Akros Zero
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16) Qin Yu'er
🕑 Added 2025-12-31 14:51:09 +0000 UTC...
{3rd Pov}
“Yu’er, don’t you think that guy is after you?” a female mage friend of Qin Yu’er said quietly, tilting her head as she subtly pointed toward Zu Xingyi, who immediately looked away the moment he noticed her gaze lingering on him.
Qin Yu’er simply smiled in response, her expression calm and composed, and replied, “I doubt that’s the case.”
Her tone carried neither embarrassment nor interest, as if the topic itself wasn’t worth thinking about too deeply.
Meanwhile, her female friend—someone Qin Yu’er had gotten to know after joining the National Team for the upcoming World Tournament—snickered inwardly.
On the surface, she maintained a friendly expression, but inside her mind, her thoughts were far less pleasant.
She was jealous of Qin Yu’er.
After all, Qin Yu’er was just a commoner magician, someone without a powerful background, noble lineage, or major backing.
And yet, despite that, she had somehow risen to become one of the strongest members of the National Team.
That fact alone made her stand out far too much, attracting attention, admiration, and opportunities that others felt should have belonged to her instead.
The World Tournament was a special event held on a global scale once every four years, where mages from all around the world gathered to compete in various games and challenges, most of which mainly involved fighting against each other.
It was not just a simple competition, but one of the most important events in the entire magical world.
This tournament held huge significance worldwide.
It directly affected the distribution of resources, the formation of global alliances, and even made it much easier to spread the fame and reputation of each country along with its most outstanding mages.
Victories and rankings in the World Tournament often decided which nations would gain influence, power, and respect on the global stage.
The tournament itself was held based on the principle that every country deserved access to resources of all Elements.
For example, one country might possess abundant resources related to the Fire Element but severely lack resources associated with the Thunder Element.
By participating in the World Tournament, every country in the world contributed a large amount of the elemental resources they possessed into a common pool.
Later, once the tournament concluded, these pooled resources were redistributed according to each country’s ranking and performance.
This system ensured that participating nations would receive resources across all Elements rather than being restricted to only what naturally existed within their own borders.
Next, countries formed alliances based on their performance in the tournament, since the performance of their participants directly reflected the overall strength of each nation.
Countries with similar levels of strength naturally came together to form alliances, allowing them to jointly control, manage, and distribute their local resources.
Because of this system, even countries that performed poorly in the tournament didn’t suffer too badly, as their alliance partners helped balance out the losses and disadvantages.
At the same time, big clans, powerful families, and major corporations also used the World Tournament as a stage to display their own influence and power.
They did this through the participants they sponsored, who might have been their own clan members or simply individuals chosen to represent them.
A strong showing by a sponsored participant could greatly increase the prestige and authority of the organization backing them.
In essence, the World Tournament was a massive stage for fame, power, and distribution of resources.
Its importance was undeniable on a global scale, because most of the resources distributed through the tournament were essential for Novice Tier to Advanced Tier Mages.
These resources could directly strengthen a nation’s overall magical foundation and significantly increase the military might of the country as a whole.
Now, the current China National Team included Qin Yu’er, an enigmatic mage who came from a completely commoner background and yet possessed terrifying strength as an Ice Magician.
Information about her other Elements was completely unknown, as she had never once used any Element other than the Ice Element in public.
Because of this, both her teammates and admirers gave her the nickname “Ice Queen.”
Her cold temperament in battle and overwhelming ice-based combat power only reinforced that title further.
At the same time, the team also included Zu Xingyi, the only biological grandson of the Zu Clan’s Third Grandfather, Zu Huanyao.
Zu Huanyao himself was an extremely influential figure—serving as the Vice-President of the Dubai Magic Association as well as a member of the Holy City’s officials.
Zu Xingyi was clearly representing the Zu Clan in this World Tournament, and from the very moment he laid eyes on Qin Yu’er, he became instantly smitten by her.
Despite being a commoner mage with no noble lineage or major backing, Qin Yu’er earned her place in China’s National Team purely through her sheer talent and overwhelming combat prowess.
Because of her strength, she was also representing several organizations within China, one of which was an Ice Clan.
