THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Character Profile: Vespera Eirwenvale, The Winter's Grief

Background: Once a benevolent queen of the ancient kingdom of Eirwenvale, Vespera's tale is one of tragedy and transformation. In an era when darkness pressed against her realm's borders, she sought the night's embrace, believing its promises of power would protect her kingdom and her beloved daughter.

But the night is a fickle patron, and its gifts came with a terrible price. It whispered lies into the hearts of men, turning them against what she held most precious.

On a winter's eve, as flames consumed her palace, she watched in horror as these corrupted souls took her daughter's life – a child whose only crime was being loved by a queen who dared bargain with darkness.

In that moment of absolute despair, as she cradled her daughter's body, Vespera's grief transcended mortal bounds. Her anguish crystallized into something ancient and terrible – she became winter incarnate, her tears freezing into eternal ice, her rage manifesting as howling blizzards.

The curse of her transformation spread across the lands that had betrayed her, turning her realm into an endless wasteland of snow and ice – a monument to a mother's broken heart and a warning to all who would dare harm what a queen holds dear.

Classification: Eldritch Terror Status: Immortal Entity of Winter

Combat Parameters:

HP: 10,000 (Regenerates with each snowfall) MP: 50,000 (Draws power from winter itself)

Attributes:

Strength: 7,000 (Physical force of winter storms) Agility: 6,500 Intelligence: 17,000

Domains:

Winter Manifestation, Nightmare Manipulation, Emotional Corruption, Ice Manipulation, and Reality Distortion within her realm.

David stood his ground, his role skill analyzing the being before him with calculated precision. Vespera's parameters flickered through his consciousness – her power surpassed Luna's when they'd first met in the tower's ground floor. Yet despite her overwhelming stats, her abilities lacked Luna's raw destructive force. But what made Vespera truly terrifying were her domains: winter, nightmares, and emotional manipulation – a trinity of psychological warfare.

"HOW?" Vespera's scream cut through the frozen air. "How does a mere human know my true name?"

David tilted his head, the motion almost curious despite his intimidating armor. "Have you truly thrown away your humanity?"

The question struck like a blade. Vespera's thoughts turned razor-sharp – What did this boy know of humanity? Of loss? Her form blurred, reality bending as she materialized before David, palm crackling with concentrated mana mere inches from his face.

"Frostbite!" she snarled, winter's fury condensing into a single devastating point.

But before the blizzard could strike, David's hand shot up, slapping her wrist skyward. The spell erupted into the dark clouds above, ice crystals sparkling like deadly stars. Behind his shadowed helm, David's eyes gleamed as [Celestial Wheel] activated.

The skill didn't grant foresight – instead, it slowed his perception, letting him read mana flows like a book, predicting Vespera's movements with uncanny precision.

Before she could retreat, David's counterattack came swift and merciless. Dark blue energy wreathed his fist as he unleashed

[Heaven Whispering Palm: MOUNTAIN].

The blow crashed into her abdomen with devastating force, sending her flying like a ragdoll across the frozen landscape. A mountain of snow rose to catch her, cushioning what would have been a bone-shattering impact.

Vespera's screech split the air – an otherworldly sound befitting an eldritch terror. Her arms rose, conjuring magic circles that bloomed across the sky like deadly flowers. Ice spears materialized by the dozens, their points gleaming with lethal intent as they aimed at David.

He crouched, a smirk playing across his lips. The thrill of battle sang in his veins like pure dopamine. "Why would I ever expect weak prey?" he called out, voice rich with dark amusement. "Every opponent I've faced has been stronger than me. But that never mattered – I adapt, evolve, become the perfect predator."

Light motes danced around his hands before coalescing into his silver twin daggers. In that moment, David reached an epiphany – the system was part of him, but it would never control him. It was merely another tool in his arsenal, a means to grow stronger.

With that acceptance burning in his heart, David lunged forward. The force of his movement cracked the frozen ground, creating a small explosion of displaced air as he charged toward his destiny.

The ice spears shattered against the frozen ground like crystalline thunder as Vespera's hands fell to her sides. David moved like shadow through the deadly rain, his body flowing between the frozen projectiles with an almost supernatural grace. Those he couldn't evade, he deflected with precise movements of his twin daggers, each parry calculated and efficient.

A translucent window materialized before his eyes, its ethereal text declaring: [Intelligence increased to 5000].

A knowing smile crossed his face as understanding dawned. "Now... I understand it now," he whispered to himself. For so long, he had fought against the system's influence, believing pure combat instinct was the true path of a warrior. But everything was different now. The system wasn't a crutch—it was a tool, waiting to be mastered. And he would wield it to its absolute pinnacle.

Dark energy erupted from David's core, tendrils of midnight essence coiling around him as he activated [Eyes of Veilborn Dissonance]. The skill manifested in the sky above, transforming the very heavens into a dome of watching horrors. Countless crimson eyes, each burning with eldritch malevolence, peered down at Vespera's domain, their gaze penetrating her every defense.

"How DARE you!" Vespera's voice cracked with fury, her composure finally breaking. "A mere insect like you dares to underestimate ME?" Her power lashed out, shattering David's skill like a pane of glass struck by lightning. But her victory came a moment too late—David had already closed the distance.

His daggers gleamed with deadly purpose as he lunged forward, ready to strike their mark. Yet as he committed to the attack, Vespera's lips curved into a cruel smile. The pristine snow beneath David's feet suddenly rippled like liquid mercury, transforming into a massive maw of ice and darkness. Razor-sharp teeth of frozen malice yearned to close around their prey, promising a fate worse than death in their frigid embrace.