Chapter 10: Snow Bear Battle

The early summer on the Frozen Continent has a unique charm.

Nights are very short, with the sun setting in the northwest only to rise shortly afterward in the northeast. The night sky is painted with brilliant auroras, and the red moon barely makes an appearance before it's swallowed by dawn. The black sun, however, stands out against the colorful auroras. Daylight is long, and the white sun's warmth melts the accumulated winter snow. Water drips from rocks, mountains, and trees, trickling along the continental highway beside streams formed by the melting snow. On the sunny southern banks, colorful daisies bloom, and vibrant butterflies make the most of the short summer to pollinate the flowers.

A boy walked along the main road. Dressed in a snowy outfit, he wore boots of snow beast fur, seal-skin pants, a coarse linen shirt, and a snow beast vest. Strapped to his back was a snow-white two-handed sword, almost taller than he was.

This was Amy's first journey away from home, though he was soon abandoned by his companions.

Reger was astonished at the agility of his new student. Amy seemed even quicker than a high-level rogue. On the first day of their journey, to test Amy's abilities, Reger subtly cast a small spell—*Earth Fang Emergence*, a Level 1 Earth spell. The ground cracked or rose up with each of Amy's steps. He skipped along the road, occasionally turning to chat with Reger and Chi Hanfeng, seemingly unaware of the uneven ground beneath his feet. Yet, no matter how suddenly the terrain shifted, Amy's feet seemed to have eyes, allowing him to easily evade any obstacles.

As a mage of the Neutral element, Reger deeply respected nature. Neutral magic, some said, was inspired by the Druidic faith from the forest-dwelling tribes, and Neutral mages prized physical fitness, agility, and mental strength. Amy had all these qualities, and Reger was delighted with his talented new apprentice.

To better train Amy, Reger suggested he travel ahead alone for half a day while he and Chi Hanfeng would follow later. They planned to reunite at an inn near Dragonfang Mountain if nothing major happened.

The continental highway was generally safe; the constant passage of traders and armies had driven most creatures far from its sides. Chi Hanfeng agreed with this plan, though he couldn't resist a sly comment: "This works well. Amy, you should consider that Master Reger just returned from the Tower of Wishes and hasn't seen a woman in 94 years. I won't spell it out, but you get the idea. I don't mind who you travel with, but if you stick with Reger, he might not be familiar with current market prices, if you catch my drift."

Chi Hanfeng summoned his phantom beast, hopped on, and rode off into the distance, still laughing. Though a phantom beast was slower than lightning, as a Knight, he could escape from a mage if necessary.

Amy took a beginner mage's manual from Reger and a few silver coins from Chi Hanfeng, and set off.

The trip was supposed to take seven days, and by the sixth, Amy could no longer see any sign of his uncle or his master. Occasionally, a merchant would pass by, each following a well-practiced routine: traveling quickly, speaking little, and aiming to reach the next inn before dark. Despite encountering strangers, they kept to themselves on the road but became lively at the inns, easily striking up conversations with anyone.

This monotonous journey was not to Amy's liking.

Suddenly, a young boy's voice called out from the right side of the forest, panting heavily. "Greener, run! Come on!" 

A few tall pine trees swayed violently, struck by some unseen force.

A strange creature roared in the woods.

Amy leaped over the four-meter drainage ditch on the side of the road and drew the *Frostblade*, gripping it with both hands as he dashed into the forest.

Two enormous white snow bears appeared, crashing through the snow, flattening saplings with their massive paws as they charged forward. Snow bears, known as the kings of the Frozen Continent, stood as tall as two men. No other creature could match their strength on land.

Their target appeared to be a boy about Amy's age, perhaps slightly more robust. He fled while calling to a green puppy that stumbled along beside him. His black hair streamed behind him, and sweat flew from his face as he ran through the trees. Were it not for the dense woods and the bears' bulk, the boy would have been caught long ago.

The black-haired boy looped around and dashed back toward the road.

"Aah!" It was then that Amy noticed the boy was holding a small snow bear cub in his hand, and two more cubs were struggling and whining pitifully. No wonder these usually docile snow bears were so furious.

The boy also noticed Amy and urgently shouted, "Don't come any closer! It's dangerous—run along the edge of the forest!"

At first, Amy hesitated about helping this troublemaker, but seeing the boy's concern for him, Amy felt a surge of determination. He slung his sword onto his back and rushed over, snatching the cubs from the boy and sprinting towards the road.

