Magic Barrier

"These are Dark Moon Wolves. I never expected to find them in the Spruce Forest. These creatures love to attack in packs, exhausting their prey's stamina before swarming them and tearing them to shreds with their razor-sharp teeth," Master said, squinting his eyes and speaking in a low, grave voice.

"No, these aren't normal Dark Moon Wolves. Their movements are far too savage. I can feel the surging magic within them; they must be the thralls of some powerful monster."

Possessing a legendary bloodline, he was naturally highly sensitive to magic, allowing him to quickly discern the difference.

"Hmm! It seems we've encountered a tough opponent. A single bite from these things could kill even an elite knight. I fear we will need My Lord to intervene if we are to escape. It seems the Overlord monster behind this intends to wear us down with these Dark Moon Wolves."

After hearing Aurelian's words, Master's tone grew heavy.

The surrounding knights were under constant assault from the Dark Moon Wolves. They used their shields to fend off the snapping jaws before swiftly decapitating the beasts. Though their movements were rapid, the number of wolves kept increasing, and they were gradually struggling to keep up.

"Master, you and Russell go and assist them," Aurelian commanded, seeing that the situation was turning unfavorable.

These knights were one-in-a-thousand selections; he did not want to lose them here, or it would be a massive loss.

"But My Lord, your safety..." Master hesitated.

"I am of the Lower Rank in magic," Aurelian said with a stern expression. He loathed such aristocratic affectations.

"Yes!"

Master nodded, turned around, and led Russell and the other knights guarding the perimeter toward their horses, charging forward to provide support.

"Kill!"

Master galloped on his warhorse, charging in and severing the head of a Dark Moon Wolf with a single strike of his sword.

Perhaps due to his sparring with Jeanne, his swordsmanship had improved, becoming more decisive and fierce.

The addition of four Body Integration Rank knights and one Source Gathering Rank knight eased the pressure at the front, and Aurelian let out a sigh of relief.

It was not that he did not want to help, but he had a more important task to attend to.

He had to eliminate the high-level magical beast directing all of this from the shadows; it was the root of everything. Once it was dealt with, these Dark Moon Wolves would scatter in an instant.

"It is in the depths."

Jeanne spoke suddenly, her head already turned, eyes fixed in another direction that led deep into the Spruce Forest.

"Jeanne, what did you sense?"

For some reason, Aurelian asked without any clear cause. He felt it was quite strange, as if he could suddenly understand Jeanne's state of mind.

"Who is it?"

"The master of the Spruce Forest."

"This is my territory. It occupied it without permission—did it ask for my consent?"

Aurelian wore a wry smile, speaking with a touch of self-mockery.

"It has been here much longer than you," Jeanne added solemnly.

"This..."

Aurelian looked bewildered; it seemed she had a point.

"Then, Jeanne, can you sense its location?"

"I can, but only the two of us can enter," Jeanne nodded, speaking seriously.

"Why?" Aurelian asked, puzzled.

"I sense a magic barrier. Only those who have reached the Lower Rank of magic can pass through."

"A magic barrier? Could there be a rich magic tide here? But why can't I feel it?"

Aurelian had once read about magic tides in books; for one to occur, there had to be a powerful source of magic supplying it.

"Could the treasure of the Spruce Forest's master be that very source of magic? A source of magic that births a Child of Frost?" Aurelian speculated.

"That is likely," Jeanne nodded, agreeing with Aurelian's hypothesis.

"In that case, the knights I brought will have to stay here."

"Master, Jeanne and I are going deep into the Spruce Forest to take out that Lower Rank magical beast. You knights hold your ground here and wait for our return!"

"Yes!"

Slicing another Dark Moon Wolf in two, Master's silver armor was stained with blood, his eyes burning with intense battle intent!

Aurelian and Jeanne exchanged a glance and quickly mounted their horses. Time waited for no one; Master and these knights could not hold out for long in this eerie, freezing environment.

Mounted on their horses, he and Jeanne spurred them on, galloping toward the deepest part of the Spruce Forest.

Weaving through light and shadow, the surrounding trees grew increasingly dense, and a thick mist began to permeate the air, obscuring the path ahead.

The temperature of the surrounding air had dropped to a terrifying level. Aurelian, riding on George, felt as though his armor was beginning to ice over, and the flow of magic within his body was becoming increasingly sluggish.

"What is that?!"

Aurelian looked ahead, his pupils contracting, and he hurriedly pulled on George's reins.

George let out a sound that was not quite a neigh, steadying its footing on the slippery ground.

Aurelian came to a stop, as did Jeanne, for before them lay a expanse of gray chaos.

He asked in confusion: "A magic barrier?"

In his memory, magic barriers were not supposed to look like this; under normal circumstances, a magic barrier would have a doorway-like structure on the outside serving as an entrance, as only powerful sources of magic could distort the material world to form such a barrier.

"This must be some kind of magic meant to mask the fluctuations of the magic tide. It seems someone discovered the magic source here long before we did."

Jeanne frowned as she explained.

"No wonder, so it's magic. But where is the entrance to the magic barrier? Surely it isn't hidden within this chaos, is it?"

Aurelian finally felt relieved; there was no helping it, as magic was far too mysterious, and he had never seen it with his own eyes before.

"Just walk inside. This magic is at least several hundred years old and no longer serves to conceal anything. I suspect that Overlord-class magical beast came to the Spruce Forest precisely because of these magic fluctuations," Jeanne explained.

"Understood. Let's hurry; we must take care of it immediately."

Aurelian spoke these words with great confidence, for he had the unfathomable Jeanne watching over him, and even if they couldn't win, they could always run away—that was his source of confidence!

Aurelian stepped into the chaos first, causing the space to ripple before it swallowed him whole. Jeanne followed right behind, and the two of them vanished completely from the spot.

Breaking free from the darkness, Aurelian's vision finally cleared, allowing him to see his surroundings.

This was a world of icy blue, where the sky was a hazy gray, yet tiny snowflakes drifted through the air.