Chapter 101: Endless snow.

Hunter chuckled, the deep sound vibrating in his chest as they stepped into the elevator. The doors slid shut. "Are you proposing a formal business partnership to your bodyguard, and husband?"

"Yes! Exactly!" Zyra answered.

"Okay."

Zyra pumped her fist in the air in a triumphant ’YES!’ gesture. "We are going to corner the market!"

"But you need to write the business plan and present it." He added, breaking into her celebration. Hunter smiled, knowing well that this was going to piss her off. But he enjoyed annoying her as much as she enjoyed testing him and pushing his buttons.

Zyra’s lips curled in distaste. "Damn capitalist." she murmured.

He raised his brows. The woman who loved money more than Achilles was calling him a capitalist! She even charged ducks rent but he was a capitalist!

"Aren’t you curious at all?" She raised her head, looking at him curiously. "About how the bag works. Any normal person would have questions."

He sniggered and replied, "I don’t think you know how the bag works either. All I know is that it came from the same place as the Link bands and they are working just fine. Achilles is practically drooling to get his hands on one. The men have been video calling each other even though they are in the same room! I haven’t seen them this excited in a while." He pulled a packet of gum from his pocket. While he opened it, he added. "Besides, the post apocalypse has been a time for the re-invention and rise of old and new technology, and all inventors have their own secrets."

She nodded. He was right about the old and new technology. Apparently, cars in the old earth used to run on fuel. Fuel was now scarce. Engineers had found a way to make cars that used energy stones. The car companies did not share their secrets, and they sold them and ridiculously high prices.

The elevator reached the ground floor and the doors opened; the reality of their situation brought them back to earth. Outside the hunting team led by Big Vince was heavily armed, checking their guns and sharpening their knives, getting ready to forage in the Wild lands.

Looking at them, Zyra felt a sudden pang of anxiety. She frowned, a worried crease forming between her brows. She really didn’t want all these people going out and making a scene. What if they attracted the attention of bad people to this place? They needed to keep their occupation of Beast Valley a total secret, at least for now.

They should have gone hunting last night, but most of them ended up wasted. Hence, the morning trip.

Crispus, who was supervising the courtyard, noticed her worried look and walked over. "I know what you’re thinking, Divine Maiden," he said, his voice rough but gentle. "But we have mouths to feed, and our present supplies won’t last forever. We need fresh meat. Plus, we must scout the surrounding areas to see if there are any local villages nearby. We can’t stay blind."

Zyra swallowed her anxiety and forced a nod. Crispus was right. A leader couldn’t let their people starve out of fear. "Alright. But tell everyone to be extremely careful out there. Humans are more dangerous in the wild lands than beasts. If you find yourselves in trouble you can’t handle, have Yanxi teleport everyone home and wait for me to return."

"They know the risks, it is not their first rodeo. Thank you, Divine maiden." Crispus replied solemnly. Inside, he was squealing like a girl, the divine maiden cares so much about us. I love her. I love her!

The goodbyes for their own departure were brief but heavy with emotion. Standing near the gate, Yanxi was clutching her handkerchief, her eyes red and brimming with tears. Ever since their terrifying escape from the Island, she and Tessi hadn’t been separated for a single moment.

Yanxi grabbed Tessi’s hands, her voice trembling. "Please, you must protect the Divine Soul Maiden at all costs. She is the hope for all Soul maidens to escape Trinity’s clutches. And you must come back alive too. Do you hear me?"

Tessi, usually expressionless and stoic, looked at her friend. Her gaze softened just a fraction. She didn’t say a word, but she nodded once. A sharp, heavy gesture that carried the weight of a sacred vow.

Turning away, Tessi raised her hands, her fingers twisting into intricate, rapid seals. The air in front of them began to hum violently. Universal energy rippled like water, and with a sharp crack, a swirling portal tore open.

Hunter adjusted his grip on his weapon, his face turning dead serious. Gilby took a deep breath, tightening his boots. Zyra looked back at her new home one last time, braced herself, and stepped forward.

One by one, the four of them vanished into the portal. It snapped shut behind Gilby with a sharp pop, cutting off the sounds of Beast Valley completely.

***

They found themselves standing on a narrow strip of dry, cracked earth. But just a few meters ahead, the world completely changed. A blinding, endless expanse of white stretched out before them. It was a frozen wasteland. The trees, the frozen leaves, the jagged rocks, everything was coated in a spotless, brilliant layer of white frost. There was absolutely no other color. Just pure, blinding white and winds that were harsh.

Tessi took a soft breath, her eyes wide. "It looks so beautiful."

Hunter gripped his weapon tightly, his sharp eyes scanning the silent horizon. "And dangerous."

A sudden, stronger gust of wind swept across the plains, carrying an icy bite. Zyra didn’t just shiver out of fear, she shuddered from the sheer, bone-chilling cold. "Quick, clothes! Before we turn into human popsicles!"

They scrambled to pull out the fur clothes and insulated boots they had packed. Gilby stomped his feet, adjusting his thick sleeves with a look of surprise. "Wow. I thought these clothes would weigh a ton, but they’re surprisingly light!"

Once they were fully bundled up, Hunter pulled out the map Zyra had drawn. He studied it for a moment, then pointed ahead. They marched until they hit the exact boundary where the dry earth met the snow.

"Wait," Hunter ordered, holding out a hand.

He snapped a long, frozen, thick branch from a nearby dead bush and thrust it hard into the snowbank. It sank down, down, down, until his hand almost touched the surface. Hunter’s face darkened. "It’s dangerously deep. But look up, it isn’t even snowing right now."

Zyra sighed, adjusting her collar. "The apocalypse made a lot of things strangely possible. The world’s natural laws are completely warped now."

Gilby looked down at his own boots, then at the deep snow, and finally at Zyra. "Uh, Divine maiden? How are we supposed to walk on this frozen land without being swallowed whole? For short people like you, this stuff will literally be up to your waist."

Zyra glared at him. "Who are you calling short?" She was not giant sized like him and Hunter, but she was almost Tessi’s height. 5’5 was not short.

Before she could kick his shin, a sweet chime echoed in her ear.

[Ding! Host, the Frost Walker function of your boots has been automatically activated! The built-in anti-gravity field has the ability to distribute your weight perfectly across the snow, making you as light as a feather. You can walk without sinking!]

"Oh!" Zyra let out a small exclamation, instantly catching everyone’s attention.

Without a second thought, she ignored the deep drop and boldly stepped right onto the thick snowbank.

"Divine maiden, nooo!" Tessi gasped, reaching out to grab her with a dramatic scream that could wake anything within five meters of them.