Chapter 187: Let Her Have It

Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Let Her Have It

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

He paused.

"We need to make a better move now."

Nobody spoke as they watched the leader’s eyes hardened.

"Quickly."

The frustration in the room disappeared.

What replaced it was urgency.

They had already lost too much time.

And if Damon reached the heart of Tempest Hollow before them, their entire plan could fall apart.

Meanwhile, Damon and his group continued to move deeper into Tempest Hollow.

This time, Freya and Sylphie took the lead.

Freya stayed closer to the ground, moving ahead with her nine tails swaying behind her, while Sylphie flew higher and scouted the area from the sky.

Damon wasn’t worried.

He trusted both of them.

They had spent enough time together that he rarely needed to explain what he wanted anymore. More importantly, both spirits understood what they were looking for.

They were searching for anything that could lead them toward the Zone Heart.

After some time, Freya suddenly changed direction.

Sylphie did the same from above.

Damon noticed immediately.

Both were heading toward the same area.

"The Floating Ruin?"

Caelia looked ahead.

"You think they’re right?"

Damon smiled.

"I would have gone there too."

The Floating Ruin was one of the more unusual areas within Tempest Hollow, and Damon had already discovered that it was connected to strange activity within the zone.

If the Zone Heart was influencing the surrounding Aether, there was a good chance something near the Floating Ruin could lead them closer to it.

So he trusted their judgment.

They changed direction.

The route wasn’t nearly as easy as Damon remembered.

The closer they got, the more beasts they encountered.

Groups of Lightning Wolves moved through the ruins. Windrazor Hawks circled above the broken structures, while several larger beasts roamed between them.

There were too many.

If Damon had been in a hurry, he would have avoided this route entirely.

But they weren’t simply trying to reach the Floating Ruin anymore.

They were searching.

And fighting along the way would give everyone a chance to test their new strength.

Sylphie suddenly slowed in the sky.

Her wings tilted slightly.

Damon noticed.

"Get ready."

Caelia immediately reached for her weapon.

Snow lowered her body.

Shiro’s eyes narrowed.

Freya’s tails lifted.

And soon the beasts attacked.

Several Lightning Wolves burst from behind the ruins, followed by a group of Windrazor Hawks diving from above.

They came quickly.

But before Damon could give an order, someone had already moved.

Caelia.

She rushed forward.

"Snow!"

The Frost Lynx followed immediately.

Damon paused.

Then he smiled.

"So that’s how it’s going to be."

Caelia clearly wasn’t planning to let anyone steal her fight.

After receiving the feedback from Snow’s growth, she had been itching to test herself.

Damon could understand that feeling.

"Everyone, let her have it."

Freya stopped.

Sylphie returned to a higher position.

Even Shiro remained where he was.

Caelia glanced back and smiled.

"Thanks."

Damon folded his arms.

"Don’t make me regret it."

"I won’t."

She turned around.

The first Lightning Wolf reached her.

Caelia raised her weapon.

"Ice Edge."

A sharp blade of ice formed along the weapon.

She swung.

The wolf tried to dodge, but Caelia stepped forward and changed the angle of her strike.

The ice blade cut across its chest. Making the beast crash onto the ground.

Another rushed from the side.

Snow intercepted it.

The Frost Lynx moved faster than before.

Her body blurred across the battlefield, and her claws struck the beast’s neck with enough force to send it rolling across the ground.

Caelia’s eyes brightened.

"You’re faster."

Snow raised her head proudly.

Caelia laughed.

"Then let’s make use of it."

Three more beasts charged.

Caelia planted her foot.

"Ice Burst!"

Ice erupted from the ground.

The beasts were thrown upward, and Snow immediately jumped into the middle of them.

Her claws flashed.

One.

Two.

Three.

Each strike found a weak point.

The beasts fell before they could even recover.

Caelia followed behind.

"Ice Spear!"

Several spears formed around her and shot forward.

The remaining beasts tried to scatter, but Snow had already blocked one side.

The spears pierced through them.

The attack ended almost as quickly as it had started.

Damon watched quietly.

He could clearly see the difference.

Caelia’s control had improved, and she was using her Ice Aether more freely than before.

She wasn’t simply throwing stronger attacks.

She was combining them.

The ice field limited the beasts’ movement, Snow took advantage of the openings, and Caelia finished whatever survived.

Their cooperation had also become smoother.

Caelia noticed it herself.

She looked at Snow.

"Again?"

Snow’s ears immediately lifted making Caelia smile.

"Good."

Another group of Lightning Wolves appeared almost immediately.

This time, Caelia didn’t wait for them to attack.

She raised both hands.

"Ice Field."

A layer of frost spread across the ground.

The wolves stepped onto it and immediately slowed.

Snow rushed through them.

Her new strength showed clearly.

She no longer needed several attacks to bring down the weaker beasts.

A single swipe was often enough.

One wolf tried to leap over Snow.

Caelia pointed toward it.

"Ice Cube."

Ice closed around the beast in midair.

Snow jumped.

Her claws struck the frozen body and shattered it.

Damon’s eyebrows lifted.

That was clever.

Caelia had started using her Arts with more purpose instead of simply increasing their power.

She was thinking during the fight.

That was exactly what he wanted to see.

The last beast fell.

Caelia stood among the scattered ice and looked back.

"How was that?"

Damon nodded.

"Better."

"Better?"

She frowned.

"That’s all?"

Damon smiled.

"You’ve improved."

Caelia crossed her arms.

"I know."

Snow lifted her head proudly beside her.

Damon laughed.

"You two really became confident overnight."

Caelia smiled.

"Snow evolved. Of course I’m confident."

"Fair enough."

He looked ahead.

"But don’t get too comfortable."

Just then a rumble came from the distance.

Caelia turned.

Another group of beasts was approaching.

This time, there were even more.

Lightning Wolves.

Windrazor Hawks.

A few larger Thunderhorn Beasts moved among them.