Round 41: Turmoil in the North (Part 1)

Snow continued to fall heavily in Deepflow City.
Looking out through the magically heated windows of the Crystal Tower, the city, usually radiant in the morning light, took on an air of solemnity and holiness beneath the snow cover—military camps and palace buildings on the mountains, stretching all the way to distant houses and spires, and… the sea, which should have been covered in waves but now lay covered in a grayish-white ice sheet.
“According to statistics from the Navy and Merchant Alliance, alone in Deepflow Port, dozens of sailboats have been damaged in this unprecedented marine ice disaster,” said Laila, standing beside Moriel with a cup of steaming milk tea. “When seawater freezes, it expands. First, ice nuclei form and sink, then larger ice blocks rise to the surface… Once the sea ice covers the entire sea, the resulting impact and pressure are unstoppable—even throwing fireballs at it won’t help.”
“Thank you for the breakfast, madam,” said Moriel. She hadn’t waited here nearly half the night just to hear Laila talk about sea ice disasters. “But… since Archmage Dairo asked Lady Xinbu to inform me last night that he wanted to meet with me, could I at least know when he will come?”
Laila smiled apologetically. It was a genuinely sincere smile, filled with equal kindness—Moriel really couldn’t believe she was the sister of the “Queen of Storms,” whom all the red-robed mages hated and feared.
“I apologize on his behalf, Miss Moriel,” said Laila. Her tone suggested she often handled such matters for Dairo. “He’s probably still in the Lord’s Council Hall… As you know, the more important and urgent the matter, the slower the bureaucracy becomes.”
Moriel said nothing more and continued to gaze out the window.
A group of soldiers passed by on the streets below; only their flags and helmets were visible above the snow-covered rooftops—this was already the fourth group of troops that morning.
Fortunately, Dairo didn’t make Moriel wait another whole day. The archmage now sat in front of her, arms crossed, looking serious.
“…So, we hope you can help us.”
The red-robed female mage didn’t respond immediately.
She thought for a moment before politely saying, “I’m surprised. Thank you for your kindness, but if even you… and Lady Xinbu’s powers can’t fully uncover the secrets behind this unusual winter, what role can I possibly play?”
“You’re too modest, Miss Moriel.” As the most powerful mage in the North, Dairo didn’t try to overwhelm her with his strength and remained patient despite her refusal. “The fact that you were able to track Lady Mist from the South all the way to Deepflow City and bring her here proves your strength. Lady Mist’s intentions, the strange behavior of the ice monsters in the North, and this abnormally cold winter… I believe there must be a connection between these things. By combining our strengths, we’ll surely be able to figure it out.”

“And now you’re the only mage in Deepstream City who truly understands prophecy spells, plus you’re a Red Robe Mage.” Xinbu was curled up on the sofa, squinting at the steam rising from the teacup in front of her, clearly distracted. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how to perform the Circle Ritual, girl!”

A few hours later.

“Are you really determined to do this?” Moriel examined the magical tattoo she’d inked on Dairo’s face. “This irregular Circle Ritual could cause permanent damage to those who aren’t Red Robe Mages… And I can’t guarantee it will work as expected. Besides, aren’t you worried I might try to manipulate things during the ritual?”

“Stop dawdling. There’s no other way now.” Xinbu touched her cheek. “But this damn thing had better be temporary, just as you promised… Get started already. My skin feels itchy already.”

Dairo glanced at Laila, who also had a tattoo. The intricate, twisted magical patterns covering half of her cheek added a touch of sultry beauty to the elegant noblewoman. “We’ll cooperate fully with you, Miss Moriel. If this winter truly brings terrible disasters… I think it won’t care about differences between mages or among people, and will strike down everyone equally!”

“Hmm! Go ahead and cast your spells. I’ll guard outside!” Chloe, with her hair cut short, clapped her hands. “No one’s allowed in!”

In the large laboratory at the top of the Crystal Tower, Moriel stood in the center.

She closed her eyes and opened her mind.

Three pulsating souls appeared around the female mage. Encircled by a ring of silver flames, Xinbu herself seemed to be burning like fire, with countless energy vortices colliding, merging, and splitting—like a bound magical hurricane. The power of Archmage Dairo was even harder to fathom—massive, resilient, stable, standing firm like a towering mountain. Even the weaker Laila made Moriel feel as graceful and calm as a lake.

