***
A deep, resonating grunt echoed through the air, making me instinctively take a couple of steps back. The thumping footsteps were uncomfortably close, suggesting the looming threat drawing nearer.
The source of the intimidating footfalls soon revealed itself through the cold mist, a bear-like creature, towering and monstrous. It easily dwarfed any bear I had ever heard of from my old world. The creature's breath billowed out as a smoky haze, charging towards me, the sight of which would quickly make one realize that retreating wouldn't save them from this animalistic Monster, known as an Inferno Thunderflame Ursus.
Not wasting a moment, I extended Elspeth, my black, blue gemmed staff. With practiced ease, I summoned a three-layered magic circle that unleashed a wave of ice towards the oncoming beast, matching its speed and strength. The collision was deafening, a cacophony of the bear's roar and the shattering of ice.
For a fleeting moment, a standoff ensued. My magic, fueled by my MP and guided by my will, pushed against the bear's overwhelming force. It seemed evenly matched, but only for an instant.
The creature unleashed a skill, its arm resembling a conduit for molten lava.
With a devastating strike, it shattered the ice wave, engulfing the surroundings in flames. Anticipating the attack thanks to my identification skill, I conjured an ice barrier just in time, shielding myself from the searing inferno. While my barrier held against the flames, it was clear that if I had been the primary target, the outcome might have been fatal.
As the flames dissipated almost as quickly as they appeared, they unveiled two more charging creatures. Smaller and of lesser strength, the two Thunderflame Ursus crashed into my barrier, causing it to crack but not shatter.
Casting a brief glance towards Justaff, my instructor, I found him standing unscathed in a corner of the room. His hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword. Despite his calm demeanor, I knew he was poised to intervene at my slightest indication. Needless to say that I didn't want him to interfere in this, even with the massive Inferno Thunderflame Ursus now joining the fray alongside the two smaller creatures, which is why I needed to act swiftly.
Considering my options, I dismissed the idea of using [Ice magic] once more. The distance and casting time would not be in my favor. Instead, I embraced my sorcerer's hailing. Extending my arm towards the creatures relentlessly pounding on my weakening barrier, it finally shattered under their assault. They were eager to reach me, but before they could close in, something intercepted them.
Summoning my level 6 skill, Frost Shard, I unleashed a torrent of icy shards upon them, reminiscent of a rain of arrows. The shards pierced through the air, finding their mark on the charging creatures. The Frost Shards proved devastatingly effective, slowing down the creatures and inflicting significant damage. Their advance was halted, at least momentarily, by my spell.
However, the massive Thunderflame Ursus, tougher and more resilient, pressed on through the icy onslaught.
"Tsk," I clicked my tongue in irritation. "At least it's slowed down; that's already something."
Reverting once more to my ice magic, I took the opportunity to put some distance between myself and the creatures, all while keeping a vigilant eye on them. I unleashed my level 7 skill, Winter Clutch, targeting the three creatures with a second layer as a precaution.
Gripping my staff tightly, I aimed at the ground and summoned a wave of ice that swept the two smaller bears away.
Yet, the larger Thunderflame Ursus charged through the wave, scattering lightning and ice shards in all directions before closing in on me.
Reaching a few meters before me, the creature instead of literally lunging at me to maul on me, came to a surprising halt and stood on his hind leg. The immense form of the Thunderflame Ursus bore down on me, its eyes ablaze with fiery determination and electrical energy crackling around its form. In that critical moment, I felt the pressure this creature gave me leaning more toward an actual battle than just a training for me.
Determined to face the challenge head-on without Justaff's help, I acted quickly as the Thunderflame Ursus opened its maw, ready to unleash a devastating electrical attack. Time was of the essence. I responded in kind, directing my skill toward the creature. A hum of potent magical energy filled the air as its tip glowed ominously. It conjured a massive, lance-like icicle, deadly in intent, aimed straight for the creature's most vulnerable spot.
With no additional motion, I hurled the icy lance towards the Thunderflame Ursus's gaping mouth, aiming for the heart of its power. The room erupted into a dazzling display of light and shadows as fire and electricity from the Thunderflame Ursus clashed with the cold, sharp brilliance of my ice attack.
The icicle lance met the electrical blast head-on, resulting in a spectacular explosion of mist and crackling energy, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The clash between my ice and the Thunderflame Ursus's fire and lightning was fierce, each element battling fiercely for dominance.
For a brief moment, it seemed like a stalemate had been reached. However, it soon became clear that my attack had fallen short. Seizing the advantage, the Thunderflame Ursus lunged forward. Swiftly reacting, I erected an ice barrier, but the creature, its paw alight once more, shattered it with a powerful slam.