However, what most people didn’t know was the truth behind her connection to that clan.
In reality, Qin Yu’er had originally been a member of that Ice Clan, but she was abandoned at a young age because of her terrifying constitution as an Ice Calamity bearer.
Her uncontrollable power was seen as a curse rather than a blessing.
It was only after she reached the Advanced Mage Tier and gained some degree of control over her own strength that the Ice Clan finally approached her again.
They offered sponsorship and support, promising that she could return to the clan—on the condition that she represented them in the World Tournament and brought glory to their name.
Qin Yu’er accepted the deal without hesitation, not only because she wanted to return to society, but also because she wanted to prove something important.
She wanted to show the world that people like her—the so-called “Calamity Bearers”—were not existences that deserved fear and hatred.
Instead, she wanted to prove that they could stand on the front lines and help the nation and humanity fight against the Monster kind that threatened the world.
That was precisely why the stage of the World College Tournament was so important to her.
On that stage, the eyes of the entire world would be focused on her.
The great Clans, powerful Families, influential Organizations, and governments from all over the world would be watching her every move.
It was the perfect opportunity for her to demonstrate her worth and show that Calamity Bearers like herself were not monsters to be feared, but valuable assets who could protect humanity and contribute to the future.
She believed that by standing there and fighting with everything she had, she could finally prove that Calamity Bearers should not be ostracized, rejected, or cast aside simply because of what they were born with.
She wanted to change how people saw her kind and allow others like her to live without fear or discrimination.
Alas, what Qin Yu’er didn’t know was the real reason the world feared Calamity Bearers.
It wasn’t because they caused calamities wherever they went, nor because they were inherently destructive.
The truth was far darker.
The world feared them because of their potential—because if Calamity Bearers were allowed to grow freely and reach their full strength, they could one day become powerful enough to threaten governments, disrupt established systems, and challenge the ruling class itself.
Astreo, who had finally reached the location where the team members were staying, observed them secretly from a distance alongside Xyra.
To ensure there were no complications, he had already given Xyra an Emperor Grade locket that possessed a powerful concealment effect, perfectly hiding her presence and aura from detection.
‘Master, is that her? The girl you told me about?’ Xyra asked telepathically through their contract, subtly directing her attention toward Qin Yu’er without revealing anything outwardly.
‘Yes, she is the one,’ Astreo replied calmly within her mind.
‘And you should understand now why I want her under me.’
‘Hmm… an Ice Element blessed human,’ Xyra responded thoughtfully, her gaze fixed on Qin Yu’er.
‘Or should I call her an Ice Calamity bearer? That’s what they are calling humans like her now, huh?’
Xyra carefully observed Qin Yu’er’s appearance.
She had beautiful silver hair cascading naturally down her shoulders, shimmering faintly under the light.
Her eyes were a frosty blue, clear and sharp, and her facial features were extremely beautiful, enough to draw attention even in a crowd full of talented mages.
Most striking of all was the blue soul bead embedded on her forehead, right between her eyebrows, radiating a faint yet mysterious cold aura.
Contrary to what she would become in the future as an Ice Calamity bearer, Qin Yu’er at this stage appeared far more open and expressive.
She didn’t seem withdrawn or cold toward others.
Instead, she could be seen communicating freely with her teammates, occasionally smiling and speaking casually.
In particular, she seemed closest to the female mage friend she had made, interacting with her more comfortably than with the others.
Watching this scene, Astreo silently analyzed everything, knowing full well that this woman’s future path—and the world’s reaction to her—would eventually change drastically.
As his focus shifted towards the woman he was talking with he noticed something instantly.
Due to Astreo’s Psychic Element, he was already able to detect the subtle yet clear negative emotions emanating from Qin Yu’er’s so-called friend.
He couldn’t help but shake his head slightly when he sensed the depth of her disappointment, jealousy, and hidden malice.
‘That woman who is pretending to be a good friend is actually jealous of her,’ Astreo thought coldly, ‘and she is already plotting how to throw Qin Yu’er off the National Team.’
The hypocrisy was almost laughable.
On the surface, she acted friendly and supportive, but beneath that mask, her intentions were anything but pure.
