A high-pressure stream of water shot out from the side, accurately hitting the snow bear’s face.
Water splashed everywhere, blinding the bear.
Laxus took the opportunity to land and rolled away to create distance.
Aether stood ten meters away, his hands forming seals.
“This place is full of snow; the Water element is the easiest to mobilize.” Aether stared at the two snow bears covered in water.
“Laxus, maximum output!
Hit the water on them!” Laxus didn’t waste words.
He pressed his hands together, golden lightning compressing wildly in his palms.
“Thunder Pressure Surge!” A pillar of lightning pierced through the snowstorm and struck the snow bears.
The Electro element met the Water element.
The electro-charged reaction triggered.
The violent current ignored the physical defense of the fur, traveling through the water directly into the snow bears’ nervous systems.
The two three-meter-tall beasts twitched all over and collapsed with a thud.
Seeing this, the remaining four snow bears immediately scattered, flanking them from four directions.
“How much longer can your magic last?” Laxus asked, panting.
“Two more large-scale spells,” Aether estimated the remaining amount in his body.
“Not enough,” Laxus gritted his teeth.
“These beasts’ hides are too thick.” Gildarts stood behind them, arms crossed.
“Aether, don’t just think about your elemental reactions,” Gildarts’ voice pierced the snowstorm.
“A Mage’s body is the strongest weapon.
Concentrate your magic in your muscles and bones, and use your fists to feel the weight of magic!” Aether was stunned for a moment.
Bennett’s memories surged in his mind.
That unlucky Adventurer, when he had no elemental Vision or power from a Vision, relied on swinging his sword and falling down time and again to hone his physical techniques.
Aether drew the short sword from his waist.
He abandoned long-range elemental channeling.
The Fire element circulated within his body, gathering in his legs and right arm through his meridians.
It wasn’t being released, but restrained within.
A snow bear pounced in front of him, its foul breath hitting his face.
Aether didn’t retreat.
His right foot crushed the ice as his body sank at an incredible angle, dodging the snow bear’s swipe.
He swung his short sword upward from below.
The blade was coated in high-density Fire-attribute magic, glowing with a dark red light.
“Passion Overload!” The blade sliced through the fur on the snow bear’s belly.
The flames erupted the moment they made contact, tearing the wound open and cauterizing it.
The snow bear retreated with a scream of pain.
Aether used the counterforce to slide across the snow, pressing his left hand onto the ground.
“Rock.” A sharp rock pillar erupted from beneath the snow, precisely impaling the snow bear’s lower jaw.
The third one was dealt with.
Laxus also used close-range lightning to knock down the fourth one.
Seeing things go south, the remaining two snow bears turned and fled, quickly vanishing into the blizzard.
Aether sheathed his short sword and knelt on the snow, panting heavily.
His right arm muscles throbbed with pain from forcibly containing the high-density magic.
“Not bad,” Gildarts walked over and tossed a water bottle to Aether.
“Compressing magic within your body allows you to maximize that pitifully small total magic power of yours.
Your combat instincts are sharp, but your body is too weak.” Aether took the bottle and gulped some down; the icy water cleared his head a bit.
“Keep moving.
We need to cross this mountain before dark,” Gildarts pointed ahead.
The three continued forward.
The blizzard grew even fiercer.
By evening, they reached the heart of Ice Wind Valley.
At the entrance of the canyon ahead stood several crude wooden watchtowers.
A black flag hung from the towers, depicting a skull dripping with blood.
The stronghold of the Dark Guild, “Frost Wolf Fang.” The guards on the watchtowers spotted them.
Piercing alarms echoed through the blizzard.
Dozens of Mages in black leather armor poured out of the camp, weapons in hand, as magic circles lit up one after another among the crowd.
“Is this your mission objective?” Laxus cracked his knuckles, lightning dancing across his body.
Gildarts didn’t look at the fodder.
His gaze bypassed the camp and fixed on the depths of the canyon.
Aether noticed it too.
Amidst the chaotic magic fluctuations, an extremely cold and pure magic power was rapidly approaching.
That magic merged perfectly with the snowfield environment, to the point where even the wind and snow seemed to make way for it.
“This Make speed…” Gildarts narrowed his eyes.
Deep in the canyon, behind the camp.
A massive ice wall rose from the ground without warning, splitting the entire Dark Guild camp in two.
The surface of the ice wall was as smooth as a mirror, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
Several Dark Mages who tried to climb the ice wall were frozen into ice sculptures the moment they touched the surface.
A voice drifted slowly through the blizzard.
“Ice-Make: Lance.” Countless sharp ice spears condensed in mid-air and poured down like a torrential rain, pinning the feet of those Dark Mages to the ground and blocking all paths of retreat.
Aether’s eyes widened.
It wasn’t Gray.
The weight of the magic was wrong.
The snow cleared slightly.
A woman with short black hair, wearing a long white trench coat, stepped out across the ice.
Her eyes were cold, and her hands were still held in an Ice-Make magic stance.
Ur.
An Ice-Make Mage.
The absolute powerhouse who, in the original work, sacrificed her life to seal Deliora.
Gildarts held down his cloak and a wild smile curled on his lips.
“It seems this mission won’t be too boring after all.”
Maybe it’s not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”