Chapter 258

Chapter 258: Reunion on a Snowy Night

Behind Kalaxi, several gray figures leaped with him!

Not long after they entered, the other hunters, trapped in the smoke, hastily escaped in disarray.

Moments later, an astonishing roar echoed from within the smoke!

It was as if something had exploded—it was the first time they'd heard the monster's roar! What had Kalaxi done to it? Could he really have the power to shake the terrifying beast? The creature that even Black had been forced to abandon, one without any apparent weakness!

All the monsters couldn't help but direct their gazes at Black, who had managed to escape.

The tall and slender monster stood not too far from the front of the group, his thin lips tightly pursed, unblinkingly staring into the mist ahead.

Then, the monster's roar never ceased, growing louder, deeper, and... more mournful with each cry?

The monsters almost doubted their own ears. Kalaxi had actually made that horrifying monster emit a pitiful wail?

How could that be?!

However, the subsequent wails undeniably became increasingly desperate and heartrending.

Any monster who heard such a heart-wrenching scream would have no doubt that the creature within was undergoing an utterly miserable ordeal. They all recalled the legend of Kalaxi, a monstrous merchant who made no effort to conceal the brutal nature of his dealings.

He would proactively offer his magical beasts for sale in the most brutal of arenas, and peddle acquired magical beasts as vessels for hundred-day banquets to those creatures in need. He also dealt in various magical cores.

He possesses an unique method of taming magical bases, resulting in the magic bases he sells being the most vicious ones. These creatures had endured unspeakable atrocities during their lifetime, and even in death, their rage remains unchecked. They cruelly torment any beings that dare intrude upon their post-mortem domain.

Legend has it that the Kalaxi even transform monsters into Magic Foundations for sale.

The northern creatures hold no regard for Kalaxi, unwilling to engage with him, yet they dare not offend him, likely due to the various legends surrounding Kalaxi.

If they could handle such a monstrous entity as the Kalaxi, then... they would have to reassess the magnitude of the Kalaxi's power.

Unlike the western and southern regions, monsters in the northeast tend to form clans, with each clan's leader holding sway over their respective territories. The vast expanses of land and sparse monster population have allowed for a prolonged state of regional autonomy in this part of the world. However, it's only a matter of time before a dominant force emerges to unite these lands, much like how the Roim once did...

Recalling the Roim clan that had ruled over this land centuries ago, many monsters couldn't help but tremble in their hearts.

The majority of these monsters had never experienced the rule of the Roim, but they had heard tales from their elders about these ruthless rulers, who possessed abyssal bloodlines and were both powerfully strong and savagely cruel. It was largely due to their reign that the northeastern region's monster population had dwindled so significantly. Under their oppressive white terror, many monster clans had been eradicated. It wasn't until this terrifying race declined and vanished that the northeastern lands began to regain vitality.

And at this moment, if a particularly powerful force suddenly emerged...

Suddenly! Another violent tremor! The monster within the smoke let out the loudest roar in history!

It felt as though the earth and mountains were quaking! No, it wasn't just a feeling – it was truly happening!

In horror, the monsters witnessed a column of white smoke rise up, distinct from the black smoke of the smoky area. The frozen ground beneath them cracked, and with another mournful roar, the very mountain they stood on began to collapse!

As the earth shook, all the monsters sensed a rapid increase in temperature around them. The snow under their feet melted visibly, and it had to be that monster! That monster actually had the power to summon lava? What was its intention? To melt the surrounding ice and snow, then escape underwater?

Events unfolded too swiftly for the monsters to process. They tumbled into the scalding water one after another. The currents were swift, and soon, they were scattered in all directions.

Hei Dan also fell into the water.

Before he submerged, he heard Jiujiu calling his name. But the thick white mist and the multitude of monsters made it impossible for Hei Dan to pinpoint Jiujiu's location.

Hei Dan called out to Jiujiu as well, but he plunged into the water after only one cry. Fortunately, he was an adept swimmer since childhood. After securing his backpack, he adjusted to the strength and direction of the current and began swimming like a tiny frog.

At first, there were quite a few monsters swimming around him. Black Egg had even carefully scanned the group to see if Jiujiu or any acquaintances were among them. However, as they swam on, the surrounding monsters gradually "ceased to swim."

It wasn't due to physical exhaustion but rather an inability to move. The sudden hot spring rapidly heated up and then cooled down just as swiftly. They froze in bizarre positions within the icy water, except for Black Egg, who continued swimming.

