Chapter 89: Affinity
The snowy plain stretched before them like a silent sea. But then, something shifted. A vibration. The air grew denser, colder, as if the surrounding magic were tightening.
A sharp noise cracked to their left—a crisp snap followed by an icy gust.
— "Get ready!" Yvan hissed.
Massive figures emerged from the mist. At first blurred and indistinct, they soon became terrifyingly clear: ape-like creatures covered in frozen white fur, muscular, with claws thickened by layers of ice. Their eyes were pale, almost glowing, and their arms dragged along the ground like blades.
But it was their mobility that made them deadly—one slammed its palm to the ground, and a ramp of ice surged beneath its feet. Instantly, it launched forward, gliding at blistering speed.
— "Take cover!" Victor shouted.
The beast shot through like a missile, cleaving a tree in half as it passed.
— "Damn it, it’s not just brute force—it’s technique!" Charlotte cursed, already conjuring a protective ring of fire.
More of the creatures burst from the mist, forming their own ramps, launching, twisting, leaping from track to track like supernatural skaters.
Isaac narrowly dodged an attack, activating [Flight] to rise above the battlefield.
— "They specialize in speed and impact. Their attacks are brutal but precise. They use the terrain to their advantage—we need to intercept them midair or slow them down!"