The night deepened, and the strong wind outside howled, carrying snowflakes that made the tent flutter.
Qu Xiangyun and I huddled together inside the tent, listening to the sounds from outside.
Setting aside other things, Xibeier’s group truly had excellent equipment. This tent was incredibly warm, making us feel like we were in a different world compared to the outside.
“Honey, hug me tighter.”
As my thoughts drifted, I suddenly heard Qu Xiangyun whisper from my embrace.
“Aren’t I holding you already?”
I blinked in surprise, then looked down at her. Qu Xiangyun was gazing at me with a bashful expression, her eyes filled with unconcealed affection.
“Tighter…”
Heh heh, absence makes the heart grow fonder!
I immediately understood Qu Xiangyun’s meaning and felt my own restraint wavering.
On this desolate, snow-covered mountain, accompanied by the whistling wind and snow outside.
Qu Xiangyun and I embarked on the grand culmination of our lives.
After an unknown amount of time, Qu Xiangyun and I were finally exhausted. After tidying up, we held each other tightly, our gazes filled with love.
“We’ll definitely make it out alive, right?”
Afterward, Qu Xiangyun displayed a vulnerability she never normally showed. Seeing her like that stirred a mix of heartache and tenderness within me. I could only hold her even tighter, wishing we could meld into one.
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take you back to the outside world!”
We whispered more private words to each other, and then drowsiness washed over us. The tent gradually fell silent.
However, just as I was drifting into sleep, a bloodcurdling scream suddenly echoed from outside the tent!
It was so loud that even the immense wind couldn't drown it out!
Something had happened!
I leaped from my sleeping bag, grabbed the alloy knife I always kept by my pillow, and carefully lifted the tent flap.
“What’s wrong?”
The scream also woke Qu Xiangyun, who had been on the verge of sleep. I made a shushing gesture to her, signaling her to be quiet.
*Bang!*
Another gunshot rang out from outside. Judging by the sound…
It was Sevel!
Could it be that the small, escaped savage had returned with a group of savages seeking revenge?
Making a quick decision, I pulled open the tent and stepped outside.
The wind and snow were still fierce, but contrary to my expectations, Sevel was standing there, gun in hand, pointing it at the savages we had captured earlier.
One of the savages was howling and rolling on the ground.
A creature covered in snow-white fur was tearing at his flesh.
The remaining savages lacked the courage to resist, lying on the ground and repeatedly kowtowing to the monster, as if hoping it would spare them.
As I emerged, Sevel was firing his gun at the creature, but the bullets seemed to have little effect.
Instead, they only enraged it!
The monster let out a roar and stood up from the ravaged savage, turning its gaze towards us.
I met its eyes directly.
The scene before me sent shivers down my spine.
Did creatures with three eyes truly exist in this world?!
The monster was roughly humanoid, but on its forehead sat a scarlet, vertical eye that exuded a covetous gaze!
I instinctively tightened my grip on the alloy knife.
Once we clearly saw the creature’s appearance, Sevel’s expression changed, as if he knew its origins. He began firing bullets at the three-eyed monster as if they were limitless.
I, on the other hand, drew my revolver and, while it was suppressed by Sevel’s firepower, carefully observed its weaknesses.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed something.
The monster’s fur was incredibly tough; bullets could only create shallow bloody holes, failing to penetrate.
And it blocked any bullets aimed at its face with its arms.
It seemed its face was the most vulnerable part of its body.
Since it had a weakness, we could kill it here!
With a determined resolve, I prepared to find an opening when its defenses were down for a fatal shot.
However, to my surprise, the monster seemed to sense my intention.
Taking advantage of Sevel changing magazines, it didn’t charge at us but let out a roar, grabbed the savage it had been tearing at from the ground, and charged into the blizzard without looking back!
It just ran away?!
My expression turned grave, and a sense of unease settled in my heart.
I wasn’t particularly afraid of a creature that was impervious to blades and bullets if it were to fight us head-on, but I feared such a monster might also possess intelligence.
As the saying goes, one can’t guard against thieves every night. This monster, like the small savage who escaped earlier, might very well find opportunities to ambush us later.
Seeing it leave, Sevel also lowered his gun.
“What exactly was that ghastly thing?”
I noticed Sevel’s contemplative look and couldn’t help but ask about the monster’s origin.
“The savages on this island call that monster Karu. It’s the guardian of the temple on this snowy mountain. Invincible and incredibly strong. The nearby savage tribes offer living sacrifices to it as tribute, seeking its protection.”
Sevel didn’t conceal much about the monster’s origin, explaining it clearly to me.
Karu?
I suddenly recalled the white bull we saw in the Sea God’s temple and the Sea God’s attendants in the Casa tribe who had transformed from living people.
Could it be that this monster had also transformed from a human?
I fell into deep thought, while Cyrill, having calmed the startled savages, patted my shoulder.
“Alright, tomorrow is our true beginning. Let’s go back and get some rest to conserve our energy.”
I exhaled a puff of white mist, nodded at Sevel, and then pulled open the tent flap.
Having only reached the mountainside by now and encountering so many strange events, I wondered what awaited us tomorrow.