The scent to the squad's dismay had suddenly gone cold, leaving them in a cold and dark wasteland that was littered with countless bones and skulls. "I can't pick up any other scent" Okuagu said gloomily with his nose up in the air. "So this must be where the owner of the sock must have gone missing" Gale said out loud. "I'm guessing this means we will have to proceed through the wasteland" complained Diamond before she plopped down on to the ground in utter frustration. The rest of the squad confirmed her fears as they continued to march through the wastelands. After some time of continuous marching Okuagu signaled for the squad to halt for he was now picking up some strange scents. Okuagu scanned the surroundings with heat signature before he finally spoke: "A group of gigantic beetles are heading our way". Gale with a hiss sighed "Any chance of them being friendly? ''I believe we all know the answer to that question" replied Lee as he slowly drew his katana. The beetles seemed to answer Gale's question as they rushed the now battle ready squad members. "Be careful more of them are coming from the ground" Okuagu hollered out. Boaruss moved in front of the squad before he slammed his right foot heavily on the ground; sending powerful earth tremors toward the now swarming beetles. The tremors had no effect on the beetle as they continued to run toward the squad members; their obsidian mandibles clicking every now and then. A smile crept on to Boaruss face for it seemed that finally there was going to be some action... Okuagu dodged an incoming snap from a beetle's mandibles before he punched it squarely on one of its many eyes. The beetle unfazed continued to snap at Okuagu with its jaws. Grabbing hold of the beetle's mandibles, Okuagu channeled all of the surrounding heat into his arms moments before he hurled it at the incoming swarm.The swarm continued to crash into the circle of the flaming tempest squad's members as they frantically tried to breach their defenses. "I will try freezing them with a skill that I haven't used in a long time. So you will have to cover me" Lee said to the other squad members as his eyes took on a blue hue. Lee closed his eyes and clenched his hands together as he slowly concentrated on the water moisture in the surroundings. The rest of the squad continued to defend Lee from the beetles, all the while giving him a chance to push his gift to the next level… Stomping on the ground with his all might Boaruss created an earth wall that surrounded the squad members as they planned their next attacks. "Now would be a good time Lee! Diamond shouted while she cut off the mandible of a beetle that had breached her part of the wall. Lee didn't respond for he had presently reached a level of utmost concentration that could not be broken by anything. "Okuagu with me" Gale said jumping over the now crumbling wall. Okuagu leapt over the wall on hearing this, his body covered in flames as he crashed into the beetles like a comet. The beetles on noticing the flame and heat retreated a little from the wall as they tried to douse the flame on some of their shiny carapaces. Gale remembering the attack that he had used against Boaruss in their duel, gathered the air around him into his palm. Boaruss kept on trying to set up another wall of earth though to his obvious annoyance the beetles kept up pouring into the wasteland as they threatened to drown the squad…Gale released the attack at the approaching hordes throwing them away and scattering their formation, as vast gusts of winds tore through the beetles sending them flying throughout the wastelands. The beetles many of which were now on their backs (with no hopes of getting up) seemed to be stalled by the recent attacks. Boaruss with a swing of his axe decapitated the head of a beetle as he ran through the fallen beetles slicing and ending their lives with swift vicious slashes. Lee who had just finished his meditation, with a loud voice shouted: "You all should get behind me". The rest of the squad immediately disengaged from the beetles as they assembled themselves behind Lee with their weapons raised. "SHENLONG BA! Lee shouted in a loud voice. An illusory dragon roared in the air moments before it clashed with his armor. The whole squad watched in fear as Lee's now blue hair grew some feet longer, with his eyes taking up a reptilian gaze. Cold mists covered the entire area as the whole wastelands descended into extreme levels of cold with icicles even forming on some bones Lee with his eyes now filled up with unexplained malice breathed out at the approaching horde. The beetle's bodies began to freeze over as shards of ice formed on their carapaces, shrouding them in layers of pristine ice. Okuagu looked at the frozen beetles before his eyes fell on the now unconscious Lee. "That was a forbidden spell" Diamond said shaking her head as though in remorse. "Spell? Emerald wondered for only witches and wizards from many secret covens could actually conjure spells instead of them relying on gifts. "Nice one Lee, it seems you are more of a monster than I thought" Boaruss said out loud as he carried Lee on to his back. "What secrets do we all possess? Gale thought looking at the scary squad he and Okuagu had assembled."I hate to be a bringer of bad news, but it seems that more beetles are currently flying our way" Emerald pointed out as the wastelands buzzed with the sound of countless of wings. "It's time for us to do our own part" Okuagu added momentarily looking at the unconscious Lee. "If only he had done that spell later on in the battle" sighed Boaruss.