In the days that followed, life in the Cave settled into a strange, tacit understanding.
Shen Luolin was still that sharp-tongued Overseer, responsible for hunting and keeping watch outside, leaving at dawn and returning at dusk. The prey he brought back never failed to appear—from snow rabbits to plump Snow Chickens.
Mo Yin, on the other hand, became the Logistics Chief.
She was in charge of handling the ingredients, tending the ever-burning Fire, and… patching up her own tattered clothes.
Just like now.
She sat by the Fire, using the warm glow to carefully sew a patch of snowy white Fox Fur onto the torn left shoulder of her garment with a bone needle, stitch by stitch.
The stitching was crooked, but surprisingly sturdy.
The soft, snowy fur perfectly covered the damaged fabric and her fair skin, a beautiful contrast with her silvery long hair.
Not only did she no longer look disheveled, but she even gained a playful and wild air that belonged to a dragonkin girl.
That day, the wind and snow suddenly intensified.
A howling gale scraped the rock walls outside the Cave, slamming against the entrance, turning the whole world into a chaotic white blur.
Just like usual, Shen Luolin put on his thin Leather Armor at dawn, checked the Dagger at his waist, and prepared to go out.
Mo Yin was poking at the Fire with a wooden stick, making the flames burn brighter.
She watched as Shen Luolin, wearing only his Leather Armor, was about to step out into the snowstorm that could swallow everything.
She hesitated for a moment, gripping the Mantle warmed by her own body heat.
For days now, no matter how fierce the snowstorm, this man had always gone out in that thin Leather Armor, leaving the only Mantle for her.
And today, the storm outside was more terrifying than ever.
She remembered countless nights waking up shivering, the kind of cold that seeped into her very bones.
He… must feel cold too, right?
The thought, once it appeared, coiled around her heart like a vine.
She couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up.
“It’s… really stormy out there.”
Her voice was so soft it was nearly drowned out by the wind outside the Cave.
Shen Luolin’s foot paused just as he was about to step out.
He turned back, glanced at her, and his face—which usually carried a trace of impatience and mockery—showed a complicated expression.
Troublesome little brat… actually knows how to worry about people.
“What, are you afraid I’ll freeze to death out there and no one will bring you rabbit stew?”
Even though Shen Luolin’s words were sharp as ever, in the instant he turned away, he lifted his hand and gently ruffled Mo Yin’s silver-white bangs with his broad palm.
Then, without another word, Shen Luolin strode into that vast, blinding snowstorm.
Almost the moment he disappeared, the sound of the wind outside changed abruptly.
It was no longer a howling gale, but a deep roar, as if some giant beast had awakened.
The Cave entrance, whose outlines were still visible moments before, was instantly sealed by an impenetrable curtain of white. Feather-like snow turned to pellets, mixed with ice, furiously pelting the rock walls with a sharp “crackling” sound.
The entire world was swallowed by this sudden, raging storm.
Mo Yin’s heart skipped a beat, a chill shooting from her feet to the top of her head.
The wind and snow had been bad before, but with his skills, maybe he could handle it.
But now…
A blizzard like this was more than just cold—it was a deadly disaster!
He was out there with only that thin Leather Armor. He could lose his way, freeze to death outside!
No!
Mo Yin leapt to her feet, grabbing the still-warm Mantle.
She didn’t care what dangers she might face if she rushed outside, or whether she could catch up to him.
She only knew she couldn’t just watch him vanish into a cold that could swallow everything.
She clutched the Mantle to her chest and, without hesitation, plunged into the blinding chaos outside.
The cold wind stung her face painfully.
Mo Yin didn’t care at all. She stumbled through the deep snow, following a trail of footprints that would soon be covered.
But she hadn’t gone far when, behind a snow-covered slope, a pair of eerie green eyes gleamed in the dim snowstorm.
An Icefield Wolf, almost a whole size larger than an ordinary wild wolf, bared its bloodstained fangs, growling in a deep, threatening rumble.
It was clearly starving, its ribs showing, but its predatory ferocity was only intensified.
Mo Yin’s blood nearly froze.
But this time, she didn’t scream or turn to run.
Running would only get her chased down and torn apart.
She remembered Shen Luolin’s calm, deep eyes and his words, “Your bloodline is a nuclear reactor.”
She took a deep breath, the frigid air burning her lungs, but also forcing her chaotic mind into clarity.
