When an ore successfully extracts elemental spiritual energy from the Five Great Elements, its internal structure and rules undergo a qualitative change, transforming it into a Mana Ore with elemental properties.
When a single element in an environment becomes saturated to the extreme, the Mana Ore can become sentient, transforming into an Elemental Elf. While lacking independent consciousness and possessing a relatively gentle temperament, it will still fight back against those who try to hunt it down to survive.
For example, on the Island of Illusory Snow and Flowing Ice, the two anomalous water elements, “Ice” and “Snow”, hold an overwhelming proportion among the Five Great Elements on the island. From this, an Elemental Elf known as a ‘Snow Demon’ was born.
These ‘Snow Demons’ actually understand how to skillfully utilize the island’s boundless ice and snow power, shaping tall and sturdy bodies akin to ice-field polar bears to serve their will. They resemble giant bears, but without legs, drifting instead like specters.
As Weilin and her companion gradually ventured deeper into the island’s center, they witnessed no fewer than twenty battles along the way.
“These people are truly awkward…” Weilin averted her gaze, finding it somewhat painful to watch.
How should she put it?
Because they are Snow Demons, their water element resistance is infuriatingly high. And the vast majority of people living in the Snow Domain are adept at water or ice-type magic…
[You used ‘Blizzard’ on the Snow Demon!]
[Snow Demon’s health has been restored!]
It was basically that kind of situation…
Of course, these were all mistakes only rookies would make. Truly experienced individuals, even if they only knew water and ice magic, would mostly use control skills like ‘Ice Prison’ to restrain the Snow Demon, then have their Warrior companions go in to attack.
But this doesn’t mean Fire Mages have a natural advantage.
After all, on the Island of Illusory Snow and Flowing Ice, the flame of a Fireball might be smothered by the violent blizzard the moment it’s chanted into existence.
Unless one could reach Weilin’s level, where Mana could be converted into any elemental attribute.
Otherwise, this magical competition… would be more appropriately called the ‘Daddy Warrior carries me through the competition.’
Thinking this, Weilin’s gaze shifted to Miss Ranger, who had just cleaved a Snow Demon’s head apart with a single sword strike. A sense of relief at her decision to recruit a temporary teammate rose in her heart.
Airi sheathed her blade in a reverse grip, stepped forward, and collected the ‘Snow Essence’ that dropped after the Snow Demon’s death into a small glass vial.
‘Snow Essence’ was smaller than a fingertip, yet it contained an astonishingly pure aura of ice and snow. It was said that using this for alchemy produced medicines with miraculous effects on health recovery and spirit nourishment.
This was a specialty of the Island of Illusory Snow and Flowing Ice, exclusive to the Illusory Snow Royal Family and rarely circulated outside.
This was another powerful aspect of the Divine Crystal. The Island of Illusory Snow and Flowing Ice linked to the Divine Crystal was, in itself, an inexhaustible mineral deposit.
Of course, the conversion of ice and snow elements into ‘Snow Demons’ also required time, and not a short amount at that. Thus, there was only an annual hunting competition, not 365 times a year.
One person whose home truly had a mine was enough; just Weilin sufficed.
Airi shook the small glass vial containing only three Snow Essences, sighed, and turned her gaze, her expression filled with unfulfilled request. “Weilin, it’s not enough, not nearly enough. Let’s go a little deeper.”
In just ten minutes of walking, they had encountered thirty or forty Snow Demons, but 90% were already in combat. They weren’t about to steal kills from newbies.
“We can. Go as deep as you feel comfortable with,” Weilin, who had the same intention, said casually.
Hmm… that sounded a bit odd.
?
The deeper they ventured into the island’s interior, the denser the Snow Demons became, and the other competing teams they saw along the way grew increasingly sparse.
Her Lv45 Mage rank was practically useless. Relying on her Lv60, strongest Platinum Warrior rank, Miss Ranger, with her single blade, cleaved a path straight towards the central region, and Weilin followed.
