From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

The wind and snow swirled with ice fragments, like a rootless white veil covering the heavens and earth. Eric slowly raised his longsword, his knuckles turning white from the force.

His gaze was fixed on the phantom demon in front of him, not daring to look away for even a moment.

The monster had a hunched back and limbs as thin as withered bones, yet its movements were abnormally light. Its feet left no footprints in the snow, as if it would melt into the icy fog and vanish into thin air in the next second.

Before Eric could focus again, the Phantom Demon moved. It was so fast that its complete form was not visible, only a blurry black shadow swept across the snow. Eric almost instinctively sheathed his sword and swung it horizontally, the sword light cleaving through the mist, but it only struck a cloud of flying snow dust, not even touching the edge of the monster.

"So fast." His heart tightened, and he instinctively shifted his stance slightly, holding his longsword horizontally in front of him, assuming the safest defensive posture. The wind whistled past his ears, yet carried a chilling glint—he whirled around abruptly and saw the Phantom Demon, like a slippery snake, lunging straight at Lia behind him!

"Leah! Watch out!" Eric roared, charging forward like an arrow, blocking Leah's path with his bare hands, his blade flashing with fury as he slashed down. The sharp clang of metal clashing against metal exploded out, the Phantom Demon's sharp claws hooking into the blade, the screeching sound so grating it made your teeth ache. Sparks flew onto the snow, extinguishing the flames instantly.

The monster retreated swiftly, the bone spikes on its back gleaming coldly. When the wind blew, they looked like countless sharpened blades, dazzling the eyes. Leah staggered back two steps, her face as white as snow, her hand holding the staff trembling uncontrollably—her magic only had the power to heal, and in this close combat, she had no chance to intervene.

She bit her lower lip, not daring to utter a sound, and silently chanted the restoration incantation. A pale golden light enveloped Eric's body, weaving a thin barrier.

He couldn't let it get close to Leah. Eric held this thought firmly in his mind, his eyes as cold as ice. The Phantom Demon clearly saw through this, and didn't confront him head-on at all. Like a patient cheetah, it circled around the two of them, sometimes feinting at their front, sometimes suddenly darting to their flanks. Every move was clearly aimed at Leah.

Eric parried several times with his sword, but its unpredictable movements left him dizzy and sweat beading on his forehead. The most dangerous moment came when the Phantom Demon feigned an attack on his left shoulder. Just as he dodged to block, the monster suddenly twisted, its claws aimed straight for Leah's throat. Eric's heart sank. Without thinking, he threw his short dagger—striking the Phantom Demon squarely in the shoulder blade.

With a whoosh, the Phantom Demon screamed and rolled on the snow, but it didn't waste any time. It flipped over and sprang to its feet, its eyes blazing with malice. It pounced again, its momentum several times stronger than before. Eric even felt that his sword would soon be unable to withstand that brute force.

Just then, Leah's spell fell perfectly: "Swiftness!" The moment the glimmer of light enveloped Eric, he felt a sudden lightness throughout his body, and his movements instantly quickened by half a fraction. In that fraction, he swung his sword back like the wind, the force of the sweeping blow slamming heavily into the Phantom Demon's shin.

With a sharp crack, the Phantom Demon staggered back a few steps, growling incessantly, its eyes filled with both anger and a hint of hesitation. The next instant, it suddenly let out a piercing shriek, turned, and darted into the snow mist, disappearing without a trace.

All that remained was the howling wind and snow, and Leah's heavy breathing. Eric knelt on the snow, sweat trickling down his temples, soaking his hair, and quickly freezing into fine ice. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his muscles aching and stiff, and he barely had the strength to lift his arm.

"Damn it, it got away." He panted, gritting his teeth as he scanned his surroundings, his vigilance unwavering. Leah cautiously approached, her voice urgent, "Are you alright? Should I give you another treatment?"

