The cold, harsh expanse of the surface provided a stark backdrop as Lassim, Master Tolen, Sanvra, and their team set about installing the new array.
The poles were positioned carefully, following the intricate sigil alignment system that Sanvra had designed based on ancient Drow knowledge and adapted to their current needs.
Each pole was placed with precision, embedded deep into the frost-hardened soil.
Lassim stood back, surveying the setup before nodding to Master Tolen to initiate the activation sequence.
With a few adjustments on the control rod, the sigils began to hum softly, vibrating with the influx of lightning mana. Gradually, the interconnected lines of energy materialized, forming a visible network that shimmered against the wintry landscape.
For the time being, everything seemed perfect. The array hummed steadily, the energy flowing smoothly between the poles, casting a cleansing and powerful glow over the area under the dark, moonlight night.
Lassim allowed himself a small smile, feeling a momentary peace as he watched their plan come to fruition.
However, the calm was short-lived. About twenty minutes after activation, a subtle change in the air made everyone pause. A cold shiver ran down Lassim’s spine, an instinctual warning that something was amiss. The others felt it too; a silent alarm that tingled at the edges of their senses.
"Do you feel that?" Lassim whispered, his eyes scanning the horizon.
Before anyone could respond, one of the scouts, positioned at the perimeter for just such an alert, called out, "Movement! Something’s coming! Frost maws!?!"
All eyes turned to the direction the scout pointed.
On the horizon, silhouetted against the moonlit sky, a pack of creatures approached. They were unlike any typical beasts Lassim was familiar with in the land of Nexaria; these were Frost Maws—giant, yeti-like creatures with fur that shimmered like the surface of a frozen lake and eyes that glowed with a baleful light.
"[Normally these are solitary hunters, what are they doing in such a large group?!!]" Shouted out one of the scouts.
As they drew closer, the group had noticed all of these beast’s behavior was erratic. Foam frothed at their mouths, and their eyes seemed wilder, more desperate.
The team watched in horror as the creatures charged, drawn irresistibly by the mana radiating from the newly activated array.
Lassim sprang into action, his Spirit Growth level 6 spiritual pressure flaring to life as he activated his cultivation technique. "[Prepare yourselves!]" he shouted, drawing energy for a smaller [Aegis] spell to protect just the smaller area of the group and the array poles.
As the Frost Maws charged with an unnatural fervor, Lassim’s instincts kicked in. Standing at the forefront, he gripped his halberd tightly, the weapon humming softly with lightning and water mana.
The icy wind whipped around them, but Lassim’s focus was unyielding, his eyes tracking the swift, erratic movements of the approaching beasts.
The first Frost Maw leaped, its massive form silhouetted against the cloudy night sky, aiming directly for Lassim.
Reacting with calm, Lassim channeled his newly enhanced mana at full power for the first time since arriving in this realm, the air crackling around him as lightning coursed along the shaft of his halberd.
The clouds above him suddenly became naturally infused with lightning; filled with swilling pythons of lightning tendrils in a split second.
With a deft [Swing], he unleashed a bolt of brilliant, deep violet colored electricity infused water blade that launched through the air and struck the beast mid-leap.
Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.
The creature yelped as the electricity enveloped it, and its charge halted before it crashed heavily onto the snow-covered ground in two halves.
Not pausing to assess his handiwork, Lassim spun around to face another attacker. This one was met with a surge of water mana, as he activated his [Storm’s Grasp] battle art.
With a sharp gesture, he manipulated the moisture in the air, melting the snow and ice to turn into a tidal wave that wrapped around the limbs of the approaching Frost Maws.
Then, he immediately froze the water. The icicles that jutted up from the ground and around their limbs pierced through the Frost Maw’s thick fur. Embedded deeply, the ice caused the closest creature to stumble and fall in place. Its movements sluggish as the cold further sapped its strength.
