As Glacialix spoke the words exactly as instructed by her Master, Arfrotian, the gathered angels of Zenian’s faction found themselves spiraling into confusion. The weight of her statement pressed upon their minds, sending them into deep contemplation.

  Their murmurings filled the frozen air as they attempted to make sense of what they had just heard. One angel, seemingly more astute than the others, narrowed his eyes and muttered,

  “So… has our Lord been… frozen?”

  Another angel quickly interjected, trying to quell the rising uncertainty,

  “Does this mean we are still the apex? Because our Lord is the ruler, right…?”

  A third voice, filled with conviction, added,

  “Well, that’s the only possible explanation! Who else could have acquired it other than our Lord Zenian? He gave us a plan—distract everyone while he claims the Eternal Frostheart. It must be him!”

  Their logic seemed sound, at least to them. After all, who else could even dare? No outsider could possibly rise to such a position, and none of the opposition had the means to steal the title of ruler away. Luvania, Queen of the Shadow Elves, was already engaged in battle with them. Their spies had confirmed that Asura, the Archangel of the opposing faction, was still preoccupied with her own war efforts.

  Therefore, their Lord Zenian had to be the ruler.

  The angels let out a collective sigh of relief, their tense postures softening. They had been moments away from panic, but now, things made sense. Their leader was still at the top, albeit frozen—but frozen as the ruler of the Icy Omniverse.

  Or so they assumed.

  In reality, he was nothing of the sort.

  Their conclusions were nothing but a grand delusion—a mirage formed from their own wishful thinking. They had trapped themselves within their own logic, never even considering that their belief in Zenian’s success was built on nothing but assumption.

  And then, within the gathered angels, Glacialix’s sharp eyes caught sight of something odd.

  Among them, one angel stood out.

  At first glance, he blended well with the others, his features unremarkable, his posture relaxed. But something about him was… off. Unlike the rest, he seemed far too interested, almost as if he wasn’t actually a part of them.

  Glacialix’s piercing gaze locked onto him.

  Using telepathy, she immediately reached out to Arfrotian, who was still hidden behind her feathery back,.

  “Master, is he… what you think he is?”

  A slow, knowing smirk crept onto Arfrotian’s lips as he responded,

  “Perhaps… Just wait and watch, my Ice Queen. The real entertainment starts now. Follow the plan exactly as I told you—because that anomaly is surely going to ask you quite a question, right?”

  Glacialix acknowledged his words with a silent confirmation.

  “I will follow….”

  And just as expected, the so-called angel—**the anomaly among them—**finally spoke up.

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  “So, does this mean our Lord Zenian is the ruler of this Icy Omniverse and has acquired the Eternal Frostheart… but was frozen?”

  Glacialix turned to him, feigning mild amusement.

  Her expression remained calm, but her words were a dagger hidden within silk.

  “What? Being a follower within Zenian’s faction… DO YOU TRULY DOUBT YOUR OWN LORD ZENIAN’S SUCCESS?”

  Silence.

  The other angels immediately turned to the anomaly, their gazes narrowing.

  That single sentence—**that perfectly placed question—**had flipped the entire situation on its head.

  The infiltrator stiffened. Beads of sweat formed on his brow.

  Damn it.

  He had thought he was merely gathering intelligence, observing how things had unfolded. He had believed he was being careful, blending in unnoticed. But now—

  NOW ALL EYES WERE ON HIM.

  One angel spoke up suspiciously,

  “Huh? Are you even one of us?”

  The infiltrator felt a cold dread creeping up his spine.

  “DAMN IT! THIS ICE BIRD! SHE SET ME UP! IF I GET CAUGHT, I’M DOOMED!”

  His mind raced, scrambling for a way out.

  Think, think, think!

  If he denied too aggressively, they would suspect him even more. But if he hesitated… that would be even worse.

  So, forcing an awkward chuckle, he quickly blurted out,

  “Oh no! You’re all mistaken! Like how could I ever doubt our Lord Zenian? Haha, right? I was just seeking some minor confirmation, which is now… totally clear, right?”

  The other angels eyed him for a moment longer before one of them grunted,

  “Well… that’s perhaps okay. BUT DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT OUR LORD’S FAILURE! HE IS THE MIGHTIEST OF ALL IN THIS ICE OMNIVERSE!”

  The infiltrator internally screamed.

  “POWERFUL!? MY ASS! Without our King’s help, do you think you and your Zenian would even be standing here?! Pathetic fools! You don’t even realize your precious Lord Zenian is being played by our King!”**

  But outwardly, he forced another nervous smile and nodded.

  “Yeah, right! Our mighty Lord could never be a failure! He always succeeds!”

  Glacialix, watching this unfold, had to fight back a smirk.

  She remembered the exact moment her Master had explained this brilliant setup to her.

  —

  Arfrotian had said,

  “Look, Glacialix. After you drop that twisted truth, if there’s an infiltrator among Zenian’s faction, he will definitely become curious and ask questions, right?”

  Glacialix, slightly concerned, had responded,

  “But Master, if the infiltrator asks me directly, won’t I have to either tell the full truth or lie? But telling a truth puts you on stage and telling this absurd lie also doesn't convince me much to be convicted to tell it.....”

  Arfrotian had only laughed.

  “My silly Ice Queen, you’re overthinking. That infiltrator will try to build on you. But instead of playing his game—we’ll put HIM on the podium.”

  Glacialix, intrigued but confused, had asked,

  “How, Master?”

  And Arfrotian had explained it all.

  “Simple. If he asks to confirm his suspicion, we use that against him. Remember, every angel in Zenian’s faction already believes their Lord is the ruler. They accepted it as absolute fact after your words. Now, would they ever question their Lord’s success?”

  Glacialix had thought for a moment before responding,

  “Nope.”

  “Exactly. So when he asks, you don’t answer directly. Instead, you turn the question back on him saying—‘Does he even doubt his own Lord's success?' as if he’s doubting his own Lord’s success.

  The moment you do that, all the other angels will immediately start questioning HIM instead. And once he’s on the defensive, he’ll be too focused on covering himself to ask anything further.”

  Glacialix had been absolutely floored. Glacialix said to her Master riding her back while she was in her Phoenix form,

  In pure admiration, she had blurted out,

  “Master, please don’t mind me saying this, but I can’t help it—ARE YOU A MONSTER?!”

  Arfrotian had only laughed.

  “I’ve been called worse. This was nothing.”

  at this point Glacialix learned, her Master was a---

  MONSTER, WHO COULD SEE THROUGH OTHERS FACETS AS IF READING AN OPEN BOOK, AND NO HESIATION THIS TIME IT WAS THE TRUTH!

  —

  Now, watching the infiltrator sweating bullets, Glacialix finally understood.

  Her Master wasn’t just a tactician.

  He was a monster. A terrifying genius who could turn an entire situation on its head without lifting a single finger.

  As she eyed the trembling infiltrator, she whispered in her mind,

  “Master… you are terrifying.”