"Father...?"
Siegrain's eyes widened. Among the army of the dead summoned by Blake, he saw his father.
The father who had once lifted him high above his head, the father who had gently taught him to read, the father who had bravely sacrificed himself to protect them, was now a soulless puppet standing in the enemy's camp.
Siegrain was dealt a massive psychological blow. Unable to accept this reality for a moment, he froze on the spot, his mind going blank, even forgetting to breathe.
Chill also felt a wrenching pain in his heart, but he knew this was no time for grief. He shouted at Siegrain:
"Take your mother and get out of here! Notify the others in the guild and tell them to be on high alert! She likely didn't come alone! Leave this place to me; I'll hold them all back here!"
Startled awake by Chill's voice, Siegrain was about to follow his instructions and take his mother away from this dangerous place, but he found that he couldn't pull his mother's hand no matter how hard he tried.
Mary stood dazed on the spot, staring blankly at the familiar figure among the horde of zombies—her husband, Will.
Seeing this, Chill was extremely anxious. He knew time was pressing and there was no room for delay. Acting decisively, he quickly froze a smooth ice slide on the ground and pushed Siegrain and Mary onto it with force.
Propelled by inertia, the mother and son slid rapidly away along the path, distancing themselves from this dangerous graveyard.
Having sent Mary and her son away, Chill finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned back to face Blake and her army of the dead.
Raising both hands, a chill spread from his palms at a visible speed, freezing the staggering corpses into crystal-clear ice sculptures.
"I'm sorry, everyone."
Chill apologized softly. To stop them from being further exploited, this was his only choice.
Several corpse puppets dodged Chill's freezing. In life, they had been wizards of the "Heart of Blazing Flame" guild. Like Wright, under Blake's control, they not only retained their combat skills and magical abilities from when they were alive but even became stronger and harder to deal with.
Even so, relying on his rich combat experience, Chill fought them evenly, not falling behind in the slightest.
Seeing this, Blake wasn't anxious at all; instead, she was even more satisfied with his performance.
This meant that if she could turn Chill into her slave, she would gain an exceptionally excellent pawn.
With the last controlled pawn frozen, Chill panted slightly, then glared fiercely at Blake.
Blake clapped her hands.
"What a splendid battle. Holding back and still dealing with this young lady's zombie army so quickly—truly worthy of being the Guild Master of 'Heart of Blazing Flame.' No, with your strength, being the master of such a small guild is a waste of talent. Those subordinates of yours aren't on the same level as you at all; they don't deserve..."
"Stop your commentary and nonsense! Now it's your turn, brat!"
Chill roared, interrupting Blake Marshall's chatter. He flipped his palms, unleashing powerful magic instantly, crimson flames igniting in his hands.
He had used freezing to preserve the bodies of his desecrated companions and townspeople, but for this cruel demon Blake, he would use fire to burn her completely to ashes.
"Oh my, Uncle, you're so fierce, people are so scared~"
Blake changed her self-address again, her tone frivolous and affected. But Chill paid no mind to her weird speech quirks. He swung his arm directly, launching a blazing fireball that roared toward her.
Blake seemed unable to react. The fireball hit her directly with a loud boom. The violent explosion kicked up a thick smoke screen in the air, completely enveloping the girl's figure.
However, Chill felt a strong sense of unease, an ominous premonition welling up in his heart.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, the sight before him made Chill's pupils contract sharply. His heart felt as if it were tightly gripped by a giant invisible hand, almost stopping its beat.
He saw Blake standing there unharmed, that disgusting smile still plastered on her face.
And standing in front of her was a figure he would never forget.
His wife.
Even though her familiar face had been burned beyond recognition by his flames, Chill recognized her at a glance.
He should have thought of it. He should have thought of it long ago!
This demon could control not only wizards but even ordinary people like his wife were not spared.
"Uncle's magic is really too powerful, so people just had to use her as a shield~ After all, people don't want to get hurt~"
Looking at Chill's pained expression, the smile on Blake's face grew even brighter.
Chill's wife wasn't a wizard, just an ordinary woman. Theoretically, it was impossible for her to block Chill's attack.
In fact, Blake didn't need her to block it. What she needed was to use her to destroy Chill's will and make him break down.
Chill understood her intention, knew this was a trap targeting the most fragile part deep in his heart.
But even understanding all this, Chill's mental state still collapsed.
Not only could he not stop Blake from desecrating his dead companions, but even his wife, who had been dead for years, was used by her, becoming a plaything in her hands.
"Damn it! Damn it! You demon!!"
Chill clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, blood dripping down drop by drop.
(Not enough. Just need to add a little more fuel to completely destroy his mind...)
Watching Chill's painful struggle, Blake Marshall thought coldly to herself.
She knew Chill hadn't completely broken down yet; his willpower was more tenacious than she had imagined.
However, it didn't matter. She had a backup plan. She was ready with the last straw to crush Chill.
"Papa... hug..."
A tender voice suddenly sounded at Chill's feet, like a bolt from the blue, instantly hitting the softest part of his heart. Chill looked down stiffly toward the source of the voice.
It was a white-haired child, hugging his thigh, looking up at him with those innocent eyes.
"I'm so cold... so scared..."
The moment he saw his son, Chill could no longer control his emotions. He wanted to retreat, wanted to flee, but he found his legs felt as heavy as lead, unable to move at all.
"No... don't... don't do this..."
"What's wrong, Uncle? Don't you recognize your child? Or do you not like him?" Blake's voice, ghost-like, rang in Chill's ear. Every word was like a sharp knife stabbing ruthlessly into his heart. "He missed you very much and has been looking for you all this time~"
She paced elegantly in front of Chill, gently stroking the white-haired child's head.
"Such a poor child, dying so young. It must have been painful, right?"
She sighed with feigned pity, yet with undisguised pleasure.
"Uncle, look how cute your child is. Don't you want to be with him forever? As long as you obediently listen to my commands, I can let your family reunite, never to be separated again~"
As she spoke, she slowly extended a finger painted with black nail polish and lightly touched Chill's forehead. A cold, eerie magical power drilled into Chill's body like a poisonous snake, eroding his last bit of will.
"Don't resist. Accept my power, embrace the darkness. Only then can you be with your family forever, never having to suffer the pain of loss again..."
Under the erosion of the dark magic, the light in Chill's eyes gradually dimmed, eventually leaving only emptiness and numbness. He slowly knelt at Blake's feet, like a puppet without a soul, and bowed his head submissively.
"Very good, Uncle. You made the correct choice."
Blake Marshall smiled triumphantly and cruelly.
"From now on, your life, your power, everything you are, belongs to me!"
"Tonight, use your flames to completely ignite this city for me, turning it into a splendid sea of fire!"