A faint crystalline chime resonated from the ice-blue crystal atop the mountain, reminiscent of a silkworm splitting its cocoon. Delicate azure ripples shimmered through the air, expanding like water rings across the frozen expanse.
"It's complete!" The group surged with exhilaration, particularly Sebastian and Chloe—their eyes locked hungrily on the Millennium Ice Core after failing to secure elemental petals earlier.
The celestial crystal now radiated flawless brilliance, its sapphire facets surpassing even the purest gemstones. Waves of elemental energy pulsed from its polished surface, saturating the mountaintop with raw primordial power.
Six figures lunged forward without hesitation. Kael and the others erupted into motion, hurtling toward the crystal in a frenzy of competition. Brutal conflict became inevitable as desperate hands reached for supremacy.
Incision-like spellwords sliced through the air—Kael unveiled his concealed Teleportation magic for the first time. Spatial energy drained his reserves as he vanished, reappearing inches from the prize.
"Teleportation?!" Yuri and Chloe stiffened. The mages recognized the advanced spellwork instantly. How could a sixth-tier master manipulate seventh-tier magic?
Chloe paled, but Yuri reacted with cold precision. His staff flickered. "Binding!" Gravitational force crushed Kael mid-stride, anchoring him like stone. Every movement became a battle against invisible chains.
"Yuri's work," Kael gritted through clenched teeth. Surging mana shattered the restraints, but the momentary delay cost him precious advantage. His eyes hardened. "Inferno Cage!" Crimson sigils flared beneath the others' feet as fiery barriers erupted, trapping all except Amelia.
Yet even as Kael's incantation neared completion, Yuri countered. Ominous syllables rolled from the frost mage's tongue—a spell suppression chant that slithered through the howling wind.
"Arcane Silence—"
The forbidden spellwords struck Kael's consciousness like poisoned blades, freezing his vocalized magic in his throat.
"Damned spell suppression!" Kael's throat constricted as if clogged with ash, his nearly completed incantation collapsing. Yuri's countermeasure dissolved the forming Inferno Cage into dissipating embers.
This confirmed Kael's wariness—Yuri stood as his most formidable rival here. Few could wield Arcane Silence with such precision, a high-tier counterspell Kael had only encountered in Ethan's journals.
The mage twisted sideways, shaking off residual silencing effects. But the momentary paralysis proved costly—competitors surged past him in renewed frenzy toward the crystal. Survival instincts overrode vengeance; securing the Ice Core took precedence over confronting Yuri now.
Six blurs of motion converged. Sebastian outmaneuvered them through phantom afterimages, some acceleration sorcery propelling his fingertips to brush the artifact first.
Ecstasy flooded the warrior as warmth seeped through his palm—this transcendent treasure pulsed against his skin! Yet triumph lasted mere heartbeats before elemental fury engulfed him.
"Infernal Grasp!"
"Glacial Wrath!"
"Stone Shatter!"
Kael's group unleashed devastation without hesitation. Sebastian barely registered the incoming barrage before instinct screamed survival. "Fall back!" He abandoned his bite attempt, recoiling as fire and ice exploded where he'd stood moments earlier. Concussive aftershocks rattled his bones, blood flecking his lips as the crystal tore free from his trembling grip.
The Ice Core spiraled through frost-rimmed air, instantly redirecting the combatants' fury. Kael analyzed mid-sprint—possession meant becoming everyone's target, yet abstinence guaranteed failure. Only through relentless pursuit could hope persist.
His sole advantage lay in Amelia's coordination. Should either secure the prize, their pact demanded mutual protection during absorption—a fragile trust amidst the carnage, but currently their only strategic edge.
The Millennium Ice Core hovered within arm's reach, prompting Kael to channel Stellar Steps rather than risk another teleportation. He and Yuri arrived simultaneously, their outstretched hands mere inches from the crystal.
"Freeze!"
"Firebolt!"
Elemental discord erupted as instinct took over—Kael's flames collided with Yuri's frost shards in a hissing explosion. Momentum shattered, both mages staggered from the concussive backlash.
Their mutual obstruction proved Chloe's salvation. The mage darted through the elemental haze, slender fingers closing around the prize. Disbelief then euphoria surged through her—the fabled crystal glowed warmly in her palm, its perfection exceeding all legends.
She raised it toward parted lips, only to freeze at the group's collective gasp. Her limbs refused obedience, locked mid-motion by invisible forces. Cold dread seeped into her veins as she turned—
A crimson specter materialized behind her, its humanoid form radiating primordial menace despite modest stature. Gasps echoed as leathery wings unfurled—bat-like gray membranes spanning three meters shadowed the mountaintop.
Chloe's pulse thundered. *Higher beast? Demonkin?* Terror clamped her throat as the entity's presence warped the air itself. Then the apparition moved, and she witnessed something unimaginable.