The Forsaken Heir's Ascension-Chapter 148- The Mission Begins

Sara’s voice boomed through the hall:"BANE! Do you not know the basic etiquette?"Bane froze mid-step, his eyes widening in surprise.They darted toward Selene, who pointedly avoided his gaze. Then they landed on Alex, who simply observed him with quiet curiosity.Bane’s jaw clenched. He replied through gritted teeth:"Aunty, I heard Selene returned after so long... I came from the frontlines to meet her."Sara’s eyes narrowed, her tone turning cold:"Then you should have waited until we were finished. Do you think this is your personal hall? You barged in like you own this castle."She took a step forward, towering in presence despite her calm voice."You’re a white-rank soldier. Who gave you permission to leave the frontlines?"Bane opened his mouth to argue—then thought better of it. He lowered his head, silent.

Sara bellowed,"Get out! Go back to the frontlines. You are not allowed to leave until I say so."Bane’s eyes widened. He looked up at her, fear creeping into his expression."A-Aunty..." he started—But his words were cut short as four guards stepped forward without hesitation. They grabbed him by both arms and dragged him out of the hall like a misbehaving child.The door slammed shut behind them.

Sara returned to the dining table and let out a tired sigh, leaning back in her chair. Her fingers gently rubbed her temples.Alex and Selene exchanged glances but remained silent, respecting her fatigue.After a moment, Sara opened her eyes and smiled softly. She leaned forward again and spoke in a calm, deliberate voice:"You both should go to the frontlines too. Tomorrow, you’ll leave for your first mission. One month. Two thousand credits each."Alex nodded without a word, accepting it without protest.Across from him, Selene’s eyes widened."Mama! You said I was on vacation!"Sara looked at her daughter with an amused smile, tilting her head."I never said that."Selene’s mouth dropped open in shock. She pointed accusingly,"You! You—!"Sara calmly sipped her drink, pretending not to notice.

Next morning...Everyone sat around the long dining table, quietly enjoying breakfast. The soft clink of cutlery echoed through the warm hall, accompanied by the inviting aroma of fresh bread, grilled meat, and brewed herbs.Suddenly, the door creaked open.A tall woman entered with confident steps—silver hair, pale blue eyes, and a slight resemblance to Sara. She wore gleaming sky-blue armor, and on her left chest, a glowing emblem of the Ice Crystal Phoenix shimmered like frost catching morning sun.Sara stood up with a warm smile and extended her hand,"Come on, Sebeth, join us.""Don’t mind if I do." Sebeth smiled back and took the chair next to Selene. She reached out and poked Selene’s cheek."How are you, Sel?"Selene grumbled, rubbing her cheek, and gave her aunt an accusing glare."Aunt, you didn’t bring me chocolates again."Sebeth laughed—an unrestrained, carefree sound that echoed through the hall. She patted Selene’s head."You’re a big girl now, Sel."Selene pouted and turned away dramatically, acting like a sulky little girl.Sebeth just smiled and started eating quietly, matching Sara’s composed pace.

Once breakfast was finished and the plates were taken away, Sebeth finally turned to her sister."So, Sister... why did you call me here?"Then her sharp eyes flicked toward Alex. A teasing grin spread across her face. She glanced back at Selene and smirked,"Wait a second... is he your boyfriend?""WHAT?!" Selene’s voice cracked with embarrassment, her face instantly blooming bright red.Sara sighed and gestured toward Alex, her tone calm and formal."Alexander, meet my sister—Sebeth Frostreign. She’s the Snow Marshal, the highest-ranking officer of the Ice Phoenix army. She’s also a Saint-level cultivator in Ice Elemental Arts."Sebeth gave Alex a wide smile and raised her voice with playful energy,"So, you’re Alexander. Nice to meet you! And who’s that beside you? Is that a wolf or a dog?"She pointed at Hati, who sat beside Alex like a quiet sentinel.Alex nodded and responded in a neutral tone,"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Sebeth. That’s Hati—he’s a wolf. And... about the ’boyfriend’ thing... isn’t it normal to just call someone a friend, regardless of ’boy’ or ’girl’?"Sebeth froze for a beat. Then her smile stretched wider. She turned back to Selene, whose red face was now aimed stubbornly at the wall.Sebeth burst out laughing so hard she nearly toppled off her chair, clutching her stomach."Oh stars... Sel! You managed to find the densest one of them all! He doesn’t know anything!"Sara sighed in defeat and set her teacup down."Sebeth, they’ll both be going with you to the frontlines. Teach them properly. It’s their academy mission for the next month."

Sebeth’s playful demeanor vanished instantly. Her eyes sharpened with seriousness as her tone turned grave."Are you sure, Sister? The frontlines... can be unpredictable."Sara nodded firmly."Yes. They need to learn." She glanced at Alex with a faint smile."In fact, Alex here has already been through several unpredictable situations. He’s even saved Selene’s life more than once."Sebeth looked at Alex, her expression softening."Then I’ll look after them carefully." She turned her gaze to both Alex and Selene, appraising them."Are you two ready?"Alex gave a silent, confident nod.Selene glanced at him, then gave her own reluctant nod.Sebeth stood abruptly, her energy reigniting."Then let’s leave. Right now.""Right now?!" Selene gasped, nearly choking on air.Sebeth grinned, already striding toward the door."Yes, right now, Sel."She waved over her shoulder."Come on, follow me!"As she reached the door, she called out loudly,"Goodbye, Sister!"Sara replied with a resigned sigh and a simple,"Goodbye," as the door slammed shut behind them.

Outside the castle, the cold air slammed into Alex like a wall of ice.He gasped, instantly pulling out his black overcoat and throwing it on as he jogged after the fast-moving Sebeth.She moved like a shadow over the stone paths—fast and smooth, almost as if she were sliding rather than walking.Behind them, Selene trudged along, clearly unmotivated, keeping just within sight.They arrived at the teleportation tower shortly after.Sebeth stood near the glowing teleportation circle, arms folded, waiting.Alex arrived with ragged breaths, Hati by his side, tail wagging cheerfully—completely unfazed by the cold.A few moments later, Selene finally entered the tower, walking lazily up to them with an annoyed pout.She reluctantly stepped into the circle after the others.

The teleportation circle shimmered violently—purple light blooming like a radiant flower—flooding the hall in its glow.In an instant, they vanished.

Far away from Ice Phoenix City, beneath a raging snowstorm, a smaller city stood resilient amidst the cold—a bastion of humanity near the edge of oblivion. Built in a familiar circular formation of outer, middle, and inner zones, this was Ice Fort City, the westernmost stronghold standing against the vast SS-rank danger zone beyond the glacial horizon.Encircling the city, an enormous wall made entirely of reinforced ice towered skyward, so high that houses had been built atop it—dwellings nestled against the sky itself.Upon that wall, thousands of soldiers of the Ice Phoenix Army stood ever-vigilant. They watched day and night, trained to crush even the smallest monster incursion before it reached the outer gates.

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