FROST
Chapter 56: The Cauldron of Resonance

Chapter 56: The Cauldron of Resonance

Silvermist hit the ground with an undignified thud, wheezing like a fish tossed onto dry land. She clutched at the blessedly solid earth beneath her, gulping in the sweet, non-molten air as if she had just barely survived a near-drowning experience—after inhaling hellfire fumes which was trying to crisp her lungs into a well-done steak.

Her entire body felt like it had been sautéed against its will, and every breath still carried the faint taste of ash and poor life choices. But at least she was alive.

Estes, however, was having the time of his life.

The smug absolute menace of an elf squatted beside her like some benevolent deity bestowing mercy upon a lowly mortal. He even had the audacity—no, the sheer gall—to pat her head.

"There, there!" he cooed, his voice dangerously close to baby talk. "You can breathe properly now."

Silvermist’s eye twitched. Oh, she was going to kill him.

The worst part? Estes actually looked pleased with himself. As if he had just performed some grand, heroic act of kindness by abducting her mid-sentence and yeeting her across a volcanic death trap like some overgrown elf-shaped trebuchet.

"I," Silvermist wheezed between breaths, "am going to throw you into that lava."

Estes gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "But why?! I only followed your wishes to get on this side of the—"

"You kidnapped me!" she shrieked, attempting to shove him away—only for him to lean back effortlessly, dodging her weak, post-trauma slap like he had done it a few times in his lifetime.

"It was necessary!" he argued, as if that somehow justified everything. "Do you know how long it would’ve taken you to cross that pit with those tiny little legs of yours?"

Silvermist froze.

My what now?

Estes, sensing danger far too late, slowly lowered his hand from where he had been gesturing at her legs like some insufferable connoisseur of height insults.

Silvermist was mid-swing, about to land another sure attack, when she noticed everything around her had already changed. It wasn’t subtle or maybe, she didn’t just realize until the fumes had completely exited from her brain.

It was a sudden realization that Silvermist almost overbalanced. The air was lighter, tinged with the scent of damp stone and something ancient—like old parchment and metal.

Gone were the choking fumes and the violent roars of fire that she was so sure she was just looking seconds ago. Instead, eerie golden moonlight poured in through cracks in towering pillars that had long since been claimed by nature.

Vines coiled around the massive structures, their leaves an unnatural shade of green, shimmering faintly as if imbued with lingering magic. Moss blanketed the stone floor, softening the ruins’ sharp edges, and in the distance, the sound of trickling water echoed—a great contrast to the chaos they had just hopped away moments ago.

Silvermist exhaled in slow disbelief, taking in the vastness of the abandoned building. Once, it must have been grand—a temple, a fortress, a place of power. Now, it was a hollowed-out relic, whispering with history.

"Where are we?" she murmured just enough for Estes to hear. It was only then that she realized she was holding his hand.

Silvermist blinked down at their interlocked fingers in horror, as if she had just discovered she was gripping a live snake. She immediately yanked her hand away like it had been scorched.

"Uh. Gross," she groaned before aggressively wiping her palm on her coat. Twice.

Estes barely even acknowledged her theatrics. He simply exhaled a long-suffering sigh and casually dusted off his sleeves like a prince who had accidentally brushed against a commoner. "You’re welcome," he said in a voice so dry it could’ve started a drought.

Silvermist ignored him, still trying to shake off the unholy feeling of touching an elf for too long. Instead, she turned her full attention back to their surroundings.

"So... where are we?"

"The entrance of the Cauldron of Resonance. I honestly did not expect the Elixir is inside it," Estes replied smoothly, as if this were a completely normal thing to announce after spontaneously teleporting into an ancient ruin.

"Ezekiel had mentioned earlier that it’s supposed to be in the Temple of Solace and this place is actually connected to it. However, if you somehow followed the direction the orb provided, you’d be encountering other Forest Spirits which I would not recommended. They are far more menace than the Elven tribe since they’re not over populated just like us."

Silvermist’s eyes narrowed. "Why do you sound like you only brought those elves who chased us earlier to cut the elf population off?"

Estes suddenly looked away as if looking at the dried leaves would be better than answering a mere speculation.

