Halfway up Hakobe Mountain.
There stood a tree so dazzling it glistened like crystal, as radiant as a gemstone, as translucent as a pearl.
Noel had never seen such a peculiar tree before, but according to records in his alchemical notebook, there was no mistake—this was the Ice Spirit Tree he was searching for.
But for now, he needed to observe carefully. Such trees often had guardians nearby.
Noel's heart sank when he spotted a tuft of silvery fur in the snow. It was unmistakable—fur from a Silver Wolf.
And Silver Wolves were not creatures to be trifled with. In many ways, they were far more dangerous than Vulcan.
He now understood: this tree was guarded by a Silver Wolf.
Worse yet, Silver Wolves were pack creatures. They trained well, hunted strategically, and above all, were fiercely united.
Trying to retrieve alchemical materials from under their noses would be extremely difficult.
Even more troublesome, it was currently their mating season. During this time, every female wolf would be with pups, making the entire pack at its most aggressive.
While their aggression could be avoided if he was careful, the Silver Wolf King was another matter entirely.
The Silver Wolf King's sense of smell was astonishingly sharp. Hiding from it was simply impossible.
Noel had considered fighting the Silver Wolf King head-on in a life-or-death battle, but realistically, he knew he couldn't win.
For now, it was odd—despite his long observation, he hadn't seen a single Silver Wolf. Strange.
Perhaps they were out hunting, which would be the best-case scenario for him, allowing him a window to act.
Then, another thought struck him. The way Vulcan had come barreling through earlier—it was possible Vulcan had drawn the Silver Wolves away.
If so, he owed that annoying monkey a debt of gratitude for unintentionally clearing the way.
Still, collecting Ice Spirit Fruits was no easy task, even under ideal circumstances.
First, preservation was extremely difficult. They had to remain in constant low temperatures, something the unprepared could never manage.
Luckily, Noel came prepared. He had a specialized magic tool within his pack to maintain stable cold temperatures.
He had come specifically for this. Truth be told, he couldn't craft such a magic tool himself and had spent a fortune to purchase it.
Harvesting Ice Spirit Fruits required care, too, with certain rituals needing to be followed, though the records he found were vague on details.
Just as he was preparing, a strange howl echoed through the mountains, and the area around him suddenly darkened, the sky seemingly swallowed whole.
Noel looked up in confusion. Was it nightfall? It was still daylight—how could it turn dark so suddenly?
Standing before him was a massive Silver Wolf, its fur glinting under the snow and wind, its claws shimmering with cold light sharp enough to pierce anything.
Its maw was enormous; swallowing him whole would be no problem at all.
Noel's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. This was exactly what he had feared, and now it had come to pass.
Just moments ago, he had been worrying about the possibility of the Silver Wolf pack appearing, and now one was here.
Given its size, this one clearly held a high rank within the pack—it was no mere underling.
Noel's pupils contracted, cold sweat breaking across his forehead. This is not a joke. How could something grow this big? It could probably chew him up and still be hungry.
The Silver Wolf swiped playfully at him with its massive claws, treating him like a toy. But for Noel, these playful swipes were deadly—one strike could end him.
The Silver Wolf was far faster than Vulcan, a beast renowned for its speed and power, but this was on another level.
Before Noel could react, the massive claw was already upon him.
He let out a bitter laugh. There's no way I can fight something like this head-on.
Summoning a Wind Wall, he hoped it might at least slow the blow, though he knew it was mostly for show.
Just as he expected, the Wind Wall was easily torn apart by the Silver Wolf's claws, but it gave him the push he needed, using the blast of wind to launch himself out of the monster's reach.
Seeing its toy escaping, the Silver Wolf's nose twitched as it sniffed the snow for his scent.
A small prey couldn't run far. Confident in its speed, the Silver Wolf set off, embodying the arrogance of a top predator.
Noel, meanwhile, didn't pause to catch his breath. Using the wind's push, he stabilized himself and prepared to move again.
