Chapter 487 [0482] Ambush

After a short rest for one night, Ino said goodbye to Sadjo who was hesitant to talk, left the Icebreaker Port, and continued to head north along the coastline.

Having entered the core area of ​​the Avarosa tribe, the distance between the various strongholds is not that far. If the conversation goes smoothly, the intelligence team can reach the next stop: Frostide Port before dark the next day.

The name of Frostide Port comes from the unique freezing tide phenomenon nearby.

This is the end of the remnant of the Dragon Mountain Range. The remnant extending into the sea hinders the circulation of ocean currents, making the waves here endless all year round.

Once winter comes, Anivia will blow along the Dragon Mountain Range, and the roaring waves will freeze in a short time, eventually forming layers of frozen waves - the name of Frosttide Port comes from these cliff-like freezing tide waves.

Here, Ino doesn't have to bother looking for the coastline, just move forward along the freezing tide.

Originally, this was a very peaceful journey. The intelligence team had sufficient supplies and everyone was in good spirits. However, it seemed that due to the excessive supplies, the intelligence team walking not far from the frozen tide soon attracted the attention of some predators.

……………………

Sea worms are the top predators in the Freljord Ocean.

They have bloated worm-like bodies, sharp tactile receptors, compound eyes that can open and close underwater, and ring-shaped mouthparts full of sharp teeth. Any prey that they target, once bitten, will not only be as simple as peeling off a layer of skin.

At least half of the body will be lost!

The ice sea worms living in cold shallow waters are the smallest members of the sea worm family of predators.

Although compared with the hundreds of feet of the soul-eating sea worm, the thirty or fifty feet of the ice sea worm may only be described as mini.

However, even so, the ice sea worm is still one of the most dangerous sea worms, because they are the smartest of all sea worms.

Unlike other sea worms that rely on the instinct of wild beasts and wait for their prey in the tunnels dug by their ring-shaped mouthparts, ice sea worms not only ambush, but also track, intimidate and even set traps.

These cunning guys will forage alone when there is enough food, and they will act in groups after winter. Under the ice sheet near the coast, they will stick their fat bodies tightly to the ice surface and use their sensitive tentacles to sense the slightest vibration on the ice.

In order to capture prey, these groups of ice sea worms will also gnaw the ice layer under the ice sheet, deliberately creating weak points in the ice layer. Once the prey walks into the trap, they will suddenly break the ice layer and devour the prey.

Although looking at the entire Freljord, the food of ice sea worms is mostly large animals such as wild Enuk and Yukar, and humans are not its main prey, but these hunters' traps and their terrible mouthparts still make the Freljord people mention ice sea worms with fear and even awe in their tone.

Even though the number of Freljordians killed by ice sea worms is not as many as those killed by Enyuk, anyone who sees this terrible animal will feel terrified.

And this winter, the ice sea worms in the waters of West Freljord have a particularly hard time.

The war between Avarosa and Winter's Claw not only affected the situation of the Freljord humans, but also the natural environment near Frost Harbor.

Avarosa, who had built a strong defense and cleared the wild, drove all wild Yukar and Enyuk to other places, away from the coast, to prevent them from becoming prey and supplies for Winter's Claw.

As a result, Winter's Claw ran out of food, and the ice sea worms began to starve.

Without these large prey, the ice sea worms lurking under the ice became hungry.

Although there are still prey such as walruses, seals, and wild boars, the deficit caused by the sharp decline in the number of Yukar and Enyuk cannot be compensated by other food.

Even though ice sea worms can catch fish, their body structure means that these predators are better at ambushing enemies on the ice and on the water. The efficiency of fishing is too low to provide them with enough energy.

In this case, the ice sea worms gathered together can only control the thickness of the ice layer, rely on fish to maintain their lives, and wait for a group of destined people - it was at this time that the intelligence team led by Ino left the Ice Breaking Port and meandered towards the Frozen Tide Port.

Coincidentally, the wind has been particularly strong in recent days. In order to avoid the cold wind, the intelligence team chose to move close to the frozen tide that surged like a cliff.

More than 40 people pulled a sled and stepped on the ice layer covered with snow, and under the ice layer, the hungry ice sea worms finally found their new prey.

Very light footsteps, not the most familiar large prey, should be bipeds.

The cunning ice sea worms don't like bipeds. They may be difficult to deal with or weak, but no matter how strong or weak, they don't have much meat.

Under normal circumstances, large-scale swarms of ice sea worms would not choose to hunt similarly swarmed bipeds.

But now, the ice sea worms are starving.

They have no choice.

Although they are extremely hungry, the ice sea worms lurking under the ice still remain patient. They twist their round and fat bodies and patiently follow the intelligence team along the weak points of the ice they have gnawed.

