The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

Chapter 142 Crescent Ice Strike

< Ding! You have successfully absorbed an Ice Crystal of the highest grade. Congratulations >

< Ding! You have received three innate blessings; Heal, Royal, and Destroy >

< Ding! Congratulations, you have attained an Excellent Affinity for the Ice Element. +2000 added to all stats. All Ice Skills have received 2 Tier upgrades. >

< Ding! You have received a new Tier 13 sword skill; Crescent Ice Strike >

Although Karsha hadn't gone through most of the messages yet, these four were the most recent ones he received after absorbing the ice crystal. An ice crystal is a condensed form of ice essence, similar to the ice fruit he ate a few weeks ago, but much more potent. While the ice fruit grows stronger as it ages, the ice crystal doesn't need that kind of time—it's the pure, concentrated core of ice.

Even a 10,000-year-old ice fruit can't compare to the tiniest fragment of an ice crystal. The ice crystal holds such a powerful form of ice that, if detonated, it could freeze an entire city, plunging it into an ice age. So, for Karsha to have absorbed a tennis ball-sized chunk of ice crystal means he's become a formidable force.

But whether that's enough remains to be seen, especially since he still has two powerful monsters to face.

'If only I had an ice demon fruit right now,' Karsha thought to himself. 'That would have given me perfect affinity.' Thanks to the flood of information he got from the divine alchemist, Karsha was well-versed in how to use the ice crystal. He was making good use of it, but combining it with an Ice Demon Fruit would have been even better.

The Ice Demon Fruit is a rare type of ice fruit that only grows in extremely cold mountainous regions. No one really knows why it's restricted to those icy heights, but from his memories, Karsha knew of five such places where these fruits grow. Each of these locations is in a frigid, mountainous area. For those who train in the ice element, such fruits are highly cherished.

Consuming one can elevate one's understanding of the ice element to a whole new level.

So far, Karsha has managed to consume two of the five items he knows about. He's eaten an Ice Fruit and absorbed an Ice Crystal. Next on his list are the Ice Demon Fruit, Ice Heavenly Water, or the Ice Phoenix Tears. Each of these is a heavenly treasure that could help him advance further.

'Don't be greedy, Karsha. One step at a time,' he reminded himself with a sigh. He then opened the first message of interest.

Innate Blessings:

[Heal]: This blessing grants you enhanced healing abilities against all forms of attacks. In an icy environment, your healing speed increases by 1000 times.

[Royal]: When in the presence of Ice cultivators, your aura exudes a sense of royalty. Additionally, when fighting Ice cultivators, their attacks are reduced by 20%.

[Destroy]: When you're angry, your aura intensifies to an almost incomprehensible level, giving you a menacing presence.

"Well, that was something," Karsha thought to himself. He didn't fully grasp just how powerful these innate blessings were, but he understood their significance. For someone on the path of Ice cultivation, learning that he had received such blessings would either make them fear him or consider eliminating him. Receiving innate ice blessings is extremely rare.

Only those acknowledged by the heavens can obtain them, and Karsha's acquisition of these blessings just by absorbing an Ice Crystal would undoubtedly spark jealousy.

People would be envious of the blessings he received and might even think that killing him could transfer those blessings to them. While it's tough to earn such blessings from the heavens, once granted, they could be taken from the bearer through their death. Just as curses can be passed on through killing, so can blessings.

If someone on the ice path were to kill Karsha, they would inherit his blessings without any repercussions.

Receiving these blessings signifies one's capability, and if someone manages to kill you, they gain your blessings. Karsha, having received three of the seven blessings, is indeed a rare find. However, since the blessings haven't yet demonstrated their full power, he won't experience their true might just yet.

With his excellent affinity for the Ice element, Karsha's control over ice has significantly improved. He can now fight using ice elemental manifestations alone—like ice spears, swords, daggers, stars, and bombs. He can literally form most weapons from ice. However, since he can't yet apply sword qi to these elemental constructs, they are not as powerful as his sword attacks.

Plus, as a swordsman, relying on mage skills has its downsides.

