"[The Snow Maiden took 76 points of rebound damage (Critical Success bonus not counted)]
[The Snow Maiden activated the skill: Frost Formation Regeneration, HP +33/0, HP 44/87]
The intense ice Magic Power, along with the Snow Maiden's punch, struck the Hero's eggshell like a roaring avalanche.
Even though she knew the Snow Maiden wouldn't harm her, she couldn't break through this eggshell. Inside, the Hero couldn't help but squat down and cover her head (at least that's what she intended to do).
A sense of self-protection instinctively rose, the explosive Magic Power became uncontrollable, meeting the avalanche's impact head-on.
In this clash of ice and fire, the Finger Claw covering the Snow Maiden's fist, already cracked, vibrated continuously, and out of the cracks bloomed blinding Light.
Sensing the danger, the Gleaming Scale Serpent quickly lowered its head.
The next moment, the conflicting Ice and Fire Magic Power in the Finger Claw triggered a violent explosion, blowing snow into the air.
Engulfed by the impact, the Snow Maiden couldn't keep her footing and fell awkwardly to the ground,
and the Hero (egg) flew high and then fell rapidly under the impatient pull of gravity, hitting the melting soil on the ice with a thud.
Before she could recover from her dizziness, two steel Finger Claws smashed into the eggshell again, making the Hero involuntarily shiver.
'What about the Snow Maiden? Is she okay...'
The Hero tried to get herself out of the soil, but couldn't move, struggling desperately to shake herself free.
But realizing she couldn't escape on her own, the dull egg finally stopped shaking,
and for a moment, only the ever-present wind sound remained on the Highland.
[Legendary: Enchanted Claw Rank7 Forging completed]
The swirling snow gradually dissipated, and the howling winds subsided into calm.
A divine object emerged, a celestial anomaly—such things did not happen.
Only a patch of land, barren as a bald spot amid the greenery, scoured by intertwined Ice and Fire, testified to the events that had just unfolded.
More than half of the Hero's egg was sunk in the soil, slightly shaking as she tried to free herself, only to give up on the futile struggle after a while.
In truth, even turned into an egg, the Hero could use the Blast Rune to free herself from the soil—but she didn't have enough Magic Power left for that.
If it weren't for her concern for the Snow Maiden supporting her last shred of consciousness, she'd fear she'd already slipped into a deep sleep.
And the Snow Maiden, blown away by the rebound, finally stood up shakily, letting out a painful moan.
"I might have... overdone it a bit..."
Both her forearms were completely gone, and what remained of her upper arms was like a porcelain doll shattered by a severe fall, covered in cracks like frozen lake ice, striking to the eye.
For an ordinary person, such injuries could be fatal, and even survival might mean permanent disability.
But for the Snow Maiden, these seemingly severe injuries weren't irrecoverable.
However, being in a state of exhaustion herself, she had no time to tend to her wounds.
Ultimately, the Gleaming Scale Serpent, which narrowly avoided the explosion, shook off the dirt, diligently pulling Your Majesty out of the soil.
The Hero, once brought into the daylight, wobbled gratefully.
Regardless of the Familiar's combat prowess, it undeniably played an indispensable role.
Had she not encountered it in that forest, the Hero wouldn't know what state she'd be in now.
[Hero's Weakness (ten rounds 10D100, Vitality -30, every 24 = one day)]
"I, I never want to forge such a weapon again..."
Seeing the Snow Maiden safe and sound, the weak Hero sighed with relief, curling up in the noticeably shrunk egg, drifting into thought.
Though she didn't know if she could ever encounter a second such embryo again.
After making her way over, seeing the sharply weakened Hero, the Snow Maiden was panic-stricken too.
What was originally a Hero egg as big as her head had now shrunk to nearly half its size.
If not for the prominently round egg in the soil, it might have been overlooked as an ordinary stone.
Even a real Phoenix Egg's Strength is not infinite, let alone the Hero's mere Transformation form.
Clearly, the Cruising bishop's earlier warning wasn't just hot air.
"Are you alright? Miss Hero, your Magic Power has declined severely."
The Snow Maiden's expression was full of concern, but the Hero, already in a slumber, showed no response.
After exiting the tranquil Ice Heart state, the Snow Maiden now regretted helping out this time.
She wasn't worried about her injuries; as a member of the Church, though a controversial demon, at least during missions, she had the guarantee of adequate supplies.
However, carrying restorative Magic Potion, it obviously couldn't be administered to an egg body.
In the worst-case scenario, she could return to the station, rest for a day, and resume when her arms recovered.
But the current Hero clearly wouldn't recover in just a few days.
She could help the Hero this time, but it didn't mean she could abandon her duties, send the Hero off the Highland, nor was it advisable to take her on dangerous missions.
Leaving the Hero at the station? Clearly not a good choice either.
Momentarily, the Snow Maiden even forgot to check the result of the Forging, caught in a dilemma."