Chapter 12: Snow Mane, Frost Wolf |
Although it was almost certain that Snow Mane had fallen asleep, Xia Hong still tried to be as quiet as possible when climbing down from the tree.
Once on the ground, he cautiously moved southward.
He stopped beside an oval-shaped stone about two to three meters in diameter.
After observing the surroundings, Xia Hong dug a human-sized snow pit by hand next to the stone.
When he finished digging, he lay down in the pit to test its size.
After confirming it was suitable, he walked about fifty meters away from the stone and took out a piece of black wood he had been carrying on his back.
This was definitely not an ordinary stick.
Small Torch: Every ten units of wood burned in a fire pit can generate one; portable and highly attractive to Frost Beasts.
He had brought this before leaving and never expected it would actually come in handy.
Xia Hong glanced back at the Crystal Fruit Tree, stuck the Small Torch into the ground, then took out a flint and struck it sharply twice. Sparks flew instantly.
The front tip of the Small Torch was white; the sparks ignited it immediately, producing more than half a meter of crimson flames, identical to the flames that had burned the abomination to death inside the cave earlier.
The moment the flames rose, Xia Hong sprinted toward the stone.
He quickly slipped into the hole he had dug and manually pulled the surrounding snow over himself to bury himself.
After covering himself, only his eyes remained visible on the snowy ground, motionless as he observed the torch.
Xia Hong trusted the system’s items.
After all, the image of that abomination screaming miserably as it burned was still vivid in his mind.
However, he was still uncertain how strong the fire’s attraction to the Frost Beasts would be.
Would that Snow Mane be drawn here?
Xia Hong’s question was soon answered.
Step... step... step...
After a short while, cautious footsteps approached from behind.
The footsteps grew louder, and though Xia Hong dared not turn his head, the very nature of the tentative steps already spoke volumes.
Sure enough, the Snow Mane with ice spikes covering its back walked past less than ten meters away. Xia Hong held his breath, not daring to move his eyes.
The Snow Mane’s eyes were pierced by two black arrows, probably so painful that it didn’t dare remove them.
Because it couldn’t see, the Snow Mane’s steps were slow, often stopping after a few paces.
Strangely, the closer it got to the torch, the more excited it seemed, and its pace gradually quickened.
When it finally reached the torch, the Snow Mane stopped abruptly.
It lowered its face above the torch; though it touched the flames, it showed no sign of being burned. Instead, as the firelight enveloped its body, its breathing grew steadier.
It even seemed to be... somewhat...
enjoying it?
Xia Hong’s eyes on the snowy ground were filled with confusion and disbelief.
The Snow Mane’s face actually showed an expression of pleasure.
But as Xia Hong observed the Snow Mane’s body more closely, his expression shifted from confusion to solemnity.
The people at Boulder Camp hadn’t just blinded the Snow Mane; its body was also riddled with wounds from arrows and large blades.
Though fifty meters away, Xia Hong could clearly see the bleeding wounds on the Snow Mane’s body. Under the firelight, not only had the bleeding stopped, but the wounds were visibly healing before his eyes.
Moreover, Xia Hong had the illusion that the Snow Mane’s momentum was rising gradually under the firelight.
Could this torch heal Frost Beasts?
Could it even help them grow stronger?
In an instant, Xia Hong felt a whirlwind of thoughts surge in his heart.
Originally, he wanted to use the torch to attract the Snow Mane so it would keep moving.
Since the Snow Mane was already injured, if it couldn’t rest properly in the tree and its wounds kept bleeding, it would eventually exhaust itself and die.
Then he could pick up the leftovers.
But unexpectedly, he had brought it warmth instead.
Now, not only could he not pick up any scraps, but he had actually healed it and put himself in danger.
At this point, Xia Hong no longer thought about picking up leftovers. He just hoped the torch would burn out quickly, the Snow Mane would leave, and he could get away safely.
But just then, something unexpected happened.
Roar...
A low, hoarse beast roar suddenly came from behind.
The Snow Mane, still enjoying itself, immediately turned around, its expression becoming extremely alert.
Bang...
A Frost Beast that looked like a wolf leaped from a tree and landed less than ten meters from the Snow Mane.