Eric raised his hand to stop her, and Abu's warning suddenly rang in his ears: "If you encounter the Twin Yetis in the illusion, remember, they are the Twin Frost Howls, one strong and one weak. The weak one is the bait, the strong one is the real killer, and it always appears when you are at your weakest."

Eric's expression changed abruptly. He forced himself to stand up, grabbed Leah's wrist, and said urgently in a low voice, "Let's go! We can't stay here!" Leah was stunned for a moment, but seeing the anxiety in his eyes, she immediately nodded and followed him closely as they trudged through the snow, not daring to look back at the traces of the battle behind them.

The wind grew colder, cutting like a knife against their faces. Even the snow and mist in the air seemed to thicken, as if something was brewing in the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment. Eric silently prayed that he could hold out until the next clash, quickening his pace as he pressed his sword against his arm, its cold gleam never fading. Leah clutched the Flame Bottle to her chest, its faint warmth illuminating her face. In this cold, illuminating void, it became their only hope.

As he hurried along, Eric's heart pounded, not from exhaustion—Leah's healing spell had brought him back to his senses—but a nagging sense of unease, like a knife pointed at his spine, kept him from even taking a deep breath. The wind and snow grew fiercer, the world a chaotic mess, as if stirred up by an invisible hand.

Suddenly, a deep roar echoed from afar, so heavy it sounded like thunder, making the snow beneath their feet tremble slightly. Eric immediately stopped, raising his longsword slightly as he listened intently to the sound. Leah also stopped, gripping her staff tightly, her palms clammy with cold sweat.

"They're here," Eric said in a low voice, devoid of emotion, only displaying a calm in the face of danger. A massive figure could be vaguely seen in the snow and mist ahead, charging towards them at an alarming speed. At the same time, a slender figure darted through the fog; a young girl was being chased and driven relentlessly by the behemoth.

Eric squinted. Snowflakes hit his face, icy cold, but he could see clearly—the long golden hair, the familiar eyes and brows, it was Eileen.

His heart skipped a beat, then a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "That trick again, Phantom Demon." He thought to himself, his sword already poised to strike. Without the slightest hesitation, he roared and charged forward. Just as the girl was about to reach him, he swept his sword horizontally, aiming straight for her abdomen—the Phantom Demon excelled at imitation, but it could never possess the vibrant life of the real Eileen.

The girl's pupils contracted sharply, and she instinctively leaped into the air, performing a backflip with graceful movements that concealed her utmost alertness. The sword's edge grazed past, severing only a few strands of golden hair, which drifted away in the snow and vanished in an instant.

After landing, the girl steadied herself, her face filled with rage and a hint of grievance: "Was it really necessary to kill me? It's just... it's just that I didn't go looking for you!"

Eric ignored her complaints, his longsword still pointed at her, his voice cold and hard: "Shut up, you Phantom Demon."

The girl—Eileen—had a complex look in her eyes as she raised her hand and began to chant a spell softly. Eric felt a chill run down his spine; frost instantly climbed up and bound his limbs like chains, fixing him in place. He struggled, but the cold chilled him to the bone, making it impossible to break free.

"Eric!" Leah cried out anxiously, immediately raising her staff and chanting a dispelling spell. Warm light flowed over his feet, the frost cracked, and Eric was finally free. Without thinking, she pulled a fire orb from her bosom—a one-time-use item she had bought at the market; it looked unremarkable, but its power was considerable.

"I'll burn her!" Leah gritted her teeth, about to throw the magic orb, when Eric shouted to stop her, "Stop!"

Leah froze, the orb nearly slipping from her fingers. Eric strode forward, the coldness in his eyes fading, replaced by a long-lost ecstasy, his voice trembling: "You...you really are Eileen? You're not dead?"

Eileen raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips, and retorted, "You believed me so quickly? Aren't you afraid of being fooled again?"

"The Phantom doesn't know magic." Eric calmed down, his tone certain. "You just cast a freezing spell."

