Louis stood atop a concealed rock outcropping, his figure perfectly still as he gazed down into the wide valley below.
The cold wind swept across the snow-covered ground, carrying with it the distant echoes of laughter—deep, booming, and utterly inhuman.
Four Frost Giants were gathered in the open area beneath him.
They were tossing enormous boulders into the air, then smashing them apart with massive ice-rock clubs, shards of stone and ice exploding outward with each impact. The giants roared with laughter, clearly enjoying themselves as though they were children at play.
"Are they… playing baseball?" Louis muttered under his breath.
Despite the absurdity of the scene, his expression remained tense. He did not relax in the slightest.
Each Frost Giant stood over five meters tall, their massive frames towering like living mountains. Their skin was covered in a natural armor formed from interwoven ice crystals and jagged fragments of stone, creating a rough, uneven surface that glinted faintly under the pale light.
Their muscles bulged grotesquely beneath that armor, each movement radiating terrifying brute strength. The ice-rock clubs they wielded were nearly six meters long, weapons so massive that even a casual swing could shatter stone. Whenever one struck the ground, deep cracks spread outward like spiderwebs, carving shallow gullies into the frozen earth.
Most alarming of all was the pale blue mist that clung to their bodies.
This was the Frost Giants' Extreme Cold Domain.
The freezing aura seeped into the surrounding air, lowering the temperature dramatically. Any ordinary person who ventured too close would feel their blood slow, their limbs stiffen, and their breath turn shallow—until, eventually, they would be frozen solid, transformed into lifeless ice sculptures.
Fortunately, there were only four of them.
If there were forty…
Louis exhaled slowly.
If that were the case, he would have already ordered the immediate evacuation of the Red Tide Territory, abandoning everything and fleeing overnight without hesitation.
Was he nervous?
Not particularly.
He had spent days gathering intelligence, observing their habits, studying their movements, and identifying their weaknesses. Every detail had been accounted for. Traps had been laid well in advance, carefully positioned to exploit both terrain and timing.
More importantly, he had brought nearly all of the Red Tide Territory's combat forces with him.
Fifty-three knights.
Hundreds of trained soldiers.
Against four Frost Giants, the advantage was overwhelmingly in his favor.
"Is everyone ready?" Louis asked quietly, his voice calm but firm.
"Yes, my lord," the commander beside him replied without hesitation. "All units are in position."
"Very good." Louis nodded slightly, his eyes never leaving the giants below. "Proceed according to plan. Let these oversized brutes experience the methods of the Red Tide Territory."
He slowly raised his right hand, fingers pressed together.
"Action."
The commander immediately waved a large signal flag.
From hidden positions throughout the valley, the knights moved in unison.
"Woo—!"
A signal arrow shot into the sky, its flaming tip carving a red arc through the air before streaking downward toward the Frost Giants.
The sudden disturbance drew their attention instantly.
The four giants froze mid-play, confusion flashing across their massive faces. Then, as the arrow struck the ground nearby and exploded into sparks, their confusion turned to fury.
They let out deafening roars, the sound echoing violently through the valley. Their enormous feet slammed into the ground as they began striding toward the source of the attack, each step shaking the earth beneath them.
"Separate them!" Lambert shouted.
At his command, the knights divided into four groups, each targeting a different Frost Giant. They moved swiftly, darting in and out of range, thrusting with long spears to provoke and enrage their targets.
Every strike was precise.
They aimed for the giants' most sensitive and vulnerable areas—knee joints, eyes, faces, finger gaps, armpits. Each hit drew angry bellows as the giants swung their massive clubs in retaliation, trying to crush these irritating, ant-like foes.
But the knights were prepared.
They retreated the instant the clubs descended, using speed and terrain to their advantage. Snowbanks, rocks, and narrow passages slowed the giants' movements, while the knights guided them—step by step—toward predetermined ambush zones.
Within minutes, the four Frost Giants had been completely separated, each lured into a different trap area.
"Release!"
From concealed positions, the trap teams acted.
Heavy rope nets, reinforced with weighted anchors, were hurled into the air. They spread wide before crashing down, wrapping tightly around the giants' legs.