When he reached the drainage ditch, Amy hurled the two cubs onto the highway without waiting for the boy's reaction. He grabbed the boy by the ankle, swung him around in circles a few times, then let go.

"Put me down! I can jump on my own—waaaah!" protested the boy, who landed on the other side of the ditch in a perfect face-plant.

"Grr…grr…" The green puppy, seeing its owner tossed around, grabbed Amy's pants leg with its little teeth. Its eyes flashed—not with anger, but with an expectant look, as if pleading, "Don't forget me!" The puppy gave a small bark and lifted one of its front paws as if asking to be picked up. Amy now realized the puppy was walking on two legs.

"What a clever and amusing little creature," Amy thought as he scooped up the puppy and leaped over the ditch.

The two massive snow bears were fast approaching. The first, unmistakably male, faced the drainage ditch with ease. As he prepared to leap, Amy unsheathed his sword and made a few feints. The bear seemed to realize that jumping across would expose him to a mid-air strike. With a roar, he raised his paw, and the air around Amy suddenly grew cold and solidified into sharp, icy blades flying toward him.

Amy was stunned—snow bears could naturally wield Level 1 ice magic?

"Ice Blade!" Amy shouted, summoning his own weapon's power. His sword's icy aura expanded, creating a larger, thicker blade of ice that swept forward like a wall, consuming the bear's shards. Even though it was just a Level 1 spell, the elemental spirit's aid amplified its effects, producing an extraordinary amount of ice in mere moments. 

The snow bear, unaccustomed to such resistance, had no chance to dodge from four meters away and took the full brunt of the blow. Crimson blood soaked its snowy fur.

"Aaaargh!" The king of the Frozen Continent had never before suffered such an injury from a mere human. The male bear, maddened, howled with rage, blood-red eyes glaring through streaks of crimson tears.

Bears are fearsome creatures, especially when wounded. A cornered bear can unleash strength multiple times its normal power. This bear was a prime example.

Ignoring the gleaming sword, the male bear lunged across the ditch, while the female appeared beside it, roaring as she followed. Even the bravest Hamir hunters of the continent wouldn't provoke a snow bear. A squad of Hamir soldiers encountering one would avoid it at all costs. Two attacking snow bears were enough to devastate nearly a hundred Hamir warriors.

The female bear sniffed the two cubs on the ground, then the boy lying still. Amy's heart jumped. "Why isn't he moving? Did he get hurt from the toss?" The female bear licked the boy's face, but he remained motionless. The green puppy nestled beside his leg, motionless as well. The female bear turned and roared furiously at Amy.

Facing two bears simultaneously was exactly what Amy had hoped to avoid.

With a growl, the male bear lunged, swinging a massive paw toward Amy's head. The female bear charged from the other side, jaws wide, her four yellowish fangs surrounded by black gums, and her blood-red tongue pressed tight against her lower jaw. Drool spattered as she lunged for Amy's neck.

Amy ducked his head, narrowly avoiding the male bear's paw, only to find the female's hot breath bearing down on him. His head chilled as he bent low, slipping between the male bear's legs to escape.

Before he could straighten up, the female bear knocked off his hat and pounced again. The male bear circled back, jaws open, and lunged to bite…

Perhaps due to years of companionship, the two bears were perfectly in sync. As soon as Amy dodged the male bear's massive paw, he was met with its snapping jaws, leaving him with barely any chance to swing his sword. Fortunately, the bears were so large that attacking a lower target wasn't easy; otherwise, Amy would have already taken several swipes.

During the third attempt to evade by ducking between the bear's legs, disaster struck—the male bear's paw landed on Amy's sword. Thinking quickly, Amy dodged across the drainage ditch, narrowly avoiding the female bear's attack.

Both bears instantly followed him across the ditch. Amy didn't stop; the moment his feet hit the ground, he crouched low, planted a foot against the ditch's edge, and flipped back over it, landing just in front of his earlier cast "Ice Blade." Without missing a beat, he grabbed his sword and yelled, "Ice Blade—Ice Storm!" as he unleashed the spell's secondary effect.

For an ice mage, Ice Storm was invaluable. Though not particularly strong, it could create layers of ice around an enemy's feet, immobilizing them for a short time.

The wounded male bear, already moving sluggishly, tried to leap, but the expanding ice underfoot held him firmly in place. He roared in frustration, struggling to move but unable to escape.

The female bear, less affected by the ice, leapt at Amy once more, her enormous white-furred body rippling with each motion.

