Chapter 510
"That stuff is dangerous! Let me check if there's any residue on you. If there is, we need to deal with it immediately!"
His girlfriends were still in front of him; how could he let a stranger undress him? Shi Lei knew Simona meant well, but he still clearly refused.
"No need, I didn't touch her the whole time. I only came back after the Black Substance stopped moving."
Having said that, Rock Constructs appeared in his palm. It grew larger and smaller, displaying its ranged capabilities.
Simona was stunned; she had never heard of such creative ability, so effortless, in her entire life.
Exusiai knew Hantan would react this way, and smiled as she walked out of the treehouse, raising an eyebrow at her:
"These are all child's play. Zhongli is far more capable than you imagine. He..."
"Cough cough."
"Okay, okay, I didn't say anything. Stop coughing, I won't say it again, alright?"
Seeing that Shi Lei's words and actions seemed genuine, Simona began to understand why she had been assigned to escort him. Perhaps the Endless Icefield were ravaged by Demons, and he was needed to help.
Those who help Sami are Sami's friends.
Thinking of this, Simona bowed ninety degrees to Shi Lei, expressing her sincerest gratitude:
"Mister Zhongli, thank you very much. If the murderer is indeed the Priestess infected by the Demons, the remaining people in the tribe are probably no match for her. They will perform a sacrificial ceremony for the deceased tomorrow, and I will inform them then."
Shi Lei remained very modest, telling Hantan that it was only because she was his guide on this trip:
"If it's not absolutely necessary, try not to tell them that I did it. If doing so will cause them trouble, then just blame it on me. If you don't have anything else, I'm going inside to rest."
Simona immediately understood and offered her resignation:
"Oh, okay, then I won't bother you any longer."
As evening fell, Shi Lei sensed green lights, like fireflies, approaching the treehouse.
Unsure whether these were harmful, he decisively separated them all with Jade Shield Wall.
This caused a certain Beast Lord a great deal of worry.
[Urge Update Sign-in]
Chapter 584 Signs of an Impending Mukure (4K)
A cave in the Sami Icefield.
Typhon lay in the corner of the cave, a meter away from a fire he had built with stones and branches.
The damp wood crackled in the flames, its glow warming the entire cave.
Three simple traps were set up at the Cave Entrance to serve as warnings should any creature approach. This was something Typhon always had to do when resting in the wild.
She is a light sleeper and will wake up at the slightest sound. Because no one can predict what inhuman creatures they might encounter in Sami.
If it's a wild beast, that's fine; they usually just become Typhon's daily meal. But the real danger comes from Demons or collapse bodies that sneak out from the Endless Icefield. These things can be deadly if they attack in the middle of the night.
She had intended to take a short nap tonight, but unexpectedly felt drowsy. Moreover, her body seemed to be out of her control, and she had a very peculiar dream.
In her dream, Typhon awoke in a forest. The surrounding vegetation reached past her waist, the trees blocked the moonlight, and all was pitch black. Green lights, like fireflies, floated among the trees, providing a faint source of light.
The night was deep and eerily quiet.
Typhon felt a sense of déjà vu, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen it before.
Deep within the dense forest, whispers could be faintly heard.
Typhon tried very hard to listen, but she still couldn't make out the details. She followed the forest path in front of her and silently walked deeper into the woods.
Ahead lay a small river, about five or six meters wide. A Horned Beast, its entire body radiating a holy white light, stood on the riverbank, its clear eyes looking over.
The river flowing beneath His feet creates a beautiful and exquisite scene.
Typhon gaped in astonishment, his jaw agape for a long time. For this was no ordinary Horned Beast, but the Sami People's revered creature— Anmatar!
In Sami Language, "Anma" means "mother." And "Anmatar" translates to "old mother." In other words, Anmatar is the mother of the Sami land.
Typhon was raised by Rin, the Cyclops, one of the Sarkaz Ten Royal Courts. As a child, he dreamed of Anmatar with her help. Unexpectedly, he dreamed of her again today without any warning.
Anmatar's gaze was incredibly deep, looking across the stream. He had originally intended to communicate with Shi Lei directly through a dream. However, the fragment of his consciousness was blocked and shattered by an invisible barrier. Left with no other option, he sought human help.
