The Girl on the Snowfield

A little earlier, the scene shifted to Third.

A faint candle flame swayed across the frigid snowfield, rising and falling with the figure trudging unevenly below.

Third walked through snow that reached his calves. Though the raging blizzard had stopped, still...

As far as the eye could see were rolling snowdrifts, dead trees encased in ice, and an endless expanse of snow.

"It really doesn't look like there's any prey around..."

Third muttered bitterly. Out of habit, he tried to scratch his head, but lowered his hand again when it touched his exposed external skull.

Third sighed and asked in the group chat.

[Third: Boss, how are things on your end? Find anything?]

[Boss: (sent image.jpg) I found something.]

The image showed a rather peculiar creature: a round yellow belly covered in black, metallic-sheened spiked armor, slowly wriggling across the ground.

[Third: ...Can that thing really be eaten?]

[Boss: No idea. Let's bring some back and study it first. How about you?]

[Third: Nothing but white snow. I can't see anything except snow.]

[Boss: How about using your summon? By the way, can Shadow Wolf search for prey like a hunting dog?]

[Third: Alright, I'll give it a try.]

With a thought, the shadow beneath his feet stirred like a living thing, swelling and rapidly taking on form.

The next moment, a giant wolf made entirely of shadows stood upon the snowfield.

Third cautiously reached out a hand. Shadow Wolf obediently lowered itself, rubbing its head against his palm of its own accord.

The sensation was not insubstantial. Instead, it felt solid and resilient, as though he were touching fur made from highly condensed energy.

"It's a creation made of shadows, yet it actually feels solid..."

He scratched Shadow Wolf beneath the chin, and its crimson wolf eyes narrowed into pleased slits.

"Do you have a consciousness of your own...?" Third asked softly, curious.

"Grr..."

Shadow Wolf answered with a low rumble, then nudged its head into his palm again, affectionate in its manner.

Though he could not understand its exact meaning, that clear sense of reliance felt strangely wonderful to Third.

"Please, help me look around for anything that can be used as food."

"Roar!"

Shadow Wolf seemed to understand the command. It rose to its feet and lifted its head, sniffing the air.

Under Third's astonished gaze, its massive body made an agile leap and slipped into the shadow it cast, as though diving into water.

"?" Third froze. "It can do that too?"

He lowered his head in confusion, looking at the shadow beneath his feet, then tentatively reached out and touched it with a finger.

What met his fingertip was not the icy touch of snow, but a hollow sensation like passing through a viscous film of water.

His hand had gone straight in!

"!"

Third was utterly shocked. Just as he was about to further explore this strange phenomenon—

The shadow before him suddenly rippled violently like water, expanding! Then, a huge wolf's head squeezed out from within it.

Third took two steps back to make room, then his body abruptly stiffened.

Along with the wolf's head, it had brought out from the shadows... a girl!?

She was an Elafia girl with soft white hair and a pair of antlers.

She wore thick but somewhat worn winter clothes, her face a little pale, and she clutched a basket covered with white cloth tightly in her hands.

Their eyes met.

Third: "..."

The Elafia girl: "..."

A brief, deathly silence.

When she saw Third's inhuman appearance, the girl clearly panicked for a moment, her body trembling slightly.

But after discovering that Third merely stood there without making any further hostile or threatening movements, she calmed down somewhat.

Her gaze shifted back and forth between Third and Shadow Wolf beside him.

Then, gathering her courage, she said something.

Her voice was crisp and pleasant, but Third could not understand a word.

Third felt incredibly awkward. His Shadow Wolf seemed to have misunderstood his command and had directly carried back a living person.

And it had no awareness whatsoever of the seriousness of the situation, squatting nearby with its tail wagging happily.

The girl before him had already calmed down and was looking at him curiously. Third felt like his head was about to split in two.

Third glared at Shadow Wolf irritably.

"I told you to find food, so why did you bring back a living person? Do I look like some kind of man-eating monster?"

Shadow Wolf's ears and tail immediately drooped, and it flopped weakly onto the ground.

"Awwoo..."

Seeing Shadow Wolf looking so aggrieved, Third ultimately softened. He sighed, just about to say something—

At that moment, the Elafia girl across from him spoke timidly.

"Hello... do you need food?"

Third nodded. "That's right, I really do..."

Third: "..."

Third abruptly turned toward the girl and stared at her in shock. "You speak Chinese!?"

Startled by his suddenly raised voice and reaction, the girl shrank back.

"Chinese? Do you mean... the Great Yan language?"

Third immediately came to his senses. He remembered Fourth mentioning that this world had a country modeled after Huaxia, called Great Yan.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and followed her lead.

"Mm... Are you from Great Yan?"

"No..." The girl gently shook her head.

"One of my friends taught me this language."

After explaining, she brought the conversation back to its original point and looked at Third with concern.

"Do you need food?"

Third silently nodded, his gaze involuntarily falling back onto the basket in her hands.

Following his gaze, the girl looked down. When she raised her head again, even more of the fear had faded from her eyes.

"Um... I have food here," she said softly.

Third understood now—Shadow Wolf really had found food. It had just found the person carrying it!

He looked helplessly at Shadow Wolf, which let out a timely, aggrieved whimper.

"...Sorry. I blamed you wrongly."

Third reached out and rubbed the wolf's head.

Shadow Wolf immediately became cheerful again, its massive body circling Third nonstop.

Third became a little dizzy from all the circling, so he had no choice but to hold down its restless head with one hand and skillfully scratch beneath its chin. Shadow Wolf immediately let out a contented purr and quieted down.

