In a surge of rage, the Wraith activated [Shattered Reflections] twice in quick succession, its form fragmenting into countless shards that hurtled toward Revolt and Aria.
With unwavering resolve, Revolt crushed the incoming fragments under his hand, each impact weakening the Wraith's essence. The relentless barrage of shattered pieces continued, each strike further depleting the Wraith's strength.
The Wraith, consumed by its escalating rage, appeared before Aria and Revolt, invoking [Frost Dominion]. The ground trembled as ice surged upward, forming deadly spears aimed directly at them.
Reacting swiftly, Aria conjured a protective barrier of ice around them, shielding both herself and Revolt from the onslaught of icy projectiles. As the barrage subsided, she slowed her breathing, allowing frost to envelop her body. With a focused gesture, she forcefully repositioned the walls of the tomb to their original positions. A radiant blue light emanated from Aria, and a glowing frost moon materialized within the chamber. With a determined motion, she launched the moon toward the Wraith.
The immense weight of the celestial body descended upon the Wraith, crushing it under its force. Aria's hand began to pulse with a swirling mix of black and blue mana as she exhaled deeply, her voice resonating with authority: "May the Guardians of Principles heed my call."
A vortex materialized above them, its swirling energies coalescing into seven formidable Guardians who landed beside Aria, their eyes locking onto the Wraith.
One Guardian spoke, their voice imbued with solemnity: "The crimes you have committed in this single life surpass all we have witnessed."
With a resolute motion, the Guardian's axe blazed with radiant pink mana.
The other Guardians' weapons ignited in hues of their own, each glowing with a unique, powerful light. Together, they advanced, striking as one.
The frozen tomb was obliterated, the Wraith vanishing entirely. The Guardians surveyed the desolation before ascending into the vortex, disappearing as one.
In the aftermath, Aria stood amidst the ruins, her breath steadying. As she explored the remnants, her gaze fell upon a chest remarkably intact despite the surrounding devastation. Opening it, she discovered the Book of Ice, its pages pristine and untouched by time.
With reverence, Aria cradled the book, its ancient knowledge now within her grasp.
As Aria gently opened the ancient tome, its pages seemed to come alive, fluttering through her fingers and channeling their knowledge directly into her mind. For nearly an hour, words and images cascaded into her consciousness, until the book abruptly snapped shut. Frost crept across its cover, and with a sharp crack, it shattered into a thousand fragments, ensuring its secrets would remain hidden forever.
"That was… soothing," Aria murmured, her voice serene as she recited passages from memory. She turned to Revolt and instructed, "Continue with your task."
Revolt met her gaze, then knelt as a portal enveloped him. Moments later, he reappeared in the forest where he had been resting before being summoned. Resuming his dragon form, he settled down to heal, patches of his scales missing from the recent battle with the Wraith.
Aria sighed, "This was the first of seven books. I had a vague idea of its location, but the others are still a mystery. I must find them." Summoning another portal, she stepped through and emerged beside Maria.
"A lot has happened… but I've absorbed the knowledge from this book. Six more remain, and I have no clue where they are," Aria explained. She then enveloped them both in ice as Aria's hands moved around Maria's waist before it shattered main pieces, and in a breath, they found themselves in the lobby of a hotel in Nebraska—the first place that came to Aria's mind.
After Maria booked a room for the next three nights, they made their way to their ground-floor accommodation. Suddenly, Aria collapsed, but Maria caught her, gently carrying her until they reached the room. She unlocked the door and laid Aria on the bed and covering her with blankets.
Sylen and his team stood in stunned silence, gazing at Dante's body encased in a thick layer of ice. The forest clearing was eerily quiet.
"We need to inform Halstein immediately," Sylen said, pulling out the group's walkie-talkie. He pressed the transmit button, "Halstein, we've found Dante. He's... encased in ice."
A brief pause ensued before Halstein's voice crackled through the speaker, "Understood. Return to the guild with Dante immediately."
Acknowledging the order, the team carefully lifted the icy cocoon containing Dante's body. The weight was substantial, but their combined strength managed the load. They navigated back through the forest, maintaining communication with the guild to provide updates on their progress.
Upon arrival at the guild, they were met by a team of healers. "Place him here," The healers directed, indicating a prepared area. As they set down the ice-encased form, the healers began their work, attempting to thaw the ice and assess Dante's condition.
