The next morning, at the first hint of dawn, the caravan was already packed and ready to depart.
In the camp, the embers of the bonfire still flickered faintly, and the air was filled with the subtle scent of charcoal and the morning dew.
Ezreal stood at the edge of the camp, hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping over the busy caravan members before settling on Lucy and Levy.
"According to the plan, we'll split into two groups," Ezreal said calmly. "I'll escort the caravan to Northwind City to trade goods, while the four of you will go to the Ice Lake to find the horologium key."
"If you encounter any trouble you can't handle, contact me immediately with the communication card."
"Got it!" the three responded in unison, their voices full of youthful vigor.
Lucy stood to the side, her hands clasped tightly together, a hint of an embarrassed blush on her face. "I'm really troubling you all."
Levy smiled and patted her shoulder, her eyes full of tenderness. "Don't say that, we're friends! Besides, we feel honored to witness Levy-chan get a new Celestial Spirit Key with our own eyes."
The caravan soon set off, the wheels crunching softly on the snow.
Ezreal sat on the lead carriage, his gaze constantly sweeping around, alert to any potential dangers.
Meanwhile, Levy and the others, accompanied by Lucy, headed in the direction Crux had indicated.
They passed through dense coniferous forests, treading on thick snow, their footsteps making a "crunch, crunch" sound.
The forest was silent, with only their breathing and footsteps echoing in the air.
As they drew closer, the air seemed to grow exceptionally cold.
Night fell, and a full moon hung high in the sky, casting down a cool moonlight.
The moonlight filtered through the treetops, spilling onto the snow, reflecting a silvery glow.
Finally, at midnight, they reached their destination.
The sight before them was breathtaking.
It was a huge Ice Lake, its surface like a giant mirror, reflecting the myriad stars.
The lake water was a deep blue, as if it could swallow everything.
The edges of the Ice Lake were covered with thick snow, and occasionally, the crisp sound of ice cracking could be heard from the lake's surface, like the whispers of nature.
"It's so beautiful..." Lucy murmured, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Just then, a clear chime suddenly rang out from the center of the Ice Lake.
"Dong—"
The chime was melodious, as if coming from the distant starry sky, echoing over the Ice Lake.
The four simultaneously looked up, only to see the horologium star map in the sky suddenly light up, and silver starlight descended from above, pouring down like a milky way.
The starlight fell upon the Ice Lake, and the surface immediately rippled in circles. Following this, a giant circular clock slowly emerged on the lake's surface.
The clock hands slowly rotated, making a "click-clack, click-clack" sound, as if counting down.
Every passing second made their hearts race faster, as if time itself had become tangible at this moment.
"This is..." Lucy's eyes widened, her heart pounding. Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles slightly white from the effort.
Levy's voice held a hint of excitement: "The horologium key is about to appear!"
Jet and Droy also held their breath, their eyes fixed on the lake's surface.
Just then, the starlight above the lake gradually condensed, and a silver key slowly formed, suspended above the lake's surface, emitting a soft glow.
The light was cool like moonlight, yet it carried a warm power, as if it could dispel all darkness.
"The horologium key!" Lucy exclaimed excitedly, her eyes full of joy.
However, just as she was about to step forward to retrieve the key, a dark beam of light suddenly struck from the darkness, heading straight for Lucy!
The beam was like a venomous snake, carrying a chilling killing intent.
"Watch out!" Levy, quick-witted, pushed Lucy away, while she herself was struck by the dark energy, flying backward and crashing heavily onto the ice.
Her body slid several meters across the ice, finally stopping by a snowdrift at the edge of the lake.
"Levy!" Jet and Droy exclaimed simultaneously, rushing towards Levy.
Lucy also ran over in a panic, her eyes full of worry: "Levy-chan, are you alright?"
Levy struggled to prop herself up, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. "I'm fine, watch out for the enemy..."
Rustling footsteps sounded in the night forest, and two figures emerged from the darkness.
One was completely shrouded in a black robe, wearing a ghost-faced mask, with a faintly glowing dark orb in his hand, his eyes cold.
The other was a two-meter tall, muscular bald man, his upper body bare, covered in strange black tattoos, his eyes blood-red, as if corroded by some dark power.
"Ghost, Shadow Ghost," the black-robed man said coldly, his voice as biting as ice.
"Ghost, Kuang Gui," the bald man grinned, revealing his pale teeth... The wind of the North, sharp and biting, carried the scent of ice and snow, as if it could penetrate one's bones.
The caravan's magic cars slowly advanced on the winding tundra, their wheels crunching "crunch, crunch" on the thick snow.
Ezreal sat alone on the roof of the first carriage, arms crossed, his gaze calmly scanning his surroundings.
His shadow stretched long in the moonlight, as if merging with the darkness.
The caravan members, having endured several days of perilous travel, were already exhausted, but their faces still showed determination.
Charlotte sat in the driver's seat of the second carriage, occasionally looking up at Ezreal ahead, a sense of relief in her eyes.
Night deepened, and the moonlight spilled onto the snow, reflecting a silvery white.
The caravan finally arrived at Northwind City.
This largest city in the North, however, appeared unusually quiet at the moment.
The wide roads were empty, with only the caravan's magic cars slowly moving forward.
Ezreal's gaze swept over the streets, his brows slightly furrowed.
Although Northwind City was remote, as an important city in the North, its streets should not be so deserted at night.
Just as the caravan was about to pass through the city center, Ezreal suddenly raised his hand, signaling the caravan to stop.
Charlotte reacted immediately, quickly ordering the caravan members to halt and close ranks.
Although the caravan members didn't understand why, they quickly carried out the order.
"What's wrong?" Charlotte jumped down from the carriage and quickly walked to Ezreal's side, asking in a low voice.
Ezreal didn't answer, only looking gravely into the darkness ahead.
From his shadow, black smoke slowly rose, and a giant wolf's head slowly emerged, its crimson eyes fixed on the darkness ahead.
"We have guests," Ezreal said faintly.
As soon as his voice fell, from the darkness ahead, one black-robed ghost-faced figure after another emerged from all directions.
Their figures appeared exceptionally eerie in the moonlight, their faces covered by hideous ghost masks, their black robes flapping in the cold wind.
In just a few breaths, the caravan was surrounded by over a hundred black-robed ghost-faced figures.
The caravan members immediately tensed up, many instinctively retreating a few steps, their faces showing expressions of fear.
Charlotte's expression also became grave; he quickly directed the caravan members to close ranks, forming a defensive circle.
"Mr. Ezreal..." Charlotte looked at Ezreal, a hint of unease in his eyes.
Ezreal remained seated on the roof of the carriage, his expression calm.
He looked at Charlotte, gave a reassuring smile, then slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding black-robed ghost-faced figures.
"The Dark Guild can recruit so many people," Ezreal's voice echoed in the night sky, carrying a hint of mockery.
Just then, from the crowd of black-robed ghost-faced figures directly in front of the caravan, a thin man slowly walked out.
He wore the same mask as the other ghost-faced figures, but his eyes were as black as ink, as if they could swallow all light.
His steps were slow and firm, each one carrying an invisible sense of oppression.
When he reached the front of the caravan, he slowly raised his hand, pointed at Ezreal, and said in a cold, hoarse voice like a dying crow: "This road is impassable."
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"