The creature's voice carried implications that went beyond simple combat escalation. This was the recognition between two apex predators that their conflict had moved beyond territorial dispute into something approaching existential warfare.
Arthur's frown deepened as he processed the Winter Beast's words and body language. The creature's sudden tactical shift suggested he was preparing to employ power that hadn't been necessary against previous opponents. Abilities that would transform their battle from a challenging encounter into something approaching a cataclysmic confrontation.
The temperature around them began dropping even further, approaching levels that transcended natural physics and entered realms where molecular motion itself struggled to continue. Ice formations that had seemed permanent began reshaping themselves into more complex patterns.