The unique tattoo powers of the Red Robe Mages were embedded within them, allowing Moriel not only to sense their presence but also to create energy channels through the resonance of the tattoos. By leveraging their open minds as a support, she could manipulate the magic network more deeply, drawing their power to elevate her own spellcasting ability far beyond her true limits…

Sucking like vampires, using others’ abilities to strengthen oneself—this was the Circle Ritual of Red Robe Mages.

But for now, Moriel was merely carefully linking the minds of the four, using Dairo and the others as her support, so that if she ventured too deep into the unknown chaos, she wouldn’t get lost forever due to a depletion of power.

As for taking this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deal a heavy blow to the Red Robe Mage’s greatest enemy, Moriel merely mentioned it as a joke. Not only her former status as a Red Robe Mage, but even a true Red Robe Mage in her situation would never do such a thing—after all, who knew if Xinbu had any countermeasures? It wasn’t by becoming a hero remembered by colleagues that one became a Red Robe Mage.

Moriel recited the spell. The echoing syllables grew more and more, as if gathered by the crystal-walled laboratory and refusing to dissipate. They merged into new phrases, vibrating the air and stirring the omnipresent magic network.

Indescribable tremors spread along invisible paths, sending back pulsing waves of magic. The female mage absorbed them and wove them into countless threads that seeped into her body, blurring the boundaries between mind and reality.

Her mental projection detached from her body standing at the center of the spell circle, piercing through the roof of the crystal tower as if passing through a thin layer of mist. She continued ascending, seeing Deepflow City covered in snow clearly, then drifting above the frozen clouds. Eventually, even the sunlight vanished, leaving only cold darkness and the faint, silvery glow of stars drifting in the distance.

Moriel hesitated for a moment before flying north—perhaps she could find that fool’s whereabouts, though often she wished he’d stay frozen under the shattered glaciers forever!

She flew over vast, continuous mountain ranges, only seeing their vague shadows. Everything around her was blurred, as if trapped inside a massive block of ice. Moriel knew she couldn’t see everything clearly, not even with help—indeed, spreading her mental power over such a vast area could easily lead to getting lost forever if she wasn’t careful.

Some vague hints caught Moriel’s attention amidst the chaos. She amplified the power of her spell again, but still couldn’t discern any clues related to forty-seven.

It wasn’t enough. The female mage flew even further—through layers of time and space.

Something awaited her ahead, indistinct and hazy. Moriel pursued it into an even darker and colder world, trying to get closer until she entered a seemingly endless corridor. After what felt like an eternity, the fog ahead dissipated, revealing the exit of the corridor, where there was a faint light devoid of warmth.

She also saw…

Out of pure instinct, Moriel fled frantically. If not for the strength of Dailuo, Xinbu, and Laila holding her back, she might never have returned.

The moment her soul and body merged, Moriel felt an unbearable cold—so intense that it gave her the illusion of heat. Using her last remaining strength, she severed the connection of the spell circle, realizing at the same time that she was screaming.

To those who had just witnessed the ceremony, they saw flames of ice burst forth from the robed female mage, instantly freezing and cracking everything solid in the laboratory—the fierce silver flames ignited on Xinbu and surged toward Moriel.

Dailuo quickly made a few gestures, and a series of explosive sounds rang out in space, resulting from the neutralization of the icy energy capable of freezing the air through magic.

Layla stepped forward to support Moriel, who had collapsed. Silver-white flames surrounded her, emitting not heat but warmth, dispelling the cold within her from the inside out.

With a few crackling sounds, visible cracks appeared on the laboratory’s floor, walls, and ceiling. Even the crystal tower, fortified with multiple layers of protection and strong enough to withstand stone attacks, was damaged to such an extent by this intense icy cold!

It took a long time before Moriel could barely move her stiff fingers, trying to dispel the soul-rending cold inside her. The steaming milk tea turned icy cold almost as soon as it was served, forcing them to place it on a heater filled with coals.

“I think… I think you all saw it too,” the robed female mage said, her eyes half-closed, too weak even to pull her hand away from Chloe’s.