The last thing he wanted was to end up as the wolf's next meal. Worse yet, if the entire pack showed up, he'd be finished.
A familiar howl echoed again. It was the same wolf, clearly on his trail.
If I can't escape, then I have no choice but to fight.
Noel didn't cower. Let's see who the real prey is here.
Across the mountain ridges, the Silver Wolf sprinted, leaping across a cliff with astonishing speed.
You've got to be kidding me… Noel muttered.
"Gale Art: Thousand-Blade Scatter!"
Countless sharp blades of wind slashed through the air, targeting the leaping Silver Wolf.
The blades struck its fur, sparks flying as the edges grated against its hide.
"Is it useless?" Noel cursed under his breath. "Its hide is absurdly tough…"
The Silver Wolf was enraged now, icy blue light flaring as it summoned an ice bridge.
Its form blurred until Noel could barely track it with the naked eye.
The pressure of a true apex predator… Noel's breath caught in his throat.
"Gale Art: Wild Sever!"
Wind magic exploded around Noel, forming countless razor-sharp blades swirling with deadly precision.
The blades struck the Silver Wolf, sparks flying again.
"There…!"
No matter how faint, Noel caught the glimmer of those sparks.
"Wind Magic: Exchange—Flame Burst!"
A purple flame followed the trail of sparks, piercing into the Silver Wolf's fur.
The Silver Wolf continued to prowl, observing its prey and waiting for a chance to strike.
But then, the purple flame ignited, crawling across its fur, spreading, and flaring violently until it seemed ready to consume the wolf entirely.
The Silver Wolf roared, defiant. You think mere flames can burn me?
A fierce wind and snow swirled around it, smothering the purple flames until they lost their bite.
Above, countless icy spears formed, raining down like a storm.
This is insane… Noel thought, eyes wide.
Ice lances came from every direction, leaving him nowhere to dodge.
"Gale Shield!"
Wind roared to life around Noel, forming a protective sphere as the ice lances crashed down, only to be shredded by the shield like a blender tearing them apart.
But the Silver Wolf's true strength wasn't its magic, but its speed and ruthless precision.
In a blur, it leapt, claws flashing, striking at the Gale Shield's weak points.
What Noel thought was an unbreakable defense shattered instantly, a claw tearing into his flesh, leaving a long, bleeding gash.
Clutching his wound, Noel gritted his teeth.
"Overclock: Tempest Cannon!"
The winds across Hagubei Mountain shifted as violent wind elements gathered at Noel's hand, compressing and compressing until the sphere of wind in his palm trembled with unstable power.
The Silver Wolf's instincts screamed danger.
It tried to flee, using every ounce of speed, but exhaustion slowed it just enough.
"Trying to run? Fire!"
The Tempest Cannon shot out, distorting space, encircled by massive slicing winds that tore into the Silver Wolf, leaving gashes that erupted in explosive gusts.
A white storm engulfed the snowy landscape, swallowing everything in its path.
A howl rang out, echoing across Hagubei Mountain.
"Awooooo…"
Another howl answered, as if in conversation.
The howls continued, carrying meaning that Noel could almost understand, a gift from the trees whispering to him, thanks to Tias' blessing that let him hear the voices of the forest.
But the bad news was clear: the wolf pack was closing in.
Amid the howling winds, he heard the rapid thudding of paws on snow from every direction.
I'm surrounded… Noel realized, looking for a way out.
Wind magic wouldn't help much in a snowstorm, and its heavy mana consumption would only drain him, making him easy prey for the Silver Wolves' sharp noses.
With escape impossible, his only option was to fight.
The air carried a scent unlike the wildness of the wolves—someone else was approaching.
They smelled of wolves but were not of the pack.
Help? Noel wondered. Maybe I'm not doomed after all.
Quickly, he set up several small alchemical traps, prepared for the oncoming assault. If nothing else, he would give the Silver Wolves a grand reception.
He felt his strength slowly returning, mana refilling like a spring after a long drought.
Thanks to Tias' blessing, Noel was ready to face whatever came next.
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