Azriel sat with his eyes closed, his focus unwavering for even an instant.
At last, he sighed and opened his eyes.
"Time to go," Azriel said to Simon and Ion, who looked at him wide-eyed.
"I thought we were going to win the tournament," Ion pointed out, and Simon nodded in agreement.
"Change of plans. We're leaving now." He stood up and walked away. "No one here wants to fight us. We're already the dominant group."
"I still wanted to fight you," Ion said following him, frustrated. "I was really looking forward to it."
Azriel chuckled quietly.
"I know. But the fight would've been disappointing. We both prefer close combat, but I'm always at my peak while you need time to charge your ability."
"In other words… you'd lose at the start of the fight." Azriel grinned broadly.
"That's just a theory," Ion growled. "I could still end up winning!"
"Sure, just a theory," Simon said, patting him on the shoulder. "A very, very close-to-reality theory."
Ion widened his eyes at him.
"No one's on my side here?" The two shook their heads.
"Damn it!" Ion complained as he stood up.
"In any case…" Azriel sharpened his gaze toward the snowstorm.
"Our enemies will be much more interesting than you think."
Simon swallowed hard as he handed Ion three scrolls, which Ion opened with a frown.
The moment he read them, his expression brightened.
"Why didn't you say so earlier, boss?" Ion laughed loudly as he walked toward the snowstorm.
Simon took a deep breath before snapping his fingers. Red flames appeared above his head, and then he plunged in as well.
Azriel looked at Ivan one last time.
Noticing, Ivan returned the look with a nod.
"I'll be waiting for you at the lake," Ivan said and laughed.
"Of course. It won't take long," Azriel replied with an amused smile.
And then he too dove into the storm.
The wind roared.
But Azriel's body was stronger than the storm.
The wind tried to provoke him with its glacial cold.
But Azriel simply endured it effortlessly.
"Refreshing, isn't it?" He crossed the storm and looked at his two companions.
"Very refreshing, boss!" Ion answered, shivering violently. But then he took a deep breath and merged with his spirit.
Red markings spread across his skin.
And suddenly, he stopped trembling.
"I think it's even too hot now," he said, taking off his coat and keeping only his shirt.
Azriel laughed, while Simon just watched in shock.
"Simon, where are we heading first?"
Simon quickly unfolded the map and pointed north.
"There. Inside the valley is the wolf pack. Nearby, there's a path to the east where we can find the Ice-Heart Fruit. Then we circle back and move toward the end of the valley."
"How are our supplies?" Azriel asked, looking at Ion, who answered with a laugh.
"Not enough, they'll only last two or three days." Azriel smiled broadly before asking:
"Why so little?"
"Because I eat a lot, boss. And also because I want to finish this quickly so I can eat elk meat."
"Then we'll have to hunt soon." Azriel gazed toward the horizon, his eyes narrowing like a fox's.
The world shifted in color, blue currents flowed through the air, weaving around every living being.
This was glacial mana.
In the distance, Azriel spotted a cluster of these currents. A massive elk over two meters tall, heavy and powerful.
Its eyes glowed with glacial mana. Its fur was pure white, streaked with bluish markings.
"I found a target five kilometers north. Looks dangerous, probably a beast at the early or middle of the first realm."
"Besides that…" Azriel smiled, his eyes fixed on the antlers. "Those antlers are infused with glacial mana. After we take it down, we can absorb them to advance our cultivation."
"Sounds like good prey to you?"
Simon nodded from a crouch, while Ion was already warming up to dash toward the horizon.
"Want to make it a race?" Azriel asked, glancing at the two, his eyes returning to normal.
"Of course!"
"Absolutely!"
They all laughed together.
Simon readied his fingers. He needed to refine his bursts of movement through explosions, and this was the perfect chance.
Ion stretched his body, the ambient mana striking at him every second, only making him even stronger.
Meanwhile, Azriel pulled off his shirt, letting the icy wind brush against his bare skin. No magic, no fusion.
He actually enjoyed the cold.
He stretched his body, preparing for a simple sprint.
"Ready? On three!" he called out as all three lined up.
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
The ground trembled.
The forest awoke with the roar.
Three blasts erupted at once.
Simon shot forward with small bursts of explosions at his feet, while Ion smashed the ground with every heavy step.
Azriel surged ahead of them with his incredible acceleration.
Five kilometers became four, then three in just moments.
Soon it was only a few dozen meters. The elk before them bellowed as it saw the attackers approaching, its eyes blazing with killing intent.
BOOM!
The elk struck the ground, jagged spikes of ice surging toward the group.
"Watch out!" Azriel shouted, darting aside, while Ion leapt over the crystals and crushed them upon landing.
"Simon, distract it!"
TAP!
Simon cracked his fingers, sending black flames rushing at the elk. It tried to dodge, but couldn't.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The three blasts blinded the beast, one of its antlers shattering and falling to the ground.
Azriel was already beneath its neck, his eyes sharp as blades.
This time, the opponent wasn't a friend.
There would be no mercy.
That was the path to power.
He crouched, gathering strength in his legs, power surging like a dam about to burst. Then he drew his blade, letting it slide effortlessly into his grip.
A blade had to be an extension of one's own body.
He took a deep breath.
Then, like a spring released, he launched himself skyward, his strike cleaving through the beast's neck as if it were made of tofu.
Azriel held the blade firm, looking down as the once-mighty beast — Survivor of countless years in this glacial hell — Collapsing , powerless to resist.
That was the difference between them.
The same difference as heaven and earth.