Chapter 234: A burst of light pierces the sky!
Not long after successfully completing the Kiel Dungeon exploration quest, the first cold snap of early winter swept across all of Axel overnight.
Thin ice, frozen overnight, covered the streets, and frost-laden eaves sparkled like diamonds in the morning light.
Perhaps due to the cold snap, the adventurers had all become sluggish, collectively huddled in the Guild drinking to keep warm.
Arthur stroked the yawning Fou and Douzhinosuke in his arms, watching his idiotic teammates argue fiercely in front of the bulletin board.
Darkness slapped a quest poster, muttering to herself.
"How about this one? Subduing the pack of white wolves attacking the ranch, the reward is a full one million eris!"
A cold wind seeped in through a gap in the window, and Kazuma shivered, sincerely suggesting,
"We just made a fortune in Kiel Dungeon not long ago, can't we just huddle up for the winter like other parties?"
Megumin hugged her staff, which had new gems embedded in it, rubbing her cheek against it back and forth, a look of rapture on her face.
"Of course not! The luster of this mana ore represents the overflowing magic power within me! If I don't get to unleash an Explosion Magic, I'll surely die!"
"No, I think your more important task right now is to earn money."
Noticing the puzzled looks from her teammates, Yunyun's cheeks flushed slightly, and she awkwardly explained,
"Sorry, Megumin spent all the money we earned before on upgrading her equipment. I even paid for her breakfast today."
Arthur understood, looked at Darkness and Megumin, who stood on the same side, and shrugged at Yunyun.
"Currently, two people want to go out on a quest. Yunyun, what do you think?"
"I..." Yunyun pondered for a moment, her eyes firming up, "I want to level up quickly and learn advanced magic!"
"Then that's three votes for, one vote against."
Arthur patted Kazuma's shoulder, comforting him insincerely.
"Cheer up, let's pick a good quest."
Kazuma gave up resisting, looking utterly resigned.
Aqua, however, excitedly tore off a quest poster, tugging on Arthur's sleeve and shaking it from side to side.
"Arthur, Arthur, how about we go catch snow sprites? I remember they're those icy little blobs, super cute!"
Kazuma leaned over: "Snow sprites? That name doesn't sound very strong."
Arthur handed the two sleepy pets to Yunyun and Megumin respectively, then took the quest poster Aqua held up high.
"You're not wrong, snow sprites are very weak monsters, even novice adventurers can easily kill them with a short sword."
Kazuma, hearing his explanation, became even more puzzled and quickly asked,
"Such a weak monster, and you can get 100,000 eris for defeating just one?"
Aqua nodded confidently: "Because for every snow sprite defeated, spring arrives half a day earlier!"
Kazuma's expression instantly changed, and he grabbed Arthur's arm.
"Brother, let's go immediately!"
"Hmm, alright."
Arthur's lips curved into a half-smile as he walked towards Princess Luna at the reception desk with the quest poster.
...
On the plains far from town, while it was only early winter in town, this place was already covered in a vast expanse of snow.
This abnormal snowy landscape, it must have been caused by the snow sprites.
At this moment, countless glowing snow mochi-like blobs floated in the air.
They were only palm-sized, pure white, and looked harmless.
"Wow! Snow sprites!"
Aqua, holding a butterfly net, cheered and rushed towards the snow sprite swarm, wildly waving it like a mischievous child, trying to catch one to take home as a portable refrigerator.
The result, naturally, was that the leisurely floating snow sprites were startled by her infatuated appearance and scattered, fleeing in all directions!
Darkness, who had specifically changed into a black dress, hugged her arms, breathing rapidly and exhaling large clouds of white mist, yet a look of enjoyment spread across her face.
"Ah~ This biting cold... it's like a grand endurance competition, truly a rare pleasure..."
Arthur observed Aqua's futile chasing among the snow sprites, reminding the few people beside him who were eager to try.
"Snow sprites appear to float slowly, but they actually move with the wind. The faster you approach, the faster they flee. Understood?"
