Chapter 186: Behind the Scenes

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Behind the Scenes

Caelia’s eyes widened.

"Snow..."

Snow opened her eyes.

Her body began to change.

The Frost Lynx grew slightly larger, but the difference wasn’t limited to her size.

Her body had become more muscular beneath her thick white fur, giving her a stronger and more mature appearance.

Her paws were larger, her claws sharper, and her movements carried more strength.

The pale blue markings across her body had become clearer as well.

They looked almost like frozen patterns naturally formed within her fur.

Her eyes shone with a deeper blue light.

Even her aura had changed.

Snow’s presence was much heavier than before, and the cold surrounding her was no longer the gentle chill of an ordinary Frost Lynx.

It carried a sharpness that made Caelia immediately understand what had happened.

Snow had grown stronger.

Much stronger.

Caelia’s face lit up.

"You evolved too!"

Snow immediately moved toward her.

Caelia caught her and hugged her tightly.

"You’re stronger!"

Snow happily rubbed her head against Caelia’s chest.

Caelia laughed.

"Thank you, Damon."

Damon coughed lightly.

"You’re welcome."

He looked away for a moment.

Caelia was usually composed and serious.

Seeing her this excited was surprisingly cute.

She continued holding Snow while checking her new strength.

Damon couldn’t help smiling.

The cultivation from last night had worked better than expected.

Shiro had evolved.

Snow had also crossed her threshold.

And both of them had gained more than just physical strength.

Damon could feel the difference through their connections.

Their foundations were stronger.

Their Aether was denser.

Their bodies were better suited to their elements.

It was exactly the result he had wanted.

Hard work paying off was always satisfying.

More importantly, they were entering Tempest Hollow with a stronger group than they had the night before.

Damon stood up.

"Alright."

Caelia looked at him.

"What?"

"We’re leaving."

Her smile disappeared.

"Already?"

"We have a lot to do."

She looked outside.

"Can’t we at least eat something first?"

"We can eat while moving."

Caelia sighed.

"You’re really not going to let us enjoy this, are you?"

Damon looked at Shiro and Snow.

"They can celebrate after we finish today’s work."

Freya’s tails moved excitedly.

Sylphie gave a soft cry.

Damon glanced at both of them.

"You two are ready?"

Freya nodded proudly.

Sylphie spread her six wings.

Damon smiled.

"Good."

Today’s goal was simple.

Explore Tempest Hollow.

Kill every beast they encountered.

Use the fights to properly test their newly gained strength.

And most importantly, find the Zone Heart.

The last part was what mattered most.

Damon didn’t want to waste time.

If the Zone Heart was already struggling against the unstable Aether inside Tempest Hollow, then every delay made the situation worse.

He especially depended on Sylphie and Freya to locate it.

Both of them could sense Wind and Lightning Aether far better than he could. If they got close enough to the Zone Heart, they should be able to notice the faint elemental essence it released.

But Tempest Hollow wasn’t like Frostveil.

The Aether here was far more unstable.

Lightning and wind constantly mixed together, while mutations had already spread through parts of the zone.

Finding the Zone Heart wouldn’t be easy.

And if the corruption reached it before they did, things could become much worse.

Damon looked toward the entrance.

"Let’s move."

The group quickly left the camp.

They didn’t waste time.

As they entered Tempest Hollow again, the familiar distorted sky greeted them.

Dark clouds rolled overhead while streaks of lightning flashed in the distance.

Strong winds moved through the ruined landscape, carrying unstable Aether with them.

Damon narrowed his eyes.

"Stay alert."

Freya and Sylphie moved ahead.

The two spirits began carefully searching for traces of their respective elements.

Shiro and Snow stayed closer to the group while Caelia walked beside Damon.

Damon could already feel the difference in their strength.

Shiro’s aura was much more stable.

Snow’s movements were sharper.

They were both ready to test their new power.

And Damon intended to give them plenty of opportunities.

"Don’t hold back when we find the beasts," he said.

Caelia smiled.

"That sounds like something you’ve been waiting to say."

"Of course."

He looked toward the distorted landscape ahead.

"We didn’t spend all that time cultivating just to walk around."

Caelia laughed.

"Fair enough."

The group continued deeper into Tempest Hollow.

None of them noticed the eyes watching from a distant ridge.

Far away from Tempest Hollow, a group of people had gathered again.

The same people who had once watched helplessly as Damon stabilized Frostveil Expanse were now sitting in silence.

But this time, their expressions were very different.

There was no relief.

No confidence.

Only frustration.

One of the men slammed his hand against the table.

"How did this happen?"

Nobody answered.

They had already received the recent reports.

Previously, the squad they had sent to ambush Damon had been completely eliminated.

Not only had Damon survived, but the group had failed to relay the location of the Zone Heart.

That alone had already ruined part of their plan.

Worse, Cornelius Winterbourne had been given enough time to strengthen the defenses around the Zone Heart.

Accessing it had become much harder.

But that wasn’t the worst news.

The latest report had arrived shortly afterward.

Damon had entered Tempest Hollow.

He was now moving toward its Zone Heart.

The room remained silent.

One of the people present clenched his fists.

"He stabilized Frostveil."

Another spoke bitterly.

"And now he’s going after Tempest Hollow."

Their original plan had depended on the two distorted zones remaining unstable.

The more they spread, the more chaotic the surrounding regions became.

But Damon had interfered with Frostveil.

Now he was interfering with Tempest Hollow as well.

The situation was slipping further away from them.

A woman near the end of the table spoke quietly.

"If he reaches the Zone Heart, our preparations will be delayed again."

"We know."

"Then we should send another group."

The leader finally raised his head.

His expression was cold.

Still everyone looked at him.

He slowly stood.

"The last group failed, and Damon is stronger than we expected."

He paused.

"We need to make a better move now."

A/N;

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