The remaining beasts, driven by the same crazed hunger, seemed undeterred by the fate of their packmates caught in the frozen trap by Lassim.
They converged on the team, their eyes wild and desperate. But Lassim and his allies were just getting started. The team formed a tight circle around him, each member wielding their non-elemental weapons with expert precision.
One of the scouts, a nimble Drow named Faelar, used his agility to dodge and weave through the beasts, his daggers finding weak spots in their hides.
Another, a unique enchanter type warrior, used some type of space magic to cast protective wards that shimmered in the air, blunting the force of the beasts’ frenzied attacks.
Lassim stood as the center anchor of their defense, his halberd a blur of motion as he combined his mastery of lightning and water to launch [Slash]es and [Thurst]s at the non-frozen frost maws that were still a threat. Every strike was a mix of sharp precision and power that had no right being attributed to a Spirit Growth level 6 warrior.
His abilities and natural enhanced body strength could easily match a Spirit Growth 8 level warrior, two levels ahead towards someone nearly reaching the peak of the Spirit Growth realm. His attacks and rock solid defensive ice [Aegis] was astounding.
Lassim reckoned he could easily defeat Marissa, his opponent from the Martial Tournament showcase match, in mere seconds instead of needing a close battle if they had to face off again. He believed his current power could absolutely crush anyone in the Spirit Growth stage of the tournament if he was able to try again.
As the last of the Frost Maws made a desperate attempt to breach their defenses, Lassim gathered his strength for one final display. Raising his halberd high, he called upon his deep reserves of mana, the tip of his weapon sparking with potent energy.
With a roar that echoed across the icy landscape, he [Slam]med the halberd down, unleashing a radial blast of lightning and ice. A new, more enhanced version of the [Slam] that he had yet to name.
The ground around them cracked as the energy exploded outward, a stunning spectacle of lightning and thunderous sound that reverberated through the air.
The final Frost Maw, caught in the blast, was thrown back, its body scorched and frozen in equal measure. It landed with a definitive thud, its life extinguished in a haze of steam and smoke.
As the sounds of the battle faded with the death of the final Frost Maw, Lassim and the team stood amidst the aftermath with their hot breaths visible in the cold air. The Frost Maws lay slain with the snow a mix of white and red as their blood had splattered across it, with limbs and bodies strewn about.
Lassim planted his halberd into the snow, leaning on it slightly as he caught his breath. The battle had been fierce but brief, and thanks to their preparation to have enough fighters ready for anything, and his quick defensive technique activation, no harm had come to anyone.
Sanvra approached one of the carcasses, her expression troubled. "[This isn’t normal at all. These creatures are usually avoidant of populated areas and run away when we show our spatial fabric folding techniques. It must have something to do with the array... it affected them, driving them mad.]"
Lassim knelt beside another fallen beast, his fingers brushing against its icy fur. "[Could it be the purified mana? Maybe it’s too potent for them, or perhaps it’s affecting their reasoning or something?...]."
The team gathered around, "[We need to figure this out]," Lassim continued, his gaze meeting each of theirs. "[If our sanctuaries are going to provoke this kind of reaction from the wildlife, we are going to need to seriously alter our plans to ensure the safety of the poles and areas we set up.
We can’t just leave the array running to cleanse the area and then leave it be if the next time someone comes to recharge it, they’re attacked ruthlessly.]"
Sanvra nodded, her face set in determination. "[We need to understand what’s driving this behavior. Also, monitoring the mana output of the array might give us clues. We can’t afford to ignite a predatory frenzy every time we activate a barrier, like you say.]"
Master Tolen chimed in, "[I have a potential idea, but we need to first observe something else.
What if we take the High Priestess’ idea and capture a beast, caging them inside the cleansed area for a time, and see if they calm down or regain their reasoning.]" He stroked his long ear for a moment, thoughtfully flicking its tip before continuing, "[If that is possible, then I believe what I’m thinking might work.]"