Just a moment ago, the frost giants were full of fury, but now, they screamed in agony due to the intense burning pain, unable to even comprehend what had happened.
As creatures of the cold, frost giants, much like white dragons, feared fire-based spells the most. The intense heat brought unbearable pain, driving them to near madness.
The night sky was illuminated by the fiery glow.
Around Garon, frost giants lay writhing and howling in pain.
Holmes and the others were still engaged in battle with the frost giants, and the two white dragons showed no signs of quickly determining a victor.
Garon, observing the frost giants who were severely wounded but not yet dead, swiftly cast Fireball spells. With his current level of spellcasting, conjuring a third-level Fireball spell was nearly instantaneous.
Small, inconspicuous peas-sized fireballs traced bright arcs through the air, striking the struggling frost giants squarely on their heads.
Amid a series of booming explosions, the frost giants, already scorched by magma, were mercifully relieved of their suffering.
Hundreds of meters away, the elderly frost giant, now bearing a grave expression, had no chance to intervene.
Everything seemed to unfold slowly but actually happened in the blink of an eye. As soon as Garon had activated the time stop, sealing the fate of the frost giants, their doom was evident on their faces.
The elderly frost giant clenched its teeth and stared at Garon, grating out in Giant's tongue, word by word almost squeezed from between its teeth, "Young Time Dragon, I never imagined the legendary dragon species truly existed."
Garon stowed away the Staff of Flames, offering no confirmation or denial.
This elderly frost giant was the first creature to recognize his true identity.
"All things are possible," Garon replied in Giant's tongue as well.
Hearing the perfectly fluent Giant's tongue, the elderly frost giant was slightly taken aback, not expecting Garon to understand their language.
"My name is Baolis, chieftain of the Frost Tribe, the strongest frost giant of the Far Northern Ice Plains."
"To battle with the most mysterious of legendary dragon breeds in the final moments of what seems to be the end of my life, regardless of the outcome, is indeed a life well spent," the elderly frost giant spoke solemnly, stirring the chilly air around it into forming a thick and fierce ice armor.
This armor, dark blue and spiked at the elbows, knees, and shoulders, left no gaps, even covering the eyes with crystal-like visors.
A chillingly bright ice spear, wreathed in frosty air, materialized in its hand.
Hiss! The spear was thrown, piercing through hundreds of meters in an instant, aiming straight for Garon's heart.
As it moved, each step left deep impressions and cracks in the ground, trembling under the giant's weight.
Rather than charging at Garon, the giant moved to increase the distance, seemingly aware that getting closer could result in being frozen in time, a sitting duck for slaughter.
The elderly frost giant continued to chant complex spells, manipulating the elemental energies around it.
Garon, not wanting to prolong the battle, especially unsure of what last-ditch spells the centuries-old creature might have, fixed his gaze and slowed the giant with a Slow spell.
Every creature within his line of sight, no matter how fast, could not escape the Slow spell; they were all caught in the river of time.
Simultaneously, Garon shifted like a flash of silver lightning to the side, easily dodging the ice spear.
The elderly frost giant's movements became sluggish as the Slow spell took effect, visibly slowing down.
Garon's wings vibrated, and he shot up into the sky, then streaked down like a rocket towards the elderly frost giant.
To be cautious, it was best to finish it with a Time Stop.
Accelerating while the giant was slowed, Garon closed the distance in an instant.
The elder frost giant's eyes showed shock, not expecting that it could not widen the gap between them.
In a rush, it conjured sharp ice crystals that swirled up from the ground like a tornado, directly targeting Garon with a chilling screech of air slicing through the atmosphere.
Garon, turning upward, narrowly avoided the ice storm.
What should have been a close call looked effortless due to his seamless and fluid motions.
From above, Garon looked down on the elderly frost giant, once again becoming a streak of silver light.
As the frost giant's magic power drained rapidly, it raised its hand slowly and then clenched it hard.
Accompanying this guiding gesture, the spell completed.
A fifth-level Transmutation spell, Arctic Prison, manifested.
Frost and ice crystals suddenly appeared on Garon's surface.
The intense cold burst forth almost instantaneously, and thick ice formed, encasing Garon.
Frozen solid, Garon seemed immobilized.
After the spell took effect, the elderly
frost giant conjured a chillingly sharp ice axe.
