Colin and another person walked out of the glacier cave together.
From a distance, the white blizzard wall seemed motionless, giving off an unreal sensation.
Shelley identified the direction and then, with a powerful leap, dove headfirst into the chaotic storm.
"Stay close to me," Shelley said in a low voice. Her figure, like the Ice and Snow Monsters she had encountered before, was unaffected by the blizzard.
The bitter, knife-like cold wind, upon reaching her, turned as gentle as a spring breeze, and the swirling snowflakes spontaneously verged away from her.
Following behind, Colin couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
Shelley's treatment seemed to be even more extraordinary than that of the Ice and Snow Monsters; it looked as if the monarch of ice and snow had arrived.
When the Snow Monster Core had traversed through the blizzard, the snowflakes certainly didn't change direction.
About fifteen minutes passed.
The pair made their way through the storm to a continuous mountain range of ice and snow.
"We should be close to the lair of the Snow Monsters. I can sense a presence ahead similar to that on the Snow Monsters." Shelley spoke.
"Are there more Snow Monsters?" Colin asked instinctively.
"Not necessarily, but there is the same presence."
Colin nodded slowly and continued to follow Shelley as they flew forward. Moments later, they arrived at the entrance of a cave.
The oval-shaped entrance, approximately ten meters tall, was significantly larger than the caves on the spine-like glacier they had seen before. The tunnel inside was also very broad, looking more like a place that could accommodate huge Ice and Snow Monsters.
But unlike the pure ice blocks of the previous glacier spine, this cave was wrapped in snow covering the rock walls.
Shelley landed and walked inside with confident strides.
Her expression relaxed, as if she were merely walking in her own backyard.
Colin grew more curious about Shelley's identity.
Unfortunately... this was a secret that belonged solely to Shelley, and he couldn't pry.
The cave stretched wide but not deep, and after a few steps, they reached the end of the cave.
Here was a circular cavern.
Apart from a small pool in the middle, which still flowed despite the freezing cold, there was nothing else.
"It looks like the two monsters you dealt with were the only ones bred here."
Shelley approached the small pool, about two meters in diameter, and bent down for a closer inspection.
"So, is this clear spring the source where those Ice and Snow Monsters originate?" Colin inquired, "I've heard villagers from Ancient North Village say that those monsters attack the village from time to time."
"If nothing unusual happens, this place is indeed where Snow Monsters are bred." Shelley nodded and scooped up a blue ice crystal from the pool.
Colin raised his eyebrows slightly.
The blue ice crystal looked identical to the Snow Monster Core, just smaller in size, roughly the size of a broad bean.
"Can we remove the source here for good, and solve the problem of Ice and Snow Monsters attacking Ancient North Village once and for all?" Colin asked while examining the ice crystal.
Shelley was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."
She gazed at the pool, a look of regret in her eyes.
"Do you know, Colin, in fact, those Ice and Snow Monsters would not attack humans."
"The Extreme North is a place brimming with life; they are peaceful elves birthed from this land."
Shelley glanced at Colin's puzzled face and continued:
"Divine Beings are the deadliest pollution in this world, filthy and hideous. They twist all that is beautiful and destroy everything precious..."
"Are you saying those Ice and Snow Monsters attack humans because of the Divine Beings?" Colin stepped closer to the pool and asked in a gentle tone.
"More precisely, because of Tainted babbling." Shelley tossed the blue ice crystal back into the pool and then dipped her index finger into the water.
Crack—
White cold air spread from Shelley's fingertip outward, forming ice flowers.
"Compared to humans, these ice spirits are even more vulnerable to Tainted babbling, and the Extreme North has possibly the highest concentration of Tainted babbling on the Siya Continent.
When combined, it's easy for them to become twisted and mad."
"Compared to falling into Divine Believers, this pollution is more chaotic and frenzied."
Colin nodded, watching as the pool before him gradually solidified into a massive block of white ice.
He knew that the concentration of Tainted babbling was higher in the Extreme North; like the low Magic Power concentration, as soon as he arrived here, he felt a clear difference from being in Neustadt City.
The external sensation was that witchcraft became more difficult to cast, the range of his spiritual power noticeably shrank, and it was harder to concentrate during meditation.
Crack, crack, crack—
As the edge of the pool was gradually covered in white, the entire pool declared its complete transformation into an ice block.
"Is this enough?" Colin asked aloud.
"If you talk about removing this source, then yes." Shelley slowly stood up, holding a white sphere in her hand.
"For you."
"What is this?" Colin reached out to receive the thumb-sized snow-white sphere, his face showing confusion.
"Ice Spring Essence, you can understand it as the essence of this cold spring—the true core that gives birth to those Ice and Snow Monsters."
Colin held up his right hand, examining the Ice Spring Essence that was now emitting a faint cold mist.
"It's dissipating energy. If you don't want to waste it, you should eat it quickly," Shelley continued.