The next day came faster than expected, and I was already standing on top of a building, waiting for Tyris to arrive.
A few minutes passed in silence before she appeared—not in her human form, but as a massive bird. Without a word, she swooped down, grasped me in her talons, and carried me toward the heart of the blizzard.
We flew for an hour or two before she began to slow down.
"We're almost there," she said.
"It's really cold. Is it too late to back out?" I asked jokingly.
"No," she answered flatly.
"Haaa, why am I always surrounded by people who can't take a joke... Get me down there."
She dived into the raging storm, pushing through with her abilities. I dismissed my blindfold and finally saw the grotesque giant in its full horror.
A colossal, floating abomination of mangled limbs, shattered bones, and frozen organs loomed ahead, wreathed in an eternal blizzard. Its ice-covered form was adorned with deep azure flowers, their delicate petals releasing plumes of snow that shrouded the beast in a ghostly haze. And deep within its massive frame, barely visible through the frost, lay a shadowy figure encased in ice—like a heart buried in an endless winter.
Tyris released me from a few meters above the ground.
"I activated the memory," she said before flying away.
The moment her power left me, the cold hit like a truck, piercing through every layer of protection. My bones ached, my breath turned to ice.
Without wasting a moment, I activated my ability, pressuring the monster even if only slightly. I reached for my anger, letting my emotions ignite the [Burning Anger] attribute—red and gold light flaring around me like a defiant blaze in the storm.
"Let's get to it!" I shouted.
The Winter Beast reacted instantly.
The winds screamed as jagged spears of ice formed out of nowhere, lancing toward me with terrifying speed. I twisted, barely dodging one, and brought my weapon up to shatter another. The impact sent a shockwave of numbness through my arm.
The Titan did not roar, did not bellow. It simply existed, and its existence alone was enough to bring ruin. The battlefield was its domain. The storm shifted and whirled as though it had a will of its own, trying to crush me from all sides. I moved constantly, never letting the frost settle, never allowing myself to grow still.
Then the true horror began.
The cold crept into my mind. Thoughts became sluggish, disjointed. It felt as though my memories were being buried under an avalanche.
I need to last seven hours in this.
A massive limb of frozen flesh came crashing down. I rolled, barely avoiding the impact, ice shards slicing into my skin. The pain was good. The pain was real. I clung to it, forcing my body to move.
[Undying Conviction] kept healing most of my injuries, but the frozen parts of my body resisted, slowing me down. Every movement was agonizing—my own flesh breaking apart with every motion, only to heal again in a cycle of endless suffering.
My breath came in ragged gasps, steam rising and vanishing instantly in the killing cold. My fingers refused to bend properly. The storm pressed in, suffocating, endless.
I didn't know how much time had passed. My whole body was frozen, and every movement was a battle against the ice locking my joints. My armor was cracking. My sword, once a steadfast companion, was on the verge of breaking.
A moment's hesitation. That was all it took.
An ice shard pierced my left shoulder, rendering my arm useless. The numbing frost seeped into my body, freezing me little by little.
A limb came down again. With Heavenly Hand of Defense, I barely managed to redirect it, the ground shattering beside me from the impact. It almost cost me my right arm.
"Haaa… I can't do this much longer. One last strike," I muttered, gathering what little essence I had left.
Raising my weapon overhead, I channeled everything into Shi Huang Yan Cut and struck at the retreating limb.
For the first time, the Titan's body reacted. A piece of its massive hand plummeted to the ground, and an unearthly wail echoed through the blizzard.
I stared in shock. I can hurt it.
But my knees buckled. My body refused to move.
A massive ice spear, shining like the brightest star I'd ever seen, hurtled toward me.
Is this it?
I was about to close my eyes when a wave of warmth suddenly washed over me. Someone was trying to heal me… but failing.
The teleport activated.
I had held out long enough.
Still in the motion of falling, I gritted my teeth, drove my sword into the ground, and forced myself to stand.
I straightened, lifting my head, scanning the crowd around me. Their expressions were horrified.
I gathered the last of my will and roared.
"Look at me! This is how far I am willing to go for you. So help me protect this city with everything you have!"
With those words, I activated [Imperial Stature], unleashing a faint golden hue that spread across the siege capital, invigorating everyone inside.
Then, at last, I finally lost consciousness.
"Lady Tyris, we can't heal him," one of the healers said hesitantly.
"How is he even alive in this state?" Murmurs spread through the crowd as they stared at my almost frozen, broken body. My left shoulder was still impaled by an ice shard, yet I remained standing—maintaining my ability even while unconscious.
"This lunatic has really done it," Sunny muttered in amazement.
"Look, his wounds are healing on their own," another healer pointed at my right arm, where my mangled bones had already begun realigning themselves.
A few seconds passed as the people watched in awe, but Saint Tyris broke the silence with a sharp command.
"Enough. Everyone, return to your posts. Master Jet, assign a cohort to watch over him at all times while he's in this state."
The soldiers quickly snapped out of their daze, moving to obey.