The National Team of China itself was selected through a deeply flawed process.
Most of the members were not chosen purely based on merit or strength, but rather through votes cast by major clans, the government, and various powerful organizations.
Only a small number of positions were decided through the National Tournament itself, and even those participants were often treated as mere substitutes, easily replaced if they failed to secure enough backing or political support.
Because of this system, truly talented individuals without strong backgrounds were constantly at risk of being pushed aside, regardless of their actual strength or potential.
Watching Qin Yu’er’s situation unfold, Astreo finally understood many things.
‘No wonder China’s performance has been so bad compared to other countries,’ Astreo thought, recalling how China had ranked low for many consecutive World Tournaments.
With talent being suppressed by politics, jealousy, and internal power struggles, failure was not just possible—it was inevitable.
Although some officials in Versatile Mage argued that China had been facing one of the most dangerous Monster Kingdoms in the world and that the distribution of resources therefore didn’t make much sense, that explanation alone was far from sufficient for China's bad performance and excuse of why they should get more resources.
The deeper issue lay elsewhere.
China was a nation fundamentally ruled by Clans.
Commoners were constantly suppressed by these so-called Young Masters and Young Misses, people who were bathed in the best cultivation resources from the moment of their awakening.
Meanwhile, commoner mages often struggled just to obtain basic Magic Crystals.
And yet, when those pampered clan heirs defeated commoners who had grown strong purely through effort, everyone would cheer as if those Young Masters and Young Misses were dragons and phoenixes descending from the heavens.
The imbalance was ridiculous.
‘Master, she can become an extremely powerful human if we provide her properly,’ Xyra said telepathically, her tone thoughtful.
‘She could potentially possess battle prowess comparable to a Mid–High Emperor.’
As she spoke, she recalled old memories passed down through her lineage—stories about previous Calamity Bearers and the terrifying heights they had reached.
These were tales she had once heard from her grandmother long ago, warnings and legends mixed together.
‘Hmm,’ Astreo replied calmly within her mind.
‘We need her to come to my side willingly. And Xyra, I also want to use this stage to promote the name of the Star Emperor.’
His intent was clear and deliberate.
After all, building the image of a powerful Emperor-level existence would be extremely useful in the future.
A name carried weight, and fear, respect, and awe could open doors far more easily than brute force alone.
With that in mind, Astreo finalized his decision.
Thus, he prepared himself to finally meet the Ice Calamity Bearer of this era.
…
Qin Yu’er could clearly remember how, on that fated day years ago, when she was merely ten years old, she awakened magic on her own.
Not only that, she awakened the Ice Element as her very first element.
Under normal circumstances, an early awakening was considered an extremely joyful and fortunate event.
It meant that the person possessed outstanding magical talent and could begin cultivating far earlier than most others, gaining a significant advantage in the long run.
It should have been a proud and celebratory moment for her family and clan.
It should have been something worth boasting about for generations to come.
…Only if her awakening had not been accompanied by an Ice Storm.
From that day onward, strange and terrifying phenomena began to occur around her. Occasional snowstorms would suddenly appear without warning, and whenever her emotions were not properly controlled, her magic would burst out uncontrollably.
When that happened, everything in her vicinity would be frozen solid.
What started as small areas gradually expanded, sometimes affecting an entire region.
Houses, land, animals, and even people were turned into ice sculptures in moments of chaos.
With each incident, fear toward her only grew.
After repeated losses and countless accidents—situations where even her own family members and clan elders were harmed or nearly killed by her uncontrollable Ice magic—their patience finally ran out.
What was once pride turned into dread, and affection slowly transformed into rejection.
In the end, they made a cruel decision.
They abandoned her in the Tianshan Mountains, leaving her there alone so that she would stay far away from them, believing that distancing themselves from her was the only way to protect their lives and preserve the clan.
They called her the Calamity that had been foretold in her clan, the existence that would one day bring destruction to everything they had built.
Because of that label alone, one could easily imagine how she was treated after her awakening, and why she lost control of her emotions so many times afterward.
Fear, rejection, and hatred surrounded her from every direction, leaving her with no sense of safety or belonging.
