Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The ice surface of the Frozen Lake wasn’t as smooth as they had imagined. It felt as though it was an extension of the earth and its bone-piercing chills punctured their soles and spread into their feet. Not only that, but the chilliness also sent shivers down their spines. Even though the mercenaries wore thick boots, they felt as though they were walking barefooted in a world of ice and snow.
Ice-cold breeze scratched their ears and the tranquil massive lake was filled with only the clomping of the mercenaries’ boots. Most of the mercenaries held shields in their left hand and swords on the other, scanning the surrounding vigilantly under Marfa’s lead. Meanwhile, Rhode casually strode in front of them with the Ocean Elves.
At this moment, there were sudden movements in all directions. A dozen human-shaped and ice-formed figures crawled out of the ice surface. Unlike humans, the figures didn’t have faces, facial features, and two razor-sharp ice blades substituted their palms. They let out deep growls at the mercenaries.
They’re here.
Rhode twitched his brows. He knew what they were—Ice Creatures. They didn’t have any IQ but were abnormally aggressive. The situation would be dire if the mercenaries were contained by the Ice Creatures in their home ground. However, Rhode was confident in facing them.
More and more Ice Creatures crawled out and instead of attacking immediately, they wandered around the mercenaries like a pack of wolves eyeing their prey. However, Rhode knew that they wouldn’t wait for long and they would pounce on the mercenaries as soon as they spotted an opening. Not only that, but the monsters would also reborn with the never-ending water source if they were defeated. If that happened, it would become a fierce battle for Starlight.
Fortunately, Rhode had his ways around them.
He extended his right hand and a pitch-black card emerged out of thin air and floated above his palm. He looked straight at the creatures that had sealed their path entirely and ordered without turning back. “Agatha. Now!”
The Ocean Elves held hands and gazed at the ferocious creatures calmly. Shortly after, the Ocean Elves widened their mouths and sang a melodious song that filled the entire place.
Their voices were elegant, but the Ice Creatures instantly snarled as though they had just heard the calling of death from the Grim Reaper. They raised their razor-sharp ice blades and pounced forward furiously!
“Attack!” Rhode stepped forward without hesitation.
He swung his arm to the side and a pitch-black sword emerged in his hand. Whoosh! The malevolent pitch-black sword extended and lashed at the growling creatures like a whip — Pow! Pow! Several creatures shattered and their ice debris vanished instantly.
The mercenaries didn’t stand idly either.
Marfa stabled his footing and watched attentively at the enemies. He reached out for the badge pinned on his chest and rotated it. In the blink of an eye, indistinct red flames burst out from the badge and shrouded Marfa completely, igniting fiery sparks on his blade. At this moment, an Ice Creature had leaped and brandished its ice blade at Marfa.
“Heyah!” Marfa thrust the steel shield on his left arm forward, crushing the Ice Creature and a burst of white vapor spurted out from its body.
The Ice Creature wailed painfully. As it waved its arms and escape from its torment, an unflustered mercenary had risen his sword and slashed the creature into half.
It seems effective.
Rhode struck off the Ice Creatures’ attacks and swept a glance at his mercenaries. There were no doubts about the effects of the Elemental Badge that Lapis had created — The Four Elements Badge could utilize unique elemental powers by changing its form and shroud the holder’s entirety including the weapon. Not only could it toughen the holder against pure elemental creatures, but it could also bring on more variety of battle styles. Although constructing the badges cost the Guild a huge sum of gold, the current situation proved that it was worth every buck. Moreover, Lapis’s talent as an Alchemist Master brought improved effects to the badges. Currently, his mercenaries possessed about 35% elemental attribute powers and it wouldn’t pose a problem for them to face these creatures with their strength.
Rhode turned to Agatha and the three other Ocean Elves behind him. The Ocean Elves were still holding hands and singing aloud a beautiful song. However, Rhode didn’t invite them here to promote morale. In the Water Elemental Plane, every Ocean Elves faced obstructions and raids from several Ice Devils whenever they migrated. The Ocean Elves would then sing loudly and the extremely vicious Ice Devils would flee as though they had heard some unbearable rumbles.
Although Rhode didn’t know if it was the ultrasound or infrasonic waves that provoked the Ice Devil’s senses, he was sure that the Ice Devil was highly sensitive to the Ocean Elves’ singing voice and it couldn’t turn a deaf ear to them. Of course. It would still be far from chasing the Ice Devil away with Agatha and the number of Ocean Elves here. However, even if they weren’t able to chase it away, they were at least able to wake it from its slumber and lure it to attack. Everything would turn out well as long as the Ice Devil revealed itself.
“Awesome…” The young man stood in the forest beside the lake and widened his eyes in astonishment.
Even his father, the reticent Law Enforcing Officer, was expressing a face of shock. This wasn’t the first time that they witnessed a battle between mercenaries and the creatures, but they had never seen such a scene. The mercenaries in the past often flustered when they faced the creatures emerging to the surface. Although they remained calm in the beginning, they often collapsed and fled away quickly. Apart from their numerous amount, their bodies were also extremely tough. He had personally seen a mercenary failing to leave a scratch on the Ice Creature with a sword. The young man doubted the mercenaries because there were only about 30 of them so how could they be compared to the mercenaries in the past? They failed when they had over a hundred mercenaries, so what could 30 mercenaries do?
But now, this thought no longer clouded his mind.
Half an hour had gone after the creatures emerged. However, the mercenaries didn’t seem exhausted at all. Instead, they fought bravely and appeared to be much stronger than the past mercenaries. The invulnerable creatures had as though softened where a single slash of the blade was enough to slaughter them.
The young man was most astonished that the black-haired young man who looked like a beautiful woman didn’t seem any older than him and the Ice Creatures couldn’t even get past him. The black-haired young man attracted most of the creatures’ attention by standing in the front and every time a dozen creatures pounced on him, dazzling blade rays flashed and the creatures would shatter entirely. Meanwhile. the black-haired young man continued to stand on the same spot and didn’t move an inch.
They are actually that powerful?
As the young man was astounded by the mercenaries’ strength, he suddenly felt trembles on the ground. He looked down and discovered a massive shadow flit by underneath the dazzling ice surface. Shortly after, an explosion boomed and the thick, solid ice layer ruptured!