The reason is simple: Karsha's class, despite still being Tier 1, has already given him the capability to wield higher Tier skills. However, since his class is specifically for swordsmen, using mage skills tends to lower his overall damage output. For instance, if a basic sword attack has an attack power of 13,000 for a swordsman, using a mage skill would yield significantly less power.

Yet, Karsha possesses the most potent form of the Ice element. Even though mage skills generally have reduced impact for him, they still pack a considerable punch. With an Excellent affinity for Absolute Ice, Karsha controls all forms of the Ice element, enhancing his mage skills considerably.

However, since he prefers using a sword, a skill tailored to his swordsmanship has been developed and is stronger than ever. The system really knows how to keep him on his toes with these surprises.

< Crescent Ice Strike >

Tier: 13

Rating: C

-- Just because it's beautiful doesn't mean it's harmless. With the ice fashion into Crescent arc, cleave through your enemies with grace and elegance.

[Crescent Arc]: Imbue your sword with the essence of ice to unleash devastating strikes, forming a Crescent-shaped Ice Arc that slices through the air with lethal accuracy. The more ice essence channeled, the stronger and more unstoppable the attack becomes.

[Crescent Ring]: Harness the power of this skill to unleash formidable ice attacks, creating a lethal, ring-shaped ice arc. The faster the spin of the ice ring, the more deadly and destructive it becomes.

[Moon Strike]: Infuse your sword with a colossal amount of ice essence to unleash a powerful ice attack that carries the immense weight and force of the moon.

Karsha had only used the first skill, [Crescent Arc], after finishing absorbing the Ice Crystal, and the results were astounding. Even with just C mastery, it could cut through a mountain. While it's not yet on the level of his Fire Beam skill, once he advances it to A or S-level mastery, it could potentially surpass Fire Beam.

The reason is straightforward: Karsha's affinity for the Ice element has reached the Excellent stage, while his Fire affinity is only High. Naturally, his ice attacks are far more powerful. Plus, the sword he's using is of the ice element, which adds to the skill's potency.

The sheer power of the skill is remarkable. Karsha still doesn't know the full extent of his other ice skills after the 2 Tier upgrades, so he can only speculate. Currently, the most advanced skills are [Ice Queen Wrath] and [Ever Freezing Domain], both now Tier 14. This means they've undergone significant changes and might even evolve into new forms or gain additional abilities.

'This will do for now,' Karsha thought, prioritizing his tasks. He plans to complete the quest, explore the island, and, before leaving, use the Time Tablet and Subspace to focus on mastering the skills he couldn't give much attention to before.

He skimmed through some of the messages but didn't even touch the [Sader's Ice Strike Technique]. No matter how talented he is, mastering such a technique in a short time would be impossible. Karsha tends to be hands-on with his skills and has already transformed the Dark Prince Hell Art.

From what he observed during his battle with Nedin, he knows he needs to experiment more with that technique, so saving the [Sader's Ice Strike Technique] for later seems like the best move.

Thanks to his battle with Nedin, Karsha had perfectly assimilated the strength he gained, allowing him to level up and finally unleash his skills and techniques without restraint. His sword mastery was still at the Master stage, but he could feel himself nearing the Grandmaster level.

Nedin also provided Karsha with valuable insights into the upcoming trials. Instead of battling colossal serpents, he would be facing half-human, half-snake terror mutants. Knowing this, Karsha felt confident he could go all out and hopefully overcome the mutants, provided there were no special restrictions like those he faced in his battle with Nedin.

Karsha took a moment to rest, leaning back while his healing abilities worked on his body. Although he was nearly healed, he still felt internal pain, indicating there were lingering wounds. Since their next destination was about five hours away, he decided to relax and let his body recuperate.

The boat sped through the night, and Karsha soon fell into a deep sleep. Only the Shadow Guards remained awake, their emotions a mix of calm and anxiety. Despite their composed exteriors, they fervently wished for Karsha's success in eliminating all the Overlords so they could finally break the long-standing curse plaguing them.

Once the curse was lifted, they could level up and become even stronger. Additionally, those nearing the end of their lifespans would gain extra years, giving them a chance to live longer if they managed to break through.

Just after 5 a.m., they approached the Thunder Peaks, where the most intense battle awaited them.