Chapter 207: [207] To Keep Warm (2)

Ark felt his bones rattle as the lightning coursed through his marrow, begging to be unleashed.

He could hear its chaotic sound, the small booms of thunder, and the siren-like screech that accompanied each spark.

His armour buzzed, some of the black beginning to seep into it, and then Ark flung his staff at the dome, the lightning cascading down like a pillar of black.

A hole suddenly opened atop the dome, and then the lightning poured right in...

TZZ—BOOOM!

Black lightning danced within the dome, lashing out against everything inside it like a caged serpent, burning, scalding and eviscerating whatever it came in contact with.

Cici gritted her teeth as she tried to contain it. Her fingers dug into the wood of her staff, and her lips moved continually to keep the spell in form.

But Ark was not done...

Another pillar of pitch black came down like a divine whip and flew right into the hole that had now become gaping.

The shield swelled up like a balloon. Cici fell to her knees, just before it suddenly burst apart, releasing a shockwave that blew away a huge layer of snow in the surrounding area.

BANG!

Black fumes that smelled of burned flesh oozed out, as well as steam that went up as high as the clouds.

Every single ounce of snow that had been in that spot had melted, leaving the ground wet and muddy.

[You have slain a level 30 Frost Bear! +25 EXP]

[You have slain a level 30 Frost Bear! +25 EXP]

[You have slain a level 30 Frost Bear! +25 EXP]

[You have slain a level 30 Frost Bear! +25 EXP]

[You have slain a level 30 Frost....]

Cici stared up at the skeleton hovering in the air and swallowed, slowly standing to her feet.

She had seen powerful mages, she had seen powerful spells, what she had never seen was someone of his race and Rank using such spells...

Cici felt something warm slide down her nose and she wiped it off with her wrist, already knowing it would be blood.

"Stay alert!" Ark’s words pulled her out of her thoughts. He stared down at the dark smoke, his posture exuding an air of pure confidence.

"We are not done here..."

Not all the Frost Bears had died.

Just according to plan, Ark’s party had already surrounded the black smoke, their weapons drawn, their stances ready to receive them.

Ark already knew that his spell would not be enough to kill them all. A wide-range attack like charged fire would have been much better, but they needed to keep their fur intact, so Ark settled for black lightning, which was more streamlined.

Which meant...

A gust of chilling wind rushed past Ark, his eyes burning like incandescent flames as the smoke began to settle.

Step—

The first bear stepped out of the mess, bloodied and charred. And then a guttural roar tore through its throat, just as the monster stormed out.

Olivia did not wait for them to reach her, with her wings fanning out behind her as she lunged forward, catapulting herself toward the first monster.

It had clearly been injured by Ark’s attack, so it was not as powerful as it was supposed to be.

Its movements were unsteady, as though it was seconds from collapsing. But even in such a weakened state, it likely had more than enough power to rip her in half. She had to be careful...

Swooosh!

The monster’s paw parted the air like a sledgehammer, distorting the wind as the claws reached for her throat.

Olivia’s wings suddenly adjusted mid-lunge, and then she flipped in the air, her bones rattling from the sheer force and speed behind her manoeuvre.

The claw cut right underneath her face, mid-flip, and then the wind came next, rushing into her ears and numbing them.

Just as she swung down...

Swish!

Blood splashed into the air, shooting out like a compressed hose and splashing on her body, filling her with the warmth she so desperately desired.

Olivia smiled like a maniac, just before she dug her talons into its neck, a laugh escaping her lips as she took flight, lifting the gigantic monster into the air.

She soared towards the other bears, and then she launched the monster into its kin like a projectile...

Bam!

Olivia loved the sight of it. "Wouldn’t it be better if I took it higher up before dropping it?" Something tingled in her green eyes.

[Race Synchronization has gone up to 30%!]

[Player will experience a greater connection with her race, heightened emotions, bloodlust, poor judgement, as well as a host of other race-related effects.]

Just as Olivia landed, a white blur rushed past her, as Ragnar cut into the bears like a storm of fangs and steel.

He was dodging their strikes, his movements as confusing as they were lethal, showing off a level of flexibility that most assassins would not even dream of.

Ragnar jumped back as a bear’s claw pounded into the floor, cutting through the thick layer of snow and uprooting muddy soil.

Two bears lunged at him from both sides, while another barrelled towards him from the front. The best thing he could have done was jump back...

But instead, a phantom blade appeared in his left hand, the sword fizzling in the air as though conjured from steam.

The blades flashed. The arms of the bears cascaded through the ashen skies.

The shadow of the last bear washed over Ragnar, and it reached out to grab him, but Ragnar’s eyes flashed with primal instinct as he lunged, biting into its neck and ripping out its throat.

He swallowed, then licked his lips, just before a guttural roar tore through the depths of him.

Ragnar was of the Siberian breed, a beast bred for the snow. This was his domain.

He stomped atop the body of the dead bear, the steaming blood spreading out around him, and then he fixed his orange eyes upon the other monsters, a wave of bloodlust freezing them in their steps.

The frozen forest soon descended into chaos as the sound of gurgling blood, the merry clang of steel, and the oddly comforting boom of thunder filled the air.

Ark was flying around, releasing bolts of lightning from the sky like some sort of arcane god.

No monster escaped his gaze, and since he was in the sky, no one could challenge him. Of course, a few tried, but they were soon reduced to steaming mounds of flesh.

Although this was their first time meeting, everyone followed Ark’s plan, working together as one seamless team.

Thalia was ripping apart bears with her claws, and strangling those who escaped with her muscular tail.

Cici was using her shields to defend anyone who was pressed by the monsters. She was always on time, providing support just when it was necessary.

Ark could not keep his eyes on everyone at the same time, but he could have sworn he saw Dark tackle a bear to the ground...

The bears’ numbers thinned down until only a handful of monsters remained, beaten and bruised, but still high on morale.

And a few seconds later, Ark realised why...