Archmage Dailuo, with a grim expression and not even bothering to wipe off his magic tattoos, spoke after a long pause. “Miss Moriel, if the vision you shared with us is real… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say this. Can you determine where it is?”

The female mage shook her head. “That’s all I saw. I can’t pinpoint its exact location. I just kept moving north until I finally saw it…”

“Anyway, it absolutely cannot and should not exist in the real world,” Xinbu said, her eyes burning like fire. “I thought it was just a legend… But now it seems the biggest problem is… it seems to be getting restless.”

Layla, bare-faced except for her tattoos, entered, clearly bringing no good news. “Captain Tig has sent word… The Ice Wind Fortress is under heavy attack.” She placed her hand on Dailuo’s shoulder. “The situation is very serious. They and the dwarves likely won’t hold out much longer.”

Inside the Hall of the Glorious Temple:

The impossibly high ceiling was adorned with massive murals depicting the Lord of Glory, Ammonra, leading his light priests to defeat and kill various monsters. Generations of skilled artisans had created this magnificent scene using brushes, pigments, various gems, and magic crystals. Looking up, there wasn’t a hint of wear on the entire mural ceiling; instead, it always shone with a sun-like brilliance—thanks to excellent lighting and what seemed to be magical refractive effects, there was hardly any shadow in the hall, as if everyone was bathed in light.

The square in front of the temple and the side halls were filled with the citizens of Deepflow City and adventurers from distant lands. Among them were those who usually didn’t pay much attention to the Sun God Amunra, but thanks to this bitterly cold winter, they now remembered to worship this glorious lord who could bring warmth and hope—seemingly, no matter in which world, there are always many who rush to seek help at the last moment.

“In just a few days, the situation in the north has become so severe?” Jane stood in front of the majestic statue of Amunra, whose sword was planted in the ground at the center of the hall. The face of the glorious lord was somewhat blurred by the light pouring down from the ceiling, but anyone who looked up at the statue could sense a faint yet overwhelming presence.

His divine power, like sunlight, could protect all things, but it could also destroy them.

“Yes. According to reports from the knights on the front lines, the monsters living on the Broken Icefields seem utterly insane…” Kassim, the holy warrior in charge of the operations of the Glory Temple and the Dawn Knights, held Jane in extraordinary respect, as if considering this blind female holy warrior made of ice to be a representative of the glorious lord on earth. “The Lord’s Alliance has publicly called for warriors and adventurers from guilds to go and support Icewind Fortress.”

“Hmm. It’s especially important at times like these that nothing goes wrong in Deepflow City.” Jane pondered for a moment. “We must do everything possible to help those struggling through the cold winter and snowstorms, to prevent unrest… regardless of whether they believe in my lord or not. I’ll leave this to you, Master Kassim.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, Jane.” Kassim nodded. “The Merchant Alliance has already mobilized as many resources as possible from various places to support Deepflow City and the north. I believe that with everyone’s efforts, we can overcome this crisis!”

Jane said nothing. She raised her head toward the statue before her, her silver eyes unfocused.

A holy warrior rushed into the hall, not even taking the time to pay a respectful glance at the statue.

“Archmage Dailoro has urgently summoned all the elite forces in the city. He wants us to head to the Crystal Tower immediately!”

Before the surprise on others’ faces could fade, Jane was already walking out of the hall.

“Please go inform Milia and Fiona.”

Two floors in the Crystal Tower were reserved specifically for the members of the Red Robe Mage Order.

“What does it have to do with us?” Kani pouted and sat down on the sofa, clearly displeased. “We Red Robe Mages aren’t mercenaries of Deepflow City! Why do we have to use the fortress’s supplies? Let whoever wants to guard Icewind Fortress go—otherwise, we can just retreat to Sel City…”

“Stop complaining,” Moriel said, waving his hand, his face still pale. “In this situation, no one can stay untouched.”

Nancy, wearing magically enhanced armor and a helmet, directed the tattooed warriors to carry boxes of wands into the room. The preparations were nearing completion; the other Red Robe Mages were either carefully checking their equipment or resting to regain their strength—all in order to protect themselves as much as possible in the upcoming battle.

“I’ll go see how Dailoro plans to send us to the front lines.” Moriel stood up, while Kani pretended to be asleep with her eyes closed.

