MTLNOVEL Chapter 481: Winter Beast's Domain
The creature's voice carried implications that went beyond simple combat escalation. This was the recognition between two apex predators that their conflict had moved beyond territorial dispute into something approaching existential warfare.
Arthur's frown deepened as he processed the Winter Beast's words and body language. The creature's sudden tactical shift suggested he was preparing to employ power that hadn't been necessary against previous opponents. Abilities that would transform their battle from a challenging encounter into something approaching a cataclysmic confrontation.
The temperature around them began dropping even further, approaching levels that transcended natural physics and entered realms where molecular motion itself struggled to continue. Ice formations that had seemed permanent began reshaping themselves into more complex patterns.
Arthur's mind raced through possibilities as he recognised the signs of impending domain activation. He had seen it before with Lucas in the academy entrance exam; at the time, it seemed almost instantaneous, but at his current level, he was able to see it. The Winter Beast was preparing to stop holding back, to employ the full scope of his reality-warping abilities in an effort to eliminate Arthur before his spatial manipulation could develop into a truly unstoppable force.
The brief respite in active combat was about to end, replaced by something far more dangerous than anything Arthur had faced since entering this frozen domain.
The Winter Beast's domain was about to reveal why level 25 creatures were considered existential threats to entire regions rather than mere powerful opponents.
...
Suddenly, the world around Arthur underwent a dramatic transformation that defied everything around him.
In an area spanning exactly one hundred meters in every direction, everything around him restructured according to the Winter Beast's will. Massive walls of ice, denser than diamond and colder than the void between stars, erupted from the ground with supernatural speed.
They curved upward and inward, forming a perfect dome that sealed Arthur, the Cackle Queen, and the Winter Beast within an arena where escape was no longer possible.
The temperature inside the dome plummeted to levels that approached absolute zero, creating an environment perfect for ice talent wielders. This wasn't merely cold—this was the fundamental absence of heat, and motion that transformed the enclosed space into something approaching the heart of a dying star.
The Cackle Queen immediately began quivering uncontrollably, her legendary constitution proving insufficient against the sheer intensity of supernatural frost that permeated every molecule of air within the domain. Her crimson fur began accumulating ice crystals as the environment itself became actively hostile to any life form not specifically adapted to such extremes.
Just being inside the domain was causing continuous damage to her body, the cold penetrating her legendary defences without any issues. It was ridiculous how a single level difference could create such an overwhelming disparity in power.
Arthur immediately recognised the mortal danger his summon faced and activated his spatial manipulation talent to create protective barriers around both himself and the Cackle Queen. The familiar sensation of folded space provided some insulation against the domain's crushing environmental effects.
He could feel the supernatural cold attempting to penetrate his spatial defences, its relentless pressure seeking any weakness that would allow the Winter Beast's domain to claim another victim. Even with his enhanced protection active, Arthur could still feel some cold seeping through his barriers like liquid nitrogen seeking his core temperature.
Although it wasn't anything threatening, it just felt like a cold breeze. It was still shocking to Arthur, the fact that the ice was penetrating his space shield, worrying. The domain abilities were really a cheat, and it was not to be underestimated.
A system notification materialised before his vision. Explaining his assessment of their deteriorating situation:
[You are in The Winter Beast's Domain]
[Resistance toward Ice Damage has been lowered by 20%]
[Your attributes have been lowered by 20%]
[The Winter Beast's Ice-based attacks have been increased by 10%]
Reading through the comprehensive debuffs, Arthur's frown deepened with grim understanding. The domain's effects weren't just environmental hazards, they were powerful reductions in his combat effectiveness that tilted every aspect of the encounter in the Winter Beast's favour.
A twenty percent reduction in his attributes meant his enhanced strength, agility, and defensive capabilities were all operating at diminished capacity. Combined with reduced ice resistance and the Winter Beast's enhanced offensive power, Arthur was facing an opponent who had just become significantly stronger while he had become proportionally weaker.
The Winter Beast's laughter echoed through the enclosed domain. Had it been anyone else in Arthur's situation, they would have felt despair, trapped like rats in a cage.
"Now you understand the true nature of our confrontation, space wielder," the Winter Beast declared with satisfaction that radiated through his massive body. "You are within my domain—my absolute territory where ice bends everything to accommodate my will."
His eyes blazed with confidence.
Within his domain, the Winter Beast possessed advantages that transcended normal combat parameters, transforming him from a formidable opponent into something approaching an unstoppable force.
"How do you feel to be within my domain, my ice kingdom. Your teleportation abilities, impressive as they may be, cannot carry you beyond these walls. No one can leave my domain unless I die or choose to release them voluntarily. You are stuck here with me," The Winter beast smiled widely, his face not particularly a good sight to look at.
Arthur was now trapped within a confined space where one of his greatest advantages, spatial manipulation for evasion and repositioning, had been rendered largely meaningless. The dome's boundaries meant he could teleport freely within the enclosed area, but escape from the overall engagement was no longer possible.
"Had you possessed your own domain, you might have been able to override mine through elemental superiority," the Winter Beast acknowledged with grudging respect.
"Space is indeed a stronger fundamental force than ice, and domain conflicts typically favour whoever commands more powerful elemental concepts. Of course, there are some other reasons, well, why am I telling you anyway, you are going to be an ice sculpture soon."