Upon hearing the thunderous crash, the four guards immediately leaped from the carriage to see what had happened.
To their terror, the first thing they saw was an enormous figure.
It was a beast, but far larger than any they had encountered on their journey. Its body, over nine meters tall, was covered in white and blue feathers that blended perfectly with the surrounding mist. Protruding from its back were two pairs of wings, each ten meters long. It was a kind of giant demonic bird, its eyes burning with a pure desire for death.
The four guards paled as they realized that, no matter what they did, a confrontation was inevitable.
The most fearful of all was Corian, for he recognized the creature before them immediately.
"Blizzard Demon," he said in a low voice, barely audible to his companions, who opened their eyes in disbelief.
"A Blizzard Demon? Why would such a beast be here? They only dwell in the deepest parts of the mountains. It makes no sense."
The Blizzard Demon was a beast known in the region, classified as a Demon-level creature.
In this world, there existed a hierarchy of beasts based on their strength:
Harmless, Minion, Demon, High Demon, Demon King, Apocalyptic, Titan, and God. This classification was directly linked to the levels of the human core.
Core levels measured a person's mastery over mana. The higher the level, the more powerful and refined their abilities would be.
The scale was: Dormant, Awakened, Advanced, Master, Saint, Angel, Archangel, and God. Eight levels, just like for the beasts.
In theory, a Demon-level beast would be equivalent to an Advanced-level human. But the reality was that a beast always tended to be more powerful than a human of the same level. To defeat a Demon in one-on-one combat, one needed a Master.
The problem was that all four guards present were Advanced level. Although, in a four-on-one battle, victory was still possible.
Corian, aware of this, shook off his stupefaction and took command. If they wanted to win, they would have to fight as a perfect team.
He drew his sword, revealing his specialization in close combat. A little behind him, Paul raised a large shield, an expert in defense. Moving several meters away, Teo prepared his bow, covering the long range. And right beside Corian, Cole brandished a heavy mace.
It was an elite team that covered all ranges of combat.
The demonic bird, seeing its prey offering resistance, intensified its murderous aura. From its long beak escaped a shriek that resembled a battle cry.
"Kreeee-ahhhk!"
The sound rumbled across the landscape, triggering distant avalanches on the slopes.
Inside the carriage, little Beyram, hearing the noise, threw himself into his father's arms. Lorcan did his best to maintain composure for his wife and son, but his eyes betrayed his terror. Still, he patted the boy's head and said with a forced smile.
"It's alright, son. We hired the best bodyguard group in the country. I'm sure they can defeat that beast."
His father's declaration seemed to calm the little boy, whose sobs subsided.
"You too, little Kai, come closer. I promise everything will be fine," added Mira, also struggling to maintain her calm.
Kairen took a deep breath and stood up, obeying. His eyes showed something deeper than fear.
It was resignation.
That was why he had accepted so readily. He knew, better than anyone, what awaited them.
Outside, a fierce battle raged.
Teo fired his arrows, imbued with mana to increase their speed and penetration. The beast, however, dodged them by soaring upward, rendering the short and mid-range weapons of Cole and Corian useless.
Despite its size, the creature was incredibly fast and perceptive, easily evading the projectiles. Then it dove down, revealing sharp claws that sought to tear Cole apart.
However, just before impact, Paul interposed himself and blocked the attack with his shield.
The force of the blow sent him flying through the air, crashing into a snow wall several meters away. The impact caused him considerable damage.
Blood began to stream down his forehead.
Yet, that gave Corian the opportunity he was waiting for. He jumped with all his might, executing his best technique.
"Lightning Slash!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
The beast, surprised that Paul had stopped its attack, reacted a second too late. It couldn't prevent the lightning-charged sword from slicing its stomach. Corian's mana allowed him to control lightning, leaving a residual effect of electrical charges that weakened enemies.
The problem was, this was no ordinary enemy. The cut, though it pierced the skin, did not cause critical damage, and the electrical charges barely had any effect. The beast, now more furious than ever, counterattacked instantly, striking Corian with one of its wings.
He tried to block with his sword, but the force was so brutal that it hurled him into the ground at high speed, burying him in a crater of snow.
Fresh blood emerged from the hole.
Five seconds later, Corian crawled out, gasping and bleeding from multiple wounds.
The bird, seeing its prey injured, lunged with renewed excitement. But, suddenly, one side of its vision was stained red.
For the first time, a shriek of agony and pain escaped its beak.
An arrow had lodged directly in its eyeball. As the beast began to shake its head to free itself, the arrow exploded, causing even more damage.
Teo's mana allowed him to mark anything he touched and make it explode at will.
The explosion itself wouldn't have seriously injured a Demon, but occurring inside its eye, it completely stunned the creature. By reflex, it lost control and collapsed in the snow.
At that moment, Cole took advantage of the beast's disorientation and delivered a brutal hammer blow to its leg, breaking it with a sinister crack. Meanwhile, Teo continued firing explosive arrows. The beast, now cornered and wounded, was being attacked from both flanks, making it difficult to counterattack.
Corian and Paul seemed to be slowly recovering from their blows.
That wasn't strange. Advanced-level humans recovered much faster than ordinary people.
Cole and Teo attacked relentlessly. The beast, with its leg broken, was forced to kneel in the snow. It tried desperately to shake itself and strike Cole, but he dodged while delivering powerful hammer blows to its body.
'Good, it looks like we'll manage' thought Corian as he prepared to launch his Lightning Slash again, this time intending to pierce the beast's neck and end the battle.
The group had demonstrated their capabilities perfectly, cornering a Demon-rank beast on their own. A feat very few teams of their level could achieve.
The odds were totally in their favor.
The beast, gravely wounded, was being continuously harassed without being able to respond. Victory seemed practically guaranteed.
Only a stroke of misfortune could cause their death.
Aware of this, Corian launched the final attack. But just as he lunged at the exposed neck of the beast, with his electrified sword ready to deliver the finishing blow, the bird shrieked with an intensity never before heard.
A frigid blue aura began to surround it.
Corian opened his eyes in terror, suspended in mid-air.
'Oh, no. It's unleashing an ability' he thought, powerless.
Paul noticed it too and ran toward the carriage, placing his shield in front of it as a last barrier.
Yes, only a misfortune could bring them death…
What a pity that, right inside that carriage, was the God of Misfortunes.
A massive shockwave several kilometers in radius swept through the mountains, putting an end to the battle.