With both hands gripping the axe, it leaped high, the ground crumbling under the force of its jump.
Muscles bulging, the axe sliced through the air with a howling wind, swinging horizontally towards Garon's neck.
This was its one chance, and thinking of slaying a Time Dragon brought an ecstatic smile to the elder frost giant's face.
However, the frost giant did not expect the forces of time, undeterred by the ice, to ripple out like water, instantly turning everything around into a still zone of Time Stop.
Crackling sounds filled the air as dense cracks appeared on the icy surface.
Boom! Large chunks of ice shattered, scattering everywhere.
Garon unfurled his wings and emerged from confinement.
Looking down at the still, axe-wielding elderly frost giant, he shook his head.
"The misconception of being able to turn the tables is indeed the most common illusion."
Being encased in ice did not affect his ability to wield time powers.
As the white dragons battled the frost giants, seeing their leader in peril, they were enraged, drawing some strength despite the dragons' fierce attacks to hurl ice spears at Garon.
Garon didn't even look.
The ice spears, barely entering the Time Stop zone, halted at its edge, unable to advance further.
"It's over," Garon declared, opening his maw towards the elderly frost giant.
An invisible, intangible breath of time plunder surged forth in a straight line, striking the immobile elder frost giant directly.
The heavily armored frost giant's defenses were useless against this.
The breath of time plunder penetrated the ice armor and entered the giant's body.
Inside the armor, Garon couldn't see, but he felt clearly as its life force rapidly dwindled—a sense of aging, weakness, and frailty spreading quickly.
The over seven-hundred-year-old frost giant aged rapidly under the effect of the time plunder, nearing the end of its lifespan swiftly.
Ten seconds later, the life force of the elderly frost giant completely ceased, and it died, frozen in time, still poised in the moment of its leap, then died in the Time Stop.
Simultaneously, Garon sighed, releasing the Time Stop, feeling somewhat drained.
Maintaining the Time Stop while unleashing the breath of time plunder, especially with the substantial consumption of time powers in those ten seconds, was taxing for Garon.
Thud! The body of the elderly frost giant fell from midair, crashing to the ground, creating numerous cracks.
With no magic to sustain it, its ice armor shattered, revealing the lifeless body beneath.
The ice-blue skin, the robust body, the iron-like muscles—it still looked formidable, with eyes wide open and no visible injuries.
But it was indeed dead, its eyes vacant, leaving behind only a strong, tall shell.
Garon shifted his gaze from the body of the elderly frost giant and looked around.
The frost giant tribe, usually well-ordered but now a scene of devastation from the battle of such large creatures, lay in ruins. The ground was riddled with cracks, buildings collapsed, and fire and frost spread everywhere.
Some juvenile frost giants, hiding in buildings too afraid to venture out, died in the aftermath, while others, their eyes filled with hatred, cursed the attacking dragon.
Garon wasted no time.
He felt tired and was eager to rest.
His wings stirred, and he arrived almost instantly at the site where the winter wolves clashed with the frost giants.
The area was littered with the bodies of wolves, including numerous wild wolves and magical wolves, and one fierce wolf with a crushed skull.
Some of the winter wolves sustained serious injuries, but fortunately, none were fatal.
Their opponents, four frost giants—two adults and two young ones—were covered in scratches and bite marks, drenched in blood but still displaying vigorous vitality, not even severely wounded.
The fierce frost tiger pounced from the side, extending its paw.
A young frost giant, as if anticipating the attack, suddenly turned and dodged the pounce while swinging its axe towards the back of the fierce frost tiger.
Before the winter wolves could assist the fierce frost tiger, a giant silver dragon shadow flashed by.
Whoosh! The roaring wind couldn't keep up with Garon's speed, arriving too late.
He flicked his claw, discarding the body of a young frost giant he had pierced through the heart, then, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, whirled through the bodies, swiftly killing the frost giants who had just come to their senses.
"Well done," he briefly praised the Wolfheart clan before leaving the area, turning his gaze towards the six frost giants battling the white dragon guards.
Holmes and Grahame's dragon scales were heavily damaged, bleeding slightly, and the frost giants bore marks of being torn by dragon claws.
Pea-sized fireballs flew out swiftly, hitting the frost giants' large heads with precision.
