Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 123: Synthesis: Frostfire

Chapter 123: Synthesis: Frostfire

Hours earlier, deep inside the Trial of Ascension...

Bel stepped out into the new area, his feet crunching softly over the dusty ground. He narrowed his eyes, taking in the strange, eerie sight before him.

The place looked nothing like the islands or the tower he’d climbed through before. This new area... it was strange.

A city.

It was buried halfway under dunes of ash and sand, like time itself had tried to swallow it.

Crumbling towers leaned sideways, streets half-buried under waves of pale dust. And above him, the sky wasn’t a sky, but a vault.

A massive dome filled with swirling stars and distant planets, like standing under a frozen galaxy.

Bel stared up, blinking slowly.

"...This is different."

A ghost town under the stars. Quiet, almost peaceful.

Almost.

Bel narrowed his eyes. He knew the limit of this calm was his ambition.

"Final room, huh?" he muttered. "Looks comfy for a battlefield."

He took a slow breath, relaxing his muscles. He’d made it this far. No way was he stopping now. But if this was the last part... he needed to prep.

"Alright. Let’s see what we’ve got now."

He opened the trial’s shop menu, scanning quickly.

[Current Gold: 1,872,300]

[SHOP ITEMS AVAILABLE]

[Astral Fang (Mythic)] – 320,000 Gold+250 ATK

Effect: Critical hits ignore armor; adds ’Stellar Rend’ dealing bonus cosmic damage over time.

[Black Sun Cloak (Ultra Rare+)] – 275,000 Gold+150 DEF, +60 Magic DEF

Effect: Reduces all elemental damage received by 40%; passive aura weakens enemy buffs within 20 meters.

[Spectral Marionette Core (Artifact)] – 350,000 Gold

Effect: Grants immunity to charm, mind control, illusions; negates fatal attack once per day.

[Opaline Crown of Oracles (Rare)] – 240,000 Gold+70 DEF, +100 Magic DEF

Effect: Enhances perception; unlocks passive foresight, reacting to events 0.5 seconds earlier.

[Shard of the Blooming Ashen Star (Mythic)] – 180,000 Gold

Effect: Restores 100% HP and MP; grants ’Ashen Rebirth’ – revive automatically with 20% HP on next death. Can be revived once.

[Molten Heart Engine (Ultra Rare+)] – 420,000 Gold

Effect: Boosts fire and magma abilities by 50%; grants ’Volcanic Core’ – immune to burn effects.

[Chrono Spiral Relic (Artifact)] – 500,000 Gold

Effect: Unlocks temporary time-manipulation; slows all enemies by 70% for 10 seconds.

[Storm Cage Catalyst (Mythic)] – 400,000 Gold

Synthesis Item.

Effect: Combines with wind or lightning materials to create a storm-affinity weapon.

[Umbral Bloom Spore (Legendary)] – 360,000 Gold

Synthesis Item.

Effect: Can be fused with poison, dark, or necrotic materials to grant decay abilities to weapons.

[Aegis Prism (Artifact)] – 450,000 Gold

Effect: Generates a reflective barrier every 60 seconds; reflects one ranged or magic attack.

[Voidglass Ampoule (Rare)] – 300,000 Gold

Consumable.

Effect: Boosts all magical stats by 30% for 5 minutes; user takes 20% more damage during duration.

[Echoing Ember Shard (Epic+)] – 150,000 Gold

Synthesis Item.

Effect: Essential catalyst for forging multi-elemental flame artifacts.

Bel raised an eyebrow at the list.

"Yeah... It’s not playing around now."

He scanned the menu again, slower this time.

"These prices... no matter how much I save, they always increase with my gains. But they’re top-tier. I really need to get the maximum."

Bel crossed his arms, studying the list carefully, his eyes lingering on the Shard of the Blooming Ashen Star. At first, he frowned, a little surprised.

"An item that revives me...? Seriously?" he muttered.

It felt strange. His whole strategy, his fighting style, was built on not dying. And yet, here it was. A pass to die once.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening.

"If they’re offering this here, at this price... It can’t be just random. A true revival? It has to be a clue. Something like that isn’t normal. It means something’s waiting up ahead... Maybe something in this trial could really kill me?"

He exhaled slowly, gripping his chin.

"And if I never use it? Then I’ve basically locked in a safety net. My regen’s good already, but a second chance after death? I’d be a monster. It’s worth it."

He made the payment instantly.

[Purchased: Shard of the Blooming Ashen Star]

Gold dropped sharply. Bel watched it fall with a wry smirk.

"There it goes... but that’s worth it."

His eyes flicked to the Chrono Spiral Relic next, the highest price tag glaring at him.

Bel crossed his arms again, frowning deeper as he stared at the Chrono Spiral Relic. His lips pressed into a thin line.

"Five hundred thousand... time manipulation? That’s... that’s perfect."

His fingers tapped lightly against his bicep.

"This thing... That’s like... having Bolt Mode without draining my mana... in a way."

He paused, a spark shone in his eyes as he realized something.

"Wait... what if..."

