Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 209 Mage vs. Insect Corpse
The wind in the North is never gentle; it carries a merciless sharpness the moment it brushes against your cheek.

The investigation team investigating the corpses of the mage forest insects has been traveling across this icy plain for nearly two months.

But it seems to be a journey that is almost futile.

"Another fruitless day." Someone squatted on the ground and let out a low sigh after a while.

“I’m starting to wonder… is there only one mother nest? Are we going around in circles, doing nothing but wasted effort?” The voice sounded exhausted to the point of numbness.

Another monk chimed in, "What you said isn't entirely unreasonable. Running around like a headless fly isn't a solution."

No one refuted.

The atmosphere within this mage group was beginning to feel somewhat... down.

Archmage Flora stood on high, her expression serene, yet concealing a hint of weariness she herself was unaware of.

“I don’t believe there’s only one Mother Nest.” Flora’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"But indeed, we shouldn't keep searching like this. Let's persevere for a few more days. If we still find nothing, we'll go back and change our strategy."

Her tone wasn't like a command, but more like a helpless compromise.

Even the monk who had complained fell silent upon hearing this.

Everyone knows this isn't anyone's fault; it's just bad luck.

However, time, resources, and morale all have their limits.

…………

It wasn't until two days later that they finally encountered something "unusual".

"...Look over there." The scout at the front row reminded them with a short magical message, his voice carrying a hint of uncertain tension.

They looked in that direction.

The snow at the edge of the woodland was being crushed by a series of heavy footsteps.

It was a marching army, stretching across the shallow valleys in the forest. Their flags were tattered and their armor was incomplete, but their numbers were enormous, like a snow tide surging from the heart of the icy plains, often numbering in the hundreds or even close to a thousand.

They are the ones who swore an oath.

Those rough and fierce Northern avengers.

They were dressed in animal skins or rags, their skin etched with totems, some carrying giant axes, others riding on the backs of wolves.

"...Where are they going?" someone asked.

But no one could answer.

The entire mage group stopped almost simultaneously.

It's not that I haven't seen the Snow Oath People before.

But those are usually patrol teams of a few people, or at most a few dozen.

This is the first time I've ever seen a scene like this, with thousands of people fully equipped and marching across the northern ice plains.

"Another war is about to break out..." Flora's eyes darkened slightly.

She disliked war and had no desire to get involved.

The mage Lin was neutral and could not possibly intervene in the political conflict between the empire and the tribes.

They only deal with crises and disasters related to magic.

But at that moment, Dilling, who had been silent all along, stepped forward.

“I have a feeling,” he continued, his tone calm but certain, “that they…are connected to the Mother Nest.”

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like an icy blade in the cold wind, piercing straight into everyone's nerves.

"Are you sure?" Flora turned around.

“I’m not sure.” Dilling closed his eyes. “It’s just my gut feeling.”

The group stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

Dilling's premonitions were never wrong.

Even the slightest thought must be taken seriously once it is uttered.

Flora took a deep breath and stared at the Snow Oath warriors' figures gradually disappearing into the distance.

"Since there are no other clues, let's follow them and see. Maintain the formation, activate concealment and barrier spells, and everyone be careful to suppress magic fluctuations and not expose yourselves."

So they quietly followed the eerily orderly Snowsworn party, traversing the rolling tundra, and finally stopping in a desolate place.

It was a long, narrow, enclosed canyon, like a scar left after the sky had cracked open.

Snow and ice piled up between them, and the wind swirled and whispered between the two walls, as if murmuring ancient taboos.

From the bottom of the valley, one could vaguely see large numbers of Snow Oath followers gathering, arranged in a twisted yet orderly array, as if performing some kind of ritual.

They knelt, prayed, and roared, while the priests wore masks made of animal bones and gray iron, as if welcoming the arrival of some "deity".

The mages could not see them standing in the distant cave, and they had cast many concealment spells.

"This doesn't seem like an ordinary gathering," Flora frowned, and ordered her men to record the unusual phenomenon.

People were talking and speculating about what they were doing.