If the water was too cold, he could heat it himself. As someone who had been boiling water for his family's hot springs since he was young, Black Egg was an expert at this! He swam while heating the water until he finally spotted the shore.

The little monster climbed out of the water.

All around him was a blanket of white, a sight he had grown accustomed to seeing each morning recently.

"Jiujiu!"

"Grandpa!"

Kneeling on the snowy ground, the damp little monster called out softly twice.

"Ajin!" Then, he called out Ajin's name.

Receiving no response to either name, the little monster sniffled and pulled himself up from the icy surface.

Behind him, the reformed ice surface was embedded with countless frozen monsters and magical beasts. Their expressions were eerily distorted, which made Hei Dan feel a little scared. Thus, he started to jog, not stopping until the monsters and magical beasts were out of sight.

Then, it began to rain again, gently sprinkling from the sky.

Digging through his backpack, Hei Dan found an umbrella. Under its shelter, he took off his wet clothes and changed into the dry ones he had packed.

Gua Gua had done a great job preserving everything. The lunchbox was intact, the poop pills were all there, and the clothes were still dry.

Night had fallen.

Hei Dan turned on his flashlight and walked along the snowy path, illuminating his way.

As he walked, he suddenly noticed someone ahead.

The little monster rubbed his eyes, confirming multiple times that it wasn't an illusion but an actual person. He quickened his pace and ran towards the figure.

Midway, his old flashlight ran out of battery. In the darkness, Hei Dan dashed across the snow blindly.

His tiny feet kicked up a trail of snowflakes, leaving a row of small footprints behind. However, they were soon concealed by the continuous snowfall.

In the darkness, there sat a "person."

About the height of Jiujiu, perhaps even taller, as tall as Ajin! What was he doing here in such an utterly dark place? No fire to warm himself, how cold it must be!

Being just a child, Hei Dan didn't think much. The place was too dark, and his instinct was to seek out an adult for comfort.

After cautiously approaching the figure, the little monster greeted politely.

"Good evening!"

"Have you seen my Jiujiu? About your size, very, very pretty," the little monster inquired proactively.

There had been a time when he played for too long in the testing area and couldn't find his way back. Although it happened only once, he sought help from a "grown-up" nearby who effortlessly brought him back to Jiujiu.

But he hadn't forgotten Jiuma's words. After confirming multiple times that this person wasn't something "invisible to others," Hei Dan mustered the courage to greet them.

Then, under the moonlight reflected by the snow, Hei Dan saw the figure in the darkness gently shake their head.

The little monster sniffled again. And then he began to feel the chill.

"Are you cold? Let me start a fire to warm you up!" he whispered, and upon sensing no objection, Hei Dan began to skillfully build a fire.

If they were in the human world, Hei Dan would undoubtedly be at an age where adults would caution him about "playing with fire and wetting the bed." However, in this world, Hei Dan had already learned how to safely utilize fire. From his bag, he retrieved a piece of flint and deftly rubbed it together. In no time, a small flame flickered on the ground.

Next, he took out some firewood, scraps he had salvaged from previous fires, and blew gently on them while lying on the snowy ground. The tiny flame soon grew into a substantial bonfire.

The little creature huddled with his knees drawn to his chest, seemingly engrossed in staring at the flames, but in reality, his thoughts were occupied by Jiujiu. As the realization dawned on him that he might never see Jiujiu again, tears began to roll down his cheeks.

"What's wrong?" A peculiar voice suddenly sounded nearby. Startled, the little monster jumped, then wiped his tears as he realized it was the adult beside him who had spoken.

"Jiujiu and I have gotten separated."

"Heh! What an irresponsible adult, letting such a young child run about unchecked?" The person's voice was gentle, but the words spoken were anything but pleasant.

Hei Dan was taken aback by the tone of an adult, which he wasn't quite adept at deciphering yet. However, he could still distinguish the underlying sentiment in the words. Sensing that the speaker was blaming Jiujiu, he promptly came to Jiujiu's defense, "It wasn't Jiujiu's fault. Jiujiu asked me to stay by his side all the time. I was the one who ran out on my own... to fetch our meal..."

Speaking of Fei Fei, after such a long swim, Hei Dan was indeed feeling rather exhausted. Thus, he wiped away his tears and reached into his backpack to pull out a large lunch box.

