When the last ray of sunlight vanished from the lakeshore in the west, the glow of divine arts faintly illuminated the silent night.
Shade emerged from the woodland with the two ladies. As the night wind blew, an icy chill utterly unfitting for late winter struck them head-on.
Gazing at Eldron Lake not far away from the woodland, they saw that beneath the moonlight, the ice that had originally shown signs of thawing was once again covered in a layer of frosty white. And that was merely the surface. Under the combined spellcasting of the three High-Ring Arcanists from The Church on the opposite shore, a massive ice pillar had already formed beneath the center of the lake, completely sealing off the strangely colored black mud beneath the water.
"This is a basic spell, Breath of Ice. As long as any spell is mastered proficiently, it can become very powerful as one's level rises."
The witch spoke to Shade. Shade could actually use this spell as well; Miss Galina had taught it to him. It's just that he could only blow an ice flower into a teacup.
The Church's operation seemed quite effective. At least, as the ice layer continued to thicken, no abnormalities appeared. But just as the freezing ended and the ice had reached a thickness of at least five centimeters, a sudden vibration shook the ground, making the earth itself seem to roar.
"An earthquake?"
A massive earthquake centered on Eldron Lake had appeared out of nowhere. The violent tremors made it difficult even to stand steadily, easily bringing to mind the earthquake when the source of contamination had appeared at Banquet Manor.
"The earth is striking back!"
Shade supported Luvia while Miss Benanis supported them both. Together, the three heard a distinct cracking sound.
No one