"My child, I need you."
Typhon swallowed hard, surprised that the other party would make such a request. She walked forward until her feet touched the shore before stopping.
What do you need me to do?
"Child, you need to find a man whose race cannot be discerned, and take him deep into the Endless Icefield, to the northernmost edge. If he is willing to help, perhaps he can end the Sami's suffering of tens of thousands of years."
Although Typhon did not know who He was referring to, he could sense that this matter was of great importance.
She stood there staring at Anmatar for several seconds before asking with a serious expression:
Where is he? What are his distinguishing features?
"He is with your Priestess friend and is currently heading towards the border of the Endless Icefield. All you need to do is lead him to the northernmost edge. When the time is right, I will appear and negotiate with him."
Priestess friend?
Typhon's weapon is a projection of the Demons into the real world, a mere overlay of objects. In simpler terms, her Great Bow is a weapon corrupted by the Demons.
Because Typhon carried a Demons weapon, she was driven away by most of the Sami People, who feared that her weapon might suddenly malfunction and unleash Demons, corrupting the tribe's Clan Tree.
Furthermore, Typhon is Sarkaz, not the Elafia the Sami. Therefore, he often wanders the deserted ice plains, and has very few people who can become his friends.
When Typhon mentioned his Priestess friend, he immediately thought of Simona was hunting down Ursus people on the border.
There's only one path from her location into the Endless Icefield; if you haven't taken a detour, you should be able to run into her.
"Okay, I'll leave right away."
Seeing Typhon readily agree, Anmatar lowered his body slightly. One of His antlers inexplicably fell off, and instead of sinking, it floated over with the river.
"Then, I'll leave it to you."
Typhon bent down to pick up the antlers, and the moment he touched them, he felt dizzy. The surrounding forest scenery began to rush past him, getting farther and farther away from his current location.
She seemed to be thrown into the air by some unknown force, and then plummeted down in a state of weightlessness!
"Call!"
Typhon sat bolt upright in shock; the flickering flames of the fire still cast shadows within the cave. She felt a cold sweat trickle down her back, as if she had just been pulled from the water.
Was that a dream?
If it's not a dream, why does it feel so real?
Just as Typhon sat up, a crystal-clear antler fell out of his arms.
Texas and the others spent a peaceful night in the tribe's treehouse.
Shi Lei didn't need to sleep, but he still cooperated by embracing his girlfriends and pretending to doze off.
He usually spends his long nights reading, but tonight everyone is sleeping in the treehouse.
If you insist on reading, it will seem a bit pretentious even if no one dares to object, so it's best not to do that.
Shi Lei used his Psychic Power to scan and protect everyone's safety at all times. The night was very peaceful, and no creatures Demonic Invasion were detected approaching.
Early the next morning, the tribe's Priestess led the remaining warriors in a funeral ceremony.
They first sang loudly around the deceased Clan Tree, as if bidding it farewell. After singing for about ten minutes, they began to dance wildly.
These people's movements were neither synchronized nor rhythmic; they simply twisted their bodies arbitrarily.
After more than half an hour of revelry, the ceremony moved on to the next stage.
The Priestess held her wooden staff high, directing the tribal warriors to blow their horns toward the Clan Tree. Without pausing, she began chanting sacrificial eulogies.
This is not just a funeral for the deceased, but also a ceremony for the living to bid farewell to their hometown.
With the Clan Tree gone, they will be left without support.
They went to a lake near the settlement and piled all the bodies on a wooden boat. The current would naturally propel the boat to the bottom of the lake at the burial site.
It seems that only in this way can the dead be freed from the constraints of the physical body and return to the Sami origin.
"Ring ring~"
The cold wind blew the string of copper bells hanging on the wooden boat, as if guiding the deceased in the direction of rebirth.
The scene was so solemn and dignified that Shi Lei and the others watching remained silent. They simply watched the wooden boat drift away and gradually disappear from sight.
After the ceremony concluded, the tribe's Priestess expressed her sincere gratitude to Simona, saying she would lead the Tribe Members to seek refuge and search for the murderer.
