The fierce dragon chant unsettled the ferocious Frost Tiger, causing its fur to bristle and its eyes, initially eager, now clouded with intense wariness and apprehension. It seemed to realize that the dragon before it was not an ordinary prey and was not to be trifled with.
After intimidating the Frost Tiger, Garon's gaze sharpened, exuding a dangerous aura.
"Just a big cat that likes to roar and challenge a true dragon?" He flew above, not bothering to land but merely lowering his distance to bring the Frost Tiger within his spell's range.
Next, Garon slightly opened his draconic mouth under the watchful eyes of the Frost Tiger, uttering the complex incantation of a Fireball spell while extending his dragon claw towards the Frost Tiger.
The gesture of extending his claw was not necessary for the spell but served to guide his focus and lock onto his target, allowing for a smoother release of magical power.
Some spellcasters liked to shout the name of the spell after chanting, which wasn't pointless. It served as a psychological boost, stimulating their spirit, channeling magical power, and slightly enhancing the spell's effect.
A pea-sized fireball appeared at the tip of Garon's sharp claws.
Then suddenly, it vanished, streaking through the air in a red blur, soaring towards the ferocious Frost Tiger.
Boom!
The rolling flames engulfed a ten-meter radius area, but the Frost Tiger's figure was not among them.
The dynamic vision of feline animals was exemplified in the Frost Tiger, allowing it to clearly see the trajectory of the Fireball, dodging it with a nimble and graceful leap.
Having frequently battled magical creatures, the Frost Tiger wasn't fooled by the mere appearance of the Fireball. Its animal instincts sensed the danger.
"Ferocity doesn't enhance intelligence but significantly amplifies animal instincts," Garon mused, his chanting relentless as more pea-sized fireballs formed in front of him, shooting towards the Frost Tiger.
Dragons have a unique advantage in storing much more magical energy than human spellcasters, and favored by the elements, Garon's casting consumed little energy. With spells like the third-circle Fireball, he felt he could keep firing all day.
On the other hand, under the barrage of fireballs, the Frost Tiger was forced to keep leaping around the snowy field.
Its agile movements and exceptional dynamic vision allowed it to dodge every single one of Garon's fireballs, turning a large area into a blazing inferno, lighting up the surrounding space in a fiery red.
Regaining confidence after dodging a round of Fireballs, the Frost Tiger growled deeply at Garon.
Then, it crouched slightly, its well-defined muscles burst forth, and its body catapulted forward, fracturing the ground beneath with web-like cracks.
Whoosh!
The Frost Tiger stirred up a whirlwind, leaping a hundred meters into the air in a ferocious bound, lunging towards Garon.
This impressive leaping power slightly diverted Garon's gaze.
Reflected in his platinum pupils was the rapidly approaching Frost Tiger, yet Garon remained calm.
Under his command, the power of time extended and merged with an inconspicuous fireball, mingled among five fireballs, and shot towards the Frost Tiger.
Now fully adapted to the speed of the Fireballs, the Frost Tiger twisted and turned in the air, dodging three consecutively.
However, the fourth fireball, which suddenly increased in speed, hit the Frost Tiger squarely.
Boom!
A burst of flames blossomed in the air.
The Frost Tiger howled in pain, its fur catching fire as it plummeted to the ground.
Creatures of the Northern Ice Plains generally have high resistance to frost but weak resistance to fire, making fire-based spells nearly double in damage against them.
The Frost Tiger rolled on the ground, gradually extinguishing the flames on its body. A grotesque, charred wound was conspicuously visible on its right forepaw.
Garon sniffed, wrinkling his brow at the slightly sour scent of meat mixed with the smell of singed fur.
"It smells just like a regular Frost Tiger."
He was greatly disappointed.
Garon had eaten regular Frost Tigers before and didn't find them tasty.
He had thought the flesh of the ferocious Frost Tiger would be distinctly different, but it turned out to be much the same as that of a regular Frost Tiger.
Below, the Frost Tiger, having lost its desire to fight after being injured, suddenly leaped up and ran swiftly away from Garon.
It moved quickly, its speed still unmatched by ninety percent of the Ice Plains hunters, even with its forelimb injured by the Fireball.
Unfortunately for it, that list did not include Garon.
Garon fluttered his dragon wings, activating an acceleration mode, and transformed into a straight white line, swooping down and landing.
In a few breaths' time, Garon caught up to the Frost
Tiger, blocking its path.
Unable to escape, the Frost Tiger's eyes flashed with a desperate ferocity. It increased its speed instead of decreasing it and roared as it lunged at Garon.
But as it entered within twenty meters of Garon's body, it hesitated, suddenly losing sight of Garon as if the dragon it had seen was just an illusion and had never been there.
Simultaneously, its keen senses detected an extreme threat from behind and above.
It turned abruptly, only to see a dragon fist covered in white scales looming in its vision.
Thud!
A punch landed squarely on its forehead.
The Frost Tiger, lacking the defensive capabilities of the White Dragon Mother, collapsed, its limbs giving way as it hit the ground, causing a slight tremor.
Garon relaxed his dragon fist, shaking his wrist.
Time stop, followed by a strike—a tactic that never grew old.
The Frost Tiger wasn't dead yet, just dazed from the blow to its head, struggling to move. It looked up at Garon, emitting a piteous and unwilling roar.
"This Frost Tiger isn't tasty, but it's slightly stronger than the Northern Savage Bears."
Curious about its ferocity and considering its combat ability, Garon entertained the idea of subduing it.
His strongest minion currently was a dragon vein ogre, which still didn't belong to the upper echelons of Ice Plains creatures and couldn't provide prey of the Northern Savage Bear's caliber.
The two bear cubs might manage it once grown, but they were far from ready.
Without his time abilities, defeating the Frost Tiger wouldn't have been so easy. If he could subdue this large creature, he would have a formidable minion to bolster his ranks.
With this thought, Garon's gaze shifted, his dragon might erupting.
Severely injured, the Frost Tiger was much weaker in spirit and trembled under the dragon's imposing presence, eventually fainting from the struggle.
Garon grasped the Frost Tiger, his wings flapping as he ascended, carrying it back to his icy cliff territory.