Retreating just in time, I felt the intense heat as the barrier crumbled and flames spread rapidly, only to vanish as swiftly as they had appeared. The scent of singed hair filled my nostrils, and embers clung to my clothes. Ignoring the minor burns, my focus remained solely on the massive bear-like creature that growled in frustration at my evasion.
The Thunderflame Ursus's roar seemed to reverberate through the very ice beneath my feet, cracks forming from its sheer anger, its gaze fixed squarely on me. While I wasn't as vocal as the creature in that moment, a spark of anger and annoyance ignited within me towards the beast that I shouldn't have been feeling anything for.
The previous ones having been warded off I recast all my debuffing skills on it.
As the Thunderflame Ursus's roar echoed, it reared back, its jaws sparking with building electrical energy. With little preamble, it unleashed a flurry of lightning bolts directly at me. But I was ready, having learned to anticipate its tactics. Utilizing my level 3 skill, Frost Glide, I dodged the incoming bolts.
Though my class and attribute distribution should have left me outmatched in speed, the conveniently awakened [Frost Glide], which boosted my speed on frozen surfaces, combined with [Frostbound Stride] that I cast on the creature, effectively leveled the playing field. I wasn’t exactly on par with the creature, but I was moving fast enough for my class and level."
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With the Frost Glide skill active, my movements were almost ethereal, barely touching the frosted ground as I nimbly avoided the deadly electrical strikes. The Thunderflame Ursus's attack sizzled menacingly through the air, scorching the ice where I had just maneuvered away from. It growled deeply, frustration evident in its narrowed eyes as it recalculated its next move.
Seeing the creature charge once more, I adjusted my own strategy in kind. Instead of targeting the massive Thunderflame Ursus directly, I summoned my Frost Shard spell twice, directing the icy barrage towards the two smaller bears that had fallen slightly behind the larger one in their assault.
The smaller creatures, already weakened by previous encounters, were again unable to defend against the onslaught of ice stalactites raining down upon them. Although they did not fall, the impact visibly slowed them, adding to their injuries.
Without the Appraisal skill, I couldn't determine the exact condition of the creatures' health, but I was confident in the damages I’d dealt and was determined to press my advantage to finish them off. Calling upon my favored skill Frost Lance Conjuration, I activated a spell summoned four sharp lances of ice. Deciding to split my offensive, I directed two lances towards each of the smaller Thunderflame Ursuss, hoping to deliver the final blows needed to end the threat they presented.
As the ice lances soared through the air, their sharp tips glistening menacingly, I watched intently. This was a critical moment. If I could diminish the numbers swiftly, I could focus all my remaining strength and skills on the elephant—no bear in the room, the massive Thunderflame Ursus, who was still relentlessly pursuing me across the icy battlefield.
The icy lances sliced through the frigid air, their sharp tips finding their marks on the smaller Thunderflame Ursuss. The creatures roared in agony as the ice penetrated their thick hides, clearly suffering from severe injuries. One of them, unable to endure any longer, stumbled and collapsed, while the other barely managed to keep its footing. Despite my lack of the very-convenient Appraisal skill, my experience with battling monsters told me that these creatures were done for.
The numbers were now reduced, however I couldn't afford to let relief distract me. Done with them, my focus immediately shifted to the massive Thunderflame Ursus charging at me. Its eyes burned with savage determination, and electrical sparks crackled around its formidable form, melting the thin layer of ice that had covered it. This signaled not only another impending attack but also the warding off of my spell, Frostbound Stride.
Choosing not to recast the debilitating spell, I aimed my staff at the charging beast. Unleashing a skill similar to the one that had felled the smaller Thunderflame Ursuss, I conjured a single, powerful lance imbued with the combined might of four lances. The lance shot forward with incredible speed, aiming for the creature's head. However, the Thunderflame Ursus managed to evade the fate of the lance impaling it through the head, by "dodging" and having the projectile lodge into its shoulder instead. Grunting in pain, it stubbornly continued its charge, intent on tearing me apart.
With a calm and focused mind, I raised my staff once more. Conjuring countless ice-formed stalagmites, I sent them erupting from the ground towards the oncoming creature, resembling a wave crashing against a shore. The stalagmites engulfed the Thunderflame Ursus, eliciting a pained roar. Unlike before, where the creature had managed to power through my wave-like attack, this time it was brought to a complete halt, the icy protrusions effectively immobilizing it.
Even with the creature momentarily restrained, I didn’t dare to take a moment to catch my breath.
