaped into a fire cannon.

White advanced, staff raised.

“Dream of Frost!”

Ice and flame collided—

And passed through each other.

The staff struck his back.

A psychic shock exploded.

He collapsed.

Dream of Frost.

So that was it.