Chapter 318: The Cryo Hypostasis

"Would you all be interested in coming back to my camp? With your help, I should be able to get results from my research faster," Albedo suggested, looking at the group.

"Sure, we haven't found any leads on the Cryo Hypostasis yet anyway," Nolan agreed.

If Albedo's research uncovered anything useful, it might even help in locating the Cryo Hypostasis.

Amber and Eula had no objections either.

Albedo's temporary camp on Dragonspine was located near the Entombed City—reachable through a pathway within the Starglow Cavern.

"Alright then, follow me."

Seeing no disagreement, Albedo stowed the captured Whopperflower monster and led them down the passage he had just come from.

…

Dragonspine's Wyrmrest Valley

A fresh snowfall had just blanketed the valley. The paths here already had a thick layer of snow, and now it was even deeper.

A grown adult would find the snow nearly knee-deep, making travel difficult and exhausting, even for seasoned adventurers.

Under such conditions, it was usually wise to find an emergency shelter and wait out the snow unless descending the mountain was absolutely necessary.

Fortunately, the main trail down Wyrmrest Valley was relatively even, with few uneven patches or steep drops. This made it possible to use sleds or other snow-based vehicles for faster travel.

However, sleds were typically too bulky for most adventurers, who preferred carrying a simple wooden board and a couple of poles, allowing them to navigate the snow swiftly by skiing.

Just like now.

"Woohoo~!"

A young man wearing a colorful scarf and a thick coat zipped across the snowy landscape on skis, moving so fast that even the pursuing Hilichurl archers couldn't keep up.

"Chief! Adventuring in the snow mountains is so exhilarating! If we speed down the mountain fast enough, we can nab the treasure chests from those Hilichurls before they even know what happened!" he shouted with a laugh.

"Alright, Vik. Don't get too carried away. Watch where you're going, don't go too fast!" the leader called out. She was a seasoned woman, watching the energetic new recruit with a trace of amusement.

"Don't worry! I got this."

He didn't seem concerned at all.

"Ha! Chief, Vik's got the same Vision as you—a blessing from the gods! That confidence just shows he's ready to take on your position someday!" laughed a middle-aged adventurer in their party.

"Sigh."

The leader let out a soft sigh. She did indeed have thoughts of stepping back eventually, but with a team of seven or eight, none of them were yet capable of filling her shoes.

If she left too soon, their income would drop, and the adventuring party might decline.

She wasn't about to watch the group she'd worked so hard to build simply vanish over time. Vik, like her, possessed a Vision and could potentially take on the responsibility with a few years of training.

And so, as she thought of her successor, she couldn't help but indulge the rookie with a bit more leniency.

Vik, speeding down the slope on his skis, suddenly collided with something hidden beneath the snow, sending him flying forward, flipping uncontrollably in the air before landing face-first into the thick snow with a muffled thud.

"Vik!"

The other adventurers quickly stopped, hurrying over to pull their unfortunate teammate out of the snow.

"Cough, cough!"

Vik knelt down, coughing and clearing the snow from his mouth and nose. He looked back in frustration to where he'd crashed, his gaze landing on an icy, crystalline shape protruding from the otherwise smooth snow.

It looked like a corner of some kind of cube.

"What... is this?"

The leader of the adventuring team narrowed her eyes, examining the icy protrusion that seemed vaguely familiar, as though she'd seen it in a book once.

"Damn it, who put this here?"

Vik stomped down onto the thick snow and kicked at the icy corner in irritation.

"Ow! That hurt!"

The ice was rock-hard, freezing cold, and as unyielding as metal. The instant his foot connected, a biting chill crept up his leg, freezing him in place.

"Watch out! Run, that's the Cryo Hypostasis!"

Their leader finally recognized it, recalling the monster from the Adventurers' Guild's bestiary. It was the boss-level monster, the Cryo Hypostasis!

"What?!"

Panic instantly spread through the team. They hurriedly tried to hoist Vik to his feet and make a run for it. But it was too late; an ice-blue ripple suddenly expanded out from the monster, washing over the entire party.

The icy wave enveloped them, freezing each adventurer in place, locking their bodies in a frosty cage.

At the same time, even the Hilichurls in pursuit—upset over their stolen chest—were caught in the same icy wave, freezing into statues mid-stride.

The whole area went silent, the adventurers and Hilichurls alike trapped as ice sculptures, their frozen expressions of fear perfectly preserved in the cold.

Moments later, the Cryo Hypostasis slowly rose out of the snow, hovering mid-air.

If anyone had been watching, they would have seen this floating, ice-blue cube emitting a dense, dark purple mist, as though corrupted by some unnatural force.

What rotten luck for these adventurers. Seems I'll have to lend a hand.

Far away in Starglow Cavern, still on his way with Albedo, Nolan observed the entire scene through the eyes of his "Sword God," which had just arrived at Wyrmrest Valley in time to witness the attack.

The good news was, at least, that the Sword God had located the Cryo Hypostasis, saving them further searching.

The bad news, however, was that someone had been attacked by the monster. If they didn't act fast, these adventurers might succumb to the freezing cold or suffocate in the ice.

Since he had the ability to help, Nolan wasn't about to ignore their plight.

He swiftly guided the Sword God down the mountain, raising its golden blade in preparation to drive off the Cryo Hypostasis.

Otherwise, the monster would only hinder his rescue efforts.

From his vantage point, Nolan could see that, despite the Cryo Hypostasis's corruption and its formidable level of seventy-three, his Sword God's strength was more than capable of defeating it, though it might take a bit of time.

To make it quick, he decided to unleash a powerful strike right from the start.

Hovering directly over the Cryo Hypostasis, the Sword God raised its blade high, gathering a concentrated golden energy along the sword's edge until it glowed like a beam piercing the heavens.

After a few seconds, the blade was fully charged.

Nolan commanded the Sword God to bring the sword down with a mighty slash, unleashing an energy wave at least ten times stronger than usual.

The Cryo Hypostasis had no chance to evade.

Nolan was confident that if the monster wasn't destroyed outright, it would at least be severely weakened.

"Well now, apologies, but I can't let you destroy one of my few research subjects."

A sly, mocking voice echoed from all directions.

(End of Chapter)

❇❇❇

Support me on Patreon - Read Up to 45+ Advanced Chapters There!

patreon.com/RedX43

❇❇❇