Chapter 766: Chapter 652: Ice and Snow Elves

One night.

Ten plus hours.

Enough for those night owls who dislike sleep to cause trouble over and over again, and enough for them to plan their respective operations; in short, entering the first night of the script, no players should expect to sleep!

In the Far North of the human continent.

The climate here is cold, covered with perennial ice and snow, sturdy pines stand amidst heavy snowfall, sparse yet forming a forest.

The Far North is a habitat for Magical Beasts.

The Magical Beasts here do not use magic; they are merely sly, violent, and bloodthirsty creatures.

They are unafraid of the harsh cold and live amongst the icy mountains, but they often venture out of the Far North Mountain Range to attack the residents within the territory of the Silver City-State.

Long ago, Magical Beasts were said to be the pets of the Ice and Snow Elves, driven by the Elf Clan to invade the human continent.

But the Elf Clan too has become a thing of legend, and who knows if these histories are true? Today’s Magical Beasts are just a somewhat troublesome group of wild beasts to the empire.

In an era when mysticism has declined, even the Magical Beasts have lost the spirituality that once was their pride.

Roar–

Within the dense forest, a Magical Beast let out an angry howl.

The coarse roar traveled far, shattering the snow on the pines, with the cold snowflakes landing on strands of silver-white hair and then melting away.

Facing the Magical Beast that was growling cautiously in front of her, the barefoot woman gently lifted her hand, its palm emitting a jade-like radiance in the night, serene and pure.

Gazing at that faint light, the Magical Beast with its sharp teeth bared and poised for attack gradually calmed down.

It shed its fierce intent and stepped toward the woman ahead.

The woman was draped in a white gossamer dress, her skin smooth and lustrous as jade, snow-colored hair tied at the back with a silver crown, her ears long and pointed, and her eyes like the moon in the sky.

This was an Ice and Snow Elf, a species that existed only in legends.

She gently caressed the tamed Wolf Magical Beast that nuzzled up to her, then lifted her foot to mount the beast’s back and leaned forward to whisper in the wolf’s ear.

“Go, to the human continent.”

…

Under the moonlit night.

The Wolf Magical Beast, like an arrow released from a bow, surged through the mountains at great velocity, with the woman atop it displaying a cool and tranquil demeanor, her silver eyes devoid of emotion.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the Wolf Magical Beast that saw the fires ahead came to an abrupt halt.

This was due to both an instinctive fear of fire and a wariness perfected from its many encounters with human armies; the Wolf Magical Beast did not approach the firelight rashly.

The Ice and Snow Elf eyed the continuous line of fire at the foot of the mountain, squinting slightly, and noticed the human camp hidden behind the forest.

“Such swift action, it seems there is a formidable character on the other side.”

If it were just to prevent an attack by Magical Beasts, there’d be no need for such an ostentatious display. This army had nearly sealed off the entire southern side of the Far North Mountain Range.

Clearly, someone in the opposing camp had anticipated the emergence of the elves.

Thus they dispatched an army to station near the Far North Mountain Range early, aiming to limit her movements.

The Far North Mountain Range is vast; the human army of the Silver City-State certainly couldn’t block every exit, but if she chose to enter the human continent from a different location, it would inevitably take a lot of time.

One step behind, always behind.

The Ice and Snow Elf’s expression grew solemn, her eyes seemed to glimmer with cold frost, and the surrounding snowflakes became more intense.

She touched the Wolf Magical Beast beneath her and whispered, “My darling, call the rest of your pack here.”

She wasn’t planning on detouring.

She intended to force her way through!

…

Five kilometers from the Far North Mountain Range.

Within the human military camp.

The man clad in silver armor sat by the campfire, his expression serene, meticulously polishing his long sword.

He appeared to be in his thirties, with a rugged face and sharp brows and eyes. Despite his coarse skin and numerous frostbite scars, these only added to his fierce and icy demeanor.

The man was the Duke of Silver from the Silver City-State, a family that had been stationed in the Far North for generations, with the esteemed title of Duke bestowed upon them as a hereditary honor.

And the Empire’s sole demand was for them to be stationed in the Far North forever.

Since his grandfather’s time, the person in the position of the Duke of Silver had never entered the Royal Capital again, nor had he been able to leave the Far North by a single step.

This position was less a privilege granted by the Empire and more like a cage.

The Empire’s rulers were overbearing and tyrannical, hence the Duke of Silver, locked in place forever, had long contemplated overthrowing the Varo Royal Family.

The Holy See of Light often sought out such individuals.

And they were adept at manipulating hearts.

Before the current Duke of Silver became the Duke, the Holy See of Light had already approached him while he was still a child, secretly indoctrinating him with the doctrines of Light and promising many benefits, successfully turning him.

But, in reality, the true reason the Duke of Silver was willing to work for the Holy See lay in his father’s last words before death–

“If you get the chance, go out and see the blossoms.”

There were flowers in the Far North, too.

But they were nowhere as abundant as the wandering poets described, nor as colorful and beautiful as depicted in the paintings.

Fueled both by his father’s expectations and his own aspirations, the Duke of Silver resolutely chose to revolt!

[Main Quest: Overthrow the monarchical rule of the Varo Empire.]

See, this is the proof of his rebellion.

The Duke of Silver calmly wiped his sword until it was as smooth as a mirror, the blade reflecting his current visage, his silver pupils constricting slightly.

The next moment, the Duke of Silver abruptly looked up, contemplatively toward the direction of the Far North Mountain Range.

“Barging in? That takes guts.”

Five kilometers away, the fire soared into the sky, particularly conspicuous against the pitch-black night.

The moonlight reflected off the snowy ground, illuminating the vast plains with a shimmering white glow. On the horizon, hundreds of black Wolf Magical Beasts charged toward the fortifications.

The human army met them head-on, fearlessly clashing where firelight and blood mingled in the night, spattering the pristine snow-covered ground.

The Duke of Silver stepped out of the tent with his sword in hand, his keen gaze rapidly fixating on the rear of the wolf pack, where he spotted the Elf girl sitting astride the lead wolf, her bow drawn into a crescent.

Whoosh–

As soon as he looked over, an arrow flew out, reaching him in the blink of an eye!

The Duke of Silver, expressionless, swung his sword, the sharp blade accurately intercepting the arrow, slicing it in two.

The icy, frost-like arrow lay in halves on the ground, and a snowflake condensed and dispersed.

The snow falling from the sky seemed to grow fiercer, accompanied by an air colder than before that assaulted the battlefield, where a fierce wind roared.

The Duke of Silver and the Ice and Snow Elf gazed at each other from a distance, the former scoffing before turning to walk towards the stables, unabashedly exposing his back.

The Ice and Snow Elf watched his figure, her gaze indistinct, yet she did not draw her bow again.

She wasn’t foolish. Having chosen to break through the defense line, she was naturally prepared for a fierce battle.

Even if this man seemed powerful, she didn’t feel she had hit an iron wall; who the true wolf of this fight was would become apparent after a head-on clash.

…