Everyone immediately nodded, tiptoeing around the crazed Aqua in the center of the snowy field, encircling the sprites from different directions.
Thus, in the vast snowy expanse, a farcical scene unfolded: adventurers frantically and comically chasing the floating little blobs.
Arthur did not participate; he merely strolled to the side, raising his hand to catch a crystal snowflake falling from the sky, letting it melt into a puddle in his palm.
"I don't dislike snow, but I'm more interested in what's coming next."
Before he finished speaking, Megumin, who had run to a distant hill at some point, raised her cloak and proudly declared to the still-futilely-chasing group.
"It's obvious! It's my turn to shine again!"
Kazuma and the others, noticing her movement, their faces changed drastically, wanting to stop her, but it was too late.
"By my crimson flow, overturn the white world — Explosion!"
Several deep-red magic circles rapidly unfolded in the sky above the snowy field, radiating a dazzling red light representing destruction!
Boom—!
The magic unleashed a huge roar, the shockwave vibrating the cold, dry air, and a thick Flame Pillar rose from the center of the snow, exploding into a massive mushroom cloud!
Megumin, depleted of magic, fell face down in the snow, but still remembered to hold up her adventurer card, showing off her achievement.
"Ugh... Even my biggest and strongest Explosion Magic only managed to take out eight of them?"
As if provoked by her words, before the magical aftershocks had even dissipated, the temperature between heaven and earth instantly froze!
A wild blizzard swept in without warning, blowing Kazuma and the others off their feet!
In the center of the blizzard's vortex, which severely obstructed visibility, a burly figure in thick armor, wielding a cold, gleaming katana, strode forth on the frost!
The monster said nothing, its cold eyes from beneath its tengu mask piercing directly at the adventurer party who had just slain the snow sprites.
The bone-chilling cold and oppressive feeling instantly choked everyone.
Megumin, lying on the ground, decisively played dead, while Yunyun and Aqua prostrated themselves on the spot with devout expressions, performing a full obeisance.
Only Darkness, thinly clad, not only showed no fear but instead raised her longsword, emitting an uncontrollable giggle.
"It's here! It's finally here! General Winter!"
Kazuma, whose brain had glitched from the sudden change, heard the familiar name and turned to Darkness in confusion.
"General Winter? Is it the General Winter I remember?"
Arthur unhurriedly drew durandal, tilting his head to explain to him.
"You used to live in Japan, so you should have heard similar legends. A monstrous being associated with winter—General Winter."
Kazuma was speechless: "How stupid! This utterly messed-up world, whether it's people, vegetables, or monsters, they're all incredibly stupid!"
Hearing Kazuma's curses, General Winter exhaled two streams of white cold air from the gaps in his faceplate, his posture lowering steadily.
In the blizzard, only an afterimage remained!
A chilling blade light tore through the curtain of wind, seemingly able to freeze souls, heading straight for Kazuma's neck!
[Decoy!]
Darkness, having activated her skill, burst forth with unprecedented speed, blocking in front of Kazuma with her sword, attempting to take the fatal blow with her body!
With a crisp 'clang', the fine greatsword that had accompanied Darkness for so long was cut in two!
The lingering power of the draw attack did not diminish, striking heavily into her abdomen, the immense force sending her flying backward, plowing a long gash in the snow.
But when Darkness stopped her retreat, she was completely unharmed, holding her broken sword and letting out a heart-wrenching wail.
"Ahhhhh! My... my sword!"
Kazuma, unable to bear it any longer, roared in frustration: "Do you care more about your weapon than yourself?!"
"Idiot Kazuma! Hurry and kneel!"
Aqua's warning sounded, but it was too late.
General Winter, who had sliced Darkness away, had already appeared before Kazuma.
He slowly sheathed his sword, his left thumb lightly pushing the guard, the blade slightly exposed again, and his right hand was about to grasp the hilt!
Click!
A crisp blocking sound echoed across the snowy field.
Arthur's hand had, at some point, already pressed down on General Winter's sword hilt, preventing the deadly draw attack from being born.