Disciplining the Naughty Toad! 4 - Unstable Eternal Cold Iron Fragment (???)
◈ Radiates intense, bone-chilling cold aura even from afar
◈ Feels extraordinarily dangerous at first glance
'Eternal Cold Iron Fragment? What's that...? The name alone makes it sound super valuable...'
It was a shard that exuded such a terrifying chill you could feel it freezing you solid from a distance—clearly dangerous just by looking at it.
Lol?
'Dunno what it is, so maybe post it on the forum?'
When you're clueless, ask the gallery first. That was the first lesson Lin had learned since landing in this world.
Anyone know what this is?? Looked cool so I grabbed it, but it seems super dangerous!
LetItGoMusae said he'd check something out and stepped away. It didn't take long for him to return.
Lin already knew the name thanks to the system window, but she played it cool and kept watching the gallery.
Once it was revealed as Eternal Cold Iron, the gallery naturally exploded.
Lol!
'Hehe, scored another cheat item!'
To be precise, it wasn't complete Eternal Cold Iron—just an extremely tiny, imperfect fragment of the unstable stuff. Not proper Eternal Cold Iron by any means. But it was still Eternal Cold Iron.
Even the tiniest speck retained its insane hardness and unique properties.
This alone was a massive, unexpected haul.
Gave me demon core~ gave me technique~ gave me spirit energy and now rare ore too! Kyaa~ This is a real generous toad lol
Lol!
'It's this good? Amazing!'
The gallery had always been jealous of her spirit herbs and beasts, but they'd never reacted this intensely before.
This Eternal Cold Iron must be rarer than she thought.
Otherwise, why would upper-realm folks envy it so much?
She really had some luck!
Hehe!
Tiny shard or not, it could massively boost a weapon—or even her claws—later on.
A huge win this time.
Tucking the shard into her storage pouch, Lin prepared to head back to the village. She'd grabbed everything worth taking.
She'd memorized the path on the way, so returning was easy.
Entering the village gate, she spotted a crowd gathered up front, all tense and worried.
"Ta-da! I'm back!"
"That voice... no way? I-Immolate—er, Immortal One? You've returned?"
"Yup yup! I gave that naughty toad a good spanking!"
To make them believe, she'd even pried off one of the ice crystals from its back. Big size, distinctive shape—no denying it.
The Bingdamwa that terrorized the village was finally gone!
"I-It really is...! The size, the shape... no mistake! That's the wicked toad's horn from its back!"
"Hooray! The Immortal One has slain the evil demon!"
"Hooray! Hooray!"
"Sob... Thank you, Immortal One...!"
"You've avenged my husband... Thank you so much... sob...!"
Word of the naughty toad's demise spread like wildfire. Folks who'd locked themselves away in despair started emerging, flooding the streets with cheers and praises for the Immortal One's feat.
Soon, the whole village was in festival mode.
"Hahaha! Pour it up! Drink up!"
"I could tell from the first glance you were an extraordinary person, Immortal One!"
"Mom! Mom! I wanna grow up to be cool like the Immortal One too!"
Smiles everywhere, kids' laughter filling the air. Just watching made her heart swell with warmth.
Hehe, she hadn't done it for this, but seeing it now? Super proud and happy!
People really—er, dragons—should live kindly!
"Immortal One, would you follow us for a moment?"
"Huh? What's up? Another problem?"
"We've prepared something for you. This way..."
Following the Village Chief's careful guidance led to the central plaza smack in the village heart. The true hub, with its intricately carved, stunning stone statue right in the middle.
"Who's that statue of?"
"That's... from long ago, modeled after the Immortal One said to have saved our village. Tradition says our ancestors built it to honor that Immortal's merits."
"Ooo, cool! So pretty~"
The statue was lifelike, exquisitely crafted. No wonder—this village was famous for stonemasons. True masters.
Lin admired the ancient Immortal's pose, wishing she had one that pretty too.
Thud!
"There it is. Our gift for you, Immortal One."
"Huh? This is... whoa!"
In the distance, several men grunted as they hauled something cloth-covered. They placed it right next to the old statue—like two pals standing side by side.
"That's..."
"A humble token from us. We worked through the night without sleep for the best quality we could manage... but it's made with all our hearts for you."
Under the cloth: a small statue modeled after Lin.
Not as polished as the ancient one due to the rush, but it captured her cute human form perfectly—full of care. Especially those tiny forehead horns. Adorable!
"This is... awesome! Best gift ever! Thank you!"