Chapter 2644
Matthias tightened his grip on the sword, his knuckles pale from the force.
The sound of footsteps outside the cave grew louder—heavy, uneven, accompanied by harsh breaths and the brittle crack of shattering ice. It felt as if a herd of beasts were storming across the snowfields.
He motioned for his men to extinguish their torches, leaving only the dim, bluish glow of the minerals embedded in the walls. Shadows stretched thin across the damp moss, bending with every movement.
Huff—huff—
Several towering figures emerged from the cave entrance. Their frames were massive—each as broad as two men—and their bodies were draped in coarse, gray-white fur, as if strands of the frozen wind had been woven into armor.
Their weapons were crude yet lethal—long spears tipped with sharpened ice crystals. When the sunlight hit them from the cave mouth, they shimmered with a piercing, cold gleam.