Riding on horseback under the moonlight, Duke Levi cut an imposing figure.

Blue magical light flowed through his eyes like a stream, emanating a mysterious and powerful aura from his being.

The breeze stirred his robes as blue ripples emerged from his clothing, rising into the air like mist being lifted from waves.

Upon hearing Levi speak, the mages all turned their attention to Sapphirose's blood-stained body.

The magical implements in their hands began to glow with a soft light as countless devices were infused with mana, slowly activating.

These battle-hardened mages could also sense that the mysterious figure before them was extremely dangerous.

At this moment, Sapphirose slowly raised her head in the dim moonlight, fixing her emerald snake-like eyes upon the crowd.

Her pupils suddenly contracted as a green light traced from the top to the bottom of her eyes, as if scanning everyone completely.

When her gaze fell upon Vladimir, those serpentine eyes trembled slightly.

[Target Analysis - Danger Level: High]

Before she could scan Levi, she saw him swiftly raise one arm and calmly issue the command:

"Attack."

The mages standing ready with their implements immediately tensed at the order, their faces growing stern as they frantically poured mana into their magical devices.

Countless blue lights illuminated the dark night sky, adding a touch of daylight to the darkness.

Dense points of light burst forth into dozens of blue beams, the high-speed magical rays converging and freezing before all striking toward Sapphirose.

The blue radiance gathered at the center of the forest and exploded.

The intense cold emanating from the blast instantly engulfed the entire forest.

Thick white smoke rose from the center, enveloping everyone.

The forest for miles around was sealed in ice, the ground covered in a transparent blue armor of frost.

Jagged ice spikes jutted up from the frozen earth, their sharp edges gleaming menacingly in the moonlight.

The frigid white mist lingered between the trees, exuding an aura of absolute authority.

Frost clung to the towering branches and leaves, gradually falling as the wind stirred.

Sapphirose dodged and weaved between the freezing rays, but unfortunately was struck by one of the high-speed ice crystals.

Her robes were pinned to the frost-covered ground. She slipped, her clothing completely torn, exposing her body to the night.

In the bright moonlight, the wings on her back were particularly eye-catching.

When they clearly saw Sapphirose's body, countless mages froze in shock.

Their eyes filled with disbelief, they even forgot to continue channeling mana into their magical implements.

Even Vladimir was stunned when he saw her clearly, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

"Hiss... a monster?"

Though it was somewhat hard to see in the moonlight, it was obvious that she possessed an enchanting figure that most women couldn't compare to.

Her limbs were extremely muscular, and especially those black and white wings on her back made people even more astonished.

Though no one had seen such a realistic humanoid monster before, the unique monstrous quality emanating from Sapphirose was definitely not a disguise.

The magical power in Levi's eyes flowed like water, that meandering stream like moonlight showing no signs of stopping.

"So, a true monster after all."

Vladimir nimbly dismounted from his horse, lightly flexing his heavy wrists.

The moment his feet touched the frigid icy ground, sharp ice spikes suddenly emerged from his boot soles, driving deep into the forest floor.

His muscular arm slowly raised, frost swirling between his fingers like smoke spiraling above his head.

Almost instantly, a gleaming giant ice axe suddenly descended from the heavens, caught steadily by Vladimir.

The heavy frost battle axe gleamed coldly in the night sky, seeming to freeze the surrounding air as countless sparkling ice crystals slowly drifted down around it.

He swung the massive axe, charging toward Sapphirose with surging power, cleaving a frost-laden arc through the air.

Sapphirose's pupils contracted as she deftly avoided the ice axe that fell like a waterfall, quickly rolling to the side.

Her delicate feet silently sprouted sharp claws, and with a light step, left several bone-deep cracks in the ground.

The shattered ice crystals scattered like broken diamonds, stirring up snow-white waves around them.

As the axe struck the ground, it kicked up a spray of ice and snow dust, surging outward like white waves.

