Chapter Twelve: Head-On Collision (2)
The ice lake was located in the central region of the Greenland Forest. In fact, it wasn’t very far from the passage that ran through the forest, which was also the main reason why this passage always gave off a gloomy atmosphere. The constant chill spread everywhere, keeping the passage cold even during the height of summer.
When Shatima reluctantly put on her clothes again and joined Rebrí and Vladkov at the edge of the ice lake, she realized it was far from as simple as she had imagined. The vast expanse of the lake emitted a faint chill, and in the distance, a silver-white snow peak stood tall in the heart of the lake. Several miles around the peak were covered in ice and frost, and even by the lake’s edge, the thickness of the ice could be felt. The magical beasts and animals active on the ice left Shatima, Rebrí, and Vladkov in awe.
Snow monkeys, rock-splitting snakes, long-haired maurs, and red-flame tigers—rare magical beasts that were almost never seen on the continent—were all present here. Even the mountain-devouring azure dragons, which had become extinct on the continent, were playing in the lake. This sight filled Shatima’s eyes with excitement, while Rebrí couldn’t help but swallow hard. These magical beasts were invaluable treasures, their materials essential for crafting magical artifacts. In particular, the mountain-devouring azure dragons, being magical beasts of both water and earth elements, had crystals that were natural treasures for enhancing a mage’s power. Their scales were also excellent materials for resisting attacks from both water and earth magic. If a skilled magical artifact craftsman could use these scales to create armor, it would undoubtedly be the dream weapon for any paladin.
Seeing Shatima’s eager expression, Lebrí knew that this beautiful dragon with a human heart was likely determined to kill. The Mountain Devouring Azure Dragon had some ancestral connection to the dragon race. If they could slay it and devour its magic crystals, those crystals, sharing such a connection, would undoubtedly greatly enhance this beautiful dragon’s magic power, even allowing it to return to its peak physical condition. Yet, the Mountain Devouring Azure Dragon was no easy opponent. Though it didn’t dare confront genuine dragons head-on, this was its long-time lair. Challenging it here without proper preparation would be a disaster, especially with so many other exotic magical beasts around. Their main task was to find the pack of gray wolves, and pursuing the Mountain Devouring Azure Dragon would surely disrupt their plans. Although Lebrí disapproved of Komer’s ambush plan, he had no habit of breaking his promises once he agreed to something.
“Miss Shatima, we can’t act rashly. We need to find the gray wolves first.” Seeing Shatima’s magic power surging, Lebrí had to remind her and stop her impulsiveness. “That Mountain Devouring Azure Dragon isn’t easy to deal with. Look, there are Rock Splitting Snakes and Snow Monkeys around it. If we provoke them, they’ll think we’ve invaded their territory and attack us all together.”
“Mr. Lebrí, are you even afraid of a single Mountain Devouring Azure Dragon? As for those little creatures, they’ll just tremble in fear before me and surrender. I need that dragon’s magic crystals. Everything else on it can be yours and Mr. Vladkov. How about that? It’s a great deal, hehehehe!”
Shatima’s seductive laughter made both Lebrí and Vladkov’s skin tingle. Only the lord seemed quite interested in this promiscuous woman. Unaware of the situation, Vladkov even regretted Komer’s preferences—remaining indifferent to so many pure and lovely girls just because of such a whore-like woman.
“Miss Shatima, what exactly did Lord Komer instruct us to do?” Lebrí smiled slightly. “We’ve come here with a mission. If we fail to accomplish Lord Komer’s important task, we won’t be able to face him. The pack of gray wolves must be nearby. If we attack the Mountain Devouring Azure Dragon, we’ll alert it and ruin everything.”
Shatima rolled her azure eyes reluctantly and said resentfully, “Without the pack of gray wolves, we can still take care of those wretched creatures. That guy, Komer, is too cowardly and overly cautious—lacking any semblance of a leader. I reckon he’ll end up dying young anyway.” As she cursed in frustration, Shatima also knew that without the help of Rebrí and Vladkov, the Mountain Green Dragon would easily escape her grasp in this land, especially since her physical strength hadn’t fully recovered yet.
