Above the rain-soaked plaza of the White Wolf Gang, the atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Nivian people with white hair and blue eyes surrounded the square, each holding various makeshift weapons and farm tools. Their eyes, filled with caution and fear, were fixed on the middle-aged man standing at the center, casually smoking a cigar, and his two subordinates behind him.

Despite the torrential rain, his slightly worn HoundGuards uniform remained oddly dry, and the flame on his cigar showed no sign of diminishing.

At the man's feet lay a young Nivian in agony, his complexion a deathly pale, flames still consuming his body, and a gaping, charred hole through his chest.

Seeing this scene, despite outnumbering their adversaries with over twenty members, the members of the White Wolf Gang hesitated, shrinking back in fear, except for a pair of twin youths, none dared to step forward.

All because the man was Vice-Captain Kenneth of the HoundGuards, also known as the Ashwarden, a battle-hardened warrior who had once saved a dying duke from an enemy encirclement. His moniker was derived from such deeds.

"Kenneth... we had an agreement," said Hati, one of the twin youths standing before Kenneth, clenching his teeth in suppressed rage. "The White Wolf Gang was to monitor and deal with the other two gangs, and in turn, the HoundGuards wouldn't kill Nivians in the slums indiscriminately. We agreed to this!"

Seeing a fellow clansman punched through the chest and left in a grisly death right before his eyes, Hati, one of the leaders of the White Wolf Gang, could only watch, his fists clenched until they bled, containing his inner fury.

He knew all too well that if Kenneth were provoked, everyone in the White Wolf Gang could be reduced to ash, so despite being like a dog kept by the HoundGuards in the slums, he had to swallow his anger.

Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, Hati's pupils dilated.

Yes, things were different now. After consuming that suspiciously expensive potion from the black market merchant, he was no longer the helpless prey, the fish on the chopping block.

The thought of resistance emerged, his tightly clenched fist slightly uncurled, and a wave of energy began to emanate from the wound in his palm. However, his twin brother and fellow clan leader, the more composed Skoll, caught his eye and signaled him to desist.

"Ha, foolish white rats, daring to obstruct our Vice-Captain's path, even dying is futile," mocked one of Kenneth's subordinates.

"A bunch of stateless wretches who live here only by the Baron's mercy, what right do you have to negotiate terms with us?" added another subordinate.

Kenneth stood still, simply raising his hand and shaking off the ashes of a heart and lung fragment that had pierced a Nivian's heart, as if flicking dust off his fingers.

"Ha——" He moved the cigar away from his mouth and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. His muscular frame, clad in a black and red uniform, shuddered as if relaxing. "Getting older—my joints ache with every rainfall. Don't make me wait, hand over the culprits who attacked the HoundGuards, or else..."

“You bastards...”

Fury nearly drove Hati to lose his composure, but luckily his brother Skoll stepped forward, stopping him just in time.

"Let me repeat, we have no idea what you're talking about," Skoll responded calmly. "I swear, the attack on your nephew Karl has nothing to do with our White Wolf gang. No one here has the power to strike a squad of all First-Ringed sorcerers."

An ambush on a single First-Ringed mage might be plausible, but when mages with complementary attributes team up, even the constantly hungry Nivians could pose a threat.

This was a perfectly rational argument, undeniable even by the most critical municipal court judge. Unfortunately, Skoll and Hati were not dealing with rule-abiders.

"Is that so?" Kenneth drawled, taking another puff of his cigar and casually lifting his ring-laden left hand.

The next moment, he swung his hand down, and his two subordinates stepped forward with cruel smiles, their hands lighting up with the glow of purple First-Ringed 5 stars and green First-Ringed 6 stars arcane circles.

“Fulmen Penetrans!”

“Ventus Sagitta!”

The spells were cast without hesitation, but the targets of the two HoundGuards were not armed combatants but a defenseless old Nivian woman.

“No!”

Hati's roar was unable to prevent the atrocity. As the arcane rings glimmered with light, a bolt of lightning and a gust of wind-formed arrow were conjured simultaneously, striking the defenseless old woman with lethal precision.

*Hiss*

The dual spells, one of searing electricity and the other of piercing wind, met no resistance as they ruthlessly penetrated her chest and head. Horrifying wounds were left in their wake, blood spewing wildly from the gaping holes.

*Thud*

Her eyes wide with shock, old woman's body fell straight to the ground, blood gushing. Her limbs twitched weakly a few times before stilling forever.

"Ah—!"

"Grandma Margarita!"

Blood stained the water pooled on the square, screams and gasps woven into a tapestry of terror and fury. Several hands tightened on their bows and crudely made crossbows, aiming directly at the two HoundGuards' subordinates.