But then Dilling, who had been silent all along, slowly stood up and walked to the edge of the cave entrance.

“Let me take a look,” he said.

Dillin extended his right hand, his five fingers gently stroking in the air. Magic lines rippled like water, slowly unfolding from his fingertips and weaving into an invisible mental network.

That was his proud sensory technique, "Sensory Resonance Threads".

His consciousness pierced through the barrier, following the flow of wind into the magical vortex at the bottom of the valley.

But the next second—

"Uh!"

He suddenly knelt down, veins bulging on his forehead, as if something indescribable had pierced through his mental barrier.

"Dilin!" a mage exclaimed, rushing over to support him.

"Don't touch me...don't touch me..." Dillin's voice was hoarse, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his teeth were clenched tightly, and even his magic was trembling and disordered.

For a full half minute, all that could be heard around him was his rapid breathing and the low-frequency ringing of his magical resonance.

Finally, he slowly loosened his clenched fist, his eyes refocusing, as if he had just escaped from some kind of mental purgatory.

"...It's the Mother Nest, without a doubt...and it's more than a hundred times stronger than the wreckage we encountered last time."

He struggled to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice low and trembling.

The cave was deathly silent.

Although the other monks did not experience it firsthand, none of them raised any questions.
Because they all knew that Dillin's perception was beyond the reach of ordinary mages.

It was precisely because of this talent for sensing techniques that he was able to become a Grand Mage before the age of thirty.

Flora frowned.

Although she was also a high mage, she was not skilled in sensory arts.

After Dilling suffered the backlash, she also tried to focus her mind and sense the evil intent lurking at the bottom of the valley.

She could only vaguely sense that somewhere in the valley, malice was surging, like a rotting tumor growing deep within flesh and blood.

Each mental contact felt like a dull knife slicing across the edge of consciousness, bringing back a chill.

“…That is not a power that the Snowsworn can control,” she whispered, gazing at the array at the bottom of the valley.

Everyone turned to look at her.

“No matter how ruthless they are, they are still just mortals. No matter how many people they have or how well-organized they are, they cannot possibly control this kind of ritual,” Flora analyzed without any emotion.

"Therefore, the one who truly presided over this ritual was the one hidden behind them—the magic manipulator."

As soon as she finished speaking, an indescribable chill instantly filled the entire cave.

But it didn't come from the bottom of the valley.

It's behind.

"Don't move," Dilling whispered, almost instinctively raising his staff, but his fingers were trembling.

There were no footsteps, nor any signs of magical fluctuations.

It was as if they had emerged from silence itself.

Three figures had quietly appeared in front of the cave entrance.

They lined up in a row, blocking all escape routes.

The three were wrapped in gray-black cloaks, their faces covered by hoods, but they could not hide the nauseating, strange odor emanating from them.

"How is this possible?!" a young mage exclaimed in a low voice.

They clearly set up five layers of concealment and even used a silence barrier, making the entire cave seem as if it had been erased from the world!
The other party managed to sneak up behind us silently, and there was more than one of them!
These people... were once human, but they are no longer.

They stood there, not because of their imposing presence, but because of that eerie feeling that "their very existence shouldn't exist."

It makes the human spirit instinctively reject, tremble, and shake.

"...This is...the insect corpse?" The young mage Aaron's voice was dry, and his throat was almost choked.

"They are completely different from...the ones in the report."

"I can't move..."

They had come to investigate the insect corpses and had made considerable mental preparations for it, but when these three "living" insect corpses faced them head-on, these battle-hardened mages trembled uncontrollably.

Standing on the far left is a person wearing old knight armor.

His silver breastplate was covered in rust, and his cloak was tattered, but one could still tell that he had once been a noble knight.

On the right is a Snowsworn warrior, tall and still wearing an ice beast pelt.

His tattoos appeared to have been corroded by some black substance, turning into twisted and writhing veins that spread upwards to his neck and eventually crawled into his eye sockets.

And the old man standing in the center
He wore a tattered blue-gray robe, the hem of which was torn and stained with blood. As the fabric fluttered, the original patterns were still clearly visible.