As soon as the words were spoken, the surrounding snow mist suddenly surged, and with a muffled boom, the enormous creature that had been chasing Eileen finally charged forward, its momentum as powerful as a landslide. It was tall and robust, its body covered in thick grayish-white fur, its limbs as thick as pillars, and a raw, unhealed wound on its chest revealing raw flesh—this was the true powerhouse among the twin Yetis.

The Yeti roared and slammed its paw down with such force that it seemed capable of shattering the ground. Eric, Leah, and Eileen all looked up at the same time. Leah reacted the fastest, hurriedly throwing a fireball at the Yeti's face.

With a loud bang, a burst of fire erupted, engulfing the yeti's head in a blazing ball of flame, instantly melting the surrounding ice and snow into a white mist. But when the smoke cleared, the yeti remained standing in the same spot, its fur not even charred, as if the flames had merely scratched an itch.

Eric's heart sank, and he cursed under his breath, but it was too late to dodge. The Yeti's giant paw slammed down with a gust of wind, sending the three of them flying like withered leaves, crashing heavily into the thick snow, which instantly buried most of their bodies.

Eric felt dizzy, as if his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer, and his ears were ringing. He gritted his teeth and struggled to crawl out of the snowdrift, vaguely hearing Leah's weak moans and Eileen's low curses. He dug through the snow with both hands and feet, and first grabbed a cold, slender hand—it was Leah's.

"Leah!" Eric called her softly, his voice tinged with anxiety. Leah opened her eyes groggily, her face still pale, but her eyes remained defiant. She gritted her teeth and slowly got up with his help, clutching her staff and panting heavily.

Eric didn't dare stop, and shoved away another layer of snow, soon touching a warm body—it was Eileen. She coughed up snow from her mouth while cursing, "Damn snow monster, even a fall hurts this much!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Eric grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her out of the snowdrift, the two of them tumbling onto the snow. Ignoring the sharp pain in his side, he pressed down on Eileen's shoulder and said urgently, "Quick, use your freezing spell! It doesn't matter if it doesn't freeze it, just slow it down!"

Eileen wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, shook her head with a gloomy expression, and said, "It's no use." Her voice was filled with helplessness. "The Twin Yetis have strong resistance to all magic, they're practically immune. If the freezing spell had worked, I would have run away long ago, instead of being chased all over the mountain by it."

Eric's heart sank completely, his eyes as cold as icicles in winter. He glanced at the roaring yeti approaching, but a strange calm rose within him—in the end, it still came down to the sword.

He took a deep breath, gripped the hilt of his sword, and stood up abruptly, every muscle in his body tense like a fully drawn bow. "Lia, bless me," he whispered.

Although Leah was still trembling, she immediately raised her staff and began chanting a buff spell. Golden light enveloped Eric's limbs, and he could clearly feel that his movements became lighter and his strength increased.

On the other side, Eileen also stood up, rubbing her sore arms, a stubborn smile flashing across her face: "I can't hurt it, but I can at least cover its eyes." As she spoke, she formed a hand seal, flames dancing at her fingertips, quickly condensing into a fireball. She tossed the fireball high into the air, the flames exploding in the snow mist, the blinding light mixed with smoke and dust, just enough to obscure the Yeti's vision.

"Now!" Eileen shouted.

Eric leaped forward, like a cheetah stomping through the snow, the wind and snow parting at his feet. His longsword held close to his side, he used the smoke and dust as cover to quickly approach the Yeti. The Yeti roared, its massive body staggering in the firelight, clearly blinded and its movements sluggish.

Eric gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest, each beat carrying a burning force. He remembered what Abu had taught him: to deal with giant monsters, brute force was useless; you had to attack their joints and tendons—those were the most vulnerable spots.

The sword tip pierced precisely into the loose muscle behind the yeti's knee. The yeti let out a deafening roar and swung its giant paw across. Eric rolled to the side, barely dodging the attack. A gust of wind whistled past his ears, whipping up snow that stung his eyes.

