Chapter 123
Chapter 123
Whoooooosh!
A blizzard raged.
The sight spread across the white snowfield looked like a scene out of a fantasy.
Ice crystals shaped like snowflakes floated into the air, forming a vortex, and beneath the gray sky, the shining fragments sparkled like starlight.
However, this place was not an illusion, but a battlefield.
I extended my sword forward.
The aura flowing from my fingertips gathered at the tip of the blade, forming a sharp chill. Ice bloomed along the sword’s body, and in an instant, it transformed into a jet-black ice sword (氷劍).
The frost blade, shining coldly, was ready to pierce the heart of the snowfield.
"Prepare!"
At my shout, the White Wolf Knights reacted immediately.
They formed groups of four, raising their shields and leveling their spears. The demons rising from the snow lowered their stances, their eyes gleaming as they tightened the encirclement.
Demons.
Those who had hidden beneath the snow, aiming for the hunters of the snowfield.
But now, the prey had changed.
"Craaaak!"
The foremost demon roared as it charged.
With a sound that tore through the air, its claws came crashing down.
As it ran through the snow and dug into the ground, it looked like a monstrous beast splitting the earth itself.
I raised my sword upward.
"Snow Flower Modification. Explosive Shatter."
As I brought the sword down, the snow beneath my feet burst apart like an explosion. Frost aura erupted in an instant, forming a massive wave.
Boom!
The exploded chill spread forward, engulfing the demon.
The body of the first charging demon was lifted into the air.
At that moment, shards of ice pierced through its body.
"Kh… Kraaak!"
The demon writhed, but its frozen blood spilled onto the ground.
At that moment.
‘Left!’
My senses warned me.
I immediately twisted my body.
Srrrk—!
A shadow shot out from within the white snow.
The demon’s dark-red claws were aiming for my neck.
Before it even entered my vision, the attack had already begun…
An ambush.
I raised my sword horizontally.
Clang!
The sound of metal colliding rang out.
The demon’s claws and my sword clashed.
The freezing chill climbed up along the demon’s hand.
The corner of the demon’s mouth twisted.
"Ugh, this cold…!"
Its dark-red eyes filled with confusion.
But I did not stop.
"Too late."
I twisted the blade, shattering the claws, and thrust forward.
Swoosh—!
The cold, frozen sword pierced through the demon’s abdomen.
Blood burst out in an instant, but it soon froze solid.
"Craaaagh!!!"
The demon let out a scream of agony.
But I had already pulled my sword free.
"We are the swords of Winterbell."
I looked around.
Within the blizzard, the knights were struggling fiercely.
Though they fought in groups of four, the demons’ monstrous strength was still overwhelming.
Shields shattered, and spears bent.
“Reform the lines!”
“We’re not a mercenary group anymore! We’re knights! We finally got recognized, and now we’re going to lose to mere demons like these?”
“That’s right!”
Yet they endured.
The Wolf of Winterbell does not fall easily.
I raised my sword and pointed into the blizzard.
"Snow Flower (雪華) Modification – Ice Shatter!"
Whoooooosh!
The snowflake crystals spun through the air all at once as they surged upward. The ice fragments that had formed a vortex shot forward in a straight line according to my will.
And—
Boom!
The snowflakes exploded.
At the same time as the explosion, the ground where the demons had taken position collapsed. The demons that had been hiding beneath the snow screamed as they were buried along with chunks of ice.
It wasn’t over.
Within the blizzard—
I sensed the presence of another being.
I immediately lifted my head.
A shadow slowly walked out from the snow.
It was different from the other demons.
Cold, frozen blood stained the tips of his fingers. In his other hand, he held the upper body of a knight.
I recognized that emblem.
‘Helios!’
It was the symbol of the Helios Family.
And that presence…
It was strong.
The other demons instinctively lowered their bodies.
Even the White Wolf Knights held their breath.
I tightened my grip on my sword once more.
From within the white snow, dark-red eyes approached me. Without a doubt, he was the leader of the demon pack.