Time was running short. Amy knew that snow bears had natural resistance to ice magic, so his window was brief. He immediately went on the offensive. Sunlight glinted off his massive sword as he swung it down toward the bear's head, leaving a trail of ice in its wake.

The female bear dodged, but Amy's Ice Blade lost no momentum. With a slight curve, it veered back, this time toward her shoulder. She couldn't evade it completely, and the blade sliced from her left shoulder to her front leg, flipping fur and flesh aside to expose white bone. The cut didn't bleed, as the icy blade froze the capillaries, spreading deep into the bear's forelimb.

Enraged, the female bear swung her right paw, knocking the sword from Amy's grasp.

With a low growl, the mother bear charged at the now unarmed Amy. He dodged her lunge, but she followed up with a quick swipe of her right paw. He barely had time to roll away, and she didn't pause; her massive body shifted, preparing to sit on him—a classic bear maneuver known as the "one slap, two swipes, and the crushing sit." It looked silly, but it was remarkably effective.

A whistling sound cut through the air, followed by a resounding thud as a projectile embedded itself in the female bear.

The bear let out a gut-wrenching cry and collapsed to the ground.

"Watch out for the other one—!" shouted the boy's voice, seemingly from the distance.

The male bear saw his mate fall, roaring and thrashing as he broke free from the icy storm's hold. Amy had just reclaimed his Ice Blade when the bear charged over the ditch again. Without hesitation, Amy gripped his sword tightly and thrust it directly into the bear's chest. Mid-leap, the bear had no chance to dodge, and the blade pierced through, its tip stopping just short of the bear's back. The bear's massive front claws clamped onto Amy's shoulders, shredding his cloak, while its hind paws scraped the ditch's frozen wall, dislodging chunks of ice.

Unable to bear the weight any longer, Amy released his grip, letting the bear, still clutching the sword, tumble into the five-meter-deep ditch. The bear clawed at the sword, dragging it downward through his belly until it finally fell from his grasp.

With a deafening roar, the bear attempted to climb out, hooking its paws onto the ditch's edge. Blood poured from the gaping chest wound, and Amy was frozen in shock as the creature continued its ascent, blood spraying like a fountain.

The bear's hind legs pushed upward—its head cleared the ditch, then its shoulders, then its chest, which gushed blood like a gruesome fountain. Amy watched, paralyzed, as the bear's torso, then its waist, emerged, covered in gore. The sheer horror of the scene left him utterly dumbstruck.

**Classification of Dragons by Evolution**

Dragons can be classified into three major categories based on their evolution.

First are the **Ancient Sacred Dragons**, a high-ranking race confirmed to exist and the only one actively present in the world. Among the most famous Ancient Sacred Dragons in recent history is the Ice Green Dragon, **Taimugersei**, the mount of the Holy Dragon Knight **Hark** during the Divine War. Ancient Sacred Dragons can cast any magic of their attribute at level 5 or above without needing incantations, and they can transform into humans. The only concern is that, although adult Sacred Dragons are regal and possess unparalleled wisdom, those under 400 years old behave like human toddlers—lacking rationality, filled with curiosity, and often unpredictable in their magical abilities, which can be devastating.

The Dragon God **Palot** created the **Ordinary Dragons** based on the Sacred Dragons. These dragons are harnessed by the divine races and are considered middle to upper-tier beings, akin to elves. Ordinary Dragons are more commonly found in the mortal realm and are colloquially referred to as "dragons." While they are not as powerful as Sacred Dragons, they possess great intelligence, excel in specific types of magic, and have immense destructive capabilities. It is said that some families within certain races carry bloodlines from divine or demonic races, allowing them to communicate with and ride their dragon mounts, earning them the title of Dragon Knights. However, it has been documented that this bloodline is not hereditary, as even some lower-tier races can suddenly produce individuals with this noble lineage. Currently, various nations have between 1 and 10 Dragon Knights.

Lastly, the dragon riders serving in various national armies, who serve as the primary assault force, primarily refer to **Ground Dragons**. Studies have shown that Ground Dragons, along with Sand Lizards and Bay Crocodiles, are subtypes of dragons. When Palot created the dragon race, many failures occurred, resulting in these lesser beings that, while less capable, possess incredible survival instincts and inhabit various parts of the world. Occasionally, some Ground Dragons exhibit simple magical abilities or even limited flight, but most are renowned for their ferocious speed and impact. In battles on plains and hilly terrain, Dragon Riders pose a nightmare for any other military units during short-distance breakthrough engagements.

—Excerpt from Chi Yizi's renowned work, **"The Interplay of Dragon Riders"**.