Chapter 30: A Brief Rest

“Iris, can you really tell?” Anya glanced at Iris, asking curiously.

“Of course I can. I’m an all-knowing existence, after all. Deep within that Snow Mountain lies a Sealing, and inside the Sealing is a Secret Realm. That must be the goal of your journey, right?” Iris answered proudly.

Anya nodded silently and didn’t ask further. Her task was to lead the way; the Secret Realm or whatever else wasn’t really her concern.

“Hey, little Anya, when we get there, I might have a way to let you in directly.” Iris suddenly added.

Anya froze for a moment and replied instinctively, “That… doesn’t seem right, does it?”

“What’s not right about it?” Iris pouted. “You just overthink things.”

As they spoke, Lina returned. Seeing Anya staring blankly into the air, she gently patted the girl’s shoulder, her voice soft, “What are you thinking about, little Anya?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Anya shook her head and collected herself. “Let’s keep moving.”

After a brief rest, the Holy Knights started down the mountain path again, heading for the Snow Mountain surrounded by the peaks.

Just as Anya said, it had been a clear morning, but now heavy snow was falling, and from the look of it, the snowfall would only get heavier.

Anya caught a snowflake and said to Lina, “We’d better pick up the pace. From what I can tell, the snow is just going to get heavier. Later, it might even block our view.”

“Alright.” Lina nodded. She trusted Anya’s judgment.

“Roar—!”

A shrill beast roar suddenly pierced through the wind and snow, followed immediately by an urgent report from behind, “Knight Commander! There’s a small group of Magic Beasts appearing over here!”

Lina made a snap decision, “Don’t get tangled with them—moving forward is the priority! If you can scare them off, do it. If not, just deal with them quickly!”

“Understood!”

The knights in the rear immediately followed orders, swinging their weapons in an attempt to drive away the Magic Beasts.

But these creatures looked starved and showed no intention of retreating when they saw people.

With no other choice, the knights struck down the Magic Beasts in the front, hoping to intimidate the rest.

“This will only drive away some of the Magic Beasts.” Anya frowned as she watched the dark red stain spreading across the snow. “Magic Beasts are highly sensitive to the scent of blood. We need to get out of here quickly.”

No sooner had she spoken than more and more Magic Beasts emerged from the swirling snow, circling the party with hungry eyes, occasionally lunging to launch sneak attacks.

“We can’t just keep fighting like this.” Lina shook her head as she gazed at the vague shadows of Magic Beasts in the distance. “They’re blocking the way and wasting our time. If the snow gets even heavier, it would be better to slow down and wait for better weather before moving on.”

As the leader of the group, she knew that wasting their strength here would be a grave mistake.

“That’s fine too.” Anya nodded. “I remember there’s a big cave nearby, perfect for a brief rest.”

Lina weighed the options for a moment and agreed immediately, “Then lead the way, little Anya. We’ll take care of the Magic Beasts. When the snow lets up, we’ll head for our destination.”

Anya quickly changed direction, heading for the cave she remembered.

The knights fought their way forward through the blood-stained snow.

Perhaps the scent of blood was too strong, for most of the Magic Beasts wisely retreated, though a few reckless ones still tried to attack.

After Lina gave the order, several knights casually hauled the hides and meat of the Magic Beasts, clearly planning to have a hearty meal later.

Iris looked at the grim scene on the snowy ground and clicked her tongue. “These Magic Beasts are just too desperate. They’re only first or second tier, and yet they dare to stir up trouble.”

The group arrived safely at the cave Anya mentioned. Sure enough, it sheltered them from the snow and wind and had enough space for a temporary camp.

The falling snow grew thicker, gradually obscuring the view ahead. Lina had indeed made the right choice.

“Let’s rest for now. We’ll head out when the snow stops,” Lina instructed, then called out names. “Murray, take some people to keep watch outside. Report any situation at once.”

“Yes, Knight Commander!” Murray replied, giving a standard knight’s salute before turning to arrange the watch.

These knights were truly well-trained; they moved quickly. In no time, a temporary camp was set up in the cave.

Those skilled in Fire Magic lit several Campfires, and warmth began to fill the space.

Anya sat by a Campfire, staring at Iris in a daze. She hadn’t touched the little white furball for the past two days, and her hands itched with the urge.

Hold on a bit longer, Anya told herself, suppressing the impulse.

Iris was sprawled beside the Campfire, engrossed in reading Comics and completely oblivious to Anya’s little glances.

“Little Anya, what are you daydreaming about?” Lina walked over with two bowls of steaming hot water, sat beside her, and handed her a bowl. “Drink some hot water and warm up.”

“Thank you, Sister Lina.” Anya smiled as she thanked her, blowing on the bowl before taking a small sip.

“Wasn’t this journey frightening for you?” Lina’s voice was tinged with concern.

Anya was only seventeen and probably hadn’t seen such bloody scenes before.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Anya shook her head gently.

After all, she had been through so much in Iris’s System Space—her mind was far steadier than most her age.

Lina couldn’t help but smile. “Little Anya really is different from her peers, almost like a little grown-up.”

Anya shrugged. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

……

Inside the Main Hall of the Dragonborn Tribe, a Dragonkin rushed in and reported loudly to the burly Dragonkin on the main seat, “Chief! Just as you predicted, the humans have sent Holy Knights to investigate!”

The burly Dragonkin slowly lifted his head, a playful glint in his eye. “Oh? It seems the humans are taking this matter seriously. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent Holy Knights.”

“Sir, should we send people to intercept them?” The subordinate stepped closer to ask.

The burly Dragonkin let out a cold laugh. “No need to waste the effort. We’ve been at this for so long and still can’t break the Sealing on the Snow Mountain. Why not let the humans try?”

The subordinate’s eyes lit up, immediately understanding. “You mean… wait for these foolish humans to break the Sealing, and then we swoop in and snatch the prize from under their noses?”

As he spoke, he excitedly gestured with his hands.

“Exactly.” The burly Dragonkin nodded with satisfaction.

“Brilliant, sir!” The subordinate’s face was full of admiration.

“We’ve tried everything and still couldn’t break that Sealing. Let the humans rack their brains and wear themselves out, and when they’re at their weakest, we’ll strike… Perfect, absolutely perfect!”

The burly Dragonkin was in such a good mood after the praise that he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Go gather our people,” he waved his hand. “We’ll set up an ambush at their destination. When the time comes, we’ll make our move.”

He could already picture the scene: the humans struggling to claim the treasure, only for him to snatch it away, leaving them furious and helpless.

Just the thought made him look forward to it!