Pioneer Wizard's Notebook

Sunflower Manor, first floor lobby.

Lind urgently summoned officials.

He, the academician Hilbert, and the knight William gathered here to discuss the traces discovered in the Ice Mist Forest.

"Have you seen any monsters that have reached the extraordinary realm before, on the outskirts of the Ice Mist Forest?"

Linde asked, while stroking the wolfhound lying at his feet to soothe its frightened state.

William shook his head and said, "The depths of the Ice Mist Forest are dangerous and mysterious, but those monsters usually don't come out."

"In the past, the wolf king of the winter wolves or the huge adult polar bears dominated the outer edges of the forest."

Linde remembered the wolf king and the adult polar bear; they were both powerful creatures comparable to a fully armed knight.

According to his established level standards, it would be roughly between level 5 and level 8.

Although dangerous, it was not enough to pose a fatal threat to the manor.

But the tracks found on the outskirts of the forest this time were different from those of these wild beasts.

William described the marks he found: "The claw marks are very similar to those of a winter wolf, but they are larger and deeper. If they were left by a monster similar to a winter wolf, it would probably be over four meters long."

Winter wolves are large predators in the North, with adults standing 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder and 2 meters long.

The most powerful wolf king can grow up to three meters long, but that pales in comparison to the traces previously discovered.

More importantly, William discovered that the cut trees were exhibiting a strange crystallization.

Without a doubt, this is an ability that only extraordinary-level monsters can possess.

"The effects of the ice storm, the powerful Ice Demon that the Wolf King transformed into after his death? Or perhaps an extraordinary monster that emerged from the depths of the forest?"

Lind suggested a possibility, while Hilbert and William remained silent in thought.

The intelligence they have discovered so far is too little to allow them to assess the actual situation.

Regardless of the reason, the manor, being the only human settlement in the vicinity, would inevitably attract this monster.

This is a crisis that could destroy the manor!

"We need to start preparing."

Lind instructed Hilbert, "Gather the townspeople and have them stay temporarily inside the manor or in the nearest houses."

Because the Iceborne Ghosts had previously destroyed the town, Lind simply built a batch of simple huts next to the manor for refuge.

As long as the supply of firewood and charcoal is guaranteed, there will be no problem in keeping people living in these huts.

"William, arrange for soldiers to increase patrol shifts, limiting the area to within one kilometer of the manor. Report any situation immediately."

Hippo and William bowed their heads in acceptance and hurried away.

In the lobby.

Linde sat in the chair, feeling a heavy pressure.

"The army has been equipped with Ice Demon weapons, which are enough to fight against ordinary Ice Demons, but this time the monsters that have come are of the extraordinary level."

Monsters of this caliber are beyond the capabilities of the military.

The hunter's bow has difficulty even breaking through the defenses of a regular Iceborne Ghost.

In the face of such a monster, it's probably no different from tickling an itch.

At this moment, the only thing the manor can contend with is itself, enhanced by runes.

But Lind knew very well that combat was not his forte, and with only the short-term buff from the Frost Enhancement Rune, he might not be a match for the monsters.

With that thought in mind, he summoned the Wizard's Journal.

"After half a month of accumulation, and with about another day passing, the increased spiritual strength will be enough for the next spell."

Linde felt his spirituality and opened his journal, flipping through the list of witchcraft that he could recall.

[Retrospective Magic: Ecological Barriers/Bloodline Modification/Fossilization into Mud]

"I need a way to improve my combat abilities. Now that I have mastered the Frost Enhancement Rune, I can quickly increase my strength by using bloodline modification."

"But the problem remains: the body will be immobilized by these runes."

"Hmm, let me think. Maybe it doesn't necessarily have to be myself. Perhaps it would be better to change others."

An idea popped into Lin De's mind, and he strode toward the laboratory on the second floor.

He needs to make minor adjustments to the Frost Enhancement runes in preparation for the upcoming modifications.

As winter approaches in the northern ice fields, the days are already short.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting and the sky was darkening.

Just as Linde was sitting at his desk, intently inscribing runes, a muffled horn sounded suddenly.

"Enemy attack?"

Upon understanding the meaning behind the bugle call, Lind immediately stood up.

He leaped out of the window and rushed toward the wall.

The place was now crowded with soldiers who had rushed over.

At the shouts of Battalion Commander Philip and Judd, the soldiers hurriedly rushed to their respective assigned wall areas.

In the darkness, torches are raised to dispel the darkness.

"What happened?"

Linde went up to the wall, saw William, and asked him questions.

"That monster is here!"

William's tone was tense.

Even if he sensed something was amiss beforehand, his body still couldn't help but tense up when he actually faced this terrifying being that could easily take his life.

Linde looked in the direction he was pointing.

The night was hazy, and it was snowing lightly.

Linde could only vaguely see a huge black shadow from 500 meters away from the wall.

Its outline closely resembled that of a winter wolf, and as they had predicted, it was over four meters long and two and a half meters tall at the shoulder, making it a whole size larger than a normal wolf king.

A dark figure stood in the snow, staring at the wall.

His eyes emitted a chilling, icy blue light.

The soldiers on the wall had all arrived, and it was this strong sense of life that made the approaching predator move.

"Awoo!"

In the darkness, the dark figure roared to the sky, emitting a chilling howl.

The next second, the howling wind and snow disappeared from the spot and rushed rapidly towards the wall.

"Draw the bows! Shoot them like sieves!" roared Philip, the archer battalion commander.

Burning, advanced sunflowers were thrown off the wall.

The burst of light tore through the darkness, allowing everyone to see the charging monster clearly.

Unlike the Icefield Demon, which is entirely ice-blue, this monster resembles a winter wolf and is pure white.

Only the head area has strange, ice-blue patterns.

Most striking are its two long, curved teeth protruding from its upper jaw, exuding a chilling aura.

"An extraordinary monster evolved from a winter wolf?"

Linde stared at the giant wolf and guessed more or less about its nature.

Ice storms are both a disaster and an opportunity.

According to his research, if any creature can withstand the ravages of the frost runes, it is entirely possible that it could turn misfortune into blessing and evolve under the baptism of ice and snow.

The Winter Wolf King before us is just like that.

It was not an Ice Demon; its wolf eyes gleamed with the greed and savagery of an intelligent being.

The solar winds rose, and the howling heatwave enveloped the Winter Wolf King, but it could not stop its advance.

Immediately following was a volley of wolf-tooth arrows.

After half a month of training, the archers have learned to follow instructions and fire arrows in an orderly fashion, hitting the winter wolf king round after round.

However, the arrows bounced off the wolf fur with a series of sharp scraping sounds.

The Winter Wolf King was unharmed, but his bestial nature was completely unleashed.

After reaching the base of the wall, he leaped up and crossed the four-meter-high wall!

When the soldiers on the wall met the fierce eyes of the beast, their faces turned deathly pale.