"Don't attack!" Skoll shouted loudly, his body trembling with anger, yet he forced himself to remain calm, desperately restraining his twin brother behind him. "Kenneth, this is demonstration enough. Everyone understands now, we can fulfill any demand, so..."

Skoll's voice was almost pleading, just as he had once sworn fealty to Kenneth in exchange for the safety of the White Wolf Gang, serving as their strategist meant his reason must always prevail, otherwise, the consequences were unthinkable.

But Kenneth was clearly unimpressed.

With another wave of his hand, the two HoundGuards subordinates targeted the next victim and struck again!

"Fulmen Penetrans!"

"Ventus Sagitta!"

This time, their target was a young Nivian woman in a hood, warned by the tragic fate of the old woman, she almost immediately dived behind a building the moment she saw the Arcane Rings flicker.

*Hiss*

"Aaaaah!"

Still, the high-speed magical attacks pierced her thigh and flank, shearing off her entire right leg and half of her abdomen, leaving a gaping, blood-spewing wound.

"No...don't..." The gravely injured girl clearly understood her predicament, but the remaining instinct to survive drove her to crawl forward in agony, leaving behind a river-like trail of blood on the steps of the square.

Despite the fatal injury, she couldn't end her suffering as quickly as the old woman had, and remained painfully aware as her life ebbed away...

"You...!" Even the usually composed Skoll was about to curse out loud, the lethal skills they had only recently acquired beginning to form in their concealed hands.

"Next, one every ten seconds until you hand over the murderer, or..." Kenneth's voice suddenly deepened, a chilling aura spreading, "explain the little schemes you've been plotting behind my back."

At these words, Skoll and Hati's eyes widened dramatically, cold sweat sliding down their bulging veins on their foreheads, as if even the air around them had frozen.

"Ten...nine...eight..."

The deadly countdown made all the Nivian people shiver, yet their eyes still sparkled with trust, looking up to their leaders, Hati and Skoll.

"Seven...six...five...four..."

The two HoundGuards lifted their hands, selecting their imminent targets, their eyes filled with a murderous frenzy.

Thus, they overlooked something far more crucial.

*Crackle——*

A sound almost imperceptible in the storm spread, accompanied by a sudden chill.

"It's getting cold...?"

"Vice-Captain, this—"

The two subordinates in front of Kenneth had just started to sense something when, in the next instant, they saw the Nivian twins, who had been playing along, suddenly erupt and charge at them ferociously!

What shocked the two HoundGuards, even more, was the sight of bright blue Arcane Rings appearing in the hands of the twin brothers!

"Frost Claws!" As if finally releasing their pent-up rage, Hati roared, lifting his hands high as the rain on his fingertips rapidly formed into half-arm-length icy claws.

"Ice Spear!" Skoll, too, was beyond furious, thrusting his hands into the puddle below with a powerful slam, then fiercely pulling out a man-and-a-half-tall ice spear and a shorter one from the splashing water.

Confusion, vigilance, disbelief—the minds of the two HoundGuards exploded in chaos, and their moment of hesitation cost them their best chance to retreat.

"Ventus—"

"Fulmen—"

Before the two could chant their spells, the sharp frost weapons were already upon them, forcing them to abandon casting and attempt to retreat.

"Don't even think about it!" Skoll, cunning and quick-witted, saw right through them, throwing the ice short-spear with his right hand, driving it into the ground between the two HoundGuards!

*Crack*

"Damn! Can't move—"

The HoundGuards thought Skoll had missed, but they soon found that the ice short-spear had frozen the surrounding water, solidifying their feet to the ground!

As the furiously strategic brothers advanced—

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

*Thwack*

"Aaargh—cough..."

With claws slashing across the throat and a long spear piercing through the eye and into the head, Hati and Skoll’s ambush was a display of flawless coordination, leaving no chance for their adversaries to react. In a single bout, they had simultaneously dispatched two core attack mages of the HoundGuards, killing them on the spot!

*Shlick*

As they withdrew their weapons, blood and brain matter splattered across the young twins' faces. Unaccustomed to killing, they were visibly unprepared for the psychological impact, but their anger and combativeness quickly allowed them to regain composure, readying themselves to face the next, truly formidable foe—

"Hmph, such fools to be killed so easily; that's why I say these young ones lack efficiency."

Kenneth, the Ashwarden, stood nonchalantly as his subordinates lay dead before him. He simply flicked the ash from his thick cigar, eyeing Hati and Skoll with an intrigued gaze, seemingly unaffected by the carnage unfolding around him.