With the Thunderflame Ursus temporarily immobilized, I seized the opportunity to act. With a graceful motion of my left hand, reminiscent of an invitation to a dance, I activated my skill, Glacial Eclipse. This sorcerer spell allowed me to manifest a swirling vortex that’ll soon summon ice from my surroundings or draw it from my MP or both, which I did here, shaping it into a moon-like prison designed to encase a target, in this case, the Thunderflame Ursus.
The skill was demanding, both MP and fatigue-level wise, requiring precise control and concentration. It was best employed against immobilized targets, as attempting to ensnare a moving target risked the skill missing its mark entirely. This is why thus far I’ve never used this skill, however, now with the two other Thunderflame Ursus out of the picture and the targeted one momentarily restrained by my previous attack, I saw my chance and took it.
The swirling ice began to form around the massive creature, gradually encasing it in a shimmering, moon-like prison. The Thunderflame Ursus roared in frustration and exertion, its attempts to break free evident in the way the ice strained under its strength. But the Glacial Eclipse held firm, its icy tendrils constricting tighter around the Thunderflame Ursus with each passing moment.
Crick! Crick! Crick!
With the Thunderflame Ursus securely encased in the Glacial Eclipse, its roars grew fainter as its struggles weakened under the icy grip. The shimmering, moon-like prison held firm, its frosty tendrils constricting tighter around the creature with each passing second. My focus remained unbroken, ensuring the spell maintained its hold over the beast.
Not allowing myself the luxury of relief, I knew the battle was not yet over. The Thunderflame Ursus might be restrained, but it was not defeated. I activated my Frostbound Stride, which I used to swiftly close in on the encased creature; the moment I did, I knew what ought to be done.
Wasting no time, I unleashed a barrage of debuffing skills upon the imprisoned Thunderflame Ursus.
I activated [Inflict Frostbite] to intensify the chilling cold around the creature, followed by [Amplified Frostbite] to further enhance the freezing effect. Lastly, I deployed [Debilitating Surge] to weaken the Thunderflame Ursus's strength and resilience, reducing its ability to resist my spells and attacks.
Pouring all my available energy and focus into these debilitating skills, I aimed to exploit the creature's vulnerable state to its fullest. Each skill added to the creature's suffering, weakening it further and further.
Those kinds of spells don't cost much MP-wise to cast, so I was relentless. With the Thunderflame Ursus trapped and debilitated, I readied myself for the final phase of the confrontation, knowing that victory was within my grasp.
As the Thunderflame Ursus's struggles grew weaker within the confines of the Glacial Eclipse, I sensed the creature's energy waning, its once deafening roars now reduced to feeble growls. The combination of my debilitating skills had exacted a heavy toll on the beast over time, leaving it significantly weakened and vulnerable. Sensing the opportune moment, I made my move to deliver the final blow.
With a decisive motion, I released the Glacial Eclipse, causing the shimmering, moon-like prison to dissipate into a flurry of icy particles. As the Thunderflame Ursus emerged from its icy confinement, it found itself facing me summoning a large lance with my skill, Frost Lance Conjuration.
The lance took shape, hovering above my hands, gleaming with a cold, lethal brilliance. With unwavering focus, I hurled the massive lance directly at the vulnerable creature, aiming for its weakened form. The lance soared through the air with deadly precision, closing the distance between us in an instant.
With a resounding impact, the lance struck true, piercing through the Thunderflame Ursus's flesh with chilling accuracy. The creature let out a final, desperate roar of pain as the lance lodged deep within its body, delivering the decisive blow that would end it once and for all.
The Thunderflame Ursus's body shuddered, its colossal weight slowly sinking into the frost-covered ground. As its life force ebbed away, the faint glow of its eyes dimmed, marking the cessation of its once formidable power. Its final breath just escaped in a ghostly mist, that a series of notifications rang in suggesting its uncontested defeat.
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[Notification]
Congratulations! Your Frostbinder Acolyte title has evolved.Title Name: Frostbinder Adept
Description [Identification Lvl.6]:
[Notification]
Congratulations! You've Acquired a New Skill!Skill Name: Frost Dagger Conjuration
Description [Identification Lvl.6]:
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[Level Up Interface]Experience requirement met.
Congratulations! You've Leveled Up!
『Expand』
[Level Up Interface]Experience Requirement Met.
Level Requirement Met.
Attribute Requirements Met.
Congratulations! You can now choose to specialize.Available Special/special classes for Lvl.12 Sorcerer [Faye]:
1. Cryomancer
『Expand』
2. Hexcaster
『Expand』
Please carefully select your specialization.
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