Weilin had a constant feeling that Airi’s movement speed was increasing… from being as swift as the wind at the start, to an hour later, fast as lightning afterimages. The girl seemed to be in an unbelievably high state. After killing one Snow Demon, she would immediately dash off to slash at another. Collecting ‘Snow Essence’ had entirely become Weilin’s responsibility.
Only Weilin, who could perform Spatial Warps at will, could keep up with Airi’s pace.
By the time they had pushed forward to roughly one-fifth of the way, the air temperature had plummeted threefold.
Even Weilin, protected by the Ice-Fire Cloak, couldn’t help but feel a trace of chill. Yet Airi, whose nerves had been in a state of high excitement, felt no cold, and seemed to feel little fatigue either. Her blade, faster than sound, cleaved through one Snow Demon body after another, and her already terrifying speed seemed to increase by another fraction.
Until they encountered the first ‘Elite Snow Demon’!
Ordinary Snow Demons were three to four meters tall. The Elite Snow Demon, however, swelled to a terrifying height of twenty to thirty meters.
This immensely strong giant Snow Demon could uproot towering snow trees dozens of meters high with both hands and hurl them at Airi, easily whipping up a disastrous storm among the mountain forest.
“Weilin!!”
In the crisis, Airi’s first thought was of her employer. But as she looked back, she found Weilin had already foresightedly flashed several kilometers away…
“Hurry up and slice it! Don’t worry about me!”
(Just assume sound infused with Mana is faster than sound, and don’t mind these details…)
Weilin’s voice came from afar. Airi froze for a moment.
Then, that colossal tree trunk, carrying a terrifying Tempest, swept through the air towards her. Even though Miss Ranger had been distracted for a brief moment, her body’s instinctive backward leap was more than enough to easily evade this heavy yet slow attack.
The Ranger’s lithe body landed on another large tree a hundred meters away. Substantial Wind Battle Aura flowed across her entire body. Her feet stomped heavily on the tree’s surface, and her body launched towards the Elite Snow Demon’s massive bestial head like a cannonball. A wisp of intensely fighting azure-gold light exploded in the girl’s eyes. “Flowing Light Flying Blade…” she murmured softly. At the same moment, she drew her blade————
Clang!
A clear, flawless sound powerfully pierced through the sky filled with hurricane and blizzard. Like a brilliant flash of light, it cleanly sliced across the Elite Snow Demon’s neck.
A massive wound tore open across the Snow Demon’s chest. Terrifying cold energy collapsed and spilled out. The Snow Demon let out an earth-shaking, agonizing howl and violently swung the remaining half of the tree trunk down towards the Ranger.
Airi, having landed far away, dodged this strike again, turned, and charged once more at the Elite Snow Demon.
But impatience was clearly visible in the Ranger’s eyes…
She had underestimated the Elite Snow Demon. That one strike hadn’t been able to kill it. Although she could steadily kill it with a few more opportunities to strike… the danger of the island’s interior made her more worried about Weilin’s situation.
“I must end this quickly…” Airi decided to return to her employer’s side as soon as possible, muttering under her breath, “It’s only three hundred gold coins… I have three hundred thousand now…”
Even the last trace of hesitation vanished. Airi’s gaze sharpened. She leapt, her body shooting straight up thirty meters into the air like a free-flying bolt of lightning… She locked onto the slowly healing wound on the Elite Snow Demon. Her right hand held her blade, while a bronze-colored, flared-muzzle handgun appeared in her raised left hand…
“Goodbye!”
Dazzling flames instantly filled the muzzle. The concentrated Fire Crystal, worth 300 gold coins, shot out scorching, brilliant light under the explosive propulsion, accurately flying into the Elite Snow Demon’s body through the wound…
BOOM————!!
The next second, the Elite Snow Demon’s body suddenly swelled like a balloon. Accompanied by a muffled explosion, it grandly burst apart into countless fragments of blizzard.
So, this is what it means to be a Ranger!
Wait!
Looking towards the spot where the Elite Snow Demon had perished, Airi’s expression turned to shock. “…Where’s my ‘Snow Essence’!”