After the waves subsided, the once fertile ground was now covered in thick snow, decorated with glittering transparent crystals.

[Frost Seal of Ten Thousand Miles]

Seeing Vladimir personally take action, the mages breathed sighs of relief, their tension finally easing.

Vladimir straightened his back, resting the massive ice axe across his shoulders as he exhaled a cloud of white mist.

"Tch, I thought I could rest after returning."

Sapphirose stood cautiously on the thin ice, lowering her head with eyes flashing as she faced off against Vladimir.

She remained vigilant in place, her body slightly stiff, not daring to rashly charge into the enemy's encirclement.

Seeing this, Vladimir laughed:

"Don't you monsters ever use your brains?"

Sapphirose's heart trembled as she rapidly thought.

However, almost instantly, the ground beneath her feet suddenly began violently shaking.

Cracks spread rapidly like a spider's web, continuously expanding and rushing toward Sapphirose.

Ice pillars shot up from the fissures like arrows, at a speed that left her almost no time to react.

Just as Sapphirose took a step, she was sent flying by the massive ice pillars.

The shattered ice pillar broke apart as her body fell to the ground like a kite with cut strings.

Pain washed over her body like waves, and Sapphirose could barely support half her body with all her strength.

Seeing this, the mages' faces lit up with excitement.

"As expected of the General!"

"He wounded the monster with just one strike!"

Vladimir planted his battle axe in the ground, leaving a deep gash, then slowly walked toward Sapphirose, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

"A monster that looks just like a human."

"I'll need to dispose of you directly."

There were many bustling merchants outside the capital every day, and monsters like her who closely resembled humans could easily deceive ignorant travelers.

With the concealment of a cloak, even in the prosperous capital, aside from looking somewhat strange, it would be difficult for people to discover her true form.

Therefore, disposing of her was the correct choice.

As he was about to approach Sapphirose, almost instantly, that white agile figure vanished like an illusion.

Vladimir looked at the ground where the figure had disappeared, immediately growing alert as warning bells rang in his mind.

He spun around, his ice axe flashing like lightning to guard his front.

A blade gleaming with frost swiftly struck, clashing with the massive battle axe and producing a soul-shaking resonance.

The two remained deadlocked on the icy ground, their arms trembling as forces collided in the air.

Vladimir felt the enormous force transmitted through his arm and was somewhat surprised:

"Oh? A monster that plays dead and sneak attacks?"

Though Vladimir spoke casually, he could clearly sense that his opponent's physical strength matched his own.

How could there be a monster that could rival a mage like himself in pure strength?

Vladimir could even see a hint of manic smile appearing on Sapphirose's face.

Combined with the dark blood at the corner of her mouth, it made her look even more terrifying.

However, she didn't engage further, instead retreating into the thickets.

The next second, she emerged like a ghost from another side of the dense forest for a surprise attack.

Vladimir's keen senses precisely detected where Sapphirose would attack from, turning to swing his giant axe.

The frost battle axe clashed with her blade again, releasing a shocking wave of force that shattered all the surrounding frost.

The endless clanging of metal striking metal left every mage present utterly shocked.

What kind of monster was this?

To fight the General to such a stalemate, even forcing him into a defensive position.

After several rapid exchanges, Vladimir felt his giant axe starting to tremble slightly.

As the seventh strike came, Vladimir barely managed to raise his axe to guard his face, blocking the incoming frost blade.

But unexpectedly, the axe's body began to slowly crack, quickly shattering.

Sapphirose, hidden in the dense forest, had already revealed herself, launching her eighth strike at Vladimir.

Everyone watching Vladimir lose his weapon suddenly drew in sharp breaths, their hearts leaping to their throats.

But even without a weapon, Vladimir showed no fear.

Facing Sapphirose, he threw a mighty punch infused with frost, forcefully meeting her blade head-on.

The two forces collided and remained deadlocked.

