The wind that lingered after the mist had dissipated still whipped around the hunters.

Ardena stood firm, her emerald eyes scanning the scene. The sight of wolves frozen like grotesque sculptures, trapped mid-attack, was chilling. But what truly took her breath away was the portal.

It was completely encased in thick, glistening ice that emitted a faint blue glow.

In all her years as a hunter... she had never seen anything like it.

"This... doesn't make sense," Ardena murmured, stepping cautiously toward one of the frozen wolves.

She touched the ice with her fingers and felt a biting cold seep through her gloves, as though the ice was hungry for her warmth.

A nearby hunter, his left sleeve entirely encased in ice, stumbled forward, aided by a companion carefully trying to chip away the frost.

"What the hell was that?! I've never seen a spell like this. What kind of power can do this?" the man asked, his voice thick with awe and fear.

"We don't even know if this was magic," Ardena replied, her brow furrowing. She raised her right hand, and a small whirlwind began to gather around her.

Wind magic was her specialty, and with a fluid motion, she unleashed a sharp gust toward one of the ice statues.

The wind struck with force, emitting a high-pitched whistle that made some hunters cover their ears. But when the attack hit the ice, nothing happened. No cracks, no chips.

"Impossible!" Ardena exclaimed, stepping back. She had used enough magic to cut through steel. The ice should not have withstood it.

"Ardena, what do we do about the ones trapped?" asked a young huntress, gesturing toward several affected comrades.

Some had their weapons frozen, others had parts of their arms or legs caught in layers of frost.

One woman clutched her right wrist, completely encased in ice. She trembled, not so much from the cold, but from the pain.

"I'll try something," Ardena said, approaching the woman.

She extended both hands, and a current of warm wind began to envelop the huntress's wrist, attempting to melt the ice without harming her.

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But after several seconds, the ice remained intact, as if mocking her efforts.

"This makes no damn sense," Ardena muttered, pulling her hands back in frustration. She turned to the rest of the group. "Does anyone have a clue what kind of monster could have done this?"

Before anyone could answer, a tall, burly man with a scar crossing his left cheek stepped forward.

His boots echoed against the icy ground as he approached, a group of hunters following close behind.

"It wasn't a monster," he said in a deep voice. "It was a boy."

Ardena stared at him in disbelief.

"A boy? What kind of boy could do something like this?"

"He was young, white-haired... and he held the front line from the moment he arrived," the man explained. "He was holding them back, buying time for us to regroup. Without him, we'd probably all be dead."

"And where is he now?" Ardena asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Someone said he went into the portal," another hunter added, nodding toward the frozen gateway. "But he wasn't alone. I saw something strange... a creature that wasn’t like the wolves. Maybe he went after it."

"A creature?" Ardena crossed her arms, deep in thought. The situation was getting more perplexing by the minute.

She clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Damn it, we can't even free our own hunters from this ice. What the hell was that idiot thinking, leaving this mess behind before disappearing?" Her voice was heavy with frustration.

A murmur began to spread among the hunters.

Some turned toward a figure approaching from the distance. It was a tall man in a striking red coat, standing out against the white of the ice and the gray sky.

His imposing presence made several hunters recognize him instantly.

"It's Ravel!" someone exclaimed.

"Ravel's here?" another asked, wide-eyed.

"The Crimson Hunter..." another murmured, visibly impressed.

Ravel smirked slightly at the mention of his name.

"Looks like the situation is even worse than I imagined," he said, stopping next to Ardena. His eyes scanned the field, lingering on the frozen portal. "Well, well... I didn’t expect anyone to be crazy enough to pull something like this."

"You know who did this?" Ardena asked, turning to him with a mix of interest and desperation.

Ravel shook his head.

"Not personally. But a healer from a previous incident mentioned someone with similar abilities. According to her, his hair turned white when he used his magic, but then it reverted to its natural brown."

"And do you know which guild he's from?" Ardena pressed.

"No clue," Ravel replied, folding his arms. "But someone with this level of power won't stay hidden for long. It’s only a matter of time before we all know his name."

Ardena gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath.

"If he's so strong, why leave this chaos without ensuring no one else gets hurt?"

"Maybe he didn’t have a choice," Ravel suggested with a shrug. "Or maybe he just doesn’t care."

"Well, can you help me unfreeze the affected hunters, or do you prefer to just stand there talking?" Ardena snapped sarcastically.

Ravel chuckled briefly.

"Of course. Let’s see what I can do."

He approached the woman with the frozen wrist, extending a hand that glowed with a faint warmth.

Ravel was a respected hunter, known for his fire magic, which could conjure swirling flames.

Slowly, the ice began to melt... but at an alarmingly slow pace.

"What the hell?" Ravel muttered, frowning. "Why is this so hard?"

"Take it seriously!" Ardena demanded, watching him with mounting frustration.

"Believe me, I am," Ravel replied, focusing harder. "Before, anyone could shatter the ice he created into pieces, but now... it's different."