As The Northern Gale approached the massive ice wall at the Frostbite Channel, the crew barely spared it much of a glance. Even though Captain Jorvik had never encountered such a phenomenon, he still remained partially indifferent.
After everything he's gone through over the last few months, a giant wall of ice was the least of his worries.
'No Dragons. No mermaids. No crazy storms. Makin' it through a chunk of ice seems very doable right now.' He thought, but still took the time to analyze the situation. They still had to make it past this giant wall that had no end in sight.
It didn't take long for an idea to form, one that seemed to be the most feasible other than just getting out and attempting to fly over. However, the crazy storm above told them that doing so wasn't in their best interest.
"Blowin' a hole through it is our best bet," Jorvik muttered, his eyes scanning the massive barrier ahead. "Ready the Qi cannons! We're going to break through on our own!"
The crew hustled to their positions, preparing the ship's cannons for a coordinated assault. With a powerful boom, the burst of energy collided with the wall, creating a massive hole that they could coast through.
However, their efforts proved futile as the ice regenerated almost instantly, closing any gaps they created.
"We're trapped! We can't get through!" one of the crewmen shouted in growing despair. It was as if he was having PTSD from all the nonsense they had to go through just to reach this point, and couldn't handle any more surprises.
He just wanted to get to the Northern Continent and drop Mira off.
"That won't work," Mira interjected, stepping forward. "This isn't just ice; it's alive, reacting to our attacks. We need a different approach."
Jorvik turned to her, a mixture of frustration and hope in his eyes. "What do you suggest, lass?"
Mira's gaze shifted towards the water. "Coralia!" she called out, her voice piercing through the howling wind.
The pink-haired mermaid emerged from the depths, her eyes wide with excitement. "Yes, Goddess?"
"We need to coordinate. You control the water; I'll handle the ice. Together, we'll create a path."
Coralia nodded eagerly, diving back into the water. Her aura flared as she began to manipulate the surrounding sea, creating currents that swirled around the ship.
Mira focused her energy, extending her Qi towards the ice wall. She felt the cold, hostile presence within the ice, a force that seemed to resist her. Gritting her teeth, she pushed harder, her Qi intertwining with the ice, bending it to her will.
A crown soon appeared on her head as she flared her Absolute Ice Dao to its maximum potential. 'Now's a great time to train!' Mira's eyes narrowed as she licked her lips, wondering if she could learn more about her Dao and gather insights by imposing her will onto 'someone else's' ice.
Once she was ready, she gave Captain Jorvik the signal, which caused him to nod and shout, "FIRE!"
The ship's cannons fired again, this time aided by Mira's control over the ice. The blasts created openings that didn't close immediately, giving them a brief window to enter.
The hole was big enough for the ship to enter, plus more, giving Coralia the leeway to flood it with water.
"Full speed ahead!" Jorvik commanded, seizing the opportunity. The ship surged forward, its propellers roaring as it navigated the treacherous path carved by Mira and Coralia.
As they made their way into the ice, the danger was far from over. Massive ice shards shot up from beneath the water like deadly spears, aiming to impale the ship.
"Watch out!" Elenei shouted from the deck, her eyes spotting the incoming threat.
Rhydian transformed into her wolf form as she prepared to defend the ship. The crew, though terrified, stood their ground, ready to fight for their lives.
Mira swung her scythe, shattering the ice spears with precise, powerful strikes. Beneath the waves, Coralia redirected the currents, steering the ship away from the most dangerous ice formations–ones that might penetrate the bottom of the boat.
The tension on deck was palpable as every crew member focused solely on their task. The ship rocked and groaned under the strain, but it held together, showcasing the amazing quality of the boat and the decisiveness of the crew.
As they progressed, the ice wall seemed to grow more aggressive, as if angered by their intrusion. The attacks became more frequent, and the ice shards were becoming larger, sharper, and more like bombs than anything.
The Qi cannons were also starting to lose their impact against the denser parts of the ice wall. Mira's control over the ice was being pushed to its limits as everything became more difficult to effect.