Vladimir looked at Sapphirose and laughed heartily:

"Fists are still better after all!"

As his words fell, his other fist quickly clenched and struck toward Sapphirose's body.

In that critical moment, Sapphirose also threw a punch, meeting Vladimir's attack head-on.

But lacking years of training, her strength naturally couldn't match his, and she was sent flying by the punch.

However, in her final moment before being launched away, a crimson light released from her hand.

[Fire Snake Seal]

A flame transformed into a snake with a flickering tongue, coiling and lashing out to bite viciously at Vladimir's arm.

The fire snake rapidly climbed up Vladimir's body like lightning, suddenly exploding and completely engulfing him in searing flames.

Meanwhile, Sapphirose spun once in the air, landing steadily on the ground like a cat.

Watching Vladimir consumed by flames, she panted heavily, her eyes flickering with exhaustion and vigilance.

Everyone stared at the violently burning flames, their hearts clenched tight with tension.

Suddenly, Sapphirose's eyes widened.

Before everyone's eyes, the flames slowly receded from Vladimir's body, as if he was reborn from fire.

He stood there completely unharmed.

His clothes were only slightly singed with ash.

He casually shook his hand, completely composed.

"Not bad fire."

A freshly lit cigar appeared between his lips.

Smoke curled upward.

"Too bad it wasn't a bit stronger."

Sapphirose's eyes widened as she suddenly felt an intense sense of danger from behind.

She quickly turned to look, only to see a giant shark completely encased in liquid lunging to bite her.

The fearsome teeth gleamed coldly as the massive shark completely engulfed her.

Sapphirose was fully submerged in the liquid, thrashing to try to break free.

The shark slammed hard into the ground, pinning her firmly.

The ground shook as dust flew up.

[Incinerate]

The next second, flames erupted violently from Sapphirose's body, burning and evaporating the surrounding liquid.

Steam rose up as the shark slowly disappeared.

She lay against the frost-covered ground, feeling the bone-chilling cold.

The icy ground formed a stark contrast with the scorching flames.

Standing up with difficulty, Sapphirose felt her vision growing blurry as exhaustion crashed over her like waves.

At some point, Levi had dismounted his horse, countless water bubbles floating around him.

"Sorry, but this isn't a one-on-one fight."

Countless bubbles rose into the sky like twinkling stars.

The first drop of water fell slowly from the sky.

Then the rain grew heavier and heavier, finally pouring down like a waterfall.

Raindrops constantly fell on the ice, also soaking Sapphirose completely, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks.

It also extinguished the cigar in Vladimir's mouth.

"Hey, you..." Vladimir stood stunned, looking at the cigar in his hand.

In this downpour, Levi walked slowly toward Sapphirose.

His steps were steady, like a hunter approaching prey.

Sapphirose's eyes widened as she tried to flee, but her feet were stuck to the ice now slick with rain.

Watching Levi approach, Sapphirose quickly let out a piercing shriek carrying shockwaves to force him back, the sound echoing through the forest.

[Banshee's Wail]

Levi's form twisted, turning to water after the sonic shockwave passed through him.

At the same time, in the downpour, a shark leaped up, tracing an arc through the air before slamming into the ground.

The scattered water droplets gradually gathered as Levi reappeared before Sapphirose.

Sapphirose's gaze swept over Levi, and red warning text flashed before her eyes:

[Target Analysis, Danger Level - ]

[- EXTREME]

Steam rose from the corners of Levi's eyes as he looked at Sapphirose, his gaze cold and determined.

"You're under arrest."

Suddenly, not far away on the icy ground, black smoke rose up and spread outward.

Seeing the rising black mist, everyone had no time to think before sensing the approaching danger. They all immediately adopted battle-ready stances, their magical implements glowing faintly as they were once again infused with mana.

The black mist gradually coiled in mid-air as an eerie, sharp voice rang out:

"I'm sorry."

"But you won't be taking her."

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