Something about the mountain was off. There were no beast tracks, no ambient calls of monsters that should have roamed such a resource-rich area. It was silent—too silent—and that silence only deepened the sense of danger. Yet, the cold smoke and powerful ice attribute energy all originated here, and Max wasn't about to leave without uncovering its source.
"Buzz…"
A sudden pulse of even stronger cold erupted from the mountain, sweeping across the valley like an arctic storm. Grass and trees in its path froze solid in an instant, turning into brittle statues of ice.
Max reacted immediately, channeling the power of his fire element through his body, forming a thin layer of black flames to protect himself from the overwhelming chill. With each step forward, he carefully scaled the mountain, his body wrapped in faint red flames that sizzled as they came into contact with the icy mist.
