The afternoon sun was still quite strong.
The Knights, one after another, beca strongn, hauling bundle after bundle of firewood and placing it all in front of the mountain cave.
Ronin emptied all the firewood from his Space Ring, dumping it just inside the cave entrance.
He casually cast a few Small Flas, a Basic Level Fire Magic, and the dry wood at the entrance was instantly ignited, beginning to burn at an extrely fast rate.
"Jenny, get so water out here. We need smoke."
"I’d be happy to, my Lord!"
Also a Basic Level Magic, Jenny skillfully used the Water Gathering Skill to douse so of the firewood. Instantly, the smoke thickened considerably, so of it even beginning to drift out of the cave.
Ronin switched to using the Clear Wind Skill. Not only did it supply enough air to the fire, but it also blew all the rising black smoke back into the cave.
Seeing this, the group couldn’t help but smile.
’It’s great to have Mages around. Look at this—fire, water, and he can even make wind.’
Although so Combat Skills could produce similar effects, they were generally too violent and would have likely just blown the whole pile of firewood apart.
Under the effect of the Clear Wind Skill, all the smoke drifted down the cave tunnel.
At first, the group heard no reaction from inside the cave.
But soon, they faintly heard angry roars and shouts coming from within.
Ronin raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "Throw the dry wood inside, bundle by bundle."
"Jenny, keep using the Water Gathering Skill to create smoke."
The group worked together, stoking the fire and thickening the smoke. They were like children getting into mischief, their hearts full of anticipation.
"Why has it gone quiet in there?"
"You don’t think we smoked them to death, do you?"
"It’s possible. Not even we could withstand that much smoke."
The group began to chatter amongst themselves. The angry roars they had heard at first were now gone, which couldn’t help but lead them to such a conclusion.
But just then, the ground suddenly trembled. Imdiately after, a roar seeped out from within the mountain itself.
This was not the roar of a human, but that of a beast—and it was different from the howls of wolves or other animal cries.
The sound was deep and majestic, as if originating from the very core of the earth. It shook everything around them, sending an involuntary chill down their spines and making their scalps tingle!
The expressions on the faces of Ronin, Ridder, and all the others changed.
As the group stood in shocked uncertainty, a second roar ca. This ti, it seed a little closer, the sound a little clearer.
"What is that thing?"
Joffrey’s face changed. He had lived deep in the mountains for a long ti but had never heard such a cry.
The faces of the only two won present, Jenny and Krami, had turned a little pale.
"Everyone, fall back! Get away from the entrance!"
Ronin had originally planned to ambush whoever ca out, but the changing situation made him feel that arrangent was no longer appropriate.
Hearing Ronin’s command, the group imdiately retreated.
Before leaving, Ridder and Macken threw all the remaining firewood into the entrance in one go. ’No matter what’s in there, let’s just burn it first,’ they seed to think.
The flas blazed. Although Jenny was still casting her Water Gathering Skill, she was now a bit too far away for it to be fully effective. The amount of thick smoke being produced was greatly reduced.
Just then, a third roar echoed out. The ground trembled faintly, as if a colossal beast was slowly approaching, its steps making the earth shudder and striking fear into their hearts.
"This is no ordinary Magical Beast!"
Ronin’s expression changed slightly. He was already prepared to pull out the Fire Dragon Devouring Heaven Scroll if the situation turned sour.
He wondered if it was his imagination, but he felt that the deep, majestic roar seed to be tinged with grief and exhaustion.
He had no ti to dwell on it. A fourth roar ca, and this ti, it was accompanied not just by sound, but by an endless chill and a violent gale.
BOOM!
A surge of powerful Energy blasted the pile of wood at the entrance apart. The smoke billowed back out along with it, exploding from the cave mouth and spreading outward.
"Fall back!" Ronin shouted.
The group, which had already retreated a hundred ters, hastily fell back even further.
At the sa ti, to counter the smoke, Ronin directly cast the Wind Roar Magic. A violent gale, filled with a dense swarm of small Wind Blades, clashed against the billowing smoke, creating a chaotic roar.
Ridder, Macken, and the others also used their Combat Skills, launching them all toward the cave entrance.
After a series of rumbles, the world fell silent.
When the smoke cleared, the cave entrance was barely recognizable. Earth and rock had collapsed from the mountainside, covering half the opening.
Everyone’s pupils contracted. They had witnessed a shocking scene.
The cave entrance was now completely sealed in ice, like a tunnel of crystal!
The ice crystals refracted the sunlight, shining brilliantly. The group could feel the temperature of the surrounding air drop significantly.
’What Level of Magical Beast could cast Frost Magic on such a massive scale?’ Ronin frowned.
But after that wave of power, the beast’s roar seed to have completely vanished.
The group didn’t know if it was preparing a powerful move inside the cave or sothing else entirely. They only felt that this was the calm before the storm.
"Stay alert! Be on guard!"
Commander Ridder’s voice snapped the group’s thoughts back from the shocking sight of the ice tunnel.
Tom, David, and the other Knights swallowed nervously. They had a feeling they shouldn’t be part of the battle to co.
Fortunately, it seed their Lord had only brought them here to watch and learn, with no intention of having them join the fight.
"Who is it!"
"Who dares trespass on the master’s territory!"
A powerful voice, accompanied by furious shouts and the sound of frantic, hurried footsteps, rapidly approached the cave entrance.
Ronin raised his hand. "Prepare for a long-range attack!"
They didn’t need to care about the identity or role of their opponents. Since they were in a hostile situation, they could attack the mont anyone showed their face.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
Just then, five figures shot out from the cave at extre speed.
"Attack!"
Ronin roared, unleashing a Wind Roar first.
Following his command, Ridder, Macken, and Elron were the first to act, with Joffrey, Krami, and the others quickly following suit.
The five people who charged out from the opposite side seed to have anticipated being bombarded by Combat Skills and Magic, for they unleashed their own techniques the mont they appeared.
Instantly, a massive exchange of Skills erupted in front of the cave.
Ronin’s side had more people attacking, but the result of the exchange was an even match.
"Be careful! They probably have a Golden Level expert on their side!"
The dust and Energy from the collision dissipated, revealing both parties.
There were five people on the opposing side, led by a female Knight with white hair in the center. She was flanked by four others, and their strength was estimated to be at least that of Advanced Level Knights.
In addition, as the aftershock of the Skill exchange faded, another eight people ran out of the cave.
These eight were all dressed in gray uniforms. They were the sa people who patrolled every day, and their strength was estimated to be around the Basic and Interdiate Levels.
Ronin’s gaze passed over them and looked into the cave. Both sides were now in a standoff, yet he still saw no sign of any Magical Beast.
’Are they still hiding their Power?’
"You?"
The burly Knight beside the white-haired woman pointed his Knight’s Sword at Ridder, a look of surprise on his face.
"I rember you. You’re the guy whose arm I skewered that night. How did your wound heal so quickly?"
He didn’t think he could kill an opponent of the sa Level with a single strike like that, but he was certain Ridder’s left arm would take at least one or two months to heal.
But now, Ridder was standing before him, completely unhard.
"Who in the world are you people?"
Ronin asked, "Why are you hiding in this cave?"
"Hehe, you tender little pretty boy."
The woman licked her bright red lips. "Your appearance pleases greatly. How about submitting to ? I’ll be sure to dote on you."
"The rest of you aren’t bad either. How about you all submit to ?"
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