Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Winter's Curse
The next day, warm sunlight spilled into the second-floor room of the castle.
David and Reina opened their eyes simultaneously and exchanged smiles.
After finishing their morning routine—which included another bout of training—the sun was already high in the sky.
David decided to let Reina rest for the day. After breakfast, Reina returned to the municipal hall to manage the affairs of Frost Wolf Ridge, while David headed to the training room, ready to elevate his Snow Demon Soul to the fourth tier.
As he focused, the Frost Wolf Soul in his mental world let out a fierce roar.
An intangible force surged into the Frost Wolf Soul, making its form more solid. A terrifying, icy energy radiated outward.
With the Frost Wolf Soul now reaching the fourth tier, it had crossed into a higher realm, bringing dramatic transformations.
In his mental world, the Frost Wolf Soul became visibly more powerful, resembling an ancient Ice Frost Giant Wolf come to life.
Simultaneously, the tier breakthrough of his Snow Demon Soul sent a wave of spiritual feedback coursing through him, expanding his mental world and pushing his spiritual strength to the peak of the second tier and finally into the third tier.
From the perspective of spiritual strength, a third-tier spirit was equivalent to the peak of a low-level mage, bordering on the intermediate level.
[Snow Demon Soul: Tier 4 (229/10,000). Acquired racial ability: Winter's Curse (Effect: Inflicts a chilling curse on the target, slowing their speed).]
David froze for a moment, then his face lit up with surprise and delight.
This breakthrough had granted him a racial ability from the Snow Demon lineage—a powerful crowd-control skill that could potentially turn the tide of battle by exploiting an opponent's momentary vulnerability.
Though he didn't yet know how effective Winter's Curse would be against an Earth Knight, even a small advantage could determine victory in high-stakes combat.
In addition to the new ability, David's mastery of ice magic had improved significantly.
With a thought, ice elemental energy gathered around him, coalescing into a crystalline knight's sword shimmering with frost.
He grasped the icy blade and swung it against the training room wall, leaving a deep gouge as though it were forged from tempered steel.
"My control over ice has surpassed Amy's," David mused, examining the icy sword in his hand.
With another thought, several ice blades materialized around him, each suspended in mid-air.
This elemental shaping ability was something even Amy had yet to master. But with his fourth-tier Snow Demon Soul and intermediate ice affinity, David could wield this power effortlessly.
Now, his enhanced spiritual strength and ice manipulation gave him the capability to confront an Earth Knight head-on without relying solely on physical combat.
His current strength rivaled that of a low-level mage, who were known for overpowering knights and even challenging those of higher tiers.
Satisfied with his breakthrough, David didn't immediately test Winter's Curse in combat. Instead, he resumed training with the Snow Demon breathing technique to further integrate his newfound powers.
A torrent of ice elemental energy converged toward him, feeding into the Frost Wolf Soul within his mental world.
The soul absorbed and refined the icy energy, radiating coldness throughout David's body, enhancing his physical attributes.
Switching to the Frost Wolf breathing technique, David channeled this energy into his Ice Frost Giant Wolf bloodline, further awakening its latent power.
For the next several hours, David immersed himself in training, determined to master his new abilities.
This intense focus even led him to forgo some of his usual dual-cultivation sessions, much to Reina's relief.
By the time the four of them returned to the castle's upper floor for the night, Reina felt a rare sense of reprieve.
Though she occasionally fantasized about monopolizing David's attention, she knew deep down that she alone couldn't satisfy his boundless energy.
Once the others had fallen asleep, David opened his system panel to review his progress.
[Ice Frost Giant Wolf Bloodline: Tier 5 (7,289/50,000)]
[Snow Demon Soul: Tier 4 (1,507/10,000)]
[Ice Affinity: Intermediate (6,230/10,000)]
Despite devoting extra attention to Amy, his Ice Affinity progress remained slower than expected, barely crossing the halfway mark.
Nevertheless, even an intermediate Ice Affinity had greatly enhanced his capabilities. If he could elevate it to the advanced level, his growth would accelerate exponentially.
For now, life in Frost Wolf Ridge returned to a fragile semblance of normalcy.
Until, on a crisp morning two weeks later, a figure riding a gray wolf burst into the castle courtyard.
"Lord David, they're here!"
David was in the midst of breakfast when he heard the scout's report. His eyes gleamed with a cold determination.
As expected, the Ice Bear family had finally made their move.
Wiping his hands clean, David rose from his seat and strode purposefully outside.
He headed straight for the back mountain, where the gray wolves and snow wolves awaited.
Sensing their master's approach, the two snow wolves—Little White and Little Snow—bounded forward eagerly.
"Cynthia, I'm taking the gray wolves to the frontlines," David announced.
Cynthia's expression turned serious as she nodded. "They're ready. They've been trained to follow basic commands without issue."
"Thank you for your hard work," David replied, mounting Little White.
With a thunderous howl, Little White and Little Snow led a pack of several hundred gray wolves as they descended the mountain.
The Gray Wolf Knight awaited them outside the castle, his newly trained wolf cavalry assembled and equipped with protective armor.
Once the forces merged, the Frost Wolf Knights, led by David, marched toward Eaglewing Fortress to confront the enemy.
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