The roar was getting closer, and the fog in the mountains began to twist, as if some huge monster was moving through it.
Perry took a step back subconsciously, his heart pounding. He could feel a heavy sense of oppression coming at him, as if the whole mountain was shaking slightly. He whispered, "What on earth is that? Could it be... an ice dragon?"
"Don't be silly." Mike whispered, his tone was relaxed, but more cautious, "If it was an ice dragon, we would have been frozen into ice cubes. It is likely to be a common monster on this mountain, and it may be affected by the breath of the ice dragon and become particularly dangerous."
"Common monster?" Perry frowned, looking into the depths of the fog, feeling uneasy, "It doesn't sound very common..."
Before he finished speaking, a pair of eyes emitting faint blue light suddenly emerged from the thick fog. Then, a huge figure slowly emerged. It was a wolf-like creature, but three times the size of an ordinary wolf, with thick limbs, sharp ice blades protruding from its back, and teeth like sharp daggers, dripping with cold saliva.
"Frost Giant Wolf." Joyce said calmly, with a flash of understanding in her eyes, "It seems that it regards us as invaders."
"This thing seems to be very angry!" Perry nervously clenched his wand and stood stiffly in place, "What should we do?"
"What else can we do? Kill it." Mike said as he pulled out the dagger from his waist. His movements were crisp and clear, and the dagger flashed a cold light in the air, "Remember, this kind of magic beast is good at long-range ice attribute attacks, don't stand still."
"Leave it to me." Joyce chuckled and then took a few steps towards the Frost Giant Wolf. He raised his finger, and a golden rune appeared in the air. With a crisp burst, the rune exploded and released a dazzling light.
The frost wolf seemed to be stung by the light, howling angrily to the sky, then opened its mouth and spit out an ice-blue beam of light at the three people.
"Get out of the way!" Mike shouted and rolled to the side quickly. The beam hit the ground, and a burst of cold air suddenly blew out. A thick layer of ice instantly formed on the ground, and the temperature in the air suddenly dropped.
Perry took the opportunity to concentrate his attention, took out the magic book to find a suitable magic, and soon a green vine grew out of the ground and quickly wrapped around the limbs of the frost wolf. The giant wolf let out an angry roar and struggled hard, but the vines became more and more, and it was trapped in an instant.
"Good job, Perry!" Mike did not forget to praise, and at the same time rushed to the giant wolf quickly, and the dagger in his hand accurately stabbed its side. This blow made the giant wolf feel pain, and the roar was deafening.
Joyce stood behind calmly, and his fingers moved quickly again. He whispered a series of complex spells, and the air around him suddenly became hot. As his spell was completed, an arrow condensed from flames shot out from the air and hit the head of the frost wolf.
"Awoo--" The giant wolf let out a final wail, then fell to the ground with a bang, its body gradually turning into ice chips and dissipating in the air.
The battle was over, and the three stood there panting, and the thick fog around them seemed to have become thinner as the giant wolf disappeared.
"This is just the beginning." Mike sheathed the dagger and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "If every step of the mountaineering is so lively, I really doubt whether we can find Moon Shadow Glass alive."
"Don't be such a pessimist." Joyce said lightly, patting the dust off his body. He looked at Perry, with a slight smile on his lips, "But, Perry, you did a good job this time. Generally, frost giant wolves don't attack humans so rarely, maybe it's Henry's luck, haha."
"Hehe." Perry rolled his eyes helplessly. He looked at the mountain road in front of him and put the magic book back into his schoolbag. "Let's continue. After all, we haven't reached the most difficult part yet."
After the three adjusted their state, they set out on the journey to the depths of Mount Bidanea again. The thick fog gradually dissipated, and the ridgeline in the distance was faintly visible, but no one could predict what kind of challenges they would encounter next.
The three continued to climb up the mountain. As the altitude increased, the air became thinner and the cold became more biting. Although the coat had well insulated the cold, Perry could still feel an invisible pressure around them, as if the entire mountain range was watching their every move.
"Mike, besides the Frost Wolf, are there any other 'common' monsters on this mountain?" Perry asked tentatively, his steps hesitant.