“Hu—”
She raised her hand. In her palm, a flame of orange-red Fire flared up, steadier and brighter than ever before!
The Icefield Wolf instinctively feared the Fire, backing away two steps, its whimpers growing frantic.
The standoff continued in the snowstorm.
But in the end, hunger triumphed over fear.
“Awoo—!”
The Icefield Wolf let out a shrill howl, pushed off its hind legs, and lunged at Mo Yin’s throat like a bolt of white lightning!
Too fast!
Mo Yin’s pupils contracted. Relying purely on combat instinct, she rolled to the side to dodge.
The Fire in her palm nearly went out with her sudden panic.
The stench of hot breath swept past her—death’s shadow enveloped her in an instant!
Mo Yin’s mind went blank, her body’s instincts overriding all fear and thought.
She didn’t even think of the consequences—while rolling, she hurled her only hope, the Fire, with all her strength at the white shadow!
“Pfft!”
The Fire struck the Icefield Wolf’s side, scorching away a large patch of fur. The burning pain made it howl in agony.
It worked!
Mo Yin’s heart leapt with joy. Just as she was about to follow up, rright then, in the snowstorm, three, four… more and more pairs of green eyes lit up.
A Wolf Pack.
She was surrounded.
The lead Icefield Wolf was even larger than the last, a vicious scar running from its left eye to the corner of its mouth, making it look especially savage.
Despair engulfed Mo Yin like the swirling snow.
bBut just then, a black shadow seemed to plummet from the heavens, whistling through the air, landing with precision atop the scarred Wolf King’s head!
“Crack!”
That was the sound of a skull crushed under immense force!
The Wolf King’s massive body didn’t even have time to let out a wail before it collapsed with a heavy thud, twitched twice, and lay still.
Shen Luolin landed steadily, Dagger in a reverse grip, not a single drop of blood staining the blade.
He didn’t spare a glance for the stunned, terrified Wolf Pack as they shrank back, instead frowning as he looked at Mo Yin, who was still frozen on the ground.
In fact, Shen Luolin hadn’t gone far before the System’s notification sounded in his mind.
[Target (Mo Yin) Bloodline Purity +0.5%, current progress: 1%]
He was wondering whether this girl had an epiphany or a breakdown inside the Cave, when he sensed a faint but violent wave of dragon flame in the air.
He instantly realized she might be in danger, so he hurried back.
Seeing Mo Yin completely unharmed (if a little disheveled), and the scorched wolf carcass at his feet, he was actually quite surprised.
This girl hadn’t cried for help at the first sign of trouble, dared to fight a magical beast head-on, even managed to counterattack and kill one, and her dragonkin bloodline had grown stronger in this crisis.
Not bad.
“What are you standing there for, the Fire!”
Shen Luolin barked, snapping her out of her daze.
Mo Yin, as if a switch had been flipped, instinctively raised her hand. A bright Fire sprang to life again.
The firelight became the last straw for the Wolf Pack—they completely lost their will to fight and scattered in all directions.
The battle was over.
After the Wolf Pack retreated, Shen Luolin quickly scanned Mo Yin from head to toe, confirming she was uninjured aside from some scrapes and messiness, then shifted his gaze back to the Fire in her palm.
He actually nodded slightly for once.
“Hmm. Better than yesterday. At least you can roast meat now.”
Shen Luolin’s gaze swept over her and finally landed at her feet.
The Mantle she’d always used as a shawl had slipped off during her tumble and now lay on the snow, smeared with muddy paw prints.
He bent down, picked up the dirty Mantle, shook off the snow, and unceremoniously wrapped it around Mo Yin’s shoulders again. His movements were rough, but they blocked out the storm.
He also pulled up her hood, covering her frostbitten red ears.
Mo Yin was left dizzy by his swift actions, bundled up in a Mantle still carrying his scent, clutching the warmth of survival, her cheeks burning.
Shen Luolin didn’t pay any of this any mind.
He crouched down and began inspecting the Wolf King’s corpse, his brows suddenly knotting tightly.
“Something’s not right.”
He stood up and looked toward the depths of the storm, a look of unprecedented gravity in his usually lazy and indifferent eyes.
He rolled over the Wolf King’s body and found its back and hind legs covered in wounds so deep the bone showed. The shape of the wounds… definitely not caused by infighting among wolves.
“These beasts… were driven out of their lair by something even more terrifying.”
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