"Well dear, if it isn't Seokjin and Harin..." The gentle soothing voice echoed in the metallic corridor. Harin and Seokjin turned in sync.
A tall woman slowly walked towards them, her long silky black hair set free, her black eyes carried a scary yet warm depth. Her face as gorgeous as model, with seductive pink lips, long lashes, and an expression one would call "terrifyingly calm".
The woman smirked, her eyes softening. "Did I scare you? Sorry, I just wanted to check the new troublemakers."
Harin instinctively reached for her sword.
The woman noticed immediately, the smirk still plastered on her face. "Oh, c'mon darling. I am not so aggressive, y'know?"
She covered her mouth for a small chuckle, the other hand on her waist. Even while wearing the black and white clothes for a prisoner, her toned physique still overpowered it.
However, Seokjin wasn't someone who would let his guard down by something like that. He took off his hat, and put it inside his shirt.
"That hat looked cute though. Why take it off?"
"Don't. Get back to your cell, and let's not make any more extra work for me." Seokjin began walking forward. His body tensing with each step.
"Wow! Aren't you quite cruel? Are you going to fight a powerless lady? What a heartless man!" The woman, still smiling, backed down slowly.
"What is she doing... how was she able to get out from the room? Was there a loophole we didn't know about? It wouldn't be surprising for the famous 'S-Ranked Ice Mage, Seol-hwa' to not be without a plan. I should be ready." Harin gripped her sword's hilt, ready to unsheathe it at any moment.
Seolhwa twisted her hands, a small icicle forming right next to her.
"Hey, hey! I know a bit of self-defence myself."
The icicle shot fast, so fast that Seokjin could hardly block against it. Unable to summon his shield, he threw his hands to block the upcoming attack.
Harin rushed, swinging her sword swiftly right at Seolhwa. however, she was a step too late. Her sword struck right onto a semi-circular frozen wall.
Seolhwa was able to create a shield to defend herself. A shield so thick that it couldn't be penetrated by the full-on strike of Harin.
Harin didn't notice as an icicle came from just above her, she instinctively crouched, yet her hands weren't fast enough to bring her sword to block.
Fortunately, the familiar green hexagonal barrier saved her from just a hair's breadth.
The fight was on Seolhwa's favour, it was still a mystery on how she was able to escape from the room, and it was an even bigger mystery on how she was as strong as her prime. Her prime as the "Ice Queen".
Harin stepped back, getting back into her fighting stance. "Thanks. Also, make sure to not overuse that hand."
Seokjin let out a dry laugh, "probably. It does hurt like hell.", He gripped his right arm tightly, the pain was similar to frostbite and yet it was unbearable. The skin had almost peeled off and the only thing stopping it from getting worse was his barrier fully covering his forearm.
The ice wall descended into the ground, revealing the arrogant woman's joy-filled face.
"What? Is this all too sudden for you? Maybe you are still stuck on the fact that I escaped so easily? or maybe because i am super strong now, even though i should have no mana?" She said, before pausing and smirking once again, "Should I tell you how i escaped?"
"Yes" Seokjin immediately replied.
Seolhwa chuckled.
"hmm… should I? should I not? Isn't that the question here?"
Seokjin did not reply. It hadn't been a month since he fought two monsters, one after the other, and he surely, very surely, did not fight again.
After a long while of humming and singing to test his patience. She finally gave up the idea after being feeling like she had been ignored.
"Fine! You mute-man. I can't believe you don't have the brain capacity for a little humour. i will tell you, however, there's a condition." She pouted, for some reason, she was unnecessarily happy about being there. Harin guessed it to be being free from her containment room. She was probably correct.
Unlike Hajin or Hyunsoo, both of which were just fight-crazed idiots, Seolhwa was much livelier. That's also what Harin thought.
Harin, still up on her guard, asked. "What is it?"
"Release me. I have been here for like almost 8 years. i am seriously wasting my youth. I haven't even dated yet."
"No. That's stupid to even talk about, moreover, i doubt any one would like being in a relationship with you. you hag" Harin did not waste a second to insult her, she wasn't angry or anything. Those words just came out naturally for her.
A little hurt for being called old, she pouted once more.
"hmph! go! I am not telling you anymore."
"She seriously needs to stop doing that" Seokjin thought, his stoic face did not show the slightest hint of emotion, yet his thoughts were weakly winning over him.
"If the world was covered in water, would fishes be considered to fly? wait, isn't water also a part of air? does that mean they actually fly? what about sharks? that would be super duper cool" Seokjin's mind was almost short-circuiting. He hadn't fully recovered from the previous fights, and now he was being attacked by some ice cream queen who has grudge on him.
A simple thought came into his mind. It was dissolved. Annihilated to be exact.
For a moment, everything blurred. Then--his mind went blank. his legs gave out, and before the other two could notice,
He fell face first on the cold, metal ground.