Magic Beast Practical Combat (2)

I looked around. Not a single structure caught my eye. Snow-covered rocks and trees. A vast expanse of snowfields and towering mountains. The motif was obvious at a glance. Snowy mountains brought Mount Everest to mind first, and this place looked like it had been ripped straight from there.

The scenery was beautiful. The snow-capped peaks blending with the sun created a landscape reflecting nothing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but white—a sight that was undeniably stunning. The only problem was, "Hoo... this is a bit..."

The cold matched it perfectly. The temperature wasn't exactly the same, but the chill pressed in on my body like I'd stepped into a freezer. I let out a long breath, and white mist billowed up into the sky.

I checked on my teammates. You guys okay...?

"Kuh, my tongue—aaagh!" Lucas was desperately prying his tongue off his palm. Looked like karma for his usual loose lips. No helping him.

"Hahaha! Cold! It's freezing!"

And there was another lunatic. Roden, belting out hearty laughs as he stripped off his top. He was jumping in place, genuinely enjoying the extreme cold training. Even with his earth-element body reinforcement and conditioning, you could still feel the chill—so yeah, something was definitely broken in that guy.

I sighed and turned to Siel. "Get ready. We're heading out right away."

She seemed totally unfazed. Made sense—northern family heritage, ice magic specialist. Probably had some natural resistance.

I pointed at Lucas flailing in the back and Roden doing push-ups. "Top student, you really gonna go like this?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Yes."

"Look behind you. The others are a mess."

"If I end it quick, they'll be fine."

Whoosh. Siel started walking forward. Magic circle already floating on her back—she was primed and ready. Honestly, I wanted to fight too, but the cold had me wanting to hunker down. Five more minutes here, and I'd freeze solid. Plus, no way was I letting a severe directionally challenged girl like Siel lead.

I said, "But there's a teamwork score, right?"

Siel stopped dead. Her brows furrowed. She exhaled white mist and muttered, "Fine..."

Hard to tell if it was a sigh. She turned and followed me. And so we began searching for shelter.

Scanning with Clairvoyance, I spotted cover. "Huh...?"

A cave in the snowy cliffside. Red energy flowed from within.

Normally I'd have to comb every inch of space like a rat hunt, but "Found it..." ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠This episode? No need to go far.

Shwoooaaa... Dark cave. Outside, the blizzard raged, blanketing everything in whiteout fury. Good call rushing in here.

Fwoosh. I sparked fire in my hand and held it to some twigs. Frozen solid—they barely caught after five minutes. Once I built it up like a campfire, it finally felt livable.

"Warm... Kyle, for an F-rank commoner, you're surprisingly useful? Just keep being the fire starter shuttle. Siel Dunhart the top student and I, the great Lucas, will handle this magic beast practical."

Lucas's mouth had thawed, and he was back to yapping. After a week of his nonstop bullshit, I was almost fond of him. Every game needed a cocky prick like this.

"Uhahaha! Next, sit-ups! Hup-two! Hup-two!"

~And every game needed a total psycho like this too. I shook my head and wrung out the damp from my melting clothes. Ignoring the chaos, a solemn air settled in—thanks to Siel, knees hugged to her chest in meditation.

"Master..."

She murmured faintly. Her voice already lacked projection, but that low tone made her seem pitiful.

How bad does she want to be a master's apprentice? Siel didn't obsess over the title that much. It was just lifelong family brainwashing making her blindly chase it. Felt off for her character.

I tossed out a line. "What's with the sudden 'Master'? Crush or something?"

Just a joke. But Siel whipped her head around, eyes wide. "No...! He's someone worth..."

"Someone?"

"..."

She clammed up, glaring daggers, clearly pissed. If she hated it that much, just say so... Felt wronged. I'd been trying to lighten the mood.

"Hmm, fighting status, huh."