At first, even after she was abandoned, some of her family members and clan elders still visited her in that lonely place.
They would come occasionally, checking on her from a distance, speaking carefully, as if afraid that even their words might provoke disaster.
However, as time passed, their visits became less frequent. Soon, they stopped coming altogether.
She could still remember how she waited for months, staring at the empty paths of that frozen land, hoping that someone—anyone—would come to see her.
Being a smart girl, she eventually understood the truth.
She had been abandoned completely, not only by her clan, but most importantly by her own family.
She could still remember their gazes clearly.
Eyes filled with disgust and fear, avoiding her presence whenever possible.
They cursed her for their losses, blamed her for every accident, every problem, every tragedy that had occurred since her awakening.
And in the end, without shouting or dramatic words, they silently chose to abandon her, leaving her alone with the name they had branded onto her—Ice Calamity Bearer.
She cried for hours on end, her sobs echoing weakly as the storm over the Tianshan Mountains continued to rage violently, freezing everything in the surrounding vicinity.
Snow, ice, and howling winds swallowed the land completely, reflecting the chaos in her heart.
It was only after she cried herself into exhaustion and finally fell asleep that her tears stopped, her small body unable to endure any more grief.
When she woke up the next day, her eyes swollen and her mind numb, she immediately noticed that something new had appeared within her Spiritual Sea.
Floating quietly there was an Ice Element Stardust Cloud, calm and stable, unlike the uncontrollable storms she had unleashed before.
The Star Cultivation System was known as the easiest and most widely promoted magic cultivation system in the world.
Despite its obvious disadvantages and limitations, it was simple to practice and easy to understand.
Because of that, older and more complex magic systems had long since become obsolete and were gradually forgotten by the world.
Her magic, responding instinctively to her emotions and desperate desire for control, had transformed itself into this Ice Element Stardust Cloud.
It was as if her power itself wanted to help her cultivate more easily and restrain the destructive force she carried, giving her a chance to survive rather than be consumed by it.
“I–I won’t cry anymore,” young Qin Yu’er said quietly, clenching her small fists as she steadied her breathing.
“I will prove to everyone that I am not a monster… that I can be loved.”
With trembling hands, she opened the cultivation manual her family had brought for her before abandoning her at the Tianshan Mountains.
She sat down in a lotus position and began cultivating exactly according to the instructions written in the book.
At first, the process was slow and extremely painful, both physically and mentally, but she persevered without stopping.
She followed every line carefully, repeating the cultivation steps again and again, refusing to give up no matter how difficult it became.
After that day, a long period of time passed.
It wasn’t until she reached seventeen years old, and finally became an Advanced Tier Mage, that she was truly able to control her magic and prevent it from going completely out of control.
Only then did the constant fear of freezing everything around her finally ease, allowing her to live without being terrified of her own power.
Once she gained that level of control, she left the Tianshan Mountains and stepped back into the world to explore it on her own terms.
After that, she joined the Imperial Magic Academy, where her overwhelming Ice Element strength quickly made her stand out.
Through countless battles and performances, she earned the title of the Ice Queen, a name that spread rapidly among students and instructors alike.
It was only after this that her former clan finally noticed her existence again.
Upon seeing how powerful she had become, and realizing that she had gained firm control over her once-feared magic, they decided to approach her once more.
Believing that her strength could now benefit them, they chose to take her back into the clan, as if the past abandonment had never happened.
However, they raised a condition before agreeing to take her back.
They stated that they would provide her with one vote, alongside the another vote she had already secured from the Imperial Magic Academy, allowing her to officially participate in the World College Tournament.
In return, she would be required to bring glory to the clan through her performance in the tournament.
Only if she succeeded in doing so would they formally accept her back into the clan as one of their members.
Qin Yu’er accepted this condition, but not because she desperately wanted to reunite with her family or reclaim her old place in the clan.
Her motivations ran much deeper than that.
She wanted to use the World College Tournament as a grand stage to prove a point to the entire world—that Calamity Bearers like her should not be feared, rejected, or treated as monsters, but instead could stand as guardians of mankind, protecting humanity rather than threatening it.
To be continued...
