Chapter 31 Ambush!
Although the northern Ice Field was in a period of perpetual night, the Earth didn't appear dark. It was still a vast, snowy white world.
Snowflakes and ice crystals reflected the starlight and moonlight, making the northern Ice Field look beautiful like daylight. Only in some narrow ice valleys did heavy darkness exist.
In the howling Cold Wind, two twelve-foot-tall humanoid creatures were quickly moving across the Snowfield.
They were Tancred and William.
William held a dark, large spiked hammer in his right hand and a staff in his left, running forward like an armored vehicle, his speed belying his seemingly cumbersome body.
Tancred ran alongside him at the same speed, the two of them forming black streaks against the snowy landscape.
Fearing that the human Mage might escape and become difficult to track, William only brought Tancred as a guide, casting a speed spell on both of them to greatly enhance their movement speed.
As they passed a slightly raised snowdrift...
The snow exploded like a buried shell and a shower of glistening snowflakes was hurled at William.
William's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he rasped, "Dig your own grave!"
He swung the dark spiked hammer in his right hand with violent force and howling wind, striking a raptor-like beast hidden in the snow.
The beast let out a wail, its body flung away like a broken toy, blood splattering and staining the Snowfield with a vivid red and white pattern.
Without a glance, William continued forward, with Tancred following closely behind, swallowing nervously.
Along the way, various Ice Field creatures launched attacks based on the momentum. They were either smashed into a pulp by the Black Spiked Hammer or reduced to ashes by magic, posing only minor obstacles to William.
Tancred watched William's display of power with growing unease. He was now unsure if Brian could defeat William. But he had no other choice if he wanted to become Chief.
William was in his prime. By the time he weakened, Tancred would be old too. He couldn't wait for William's strength to decline.
As the outline of Ice Lake became faintly visible, Tancred remembered Brian's final instructions and began to scheme.
A few seconds later, Tancred broke the silence and said to William, "Chief William, your weapons seem heavy. Do you need me to carry them for you? If we encounter the human Mage, you'll be able to take him down easily with your full strength."
William thought for a moment, agreeing with the logic and not suspecting the Ogre's ulterior motives.
He handed the heavy Black Spiked Hammer to Tancred but kept the staff in his left hand.
Tancred offered to carry the staff as well but was met with a stern glare and didn't press further. Carrying the heavy Black Spiked Hammer, he continued to follow William.
After some time, the two Ogres stepped onto the Ice Layer.
William looked at the vast expanse of ice, frowning slightly.
Tancred behind him was slightly stunned and carried the Black Spiked Hammer.
In his view, the surroundings were empty with no sign of any creature, let alone Brian's conspicuous dragon form.
William was unaware of Tancred's thoughts. He hesitated briefly before stepping onto the Ice Layer, slowing down due to the slippery surface.
Tancred followed nervously.
Suddenly, William's deep voice sounded in his ear. "How much farther to where you saw the human Mage?"
Tancred didn't hesitate, using a pre-prepared excuse. "Beyond the Ice Lake, about a mile ahead."
William nodded and continued walking on the Ice Layer without further questions.
Meanwhile, they didn't notice a dragon shadow moving beneath the Ice Layer, which was enveloped in mist that melded seamlessly with the lake water around him, concealing his presence and form. He moved two hundred feet ahead of the Ogres' path and waited silently.
Brian's eyes were calm, his body still, he even held his breath like a lifeless dragon statue.
The moment the Ogres stepped onto the Ice Layer, he knew they had arrived and carefully restrained his presence, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Time seemed to slow as the Ogres approached Brian's position on the Ice Layer, they were unaware of the dragon lying in ambush.
Brian remained silent, calculating the distance.
Two hundred feet, one hundred and fifty feet, one hundred feet... twenty feet... ten feet...
As he felt the Ice Layer tremble nearby, Brian's Dragon's Eyes shone with a brilliant platinum light. His entire body suddenly surged, releasing a suppressive Dragon's Might that penetrated the Ice Layer, covering several hundred-feet radius.
The Ice Layer instantly filled with dense cracks.
At the moment of disturbance, William's body stiffened under the Dragon's Might. Realizing the danger, he tried to leap away from the fractured area.
But it was too late.
From the burst of the Dragon's Might to the shattering Ice Layer and the appearance of the Platinum Gold Dragon eyes, it all happened in an instant.
A massive Frost Breath erupted from below, mixed with broken ice and sharp ice spikes, which like a white storm, engulfed William.
He shouted, "Ambush!"
Brian who was well-prepared and caught William off guard, severely injured and froze him with one strike.
The terrified expressions on William's two heads were vividly preserved in the Ice Crystals, his body riddled with wounds from the ice spikes.
The Ice Layer shook violently as Brian's full form emerged, landing near the Ice Crystals.
Crystal-clear water droplets slid down his scales, the sight of the giant dragon emerging from the water leaving Tancred in awe.
Brian landed on an intact section of the Ice Layer. Looking at the frozen William, he knew William was still alive, so he opened his mouth again, unleashing the more lethal Plunder Time Line.
He had considered combining the two Dragon's Breaths but found it difficult to achieve at present.
Meanwhile, raised veins suddenly appeared on William's tattered skin, violently pulsating beneath it like black veins.
As the Plunder Time Line was about to reach the Ice Crystals, there was a loud bang. The Ice Crystals shattered, and a large black mist extended outward, attempting to engulf Brian.