One glance was enough to tell that this person was extraordinary.

Flora was stunned, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

"...Lake...Uncle-Master?"

She murmured softly, her voice trembling slightly, almost as if she were not greeting him, but rather mourning him.

The young members of the mage group looked up, speechless with astonishment.

"Lake? That Lake? You mean..."

"The chief attendant of Archmage Jürgen Loken?!"

"Wait... wasn't that a big shot from a hundred years ago? Is he still alive?"

“No, he’s not ‘alive’ anymore.” Dilling’s voice was as deep as the undercurrent beneath the ice. “He’s a worm corpse—the kind that still retains its sanity.”

A young, red-haired female mage, her face pale, as if her last sense of security had been ripped away, exclaimed: "We...we've been investigating all along, isn't it all to find clues about Archmage Jurgen?!"

"And what about him... Lord Loken?!"

Dilling closed his eyes.

No one dared to answer the question, but the answer was already obvious.

Now that Lake has become an insect corpse, the master he served for life... is probably not doing too well either.

Flora gritted her teeth and stepped forward, trying to plead one last time: "Archmage Lake, if you can still hear me, I am Flora, a mage from the Mage Forest. We've met before..."

Lake did not respond, nor did he hesitate.

The human face was covered by a translucent insect membrane that stretched from the jaw to the cheekbone, and the pupils gleamed with a deathly gray light.

He raised his right hand.

With just one action, the balance of the entire canyon was shattered in an instant.

"Gravity collapse field!"

Space seemed to be gripped and tightened by some unseen giant claw, and a gray-white vortex with a radius of tens of meters appeared in mid-air, collapsing violently towards the cave where the mage group was located! A series of cracking sounds rang out in the air, and the defensive barrier was collapsing.

"I... I can't hear the magical echoes?!"

"The sensory ability... it's completely gone!"

"My magic field has collapsed!!"

Several young mages screamed in horror as they discovered they were unable to cast any spells at all!
Even the most basic shield spells and telepathic spells seemed to have their circuits cut off; the incantation condensed in his throat, and the magical energy died in his palm.

They were as if they had been suddenly thrown into a vacuum, losing not only the space to breathe, but also all their senses as "magicians".

"Damn it... this is a high-level domain spell of the spatial gravity system! It's comparable to a forbidden technique!"

Flora roared, and her protective barrier erupted with scorching white flames, but it only trembled and was on the verge of collapse.

“He’s not an insectoid puppet…he retains his complete spellcasting abilities and memories! Lake isn’t insane…his body has been completely taken over!”

She attempted to summon counter-magic, chanting in a deep voice: "Frozen Vortex!"

The air suddenly cooled down, the surrounding water vapor was forcibly frozen, and a dozen ice blades formed a ring, releasing a reverse-rotating cold air storm from all around her!
The freezing magic formed a blue-white vortex several meters in diameter in mid-air, cutting through the air and dispelling the heavy pressure, creating a breathing space in the "collapse field".

boom! !

Frost and gravity collided and twisted, causing space to warp and distort like melting wax.

"Defensive formation—deploy!"

Almost the instant Flora and Lake clashed, the mages behind them reacted swiftly, drawing their staffs and engraving crystals, shouting, "Barrier - Multiple Protection!"

A series of magical protective shells bloomed in front of them like ripples on water, with the barriers overlapping and intersecting to form a standard defensive grid.

They are not inexperienced newcomers.

These are all seasoned battle mages who have experienced various magical disasters. They work together seamlessly as a team, and every move they make is based on calm judgment and practical experience.

But the whistling sound came suddenly.

A figure suddenly darted out like a black shadow tearing through the air.

It was that individual knight who had become a zombie, still retaining a human form, yet like a wild beast, with all four limbs on the ground, and his scarlet pupils reflecting magical light.

He sprinted forward almost skimming the ground, his speed so great that he broke through three wind-elemental shields in an instant.

"Get out of the way—!"

"That's too late!"

The next second, the wind barrier cracked as thin as paper, emitting a piercing, distorted sound.

