Chapter 261

Chapter 261: The Capture of the Ice Soul Pearl

From the moment Midi charged into the cloud beast’s body to his cunning retrieval of the star-like entity, the entire ordeal lasted barely ten minutes.

At his current level, enduring the extreme cold within the beast while attacking with sword light and maintaining flight for over twenty minutes would’ve been impossible. Even Midi, known for his stubborn perseverance, would’ve had to retreat or risk freezing into an ice sculpture and plummeting through the beast’s body into the Sea of Clouds.

Thus, the battle unfolded with ruthless efficiency—no hesitation, no pauses.

This was a fight that allowed no second thoughts.

Yet for those aboard the Narwhal, helpless spectators to the chaos, those ten minutes dragged like years.

Even Victoria, not yet level 50, and Steward Lund, a high-level Awakened One, could do nothing. Fear of the mountain-sized Behemoth paralyzed them, and without means to fly, intervention was impossible.

The cloud beast’s emergence had drawn freezing air from the Ice Cloud Circle, plunging temperatures so low that moisture crystallized midair. Frost coated the floating island rock, ice shards clung to the Narwhal’s cables and deck, and cold seeped into the engine room, threatening to freeze the Aether Liquid in the Aether Ring.

The fragile Vanguard ships fared worse—exposed to the cold, they’d fail instantly, crashing before takeoff.

All Victoria and the crew could do was watch.

As minutes crawled by, hope for Midi’s victory faded.

If the Narwhal, kilometers away, suffered such cold, proximity to the beast meant subzero hell. Inside the beast? Unimaginable.

One truth stood: no one, not even Midi—who could dismantle a Skyship alone—could win a battle of attrition against such a monster.

Each second drained their chances.

After ten minutes, the fight had likely ended unnoticed.

Just as despair thickened, the distant cloud beast roared—a deafening cry laced with anger and fear.

The Behemoth thrashed violently.

A kilometer-long creature’s struggle should’ve shattered the sky and split the earth. But the beast, made of icy mist, lacked density. The Narwhal, though spared direct impact, still suffered: storms from its flailing collapsed part of the Ice Cloud Circle’s wall, icy fragments slicing the ship’s hull.

Gradually, the beast’s movements weakened. Its lizard-like form blurred, melting like ice under sunbeams until it dissolved back into clouds.

Even the Sea of Clouds’ natives, ignorant of cloud beasts, knew the battle had ended.

“Did…we win?” Victoria whispered, trembling.

“Perhaps…” Steward Lund rasped, uncharacteristically hesitant, forgetting honorifics.

The crew stared silently. Logic insisted no Mortal could defeat a mountain-sized beast. Even as it disintegrated, they feared hope would deepen despair.

Then golden-red sword light pierced the white firmament.

Victory.

Undeniable.

The colossal beast felled in ten minutes!

As the sword light blazed like blood across the sky, the crew erupted into ragged, frozen-throated cheers—raw, hoarse, yet brimming with relief.

Survival was all anyone desired. A simple truth.

"You’re back!" As soon as Midi landed, Victoria rushed over.

The young mistress of Rothschild Guild abandoned all manners, her sole desire being to examine this True Expert who’d created miracles at closest distance.

"Yeah, I’m back." Midi nodded, his face as expressionless as undisturbed still water.

He’d slaughtered too many cloud beasts in his past life. Though those hunts occurred at higher levels with less danger than this Level 52 Challenge, it’d become mechanical work evoking no emotion.

Habit had long dulled any excitement.

Yet Victoria perceived this calmness as mysterious authority.

"Lord Blade, you saved us all!" She finally calmed, bowing deeply. "To single-handedly defeat that cloud beast… You’ll surely become Sea of Clouds’ greatest Warrior!"

Her switch from "mister" to "lord" signaled both respect and acceptance of leadership.

Absorbing Victoria’s faction seemed wise. Yet Midi knew cloud beasts’ true battle strength. Having resolved to lead Rothschild Guild into Stormy Region’s expansion, he refused to exploit their awe despite Victoria and old steward Lund’s worship.

"Lady Victoria, you overstate things." Midi shook his head. "Cloud beasts aren’t hard to kill once you know their secret – it’s about extracting these properly."

He raised his right palm, revealing fist-sized pearl radiating sapphire glow. No magic aura leaked from icy-blue sphere, yet its pulsing waves betrayed staggering power.

This star-like entity from Stormy Region’s Star Ocean core birthed cloud beasts. Centuries of Ice Cloud Circle nurturing had infused it with trapped cloud beast consciousness that still roamed inside like restless ghost.

"Store this Ice Soul Pearl in double-layered demon-sealing box with temperature-stabilizing magic array." Midi spoke lightly. "Since we’re trading across Sea of Clouds anyway, let’s sell it. Powerful factions will clamor for it."

Victoria nodded silently. No reincarnator or alchemist, she instinctively recognized truth in his words. This pearl might surpass her entire Narwhal’s cargo of refined spices in value.

Moreover, Midi’s subtext rang clear – cloud beasts were manageable prey with proper knowledge, their Ice Soul Pearls justifying any gamble. If one Ice Cloud Circle beast held such worth, what riches awaited in Star Ocean at Stormy Region’s heart?

Contemplating the chilling pearl, Victoria fell deep into thought.

Temperature rose gradually after the battle. Crew repaired Narwhal swiftly, three hours vanishing like seconds. Soon the ship plunged into Black Cloud Circle again.

After surviving that ordeal, the dark clouds seemed less intimidating – familiarity bred courage. Days passed uneventfully until Narwhal burst through to Sea of Clouds’ familiar skies.

Sunlight bathed ordinary cumulus clouds – no bone-chilling Ice Cloud Circle vapors here. Emerging from week-long shadows into azure expanse lifted everyone’s spirits.

All except Victoria, who remained troubled by weighty thoughts.