"Two grown brats who can't even chant ancient magical words suddenly awaken as Cryomancers... As you age, you truly encounter all manner of curiosities." Observing the bright blue arcane rings floating beside their hands, Kenneth chuckled softly, "Or should I say, it's no surprise, given you Nivians are descendants of that Frozen Revenant?"

"Don't you dare mention that name!" At the mention, Hati's rage intensified. With a swift gesture towards the ground, he conjured a pair of frosty combat boots from the pooling rainwater and launched himself at high speed towards Kenneth.

*Whoosh—*

"Don't let him provoke you!" Though Skoll spoke thus, he mirrored his brother's actions, forming a pair of ice-enhanced boots and conjuring a mismatched pair of spears, long and short, from the spray of water, and followed Hati's aggressive lead.

Facing the charging brothers, Kenneth's smirk grew tinged with a hint of excitement as he gripped the still-burning cigar at his lips, letting the ember burn brightly in his palm.

"Alright, let's play then, Ignis."

*Boom*

A single orange arcane ring lit up on Kenneth's left hand, and simultaneously, the ember from his cigar ignited his entire arm.

"One ring to one ring, come at me!" Kenneth grinned, clenching his left fist as the flames solidified around it, transforming into a gauntlet of molten lava.

*Huff*

"Ice Spikes!" The first to strike, Hati felt a wave of scorching air mixed with vaporized rain assault him. He didn't hesitate, flinging forward icy claws that solidified and sharpened with the moisture, morphing into ten piercing ice spikes aimed directly at Kenneth's vital joints and pressure points.

Unperturbed, Kenneth merely sidestepped, dodging half of the ice spikes effortlessly while the rest melted away when they neared the fiery heat of his gauntlet.

"Ice Claws!" Recognizing that simple moves wouldn't faze the formidable Ashwarden, Hati reformed the ice claws on his hands and swiftly skated up to Kenneth for close combat.

"Hand-to-hand, eh? Got some spirit!" Kenneth seemed pleasantly surprised, the flames on his hand flaring even more intensely.

Undeterred by his opponent's ease, Hati launched an initial assault, ducking low to avoid the heat radiating from the gauntlet, then lashed out with his icy claws aiming for Kenneth's face!

*Crack*

But just as Hati's claws reached out, they were shattered by Kenneth's solid right punch, leaving only shallow scratches on his skin.

"Tch!" Realizing the tide was against him, Hati's frosty boots burst forth with cold air, propelling him backwards just in time to escape Kenneth's fiery follow-up punch.

*Thud*

The heavy gauntlet pounded the ground, stirring up a cloud of steam and debris, shaking the square momentarily.

Seizing the opportunity, the ever-vigilant Skoll charged forward. As Kenneth struggled to extract his left hand from the ground, Skoll threw his short spear into the ground, freezing the surrounding puddles, and then with his long spear he stabbed towards Kenneth's throat.

"Child's play."

A wave of intense heat burst from Kenneth, instantly shattering Skoll's setup. Quick as a flash, Kenneth grabbed the tip of the icy long spear, yanked it fiercely, throwing Skoll off balance and revealing his vulnerabilities.

"Ice Shield!" In a dire moment, Skoll quickly recast, transforming his long spear into a circular shield of ice to block in front.

*Thud*

A heavy stomp landed on the shield, the impact nearly dazing Skoll and filling his vision with stars as the shield cracked under the force.

"Now!" Despite the peril, Skoll's face lit up with grim determination. His arcane ring flickered again, and the shield shattered completely, turning into countless ice crystals that ensnared Kenneth's boots.

With a brotherly understanding that needed no words, the sensitive Skoll had anticipated Hati's intuition.

*Whoosh whoosh*

The ice boots granted Hati exceptional mobility in the rain. Taking advantage of the moment Kenneth struggled to free his flame-wrapped fist, Hati had already circled to his back, once more forming and firing his ice claws, forcing Kenneth to release Skoll and dodge swiftly.

"Ice Spear-Maxima!"

Hardly had Kenneth dodged the ice claws when Skoll, still on the ground, splashed the gathered water, instantly firing several slender ice spears aimed directly at Kenneth's unprotected right hand.

*Pthh*

This time, Kenneth's dodge came a fraction too late. An ice spear completely pierced through his right palm, and his arm was slashed multiple times, sprouting blood-colored ice crystals at the wounds.

Meanwhile, the nearly unharmed brothers regrouped on the frost-covered ground, their weapons forming anew from the relentless rain, their movements seemingly effortless.

"It worked...!" A vengeful smile broke on Hati's face as he sensed their slight triumph.