“To think you’re struggling against mere humans……. Are you even demons?”
A demonic aura that overwhelmed the surroundings.
A single horn rising above his head.
The trait of a high-ranking demon.
‘A high-ranking demon…….’
[Ran. That one……. He possesses a fragment of me.]
‘Is that true?’
[Yes. I can feel it. A portion of my power…….]
No wonder he had felt somewhat incomplete for a high-ranking demon—rather than being born with superior blood, it seemed he had awakened by obtaining the remnants of Behemoth through a chance opportunity.
After all, it was a Magical Beast of the Mythical Age. Even low-ranking demons could achieve tremendous growth simply by obtaining its remnants.
“Red-haired human. Are you also a Winterbell?”
“How do you know about Winterbell?”
“Hahaha! Of course I know. You who call yourselves the Wolf of the North while slaughtering my kin—how could I not know you!”
It seemed that even among demons, the notoriety of Winterbell was quite widespread.
“That’s rather gratifying. The fact that you’re standing there proudly even knowing I’m from Winterbell must mean you have no attachment to your life.”
The demon leader burst into laughter.
“Puhahaha! You’re quite amusing! Human, what is your name?”
“Ran Winterbell.”
“Ran Winterbell……. My name is Ricky! And the reason I didn’t run away even after learning you’re from Winterbell is simple. Because I’ve personally slaughtered quite a few of those so-called great and mighty Winterbell knights! Hahahaha!”
It was rare for a demon to be given a name.
Among high-ranking demons, only those born with lineage usually had one. But that one seemed to have given himself a name.
“You……. killed Winterbell’s knights…?”
Anger boiled up.
Why was that?
Had I finally accepted that I was now a member of Winterbell?
Or was I projecting the moment when my own knights had died?
I didn’t know.
Either way, it didn’t matter.
The only thought in my mind was to tear him apart.
Cutting through the blizzard, the leader took another step forward.
At the same time, the air grew heavy.
Demonic energy.
A dark-red aura spread outward from his body.
The snowflakes drifting in the air—
The moment they touched the demonic energy—
Sizzle.
They vanished as if burned away.
The Snow Flower infused with my aura was being destroyed.
“So you’re a young master of Winterbell….”
His low voice resonated through the space.
He twisted his lips into a grin.
“As expected, you’re troublesome.”
I tightened my grip on my sword.
A pair of horns rising from the demon’s forehead emitted a dark demonic aura. And that energy had already begun to envelop the entire snowfield.
A high-ranking demon.
Those who wield demonic energy the way humans wield mana.
This one was no mere predator.
I muttered lowly.
“So your goal was to tighten the encirclement.”
While the knights continued their battle against the demon horde, this bastard had already completed the encirclement around me.
The prey was me.
“Seems you’ve realized it.”
The demon smirked.
“But it’s too late, human. Once I devour you—”
His eyes glowed red.
“I’ll grow even stronger.”
In that instant, the ground trembled.
Boom!
As the demon stepped forward, the snowfield twisted.
Cracks spread, and demonic energy burst up from beneath the ground. The frozen earth split apart, and black energy slithered upward through the air like snakes.
I raised my sword and shouted briefly.
“White Wolf! Everyone, fall back!”
The White Wolf Knights reacted immediately.
As the demonic energy that had been floating in the air spread along the ground, the snow began to rot black.
Demonic contamination.
If one stayed in that space for long, even knights who had covered their bodies with aura would suffer damage.
But I did not retreat.
Because I was the one the demon was aiming for.
“Snow Flower Modification – Flowing Ice.”
As I swung my sword, ice spread as if flowing toward the demonic energy. A barrier of cold formed to block its flow.
As the two opposing forces collided, a metallic grinding sound rang through the air.
Chiiiiiiiik!
The clash between demonic energy and aura.
The blizzard vanished, replaced by a tangle of black mist and blue frost.
“Winterbell truly is Winterbell…….”
The demon narrowed his eyes.
