Under such circumstances, if a blizzard were to occur again, even an Advanced Wizard Apprentice might lose their life.
"Sir, you've traveled a long way and must be exhausted. Why not rest for the night and proceed tomorrow? I've prepared some snow rabbit for you; it has tender meat with a unique fragrance."
Dempsey continued, simultaneously pushing open the iron door on the left side of the corridor, "This is your room; I live next door."
Colin glanced inside the room.
Perhaps to ensure the well-being of the guarding wizards, the room seemed quite spacious, apparently a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout with kitchen and bathroom.
"No need, let's go now. That Ice and Snow Monster could attack at any moment. If we don't go today, we might miss the opportunity, not only causing more casualties in Ancient North Village but also wasting my time."
Colin calmly explained.
He wasn't here for pleasure; his priority was to complete the mission quickly and return to the abundant magic and relatively safe Neustadt City.
"But, the blizzard is coming soon... Sir Colin," Dempsey unconsciously looked up and spoke, "The blizzards here are fierce and even a First Rank Wizard could get lost."
"Don't worry; I will keep you safe," Colin continued, his tone mild and serene.
That was the confidence of a Second Rank Wizard.
"Yes, Sir." Seeing Colin's resolute demeanor, Dempsey naturally didn't dare to say much but respectfully said, "Then please wait a moment, Sir, I need to gather some things."
"Mm," Colin nodded slightly.
Dempsey bowed his head and walked toward his own room across the way, feeling somewhat helpless.
He didn't believe Colin genuinely worried about the lives of the villagers of Ancient North Village; his supervisor insisted, so what could he do?
Alas, the blizzards here really weren't easy to overcome.
This new wizard seemed a bit arrogant... Dempsey sighed almost imperceptibly, feeling anxious in his heart, and decided to bring extra provisions in case they got lost for a few days.
Five minutes later, Dempsey finished organizing his belongings for the journey and set the Witch Array at their station to outdoor mode, then walked out the door with Colin.
A pale green misty light enveloped the two, and Colin slightly raised his head.
In the distant dark sky, elusive, brilliant auroras appeared, fluttering like ribbons in the air.
Taking his eyes back, Colin placed his hand on Dempsey's shoulder.
Dempsey, slightly startled, instinctively looked at him.
"I'll fly us over," Colin simply explained, then immediately activated the Flying Witchcraft and soared into the air.
Once high up, he applied the Steel Temperature Resistance Force Field to himself and Dempsey, asked for the direction, and then turned into a streak of light, shooting forth.
Ancient North Village was still a considerable distance away, but for Colin flying, it was only about a five-minute trip.
Feeling Colin's flying speed, Dempsey felt a surge of joy and instinctively said, "Sir Colin, at your flying speed, we might arrive at Ancient North Village before the blizzard hits."
"Mm," Colin calmly responded.
However, Dempsey's wish was dashed in the next second.
Whoosh—
A colder gust of wind suddenly blew, stronger than the surrounding air.
The auroras in the sky gradually disappeared.
Snowflakes, like goose feathers, began cascading down from the dark sky... The blizzard rapidly formed within just a minute or two.
Dempsey was slightly startled, a bitter expression appearing on his face.
"Don't worry; where to next?" Colin comforted him, then continued asking.
The weather in Extreme North was indeed as unpredictable as the reports showed.
However, the intensity of this blizzard was not yet enough to hinder him; it would only lengthen the journey a bit.
"Dempsey," Colin urged in a low voice.
"...I'm sorry, Sir Colin." Dempsey came back to his senses, speaking quickly as he pointed toward a rising glacier in the distance while the snowstorm still hadn't completely obstructed their vision:
"If you fly a bit further, across that glacier, you will see a large ice mountain standing alone on the ice field—the Ancient North Ice Mountain. At its base is the location of Ancient North Village."
Colin nodded slightly, increasing his output of Magic Power before the blizzard intensified, crossing the ice slope before him.
He turned his head around.
Just as Dempsey had said, a peculiar ice mountain soon intruded into his vision.
The ice mountain might have been a kilometer tall, standing solitary like a fierce spike on the ice plain, with nothing but flatness surrounding it, not even a slightly raised bump could be found.
This scene made the Ancient North Ice Mountain appear exceptionally odd and majestic... and it also made Colin somewhat curious about how this ice mountain was formed, being so unique.
The blizzard grew stronger.
Before his vision was completely obscured by the white snow, Colin adjusted his direction of flight, heading straight for the Ancient North Ice Mountain.
The snowstorm blocked the light and visibility, and in the pitch dark, Dempsey panicked, "Lord Colin, shouldn't we slow down a bit? What if we crash..."
Bang!
A dull collision sound suddenly erupted in front of Dempsey, making him feel as though his throat was choked, and after uttering a short syllable, he fell silent.
"It's probably just a piece of floating ice caught up by the blizzard, don't worry about it," Colin said calmly, his expression serene.
In fact, he had already extended his spiritual power forward and there was no risk of hitting anything.
The collision with that piece of floating ice was intentional.
It seemed the effect was not bad... Colin watched Dempsey fall into silence with his spiritual power and smiled slightly.
Dempsey, as the apprentice guarding this place, might still be useful for some aspects of this mission, and an attitude of hesitation towards orders like just now wouldn't do; he needed to understand some of Colin's strength and confidence.
The two of them continued to fly rapidly.
Dempsey clung to Colin, trembling, motionless, but his heart was inexplicably shocked.
As a Wizard Apprentice, not particularly young, he had encountered First Rank Wizards in his life experiences and was very much aware of the ordinary capabilities of First Rank Wizards.
The collision just now might have only been ordinary floating ice, but under the terrifying speed of flight and the velocity given to the floating ice by the storm, the collision's force was not negligible.
After all, those pieces of floating ice were not cotton, extremely hard, and ordinarily difficult to break intentionally.
At least Dempsey thought he definitely could not have defended against such a rapid collision with floating ice.
Without Colin's protection, that piece of floating ice probably would have fractured his entire body on the spot.
Dempsey silently changed his previous opinion of Colin—
The wizard who had come this time was not arrogant; perhaps it was just confidence in his own strength!
Ten minutes later, the blizzard had not yet subsided.
But the two of them had already reached the foot of the Ancient North Ice Mountain.
It was just unfortunate that the snowstorm continued, blocking all light; otherwise, they could have observed the Ancient North Ice Mountain from a close distance.
Now, Colin could only use his spiritual power to discern his surroundings, unable to see the full view of the ice mountain.
Ancient North Village was also invisible.
Colin circled the ice mountain, and after a few minutes, eventually found the secluded position of Ancient North Village.
Ancient North Village was situated in a natural basin at the foot of the mountain, where the wind and snow were slightly less due to the surrounding ice mounds.
But the view was still pitch black, and Colin extended his spiritual power.
The houses of Ancient North Village seemed to be built of ice and snow, low and dome-shaped, and numerous.
Under the perception of spiritual power, they seemed endless, with Colin estimating there were at least nearly a thousand dome-shaped ice houses.
Rather than a village, it was more appropriate to say it was a small town.
Colin was somewhat amazed, but the next moment, the scene transmitted through his spiritual power made his brow furrow.
He swiftly descended toward Ancient North Village, and to help Dempsey see clearly, he waved his hand, casting the Light Brightness Skill.
A soft white light gathered in his palm, illuminating a melancholy and dismal scene.