The Rise of the Winter Wolf - Book 6 - Chapter 57 - Testing

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Wolf

Unsurprisingly, all the people in the cursed bar clearly want to talk to me now that I’m done. But I’d rather not talk to them right now. So I make an ice pathway to the bar before stopping right in front of the bartender.

Then I ask, “Is it possible to come back here again later on?”

The bartender continues washing several glasses with his arms all at once as he answers, “It is. Simply find another entrance.”

I nod my head in appreciation before immediately heading for and passing through the exit of the bar, finally leaving the place behind and going back to the not-so-silent dungeon. Where the sound of bugs buzzing while flying about along with the sound of wind are the only noises filling the place.

Now that I have my domain manifested, I need to train myself in using it. And what better way to do that than to test it out on some of these annoying bugs.

Then I can head back into the bar when I find another one to work on expanding my domain.

On another note though, it looks like the soldier bugs all left. Which makes sense considering how long we were in that bar.

I’d be more surprised if they stuck around for several months.

Before I target the soldier bugs though, I should test it out on some regular bugs. So without hesitation, I wave my hand in the direction of some of the regular bugs nearby. Following which I send out a wave of glowing pale blue energy that freezes everything it touches and almost instantly reaches the bugs. Only to freeze them too the moment it does, turning them into popsicles with a pale blue light still shining within the ice alongside the black light that is starting to disintegrate them.

At the same time, I feel a similar sensation to what I feel when I devour ice element or curse elemental energy to strengthen my body. Except this time the thing I’m devouring is the enemy bug, and it’s through my domain.

Although there is one problem. Specifically the fact that the bug was able to crack my ice despite not being able to do that before I entered the bar.

But now that I think about it, that makes perfect sense.

I glance around the little ‘temple’ at the rather obvious difference in what it was like before entering the bar and what it’s like now. At the drastically reduced amount of curse energy in the air.

Meaning the bugs all across the ‘temple’ were constantly devouring curse energy and growing stronger physically while I was sitting around manifesting my domain for all those months inside of the bar.

I grimace a little at that. Mostly at the thought of just how strong those soldier bugs will be now.

Although at the very least I know my ice can still hold them. Just not perfectly. And with the devouring part of my domain, I have an actual offensive capability with my ice.

One that isn’t just freezing them or throwing spears of ice at them.

A capability that is just purely offensive and strengthens me in the process.

I glance at Sapphire as she flies around out here before frowning a little. Specifically at the fact that I can tell she doesn’t have my domain. So she is a lot weaker than me now.

All she can use is my regular element, even if she can use the eternal variant of it.

“Sapphire, would you like to go out of the dungeon again?” I ask her without removing the frown from my face, startling her into freezing in place. And I can tell she’s about to instinctively decline, so I add, “With their increased strength, and your inability to use my domain, you’re not going to be able to compete with these bugs. Instead you could help me out by leaving the dungeon and going to a place filled with ice energy to absorb it and share some of it with me.”

She closes her mouth at that and narrows her eyes at me, clearly understanding that I said it mostly to make her leave. But at the same time, we both know it is the best way for her to help.

Sapphire can’t fight these bugs. Not anymore. And if she leaves the dungeon, not only will she be safer, but she can still help me by finding ice element to devour with the ring.

There isn’t any ice element in here. Not any natural ice element at least.

So I just have to give her the ring for the ice element devouring and let her use it outside, then we’ll both get physically stronger as she devours the element separately from me.

After several seconds of glaring at me, she eventually sighs and mutters, “Alright…” And without another word, she accepts the ring, then uses the pad to teleport out of the dungeon. Leaving me all alone in this cursed temple.

But despite being left alone, a part of me feels relieved. Since she’s out of danger.

Mostly. Seeing as she’ll still die automatically if I die.

I don’t have to worry about her dying alone though. So there’s that.

And she absolutely would die if she tried helping me fight Beelzebub’s copy.

Plus she can actually help me a lot by devouring ice elemental energy outside of the dungeon. It’ll drastically increase the speed in which I grow stronger.

With that in mind, I begin to hunt bugs one after another. Devouring each one of them in the process.

And when I finally find a soldier bug again, I find that the devouring part of my domain actually does work on them. Even if they are still able to shatter my ice.

So now I actually manage to kill them myself without having to rely on them to kill each other.

Albeit slowly.

A faint smile stretches across my face.

Right.

Slowly.

I just have to take my time and survive.