[Name: Trojan Horse]
[Type: Field Card]
[Rank: Tier 2 - Golden Legend]
[Description: With my bones, I protect your flesh and blood.]
[Effect: ①Consumes magic power to cover a certain range with the Trojan Horse, forming a protective barrier that separates inside from outside;]
[②Provides a certain amount of magical armour for all units marked as allies within the field based on stored energy, and continuously restores life force.]
[③Each bone segment has a pair of slender legs on both sides that automatically hunt all hostile creatures in the field, absorbing magical energy and converting it into the beneficial effects in ② for allies.]
[④Covers the field with frost effects, indiscriminately slowing the movement and spellcasting abilities of all creatures within.]
[Effect: Protected, but not completely protected. Tormented, and completely tormented.]
[This card embodies the essence of torment – only creatures that pass the frost trial can enjoy true protection.]
"Whoosh!" Cold wind swept through the camp, as if the Ice Queen herself used her breath to gently caress every living being's skin.
Clatter clatter. Eve Black heard the sound of her own teeth chattering uncontrollably.
In her vision, those comrades who had fallen to the ground shakily stood up, moving like reanimated corpses. Eve gritted her teeth, her body trembling involuntarily from more than just the cold.
She felt her courage, determination, grief and anger... all emotions freezing along with the spreading ice.
Merlin... what evil thing is this? Am I still in the mortal world?
Suddenly—
"AHHHHH!" A scream pierced the deathly silence.
A goblin dropped his weapon and ran frantically toward the camp's edge! But BANG! He crashed heavily into an invisible barrier!
The goblin scrambled up, touching the transparent barrier surrounding the camp in bewilderment, muttering in confusion: "No... no... how could this be? How could this be... AHHH!"
A sharp segmented leg thrust through his chest from behind, silencing his voice instantly. His eyes bulged with shock and pain!
Then, before everyone's horrified eyes, this goblin warrior was slowly lifted up, continuously approaching the massive spine spanning the sky above.
"No! No! Let me go! AHHHHH!" The goblin struggled desperately, red light flashing from his hands, but he couldn't cast spells successfully in the freezing environment.
The other goblins stood terrified and frozen in place—not one attempted to rescue their comrade!
Finally, the screams gradually faded. The goblin, completely drained of magical power, was casually discarded like dinner scraps, falling to the ground with a wet splat. Crimson blood slowly pooled beneath his motionless form.
Goblin leader Cook stood frozen, staring at his silent subordinate, feeling his own blood congealing with terror.
Why is this happening...? This time our goblins came out in full force, paying a tremendous price. This should have been an absolutely victorious war... Lord Ragnok...
Suddenly, a shadow fell over him from behind. Cook startled and spun around, meeting a pair of cobalt-blue eyes floating beneath white gauze! Like a mouse being targeted by a hunting hawk.
The cold amusement hidden in those eyes gripped Cook's heart like a giant, merciless hand.
"Are you afraid? Scared? Despairing?" Ethan asked with obvious relish. "Do you really want to die? Hahaha!"
Ethan watched the goblin leader's extremely terrified expression and couldn't help but smile, feeling incredibly pleased with himself.
People should really visit amusement parks more often to relax. Release pressure to stay happy. What? You ask what to do if there's no amusement park? Silly, you can build your own.
Cook froze for two seconds, then became furiously enraged! "Damned brat! Let me split that smug face of yours in half!"
Cook's eyes bulged with murderous rage. Roaring with desperate fury, he raised his enchanted axe high toward Ethan!
All the goblin corpses now lay scattered across the ground. The flowing blood had dyed the white earth a deep crimson red.
Ethan attempted to piece the goblin leader back together, but failed miserably. He straightened up with genuine regret.
Then he withdrew the Necronomicon from his robes, reciting the complex sacrificial incantation written within its ancient pages.
The Beast-Splitting Ritual begins!
"WodE: duZHe!doU+sHi... Da!sHuAi: :Bi..." The incantation was extraordinarily complex and lengthy.
If he hadn't unlocked the Well-Read skill that dramatically increased learning and comprehension speed, Ethan truly couldn't have mastered this spell in just dozens of minutes.
As the ethereal, spine-chilling incantation flowed from his lips, the earth bearing the goblin corpses gradually became transparent and mirror-like. Also resembling the surface of a windless lake.
Blood and flesh gradually sank into it, being devoured by whatever lay beneath. This made the mirror-like earth emanate an ancient ice-blue magical power, like exhaling frigid white breath.
Quite potent breath, carrying deathly, lifeless cold.
It must succeed... these are perfect sacrificial offerings that meet all requirements...
The goblins would surely hope their corpses after death could still be put to good use, right?
When the lengthy recitation finally finished, Ethan's forehead and back were covered in fine beads of sweat. A faint, otherworldly sigh seemed to ring by his ear—fleeting as a half-remembered dream.
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed the ritual!]
[Your sacrifice greatly pleased a high-ranking existence: The Maiden in the Mirror.]
[The Maiden in the Mirror awaits you.]
[When you return to reality, you can see her visage on any reflective surface.]
[Please don't keep her waiting too long.]
Success! Ethan's eyes lit up with triumph. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily and feeling the magical power in his body aching from complete exhaustion—not a single drop remained, all given to this mysterious "Maiden in the Mirror".
I wonder what powerful ancient magic she can teach me... According to Mr Black, it can restore werewolves to human form on full moon nights. It should also be powerful enough to combat those souls on the advancement path!
Ethan's eyes sparkled with anticipation, wishing he could return to the present world immediately!
He gulped down two Invigoration Potions and caught his breath. Feeling his body had barely recovered some strength, he stood up, intending to call Professor Lupin and Luna so they could return to modern times together.
Just then, Ethan turned his head and met Miss Eve Black, who was pointing her wand directly at him.
"You... so you're [Lamp]!" Miss Black spoke hoarsely, her eyes full of shock and wariness.
Hearing this accusation, Ethan raised an eyebrow but didn't respond immediately. This attitude appeared as confirmation to Eve.
"Light... Lamp... how didn't I think of it..." she murmured to herself.
This frost-white magic reminded her of the equally tragic "ice sculpture goblins" from not long ago. Just now it had been even worse.
That terrifying bone construct seemed to grow more vicious with every attack and explosion—pure crushing domination. The goblins who had been about to slaughter the camp had instantly become the slaughtered instead.
Rivers of blood everywhere!
Eve stared intently at the black-haired youth's handsome, deceptively harmless face, biting her lower lip with frustration.
Indeed, also targeting ancient magic. This time, rather than encountering a small-time thief, we brought back the actual boss.
Just then, Eve felt something cool pressing against her waist. Glancing sideways, she saw the blonde girl who had come with "Light" steadily holding her wand against Eve's back.
The girl's expression remained completely calm, and when their eyes met, those warm, clear blue eyes smiled at her pleasantly.
Eve stared for several seconds, then suddenly chuckled softly. "Heh."
She dropped her wand and raised both hands in surrender. Not because she was truly threatened by a little girl, but because she deeply understood that against this [Lamp], who far exceeded normal human capabilities, she had absolutely no chance of winning.
Looking determinedly at Ethan, she gritted her teeth: "Spare my subordinates... whatever you want to do to me... is up to you!"