"I have some rice here, would you like to share a meal with me?" Acting on the thought, Hei Dan promptly took out a pair of small chopsticks.

The other party shook their head in refusal, so Hei Dan ate it himself. However, he still spared the best chunk of beast leg from his leftovers and offered it to them.

"This is all Jiujiu's doing! It's incredibly delicious!" the little monster assured, pounding its chest proudly.

The person ultimately didn't refuse, but they didn't eat it. Instead, they simply stored away Hei Dan's gift.

Frightened and famished, Hei Dan devoured the leftover food in large mouthfuls. However, as he ate, his movements gradually slowed. The little creature lifted its head, eyes darting alertly around, only then noticing that the area around him had somehow become dotted with shimmering "lanterns."

That was the eye of a magical beast, the House had told him.

The little monster froze in anxiety, and just then, a voice spoke again from beside them.

"Fear not, that is my... magical beast."

The little monster finally breathed a sigh of relief. "You're the one who's raising it!"

With limited knowledge, in all his years, he had only encountered domesticated magical beasts that were exceptionally gentle, much like Mr. Nieye's Little Lv.

"Am I allowed to feed them?" The thought of Little Green ignited the little monster's playful nature, reminiscent of petting cats and dogs.

Regrettably, his request was denied this time.

"No," the person beside him declined gently yet firmly.

It wasn't a flat-out refusal; instead, he allowed the little monster to understand the reason for the rejection firsthand.

With a soft whistle, the magical beasts emerged from their hiding spots.

They were enormous creatures, larger than the three-headed beasts that Hei Dan had encountered earlier that day (→ referring to those captured by the Black Egg hunter). Their eyes were bloodshot, devoid of any emotion.

These were a group of emotionally barren magical beasts.

The tiny monster shivered in fear.

"I won't feed them anymore," he nodded obediently, speaking up.

After that, he continued to eat from his lunchbox, finishing every last morsel of the leftover food. The little monster let out a contented burp, and only then did he meticulously rinse the box with snow before carefully stowing it back into his pack.

Following that, he resumed his conversation with the person beside him.

Naturally a chatterbox, Hei Dan could engage in conversation with anyone. If one topic didn't work, he swiftly changed to another, always finding something to pique the other's interest.

Although the other party remained mostly silent, he would occasionally respond to Hei Dan's chatter. Amidst the endless cold night, Hei Dan managed to persevere.

The magical creatures encircled them, their eyes shimmering as they gazed in their direction.

Meanwhile, the person was constantly weaving something with his hands. It was too dark for Hei Dan to discern what it was.

This night seemed particularly long.

Just as Hei Dan kept reminding himself not to fall asleep, an eerie sound suddenly echoed from afar.

It was an incredibly loud noise.

"Are you scared?" The person unexpectedly asked Hei Dan when he saw the little monster lift his head, seemingly trying to locate the source of the sound.

It was the first time the person had taken the initiative to ask Hei Dan a question, usually it was the other way around.

Hei Dan shook his head.

"That's the sound of an empty stomach, my dear Egg. When I'm hungry, mine also makes that noise." The little monster gently patted its own belly.

Then, it seemed that the person chuckled.

Under the company of this stranger, Hei Dan spent the longest and most profound night of his life.

Eventually, he fell asleep, still hearing the sounds of hunger in his dreams. His mouth was smacking as the little monster tasted the dishes made by Jiujiu in his mouth. Odd... why wasn't he hungry at all?

Morning finally arrived.

Rolling out of bed, Hei Dan realized he had dozed off. The fire had long since gone out, and there was no one else beside the snowdrift but him. The spot where the person sat last night was now empty, save for a large cloak. Inside it was a puddle of melted snow, likely from being warmed by the flames earlier. Moreover, beneath the cloak lay a freshly woven basket, exquisitely crafted and adorably charming.

Could it be that the person who kept him company by the fire yesterday was a snowman?

Did they melt while roasting by the fire?

Hei Dan was filled with bewilderment.

Mr. Snowman might not have been overly warm, but a snowman willing to risk melting just to keep him company by the fire must have been a very gentle soul, right?

Thoughtful, Hei Dan gathered his cloak and basket from the ground together.

He had also dug a small hole to bury the snowwater within.

After completing all tasks, he heard Jiujiu calling his name.

In an instant, all concerns vanished as the little monster eagerly responded to Jiujiu's call with enthusiasm!