“This fight should be entertaining.”
Boom!
He charged forward.
The moment his foot kicked off the snowfield, the snow exploded.
I raised my sword.
“Snow Flower Modification – Ice Barrier!”
A wall of ice rose up from the snow.
However—
Boom!
The demon’s fist shattered the barrier to pieces.
Fragments scattered in all directions, stirring up a snowstorm.
Breaking through the snow, the demon’s dark-red claws drove toward my neck.
I twisted my sword to the side and deflected it.
Clang!
A powerful vibration traveled through my arm.
In an instant, a second and third strike followed.
The demon’s speed surpassed human reaction.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew.
Black demonic energy and cold aura collided, exploding midair. As the tips of the demon’s claws brushed against my armor, the metal tore.
“Fast.”
The demon chuckled, immediately reaching toward my side.
Whoosh!
I instinctively lowered my body.
The demon’s fingertips grazed past my side.
In that fleeting moment—
Sssst!
A burning sensation on my skin.
Even from that brief contact with demonic energy, my flesh began to blacken.
The demonic energy had seeped into my skin.
“As expected of mere humans.”
The demon laughed as he brought his fist down.
I raised my sword.
But the demon was faster.
Boom!
The impact struck my chest.
My body was sent flying, cutting through the snow.
As I rolled across the cold ground, my mind went hazy.
“Young Master!”
“My lord!”
I heard the knights shouting.
I forced myself up.
As I drew a breath, my ribs throbbed with pain.
Whoooooosh.
The blizzard had turned black under the influence of the demonic energy.
‘Damn it. How does a bastard with only a single horn have this much power…… Is it all because of the remnants of Behemoth?’
[……I feel somewhat sorry.]
The demon walked forward.
From the horn on his forehead, black energy spiraled outward, twisting the air.
Concentration of demonic energy.
“Die.”
As he raised his hand,
Spears of demonic energy formed in the air.
Dozens of dark-red spears spun as they aimed at me.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
It felt like my lungs were burning.
Blood flowed from my wounds.
But… it wasn’t over yet.
I drew a breath.
Ran Winterbell Style.
Concept Technique.
“Absolute Ice.”
Cold air flowed through my heart and swirled throughout my body. The aura deeply rooted within my heart spread explosively. The snow beneath my feet froze in an instant.
White frost cut through the blizzard and condensed along the blade.
“To this extent with aura…?”
The demon narrowed his eyes.
I raised my sword toward the sky.
“Snowflakes do not disappear.”
Whoooooosh!
The aura-infused snowflakes floating in the air moved as if exploding. The snowflakes that filled the sky gathered into one at once, forming a massive spear of ice.
The demon brought his hand down.
Spears of demonic energy poured toward me.
I swung my sword.
At the center of the snowfield, a black storm and an explosion of ice collided.
Boom!
The blizzard split apart, and the demonic energy was torn asunder.
Fragments of ice and remnants of demonic energy scattered into the sky.
And—
Thud.
The demon’s right arm was severed.
“……What?”
The demon’s eyes widened.
I was already right in front of him.
A chilling killing intent.
“The swords of Winterbell do not hide within the snow.”
“Snow Flower Modification – Ice Blood.”
The final strike pierced through the blizzard as it descended.
Boom!
The frozen blade pierced the demon’s heart.
As the sword collided with the demonic energy, dark-red blood splattered onto the snow.
The demon tried to scream, but his lips froze shut and would not open.
The ice that had crept along his skin finally burrowed into his heart.
And—
The moment Ice Blood pierced his heart,
The demon’s eyes closed in vain.
Thud.
The leader’s corpse collapsed onto the snow.
Dark-red blood flowed out, staining the white ground.
Behemoth absorbed his soul.
[Thank you, Ran.]
I pulled out my sword.
The blood-soaked blade gleamed coldly.
“…It hurts like hell.”
The blizzard subsided.
The cold wind faded as if erasing the demonic energy.
Now, the snowfield had returned to a kingdom of snow once more.