Chapter 85: The Monster


    Early the next morning, as the sky began to lighten, the group, still groggy from their restless night, roused themselves to eat breakfast. They then donned the cold-weather gear they had prepared in advance.


    One by one, they stripped down to their undergarments and put on a thin, tight-fitting layer made of what appeared to be some kind of animal hide. Only then did they layer their regular clothes on top.


    Noticing that Han Ming hadn''t moved, someone asked curiously, "Hey, why aren''t you changing into cold-weather gear? The Frozen Wasteland is freezing. If you go in like that, you''ll be dead within a day."


    Han Ming, who hadn''t had the chance to buy any cold-weather clothing, shrugged nonchalantly. "It''s fine. I''m a water mage. I have some resistance to the cold."


    The man nodded in understanding, his eyes filled with envy as he looked at Han Ming.


    The edge of the Frozen Wasteland was a peculiar place.


    A clear circular boundary separated the icy wasteland from the wilderness forest. Inside the boundary, snow and ice stretched as far as the eye could see, while outside, the temperature was normal. It was a strange and fascinating sight.


    Standing at the boundary, the group listened as Chuck reiterated some important precautions. Then, one by one, they stepped across the line and into the infamous Frozen Wasteland.


    The cold was indeed bone-chilling. Even Han Ming, who had some resistance to the cold, began to shiver as soon as he stepped inside, forcing him to use his magic to fend off the freezing temperatures. The ordinary mercenaries fared even worse, their noses running and their faces turning blue from the cold.


    The five experts had decided on a route that would take them in a small loop around the edge of the Frozen Wasteland to hunt some magical beasts before heading into the Desert of Desolation.


    One of the younger members, who had apparently eaten a particularly salty breakfast, pulled out a water pouch to take a drink, only to find that it had frozen solid. The water inside had turned into a block of ice.


    The young man, who looked rather ordinary, turned out to be a fire-attribute Great Warrior. He casually used his fire magic to melt the ice in the pouch and was about to take a drink when Chuck suddenly appeared and knocked the pouch out of his hand.


    "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Chuck scolded harshly. "Don''t drink water in the Frozen Wasteland. The temperature is so low that the water will freeze before it even reaches your stomach. If it gets stuck in your throat, you''ll suffocate. Even if you manage to swallow it quickly, it will only speed up the loss of body heat. Did you forget everything I told you earlier?"


    The young man, realizing his mistake, quickly tossed the pouch aside. The water, which had just melted, froze again instantly, shattering into pieces when it hit the ground.


    Chuck glared at the young man, his nostrils flaring in anger.


    Han Ming stepped in to defuse the situation, patting the young man on the shoulder. "The next zone is the Desert of Desolation. Losing the water isn''t a big deal—you can refill it here. But if you break the pouch, how will you carry water in the desert? Once we''re there, you won''t have any water to drink. Here, take this." He handed the young man a spare water pouch.


    The young man, already flustered from making two mistakes in a row, gave Han Ming a grateful smile. Han Ming returned the smile with a nod before walking away.


    The group continued their journey. Ahead lay a vast expanse of withered forest, now completely frozen into a desolate glacier. The sight was both eerie and melancholic.


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    After half a day of trekking across the ice, the group stopped to eat. As they sat down, Han Ming suddenly felt a faint vibration beneath his feet.


    He looked down and saw a massive shadow moving beneath the thick ice. The figure was too blurry to make out, but it was clearly something enormous.


    Han Ming continued eating his frozen rations, pretending nothing was wrong, but his senses were on high alert. A sense of impending danger washed over him. Glancing around, he noticed that the five experts had also spotted the shadow. They had subtly spread out, but like Han Ming, they remained silent.


    Just as the group finished eating and prepared to move on, the ice beneath their feet began to crack.


    *Crack... crack...*


    Han Ming looked down and saw fine fissures spreading across the ice.


    "Watch out! Spread out!" Han Ming shouted, sprinting in one direction. The five experts were already running.


