Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 79

Chapter 79.

Behind me, Logan, Graham, Marcus, and even Tony's group rose in unison.

Footsteps crunched in the snow.

"Who are you?!"

Survivors from Haywood spotted us and shouted.

Some quickly raised their guns—but it was too late.

We cut across the theater seats and vaulted over the outdoor stage in one swift motion.

CRASH!

Logan kicked through the stage railing, splintering wood as he cleared a path and landed in the snow.

"Move."

A single word—and his long leg sliced through the air like lightning.

THUD—

Two of Haywood's men who had been blocking the entrance were sent flying before they could even fire.

From then on, I used the Bluestone to raise ice walls along our path.

Tony's shock was expected—but seeing Graham's reaction, I wondered if I should have warned him.

"I came here to meet the Lowell representative—Tony and I just share a similar goal for now."

I recalled Graham's earlier words.

Why did he need to meet Frank?

Was it connected to his five years of silence?

To be honest, now that I'd calmed down, I felt a bit angry at Graham.

If we hadn't met by chance, he might never have come looking for me.

But those thoughts were meaningless when survival was at stake.

Perhaps I'd raised the ice walls too long—their durability weakened, and Haywood and Orange Market broke through quickly.

But by the time they did, we'd already opened the door to the parade waiting room.

The problem was what greeted us inside—chaos.

What now?

People were tangled together—fleeing, attacking—and I realized they were Lowell Amusement Park survivors.

Following the Winterstone energy had been the right choice.

We spotted Clare and Leon in the middle of it all—cornered.

They stood back-to-back, firing continuously, but their bullets only cut through empty air.

The clown monkey was leaping between iron pillars and ceiling decorations so fast the human eye couldn't track it.

It hung upside down from a beam, then swung to the opposite pillar in an instant.

What is that insane monkey?

Not that I didn't know.

SKREEEEE—!

It let out a piercing, chilling screech—and people clutched their ears, writhing in agony, growing even more frantic.

Our group was no exception.

Clare seems fine.

Some people were immune to the clown monkey's hypnosis—Clare appeared to be one of them. Me too.

I reached out—cold energy gathered at my fingertips.

CRASH—!

A pillar of ice erupted, swallowing the monkey mid-leap.

It had no time to dodge—trapped inside a massive block of ice.

SKREEE—!

Its grotesque scream was cut short.

It worked because the monkey was small—it wouldn't have been possible with the orangutan behind the carousel.

Drip—

My nose bled.

Logan automatically pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to my nose.

"Eve—are you hurt?"

Graham, snapping out of it, rushed over and checked my face.

He reached toward me, then pulled back, then reached again—unable to stay still.

"I've always been like this since I was little—don't make a fuss."

"It's a sight I can never get used to—not to me."

Graham replied, pained. I couldn't read his expression.

"...It's not over yet."

Logan's low voice reached my ear.

Crack—

A faint cracking sound came from inside the ice pillar.

I reflexively looked at it—the monkey's mouth was slowly twisting upward, even frozen.

That damned monkey...?

Graham stepped past me and drew his revolver.

Click—

BANG—!

He fired without a moment's hesitation.

BANG—!

The second shot wasn't Graham's.

I turned—it was Clare. She was kneeling, rifle aimed at the monkey.

She intended to pierce through the ice and finish it off.

I deliberately melted the ice slightly—enough to keep the monkey trapped, but allow bullets through.

Where did she get that rifle?

It didn't look like hers—she must have found it somewhere in the room.

BANG—!

BANG BANG!

BANG—!

BANG BANG BANG BANG—!

Graham and Clare fired in turn. The deafening gunfire sent the Lowell survivors screaming to the ground.

After a prolonged barrage, the stage was drenched in blood, and the clown monkey hung limp—dead.

The crisis was over.

I really need more Winterstone power—at least two percent more.

Without weapons, absorbing more Winterstones was the best way to strengthen myself.

CRASH—!

No time to catch our breath.

Haywood and Orange Market survivors burst in.

"Where's your leader?!"

"Frank! We know you're here!"

The leaders of Haywood and Orange Market shouted in unison—they were looking for Frank.

Tony's group had been looking for him too. Frank was popular.

Three factions had come to attack Lowell.

I quickly whispered to Logan,

"Logan—can you gather all the Winterstones here?"

"If you want me to."

As if nothing was impossible, Logan said.

"I do, Logan."

The moment I finished, Logan vanished.

"...?"

He completely disappeared from sight.

Seconds later, he was back beside me—hands full, pockets full, even his cloak weighed down with Winterstones.

Maybe Logan was the real mage.

I pushed that thought aside and looked at the haul.

Perfect—just right for negotiation.

I took some of the Winterstones from Logan, absorbed a few, and kept the rest.

It was time to form an alliance with the Lowell survivors.

We'd done this in a corner, so only Graham and Marcus had seen—everyone else was too focused on finding Frank.

Even Tony's group was the same.

That gave us a third-party view of the situation.

These factions were all fighting for one reason—to seize power and monopolize Winterstones.

They'd come to raid Frank.

I handed the pouch of Winterstones back to Logan—with him holding it, there was no chance of losing them.

I wasn't going to abandon the Lowell survivors.

There are quite a few of them—it'd be good to have them on our side.

That was the biggest reason.

I wanted to form a proper alliance this time—and this place seemed the most normal of the lot.

Just then, Haywood and Orange Market raised their guns and caused chaos.

"Where's Frank?!"

"Stop hiding like a coward, Lowell! Before your people get hurt!"

Panic spread through the crowd.

Just then—

"I'm here. Lower your weapons."

Frank, the Lowell representative, stepped forward.

Back   Next