The sudden explosions startled the white dragons; realizing the
Just a moment ago, the frost giants were full of fury, but now, they screamed in agony due to the intense burning pain, unable to even comprehend what had happened.
As creatures of the cold, frost giants, much like white dragons, feared fire-based spells the most. The intense heat brought unbearable pain, driving them to near madness.
The night sky was illuminated by the fiery glow.
Around Garon, frost giants lay writhing and howling in pain.
Holmes and the others were still engaged in battle with the frost giants, and the two white dragons showed no signs of quickly determining a victor.
Garon, observing the frost giants who were severely wounded but not yet dead, swiftly cast Fireball spells. With his current level of spellcasting, conjuring a third-level Fireball spell was nearly instantaneous.
Small, inconspicuous peas-sized fireballs traced bright arcs through the air, striking the struggling frost giants squarely on their heads.
Amid a series of booming explosions, the frost giants, already scorched by magma, were mercifully relieved of their suffering.
Hundreds of meters away, the elderly frost giant, now bearing a grave expression, had no chance to intervene.
Everything seemed to unfold slowly but actually happened in the blink of an eye. As soon as Garon had activated the time stop, sealing the fate of the frost giants, their doom was evident on their faces.
The elderly frost giant clenched its teeth and stared at Garon, grating out in Giant's tongue, word by word almost squeezed from between its teeth, "Young Time Dragon, I never imagined the legendary dragon species truly existed."
Garon stowed away the Staff of Flames, offering no confirmation or denial.
This elderly frost giant was the first creature to recognize his true identity.
"All things are possible," Garon replied in Giant's tongue as well.
Hearing the perfectly fluent Giant's tongue, the elderly frost giant was slightly taken aback, not expecting Garon to understand their language.
"My name is Baolis, chieftain of the Frost Tribe, the strongest frost giant of the Far Northern Ice Plains."
"To battle with the most mysterious of legendary dragon breeds in the final moments of what seems to be the end of my life, regardless of the outcome, is indeed a life well spent," the elderly frost giant spoke solemnly, stirring the chilly air around it into forming a thick and fierce ice armor.
This armor, dark blue and spiked at the elbows, knees, and shoulders, left no gaps, even covering the eyes with crystal-like visors.
A chillingly bright ice spear, wreathed in frosty air, materialized in its hand.
Hiss! The spear was thrown, piercing through hundreds of meters in an instant, aiming straight for Garon's heart.
As it moved, each step left deep impressions and cracks in the ground, trembling under the giant's weight.
Rather than charging at Garon, the giant moved to increase the distance, seemingly aware that getting closer could result in being frozen in time, a sitting duck for slaughter.
The elderly frost giant continued to chant complex spells, manipulating the elemental energies around it.
Garon, not wanting to prolong the battle, especially unsure of what last-ditch spells the centuries-old creature might have, fixed his gaze and slowed the giant with a Slow spell.
Every creature within his line of sight, no matter how fast, could not escape the Slow spell; they were all caught in the river of time.
Simultaneously, Garon shifted like a flash of silver lightning to the side, easily dodging the ice spear.
The elderly frost giant's movements became sluggish as the Slow spell took effect, visibly slowing down.
Garon's wings vibrated, and he shot up into the sky, then streaked down like a rocket towards the elderly frost giant.
To be cautious, it was best to finish it with a Time Stop.
Accelerating while the giant was slowed, Garon closed the distance in an instant.
The elder frost giant's eyes showed shock, not expecting that it could not widen the gap between them.
In a rush, it conjured sharp ice crystals that swirled up from the ground like a tornado, directly targeting Garon with a chilling screech of air slicing through the atmosphere.
Garon, turning upward, narrowly avoided the ice storm.
What should have been a close call looked effortless due to his seamless and fluid motions.
From above, Garon looked down on the elderly frost giant, once again becoming a streak of silver light.
As the frost giant's magic power drained rapidly, it raised its hand slowly and then clenched it hard.
Accompanying this guiding gesture, the spell completed.
A fifth-level Transmutation spell, Arctic Prison, manifested.
Frost and ice crystals suddenly appeared on Garon's surface.
The intense cold burst forth almost instantaneously, and thick ice formed, encasing Garon.
Frozen solid, Garon seemed immobilized.
After the spell took effect, the elderly
frost giant conjured a chillingly sharp ice axe.