    Before anyone could react, the ice shattered, and a colossal creature burst through, leaping into the air.


    The group screamed in terror, scrambling to escape as fast as they could. No one had time to see what the creature was.


    The ice was slippery, slowing Han Ming''s pace, but the creature''s attention seemed focused elsewhere. Glancing back, Han Ming caught a glimpse of a massive, fish-like beast with four fins. Its mouth, large enough to swallow two tables, was lined with teeth as long as half an arm. The creature lunged at a slower-moving, overweight man and snapped him up in one bite.


    "It''s a fourth-tier Sawtooth Fish! Head west! There''s solid ground there! Don''t fight it on the ice!" Chuck yelled, sending three wind blades toward the monster. The blades struck the creature''s scales but glanced off harmlessly, flying into the sky.


    The monster landed back on the ice, shattering a large section and disappearing beneath the surface.


    One unlucky man, unable to dodge in time, fell into the icy water through a massive crack. A few bubbles rose to the surface, and then there was nothing.


    No one had time to mourn. They all sprinted toward the glacier they had seen earlier. If plants could grow there, it had to be solid ground.


    The monster continued to burst through the ice, leaping into the air and crashing back down, creating more cracks. The sound of splitting ice echoed as the fissures spread rapidly toward the fleeing group.


    Fighting on the ice was too dangerous. If anyone fell into the water, their chances of survival were slim. Han Ming pushed himself to run faster.


    But the monster was incredibly fast. Every few moments, it would surge ahead of the group, leap out of the ice, and swallow someone whole before disappearing again.


    Including the two who had died earlier, three more lives were lost in an instant.


    Everyone spread out as much as possible, their hearts filled with terror. Less than half a day into the Frozen Wasteland, they had already encountered a fourth-tier magical beast. Whether this was luck or misfortune, no one could say.


    The monster continued its relentless attacks, and the group''s numbers dwindled. Just as they were within a hundred meters of the glacier, the creature leaped out again. This time, its target swung a long blade at the beast in desperation. But to his horror, the blade simply slid off the monster''s scales.


    A half-scream echoed before being abruptly cut off. Another life was lost.


    "We''re here! We''re here! Prepare to fight!" Chuck shouted, leading the group to the safety of the glacier.


    Han Ming and four others arrived shortly after, followed by the rest of the group.


    The monster, however, had gone silent, no longer leaping out of the ice.


    "Count the survivors!" Chuck ordered.


    "Captain... we''re down to fifteen. Eight brothers are gone," someone reported, their voice trembling with fear.


    Chuck''s face darkened. Eight lives lost in an instant. These men were supposed to be cannon fodder, but not like this.


    "We''ll avenge our fallen brothers. The monster won''t give up easily. When it shows itself, we attack!" Chuck rallied the group.


    "Avenge our brothers!" the group shouted in unison.


    Han Ming, however, remained vigilant. Something felt off, but he couldn''t pinpoint what. He kept his guard up, scanning their surroundings.


    Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the air.


    The massive monster burst through the ice beneath their feet, sending shards of ice flying in all directions. The group swung their weapons to deflect the debris.


    "What the hell is this place!? Why is there water under the plants!?" someone screamed in panic as the ice beneath him gave way. He stumbled, nearly falling into the water, but managed to leap onto a floating chunk of ice just in time.


    The monster, having missed its target, dove back into the water and swam away.


    Han Ming stared at the scene, his mind racing. Then it hit him. "Wait! This isn''t ice over water! The ground beneath us is solid! The monster can temporarily melt the frozen soil into water and swim through it! Don''t fall in, or you''ll be trapped when the water refreezes!"


    His warning only heightened the group''s fear.


    A monster that could melt frozen soil into water? What kind of terrifying ability was that!?


    Chuck and the other experts exchanged glances, finally understanding.


    No wonder the transition from the wilderness forest to the Frozen Wasteland had been so abrupt. If the ground had been solid all along, they would have noticed sooner.


    A fourth-tier magical beast was indeed a force to be reckoned with.