Ajis led hundreds of hunters through the snow-covered mountain west of the valley. Each step crunched against the frozen ground, their breath misting in the crisp air. Ahead, Ajis spotted movement—numerous carnivorous beasts prowling in the same direction. His brows furrowed.
"Speed up," he ordered, quickening his strides. The hunters behind him followed without hesitation, their pace shifting into a near-jog.
Before long, they arrived at a gruesome scene—the aftermath of a brutal battle. Magic beasts of lower realms feasted on the carcasses of slain Evil Hyenas. Blood stained the snow, a stark contrast against the white expanse.
Al glanced at the chaotic feeding frenzy, his expression uncertain. "Will they let us take the bodies?"
Ajis' gaze remained firm. "Lord Lycan is here. They won't attack us, but we can't take everything. The lower-ranked bodies will have to be left behind."
Vak shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The bronze-ranked hyenas and the late and peak-realm fierce hyenas are enough for us."
Al hesitated. "But Lord Lycan's realm matches the two bronze-ranked hyenas and the hundred fierce ones. Wouldn't they—?"
Before he could finish, they spotted him. Al wanted to say Lord Lycan was injured in the battle. Then the beasts are weaker than lord lycan but the beasts may band together to act.
At the center of the carnage, Lord Lycan—Gavin's clone—sat atop the corpse of a bronze-ranked hyena. His piercing eyes locked onto the approaching hunters.
"Take the bronze and peak fierce hyenas and leave," Gavin's clone said, his voice carrying a quiet authority.
Then, with a slow and deliberate movement, he stood.
The hunters approached cautiously, weaving around the feasting beasts, careful not to provoke them. The carcasses were massive—it took two hunters to carry a peak fierce hyena, and ten were needed to hoist a bronze-ranked corpse.
As they worked, Gavin's clone remained still, watching.
Snow continued to fall, mingling with the blood-soaked battlefield, as the hunters silently worked. Their movements were swift and efficient—they knew the mountain was no place to linger.
With their task complete, the hunters began their return to the valley, trudging through the snow with the heavy hyena corpses on their shoulders. Gavin's clone followed behind, his gaze scanning the darkened sky and the shifting treetops.
Then—a sudden gust of wind.
A fierce gale howled above them, whipping snow into a flurry. The hunters instinctively looked up.
A massive silhouette soared across the night sky, its wings beating with enough force to rattle the trees.
Gavin's clone narrowed his eyes. At first glance, he thought it was a dragon, but then he saw the distinctive icicle-covered horns and the blue crystalline scales glinting in the moonlight.
"Ice Wyvern," he murmured.
The wyvern's cold, reptilian eyes locked onto him. Then, without hesitation—it dived.
Its massive body cut through the air like a spear, descending toward him with terrifying speed.
Gavin reacted instantly.
A black obsidian shield materialized before him, shimmering with a dark luster. The wyvern crashed into it, the impact causing a shockwave of ice and rock. The shield held for barely a second—but that was all Gavin needed.
He darted sideways just as the wyvern obliterated the shield in a burst of raw power. It landed with a thunderous crash, claws digging deep into the frozen ground. Then, tilting its head back, it let out a deafening roar—a sound that sent a primal chill down the hunters' spines.
A second later, a stream of icy breath erupted from its maw, aimed directly at the tribe members.
The hunters barely had time to react before Gavin's clone leaped forward.
A towering obsidian shield surged up from the ground, slamming into place just as the wyvern's Frozen Breath struck. Ice collided with stone, a layer of frost spreading over the dark shield as cracks formed along its surface.
Ajis clenched his fists as he watched. "We need to run. Now."
Vak hesitated. "But—"
Ajis turned to him sharply. "We'd only be a burden to Lord Lycan."
Reluctantly, Vak nodded. The hunters hoisted the hyena corpses and began sprinting toward the valley, casting worried glances back at the battle.
With the tribe retreating, the wyvern changed tactics.
It lunged forward, massive claws slashing toward Gavin's clone.
Gavin's clone dodged, moving with inhuman agility as the wyvern's razor-sharp claws tore deep trenches into the frozen earth.
The battle had only just begun.
The wolf's movements were swift but purely defensive—he wasn't given even a second to cast a spell. The wyvern's relentless onslaught left no opening, forcing Gavin's clone to rely solely on his agility.
Though they were in the same cultivation realm, the wyvern's innate bloodline superiority gave it an overwhelming advantage. A low-bloodline Earth Wolf was nothing compared to a creature of draconic descent. In raw physical combat, the gap between them was like heaven and earth.
Magic was his only chance to win.
But the wyvern knew it too.
Each time the wolf attempted to cast a spell, the wyvern pressed its attack—its claws slashed, its tail whipped, its wings buffeted the air, never allowing a moment's reprieve. Gavin's clone was forced to evade again and again, unable to summon even a single spell.
Then—his thoughts shifted.
Deep within his core, in the large energy nodes, twenty separate thoughts worked independently.
"Let's see if I can cast a spell through them."
It was an untested theory, something he had never attempted in battle before. Normally, casting a spell required conscious effort, but if his separate thoughts could perform the process without direct focus…
Success.
A spell that should take one second now took ten.
Above, a black obsidian spear formed slowly in the air—its sharp tip gleaming under the moonlight. Then, with a sudden burst of force, it shot downward.
Thwack!
The spear struck the wyvern's left side, sinking into its scales—barely. Only the tip penetrated, causing a shallow wound.
The wyvern screamed in pain, its eyes flashing with rage.
Then—it inhaled deeply.
Gavin's clone recognized the danger immediately.
Frozen Breath.
He tried to summon another obsidian shield, but there was no time.
The blast of icy energy erupted toward him in a storm of frost and wind. The wolf leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the full brunt of the attack—but a sudden shock of cold ran through his body.
His tail.
A thick layer of ice encased it, freezing it solid.
Gavin's clone grimaced. He already struggled to keep up with the wyvern's speed, but now, with part of his body immobilized—he had no chance.
"I can't win this."
The realization came quickly, and with it, a decision.
Escape.
With a powerful leap, he raced toward the valley, using every ounce of his strength to outrun the wyvern's pursuit. The beast soared above him, its eyes locked onto its fleeing prey, but as the wolf crossed into the valley—
The wyvern suddenly halted.
Its wings flared, and it let out a thunderous roar, but it did not follow.
Instead, it hovered for a moment, its gaze lingering on the valley below, before turning away and flying back into the night.
Gavin's clone stared after it, panting.