Chapter 60: Do You Want To Repay Deus?Landing smoothly with the aid of an ice platform, Ivana waved her opened fan once—

    A gust burst forth, shaped like a crescent arc of compressed frost, the wind slicing toward him with howling speed.

    Deus raised one palm. The frost arc shattered harmlessly on contact.

    Undeterred, she activated the Froststep Dominion again—platforms appeared around him at all angles as she darted unpredictably through the air. Her motion left glittering snow wisp trails behind her, beautiful yet disorienting, masking her next attack.

    She blinked beside him.

    Her right fan swirled a flurry toward his eyes—while her left aimed low, slicing at his knee. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He parried both strikes with one motion, his arm barely moving. She used the rebound to leap back mid-air, spinning into a crescent kick that she used to launch another frost burst at close range—

    Again—shattered.

    She landed atop a floating frost platform, panting lightly. Her eyes narrowed. No hesitation.

    "Come forth... Frostjaw Behemoth. Purple Nytheris."

    The air trembled. The soul subspace rippled violently as the summons burst forth together—twin beast souls of ice and illusion.

    A deep growl echoed as the massive saber-toothed bear emerged at her side, its armored body steaming with bitter frost. At the same time, a haunting cry echoed above—the illusion moth descending like a dream made real, wings spanning wide as it shimmered in eerie violet light.

    The ground cracked with the weight of the bear. The sky dimmed with the moth’s wings.

    The Frostjaw Behemoth lunged, snarling—massive paws slamming against the ground with bone-rattling force as it charged Deus head-on.

    Above, the Purple Nytheris beat its wings softly—purple dust cascading down in mesmerizing arcs, cloaking the battlefield in a mirage storm.

    Ivana wasn’t dumb enough to use the same tactic, unlike before her tactic now was a little bit different, but still despise the genius behind it, Ivana wasn’t confident, there’s a high chance Deus would see through her entire plan... But still, she’d be a fool if she jumps into conclusion without trying at all

    With that she disappeared into the fog.

    The illusions shimmered, multiplied—twenty, then thirty of her, each moving differently. Every copy flickered, blurred, shifting.

    The true Ivana flickered between them—silently dancing around the perimeter, coiling her motion behind the charge of the behemoth and the shimmer of the moth’s illusion veil.

    It was a perfect feint. Deus raised his gaze slightly, glancing at the moth.

    "That won’t work on me."

    The illusions stuttered. And then—he moved.

    A casual slap of his palm met the oncoming behemoth.

    The bear was flung like a broken statue, crashing into the far end of the training field. Ice and debris exploded into the air.

    A pulse of divine aura followed, sweeping through the illusion mist like a divine breeze—

    And every illusion evaporated.

    The Purple Nytheris froze in the air. Its wings drooped, dust halting mid-fall. It too felt it. Despair.

    Deus is the progenitor of soul, to use beast souls to defeat him is impossible, even if he’s at his weakest without godly powers, beast souls which are his own creation can never cause him any damage...

    But still. It takes a lot of will power for a mortal to last this long against him, even though he was only blocking and not bothering to attack... So Ivana was pretty impressive...

    The more he sparred with Ivana the more pleased he was, while her power was still at mortal level, her willpower was pretty impressive, it’s rare even among leaders of Empires to see people with such willpower....

    The true Ivana moved like a phantom—no longer desperate, but deadly and deliberate.

    She had already internalized the technique Deus had granted her before. Her body now acted on instinct—flowing, breathing, gliding with perfect rhythm as she coiled around the battlefield, her movement masked behind the dual assault.

    She struck.

    A sweeping arc from behind. Silent. Precision-folded into the chaos. A sneak attack

    But—

    Deus caught her fan between two fingers.

    Not force.

    Understanding.

    He had seen through the illusion, the timing, the misdirection—all of it.

    The moth froze midair, its wings drooping in eerie stillness. The bear, already cast aside, lay unmoving in a mound of shattered frost.

    Ivana landed on a dissolving frost platform across from him, panting—but her eyes shimmered not with frustration, but fierce satisfaction.

    She had used everything. All that he’d given her.

    And still—

    She lost.

    Deus smiled faintly. "Impressive. My work here is done..."

    Ivana lowered her fans.

    She bowed deeply.

    "You’ve given me so much. Allow this junior to treat seniors to a meal..."

    Ivana led them through the snow-dusted streets of the upper district. Despite her status as Empress, her personal estate was not the lavish palace either Deus or Mira might have expected.

    The courtyard was clean and quiet, with only a soft ambient glow from soul-lanterns lining the path. The architecture was elegant—but restrained. A humble elegance.

    "This is your place?" Mira asked, glancing around with mild surprise.

    Ivana nodded without embarrassment. "I prefer simplicity," she said, then added with a smile, "But I do have the best cooks in the entire Lumen Empire."

    Deus, who had never tasted mortal food since his return to this world, raised a brow, mildly intrigued. "We’ll see."

    Ivana didn’t say more. She merely smiled faintly and stepped inside.

    ---

    She made her way through a side corridor, lifting her hem slightly to avoid a tray being carried by one of the maids. Her steps were purposeful as she entered the kitchen area—a large, polished space of steel counters and enchantment-cold storage arrays. Her personal cooks bowed the moment they saw her.

    "Prepare a banquet," she said. "Use the best ingredients from the glacial springs and crystal gardens. Glacien boar. Lotus-root stew. Sweetspice bread. The finest of our ice-aged wine."

    The head chef blinked, stunned. "Your Majesty... that’s a full ceremonial feast—"

    "I’ll help," she cut in, already slipping on a silk apron.

    They scrambled into motion, but just as she reached for a crate of frostlotus, a gentle voice echoed in her mind.

    [Do you want to repay Deus?]