He paused for a few seconds, thinking hard, his brow furrowing deeper. Then a spark lit up in his eyes. Without hesitating, he willed the purchase, locking it in before he could second-guess himself.

[Purchased: Chrono Spiral Relic]

Bel let out a low, eager sigh as the relic shimmered into his inventory.

"Alright, now..."

Without missing a beat, he opened his Refinement menu, but this time, selected the option to fuse skills.

[SYNTHESIS MENU]

Possible Fusion Paths: [Select Base Skill] + [Select Secondary Skill] + [Optional Modifier]

Bel’s grin widened as he stared at the glowing options. He paused, thinking deeply for a moment, his excitement mixing with calculation.

"I used abyssal fire and eternal ice before, and it worked just fine against regeneration... but what if I make it permanent?"

He pictured the effect, their opposite natures fusing into a single strike. It made sense: fire to burn, ice to halt recovery. Together, it overwhelmed regeneration completely.

"Still..." he thought, frowning slightly. "If I fuse them permanently... wouldn’t I lose them as separate skills? Okay, I get one powerful skill, but I don’t like reducing my options."

He mulled it over, weighing the risk. Then, a spark lit up in his mind.

"Unless..."

Bel opened his inventory, his gaze falling on the Abyssal Ember Blade resting quietly among his gear. He pulled it out, turning it over thoughtfully in his hands.

"Abyssal fire... maybe I could use this as a base instead?" he wondered aloud. "Plus with the Void Orb... I don’t really need to rely on this weapon anymore."

He frowned a little, spinning the blade once before sheathing it back.

"No... the fusion system’s about skills, not weapons. Using this as a catalyst would be a waste. If I keep it, I still have pure abyssal fire ready. It’s smarter to hold onto it."

He exhaled slowly.

"Alright. Let’s see what this fusion system can really do."

He opened the synthesis menu, and a sleek interface materialized, glowing softly in the air before him.

[SYNTHESIS MENU]

Possible Fusion Paths:

[Select Base Skill] → [Select Secondary Skill] → [Optional Modifier]

Bel’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Alright, let’s see..."

He focused mentally, selecting Abyssal Fire first. The icon floated up, a flickering blue, settling into the left slot.

Then he selected Eternal Ice, the blue-white glow floating opposite.

A thin thread of light connected them. Beneath, a slot pulsed: [Optional Modifier – None Selected]

Bel’s lips tugged into a grin.

"Let’s keep it simple for now."

He mentally confirmed.

[SYNTHESIS PROCESSING...]

Suddenly, the icons trembled, swirling together as blue flames and pale frost coiled into a spiral. A soft hum filled his mind.

[WARNING: Fusion will consume original skills]

Bel groaned.

"So I’ll really lose them both, huh...?"

He hesitated for a breath, then nodded firmly.

"It’s worth it, it has to be worth it."

[CONFIRM FUSION?]

"Yes."

The interface flashed bright.

[Skill: Abyssal Fire – LOST] [Skill: Eternal Ice – LOST]

The lights twisted tighter, the spiral collapsing inward.

[FUSION COMPLETE]

[New Skill Acquired: Frostfire]

Bel’s breath caught as the name appeared.

[Frostfire]

|Frostfire is a unique force that inflicts burn, freeze, or both effects simultaneously. Attacks deal (150%–200% Magic Power) damage, applying stacking burn and freeze statuses. When enough stacks are built, they trigger Shatterburst, unleashing massive damage based on total burn and freeze stacks accumulated. Critical hits increase stack buildup and can trigger Shatterburst instantly, releasing an explosive burst of destructive energy in an area.|

Bel blinked, surprised at first, his eyes widening. Then a slow grin spread across his face.

"...Fantastic."

He flexed his hand, and out of curiosity, he focused hard, willing Frostfire to materialize.

A swirling blue flame with icy edges formed above his palm, crackling softly. His breath hitched.

"That’s... so this is it... incredible."

The energy pulsed, and he felt a rush inside his chest, an itch for more.

"Yeah... I need more."

He flipped back to the shop, scanning quickly. His gaze locked onto the Spectral Marionette Core.

"Illusion resistance, mind control immunity... perfect." He made the purchase without hesitation.

[Purchased: Spectral Marionette Core]

His remaining gold flashed on the screen: [Gold Remaining: 702,300]

Bel’s eyes gleamed at the number.

A spark of excitement lit up inside him, and without overthinking, he entered a quiet frenzy, mentally selecting items one after another, buying the Black Sun Cloak, the Opaline Crown of Oracles, and any other high-tier gear he could afford until his gold was nearly drained.

By the end, he stood still, catching his breath, his inventory heavier, his smirk wider.

He willed the gear onto himself, feeling each item settle and meld, their effects flooding into him.

As he watched, the cloak, the crown, the core, each shimmered briefly, then faded from view as if invisible, blending into him.

Bel lifted his hands slowly, flexing his fingers, marveling quietly at the strength surging beneath his skin.

For a moment, he simply stood there, feeling invincible.

"Okay... now I’m really ready."