With both hands gripping the axe, it leaped high, the ground crumbling under the force of its jump.
Muscles bulging, the axe sliced through the air with a howling wind, swinging horizontally towards Garon's neck.
This was its one chance, and thinking of slaying a Time Dragon brought an ecstatic smile to the elder frost giant's face.
However, the frost giant did not expect the forces of time, undeterred by the ice, to ripple out like water, instantly turning everything around into a still zone of Time Stop.
Crackling sounds filled the air as dense cracks appeared on the icy surface.
Boom! Large chunks of ice shattered, scattering everywhere.
Garon unfurled his wings and emerged from confinement.
Looking down at the still, axe-wielding elderly frost giant, he shook his head.
"The misconception of being able to turn the tables is indeed the most common illusion."
Being encased in ice did not affect his ability to wield time powers.
As the white dragons battled the frost giants, seeing their leader in peril, they were enraged, drawing some strength despite the dragons' fierce attacks to hurl ice spears at Garon.
Garon didn't even look.
The ice spears, barely entering the Time Stop zone, halted at its edge, unable to advance further.
"It's over," Garon declared, opening his maw towards the elderly frost giant.
An invisible, intangible breath of time plunder surged forth in a straight line, striking the immobile elder frost giant directly.
The heavily armored frost giant's defenses were useless against this.
The breath of time plunder penetrated the ice armor and entered the giant's body.
Inside the armor, Garon couldn't see, but he felt clearly as its life force rapidly dwindled—a sense of aging, weakness, and frailty spreading quickly.
The over seven-hundred-year-old frost giant aged rapidly under the effect of the time plunder, nearing the end of its lifespan swiftly.
Ten seconds later, the life force of the elderly frost giant completely ceased, and it died, frozen in time, still poised in the moment of its leap, then died in the Time Stop.
Simultaneously, Garon sighed, releasing the Time Stop, feeling somewhat drained.
Maintaining the Time Stop while unleashing the breath of time plunder, especially with the substantial consumption of time powers in those ten seconds, was taxing for Garon.
Thud! The body of the elderly frost giant fell from midair, crashing to the ground, creating numerous cracks.
With no magic to sustain it, its ice armor shattered, revealing the lifeless body beneath.
The ice-blue skin, the robust body, the iron-like muscles—it still looked formidable, with eyes wide open and no visible injuries.
But it was indeed dead, its eyes vacant, leaving behind only a strong, tall shell.
Garon shifted his gaze from the body of the elderly frost giant and looked around.
The frost giant tribe, usually well-ordered but now a scene of devastation from the battle of such large creatures, lay in ruins. The ground was riddled with cracks, buildings collapsed, and fire and frost spread everywhere.
Some juvenile frost giants, hiding in buildings too afraid to venture out, died in the aftermath, while others, their eyes filled with hatred, cursed the attacking dragon.
Garon wasted no time.
He felt tired and was eager to rest.
His wings stirred, and he arrived almost instantly at the site where the winter wolves clashed with the frost giants.
The area was littered with the bodies of wolves, including numerous wild wolves and magical wolves, and one fierce wolf with a crushed skull.
Some of the winter wolves sustained serious injuries, but fortunately, none were fatal.
Their opponents, four frost giants—two adults and two young ones—were covered in scratches and bite marks, drenched in blood but still displaying vigorous vitality, not even severely wounded.
The fierce frost tiger pounced from the side, extending its paw.
A young frost giant, as if anticipating the attack, suddenly turned and dodged the pounce while swinging its axe towards the back of the fierce frost tiger.
Before the winter wolves could assist the fierce frost tiger, a giant silver dragon shadow flashed by.
Whoosh! The roaring wind couldn't keep up with Garon's speed, arriving too late.
He flicked his claw, discarding the body of a young frost giant he had pierced through the heart, then, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, whirled through the bodies, swiftly killing the frost giants who had just come to their senses.
"Well done," he briefly praised the Wolfheart clan before leaving the area, turning his gaze towards the six frost giants battling the white dragon guards.
Holmes and Grahame's dragon scales were heavily damaged, bleeding slightly, and the frost giants bore marks of being torn by dragon claws.
Pea-sized fireballs flew out swiftly, hitting the frost giants' large heads with precision.
The sudden explosions startled the white dragons; realizing the