"Damn it! It's like chipping away at a mountain with a spoon!" Captain Jorvik cursed. The crew's morale began to wane as their efforts seemed to barely scratch the surface of the immense barrier.
"We need more firepower," Elenei announced, her voice resonating with a newfound determination. Transforming into her Frozen Ash Dracophoenix form, she soared above the ship. Releasing an ear-piercing cry, she flapped her wings and sent out a wave of searing heat.
In an instant, they could see the densely packed ice ahead of them slowly receding, but it was relatively slow. They didn't have that kind of time to wait for it to 'cook' since Mira was the only thing standing between them and being crushed. If, for some reason, her control waned, they'd all die in an instant.
Jorvik's eyes widened in amazement, but he understood that now wasn't the time to hold anything back. The Northern Continent wasn't that far away. As long as they made it through here, there shouldn't be any more problems. "All hands, brace yourselves! We're bringing out the Soul-Piercing Leviathan Spear!"
The crew sprung into action, revealing a massive, ornate cannon that had been hidden beneath the deck. This was the Northern Gale's ultimate weapon, a cannon capable of firing concentrated bursts of Qi that could rival the power of a Peak-Stage Rank 9 beast.
Feeling the surge of energy from the cannon, Mira nodded in approval. "Let's do this. Together, we'll break through."
As Elenei unleashed her flames upon the wall, Mira synchronized her Absolute Ice Dao with her attacks, weaving her control over the ice to assist in the melting process. The best she could do with her current brain power at the moment was to unpack the ice and allow for better heat transference.
The Soul-Piercing Leviathan Spear roared to life, its energy shaking the ship as it prepared to strike. Jorvik, with a solemn expression, aimed the cannon at the heart of the ice wall.
"Fire!" he commanded.
A blinding beam of light shot forth, cutting through the ice like a laser. The combined efforts of the cannon, Elenei's flames, and Mira's ice control created a tunnel through the wall, steam and mist erupting around them.
However, as they penetrated deeper, a chilling presence made itself known. From within the ice, a massive, shadowy figure emerged, its size dwarfing The Northern Gale. The crew gasped in horror as they beheld the creature that had been causing the ice wall's aggressive defense.
It was a colossal humanoid ice giant with skin that had a bluish hue and its eyes glowing to life, completely unlike the mannequin-esque look that it had. The thing didn't even look like a living being, with its body being mostly made of ice.
Nobody on the ship, regardless of who they were, had ever seen such a creature here before, much less understood why it was blocking their way. The only thing Mira could assume was that someone was just out to get her, but such thinking would have to be put on hold for now.
The creature let out a deafening roar, the sound reverberating through the ice.
"We can't fight that head-on!" Jorvik shouted, the fear in his voice evident.
Mira stepped forward, her eyes locked on the ice serpent. "I don't plan to fight it. I'm going to take control."
Concentrating, Mira extended her Qi towards the giant, her Absolute Ice Dao clashing with the beast's own control over the ice. The mental battle that ensued was intense, a struggle for dominion over the elemental force of ice.
The crew watched in awe as the ice around them began to shift and contort, responding to Mira's will. The giant thrashed and roared, with its body causing the ice around it to crack, but slowly, its control began to wane.
With one final push, Mira's Dao and soul seized control of the ice, completely separating the giant from the ice. With a thought, a path opened before them, the ice parting to create a clear passage.
"Full speed ahead!" Jorvik yelled, seizing the opportunity. The Northern Gale surged forward, passing through the ice tunnel as the walls closed behind them.
As soon as they made it to the other side of the wall, Mira collapsed onto the deck, breathing heavily as she was stripped free of all her energy by just trying to hijack its ice for a few seconds. Coralia rushed to her side, her concern evident.
"You did it, Goddess," Coralia whispered, helping Mira to her feet.
Mira gave a weak smile. "I know. Now, let's get to the Northern Continent."