Although there is no sunlight underwater, the ice sea worms have the ability to judge time freely. For bipeds, they usually choose to attack at sunrise and sunset - this is when the bipeds eat.

And just as it had happened countless times before, at sunset, these bipeds stopped.

Under the white ice, the ice sea worms stood upright like hairtails, using the most sensitive tentacles around their ring-shaped mouthparts to sense the activities on the ice. Without any communication or communication, they quickly determined the range of their prey.

As if someone had silently issued an order, these ice sea worms suddenly retracted their necks and then raised their heads in unison.

The ice layer that had already been gnawed was broken by this concerted and powerful attack. At the moment when their heads floated out of the water, the ice sea worms opened their eyes covered by transparent eyelids and opened their ring-shaped mouthparts to the maximum, intending to swallow all the prey in one gulp.

Then, they gnawed a mouthful of ice.

In the place where they judged that there was "prey", there was actually no prey. What was sliding and rubbing on the ground was just a pile of temporarily formed ice blocks. Their real prey had quietly moved to another place long ago and was now waiting on a thick layer of ice, ready for battle.

The ice sea worms, which had bitten a mouthful of ice, were already starving. They had little patience to begin with, and now they could no longer suppress their hungry biological instincts. This time, they did not cautiously retreat underwater to wait for an opportunity, but chose to twist their huge and fat bodies, looking down from above and opening their mouths again, biting the gathered bipeds.

Unfortunately, the bipeds they chose this time were not ordinary bipeds.

Although they did not carry heavy weapons, the ice elements had already begun to gather when the ice sea worms poked their heads out.

The ice elemental mages of the 11th group had not received professional combat training, and they only had some good magic control, which could not help much in the real critical battle.

But it doesn't matter. As early as when he arrived at the port of Peril and encountered a group of ice trolls, Ino had already found a way to cooperate with them in the battle - just like those rookie mages in Zaun, these magicians are not strong enough in combat, but at least they have magic power!

The ice elemental mages built an ice wall to protect themselves, and at the same time built an ice puppet and gave it to Ino to use. This is the biggest help they provide for the battle!

It was in this way that Ino successfully eliminated a small group of ice troll raiders and saved the batch of ice troll teeth used to buy pickled fish.

And now, facing the ice sea worm, this trick is still useful.

The heavy ice wall rose from the ground, and the ice sea worm, which moved suddenly, was powerful, but failed to break through the defense with one blow.

At the same time, a twenty-foot-tall ice statue quickly took shape. This statue, made of ice magic, naturally had ice activity and was the most primitive puppet. Under Ino's control, the ice puppet held a long sword and cut off the head of an ice sea worm in front of it while it was biting.

The headless worm twisted and fell into the sea, dyeing the sea water that had just frozen a thin layer of ice red. The head of the ice sea worm fell on the ice surface, and its ring-shaped mouth opened again, as if it wanted to bite something.

Then, it was pierced through by an ice thorn growing from the ice surface, and finally it could no longer move.

Seeing this situation, several other ice sea worms dived into the water without hesitation. The next moment, a thick red color surged from the water. Ino realized that those ice sea worms that suddenly dived might not have sensed danger, but were eating each other.

This discovery made Ino almost want to shudder.

When they came out together, they looked like they were hunting together. Why did they start fighting and eating the corpses of their own kind after one of their heads was chopped off?

Behind Ino, the group of Archons did not see the whole battle, but after seeing the color of the water, their expressions were a little subtle.

It was not difficult to guess what happened.

"Let's go. Let's choose a place with thicker ice. We'll have to work hard today." Seeing that the ice cave opened by the ice sea worm had no response, Ino simply canceled the rest plan tonight. "The wild of Freljord is too dangerous. We should reach Frost Harbor as soon as possible!"

The Archons, who were greatly stimulated, quickly packed their bags and sleds and started to move forward at full speed in a place far away from the frost tide, striving to reach Frost Harbor tomorrow!

Then, before it was completely dark, Ino and his group, who were walking along the coast, met another group of people holding torches and carrying weapons, heading towards the Guardian team from the north.

"Who are you?" A woman holding a bow and arrow at the front of the team asked loudly, "This coast is very dangerous, leave here quickly!"

"Who are you?" Ino also stood in front of the team, "I'm going to Frost Harbor to visit Ashe, so I have to go along the coast!"

"Visit Ashe?" After getting Ino's answer, the other party was obviously stunned for a moment, "You are looking for me?"

Karya's small class Soul Devourer and Baron Nashor:

Baron Nashor in Summoner's Rift is a Soul Devourer - but perhaps because it is infected by the void, it is much stronger and more terrifying than other Soul Devourer.

PS.71k/200k, rehabilitation, rehabilitation!