Chapter 158: A Chance to Grow II

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: A Chance to Grow II

"Frostbound Sanctuary!"

A surge of Ice Elemental Aether spread from his body, covering the ground in a wide layer of frost. Ice pillars rose from the earth, while the temperature dropped sharply around the battlefield.

The incoming wind blades struck the frozen structures, breaking some of them apart but losing much of their force.

Before the panthers could adjust, Shiro raised his head.

"Frost Chains!"

Several chains of ice erupted from the ground and shot toward the approaching beasts.

One panther twisted away with incredible speed, but another was caught around its hind leg. The chain tightened and pulled it off balance, sending it crashing into the frozen ground.

Shiro followed up immediately, forming a thick ice spike above the trapped beast and driving it down.

The panther struggled, but the attack landed before it could escape.

However, the others had already moved.

Two Gale Shadow Panthers rushed toward Shiro from opposite sides, their claws coated in compressed wind. Their speed was astonishing, and the distance between them disappeared in an instant.

Shiro barely managed to turn.

A sharp gust struck his side, forcing him to slide across the frozen ground. The second panther leaped toward his exposed flank, its claws aimed at his neck.

"Shiro, don’t let them separate you!" Caelia called.

Her voice cut through the chaos.

Shiro immediately understood.

He slammed one foreleg into the ground, raising a curved wall of ice between himself and the attacking beast. The panther struck the barrier, shattering part of it, but the delay was enough for Shiro to retreat and regain his footing.

Caelia moved in to cover him.

"Snow, left side! Keep them away from Shiro!"

Snow responded with a sharp cry and dashed forward.

Her Frost Elemental Aether gathered around her paws as she accelerated across the ice. Although she couldn’t quite match the Gale Shadow Panthers in raw speed, her movements were sharp and controlled.

She lunged at one of the beasts, forcing it to change direction. Her claws struck its shoulder, leaving deep icy wounds that slowed its movements.

The panther retaliated with a sweeping wind blade.

Snow twisted away, but the edge still grazed her side, leaving a shallow cut through her fur.

She landed and immediately sprang back into motion.

Caelia’s expression tightened, but she didn’t lose her focus.

"Keep moving, Snow! Don’t give them a clear target!"

At the same time, Caelia raised her hand.

A thick wave of Ice Elemental Aether surged from beneath her feet, spreading across the battlefield. Jagged ice formations rose in the paths of the panthers, forcing them to alter their movements and disrupting their coordination.

The Gale Shadow Panthers were fast, but their speed became less useful when their paths were restricted.

One of them attempted to leap over the ice formations.

Caelia was already waiting.

"Frost Spear!"

A spear of ice formed above her palm and shot forward, striking the beast in midair. It was thrown backward and crashed into the ground, where Shiro’s Frost Chains immediately wrapped around its body.

The teamwork was beginning to take shape.

Shiro restricted their movements, Snow pressured them from close range, and Caelia controlled the battlefield while looking for opportunities to strike.

Still, the pack wasn’t ready to fall.

A deep howl echoed through the area.

The remaining panthers gathered around a larger beast whose wind energy was noticeably denser than the others. Its eyes glowed as it lowered its body, and the surrounding air began to twist around its claws.

Damon watched from a distance.

The pack leader was preparing something.

"Careful," he called out. "Their Wind Arts can cut through your defenses if you take them head-on."

Caelia nodded without looking back.

The leader suddenly burst forward.

Its speed was far greater than the other panthers, and the wind gathered around its body formed a sharp, spinning current. It tore through the ice formations and rushed toward Shiro.

Shiro raised a barrier, but the beast struck it with such force that cracks spread across the surface almost immediately.

The barrier shattered.

Shiro was pushed backward, his paws digging into the frozen ground as he tried to hold his position. The panther’s claws came down again, carrying enough force to tear through his remaining defenses.

"Shiro, move!" Caelia shouted.

Shiro shifted aside just in time.

The claws struck the ground, sending a burst of wind and ice fragments into the air. Shiro was still caught by the edge of the impact, and a shallow wound appeared across his shoulder.

But he didn’t retreat far.

Instead, he focused his Aether and watched the beast closely.

Its movements were fast, but its attacks followed a pattern. Every time it gathered wind around its claws, it needed a brief moment to direct the force.

Shiro adjusted quickly.

The next time the leader charged, he didn’t try to block it directly. He released Frostbound Sanctuary beneath its path, raising several ice formations to narrow its approach.

The panther twisted to avoid them, but its movement brought it into range of Shiro’s next attack.

"Frost Chains!"

Chains erupted from the frozen ground and wrapped around its legs.

The leader snarled and unleashed a burst of wind, slicing through several chains. But the remaining ones held long enough to slow it down.

"Now!" Caelia called.

She thrust her hand forward, and a cluster of ice spears formed above her.

"Frost Spear Barrage!"

The spears shot toward the trapped leader.

The panther twisted violently, using its Wind Elemental Aether to deflect several of them. A few struck its body, leaving deep wounds, but it managed to break free and leap away before the rest could land.

Snow was already waiting.

She rushed from the side and struck its hind leg with her claws. Her attack wasn’t powerful enough to bring it down, but it disrupted the beast’s balance.

Shiro immediately followed with another wave of ice.

"Frostbound Sanctuary!"

The ground beneath the leader froze over, and thick pillars rose around it, restricting its movements.

Caelia seized the opportunity.

As she watched ice spread farther, surrounding the leader and the remaining panthers.