“Well, I agree. How about you take action and deal with him first?” Rebrí added casually, “That way we can avoid a lot of trouble.” Hearing Rebrí’s words, even Shatima, who was out of touch with the world, realized he was deliberately mocking her. She glared at him before saying, “Mr. Rebrí, don’t provoke me. If you really annoy me one day, I’d really like to see just how capable you human mages really are.”
“Sure, Lord Komer and I are both eager to learn from you. But before that, we still need to follow Lord Komer’s orders, right?” Rebrí replied with a fake smile. This guy was finally showing his true colors—human mages speaking in the tone of other races. Fortunately, Vladkov wasn’t paying attention to his words; otherwise, he might have noticed something suspicious.
“Where the hell have those damned gray wolves gone? I’m going to catch them all and skin them alive!” Unable to find an outlet for her anger, Shatima swung her dragon spear wildly. A fierce gust of wind was generated by the spear, and an ice-blue energy burst from its tip. Three thick fir trees were cut down as if by a giant axe, swaying slightly before crashing to the ground.
Surprised by the dragon maiden’s formidable strength, Vladkov glanced at her but stayed silent. It was Rebrí who shrugged and said, “Miss Shatima, if you really have too much energy, why not go around the lake first to see where those gray wolves might be hiding? That would also help us plan an ambush.”
“Go around the lake? Mr. Rebrí, it sounds easy for you to say. That’s at least a hundred miles around the lake. It’s impossible to spot the wolves hiding in the bushes by the lake—it’s completely useless,” Shatima snorted. “You must have some way to search. Random searching like this isn’t a solution.”
Rebri laughed. It seemed this dragon girl wasn’t stupid either. Though she still lacked understanding of social nuances, she knew that searching in this way wouldn’t work. Just as she was about to reply, she heard Vladkov let out an “Huh?” Following Vladkov’s wary gaze, Rebri immediately spotted several vague figures appearing by the ice lake several miles away. Shatima also became excited right away. The sudden appearance of people in this remote place must mean something strange. These past few days had been dull, and Rebri wouldn’t budge no matter what, while Vladkov ignored her, making it hard for Shatima to take her anger out on anyone. Now, at last, there was something to do.
“Hehe, Mr. Rebri, I can smell magic. It seems those guys are magicians just like you. What are they doing? Hunting?” Shatima was so excited she almost jumped up, her dragon spear waving wildly, ready to rush toward them at any moment.
“Wait, Miss Shatima. Something doesn’t seem right. Let’s observe first and see where they come from and what they’re doing here.” The experienced Rebri immediately realized the anomaly. Although the Greenland Forest wasn’t a forbidden area, places like the ice lake were virtually uninhabited by humans. While magicians might need materials for magical artifacts, it was unlikely they would personally come to these primeval forests to hunt for them. They usually obtained such items from magic material merchants or adventurers. Adventuring and hunting for magic materials were the means of livelihood for adventurers and exploration teams. Some mercenaries might do it temporarily for money, but magicians generally wouldn’t resort to such methods. And it was rare to see several magicians appearing at once.
“Uh, five, six, seven, eight. Huh, Mr. Rebrí, I can see eight magicians or spellcasters in mage robes within my line of sight. It’s quite unusual to have so many magicians gathered together. Hmm, there are two more over there, who seem to be magicians as well. Let me count those in knightly attire—seven, seven knights, all wearing knightly armor and cloaks. It seems they’re all knights of the Light Church. Hey, that guy seems to be using a Holy Light Spear blessed by the Light Church. There’s such a strong aura of light; I can feel it even from this distance. That guy is quite arrogant, using combat energy to force out the sacred power of the Holy Light Spear just to show off. That’s way too much.”
Vladkov narrowed his eyes and hid in the bushes, observing while quietly reporting what he saw to Rebrí, who had already cast two concealment and disguise spells of earth and wood types right away. These spells allowed one’s own aura to blend into the surrounding environment in a special way, preventing enemy magicians from detecting them using special search spells or visual observation—especially effective in wilderness areas like forests and mountains.
“Who are these guys, and what are they doing here?” Vladkov couldn’t help but mutter. “How coincidental—we came here, and they came here too?”