When the Shardturtle’s massive body surfaced, the sound of cracking ice exploded across the snowy plain like thunder. Murky lake water mixed with ice chunks erupted from below and froze into a steep ice slope along the shore.
The ice covering its shell gave off a cold, blue-gray glow, with each raised plate looking like carefully carved ice rock. Its edges were sharp enough to slice through the air.
Two crimson eyes swiveled around, scanning the panicked crowd on shore. When that gaze settled on Matthias, it held an almost human intelligence as it studied him with cold scrutiny.
“Fall back!” Neville roared, grabbing Matthias with his lone arm and dragging him backward. Having just survived the fight with the Brineclaw, Neville knew exactly how terrifying these deep-sea creatures could be.
The Shardturtle before him was wider than the Surgebreaker’s deck, with ice spikes hanging from its shell edges that were over ten feet long. It was clearly no ordinary beast.
The soldiers panicked. Some turned and ran toward camp, but slipped on the ice and went tumbling down.
The Shardturtle slowly raised its head, revealing a neck covered in layered scales tipped with razor-sharp ice spikes. Then, it opened its mouth and unleashed a freezing breath, far colder than the spiritual stag’s.
The air along the lakeshore froze instantly, and two soldiers trailing at the back never got a chance to scream. The blast engulfed them, freezing them into solid statues even thicker than before. They fell onto the ice, shattering into countless shards of ice.
“Use fire!” Matthias ordered, breaking free from Neville’s grip and drawing his sword at the creature.
He remembered the elderly helmsman saying that creatures of extreme cold often feared flames. The kerosene and explosives back at camp might be their only hope.
The soldiers snapped out of their daze and pulled out their fire starters, but the howling wind kept blowing them out as soon as they lit them. Only a few men in sheltered spots managed to light the torches.
The Shardturtle seemed enraged by the flames. Its massive body lunged forward, crushing the ice along the shore and leaving a huge crater.
It swung its forelimbs, and sharp claws slashed at the crowd. Three soldiers who couldn’t dodge in time got swept up and flew through the air like ragdolls, slamming into the ice cliff. Blood ran down the ice wall and quickly froze into dark red streaks.
“Throw the kerosene!” Neville yelled, yanking an oil pouch from his belt, and hurled it at the Shardturtle.
The pouch burst on impact, amber-colored oil seeping into the cracks of its icy shell.
Matthias seized the moment and snapped his fingers to spark a flame. Instantly, fire roared across the Shardturtle’s back and turned it into a blazing inferno.
The Shardturtle let out a deafening roar full of pain. It thrashed wildly, trying to put out the flames on its back while smashing the lake ice to pieces and sending up massive waves.
But the flames only burned for a moment before the cold emanating from the Shardturtle’s shell gradually smothered them. Lake water kept seeping up from below the ice, freezing into new layers on the shell and slowly extinguishing the fire.
Matthias’ heart sank at the sight. The creature had incredible defense and could generate its own freezing air to put out flames, rendering ordinary flames useless against it.
“Your Highness, its neck!” Neville shouted, pointing at the Shardturtle’s throat.
Matthias followed his finger and saw that where the creature’s neck met its shell, one scale seemed lighter than the rest. That spot had no ice covering and showed pale pink flesh underneath.
“That’s its weak spot,” he exclaimed hopefully.
He turned to the soldiers behind him and asked, “Who’s willing to charge with me?”
“I am!” several elite soldiers cried in unison, gripping their spears tightly. Fear mixed with deadly resolve shone in their eyes.
Matthias nodded, pulling out the last explosive pack. He lit the fuse and hurled it toward the Shardturtle.
The explosive detonated in front of the creature, and the blast forced it back several steps. The scales on its neck trembled slightly, exposing more of the pale pink flesh.
“Now’s our chance!” he shouted, charging toward the Shardturtle. His true energy coursed beneath his feet, leaving two streaks across the ice as he dodged the creature’s swinging claws.
Neville and several soldiers followed closely behind and aimed their spears at the weak spot on the creature’s neck.
The Shardturtle sensed danger and jerked its head up, trying to ram them with its neck.
But Matthias was prepared. He leaped into the air and channeled true energy into his sword until the blade shimmered with a faint golden light, then brought it down on the creature’s weak spot.
With a sharp crack, the sword struck the scale and sent countless sparks flying. The scale split open, and pale green blood flowed from the wound. When it hit the ice, it instantly froze into green crystals.
“It worked!” Matthias exclaimed excitedly. Just as he was about to attack again, the Shardturtle suddenly opened its mouth and blasted him with a freezing breath.
He couldn’t dodge in time and could only hold his sword in front of him. The true energy barrier froze instantly, his sword got covered in thick ice, and his arm went numb from frostbite.
Seeing that, Neville rushed forward and knocked Matthias aside with his body. Then, he swung his long sword at the creature’s wound.
The blade sank deep into the wound. The Shardturtle let out a piercing roar and whipped its neck violently, flinging him away.
Neville crashed hard onto the ice. He coughed up blood as the wound on his back tore open again, staining his cloak red.
The soldiers seized the chance to attack and drove their spears into the Shardturtle’s wound. But the creature was incredibly resilient. It thrashed wildly and sent the soldiers flying one by one. Soon, the lake surface was littered with scattered weapons and soldiers’ bodies.
Matthias struggled to his feet and looked at the carnage around him in despair. They’d paid such a heavy price but still hadn’t managed to wound the Shardturtle seriously. Just then, clear hoofbeats echoed from the distant snowy plain.
He looked up and saw the pure white spiritual stag from before running toward them. It stepped lightly across the snow, leaving snowflake prints with each step. Its pale blue eyes watched the Shardturtle warily.
When the Shardturtle saw the spiritual stag, fear flickered in its crimson eyes. It stopped attacking and slowly retreated, clearly intimidated by it.
