This dungeon has mushrooms growing on it.

Chapter 593, Section 592: The Struggle for the Right of Blessing

Before the morning light had completely dispelled the cold mist over the mushroom castle, Pollock pushed open the door, took a deep breath of the crisp air, and then moved his shoulders with some surprise.

“That’s strange…” he said, turning to another dwarf who was washing up by the stone trough outside. “Is it just my imagination? This morning, it doesn’t seem as bone-chilling as it has been the past few days?”

The dwarf scooped up a handful of warm water from the heater and splashed it on his face, nodding as well: "Now that you mention it... it seems the wind isn't so harsh anymore."

Pollock has now completed the symbiosis and experienced the wonder of the flow of thoughts within the fungal web. But like all newcomers, he hasn't completely given up the bad habit of speaking.

He couldn't be more satisfied with his life in the mushroom castle: the giant forge that left him speechless with its professionalism, the mountains of ore that he could use at will, and the delicious mushrooms that were so good they could make dwarves cry!
He could even clearly feel that his skills were improving in a real way, and with each hammer blow, the finished product was getting closer to his ideal standard.

When it was just him and Gadin at first, facing this vast and unfamiliar city of miracles, he inevitably felt somewhat lonely.

But as more and more dwarven apprentices arrived and spontaneously banded together to live near the forge, the feeling of loneliness was completely washed away by the lively discussions, the clanging of hammers, and the dwarves' distinctive gruff voices.

In his view, Mushroom Castle was truly a blacksmith's paradise!
If there's any drawback, it's that this "paradise" is indeed excessively cold. It's alright when working around the furnace in the forge, but every time he finishes work and returns to his lodgings, or gets up early like now, even though the puji comes in to warm up the room beforehand, the cold wind that rushes in the moment he opens the door always makes him shiver.

The noticeably milder chill this morning was a pleasant surprise.

Just then, Gading, wrapped in a thick fur coat, came out from the next room, his beard still covered in ice: "Where are we going to have breakfast?"

Pollock's eyes lit up, and he grinned: "Let's go, knock on the door!"

"Aren't you tired of hearing this?" Gading said helplessly.

"That's a vampire nobleman, the kind who could slap both of us to death!" Pollock exhaled, rubbing his hands together, and said excitedly, "Listening to his shouts every morning, I can swing the hammer fifty more times! Want to come?"

The two exchanged a smile, then walked towards the canteen, their feet sinking into the snow, which seemed softer than usual. Along the way, they noticed that the icicles hanging from some eaves were a little shorter than yesterday, slowly dripping water in the morning light.

The mushroom burrow seems to be getting warmer little by little.

……

Within the ruins, the riots of ice and fire continue.

"You...you must stop fighting!"

Amidst the flames and frost, Inanna's cries were filled with despair.

【Elemental Spirit's Favor】can forcibly reverse the elemental spirit's attitude towards her, but it is not true absolute domination.

For these lords in particular, this "favor" was more like an instinctive desire to protect than unconditional obedience.

Above, the icy storm and raging fire constantly collided in various forms, each impact blasting up countless ice crystals and flowing fire.

The tug-of-war between the cold wave and the heat wave created violent turbulence, lifting the dust and rubble accumulated within the ruins into the air.

The water vapor that dissipated during the battle turned into billowing white mist, rising and spreading, quickly enveloping the entire ruins in a chaotic haze.

It's a pity that this archaeologically valuable site was destroyed in large sections under such a clash of forces.

Thankfully, Lin Jun had already looted all the valuable items from the ruins, otherwise she would have been heartbroken.

The two elemental lords have been fighting for most of the day, and there's still no sign of a clear winner.

With its tenacious will to live, Number Four finally broke free from the cyclone in mid-air and tumbled down behind a still intact low wall.

It stretched out one of its tentacles to examine it. The tip was first frozen solid like an icicle, then scorched by a stray tongue of fire, presenting a strange state of being charred and crispy, covered with white frost. It carefully rolled the unfortunate tentacle closer, observed it for a moment, and then with a "snap," decisively broke it off.

Number Four held up the charred, brittle tentacle and rolled it up in front of the anxious Inanna: "Pinkpuji, help me taste it, how does it taste? Is it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside? Or is it frozen too hard, affecting the flavor?"

"???"

Inanna felt that Number Four seemed to have embarked on a path of no return...

As time went by, the battle above finally came to an end.

The elemental lord's greatest strength lies in altering the environment and then using that altered environment to enhance their own combat power—a method of improvement that involves stepping on one foot while stepping on the other.

The North is clearly the home ground of the Frost Elemental Lords.

Every gust of cold wind and every falling snowflake here is an aid to the Frost Lady, while the Fire Elemental Lord is constantly losing heat simply by existing here.

Gradually, the area of ​​the flames began to shrink.

The fire elemental lord roared as he unleashed a raging fist, the scattered flames taking an increasingly longer time to reform, while the spikes of ice crystals and the frigid breath grew ever denser.

The situation is clear, and the Fire Elemental Lord, with his considerable intelligence, is certainly not the kind of fool who stubbornly clings to a futile struggle.

The Fire Elemental Lord concentrated its power and unleashed a sudden burst of energy, blasting the Frost Lord away.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! You ice shard, you're something else! I'll turn you into a puddle of waste water sooner or later, just you wait!" His voice was full of shame and indignation.

Come to think of it, it's like being beaten up and having your beloved possession stolen. As the overlord of the Molten Core dungeon, the Fire Elemental Lord has never suffered such humiliation before.

Unfortunately, circumstances are beyond our control.

As soon as she finished speaking, her weakened fiery body transformed into a streak of flame and retreated back into the binding ring on Inanna's left hand. The ring's luster completely dimmed, as if it had fallen into hibernation.

In the ruins, only the lingering warmth remains, along with the renewed chill of winter.

On the wall, the pile of rubble and ice covering the Frost Lord stirred.

As the rubble crumbled, a slender, crystalline figure slowly emerged.

Its ice crystal dress was slightly damaged, but its demeanor remained flawless, as if it had not heard the fire elemental lord's final harsh words.

The Frost Elemental Lord floated in front of Inanna, raised his hand made of the purest ice crystals, and then mercilessly replaced Inanna's [Blessing of Fire] with his own [Blessing of Frost].

This time, no one stopped it.

Once finished, its long skirt swayed gently and floated behind Inanna.

Those cold hands affectionately cupped Inanna's cheeks.

Afterwards, Inanna successfully subdued it through the Elf... Ring of Imprisonment, and this powerful elemental lord did not put up a single resistance throughout the entire process.

Thus, with flames residing in his left hand, frost drawing in his right, number four perched atop his head, and the Sword Saint Puji embracing him in his arms, the strongest summoner of our time was born!
And the temperature in the North is finally starting to rise, even though it's still winter...

(End of this chapter)