Starless Nights

Suddenly, a blizzard hit.

It came unannounced, catching the group completely off guard.

Morale, already at rock bottom, plummeted even further.

Not only were they ascending at a snail's pace — now, they were in actual danger of hypothermia.

Especially the unawakened.

Nevertheless, they pressed on.

But things only got worse.

That snow beast they had spotted days earlier?

It came back.

Only this time, it wasn't alone.

Three of them.

All adults.

A death sentence.

Vael kept a hardened expression upon spotting their adversaries. But inside, he was panicking.

"Two of them at low Second Stage. The one from before? Low third Stage."

Only Kiera could hear his voice through their link.

She nodded beside him, already preparing to fight.

Under normal conditions, this was a fight they could handle.

But they were exhausted. Undernourished. Fighting on unfamiliar terrain in freezing conditions.

The odds were stacked against them.

But that didn't matter.

They had to fight.

While eyeing the strongest of the mana beasts, Kiera spoke aloud for the group to hear:

"Listen up, snowflakes! We're splitting into two groups. Drako, Lucia — you're together. Kael, take everyone else and cover them. That's two groups. Each of you takes one of the smaller Tigers. Ash — hide. Me and Vael will handle the big one."

The "big one" was already looming above them, breath steaming in the frozen air. Its blood-red eyes locked onto theirs.

But Kiera and Kael were grinning.

They'd been itching for a real fight. The sparring matches weren't cutting it anymore.

With that, the team dispersed.

And the battle began.

It seemed like the mana beasts had the same idea as Kiera — they split up too.

On the left, where the ground was a bit flatter, Kael and the troops began to engage one of the low second-stage Mountain Tigers.

Kael, a scout with an affinity for beast control, looked entirely in his element. The rat on his shoulder — still behaving like nothing in the world could harm it — suddenly morphed into the shape of a wolf, fur bristling and eyes glowing.

As a low second-stage awakened, Kael was a force to be reckoned with, his arsenal of creatures making him dangerously versatile on any battlefield.

The regular men, however, looked out of place.

Some were trembling — whether from the cold or from fear, only they knew.

On the far right, Drako and Lucia faced their own opponent. Lucia, an assassin with a speed-enhancement ability, was a mid second-stage awakened, just bellow Vael and Kiera.

Drako, her companion, was at the peak of the first stage. While not the strongest on paper, he was a force in his own right — a walking fortress, his shield and earth affinity turning him into a human wall.

Vael and Kiera didn't have the luxury of waiting for their opponent to come to them — they blinked straight toward the strongest Mountain Tiger.

It may not have been the most powerful mana beast they had faced — that title still belonged to the Horned Druid — but this wouldn't be easy. Not now. Not in this weather. Not with half-frozen limbs.

But it didn't matter. They were both ready to once again push the limits of their strength.

Just as each group was locking eyes with their enemy, the blizzard picked up again — harsher than before.

The wind howled across the mountainside, sharp as blades, cutting at their faces.

And then — sudden motion.