NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 80: The Emergence of the Natural Sprite
Chapter 80: The Emergence of the Natural Sprite
Two hundred miles north of Eagle Ridge lay a place deep within the Northern Glaciers.
The Northern Glaciers are said to be the land where Frost Giants fell during the Mythic Age. Compared to the Northern Province, this place is even more frigid, perpetually covered in ice and snow. Apart from a few special plants and some forms of life, this area is nearly uninhabitable for any species. Even the southernmost part of the Northern Glaciers is so cold that the unicorns exhale misty breaths, and Thor feels a biting chill, with even his life energy somewhat suppressed.
A ripple spread, and a magic circle rose from Anna, enveloping Thor in a gentle warmth.
“Thank you,” Thor whispered, knowing that Anna had done this intentionally.
“No need to thank me,” Anna replied softly.
Thor smiled and continued leading the group forward. By dusk, they had reached their destination—a canyon entirely encased in ice. Sparse snowflakes drifted from the sky as Thor instructed a few knights to set up camp. It took them over two hours to settle in.
“Everyone, stay alert. Report any unusual occurrences immediately,” Thor commanded.
Although the intelligence provided to him was relatively complete, it was not precise. He knew only that the canyon was their target. The birth of a natural sprite would undoubtedly cause significant elemental disturbances, which they could detect when the time came.
“Yes!” the knights responded in unison before beginning their vigil.
Time passed quickly, and Thor did not have to wait long. By the next day, the entire canyon had undergone a noticeable change. The first sign was the sharp drop in temperature, followed by the rapid increase in snowfall, which soon obscured visibility. The intense cold forced the knights to use their life energy, and Anna had to layer two fire magic shields on herself and Thor.
By the third day, the blizzard intensified, and the temperature plummeted further. Anna and Thor now had five layers of fire magic shields, yet even this was barely sufficient, as the cold was overwhelming. Realizing what was happening, Anna’s eyes lit up with excitement. She could barely contain her emotions as she glanced at Thor, her lips tightening.
A thought surfaced in her mind.
“Let’s go! It should be at the center of the canyon,” Thor said softly, leading the group into the blizzard.
“O-okay!” Anna responded, quickly following Thor.
Pushing through the fierce blizzard was extremely difficult. The layers of fire magic shields flickered unsteadily. After advancing just twenty meters, a crack echoed as the outermost magic shield shattered, and ice began to spread over the next one. Another ten meters and the next shield broke.
A ripple spread as Anna began chanting, but Thor shook his head, signaling her to stop. He also halted his steps. Before them, the endless blizzard swirled into a vortex, transforming the world into a realm of ice and snow. Seeing this, Anna could no longer suppress her excitement. If there had been any doubt before, she was now certain this was the birth of a natural sprite—a being of immense importance to the elves.
“Master!” Anna called out, her voice barely audible through the storm. She was anxious, nervous, and excited, her gaze toward Thor filled with a subtle change.
“Go ahead!” Thor said, gesturing for Anna to proceed.
Anna took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement. She bowed slightly to Thor, cast a prepared spell to ward off the cold, and moved forward. Her magic shield flickered as she advanced, and soon the third shield shattered. Yet, she pressed on, filled with anticipation and excitement.
In the heart of the canyon, amidst the swirling storm, a small, transparent figure began to materialize. Time seemed to slow as Thor watched, his heart filled with tension. Unlike forest elves, natural sprites, as children of the Goddess of Life, could not be bound by contracts or captured. They could only form symbiotic contracts of their own accord, usually with forest elves.
Thor knew he could not capture or use the sprite, so he decided to invest in Anna instead. But this investment depended on whether the sprite would choose to bond with her. Anna, after all, was not a purebred forest elf, and despite Thor’s speculations, no one could predict the outcome. If the sprite refused to bond with Anna, Thor’s investment would fail.
Time dragged on as Anna’s figure moved further away, eventually disappearing into the storm. The blizzard grew more intense, and the cold became even more severe. The knights around Thor unleashed their life energy in full force, while Thor struggled to maintain his three remaining magic shields.
A cracking sound echoed as the third shield shattered, and ice swiftly crept across the fourth shield. At this rate, the fourth shield would break within ten breaths, forcing Thor to consider retreating. With his current strength, as merely an apprentice knight, he wouldn’t survive in this harsh environment for long; his body would freeze solid.
Time continued to pass as the blizzard raged on. After ten breaths, the fourth shield shattered, and the cold began seeping through the fifth and sixth shields. Even with these two shields, they would last no more than thirty breaths, possibly less.