Chapter 524

Chapter 524: Defense Without Offense

Midi faced a level 68 expert.

Behind this opponent loomed the "Ice Queen" Catherine herself.

Yet he openly declared his intent to kill this level 68 warrior and seize her Dragon Energy.

This wasn’t just a challenge—it was a direct insult to Catherine.

To many, such arrogance seemed suicidal.

Most spectators stared at Midi like he was already dead.

Even Catherine’s flawless pale face now flickered with unmistakable killing intent.

“Shelly,” she commanded, her voice icy enough to freeze the air, “I’ve reconsidered. Show no mercy. Kill this human.”

“By your will,” Shelly answered, hurling the Devouring Sound Orb skyward.

The alchemy-made treasure soared like a watchful eye, blanketing Arena 3 beneath it.

Ordinary Devouring Sound Orbs created silence barriers that weakened with each act of resistance until breaking.

But the eastern temple’s orb worked differently—it silenced only specific words.

Normal speech remained untouched. Only phrases like “I surrender” would be muted.

Useless in most situations, yet brutally efficient at blocking concessions.

With this orb active, Shelly could savor every moment of Midi’s suffering without fear of him yielding.

Yet Midi only smirked.

Provoking a Child of the Dragon was reckless, especially with their three-level gap. But when Catherine demanded his withdrawal, negotiation became impossible.

If conflict was inevitable, Midi would burn every bridge.

Stuck at peak-level 65, he needed a breakthrough. This level 68 Ice Mage would serve as his Grinding Stone—hard enough to sharpen him, but not unbreakable.

“Fight me!” Black Iron Dragon Flame erupted around Midi in a swirling vortex.

“Pathetic tricks,” Shelly scoffed. With a wave, she drowned the arena in a howling blizzard.

Midi had battled Ice Mages before:

The Wolfspider tribe’s slave warrior Ice Hand.

Ulhan the Battle Mage from the bonfire gathering, skilled in Ice Mage skills.

But compared to Shelly’s storm, they’d been children playing with frost.

Ice Mages’ greatest strength lies not in hurling chunks of ice to smash opponents, but in battlefield control.

Shelly represented the pinnacle of this control-focused approach.

She considered Midi’s teleportation skills his most dangerous weapon. For magic user professions, teleportation erased safe distances, allowing instant close-quarters strikes.

This was why Shelly immediately activated "Death Ice River" – a secret technique exclusive to the Ice Dragon Bloodline.

The frozen domain instantly blanketed the entire Arena.

Now coated in icy fragments, Midi’s speed dropped sharply while his power drained resisting the bone-chilling cold.

More crucially, Shelly could sense every inch of the Death Ice River’s coverage. No matter where Midi teleported – even mid-air – she’d detect him instantly.

With control established, Shelly layered three concentric Ice Shields around herself. The interlocking Ice Shards formed an impregnable frost castle.

This defense could withstand multiple level 68 Berserkers simultaneously. Against a mere Level 65 Demon Swordman? Shelly doubted Midi could scratch it.

Only after securing control and defense did icy energy coalesce in Shelly’s palms for offense.

Most Ice Mages relied on area attacks like Ice Dragon Dance to hit evasive foes. Shelly differed.

Her weapon was the obscure Ice Spirit Bow – a magic-forged longbow firing piercing ice arrows. Though powerful, most avoided this skill due to its precision demands.

But the Death Ice River granted Shelly perfect battlefield awareness. She could land shots blindfolded, even against teleporting targets.

Why use clumsy area attacks when she could unleash the bow’s superior attack power?

Her plan was set: the moment Midi teleported to slash her shields, she’d release five point-blank arrows. No Level 65 could dodge at that range. Even if he teleported away, she’d track him and maintain the deadly barrage until her Storm of Arrows pinned the human corpse to the Arena floor.

Yet Midi never teleported.

Through the Death Ice River’s haze, the Demon Swordman trudged toward Shelly step by heavy step.

"That guy…" Shelly and every watching fighter stared in disbelief.

Conventional wisdom demanded closing distance rapidly under such conditions – keep attacking the shields for breakthrough opportunities. But this human just… walked.

But if he didn’t attack, wasn’t he just waiting to die?

What did it mean to walk straight through the Death Ice River like this?

Was there some hidden lethal technique here?

Shelly couldn’t guess Midi’s intentions, but she soon abandoned speculation and attacked.

Action suited her better than thinking.

White streaks shot through the air – magic ice arrows from the Ice Spirit Bow, each powerful enough to pierce Star Ocean ironclad ships!

Midi didn’t dodge. His Horn King Greatsword swung upward with a roar.

Black Iron Dragon Flame met dazzling ice. The collision birthed wild storms!

Blocking rapid shots from a level 68 Ice Mage with Ice Dragon Bloodline and Ice Spirit Bow left Midi breathless. Even with True Dragon dual methods, their level gap mattered.

Yet after enduring the barrage, Midi’s lips curled faintly.

The ice arrows’ strength matched his predictions.

Ice Mages specialized in control. Shelly’s opening moves – Death Ice River and ice shield – betrayed her defensive instincts. Defense first, attack second. Secondary attacks couldn’t match pure offense.

For Level 65 Midi, this was perfect. Against a level 68 Berserker with special bloodline, he’d need instant trump cards or die. But a defense-focused Ice Mage?

Taking her attacks proved it. Shelly seemed dominant, but her strikes lacked lethal force. Midi feared nothing.

Instead, he’d use her Ice Spirit Bow as his Grinding Stone – tough, unyielding, giving him time to hone himself toward breakthrough.