Roden sidled up beside me. Dead serious, he lifted rocks with both hands like weights. "Better make up. I had a childhood friend betrothed to me back home. But after fights, all that lingered was sticky regret. Back then, she apologized first and..."

"Time to move out."

Cut the flashback short. Bodies thawed—no complaints there. I nodded at Siel.

"Yeah, let's go."

"Wha, heading out? Then the great Lucas leads!"

Siel up front, we rose. Blizzard still howling outside. As they geared up, I added, "I've got good ears. Heard weird roars deeper in earlier. Beast's probably here."

"For real?"

"Yeah, Siel. Inside the cave. And Lucas, you said you'd lead? Front and center."

I handed him a torch. He eyed the cave—pitch black void. His arm trembled; he hesitated.

Sigh. This firebrand.

"I'll take it."

I shoved past into the dark. Siel and Roden matched my stride; Lucas yelled and scrambled after. "Hey, don't leave me!"

He finally caught up, tailing us like a duckling. Single file, we pierced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the gloom.

Deeper in, frozen walls turned to ice. Icicles jutted everywhere, floor slick. Cold poured from ahead. Tense—attack anytime.

I fueled the torch brighter. Even I don't know everything. This episode's beasts and colony setup were random. Replay it a hundred times, different every go. But clues existed.

Snowfield, so ice-types. My fire magic might pack real punch.

Warm up the mana...

One step further—red eyes gleamed in the dark. Hundreds of magic beasts, plastered to the ceiling.

"Bats ahead!"

Kieeeek! Hundreds of ice bats swarmed. Claws like ice spikes. One prick fine, but numbers turned deadly. No time for formation—

Shraaaak! Ice pillars erupted from behind, scattering. Bats froze mid-air into sculptures.

Glanced back: Siel exhaled mist, head tilted. "Coming?"

"Nah, nice one."

Right—Siel was here. Mooks no issue.

After that, smooth sailing. "Ice spike wolves!"

Shraaaak!

"Ice tusk rabbits ahead!"

Kuwaaang! Boom!

"Bats again!"

Kwaaaa! I called, Siel cleared. Too easy. Original game nerfed her specs for balance; here, unrestricted, she wrecked. Total carry.

We reached the end: long ice tunnel opened to a cavern. Yeti loomed at the far side.

"Die."

Shraaaak! Siel magicked on sight. Pillars exploded to freeze everything—but deflected.

Ting! Particle shield around Yeti shattered them effortlessly. Impenetrable for any player. Black Knight's armor—demon minion from Act 1 Scene 4.

"Hmph."

Siel, pissed her attack bounced, unloaded. Whiiiing! Boom! Crash! Crash! Shraaaak!

Ice-crystal blizzard shredded it. Jagged pillars rained wildly. Hundreds of icicles pelted like hail.

Kuoooooh! Yeti roared, unscathed. Eyes flushed red.

Demon link engaged. Episode proper underway.

Kuduk! Kuduk! Yeti's body twisted, mutating. Fangs protruded like demon horns, truck-like muscles bulged grotesquely. One hit, and no respawn.

But one trick left. Then, the demon's incantation echoed.

Pang! Guttural iron rasp from its throat. Explosive pressure wave hit the cavern—Lucas and Roden crumpled instantly. No mental resistance, low specs: one-shotted.

Worst pattern. No swaps, clear one coin. Lucky my indomitable spirit held.

I eyed Siel. "Another demon..."

Her high base stats shrugged it off. One counter.

Just us two. Siel glared at the demon, deploying dozens of magic circles. Muttered to me, "Take them out. In the way."

Fainted duo and F-rank peon. Her brain was calculating: limited casting space.

I hoisted them without protest and hauled ass to safety. Dropped them, unpacked my gear.

Kuuuung! Fight on.

Siel couldn't solo this demon. Time for disguise cloak, mask, sniper rifle.

"Finally, test time."

No chances till now—everything one-shot. This tanky foe might show true power.

I eyed the floating trait.

You're all I've got.