Silvermist’s eyes narrowed even more she could have just closed them. "And I thought the Cauldron of Resonance is a furnace? It would be logical if it’s located somewhere in the middle of the volcano, right?"

Estes carefully outdone his bun, letting his long, crimson hair cascade over his shoulders like some dramatic romance novel prince—arched a single, obnoxiously perfect brow.

"Why? Would you rather land on a scorching ground than here?" he mused, tilting his head toward the bubbling, molten abyss just trees away.

Silvermist huffed, rolling her eyes. "Gee, Estes. When you put it that way, how could I possibly complain?"

"And besides," he continued, ignoring her sarcasm, "the Cauldron of Resonance is truly just around here, purposely placed in the middle of two volcanoes so that no weak creatures can pass through it."

Silvermist raised an unimpressed brow. "Oh? So, you consider yourself powerful when I only knocked you off with one spear?"

Estes’ smirk faltered for half a second, but then he scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Nah, you were just lucky." He crossed his arms, leaning slightly toward her as if that would make his next words sound any more convincing. "Ezekiel and Sebastian had already exhausted me when you accidentally sensed me with—"

He cut himself off abruptly, his crimson eyes narrowing as he studied her.

Silvermist tensed.

His gaze dragged over her face, lingering too long for comfort, as if searching for something unseen. The intensity of it made her shift uneasily, and she instinctively stepped back, arms crossing over her chest in a defensive motion.

"Ugh, stop that!" she snapped. "You’re creeping me out."

Estes blinked, then grimaced as if he had just been accused of something outrageous. "I was thinking, thank you very much. Ever heard of it?"

"Yeah, and apparently, it makes you look like a stalker," she shot back.

He exhaled sharply through his nose, rubbing the bridge as if she had just given him a headache. "Right. Anyway." He let it go—mostly because arguing with her was exhausting—but a flicker of curiosity still remained in his eyes. "I’m just curious, though... How did you manage to detect me earlier when I had my mana completely concealed?"

Silvermist blinked at him. "Huh?"

"You shouldn’t have sensed me," he elaborated. "Not even West could, and he’s got sharper instincts than most. But somehow, you did. And not only that—you hit me." He gestured at himself with exaggerated disbelief. "Me. Do you know it should be impossible?"

Silvermist pursed her lips, considering for a moment. Then, she shrugged. "Ezekiel asked me the same thing earlier, and my answer is still the same: I don’t know."

Estes nodded, eyes flickering. "Perhaps, you can sense Ki," he muttered, half to himself, half to her.

Silvermist’s brows shot up. "Ki can be sensed?" Her hand flew to her mouth like she had just uncovered some forbidden knowledge.

"Well, yeah," Estes deadpanned. "Just like how you sense mana."

Silvermist narrowed her eyes at him. "Mana is energy. It’s visible to those who train in it. But Ki? That’s just something fighters use. No one ever told me it could be sensed—let alone by me."

Estes shrugged, stepping closer, his tall frame looming over her. "It’s rare, but not impossible." He held out a hand. "Can you place your hands up? Let me see your palms."

Silvermist took a step back, suspicion flickering in her eyes. "Why? Are you about to do some ancient elf ritual? Will I suddenly burst into flames or start floating or—"

Estes groaned and reached for her hands himself, ignoring her dramatic ramblings. "Can you not be difficult for five seconds?"

Silvermist grimaced as she let him take her hands, though she made sure to grumble under her breath. "Ahh, Estes, we really don’t have time for this. You see, West and Sebastian are—"

"—are enjoying," Estes cut her off, rolling his eyes. "What do you mean, they’re in danger? They are probably having the time of their lives fighting their urges over there. They’re fine."

Silvermist huffed but didn’t argue. At least this damned elf is helping her.

Still, she shot him a glare. "So, what exactly are you doing? Trying to unlock my hidden potential?"

Estes ignored her sarcasm, flipping her hands over and inspecting the lines on her palms with the intense scrutiny of someone trying to decipher an ancient prophecy.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, studying the lines on her palms. Then, his brows lifted in apparent surprise. "How odd..." he mumbled, his voice barely lingered.

His fingers traced lightly over her skin before he looked up at her.

