Gavin, observing from within his sealed space, watched as his clone engaged the first wave of Snow Apes descending from the mountain. Most of these creatures possessed traces of magic in their bodies, with a few among them evolving into Magic Stone Apes.
His clone struck with the newly learned claw technique—one attack was all it took to decimate them. The wolf, standing alone at the valley's edge, held back the remaining Snow Apes, preventing them from advancing further.
Yet, Gavin frowned. Why are they entering the valley?
They should have sensed his life-level pressure and turned away. Even ordinary magical beasts instinctively avoided creatures of superior power. But these Snow Apes weren't retreating.
Their frantic movements, the desperate way they hurled themselves down the slopes—it was as if they were running from something.
Something terrifying.
Gavin narrowed his eyes. Who or what is frightening them so much that they would rather throw themselves into my territory?
More Snow Apes leaped from the mountainside, tumbling down in a panicked frenzy. None of them appeared to be of the Bronze Rank, but the sheer size of the pack told him otherwise. There had to be Bronze Rank Snow Apes among them.
His suspicion was confirmed when a deafening roar echoed through the valley.
Through his clone's eyes, Gavin saw a massive Snow Ape soar into the air, leaping from the cliffside with incredible force. As it descended, it let out a furious bellow and threw a punch—a massive fist of ice forming around its arm, surging forward like a glacier in motion.
A Bronze Rank Snow Ape had arrived.
The clone saw the incoming ice fist and reacted instantly, unleashing the TenClaw Strike. A spectral yellow claw shimmered into existence, slashing forward to meet the icy attack.
Their collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air. The explosion that followed cracked the ground beneath them, forcing the Bronze Rank Snow Ape to stumble backward in midair, while the clone was also pushed back.
The weaker Snow Apes caught in the blast were far less fortunate. Those closest to the impact were either crushed outright or left crippled, their bodies frozen and broken, unable to move from where they had fallen.
The clone, having already mastered the claw technique, could seamlessly execute any of the ten claw forms in any sequence. Unlike others who needed to follow the technique's rigid progression, the clone's mastery allowed him to unleash devastating attacks at will. If he perfected the technique entirely, every claw strike would carry the power of the TenClaw Attack.
With the Bronze Rank Snow Ape engaging the clone in fierce combat, the rest of the Snow Apes took the opportunity to bypass them, surging toward the tribe.
But they didn't get far.
Halfway through their charge, the tribe's warriors intercepted them.
The battle had begun.
From his sealed space, Gavin observed the battlefield with keen interest. The hunters moved forward as the shamans positioned themselves behind, ready to unleash their magic. Their familiars—spirit beasts bonded to the shamans—joined the hunters in combat, their presence bolstering the tribe's ranks.
Though the tribe's warriors outnumbered the snow apes, more apes continued to pour down the mountainside. The imbalance of power was clear.
Many tribe members had recently advanced to the Spirit Blood Hunter and Great Shaman realms, but their progress was still in the initial stages. In contrast, the Magic Snow Apes had not only reached similar ranks but also boasted stronger warriors—many at the intermediate, late, and even peak realms.
An intermediate-ranked Snow Ape could overpower two initial realm warriors alone.
A late-ranked Snow Ape was capable of fighting five initial realm warriors at once.
A peak-ranked Snow Ape could crush ten initial realm warriors singlehandedly.
A direct clash would spell disaster for the tribe.
Understanding this, Gavin extended his spiritual field, suppressing the Snow Apes' power, and forcing them to match the strength of the tribe members. He could completely crush their strength, reducing them to kneeling in the snow, but that would defeat the purpose of this battle. Instead, he allowed them to retain just enough power to make the fight a true challenge.
This battle was not just survival—it was training.
Gavin knew that while many warriors had advanced quickly in the realm, their actual combat prowess had yet to catch up. True warriors were forged in battle, and this was a perfect proving ground for the future. If the tribe was to wage war in the coming seasons, he needed to identify combat geniuses—those who could fight beyond their realm and become the true backbone of the tribe's forces.
His gaze shifted toward Ajis, who was engaged in a brutal battle against three Snow Apes.
Even with Gavin's suppression, the Snow Apes retained their natural physique and endurance, giving them a physical advantage over Ajis. Still, Ajis held his ground. He fought using the first part of the claw technique, his movements sharp but unrefined. The Snow Apes had him on the defensive, their relentless attacks forcing him back step by step.
Yet, Gavin did nothing to assist him.
Instead, he watched closely, observing Ajis's every move. With each strike, Ajis was learning—improving.
As the creator of the claw technique, Gavin could tell that Ajis was on the verge of mastery.
He just needed a little more time.
After observing Ajis, Gavin shifted his attention to Jion, the tribe's elder. Unlike the hunters, Jion did not engage the Snow Apes directly. Instead, he and his familiar moved strategically across the battlefield, assisting the warriors where they were most needed.
Through his spiritual vision, Gavin saw how Jion's sea of consciousness invaded the minds of the Snow Apes. His sleep spell worked effortlessly on Snow Apes below the Magic Beast realm, rendering them unconscious instantly.
However, for Magic Beast realm Snow Apes, the situation was different.
They couldn't directly resist the sleep spell, but their sea of consciousness was strong enough to make the spell struggle to take hold.
Jion had to identify and exploit weaknesses in their minds for the spell to work.
This battle became the perfect training ground for Jion to refine his sleep spell against stronger foes.
Meanwhile, Gavin's gaze flickered toward the other shamans on the battlefield.
One unleashed a piercing screech that made Snow Apes clutch their heads in agony, momentarily stunned.
Three others wielded water whips, slicing through the limbs of their enemies.
Two hurled fireballs, searing fur and flesh alike.
Three more conjured earth spikes, erupted from the ground, impaling Snow Apes from below.
The battlefield was a chaotic symphony of magic and blood.
Then Gavin turned his attention to the most promising member of the tribe—Via.
She sat at a distance from the battle, her small form barely noticeable in the snow.
Yet, despite not physically engaging the enemy, she had the highest kill count among all the tribe members.