Ardena felt a chill run down her spine as she stepped through the portal.

  It wasn’t fear—she had faced plenty of dangers for a few fiery wolves to intimidate her—but rather the odd sensation of treading on ground that, despite being inside a cave, still carried a trace of ice.

  The moment she set foot on the other side, the temperature change was immediate.

  Scorching heat smote her face and her breathing grew heavy.

  All around, shards of ice and frost floated in the air—a clear sign that someone wielding incredible magic had passed through here.

  "That hunter..." Ardena whispered, recognizing the trail of ice.

  The cave was vast—a cathedral of rock with stalactites hanging from the ceiling like razor-sharp fangs. The firelight danced along the walls, casting shadows that seemed almost alive. What worried her most, however, was the hole in the ice barrier. It was obvious that the wolves had managed to break through.

  Before she could process it all, a ferocious growl yanked her from her thoughts.

  Five fire wolves emerged from the shadows, their bodies engulfed in living flames.

  Their eyes burned an intense red, and their breath smoldered as if they had crawled straight out of hell.

  "We got a warm welcome!" Ravel exclaimed with an arrogant grin.

  Ardena clicked her tongue.

  "We don't have time for games. Let's go!"

  In unison, the wolves charged, their flaming paws leaving charred marks on the ice.

  Ardena reacted swiftly, raising her right hand and conjuring a razor-sharp gust of wind that sliced through the air with a whistling sound.

  Slash!

  One of the wolves howled as the wind split it in two.

  Yet the others pressed on.

  Ardena moved with agility, dodging a snapping bite by mere inches before launching herself backward with a powerful blast that sent her several meters from the enemy.

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  Ravel, for his part, leapt into combat without hesitation.

  "Leave it to me!" he shouted excitedly, and with impressive speed, he dodged a wolf’s attack and placed his hand on its burning back.

  The creature barely had time to growl before a sudden explosion shattered it into pieces.

  The flash was so bright that Ardena had to avert her eyes.

  "Ravel, be more careful!" she yelled as the heat of the explosion brushed her arm.

  Ravel turned toward her with a nonchalant expression, shrugging.

  "Sorry, sorry… It wasn’t on purpose."

  Ardena shot him a sharp look, but there was no time for debate.

  Another wolf pounced at her, its fangs gleaming like glowing embers. With a quick twist, Ardena channeled the wind around her, creating a swirling current that deflected the wolf mid-leap.

  "Now!" she shouted to Ravel.

  Without wasting a moment, Ravel lunged at the disoriented wolf and lightly touched it with his fingertip.

  Boom!

  The wolf burst into a shower of flames and ash.

  Despite their advantage, the wolves kept coming. Ardena began to frown.

  No matter how many they defeated, it seemed the cave was infested with them.

  'At this rate, we might run out of oxygen,' she thought, her heart pounding.

  They were deep in a cave, surrounded by fire and explosions. If the air stopped circulating, they’d be smothered long before the wolves finished them off.

  "Ravel, we have to get out of here!" Ardena shouted, making up her mind.

  But before she could move, something unexpected happened.

  The ice beneath her feet cracked with a sharp sound.

  Suddenly, a lance shot up from the ground, shattering the ice into fragments. A golden flash streaked across the cave and, in mere seconds, a young man emerged from the opening, floating on a cloud.

  Ardena and Ravel were left speechless.

  The guy had short brown hair and bright green eyes. His posture was relaxed, yet his expression radiated confidence.

  In his right hand, the lance that had shattered the ice spun slightly before he gripped it tightly.

  Ardena took a second to process what she was seeing.

  "Who...?"

  The young man smiled, clearly enjoying the surprised looks on their faces. Without hesitation, he raised the lance and hurled it in a fluid motion.

  The lance cut through the air at an impossible speed and, when it struck a wolf, it didn’t stop. Instead, it ricocheted off the ice wall, changing direction to hit another wolf before repeating the maneuver.

  The weapon bounced like a ball—but with lethal precision.

  Slash! Slash! Slash!

  One by one, the wolves fell, unable to react in time. Ardena watched in astonishment as the lance moved with an almost supernatural control, annihilating the foes at an alarming pace.

  Even Ravel, always quick with a witty remark, was left in shock.

  "But what the..." he managed to utter.

  When all the remaining wolves were eliminated, the lance made one final bounce and returned to the young man’s hand.

  Silence fell over the cave.

  Ardena stepped forward, still confused.

  "Wait! Who the hell are you?"

  But the guy didn’t answer. Instead, he gave one last smile and, without another word, ascended on his cloud and crossed back through the portal, leaving them behind.

  Ardena gritted her teeth.

  "Not so fast!"

  Without wasting a second, she sprinted toward the portal, determined to follow him.