Silvermist, who had been watching him like a hawk, crossed her arms the moment he released her hands. "What’s odd? Do I have a destiny I don’t know about? Oh! Am I actually a dragon? Because, honestly, that would explain a lot."

Estes exhaled heavily through his nose. "No," he said flatly. "You’re just annoying."

Silvermist smirked. "Oh, thank the gods. That means I am normal. But seriously, what’s odd?"

Estes eyes narrowed once again. "I can’t even sense any mana flowing in you, yet... how were you able to wield a crystal spear made from mana?"

Silvermist blinked. "Hmm?"

"You heard me," Estes said, tilting his head slightly as if seeing her in a completely new light. "Mana-based weapons require mana to be controlled. But you... you don’t have any."

Silvermist let out a short, nervous laugh. "Uh, I definitely have mana, you idiot. I use magic all the time ha ha obviously. What do you mean I don’t have any?"

Estes hummed, tapping his chin. "Nope. Not a single drop of mana flowing through you." He squinted at her, stepping back as if trying to view her from a different angle. "It’s actually kind of creepy."

Silvermist sputtered. "Excuse me?!"

"Yeah, like... you look normal—well, as normal as you can be—but if I try to sense your mana, it’s like staring into a void." Estes tilted his head, looking as though he’s fascinated and confused at the same time. "It’s like you’re an empty shell."

Silvermist’s lips thinned. Empty Shell? Yeah, right. She wasn’t even surprised anymore. At this point, she had become almost numb to these strange revelations about herself. But still, she hadn’t expected someone like Estes to be the one to bring it up.

For some reason, hearing it from him made it feel different—more real. And as much as she hated to admit it, a part of her was fascinated by the thought of how unique she had become ever since stepping into the role of The Winter Apprentice with a sulking master.

"Honestly," she muttered, mostly to herself. "That sounded... comforting."

Estes quirked a brow.

"At least I somehow have a little more of an idea about myself aside from just being an apprentice," she continued, her voice more thoughtful than before. "I don’t know what the hell it means yet, but at least it’s something."

Estes blinked in surprise, as if he’d expected her to crack a joke or brush the subject off entirely. He was still processing her uncharacteristically calm reaction when Silvermist suddenly took a step closer and—before he could react—tapped his chest with her finger.

"So," she said, her lips curling into a smirk. "Where’s that Cauldron of Resonance? I’m itching to get my hands on the Elixir so I can finally go back and train myself to become worthy."

Estes stared at her for a moment before letting out a low chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. "Worthy, huh?"

"I’ve got shit to do, Estes. The faster I find the Cauldron, the faster I can go back and—"

"Get stronger?" Estes finished, tilting his head. "That’s your answer to everything? You’re not gonna ask me more about it in case... you know... I might be able to help?"

"I appreciate the sudden change of character, but you’ve done enough," Silvermist beamed. "So, if you can just lead me the way—"

"Oh, we’re actually already here," Estes interrupted.

Silvermist blinked. "Hmm?"

Estes took a step forward, his gaze scanning the area with the precision of someone who knew exactly what he was looking for.

After a few moments, he stilled, eyes narrowing as he spotted something beneath the tangled green. Without a word, he grabbed Silvermist’s wrist and pulled her back a step.

Then, carefully, he raised his boot and swept it across the moss-covered floor. The thick greenery gave way beneath the pressure, revealing something ancient—symbols carved deep into the earth itself.

A circular engraving, weathered yet strikingly clear, emerged before them. It was divided into four equal sections, each bearing an emblem of a different season: the vibrant sun of summer, the skeletal branches of winter, the crisp falling leaves of autumn, and the blooming petals of spring.

Silvermist’s breath hitched. "What... is this?"

Estes didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned to her and extended his hand towards her, palm open, waiting.

"Now," he said smoothly, "I’ll be needing a little help from you."

Silvermist hesitated, her brows furrowing slightly. "Hmm?" But without thinking much of it, she placed her hand in his.

Now that Silvermist had somehow grown comfortable with Estes, she already noticed how warm his hand is and surprisingly smooth for someone who wields weapons.

"What help?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Estes let out a slow, measured breath before answering. "I need a pretty large amount of blood from you," he said, as casually as if he were asking for a cup of tea. "To summon the Cauldron of Resonance."

"Ha?"

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.