"Well, let me think about it..." Mike touched his chin pretending to be serious. "The Frost Giant Wolf is considered low-level. Going up further, you may encounter some Ice Crystal Bats or Snow Ghosts. Oh, yes, there is also a most annoying one - frozen earth piranha."
"Frozen earth...piranha?" Perry shuddered when he heard the name, "It doesn't sound like a good thing."
"Of course it's not good." Joyce replied calmly, "This plant monster likes to disguise itself as an ordinary snow plant. Once it gets close, it will use vines to drag its prey into the ground, and then-" He waved his hand lightly and made a closing motion.
"Then it becomes its fertilizer." Mike added with a smile, his tone too relaxed.
Perry swallowed his saliva and secretly decided not to approach the plants on the roadside casually.
Soon after, they came to an open platform surrounded by gray-white rocks and a thin layer of frost on the ground. The fog here has weakened a lot, and the vision has become clear. Perry looked up at the top of the mountain and found that it was still out of reach, as if he would never reach the end.
"Take a break." Mike stopped, sat on a rock, took out a water bottle and took a sip. He looked around and was relieved after confirming that there was no danger for the time being.
Perry also relaxed his stiff shoulders and leaned on a rock beside him, trying to calm his rapid breathing. He looked at the surrounding scenery and found that he could overlook the entire main city of Otonia from here. The city in the distance was vaguely visible, like a shining gem inlaid on the ground.
"It's so beautiful here." He murmured, feeling a little emotional, "I just didn't expect that we would climb to such a place for a Moon Shadow Glass."
"It's because it's precious." Joyce sat on a rock, he took out the sapphire, and gently stroked the pattern on the surface of the bracelet with his fingertips. "Moon Shadow Glass is one of the key materials for refining high-level magic tools. Even if you only find a leaf, you can sell it at an astonishingly high price."
Perry stared at the bracelet in his hand, a little absent-minded. After a while, he looked up and said, "But for me, this is the key to help me lift the curse!" He sighed and looked up at the top of the mountain, "How long will it take us to get there?"
Mike answered while sorting out his equipment: "Those grasses grow near the top of the mountain. But don't worry, when we get close to there, Joyce's bracelet will react and help us locate it."
Perry frowned, feeling both expectant and nervous. He bit his lip and asked, "But we must get back before night, right? What if it gets dark?"
Joyce nodded and said solemnly, "That's right. It is very dangerous to stay on this mountain at night, especially near the area where the ice dragon is sealed. The cold there will become more intense at night, and may even freeze our souls."
Mike patted Perry on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't worry, we still have enough time. As long as we don't delay, we can complete the task before sunset."
Hearing this, Perry breathed a sigh of relief, but he still felt a little uneasy in his heart.
The three of them reorganized their equipment and set out on the road to the top of the mountain again. This time, the chill in the air was even stronger, like an invisible claw, tightly grasping their skin and invading their bones. Perry shuddered, subconsciously shrank his neck, and tightened the collar of his coat.
"The frost here is getting thicker and thicker." He looked down at the road under his feet and found that every step would leave deep shoe prints on the ice, and he would slip if he was not careful.
"This is not ordinary frost." Joyce frowned and scanned the surrounding environment vigilantly, "These cold air carry magical fluctuations, which means we are getting closer and closer to the core of the seal."
Perry frowned and looked around. The thick fog was pervasive, and the scenery in the distance was looming, as if shrouded in a layer of illusory gauze. He pointed to a strange blue light not far away and whispered, "What is that?"
"It may be a natural magic crystal." Mike replied, but there was some uncertainty in his tone, "But don't get close to those lights. In many cases, they are not good things."
The three continued to move forward, and the ice road under their feet became more rugged. The cold air around was like a frozen ocean, and it seemed that even breathing could feel a piercing cold.
At this time, Perry noticed that the frost under his feet began to thicken, and there was a faint chill in the air, not like ordinary cold, but with a hint of magical oppression.
"Do you feel that the surroundings are a bit strange?" Perry looked around vigilantly, always thinking that he could vaguely hear a low roar, as if it came from the depths of the mountain.
