The frigid winds of the far northern icefields were like blades tempered in ice, slicing painfully across the skin. Heavy snow filled the sky, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. Kai pulled his thick cloak tighter around himself, yet the biting cold still seeped in through his collar. Ironhammer walked ahead, gripping an ice-breaking axe. Each step made the snow crunch beneath his boots. His dark face was flushed red from the cold, but there was no sign of fatigue.
"Another three li ahead, and we'll reach the entrance to the icefield ruins," Ironhammer's voice was torn apart by the wind. "When I passed through here years ago, the ruins were buried under thick ice. Now that Victor's people are here, the ice has probably already been blasted open."
Kai nodded, tightening his grip on the meteor-iron wrench. The positioning crystal at his neck was growing warm—proof that they were getting closer to the Starcore fragment. With the pocket watch now carried by Linore, the resonance between this crystal and the fragment ahead had become even clearer. Each pulse felt like a heartbeat, guiding them forward.
After pushing through the storm for nearly half an hour, a dark silhouette finally appeared ahead. It was an ancient ruin, gnawed away by ice and snow. Broken walls were covered in icicles, and a massive hole had been blasted open at the entrance. Faint light spilled out from within.
"They're already here," Kai said grimly, lowering his voice. "We'll circle around from the side. Don't alert them."
Ironhammer nodded. The two bent low and moved carefully along the broken walls, inching toward the entrance.
Inside the ruins, it was even colder. Thick icicles hung from the walls, and the ground beneath their feet was slick with ice. One misstep could send them sprawling. Kai and Ironhammer hid behind a fractured stone pillar and peered out.
More than a dozen bodyguards in black suits surrounded a stone platform at the center of the ruins, operating various instruments. The same leader who had once hunted them stood beside the platform, holding a detector, a smug smile on his face.
Embedded in the center of the stone platform was a fragment the size of a palm, silver-white in color and radiating a chill that frosted the surrounding air. It was unmistakably a Starcore fragment.
"Boss, the fragment's energy is too strong," one guard said anxiously. "Our equipment can't extract it. If this continues, the detector's going to burn out."
The leader snorted and kicked the man hard. "Useless trash! You can't even handle this? What good are you?" He stepped forward and reached out himself. The moment his fingertips touched the fragment's surface, a surge of icy force repelled him. He yelped in pain and staggered back.
"Damn it!" he cursed, pulling a black box from his coat. "Use this. Put it inside."
Several guards rushed forward and carefully opened the box. Inside was lined with black velvet, engraved with complex runes clearly designed to suppress Starcore energy.
Kai's heart tightened. Once the fragment was sealed inside that box, reclaiming it would be far more difficult. He glanced at Ironhammer and gave a slight nod. Ironhammer understood instantly, gripping his axe, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"Now!" Kai shouted softly as he burst out from behind the pillar, wrench in hand.
Ironhammer followed immediately, his axe whistling through the air as it slammed toward the nearest guard.
The sudden attack threw the bodyguards into chaos. Kai moved with incredible speed. His wrench gleamed silver as it smashed into a piece of equipment. The machine exploded instantly, shards flying everywhere. The guard screamed and collapsed, clutching his face.
The leader's expression changed drastically. He spun around, and when he saw Kai, venom flashed in his eyes. "You again! I let you escape last time—this time, you're not going anywhere!"
He drew a steam pistol from his waist, aimed it at Kai, and fired without hesitation.
The bullet screamed through the air. Kai twisted aside, narrowly dodging it. Blue light flared from his wrench as an energy barrier snapped into place. In the same motion, he hurled the wrench forward. Like a boomerang, it spun through the air toward the leader.
The leader hadn't expected that. He tried to dodge, but the edge of the wrench still clipped his shoulder. He groaned in pain, and the pistol fell from his hand.
On the other side, Ironhammer had already dealt with several guards. His axe rose and fell in powerful arcs, forcing the remaining men back step by step.
Seizing the opening, Kai rushed to the stone platform and reached for the Starcore fragment. At that very moment, a shadow burst from the darkness of the ruins. A figure wielding a dagger lunged straight for Kai's back.
"Watch out!" Ironhammer shouted.
Kai spun around just in time, his pupils contracting sharply as he recognized the familiar silhouette.
Victor's shadow guard.
The assassin moved with terrifying speed, the dagger's cold gleam already inches away. With no time to dodge, Kai gathered Starcore energy into his palm and slammed it forward against the blade.
Boom!
A violent shockwave erupted. Kai was thrown backward, his chest churning as blood surged in his veins. The shadow guard was also forced back several steps, nearly losing his grip on the dagger.
"Kai Leonard," the assassin said coldly as he removed his mask, revealing a pale, lifeless face. "I never expected you to come this far. Unfortunately, this is where your journey ends."
As he spoke, his body dissolved into a swirl of black smoke that surged toward Kai. Kai tightened his grip on the meteor-iron wrench, every nerve on edge. He could feel it clearly—this enemy was stronger than any he had faced before.
Just as the two were about to clash, a clear, piercing birdcall rang out from beyond the ruins. In the next instant, a beam of golden light tore through the storm, shooting straight into the ruins.
The shadow guard's expression changed instantly. He looked up, fear flashing across his face.
Kai froze as well, then broke into a look of astonished joy as he recognized that familiar golden radiance.
The guardian dragon.
It had followed them here.