Chapter 164: The Battle Continues

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: The Battle Continues

Beyond the swarm, distant explosions and roars echoed through the storm. The sounds of battle were growing louder, and occasional flashes of elemental energy lit up the horizon.

The frontline was already fighting.

Damon could make out several figures in the distance, struggling to hold back the incoming beasts. Their formation was stretched thin, and even from here, it was clear they were having trouble containing the tide.

They wouldn’t last much longer at this rate.

’So this is how bad things have become.’

Damon narrowed his eyes.

It would be pointless to stabilize the Zone Heart only to let the beasts overwhelm the settlements outside. If the frontline collapsed, the damage would spread far beyond Tempest Hollow, and there was no telling how many people would lose their lives.

They had to stop this swarm and help the people holding the frontline.

Caelia glanced at him. She had noticed the change in his expression, and the others had sensed it too.

They had spent the journey preparing for a difficult battle, but this was clearly beyond what they had faced so far. Even the beasts they had fought earlier were nothing compared to the massive tide approaching them.

Caelia tightened her grip as Ice Elemental Aether gathered around her.

She had mentally prepared herself for this. She knew Tempest Hollow would be more dangerous than Frostveil, and she had chosen to come anyway. Whatever awaited them ahead, she was determined to help.

Damon looked at his Spirit Elementals.

"Are you all ready?"

Freya’s silver lightning crackled around her body, and Sylphie spread her emerald wings with a proud cry. Shiro stood firmly beside Snow, his deep blue eyes fixed on the approaching swarm.

Even Shiro, who was usually the calmest among them, seemed eager to fight.

Damon smiled faintly.

"Good. Let’s see how much we’ve improved."

The beasts had already noticed them.

Several Gale Shadow Panthers rushed ahead, followed by a pack of Thunderfang Wolves. Behind them, larger beasts pushed through the swarm, their bodies covered in lightning and swirling wind.

A barrage of Wind and Lightning Arts erupted toward the group.

Sharp wind blades tore through the air, while bolts of lightning struck the ground around them. The sheer number of attacks threatened to engulf their position.

But Damon was already moving.

He stepped forward before Shiro could even deploy Frostbound Sanctuary.

Ice Elemental Aether gathered around him, and several ice spears formed in the air. They appeared so quickly that Caelia barely had time to follow their creation.

Damon didn’t need to stop moving or concentrate on forming each spear individually. His control over the Ice Element was already precise enough to create them while advancing.

The White Core had once again demonstrated its terrifying potential.

Although Damon had no natural elemental affinity when he awakened, his White Core allowed him to control the elements he had gained through his Spirit Elementals with remarkable efficiency. The feedback he received from Shiro had also helped him become more familiar with Ice Elemental Aether.

Now, his control was far beyond what Caelia had expected.

A wind blade swept toward him.

Damon casually raised his arm, and a thin layer of ice formed over his body, deflecting the attack before it could reach him. Another bolt of lightning struck nearby, but he had already moved out of its path.

He didn’t waste any movement defending against attacks he could easily avoid.

Instead, his attention remained on the beasts charging toward them.

The ice spears surrounding him began to change.

Lightning gathered at their tips, silver currents dancing across the condensed ice. Then, with a subtle movement of his hand, Damon infused them with Wind Elemental Aether.

The spears shot forward.

They moved so quickly that their paths were almost impossible to follow. A sharp whistle cut through the battlefield as the weapons tore through the incoming attacks and struck the beasts behind them.

Each spear found its target.

One pierced through a Gale Shadow Panther’s head before continuing into the beast behind it. Another struck a Thunderfang Wolf in the chest, releasing a violent burst of lightning that spread through its body.

The beasts collapsed almost instantly.

More spears followed, each one carrying the combined force of Ice, Lightning, and Wind.

The ice provided a solid structure, the wind pushed the weapons to incredible speeds, and the lightning delivered the destructive force needed to pierce through the beasts’ defenses.

Damon controlled every spear as it flew, adjusting their trajectories to ensure none were wasted.

A group of beasts attempted to scatter, but the spears changed direction in midair, pursuing their targets with frightening precision.

Within moments, the first wave of beasts had been cut down.

Caelia stared at the scene.

She had seen Damon fight before, but this was different.

His movements were calm and effortless, and he didn’t seem troubled by the countless attacks surrounding him. He simply used the elements at his disposal, combining them in ways that made each movement more effective than the last.

And his control over Ice Elemental Aether...

Caelia couldn’t help feeling astonished.

’When did he become this good with Ice?’

She had spent years cultivating her Ice Element, yet Damon was already displaying a level of control that surpassed hers. He could create numerous spears while moving, reinforce his body with ice at the exact moment he needed it, and combine three elements without losing control of any of them.

"The White Core really is something else..." she murmured.

But Damon wasn’t finished.

The first wave had only been the beginning. More beasts were charging through the gaps, their roars growing louder as they pushed toward the group.

Damon raised his hand again.

More ice spears formed around him, but this time, he didn’t immediately launch them.

Instead, he spread his fingers, and the spears separated into several formations. Some hovered above him, while others moved to his sides, waiting for his command.

A pack of Thunderfang Wolves released a coordinated lightning attack.

Damon’s eyes narrowed.

The spears shot forward in a wide arc, meeting the incoming lightning head-on. The collision produced a series of sharp explosions, but the spears continued through the energy, piercing the wolves before they could launch another attack.