When the game shut down, I took my skills with me.

Chapter 74 The Frozen "Fragments of World Rules"

In the Arctic, beneath the ice cap, lies the underground kingdom of the frost giants.

When Ymir, the Frost Giant King, uttered the words, "Our race has waited far too long for your arrival," clearly echoed in the minds of every "Red Bear" soldier through the translator, an eerie silence fell over the entire scene.

Ivanov was stunned.

He lay half-reclined on the broken ice, the spiciness of vodka and the metallic taste of his own blood still lingering in his mouth. He instinctively tightened his grip on the dulled fire axe in his hand, then slowly loosened it.

He had imagined countless possible endings.

Die here, or detonate "The Tsar's Smile" and perish together with these giants.

But he never considered the one right in front of him.

"Wait—for us?" Ivanov struggled to stand up, and a "Red Bear" soldier immediately stepped forward to support him.

"Yes, messenger." Ymir's voice was still majestic, but the oppressive feeling of being high above had completely disappeared, replaced by a solemnity that was almost equal.

His massive, mountain-like body slowly took a half step back, and made an ancient gesture of "please" to Ivanov and all the human soldiers behind him.

Please come with me.

After saying that, he turned around and took heavy steps toward the deeper, darker part of the void.

The two rows of frost giant warriors, who had been on the verge of battle, now sheathed their weapons and stood on either side, forming a solemn passage. The hostility and ferocity in their eyes, which had been burning with a blue glow, had faded, leaving only curiosity and awe.

Ivanov looked at the scene before him, which seemed like a myth, and exchanged a glance with his adjutant. They both saw disbelief in each other's eyes.

"General, we—" the adjutant asked in a low voice.

"Follow him." Ivanov said without hesitation.

He knew that all these changes stemmed from the name he had shouted in desperation.

Since the title of "administrator" is so useful here, he has no reason not to continue. This is not only to complete the task, but also to witness firsthand the profound mark that man's power has left on the long history of this world.

This human squad, which had just been fighting to the death, was now being escorted by their former enemies toward the sacred land of the frost giants.

They passed through magnificent, breathtaking structures built of massive stones and solid ice. The walls were adorned with countless ancient murals.

The murals depict a range of themes, from the birth of giants to wars against various prehistoric behemoths, and a devastating flood that swept across the world—each image silently recounting the long and desolate history of this race.

Finally, Ymir stopped at the foot of a huge iceberg.

This iceberg is a deep, dark blue color, as if it has frozen thousands of years of time within it.

"This is the sacred land of our people, the heart of the ancient glacier." Ymir's voice carried a hint of piety.

He didn't go any further, but instead stepped aside to make way for Ivanov.

"According to the prophecy left by our ancestors, when the world is reshaped and the glaciers begin to waile, a great being wielding the power of destruction and rebirth will descend upon this world."

"And his messenger will follow the guidance of the glacier to come here and take away what rightfully belongs to him."

Ivanov followed Ymir's gaze.

At the heart of the iceberg, an object emitting a soft white light is sealed by eternal ice.

It resembled a beating heart, each beat causing countless mysterious runes to illuminate the surrounding ice. A pure, ultimate power of rules, originating from the very essence of the world, emanated from it, sending a chill down the spines of all the "players" present.

[The Echoes of the Ancient Ice Core].

Mission objective.

"Our ancestors didn't know what it was," Ymir said, gazing at the frozen heart. "They only knew it was one of the fragments left over from the very beginning of the world. It sustains the cold of this land and protects the bloodline of our people."

"And our mission is to guard this place generation after generation, until the messenger of the World Reshaper comes to retrieve it."

Ivanov fell silent.

He finally understood why the mission issued by "Order" was only "recovery" rather than "seizure".

It turns out that all of this was a scheme orchestrated by that man from the very beginning. These so-called "explorers" were nothing more than "inheritors" who came to collect the "legacy" following a pre-planned route.

"Go, messenger," Ymir's voice interrupted his thoughts, "reclaim what belongs to the Administrator."

Ivanov took a deep breath and, dragging his battered body, walked step by step toward the massive iceberg.

As he drew nearer, a miracle occurred.

The millennia-old ice that sealed the "fragments" seemed to sense the indirect aura of the "administrator" on his body and began to melt on its own.

The ice melted away silently, turning into pure energy that dissipated into the air.

Finally, when Ivanov reached the iceberg, the fragment of the rule called "Echo of the Eternal Ice Core" had completely lost its restraints.

It trembled slightly, transformed into a stream of light, and flew into Ivanov's outstretched hand.

The moment Ivanov came into contact with the fragment, he felt a cold and pure energy flow through his body, and his injuries began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

[World Announcement: The Russian "Red Bear" unit has successfully completed the S-class mission "Echoes of the Ice Core," recovering the key World Heritage site, "Echoes of the Ancient Ice Core."]

[Task Assessment: Perfect.]

[Reward Settlement: The Russian "Red Bear" forces have gained 150 million World Contribution Points, and their relationship with the "Frost Giants" has been upgraded to "Exalted," establishing a formal alliance.]

The cold, impersonal system announcement declared the exploration a complete success.

Holding the "fragment" in his hand, Ivanov turned around and gave Ymir, the frost giant king, a standard military salute.

"On behalf of the administrators, thank you for your protection. From this day forward, the Frost Giants will be the most steadfast ally of human civilization."

Even Ymir's perpetually icy face showed a hint of "gratification." He pounded his chest with his giant fist, letting out a deafening roar—the highest form of respect from the frost giants.

The "Red Bear" fleet, carrying precious fragments and an unexpected alliance, began its return voyage.

In the virtual conference room of the Global Security Council, after a brief silence, enthusiastic applause erupted. Ivanov, in his unique way, had gained yet another powerful ally for human civilization.

However, just as everyone was immersed in joy...

A desperate distress signal, accompanied by a loud electrical interference, suddenly cut into the council's highest channel.

The signal source is the Pacific Exploration Fleet of the U.S. "Lighthouse" program, codenamed "Heart of Volcano".

"SOS! SOS! Mayday! Mayday! This is Explorer 1! We have been attacked by an unknown force! A major error has occurred in our computational model! The volcano—it's about to erupt! We're trapped inside the mountain! Repeat! We're trapped!"

The piercing alarm instantly drowned out all the joy.

As Qin Shiyue stared at the flashing red distress signal on the screen, the smile on his face slowly faded, and his expression became meaningful.