He knew that a direct confrontation was hopeless. "Eileen!" he shouted. Eileen immediately understood and unleashed fireballs, one after another, constantly distracting the Yeti and creating more smoke and dust.

Eric seized the opportunity to close in again, his longsword flashing as he thrust repeatedly at the yeti's armpits, knees, and abdomen—each a vulnerable spot. Although none of the blows were fatal, blood seeped into the snow like dark flowers. The yeti grew increasingly agitated, but its movements unconsciously slowed.

Eric gasped for breath, sweat mingling with snowmelt that seeped into his collar, making him shiver. He dared not relax for a moment. The slightest hesitation, and that giant hand would strike, crushing him to pieces. Abu's words echoed in his ears once more: "Faced with an enemy stronger than you, the victor is often the one who perseveres to the end."

He took a deep breath, his steps steady, his longsword gleaming coldly as he charged forward through the swirling snow. Lia and Eileen stood behind him, one constantly chanting buff spells, the other continuously unleashing fireballs—they were doing everything in their power to hold up a faint but unwavering hope for him.

Eric's feet sank deep into the snow, his breath condensing into white mist the moment it reached his eyes. His longsword remained raised in mid-air, its tip trembling—not from fear, but from the sheer strain his muscles had reached their limit. The Yeti growled, its crimson eyes flashing with a ferocious light in the firelight and blizzard, a cruelty and rage unique to wild beasts.

Suddenly, it bent down abruptly, grabbed a large clump of snow with both hands, crushed it into an ice block, and hurled it at the three of them. The ice block whistled through the air like a runaway crossbow bolt, hurtling towards them with a fierce wind. Eric reacted extremely quickly, ducking low to the ground, the ice block grazing his shoulder and striking the snow behind him. The exploding snowflakes scraped against their faces like knives, nearly knocking Leah and Eileen over.

Eric's heart sank. He hadn't expected that these twin Yetis were not only physically powerful, but also knew some rudimentary tactics—making them far more dangerous than simple brute force monsters.

The Yeti roared and pounced again. This time, it didn't swing its paws, but used all four limbs, like a raging little mountain, crushing down on Eric. The earth trembled beneath its feet, and snowflakes were swirled and danced wildly in the air.

Eric's pupils constricted; a direct confrontation would surely mean death. He pushed off with his feet, trying to dodge to the side, but the snow was too soft and offered no leverage, slowing him down by even a fraction. The yeti's claws grazed his side, instantly denting his thick armor, and the violent impact sent him flying.

He tumbled twice in the air before crashing heavily into the snowdrift, a metallic taste rising in his throat. "Cough!" Eric spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, gritting his teeth as he struggled to his feet, supporting himself on the blade. The sword remained firmly in his grasp—even though his arm ached so much he could barely lift it.

Eileen's face changed drastically, and she shouted anxiously, "Eric! Come back quickly, don't try to tough it out!"

Eric didn't turn around, but whispered, "Don't come any closer! Keep using fireballs to block its vision!"

Eileen gritted her teeth and cursed "madman," but still immediately raised her hand, fireballs forming again at her fingertips, which she hurled at the yeti one after another. Lia also raised her staff again, softly chanting a healing spell, and a faint light once more enveloped Eric—even though this shield could only barely withstand one fatal attack.

The Yeti roared, its chest heaving violently, and icy air emanated from its fur, freezing the surrounding snow even harder. The next moment, it raised its paws high and slammed them down onto the ground!

With a deafening roar, the snow-covered ground exploded, unleashing a ring-shaped shockwave. Eric only had time to shout "Oh no!" before the shockwave sent him flying, throwing him off balance. His eardrums rang, his mind went blank, and even the scene before him blurred.

"Eric!" Leah's scream pierced the wind and snow. She watched as Eric staggered back several steps and almost fell into the snow.

The Yeti trudged through the snow, its towering body blotting out the sky, casting a deathly shadow over the three.