Chapter 172: Training in Battle

Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Training in Battle

"Snow, Forward!"

Caelia raised her hand, directing her Frost Lynx toward a group of approaching beasts.

Snow darted forward, leaving a trail of frost beneath her paws. Several icy chains emerged from the ground and wrapped around the monsters, holding them in place.

Caelia followed with a wave of ice spears.

They shot through the air and struck the restrained beasts, while Snow moved between them, using her claws to finish off those that survived.

The two worked smoothly together.

Caelia had also begun adapting to the battlefield. Instead of focusing only on powerful attacks, she used her ice to restrict enemy movement and create openings for Damon and the others.

When a group of lightning beasts tried to surround them, she quickly raised several ice walls to divide their formation.

"Shiro, on the right!"

Shiro responded by creating a series of floating Ice Mirrors.

The mirrors appeared at different angles around the group, reflecting the distorted image of the battlefield. The beasts hesitated as they saw several false positions, unsure which target to pursue.

One of them released a powerful lightning attack.

The strike hit an Ice Mirror and bent away from its original path, crashing into another group of beasts instead.

Caelia’s eyes widened slightly.

She immediately understood what Shiro was doing.

"Snow, keep them inside the formation!"

Snow rushed forward, forcing the beasts toward the center as the Ice Mirrors shifted around them.

Damon noticed the opening and raised his hand.

A series of ice spears appeared above the trapped monsters, their tips glowing with lightning.

"Move aside."

The spears descended.

A chain of explosions swept across the area, wiping out the entire group.

Caelia glanced at Damon, who was already looking toward the next wave.

"Do you ever get tired of experimenting?"

"Not when it works."

"That isn’t an answer."

"It’s a practical one."

Caelia couldn’t help letting out a small laugh.

Even in the middle of such a dangerous battle, Damon remained relaxed. He paid attention to everything around him, but he never seemed overwhelmed by the number of beasts or the chaos of the battlefield.

Instead, he treated each new situation as something to solve.

"Besides," Damon continued, "we’re making good progress. There’s no reason to waste the opportunity."

Caelia shook her head.

"Sometimes I wonder whether you see these beasts as enemies or training partners."

"Why not both?"

She looked at him for a moment before smiling.

"You’re unbelievable."

Damon simply shrugged.

"Stay close. The larger ones are starting to gather."

His gaze shifted toward the distance.

Several enormous beasts were pushing through the tide, their bodies covered in thick scales and crackling elemental energy. Some carried powerful lightning, while others generated violent winds with every movement.

They were clearly stronger than the ordinary beasts surrounding them.

Damon’s expression remained calm.

"Let’s see how they handle a combination of elements."

He extended his hand, and the Aether around him began to gather.

A large formation of ice spears appeared overhead, each one reinforced with his precise Aether control. Wind wrapped around their bodies, while lightning gathered at their tips.

The surrounding air trembled under the pressure.

Caelia stepped back slightly as she watched the formation take shape.

Damon lowered his hand.

The spears shot forward.

They moved so quickly that their trails blended into streaks of light. The first wave struck the approaching beasts, piercing their defenses and forcing them to stagger.

Before they could recover, the second wave arrived.

Lightning erupted from the impact points, spreading through the beasts and tearing through the monsters behind them. The wind carried the force of the explosions across the battlefield, while the ice spears continued forward and struck anything that remained.

A huge section of the tide was cleared.

Caelia stared at the destruction.

She had already grown accustomed to Damon’s strength, but his ability to combine different elements so naturally was still difficult to comprehend.

He wasn’t simply using multiple arts at once.

He was making them work together.

And every time he found a new combination, the destructive power increased.

"Caelia!"

His voice pulled her attention back.

A massive beast had broken through the smoke and was charging directly toward them. Its body was covered in thick armor, and lightning gathered around its horns.

Caelia immediately called out to Shiro who responded immediately.

"Frostbound Sanctuary!"

Ice spread across the ground, but the beast continued forward, breaking through the frozen surface with sheer force.

She frowned.

"Snow!"

Snow leaped toward the beast, releasing a wave of frost that slowed its movement. Caelia followed by forming several thick ice pillars around its legs, restricting its path.

The beast roared and released a powerful lightning blast.

Before the attack could reach them, Shiro’s Ice Mirrors appeared in front of the group.

The lightning struck the mirrors and bent away, scattering across the surrounding battlefield.

"Now, Caelia!" Damon called.

She didn’t hesitate.

A massive spear of ice formed above her, its tip aimed at the beast’s exposed chest. Snow released another wave of frost, further slowing the monster, while Shiro’s chains wrapped around its legs.

Caelia brought her hand down.

The spear descended and pierced through the beast’s armor.

Damon followed with a concentrated bolt of lightning that struck the same point.

The beast’s roar echoed across the battlefield before its body finally collapsed.

Caelia exhaled and lowered her hands.

"That one was tougher."

"Your timing was good," Damon said. "You waited until its movement was restricted before using your strongest attack."

She glanced at him.

"I’ve been learning from someone who keeps turning every battle into a lesson."

"Then I suppose I’m doing a good job."

"Don’t get too proud."

Damon smiled faintly before turning back toward the tide.

Their advance had not slowed.

With each battle, the group cleared another section of the beasts, and the pressure on the frontline continued to decrease. The monsters that had turned toward them were being eliminated, while those still pushing forward were forced to deal with the attacks coming from behind.