Frostfire Legacy

Aster was breathless.

Raven-black, straight long hair, pale white skin, and lush red lips. somewhat artificial-looking, sharp, red eyes.

The woman before him was an unparalleled beauty, enough that he might declare his love for her at first sight. However, the red eyes staring at him didn't look like the eyes of someone looking at a person, but more of a prey—or a research subject.

The three girls found her immediately and tried to move her away from him, but failed. A shield-like thing blocked their path, not letting them even get close to the bed.

"Hmm... The muscles have been fixed, but this is due to current technology. The blood vessels are fine... Interesting."

She suddenly began touching Aster from all over, her hands as cold as ice. Each caress, for whatever reason, sent a wave of euphoria to his brain, making him powerless to resist her advances.

"The blood itself is... Huh? Something..."

"Vanessa!"

*CRACK!*

At the next instant, the door that slammed against Dr. Zellbrook flew toward the ceiling, stabbing through it. Although it must've reached the other room above, the doctor didn't seem worried about it.

Instead, he threw a punch at the barrier blocking the girls and shattered it like glass in one strike.

"Stop that right now, or I'll make you stop!"

Upon hearing his words, the woman glared at the doctor and scoffed. "Huh? Do you think you can stop me, old man?"

She stood up, her height almost reaching Liz's, before crossing her arms before her voluptuous chest.

"I was finally able to reach this interesting test subject without the government blocking me! There's no way I'd leave his side until I figure out all the mysteries of his disease!"

"There's no need to! He's already made up his mind to search for the panacea and cure himself!" The doctor explained, his voice sounding angry.

"Hah! Panacea? It's not as all-powerful as advertised. What if it failed to cure his disease and he ran out of time?"

"That...!"

The doctor stopped, realizing the validity of her words.

Having only one solution prepared is foolish; a backup plan should be made in case Aster's initial plan fails. "But the panacea hasn't failed in curing diseases yet!"

"Then what about monsterization? Did it cure that too?"

"...!"

This time, the doctor was completely rendered speechless.

Indeed, monsterization is also a kind of disease. In the rare cases of someone entering that state and ingesting a panacea, their state didn't revert, and instead, it strengthened their monster form. That disaster was still widely known to all, even though it happened decades ago.

In the meantime, while she was distracted by the doctor, Aster was already pulled by the girls, hidden behind all three of them. He had no choice but to rely on the girls for protection all the time, despite how pitiful it looks. They were physically more powerful than he was, after all.

"Anyway, that's beside the point!" The doctor cried as if trying to change the topic.

"I called you here not to study his disease but to evaluate something he possesses: a Legacy Level Magic Carved Seal!"

Vanessa's body flinched for a bit before her shapely brows were raised. "Legacy Level? Are you sure about that?"

"There's no way I would be mistaken about it." Dr. Zell sighed, pointing his thumb toward Aster. "See for yourself."

"Oh, so it's this seal..."

"...!"

Although the girls didn't even dare blink their eyes, they still missed Vanessa when she moved. The figure they were glaring at was nothing but her afterimage!

She was already behind Aster, a hand on his left shoulder, while her right hand lifted Aster's right palm, letting her see the design of the seal up close.

"Looks familiar..." She whispered before moving her thumb over it, feeling the lumps in each line. "And it's like keloids, instead of written with ink."

Suddenly, the mark shone blue.

Of course, it wasn't Aster who did that, but the seal itself, as if in self-defense. Vanessa was frozen from head to toe without affecting Aster at all!

"N-No way..." Aster groaned, thinking that he had killed the woman.

*CRACK!*

But all he could do was gasp in amazement at what happened next.

*CRASH!*

"Hmm, that was a bit cold," Vanessa commented as she moved as if dusting her shoulders off of the remaining ice debris.

"I see, I understand. So it's really a Legacy Level Magic Carved Seal, and what's more, I think I know its identity already. I think..."

*Whoosh!* *Slash!*

As if taking advantage of her being in deep thought, Kali and Tina moved, sending a slash of a dagger and a raging fist forward. However, the woman didn't move one bit. She simply let the dagger slash her neck, and the fist hit her cheeks without budging an inch.

"Hmm? Girls, please stop bothering me. I'm thinking."

"...!"

Both of them were shocked. The dagger failed to inflict even a scratch on her skin, while the fist magically stopped an inch from her face!

"They're anxious because you keep on sticking to Aster without introducing yourself."

At that moment, Dr. Zellbrook finally stepped in, pulling Aster behind him. "Introduce yourself first to set up a proper atmosphere for a meeting!"

"Oh, right." She smiled before pushing Kali and Tina's weapons away with a finger. "I'm Vanessa Ross, an expert in the field of Medical Research."

"... I knew it. I found your face familiar the moment I saw you." Liz, who was staying at a distance from the beginning, commented. "You're the current top researcher at the Valmont Medical Research Facility, right?"

"To think there's a child who's aware of my achievements." The woman, Vanessa Ross, commented as she turned to Liz and gasped. "Ah, so it's the young Miss of the Dragonseal family. No wonder."

"N-No, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a princess of any Dragonseal family at all."

Again, Liz's lies were as transparent as clean water.

"Hmmm... Is that so?" Vanessa cocked her head. "You're just a normal dragonkin? Then scram. I don't want anyone to disturb me when I'm doing research. And that applies to you girls too."

"No fucking way! I won't let my darling be with a crazy woman like you!"

Tina, of course, quickly rebutted. Although they stayed silent, Cassy, Kali, and even Liz showed firm expressions, their actions showing that they had no intention of leaving Aster behind.

"Is that so? Then watch from a distance, and don't disturb me."

She shrugged before turning to Aster and waving her arm. As she did, Aster's lab gown was shredded into hundreds of fragments, leaving him almost completely exposed, with only his boxers left behind, protecting his dignity.

"..."

Seeing his "well-designed" body, the four girls gulped involuntarily.