Watching this, the girl's lips unconsciously curved upward. But when she remembered her own situation, her expression turned serious again.

"Um..." She gathered her courage and spoke again.

Third stopped petting the wolf and looked at her.

"I can give you all this food." The girl held the basket out toward him, her eyes pleading.

"Could you please... let me go?"

Third immediately felt a powerful surge of embarrassment. He really was not some kidnapper or man-eating monster!

"You..." Third paused, trying to make his voice sound gentler.

"What's your name?"

"Alina," the girl answered honestly. "My name is Alina."

"Alina..." Third repeated her name, his tone softening.

"You can leave whenever you want. I'm very sorry; my pet misunderstood what I meant."

"I told it to find food, so it... brought you back."

Third looked again at the basket in Alina's hands. After hesitating, he still forced himself to say it.

"I'm very sorry for frightening you, but... could you share some food with me? There's... a child at home who's still hungry. I'll pay you for it."

"A child?" Alina froze for a moment, then her expression swiftly turned serious and concerned.

Without another word, she stuffed the whole basket into Third's arms.

"Huh?" Third was stunned by her action.

"Please hurry and bring this food to the child!" Alina's tone carried an urgency that brooked no refusal.

"It's the coldest time of year. Children especially need food to stay healthy—they can't go hungry!"

Seeing her hand over all her food without hesitation, Third became even more hesitant.

"You... aren't you afraid I'm lying to you?"

Alina raised her head, her clear eyes, like those of a fawn in the forest, looking directly at Third.

"Are you lying to me?"

Meeting those pure eyes that seemed capable of reflecting one's soul, Third silently shook his head.

For some reason, I feel like anyone who lies in front of these eyes would be struck by lightning...

"No."

"Then it's fine." A warm smile returned to Alina's face.

"Please accept it."

Third looked at the heavy basket in his arms, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"You gave me everything... What will you do? Won't you get in trouble when you go back?"

He noticed that Alina's clothes were not very thick. Alone in this frozen wilderness, carrying an empty basket back... she would probably...

Alina's smile remained unchanged.

"I'll be fine. With T—cough! With my friend helping me, food is still fairly plentiful, and..."

"Going hungry feels awful. Your child is still hungry, so please hurry home."

Third stared blankly at this little white deer.

This... this was an angel!

The basket in his hands seemed to grow ever heavier. Looking at the pure white little deer before him, Third felt an indescribable surge of emotion.

"Wait a moment." Third's tone became firm.

"I'll take you home soon, but before that, I want to give you something in return for the food."

Alina hurriedly waved her hands, trying to refuse. "No, there's no need..."

But Third ignored her refusal, his mind racing.

What should he give her? He had no ordinary valuables on him at all, and he could not just give away his weapons...

His gaze swept over the quietly waiting Shadow Wolf beside him, and an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

The shadow beneath his feet began to boil. Then, several thick vines of flesh burst out of the snow, writhing and lashing about.

The enormous shadows instantly enveloped Alina completely. She cried out in fright and instinctively stumbled backward.

Third reacted quickly and caught her.

She was startlingly light and thin. Even through her thick winter clothes, he could feel how slender her arm was.

So light...

Third shook his head, casting aside the irrelevant thoughts.

He tried to control those restless shadow vines, using his mind to make them contract and condense.

Accompanied by the sizzling sound of matter being forcibly compressed, the enormous shadow vines condensed into a spiral seed no larger than a walnut.

It lay quietly in Third's palm. It no longer gave off a terrifying aura and instead looked like an ordinary stone.

Third handed the seed to Alina and solemnly instructed her.

"Take this. If you encounter danger you can't resist, throw this seed at the enemy."

"It'll immediately grow the same kind of vines you saw just now and attack them. It should be able to hold them off for a while."

Alina hesitantly looked at the black seed in her palm. After several seconds of silence, she tucked it into an inner pocket.

"Th-thank you."

Third nodded. He was about to give her a few more reminders about avoiding danger, or ask which village she lived in—

A shout from Second suddenly exploded in the [Mental Chat Group].

[Second: Everyone, get back here now! Something big happened! Ifrit ran into the dungeon!!!]

[Boss: What?! I'm heading back immediately!!!]

"The dungeon..."

"The dungeon!!!"

Third's body jolted. Of course he knew about the dungeon—

It was a maze filled with countless dangers and monsters!

Ifrit, a child, had run inside...

His intense reaction startled Alina beside him again, and she looked at him in confusion.

Third had no time to reassure Alina now. He immediately pointed at Shadow Wolf beside him and ordered it.

"Take her home safely! Send her back wherever you brought her from!"

"Remember to protect her, and don't cause trouble. Come back immediately after you deliver her!"

Shadow Wolf nodded and habitually lowered its head to grab Alina by the collar.

Third slapped its hard forehead in irritation, making it stagger.

"Idiot! Can't you use your back?!"

"Awwooo..." Shadow Wolf let out a pitiful low whine, but obediently lowered its body.

Without another word, Third lifted the still-dazed Alina onto Shadow Wolf's back.

"Sorry, there's an emergency at home. I have to send you back first! Hold on tight!"

Before Alina could answer, dense shadows surged around Shadow Wolf, swallowing both her and the giant wolf.

The next moment, the shadows collapsed, and the figures within vanished from the snowfield.

Third stared at the spot where they had disappeared, took a deep breath of icy air, and forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart.

[Go home!]