They materialised in a safe location just as the second wave of shards struck where they had been standing.
The ice shards continued falling without mercy, covering the floor with deadly projectiles that turned the battlefield into a maze of hazards. Each shard embedded itself deep enough in the frozen ground to demonstrate the devastating force behind the Winter Beast’s attacks.
Pride, recognising that his master was in danger, attempted to provide a distraction by launching himself at the Winter Beast’s other flank. His golden claws struck with legendary force, seeking to draw the creature’s attention away from Arthur and the Cackle Queen.
However, the Winter Beast’s defensive capabilities proved sufficient to handle multiple opponents simultaneously. Ice barriers materialized to block Pride’s attacks without requiring conscious attention, while additional offensive formations continued targeting Arthur’s position with relentless precision.
The Winter Beast didn’t take pride seriously. Unlike the Cackle Queen, Pride didn’t have any way of attacking the mind, which was one of the Winter Beast’s weaknesses. Despite the strength disparity between them, the Cackle Queen was still able to distract him, even if it was for a few milliseconds.
Pride’s strikes, which would be devastatingly effective against other legendary-rank opponents, were blocked without apparent effort by defensive ice that reformed instantly after each impact. The level difference and advantages made the Winter Beast’s defensive options far superior to anything Pride could overcome through conventional assault.
Arthur assessed the tactical situation with growing concern. His summons were providing valuable distraction, but their offensive capabilities were proving insufficient to create the kind of sustained openings he needed for decisive attacks.
The Winter Beast’s domain abilities made him nearly invulnerable, while his offensive capabilities could potentially eliminate Arthur’s legendary summons if they became careless about positioning.
This battle would require perfect coordination, flawless timing, and decisive surprise attack that could only be delivered by someone the Winter Beast didn’t know was coming.
Arthur’s eyes flicked toward the domain’s periphery, where Aether waited for the signal that would initiate their most dangerous gambit.
The Winter Beast’s attacks grew exponentially more violent and frequent, his movements carrying the fury of someone whose pride had been wounded by creatures he considered insignificant insects.
He was beyond pissed.
The Cackle Queen had dared to penetrate his ancient mind with her psychological warfare, and worse still, her momentary distraction had allowed Arthur to draw actual blood from his legendary hide. In his long, old consciousness, they were nothing but children overreaching their capabilities, yet somehow one of these weaklings had managed to injure him—a being who could normally crush them with a single casual gesture.
The humiliation burned in his consciousness like acid, transforming playful combat into a personal vendetta that demanded immediate and overwhelming retaliation.
Ice formations erupted from every surface with increasing frequency and violence. Massive spears of crystallised cold shot toward Arthur’s position from multiple angles simultaneously, each one capable of piercing the strongest metals and carrying enough force to shatter mountains.
Arthur continued his desperate dance of evasion, teleporting constantly to avoid attacks that would instantly kill him if they connected. His spatial manipulation was being pushed to its limits as he calculated trajectories, anticipated attacks, and maintained awareness of both his position and the Cackle Queen’s safety simultaneously.
"How many more times can you momentarily stun him?" Arthur asked through their mental connection while dodging another barrage of ice projectiles that turned the air around him into a lethal obstacle course.
The Cackle Queen’s response carried obvious strain from her previous efforts. "Two more times at most, Master. The energy expenditure required to penetrate the mental defenses of a beast with domain abilities, even for mere milliseconds, is astronomical. Each attempt drains reserves I cannot easily replenish during active combat."
Arthur nodded with understanding.
The Nightmare talent’s effectiveness against domain-wielding opponents came at a cost that made it a limited-use asset rather than a sustainable strategy. Two more opportunities to create vulnerability windows meant he needed to make each one count perfectly.
Arthur had already unsummoned Pride during one of his teleportation sequences, recognising that the Golden Mane’s continued presence would only result in his death. Pride wasn’t weak by any conventional measure—his legendary status and level 24 capabilities made him a formidable combatant against most opponents.
But this simply wasn’t his battle.
Pride’s strength, impressive as it was, fell short of what was required to meaningfully damage the Winter Beast. His presence in the combat zone would only provide the enemy with additional targets while contributing little to no advantage. Worse, if Pride died during this confrontation, a twenty-four-hour cooldown would prevent Arthur from summoning him again when his capabilities might be helpful.
Arthur decided that it was better to preserve him for Earth’s ongoing crisis, where a legendary summon at level 24 would provide substantial assistance to his allies facing the demonic invasion.
As Arthur continued his evasive manoeuvres, teleporting the Cackle Queen with him since her psychological warfare capabilities remained crucial for his emerging strategy, he accessed another resource that might tip the scales in his favor.
Arthur checked Neko’s current status through their mystical connection, his enhanced perception processing the information even while dodging attacks that could seriosuly injure him.
[Race:] Primordial Felidae
[Talent:] Lucky (SSS)
[Physical Damage:] 37
[Damage Resistance:] 25
[Attributes:] Strength 37, Agility 30, Vitality 25, Intelligence 46
[Skills:] Claw Slash (Rare), Paw Steps (Rare), Ninefold Fortune(Mythical), Shadow Pounce (Legendary), Unlucky(Legendary)
[Attribute Points:] 0
What Arthur was specifically looking for was Neko’s newest acquisition. The legendary-rank skill that had appeared during her recent advancement.