"Don't be too careless," warned Skoll, his mana slightly depleted from casting their most potent spells, though his grief was somewhat alleviated.

Under the downpour, their frost magic was exceptionally effective, providing an almost endless supply of weaponry. In contrast, Kenneth's flames, though still formidable, were evidently diminished.

The brothers' combat style lacked any formal training; their novice status in martial arts was evident. However, through their innate synergy and newly acquired powers, they were holding their own against Kenneth.

"Oooooo!" The Nivians, initially tense and fearful, erupted in cheers as they witnessed their leaders gaining the upper hand.

"Go, Hati! Finish him!"

"Make them pay for everything, Skoll!"

After years of oppression by the HoundGuards, the leaders were finally giving their people something to celebrate. How could they not revel in this moment?

With the ability to stand against the HoundGuards and even match Kenneth, this signified that from now on, the brothers and their White Wolf gang, along with all of Ironwood's Nivians, would no longer be lambs to the slaughter in this cruel, survival-of-the-fittest world.

"Nice..." Feeling the numbness and extreme cold in his right hand, Kenneth nodded slightly. "Then I guess it's time I stopped holding back."

"All out? How quaint," scoffed Hati, unimpressed.

Even though Kenneth was already injured, unleashing his full power didn't guarantee his victory, especially not here and not now—

As Hati entertained hopeful thoughts, Kenneth merely patted the ice spear wound on his right hand. The simple gesture astonishingly melted the maximized ice spear into water, sealing the bleeding wound with burns.

And the next moment, what lit up on Kenneth's right hand sent shivers down their spines.

*Hum—*

Another bright orange Arcane Ring—the mark of a Second-Ringed mage!

"A Second-Ringed! He's a Second-Ringed mage!"

"How can this be... Aren't Second-Ringed mages supposed to stay out of city affairs?!"

A renewed wave of dread swept through the onlookers. Few Nivians had ever witnessed the power of a Second-Ringed mage, but that didn't lessen their fear of the title.

*Sizzling*

Just like before, the brilliant firelight reignited, and this time the flames engulfed both of Kenneth's arms.

"Make it quick!" Alerted by the renewed threat, Hati's heart raced as his ice boots sped up, initiating another assault.

Unsure of what a Second-Ringed mage could truly do, Hati knew he had to strike Kenneth off-guard now to prevent any prolonged combat.

But before he could get close, a dangerous wave of searing heat mixed with steam surged towards him.

"Ignis Tectum Augeo."

With his first full chant of the battle, Kenneth's left-hand arcane ring flared, shooting forth blazing tongues of fire that completely enveloped his arms.

"Ignis Crepitus Acceleratio."

Following another chant, Kenneth crouched down, his right-hand arcane ring disappearing only to reappear at his feet, gathering furious fiery energy.

*Boom*

With an explosive burst, Kenneth's figure accelerated dramatically. In the next instant, the brothers saw his flaming arms streak through the rain like a meteor, leaving a fiery trail aimed straight at them.

"Dodge!"

Skoll, following closely behind Hati, reacted swiftly, shoving his twin brother to the side, away from the deadly trajectory of the fire meteor.

Almost at the same moment he pushed Hati aside, a roaring flame punch enveloped in steam and ferocity, aimed straight for Skoll's face.

Facing the full force of a Second-Ringed mage's double spellcasting, evasion was too late. All Hati could manage was to raise his icy shield—

*Boom—*

Then came the sounds of the explosion of flames, the shattering of the ice shield, and the crushing of bones—all in chorus!

The collision of ice and fire created billowing steam, from which a figure was violently thrown backwards, crashing to the ground, his clothes torn and tattered.

"Skoll!?" Hati, who had narrowly escaped the fray, cried out as he hurried over. "Answer me!"

As he approached, the grim state of his brother became apparent.

The ice shield and the entire right arm that held it were gone, vaporized by the fierce heat and impact. The right shoulder lay in fragments, and half of Skoll's body, along with his clothes, were scorched black by the explosive flames.

It was just the first strike from Kenneth, unleashed in full force—an effortless blow that had utterly defeated Skoll, a defender by nature.

"Cough, cough—" With his vision blurring from the severe hit, Skoll was nearly knocked unconscious with pain but managed to gasp out a few words: "Run... fast!"

That single strike made it clear to him that there was an insurmountable gap between them, who had only recently awakened as self-taught novice mages, and Kenneth the Ashwarden.

Experience, knowledge, the arsenal of learned spells, the total mana within—one truly understands the chasm between a First-Ringed mage and a Second-Ringed mage only when faced with one. It was not merely a gap describable by concepts, nor something that could be bridged with tactics or skill.