Before a middle-aged monk in the front row could utter a second syllable, his chest was pierced by sharp claws, and he died on the spot!

"He...he possesses at least extraordinary power!"

"Don't fight him head-on! Restrain him!"

boom! !

Meanwhile, on the other side, the insectoid warriors, whose skin still bore the tattoos of the Snowsworn tribe, strode forward.

He seemed completely unfazed by the magical bombardment, letting lava balls explode on his shoulders and ice spears pierce his chest, yet he continued to step into the formation.

"Stop him! Rock Spike Barrier!!"

The ground bulged up, and thick rock spikes pierced out from the ground, blocking the passage.

However, the insectoid warriors simply slumped their shoulders and charged forward!

Bang! !

He slammed his shoulder into the base of the barrier like a warhammer, causing the spell array to roar and crack, and the entire rock protrusion to break apart like paper!

"He shattered the rock barrier with his body?!"

A gap suddenly appeared in the formation.

The mages on both sides were overturned by the impact, and the support team behind them was forced to stop chanting. The spell array exploded due to the feedback, and the three people were thrown sideways in the flames.

"Retreat! Back row, spread out and regroup!"

"Switch to a distraction, quick!"

The situation suddenly became critical.

Although the mage group was experienced, they had never encountered a complete insect corpse combat form in a direct confrontation.

This is not a mindless walking corpse, but a killing weapon with tactical intent and suppressive power.

Just as the mage formation was on the verge of collapse, a transparent blue light net suddenly appeared in the air, like a battlefield radar projected from the spiritual world.

"Attack Path Sensing Map - Deploy!"

Dilling stood high on the rock platform, his figure thin yet as straight as a stake.

His pupils glowed with pale golden magical patterns, and his mental fluctuations spread out like ripples, quickly connecting with Flora and the three battle mages.

"Lady Flora, ten meters to your right front—the spatial gravity point is converging!"

A pale blue, semi-transparent view instantly appeared before her eyes, like an extra tactical divine sense, predicting the spell projection a second in advance.

Flora's eyes sharpened, and she slammed her right foot onto the ice, spinning out like a whirlwind, barely avoiding the high-pressure diagonal shock wave thrown by Lake.

The next second, another group of insectoid warriors suddenly pounced from the flank.

Dilling gritted his teeth and severed the connection with a mage, forcefully pushing the man out of the attack's trajectory, while he himself endured the shockwave.

The shock to his mental state was like needles piercing his brain, and a metallic taste filled his mouth.

"Don't get distracted!" he growled, his voice hoarse.

He raised his right hand again, his magic burning fiercely, triggering the second spell.

"Frequency mixing interference wave!"

In an instant, an invisible din seemed to rise from the entire battlefield.

The insectoid warrior's movements froze, as if some invisible nerve had been severed, slowing its reaction by 0.5 seconds.

It's just this 0.5 seconds.

The third mage managed to slip away, surviving by barely touching the edge of the claws.

Flora took the opportunity to catch her breath, refocus her magic, and plunged her right hand into the ice, instantly spreading out an array of ice.

"Frost Domain - Unleash!"

The magic array hummed, and silvery frost swept across the cliff face.

Water vapor in the air condensed into snowflakes, and crystalline ice patterns appeared on the ground. The temperature instantly dropped below minus fifty degrees Celsius.

"Terrain Freeze!"

Countless ice spikes burst forth from the cliff face, piercing straight out of the earth's veins and forcing the insect corpses to retreat.

"Ice Lance Bombardment!"

More than ten beams of light condensed into shape, and ice spears fell like stars, pointing directly at Lake's throat and heart.

Frost Realm Chain, this is her most proficient combination of powerful control spells, integrating offense and defense, and instantly locking onto the enemy!

But at that moment, Lake remained indifferent, his hand slightly clenched.

Gravity fracturing technique.

boom--!
The earth suddenly sank, the ice instantly collapsed, and the entire ice field shattered from the inside like cracked glass.

Flora's spell seemed to be shattered by an invisible hammer, collapsing before it could even freeze anything!
"Trajectory Twist Technique".

