Chapter 528: Frost Mammoth
"What is that..." The first to show a look of shock was Thorne Merlin. As the commander of the Merlin Family's Planar Legion, Thorne Merlin had spent most of his life traversing one plane after another. His experience far surpassed that of an ordinary Sword Saint.
At that moment, as cracks spread across the ice beneath their feet and a distant rumble echoed across the icefield, a terrifying name suddenly surfaced in Thorne Merlin's mind...
Mammoth. Frost Mammoth!
Only such a terrifying magical beast could create such a commotion on this ancient, ever-frozen icefield...
Back when Thorne Merlin was just a Greatsword Master, he once joined the Merlin Family's Planar Legion in the struggle for the Glacier Prison Plane. That planar war was nothing short of a nightmare for Thorne Merlin...
Thorne Merlin remembered it well. At that time, the Merlin Family's Planar Legion was already famous in Auckland, conquering four planes in just ten years—unstoppable in every campaign. The entire Merlin Family was swept up in nearly blind optimism, convinced that, with their current strength, taking the Glacier Prison Plane was only a matter of time...
Then, the Merlin Family learned how wrong they were...
At that time, the Merlin Family's Planar Legion invaded the Glacier Prison Plane with almost no resistance, quickly establishing their first stronghold. Using this base, they began to expand, gradually devouring the new plane. Within a year, Merlin had annexed most of the Glacier Prison Plane's land. The whole family clamored to cross the Wintertide Icefield and plant the Merlin Family's banner atop the crown of eternal winter.
After a year of preparation, the Merlin Family's Planar Legion began their march toward the Wintertide Icefield...
Thorne Merlin stood there, stunned, watching as the entire Planar Legion was crushed to pieces by the Frost Mammoths. The hellish scene haunted his mind—years later, he still could not forget the thunderous sound of the Frost Mammoths charging across the icefield.
“Damn it, it's the Frost Mammoth!” After a brief silence, Larn Merlin suddenly screamed.
This Fourth Rank Title Archmage completely lost his composure. Faced with this sudden disaster, he looked as if he'd seen a ghost—eyes wide, hands clutching his face, screaming hysterically: “Run! Run! That's a Frost Mammoth, a Frost Mammoth!”
After his scream, Larn Merlin immediately cast Flight, pointing his staff as he prepared to escape this dangerous place.
But after casting Levitate, Larn Merlin suddenly realized that everyone else was standing frozen in place.
And they were all looking at him with the strangest expressions...
“What are you doing?” Larn Merlin nearly lost it. That was a Frost Mammoth—the Icefield's death incarnate, its overlord. Even a full Planar Legion could do nothing but flee before such monsters!
They...
What are they trying to do?
At this moment, Larn Merlin truly wanted to ask, what are you all thinking? Do you realize that's a Frost Mammoth? Staying here, you wouldn't even be enough to fill its teeth!
However, before Larn Merlin could get the words out, Thorne Merlin sighed...
"It's too late..."
"What?" Larn Merlin was stunned. "Too late for what?"
"It's already too late..." Thorne Merlin seemed unable to shake off the nightmare—he looked utterly lost.
"Damn it, what do you mean, too late?"
"Lord Thorne means it's already too late to escape..." Just as Larn Merlin was about to lose it, Leon suddenly interjected, pointing into the distance. "Lord Larn, look over there..."
Leon pointed to the rear flank of the group, where a thick white mist had suddenly begun to spread for reasons unknown...
"Do you see it, Lord Larn? Those things that look like white mist are actually chunks of ice kicked up by the Frost Mammoths as they run. If you haven't been scared out of casting Wizard's Eye, you could send one over and see for yourself—we're already surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands, of Frost Mammoths. If you use Flight to escape now, you'll be a flying target, and I bet the Frost Mammoths would love to greet you with their innate spells..."
"You... you..." Faced with the overwhelming Frost Mammoths, Larn Merlin was already shaken. But hearing Leon's mocking words, his pale face snapped back to focus, and his gaze filled with anger and resentment.
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"Yes, yes..." Larn Merlin pointed at Leon, his eyes almost blazing with fury. "It's you... you brought us here! How convenient that the alchemical array in Specter Valley was discovered just as you, Mafa Merlin, arrived. No wonder you ignored Commander Thorne's objections and insisted on bringing so many people—clearly you planned this! Mafa Merlin, your scheming knows no bounds. For the sake of command, you'd even risk the Merlin Family's foundation..."
... Leon was dumbfounded. After a long moment, he rubbed his nose and said, half amused, half exasperated, "I had no idea I was so powerful. Back in Auckland, I supposedly knew that the alchemical array in Specter Valley could lead straight to a Frostbound Realm, and that it was full of Frost Mammoths..."
By the way, Lord Larn, if I'm so amazing, why couldn't I foresee that you'd be the first to run at the slightest danger back in the Blazeforge Realm...?
"Who are you calling a coward!" Larn Merlin's voice suddenly rose.
"I'm talking about the one who just tried to run..." Leon retorted, as if oblivious to Larn Merlin's impending fury.
No big deal. For Leon, who recently subdued the Lava Chieftain, a Fourth Rank Title Archmage throwing a tantrum is nothing. Even if he went mad, Leon wouldn't bother with him.