Simona didn't tell them that Shi Lei had already dealt with the Priestess corrupted by the Demons. Sometimes leaving something to remember is more meaningful than wandering aimlessly.
After confirming that there was nothing else going on, Surtr and the others continued their journey to the north of Sami.
With Simona, their Humanoid Snow Shield, around, everyone could run freely in the snow. Combined with the Jade Shield protecting them from the sub-zero temperatures, everyone felt very relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed their Sami Journey.
Simona is usually a loner and doesn't talk much. Luckily, the team has Exusiai and Lappland, two chatterboxes, so the atmosphere won't be awkward.
Despite the heavy snowfall and frigid weather, none of that posed a problem for this team.
When everyone got tired and stopped, they would inexplicably start a snowball fight. They didn't hold back at all, grabbing thick snow and splashing it directly on their faces. If it weren't for the Perpetual Jade Shield, they would definitely get injured.
Besides having snowball fights, they also had the leisure to stop and observe the Mouse Beast nests, watch the Rift Beast cubs and prey playing, and the Rock Horned Beast herds migrating.
The scenery of Sami is a natural beauty, untouched by human hands. It is rugged and wild.
When you travel, you should act like you're traveling.
In this atmosphere, Simona would occasionally introduce the local customs and culture of the Sami people.
For example, if you find a burrow or tree trunk, they might tell you that there are supplies stored by hunters inside. No matter which tribe you're from, you can take these supplies whenever you want. If you feel guilty, just put some supplies in yourself next time.
This kind of spontaneous exchange of goods is rarely seen in modern civilized society. People who are greedy for small gains are everywhere, and there is no fertile ground for such a custom to exist.
Traveling at a leisurely pace, Shi Lei and his group arrived at the edge of the Endless Icefield four days later.
Simona, acting as their guide, had explained the situation here. The warriors of the Tree Scars would set up camp at the edge of the Endless Icefield to defend against the invasion of calamity.
The calamities here refer not only to Demons, but also to collapses that have come from the Far North Land. However, Simona has never seen them, so she cannot provide any information for reference.
"Everyone, I'm sorry."
Simona pointed to a sentry post hidden in the mountains and apologized to the people behind her:
"Could you please stay here and not wander around? The tribes stationed here are very xenophobic, and they might brandish weapons if they see outsiders. To avoid escalating the conflict, I have to go alone."
Since the guide had said so, Shi Lei naturally respected the Sami culture and gestured for him to proceed.
"Miss Simona, lightweight."
"Yes, I'll be back soon."
Simona stepped forward with her staff, but was recognized before she even reached the sentry post. A woman with her face painted in various colors approached, accompanied by six Sami warriors.
"Daughter of Hantan Wood, this is not a place for you. Leave immediately, or you will face the consequences."
"Hantan" is not only the code name of Rhodes Island, but also the name of Simona's former Clan Tree. Upon hearing this, she bowed slightly, greeting him politely.
"Hello, warriors of the Tree Scars."
Before Simona could continue, the woman in the lead spotted the outsiders below the mountain and immediately frowned:
"Daughter of Hantan Wood, what do you mean?"
"Warriors of the Tree Scars, please calm down. They mean no harm; they simply want to enter the Endless Icefield..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Sami warriors placed their hands on their weapons and surrounded him without saying a word.
The Tree Scar Tribe's responsibility is to guard the borders of the Endless Icefield and prevent the invasion of Demons and collapsing entities. Yet she wants to let outsiders pass through—her intentions are utterly despicable!
Simona knew this would happen, and quickly explained:
"I understand, this is against the rules. No one should rashly enter the Endless Icefield. You built the high walls to protect against the calamities on the ice plains. But what if this is Anmatar's instruction?"
The Sami warriors clearly didn't believe them and remained poised to attack at any moment.
"The Daughter of Hantan Wood, would She give such a rebellious instruction? Are you kidding me!"
"When I first heard Jitia say that this was Anmatar's intention, I also found it hard to believe. If you don't believe me, you can ask your Clan Tree. This cannot be faked, so please do not neglect the Sami's distinguished guests."
"Okay, you wait."