“You’ve come at just the right time, Miss Moriel.” The archmage stood in the hall at the top of the Crystal Tower, with the sunset streaming in through the transparent spire, illuminating the magic pillars of varying heights around her. “We need to set off quickly… Archmage Himb and Miss Chloe, who are heading there to provide support, won’t be able to hold out much longer.” Dailuo held a black wooden staff that appeared ordinary on the outside but contained immense energy within. “Although I don’t possess the extraordinary power of the Archmages of the Agus Council to make an entire steel tower city soar through the skies… I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.” He raised the staff, and magic began to take shape as the pillars alternately lit up. Alarms rang out inside and outside the Crystal Tower, urging outsiders to leave quickly—now the tower was filled with mages, mercenaries, elite knights, skilled soldiers, experienced adventurers, and guild members, essentially bringing together all the most combat-effective people in Deepflow City. Though some were grumbling, this time the lords had given a strict order: if they wanted to stay in Deepflow City, they had to help. The Crystal Tower on the mountain peak began to glow, stunning those watching from afar. A massive amount of magic energy was gathering and flowing, forming a bright vortex above the tower. Flashes of light surrounded the tower, and in Moriel’s eyes, the archmage was using himself as a medium to connect the Crystal Tower to the magic network, feeding it endless amounts of energy until it was fully charged. Moriel felt herself starting to fade away. Amidst a blinding flash that forced everyone to cover their eyes, the Crystal Tower began to shake from top to bottom, like a shadow in ripples—when the light disappeared, the onlookers were astonished to find that the entire Crystal Tower had vanished into the snowfall. The female mage had barely recovered from the disorientation of spatial teleportation when she felt the mage tower shake violently. If it weren’t for Dailuo diverting the huge rock heading straight for the tower, the newly established tower might have been destroyed by that impact. Moriel steadied herself and leaned on a pillar to look outside. Though she had expected the battle here to be fierce, she hadn’t imagined it to be this intense. The furious shouts could be heard clearly even through the crystal windows, and slight vibrations came through her hands—everywhere she looked, battles were underway. The steep, towering mountains stretched like giant walls on both sides, extending to the edge of the world. The Crystal Tower stood atop a magnificent stone city—a man-made fortress carved into the towering peaks, a true marvel. The battlements built from rock connected together, making them impregnable; three layers of walls, each higher than the last, were as thick as cliffs, making it difficult even for birds to pass through; the Icewind Knights, based in this fortress, were the finest warriors, the pride of the North, along with the equally battle-hardened dwarf clans living here… The Icewind Fortress was the stronghold of humans in the North, controlling the world’s spine, a transit point to keep trade routes open, a bridgehead guarding the fractured glaciers, and a guardian ensuring the safety of its inhabitants.

After centuries of careful effort, this place has become an impregnable fortress that no one can breach—but the attackers before them are not human.
A vast, gentle slope in front of the fortress has come to life; almost every monster imaginable that dwells in the icy regions can be found here, and each one is far larger than its counterparts.
The first wall has already been occupied by the swarming monsters.
There’s no need for siege towers—giant frost lizards can climb vertical walls swiftly using their sharp, powerful claws. Their small eyes, hidden beneath thick ice-covered scales, emit a cold glow like ice balls. Arrows mean nothing to them; only the strongest barbarian warriors can wield giant axes or two-handed swords to pierce their rock-hard hides. Nor are trebuchets needed—frost giants, with steps that shake the earth, crush any monsters in their path as they advance. Beneath their ice-blue, uneven skin lie terrifying muscles capable of hurling rocks the size of tables at the fortress. The stones that nearly hit the crystal tower were their work. And then there are the howling packs of winter wolves, gathering outside the walls—their green eyes like countless wandering will-o’-the-wisps. Whatever falls into the fortress is immediately surrounded by the wolves, who tear it apart and devour it in an instant…
What on earth is going on?
Huge columns of fire rose from the walls. Seven or eight dazzling fire meteors burst forth from somewhere on the front line, arcing toward the frost giants who were approaching the walls with wooden poles made of entire trees, and exploded on them. Amidst the flying flesh and blood, the frost giants howled as they retreated before finally collapsing, buying the defenders some respite.
“I’ll go gather my men,” Moriel said without hesitation, turning and walking away.