"It's not an illusion." Joyce said calmly, looking at a rock wall in the distance, "The breath here is very strong, and it may not be far from the core area of the ice dragon seal."
Just as he spoke, the rock wall in the distance suddenly made a crisp "crack" sound, as if something was shattered. Then, a huge shadow jumped out from behind the rock wall, accompanied by a low roar, and a huge monster covered with ice crystals appeared in front of them.
"Ice mammoth!" Joyce whispered, his face changed slightly, "Trouble is coming!"
Perry looked at the mammoth that was as big as a small mountain, and his heart was chilled. He took a deep breath, raised his wand, and gritted his teeth and said, "I knew... things wouldn't be that simple."
"Be careful." Mike pulled out his dagger, and a flash of excitement flashed in his eyes, "This kind of big guy is not something you can meet every day."
The battle was about to break out, and the roar of the ice mammoth echoed throughout the valley, and the three were ready to face the huge challenge.
There was a cold light in the eyes of the ice mammoth, and its huge tusks were wrapped with crystal frost. When it took heavy steps, the ground was shaking slightly. Perry looked at this behemoth, and his heartbeat accelerated.
"It doesn't look friendly." Perry tried to make a joke, but his voice was stiff because of nervousness.
"Of course it's not friendly." Joyce analyzed calmly, "The habit of the ice armor mammoth determines that it will not let the invader go easily. What's more, this guy has sensed the breath of the ice dragon, and must be more violent than usual."
"So, what's the plan?" Perry held the wand tightly in his hand, and his eyes wandered around the mammoth to find weaknesses.
Mike licked his lips, his eyes sparkling: "The plan is simple——delay it and find an opportunity to hit its soft spot."
"Soft spot? Does it have a soft spot with such thick ice armor?" Perry couldn't help but complain.
"Yes." Joyce pointed to the mammoth's belly, "Its belly defense is relatively weak, but it needs to lift its body to attack."
"Then let it lift it up." Mike smiled, and before he finished speaking, he had already rushed out, flexibly avoiding the mammoth's frontal attack and quickly distanced himself from the side.
The mammoth roared deafeningly, and its huge tusks swept across violently, bringing up a stream of frost. Mike barely avoided it, but the cold still made him slow down.
"Perry!" Joyce shouted, "Use your plant magic to restrict its legs and stop it from moving!"
Perry nodded, took a deep breath, and focused. A faint green light shone from the ground, and the ground beneath his feet quickly cracked. Vines broke out of the ice and snow and entangled the four legs of the mammoth frantically.
The mammoth was incredibly powerful, and it struggled hard. Although the vines were tough, they could not completely restrict its movements.
"Try harder, Perry!" Joyce said, while raising the sapphire in his hand. A blue light flashed, and a long sword with cold air appeared in his hand. He quickly rushed to the mammoth and chopped its front leg joint with the long sword.
The mammoth felt pain and raised its front leg. Mike seized this opportunity, flexibly went around the mammoth's abdomen, and stabbed its relatively fragile abdomen with the dagger in his hand.
The moment it was stabbed, the mammoth let out a deafening roar, it retreated violently, broke the vines, and its entire body began to shake violently.
"Get out of the way!" Joyce shouted.
The three retreated quickly, and the mammoth stomped on the spot frantically, shattering the nearby rocks. With the last long roar, it finally couldn't hold on, and its huge body fell down with a bang. The ground shook violently due to its weight, raising large pieces of ice, snow and dust.
The three stood there panting, staring at the fallen mammoth, their faces full of fatigue and relief.
"Is it over?" Perry held his knees, trying to calm his heartbeat.
"It's over." Mike walked to the side of the mammoth and knocked on its ice armor with a dagger, "But we'd better leave quickly. With such a big commotion, it's hard to guarantee that it won't attract other things."
"Agreed." Joyce put away the sword, looked around, and looked alert, "Keep moving forward, the target is the location of Moon Shadow Glass."
The three of them took a short break, reorganized their equipment, and headed towards the higher mountain road. As they got closer to the core area of the Ice Dragon Seal, the surrounding cold became more biting, and even the vines began to become stiff. But their eyes became more determined, because the target was ahead.