I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 573

Chapter 121 (Part 1)

The gray mist enveloped the Snow Wind Fortress like a cage of despair.

From the get-go, the battle was a foregone conclusion.

Even if the winter iron guards clad in heavy armor and accompanied by giant bears could take on a hundred, they couldn’t stop the thousands of undead. Even the dark iron walls that could withstand the impact of a dragon couldn’t resist the devastating blow from the undead titans.

Unlike the puppets from the Necromancy School and the earlier undead scouting forces, this time it was the real deal—the ace of the undead.

Two undead generals personally led the charge, accompanied by undead knights, undead warriors, and a countless horde of ghouls and liches, swarming over the fragile defenses of Snow Wind Fortress like a tidal wave of corpses.

Just moments after battling for a day and night to reclaim the castle, it was occupied again by the Demon Race, trapping Xue Nuo and her troops deep in the heart of the Snow Wind Fortress.

The culprit behind the crumbling walls was a towering skeletal giant, looming with only its upper body, obscuring the sky.

It didn’t even need to attack; just shifting its massive bones was enough to topple walls and flip streets, dealing devastating blows to the Snow Wind Fortress.

The Titan race had once been kings of the earth, holding their own against dragons, but now this proud warrior of the Titan race had simply become the steed of the Pale Empress.

Atop the skeletal giant sat the intricately robed Lich Queen, looking down from a throne carved from human bones, gazing upon the humans below as if they were mere ants, emitting a slightly bored sigh.

But she was just a projection.

The real Pale Empress Anisas was currently seated in the palace of the Demon Race, controlling the projection and enjoying the one-sided conquest like viewing a theatrical performance.

“To be honest, I find your wretched lives uninteresting.”

“For hundreds of years, only two humans could be considered my rivals, worthy of being collected.”

“One was Saintess Teresa from hundreds of years ago. We’ve had our victories and losses, but unfortunately, I couldn’t finish things with her.”

“The other is your father, Duke Cashtark Andriweiss.”

The Lich Queen, the Pale Empress, caressed her cheek.

Half of her face was frozen in a bone-chilling cold that could make even the undead tremble; it was the eternal shame left by Duke Cashtark.

Every time she remembered that human, it filled her with a deep-seated hatred yet an equally strong longing to collect him.

“Unfortunately, that battle destroyed his corpse.”

“Fortunately, I’ve found new specimens to collect.”

The Pale Empress’s gaze fell upon the silver-haired girl at the forefront of the human army, glaring at her with anger and covering her arm.

With long hair like snow and skin like jade, her tattered dress stained with dripping blood only accentuated her tragic beauty.

Her cold gaze, as piercing as the empire’s blizzards, was just like her father’s, making the Pale Empress deeply feel the marvel of bloodline inheritance.

What a beautiful being. Even in the ancient era, the snow spirits formed from frost and snow would barely compare!

“For the Demon Race, this first battle against the human realm is a bit dull. But to bring Ice Spirit bloodline, the daughter of Cashtark into my collection, isn’t so bad, right?”

“Over my dead body, you spawn of the Demon Race!”

The Demon Race’s slur against the lord was an insult to all warriors, and indeed all humans.

The old count roared, and the battle-worn soldiers erupted with the bloodiness of imperial warriors, swinging their weapons at the undead before them.

Fallen warriors and endless undead clashed as the blood-soaked, no-longer-pure white snow mingled with the lofty, cold laughter of the Lich Queen, the Undead Empress.

That Anisas, who should’ve perished alongside her father, was still alive—what a cruel joke this world was.

And this time, no one could provide protection. As the lord of the border, the duke’s daughter was forced to stand on the front lines.

“What my father couldn’t do, I will do.”

The silver-haired girl bore resolute determination as she swung her hand fiercely.

The raging winds and snow coalesced into towering glaciers, like white whales, cutting through the sea of undead corpses and charging straight at the skeletal giant.

The true essence of the Ice Spirit bloodline, the ice-blue Absolute Zero Ice.

That once could extinguish the fires of an evil god now even froze the titan’s palm, briefly halting its movement. The full-force strike of Rank 5 bore the fearsome might to change the sky and shake the atmosphere.

However, the Pale Empress didn’t even bother to rise, just casually clapping her hands.

The gray flames of the lich exploded out of nowhere, shattering the terrifying glacier into pieces and heading straight for Xue Nuo.

Xue Nuo gritted her teeth, pushing Absolute Zero and Eternal Ice to their limits.

The Shield of Snow Peaks descended in succession but only bought the briefest moment as it shattered under the onslaught of the gray flames.

In a split second, the silver wolf, Little White, darted past and knocked Xue Nuo out of harm’s way.

The gray flames blasted and the human army suffered devastating losses.

Soldiers bathed in flames were brutally reforged into part of the undead.

The silver wolf fainted from the overwhelming impact.

Amidst the suffocating undead aura, the overly exhausted Xue Nuo collapsed to the ground, her consciousness beginning to fade.

Defeating the Four Heavenly Kings was already impossible.

Even if it was just a projection, it was still a high-tier Extraordinary Being. Even with a hundred thousand troops at her command, they were merely numbers in her presence.

Only high-tiers could deal with high-tiers.

Even if they pushed themselves to the limit, they were merely buying time.

But wasn’t that enough?

Roy had to be safe by now…

A familiar chill engulfed her, robbing her of consciousness and vitality.

Xue Nuo felt as if she was back on that winter night, alone.

But at least she wouldn’t have to witness the dear ones leaving her anymore.

Struggling to lift her head, she saw the gray mist blotting out the sky, not even a ray of sunlight could pierce through.

Endless grayness; this was the last scene she would see as she lingered on.

Xue Nuo bitterly closed her eyes.

If only she could return to that New Year’s Eve.

Watching the snowflakes dance outside the window, basking in the warmth of the fireplace, sipping simple hot soup, secretly harboring “improper thoughts” towards her mentor, snuggled beside him, languidly, leisurely, warmly passing the long night for just the two of them.

Sadly, just like the final firewood that ultimately crumbled in the cold night, everything ended here—

Until a deafening thunder cracked across the sky.

Golden arrows zipped across the ground, swiftly snatching the silver-haired girl from beneath the skeletal giant.

“Is that…?!”

A group of soldiers led by Bari couldn’t help but look up, recalling the deadly struggle from the night before when it was the golden lightning that inspired their most powerful counterattack.

The undead queen slowly lifted her head, deep-set eyes flickering with interest as she regarded the audacious provocateur with pale flames, intrigued by this bold challenge.

In mid-air, the silver-haired girl captured by Roy, wore a frosty expression as she squeezed out the energy from the brink of death and coldly rebuked.

“Damn it, why did you come back? You traitorous disciple!”

Roy, fresh off being scolded for the first time, raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“Teacher Xue Nuo, there’s a saying, ‘like teacher, like student’. If you can’t keep your promises, how can I not break the rules a little too? It just makes me look like your apprentice!”

“You…”

Xue Nuo stumbled, then clung to his clothes, burying her head deeply behind him.

The simplicity of his reason for returning was clear-cut.

“You traitor…”

The snowy tremor in her voice wet the back of the young boy.