Snow Hut Girl

The Gnoll continued to rise and fall behind them, mournful and piercing, filling one with dread.

Steamed Bun sped along the secluded path in the valley, shaking off his pursuers, and finally reached an open area, panting as he escaped.

"Huff, huff..."

"This is really strange. Where did all these Gnoll come from? And they're all mutants."

Steamed Bun looked up and saw a delicate wooden house suddenly appearing on the mountainside of the Snow Peak. The roof, made of logs, was covered with thick white snow, and a gentle firelight shone through the windows.

Where is this?

Steamed Bun leaned closer, somewhat curious.

He knew that there must be something strange about encountering such a wooden house in these remote mountains, but for a player, it was impossible not to investigate such a place thoroughly.

"Never mind! Let's go inside and talk about it!"

Steamed Bun gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

With a soft creak, Steamed Bun gently pushed open the wooden door and entered the wooden house.

The interior was quite cozy, with soft fur sofas, exquisite woven carpets, and the crackling of firewood in the fireplace.

The table was laden with delicacies such as milk, bread, and fruit, along with silver spoons and exquisite ornaments, all of which seemed out of place against the backdrop of the barren, snow-capped mountains outside.

"How could there be such a place in these mountains..."

The Steamed Bun muttered to itself, looking around but finding nothing amiss.

"Guests from afar, it would be impolite to arrive uninvited—"

A clear, melodious female voice rang out.

Steamed Bun quickly turned his head and saw a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old push open the wooden door and walk into the main room.

She wore a neat ponytail, held a steaming cup of tea in her slender hands, and had a touch of playfulness on her kind and pretty face.

She placed the hot tea on the table and winked mischievously at the Steamed Bun.

"It's cold outside, please have a cup of hot tea to warm your stomach."

"By the way, my name is Valena, and I am the daughter of the owner of this wooden house."

Steamed Bun was somewhat flattered and stared blankly into the girl's beautiful big eyes. He nodded repeatedly, picked up the cup of hot tea and started drinking. Fortunately, his Red Dragon bloodline made him completely unafraid of being burned.

"Ah, thank you."

"My name is Mantou (Steamed Bun)."

He then hastily placed the tea on the table and replied.

"Your name is quite... unusual."

Valena watched the steamed Steamed Bun with a smile until his already flushed Dragon Face turned bright red, and even white smoke began to rise from his skin.

After several failed online romances, Steamed Bun thought he was heartbroken and hadn't felt this flutter in his heart for a long time—"Mom, I'm in love!" Unexpectedly, he was captivated by the beautiful NPC in "Erezege".

Steamed Bun thought to himself, "Steamed Bun, that's a virtual character! How can you Steamed Bun so obsessed with fake beauty! She's an NPC!"

Valena deliberately feigned a look of confusion on her face.

Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?

"Ah, no, I didn't..."

Steamed Bun stammered, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Valena chuckled.

"Please don't be nervous."

Her big eyes were still fixed on the Steamed Bun.

"I should be the one who's nervous. This place is deserted and rarely has visitors. You're the only one in recent years, and I've been looking forward to seeing you for so long."

A hint of apology appeared on Valena's delicate face.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I grew up in this wooden house and have never been outside. I can only learn about the outside world through passing travelers."

"So—could you tell me about what's happening outside? Just for a little while, okay?"

The girl's earnest tone made it impossible for Steamed Bun to refuse, and he couldn't help but touch the tip of his nose.

"Ah, ah... of course."

Steamed Bun was initially a little nervous and stammered, but as he drank the tea, his speech became more fluent, and a blissful expression appeared on his face.

"This place is called the Karkha Mountains. To the south lies the Storm Highlands, a beautiful place inhabited by Ogre, Goblin, Kobold, and other creatures. Further south lies the the North Lands, where humans like you have built beautiful cities and work diligently..."

"Huh? The city?"

"Yes, the city, that's a great place, lots and lots of people live there..."

The firewood in the fireplace burned quietly as Steamed Bun and the girl sat on the soft fur sofa, talking all night long.

As they chatted, the girl leaned against Steamed Bun's chest, her eyes filled with admiration and longing.

"The world you described is truly wonderful..."

Steamed Bun's cheeks immediately burned. Not knowing what to do, he could only sit there stiffly and change the subject.

"Valena, why have you been living here all this time?"

The girl raised her head and stared into his eyes without flinching. "My father is right here, and I will stay with him forever."

"Valena, you must feel very lonely staying here all this time..."

Steamed Bun stroked the girl's head tenderly, while Valena obediently nestled in his arms.

"Have another sip of tea, Mantou Gege. Once you finish your tea, you can tell me the next story."

The girl in his arms murmured softly.

Steamed Bun instinctively complied, picked up the cup, and wanted to drink the tea in one gulp.

"Steamed Bun! You're under a spell!"

"Open your eyes again and let me see!"

A familiar voice rang out; it was Singo, breaking this rare moment of tenderness.

As if waking from a dream, Steamed Bun suddenly awoke, smashing the glass cup in his hand on the ground, spilling the remaining tea everywhere.

"Snap!"

"Ah!"

The Steamed Bun was so frightened that it collapsed to the ground and crawled backward on Limbs.

He looked around and realized that this was no cozy wooden cabin at all, but a cold, metal, enclosed room, with even traces of bloodstains.

He was indeed holding a humanoid "girl" in his arms, but it turned out to be just a part of the monster, sewn onto the twisted and writhing flesh.

Its body was enormous and twisted, like a defective product pieced together from a jumble of flesh and blood. Its surface was covered with sparse white scales, but large patches of bare flesh remained, and thick hair hung down from its head, making it look disgusting and ugly.

It has bat-like wing bones on its back, but the Wing Membrane is tattered and broken, like a corroded rag.

What was on the ground wasn't steaming hot tea, but an unidentified liquid emitting mist.

Valena seemed unaware that her true identity had been discovered. Her multi-lobed mouth, resembling a split seam of flesh, revealed rows of sharp teeth wriggling within, and her lips trembled slightly.

"Big brother, please drink it..."

"Then you can... continue telling me stories..."