This Frost Beast had blue fur about two meters long, a collar of spikes around its neck, dense sharp fangs, and bloodthirsty pupils. It first stared fixedly at the torch, then let out a low growl at the Snow Mane before it.
“It’s a bone-spike frost wolf!”
Xia Hong recognized the species at a glance.
The two most common Frost Beasts outside Redwood Ridge were Snow Mane and Frost Wolf.
Both appeared simultaneously.
Xia Hong’s heart grew heavy. This was the first time he encountered two species on an outing, and he certainly didn’t think it was good luck.
Clearly, as Redwood Ridge expanded, the Frost Beasts’ activity range was also growing.
Great Xia Camp was only about five kilometers away from here.
If these Frost Beasts moved further outward, they could easily break into the camp at any time.
If the camp was accidentally discovered by these Frost Beasts, it would be a catastrophe.
Bang...
A loud noise snapped Xia Hong back to reality.
The Snow Mane and Frost Wolf had already tangled together.
Obviously, despite being blind, the Snow Mane was unwilling to give up the torch.
And the Frost Wolf was determined to take it, so the two naturally clashed.
The Snow Mane was larger in size than the Frost Wolf.
As Xia Hong saw, after lingering by the torch for a while, the Snow Mane’s wounds had almost healed. In the scuffle with the Frost Wolf, it did not fall behind at all.
But once again, Xia Hong gained a new understanding of the Frost Beasts’ intelligence.
After colliding twice, the Frost Wolf immediately changed tactics.
Using its agile body, it constantly dodged left and right to avoid the Snow Mane’s charges.
Sometimes it even crouched low and slipped under the Snow Mane’s groin.
Each successful dodge allowed it to slash deep wounds on the Snow Mane’s belly with its sharp claws and the ring of spikes on its neck.
The Snow Mane, originally healed by the torch, soon became covered in wounds again. Its belly bled a thick greenish blood that quickly stained the surrounding ground.
But it wasn’t over.
After a while, the Frost Wolf suddenly retracted its claws and stopped moving.
Not only did it stop, but it slowly circled on the ground, keeping all its claws tucked in, walking only on the pads of its feet on the snow.
This Frost Wolf had realized the Snow Mane was blind.
Xia Hong’s exposed eyes in the snow were filled with shock.
If the Snow Mane’s earlier act of playing dead to lure the enemy in was due to a survival instinct that unleashed intelligence beyond instinct,
then the Frost Wolf’s behavior now fully proved:
These Frost Beasts truly possessed intelligence, and it was definitely not low.
This completely refreshed Xia Hong’s understanding of beasts.
Finally, after circling several times, the Frost Wolf seized a perfect opportunity. With a sudden burst of strength, it pounced from behind with all four claws, pinning the Snow Mane beneath it and biting its neck.
The Snow Mane struggled on the ground, unleashing its tongue that had previously severely injured Boulder Camp once again.
Unfortunately, the Frost Wolf was too fast. Even while biting tightly on the Snow Mane’s neck, it could adjust its position to avoid the Snow Mane’s sharp tongue.
After more than ten frantic strikes missed, the Snow Mane changed tactics. Its tongue softened, attempting to wrap around and strangle the Frost Wolf.
However, the Frost Wolf’s neck was surrounded by sharp spikes, just as sharp as the Snow Mane’s tongue, making it impossible to be ensnared.
The two Frost Beasts struggled on the ground for over a hundred breaths.
The battle finally ended with the Snow Mane bleeding to exhaustion and dying.
The Frost Wolf stood up, spat two mouthfuls of thick green blood, its fierce expression gradually fading into pride as it looked at the still-burning torch.
It walked up to the torch, placed its head directly into the fire, and its face showed the same expression of enjoyment as the Snow Mane had.
But it soon turned its head to scan the surroundings, becoming wary. It first glanced at the Snow Mane’s corpse on the ground, then at the torch.
Without hesitation, the Frost Wolf tilted its head, grabbed the torch in its mouth, and took a swift step into the snow-covered forest depths.
With the Snow Mane defeated and the Frost Wolf retreating, silence immediately fell over the snowfield.
Only the pair of eyes beside the big stone were now filled with astonishment and joy.
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