The icy cold quickly turned the blooming flowers and running streams inside the tribe into ice, causing many forest elves to tremble non-stop from the lingering chill.
But this didn't seem to wake them up; instead, they seemed more heated up than before. The chief clenched his teeth hard, waving his staff around and shouted, "Defeat it, bring back his dead body, and join the Dragon Slayer Guild."
Adam's smile grew even wider, a chilly light shimmering from his scary teeth, before he burst out laughing, "Dragon Slayer Guild? Good. Looks like I stumbled upon some valuable info quite effortlessly."
Adam wasn't worried at all. Even though there were lots of forest elves, truthfully, they didn't pose a threat to him. The phrase 'many little things can take down a big one' only worked for those of nearly equal strength. The forest elves had no clue about the kind of beast they were up against.
A barrage of arrows descended, while vines and thorns burst from the ground, enlarging hundreds of times in a split second, surging forward like big waves, their hue showing they contained a strong poison.
"Everything's gone, all of it."
Lina realized it was all over. She had seen what Adam could do up close; that amount of power could take her life easily, not to mention her tribespeople who were more frail than her, apart from her dad.
As expected, when faced with such a huge assault, Adam didn't even try to dodge. He opened his mouth to let out a breath filled with his dragon's might, forming a lighter version of an icy territory. The frost swiftly spread through the air, making the arrows and plants freeze solid and stick in their spots.
The view seemed kind of beautiful in a way.
Obviously, the forest elves didn't agree. They only felt the freezing temperature, a cold they couldn't bear, as they watched helplessly the ice crystals covering their friends and their bodies too, freezing them right there.
The only one still able to move a bit was the chief.
He gazed at his 'fallen' tribe members, his eyes brimming with sorrow and fury to the point of going mad. A vibrant green energy kept the freezing cold at bay; he stabbed his staff into the ground, the green power flowed through the staff, bringing the dead plants and trees nearby back to life, transforming them into called upon creatures dashing to attack Adam.
Adam lifted his claw, the frost turned into blades, filling the sky densely and dropped with the lowering of his claw, pouring down on the plants called upon by the chief like a rainstorm.
The idea for this ice-sculpting spell originated from one of Adam's previous enemies. Adam clearly recalled her labeling her unique skill of showering the sky with bone shards as "Rain of Blades and Spears". Following her lead, Adam crafted the frost into pointed blades, harnessing their edginess and the speed of falling due to gravity to inflict sheer physical harm, proving to be exceedingly effective against these conjured beings.
With Adam's meticulous guidance, the icy blades managed to bypass the unarmed forest elves, he was confident there wouldn't be any unexpected events in this combat now.
"I'm not purposely trying to kill them, but if someone happens to die, it's merely bad luck," Adam muttered. "They hold some utility still, yet I wish you could educate them to think logically later on."
Lina hadn't anticipated her tribe might be spared. As a wave of shock and happiness flooded her heart, she stuttered, "I... I?"
When the swords struck the earth, creating a string of loud blasts, Adam observed the Ents thrashed and reverted to their natural state. Subsequently, he manipulated the ice fragments harboring the four dragon-slayers to soar into the tribe. "Yes, these individuals will turn into servants, and you will oversee them directly. Take note, I require servants with intelligence. Inform your dad about the occurrence and then come find me."
The linkage between the forest elf community and the Dragon Slayer Guild was out of Adam's prediction.
He initially intended to quietly gather his troops under the lingering sway of the elder dragon, Okov, throughout its many years of rest. Unexpectedly, not long after Okov entered slumber, someone targeted him.
Given that the Dragon Slayer Guild dared to expand so blatantly, they ought to possess the means to endure under the dragon race's power. This type of entity wouldn't rashly go after just a juvenile dragon, meaning their goal had to be Okov.
As Adam pondered, Lina, showcasing a warm smile, led the unresponsive chief towards him. The chief's form remained frozen, unable to maneuver, only preserving vision and hearing capabilities.
Adam freed him from his frosty confinement, then asked, "Explain, what's the business with the Dragon Slayer Guild?"
The chief looked at Adam with venomous eyes, maintaining his silence.
Lina felt exceedingly uncomfortable, stammering, "Master, my dad, he..."
Adam gestured casually with his claw, beckoning Lina closer, instilling the technique of forging a master-servant pact into her consciousness. The somewhat vague yet comprehensible terms on the agreement vexed her. Agreeing to a master-servant pact with fellow tribespeople was one matter, but involving her own father?
"Master, I cannot," for the first time, Lina voiced her refusal to Adam, firmly.
Adam grasped why Lina found it impossible, recognizing that it was morally reprehensible by any standard. Yet, comprehending was separate from executing what was essential. "Even if you believe you can't, you must. I trust you to grasp my meaning."
Adam afforded Lina merely one evening. When morning arrived the next day, those who hadn't been enslaved would have their spirits extracted by Adam to forge automatons.
This kind of practice was rigorously prohibited by the Mage Council in where Adam came from, but in this alternate dimension, any technique was permissible.
In contrast to intelligent servants, automatons were more straightforward to manipulate but lacked the ability to execute even marginally complicated assignments, primarily functioning as combatants. But Adam wasn't in shortage of warriors, particularly after identifying a novel avenue for his investigation.
Adam established a basic chamber at the tribe's heart to serve as a research facility. He earnestly dressed in safety attire made from ice crystals, adorned a broad mask, arranged a surgical platform, then settled on the floor and earnestly addressed the quartet, "Your abilities intrigue me greatly. Share your training techniques and your manner of harnessing energy, I might..."
Adam's voice reverberated as the icy fragments broke apart and the four dragon slayers plummeted to the earth. Dread compelled them to resist involuntarily, yet their efforts were in vain. The extended exposure to Adam's potent freezing had immobilized their frames, leaving only the areas above their necks with any mobility; they were even unable to take their own lives.
Understanding their incapacitation, Jessie surrendered to tears, while the remaining trio succumbed to hopelessness. Jace bellowed in loathing, "Evil dragon! Quit your feigned sympathy! End us if you dare, just end our lives! We shall remain silent even in death!"