*Step*

In Skoll's despairing gaze, Kenneth, his arms ablaze, stepped out of the steam, casually tossing aside what had been reduced to ashes in his hand—Skoll’s right arm.

"Everyone, attack!"

Seeing this, one of the elder Nivians, who appeared quite authoritative, shouted the command even before their leaders could react.

*Whizz whizz whizz*

The Nivians, having already aimed at Kenneth's detestable head, released their crossbows and bows together, but the scrap-made arrowheads, before they could inflict harm, were blocked by his burning arms, turned to molten iron and ash.

"Keep shooting! Don't stop! Buy time for the leaders—Aaaahhhhh!"

The elder's words were cut short as Kenneth casually hurled a fireball, igniting the man's body, causing him to writhe and twist in agony from the intense heat. Kenneth then slowly advanced towards Hati, who was trying to stem Skoll's bleeding. Each step he took fell on burning rubble and shattered stone, the flames licking at his feet while a twisted smile of bloodlust played on his lips.

"It's your turn, nail-playing little pup," Kenneth announced, his arms ablaze with flames that seemed to surge with his mounting excitement.

"I'll tear you to pieces!"

Enraged, Hati momentarily forgot his brother's advice. Waving his icy claws, he launched attack after attack, his body lunging forward like a frenzied beast, determined to dismember this foe who had harmed his kin.

*Sizzle sizzle*

"Is that all you've got?" Kenneth casually raised a hand, evaporating the ice claws with the heat from his hands, "Then let's end this."

*Boom*

Another explosion under Kenneth's feet propelled him forward, leaving a straight trail of flames.

In desperation, Hati attempted to block with his ice claws, but Kenneth's fist shattered through the ice, slamming Hati to the ground. Another heavy, forceful punch then crushed Hati's left leg!

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

*Crack*

Kenneth didn't stop his onslaught; the next stomp shattered Hati's right leg.

"Boring... I thought you'd be more entertaining."

As Hati lay defeated, the excitement faded from Kenneth's eyes, turning towards the approaching Nivians.

"Ahhhhh! Attack!"

"Help the leader! Drive this monster out!"

In their desperation, the Nivians roared angrily, launching arrows and crossbow bolts at Kenneth. Yet before Kenneth's fiery aura, all were incinerated, his body surrounded by a shield of flame that turned any approaching object to ash.

"Just amusing myself with these pests…"

Kenneth muttered under his breath, advancing towards the Nivians who continued their assault in desperation.

"Don't... I'll do anything, just don't hurt them..." Hati, gripping Kenneth's boot with trembling hands and nearly pleading, realized what he was about to do.

But Kenneth merely shook off his grasp, commencing a senseless slaughter.

"By the way."

His fiery fist pierced through a Nivian's chest, charring it instantly.

"As for Karl's affair, I knew you didn't have the guts."

A fiery meteor smashed a skull and burned through a house.

"I just don't like it when presumptuous rats on my turf conspire with foxes, trying to buy fangs that aren't theirs to own."

-Break-

Julius shifted his hand away from the charred sword in front of the sword mound, a tear sliding down his cheek.

The sword's Karma conveyed the sorrow and despair of the deceased, filling in the last part of what had happened here.

He could not bear to press the few surviving children for details of the incident. Instead, he touched the weapons of the deceased one by one, piecing together the entire event from their fragmented Karmas—even though it further drained what little remained of his soul.

These people, without exception, had been affected by his raid on Karl’s squad, and even though Kenneth was the one who had mercilessly killed, Julius couldn't shirk his responsibility.

Therefore, the duty of rescuing the two leaders of the White Wolf Gang, Hati and Skoll, naturally fell on Julius's shoulders—a duty he could not avoid.

"Traditionally, we Nivians have no funerals," said the surviving girl who had previously attacked Julius due to a misunderstanding. "We lay our kin's bodies on the frozen earth, and the snow covers any proof that they ever existed. Born from the snow, we return to it."

"Is this ritual I'm conducting considered an offense?"

"No, not at all," she shook her head. "At least, I feel much better... They surely do as well."

The girl turned to look at the other two young Nivian survivors who were searching for weapons among the ruins. After witnessing the strange ritual that Julius had performed, called the "sword mound," their expressionless faces had regained some semblance of brightness.

"There's news!"

Just then, a Nivian boy with one arm burned off ran out from a dark alley, shouting urgently.

"It's in the town square! The HoundGuards have posted a new notice!" He stopped, enduring the pain of his burns, and gasped for breath as he continued: "It's scheduled for tomorrow at noon, they plan to execute Hati and Skoll outside the east gate pasture, with a sentence of death by wild wolves!"