The giants stumbled, their massive strides faltering as they struggled against the restraints. Their roars grew louder, tinged with frustration and rage.
Knights hidden on the flanks charged in immediately.
Sharp spear tips and longsword blades thrust toward the backs of the giants' knees—the weakest point in their armor.
Pfft!
Steel pierced icy flesh. The ice armor at the joints shattered easily, offering little resistance. Each successful strike drew an earth-shaking roar as the giant staggered backward, pain rippling through its massive body.
"Retreat! Reposition!"
The knights did not linger. The moment their attacks landed, they dispersed, retreating in multiple directions. They denied the giant any opportunity to counterattack.
One giant hissed in agony, collapsing onto one knee. Its movements became sluggish, the struggle against the ropes weakening as blood stained the snow beneath it.
From the opposite side, soldiers emerged and hurled flaming torches.
Fire licked across the giant's ice armor, sending steam billowing into the air. The Extreme Cold Domain surrounding its body began to destabilize, the once-solid ice armor cracking under the intense heat.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Archers seized the moment.
Flaming arrows streaked through the air, cutting through the night and striking the giant's face. Several embedded themselves in its eyes and cheeks, flames scorching exposed flesh.
"Roar—!!"
The giant screamed in agony, raising its hands to shield its face, its struggles becoming wild and uncoordinated.
"Knights, prepare!" a voice rang out. "Target the heart and throat!"
"Kill!!!"
The knights activated their battle auras.
Crimson energy ignited along their weapons, burning brightly as they spurred their horses forward. They charged as one, like a tide of red steel.
Longswords and spears pierced deeply into the giant's chest and throat.
Blood exploded outward.
With one final, despairing shriek, the Frost Giant collapsed, its massive body crashing into the snow, lifeless.
Not all battlefields were as smooth.
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from another trap zone.
"Roar—!!"
That Frost Giant was different.
Larger, more violent, its sheer strength tore the rope net apart. With a single stomp, the ground cracked beneath its foot, debris flying in all directions.
"Damn it!" the leading knight cursed. "The trap can't hold it!"
Before any new orders could be given, the giant erupted in fury.
It spread its arms wide and roared toward the sky. The icy aura around its body surged violently.
A frost storm exploded outward.
Boom—!
The storm swallowed the area instantly. Razor-sharp ice blades howled through the air as freezing winds battered everything in their path.
The knights were caught off guard.
Several were hurled backward, armor scraping across the ground.
"Ah!!!"
Two Apprentice Knights were swept into the heart of the storm. Ice instantly coated their armor, freezing their bodies solid. A powerful gust flung them into a distant rock wall, knocking them unconscious.
A Formal Knight fared no better.
The giant's club struck him squarely before he could react. His body flew dozens of meters like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the snow as blood spilled from his mouth.
Chaos threatened to spread.
Then—
A red streak cut through the blizzard.
A blade infused with battle aura slashed across the giant's wrist.
Pfft!
The scorching energy tore open a deep wound, dark blue blood gushing out and freezing mid-air into glittering ice crystals.
"Cut its leg!" Lambert roared.
He raised his greatsword, battle aura surging around him as he charged.
Two Elite Knights followed closely, forming a triangular assault formation.
"Hah—!"
Lambert's blade came down in a brutal arc, striking the joint behind the giant's knee.
Crack!
The ice armor shattered. Tendons were severed.
The giant's body trembled violently, nearly collapsing.
Another Elite Knight leapt forward, his sword blazing with fire battle aura as he stabbed into the giant's ribs.
The third knight hacked viciously at the ankle, disrupting its balance completely.
Driven mad by pain, the Frost Giant attempted one final counterattack, raising its club—
"Stop it!" Lambert shouted.
He stomped the ground and leapt again.
His greatsword swung horizontally, slamming into the giant's wrist.
Crack—!
Bone snapped.
The giant's fingers loosened, and the massive ice-rock club slipped free, crashing into the ground and sending ice shards flying.
"Now!!"
Knights surged forward, spears raised.
With unified roars, they drove their weapons into the giant's vital points.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Icy blood sprayed across the snow.
The berserk Frost Giant shuddered, then collapsed heavily, its life extinguished at last.
The battlefield fell silent once more.
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