Sylen surveyed his surroundings before a stack of papers flew into his hand from the guild's window. Halstein's voice resonated in his earpiece, "You have a new mission. Assemble Team Veil."
Sylen's eyes widened momentarily. "Understood, sir," he responded, his composure quickly returning. He entered the guild through a concealed passage and announced, "Veil, it's time to move out." His authoritative voice echoed throughout the guild hall. In response, six figures clad in black descended gracefully from the rafters, landing silently before him.
"Reporting as ordered. What's the mission?" one inquired calmly.
Sylen handed over the documents. "Reports indicate the sudden appearance of a castle. The city's name is classified, but I have the coordinates. We depart immediately."
Without hesitation, the seven operatives vanished, leaving only a wisp of smoke where they stood. After a three-day journey, the team reached the outskirts of the designated city.
"Roy, you're on communications for this mission," Sylen directed, tossing a specialized device to him.
"Affirmative," Roy replied, securing the device in a dedicated pocket.
"Tom, I need you to map out the city's layout and chart an optimal route to the castle." Nodding, Tom leaped from their vantage point, landing deftly among the city's ruins. He began navigating the desolate streets, meticulously sketching a detailed map.
"The rest of us will hold position until his return. Remain absolutely still and silent," Sylen commanded.
The team concealed themselves within the dense foliage, their breaths shallow, blending seamlessly into the environment as they awaited further instructions.
After three hours of vigilant waiting, Tom rejoined the team, unsheathing his dagger to clear a patch of foliage, creating a space where everyone could view the map.
"This is the most direct route I found leading to the castle's moat," Tom whispered.
"Understood. Let's move out," Sylen commanded. The seven operatives leaped from the cliff, landing silently on the deserted streets, and followed Tom's lead. After an hour and a half of navigating through the city's ruined pathways, they descended into the underground sewer system.
Tom unfolded a secondary map of the sewers, spreading it on the damp walkway. "We start by turning left, proceed straight past five junctions, then take a right, followed by a left. Continue straight through four more intersections, then take another left. From there, it's a straight path to the moat. However, I'm uncertain how we'll traverse the moat itself."
The team exchanged glances, and nodded before burning the map and followed Tom through the sewers.
As the team navigated the sewer system, they encountered a breach in one of the walls, revealing the waters of the castle's moat.
"Odd place for a broken wall to be, isn't it?" Roy mused, peering through the opening at the stagnant moat below.
Sylen surveyed the scene, his brow furrowing. "Unusual, yes, but it might work to our advantage. Many castles had water-filled moats as part of their defenses. But, there was one castle I read about, that had a water gate entrance within that very moat as well."
Without hesitation, he drew a deep breath and plunged into the moat's cold embrace.
"You heard him," Roy said, following suit with a determined inhale before diving in.
The rest of the team exchanged resolute nods and leaped in after them.
Submerged in the inky depths, they swam with purpose, their eyes scanning for any submerged entryways. After what felt like an eternity, their lungs burning, they surfaced collectively, gasping for air.
"No visible entrances... though I couldn't see much of anything down there," one member panted, his breath ragged from the exertion.
Sylen wiped the cold water from his face, determination etched into his features. "We have to keep searching until we find a way in. Stay here; I'll return if I locate an entrance."
Drawing a deep breath, Sylen submerged once more into the inky depths, his form disappearing beneath the surface.
The team remained afloat, their breaths steadying as they waited in the stillness of the moat. After twenty minutes, Sylen resurfaced, his hand emerging first to signal them to follow. Without hesitation, each member inhaled deeply and dove, trailing Sylen into the underwater abyss. The murky water pressed in around them as they swam, their eyes straining to adjust to the dim light filtering from above.
After several minutes, a shadowy outline of a concealed archway became visible—a hidden entrance beneath the castle walls. Sylen gestured toward it, and one by one, they slipped through the narrow passage, emerging into a dimly lit chamber where the sound of dripping water echoed off stone walls.
Gasping for air, the team took a moment to gather themselves, the reality of their infiltration settling in. The air was damp and cool, carrying the scent of aged stone and moss.
"We're inside," Sylen whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant hum of the castle's inner workings. "Stay alert and move quietly. Our objective is to find out what resides here and return to the guild with the information. Do not engage the enemy."