The high-speed ice spears suddenly distorted their trajectory just before reaching their target, forced to bend by the invisible trajectory in space, and all of them grazed past him.

"A shockwave of immense pressure." A deafening roar seemed to descend from the sky.

The air is compressed and locked.

Flora tried to raise her hand to create a shield, but the surrounding space tightened like an iron hoop, instantly blocking the transmission of magic.

"Crack——!"

She heard the sound of her shoulder bone breaking, and the next moment she was slammed onto the ice by the weight, coughing up blood, and her right arm completely lost sensation.

The moment she fell to the ground, she only saw the thin figure on the high rock platform swaying violently.

It's Dilling.

Tinnitus has spread throughout the world.

The sensory light net was shattered, and magic flowed out of its veins like blood.

He staggered back a step, as if the world were spinning.

Finally, the exhausted body collapsed, its eyes open but no longer focused.

"Force a retreat!" Flora ordered, enduring excruciating pain as blood trickled from the corner of her lips.

The frost magic circle suddenly unfolded, and she waved her broken staff, executing "Ice Wall, Fog Barrier, and Ice Blast" in one go, blocking the cliff entrance along the retreat route.

Thick fog blanketed the area, and layers of ice walls rose and fell, shattering amidst the tremors, attempting to block the enemy's path.

The wind mage roared and unleashed waves of gale force, disrupting the insect corpses' vision.

The insectoid warriors pressed forward relentlessly, showing no fear.

They surged in like waves, waging a brutal hunt amidst blood and snow.

In an attempt to gain a sliver of hope, five monks stepped forward to cover the rear.

Explosion, lava trap, and lightning strikes exploded one after another, shattering the mountain and causing rock layers to collapse.

It devoured the enemy, and also their last figures.

One person was torn apart by the insect corpse, two were pierced by the giant claw, and the rest were pushed into the valley by the impact, leaving no trace of their bodies.

Flora, barely managing to stay upright, lunged towards the unconscious Dillin in the snow, attempting to use her shield to pull him back—

But in the next moment, he was hit by a heavy blow from Lake's "static pressure strike".

boom! ! !
The space seemed to collapse instantly, compressed into a giant hammer that crashed down.

She was slammed hard into the ice, her ribs shattered, and her internal magical energy surged violently, nearly causing her to faint.

"Take...him away!!"

Flora coughed up blood and roared in anger. The seven survivors gritted their teeth and struggled on the verge of losing their magic. Together they lifted Dillin up and dragged Flora to break through the encirclement.

Amidst the swirling snow and ice, flames and explosions intertwined behind them.

In the end, less than a quarter of the entire mage group escaped.

On the other side, in front of the Snow Oath altar.

The snow fell silently, and the air seemed to freeze.

On the high platform, the despairing witch, clad in a jet-black priestess, stood silently.

His figure was slender, and his five fingers were as pale as withered branches, yet they traced elegant and eerie arcs in the air, as if he were controlling a puppet.

"Hehe...and a few kittens actually managed to crawl out from the edge of the sacrificial altar." The sound was like the shattering of ice bells, or the chirping of insects emerging from rotting flesh, sending chills down one's spine.

“Very well,” he murmured, a gentle yet hollow smile curving his lips. “Today is a day to remember.”

He slowly turned around, his sacrificial robe trailing on the ground, like ink spilled across the still-uncongealed pool of blood.

Blood flowed silently along the path he walked, like a red carpet leading to the abyss.

Beneath his feet, within the slumbering layers of black rock, some enormous, strange creature slowly awakened.

The giant cocoon covering the stone skeleton began to throb, its writhing sound like waves crashing on the shore, making the entire highland reverberate faintly.

Thick, sticky cracks burst open from the core, and thousands of insect eggs bubbled and exploded in the blood plasma, emitting a putrid stench.

Below the platform, the cheers of thousands of Snow Oath warriors, though not in unison, were exhilarating.

He will personally set the stage for this grand chaos that has been planned for many years.

　I feel sick...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)