Louis stood atop the peak, overlooking the group of Ice Armor Bears below.
Sunlight struck their grayish-white armor, and the hexagonal ice crystal scales reflected a dazzling brilliance.
Their forepaws bore claws as sharp as cold iron, and flickers of blue flame occasionally burst from their backs as their armor shifted with every movement.
These Ice Armor Bears were massive; each low growl they emitted rumbled like thunder shaking the earth.
Despite their majesty, there wasn't a trace of cuteness about them. These colossal beasts were the embodiment of ferocity.
They prowled through the snow, tirelessly hunting for prey to satisfy their endless hunger.
Beside Louis stood two children—Lilia and Weil.
They were the only two among the eight knight candidates who had successfully awakened their bloodlines and stepped into the ranks of apprentice knights.
Today, Louis had brought them to witness a real hunt as a reward for their diligence.
It was a welcome break from their grueling daily training, a chance to see the wild reality of battle.
Lilia's eyes sparkled with excitement. She tightly gripped a longsword nearly as tall as herself, awkwardly mimicking the stance of an adult knight.
Weil was not to be outdone. He carefully adjusted his gear, then stood tall and proud, trying to look every bit the part of a true knight.
"You two stay by my side and protect me," Louis whispered with a faint smile.
In truth, he feared the little rascals would get too excited and rush headlong into a suicidal brawl with the Ice Armor Bears.
Protect the lord!
What an important task!
Lilia and Weil immediately stood even straighter, their faces tense with nervous excitement as they nodded solemnly.
Once all preparations were in place, Louis raised his hand.
"Ready. Begin the bear-hunting operation."
At the signal, the distant commander waved a large flag.
Knights and hunters hidden in ambush quietly moved into position.
A group of hunters silently entered the bears' territory, discreetly sprinkling estrous female bear urine on the snow.
This particular scent was extremely potent for male Ice Armor Bears, who would be drawn to it almost instantly.
As the odor spread, the bears began to stir.
Nine Ice Armor Bears slowly gathered, lumbering toward a narrow canyon.
Another group of hunters, hidden further away, rolled rocks to create thunderous echoes, successfully luring the bear pack toward the canyon's entrance.
"They've entered the canyon. Proceed as planned," the commander signaled once more with his flag.
Inside the canyon, sharp wooden stakes had been planted underground in a precise formation.
As the bears padded forward, their paws—lacking the protection of thick armor—were the first to suffer.
The stakes pierced into the soft flesh like venomous fangs, and several of the leading bears instantly howled in pain.
Agony rippled through their enormous bodies, and the Ice Armor Bears roared furiously, trying to tear the stakes from their paws.
But their size and bulk made quick movements difficult, and they couldn't free themselves immediately.
The rest of the bear pack, seeing their companions' distress, descended into chaos.
The canyon echoed with angry bellows and the frantic stomping of heavy limbs.
At that moment, hunters ignited pine resin and lamp oil soaked into the canyon walls.
Flames roared to life, and a fireball was hurled from the cliff edge, landing in the center of the struggling bear pack.
The explosion rocked the canyon, fire and smoke engulfing the area.
The trapped Ice Armor Bears howled in fury as the flames scorched their fur.
Yet despite the intensity of the fire, their thick ice armor held strong.
Though black scorch marks began to appear, the armor had not been breached.
Still, the pain enraged the bears further.
Now frenzied, they slammed into one another, their movements erratic and wild.
The fire, though not fatal, was effective in disrupting their formation.
The bears' weak points—eyes, throats, joints—became more exposed in the chaos.
However, standard arrows proved almost useless; the ice armor deflected most attacks.
From above the canyon, archers released wave after wave of fire arrows.
These arrows weren't meant to kill—but to exhaust.
The arrows ignited the bears' bodies, and the flames crept along the cracks and surfaces of their icy shells.
Slowly, the heat began to take its toll.
Though they remained fierce, the bears' movements slowed.
Their stamina was depleting, and cracks began to form across the once-impenetrable armor.
Some plates of ice even began to melt, revealing raw, tough—but now vulnerable—skin.
That was the moment they'd been waiting for.
The knights, hidden in ambush, began to move.
"Now!" the commander roared, dropping the flag in one swift motion.
Knights surged forth on horseback.
Their longswords and spears blazed with crimson fighting energy, their blades glowing with intense heat.
The air shimmered around them, warped by the power radiating from their weapons.
"Charge!"
Warhorses thundered down the slopes.
Each knight aimed with deadly precision at the Ice Armor Bears' exposed weaknesses—joints, eyes, jaws, and throats.
The archers' earlier work had made these targets vulnerable.
Now it was time for the knights to deliver the killing blows.
One elite knight lowered his long spear, his eyes fixed on a slightly smaller bear.
That bear had already taken an arrow to the throat, leaving a faint crack in its armor.
With flawless control, the knight spurred his horse forward.
His spear burned with condensed fighting energy, creating a blazing arc through the air.
He struck the crack dead-on.
Pfft—
The spear pierced through the ice, digging deep into flesh.
Blood burst forth, mingled with the crimson energy as if molten lava had poured into the bear's body.
The beast let out an earth-shattering roar, its massive form shaking.
It staggered, on the verge of collapse.
From the ridge, Weil jumped up and cheered, eyes sparkling.
"We defeated one! The knights are incredible!"
"Don't celebrate just yet, Weil," Louis said calmly. "This is only the first phase."
Weil blinked in confusion. Wasn't that bear about to die?
Just then, the wounded Ice Armor Bear reared up and roared in rage.
Its cracked armor exploded outward, and streaks of blue fire spread from its back like demonic wings.
The frigid flames surged into the air—then exploded.
"Retreat!" the commander shouted, frantically waving his flag.
A wave of freezing power swept across the battlefield.
Several knights were hit before they could react.
Fortunately, their bodies were protected by fighting energy, allowing them to pull back in time.
But the bear wasn't finished.
Now fully berserk, it released its true power.
Three massive crystalline spikes erupted from its back, each one glowing ominously.
From these spikes, high-energy shockwaves pulsed outward.
Heat waves and explosive bursts tore through the air.
Nearby knights staggered under the force, nearly thrown from their saddles.
The very air around them seemed to thicken.
Each tremor was like a hammer blow, making it hard to breathe.
The real battle had just begun.
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