Chapter 959: Chapter 152: In Bell and Belfast, Trouble and Opportunity Are Everywhere
Their departure went unnoticed.
Leaving Reilston City, they stepped into the snow that could bury their calves, under the gray and somber clouds was an endless expanse of white.
The filth of the earth seemed purified.
Treading through the snow, they approached the Heath River, where the flowing river had not yet frozen, and ice floes were piling up on the banks.
However, it wouldn’t be long before the entire river would be iced over.
The cold was unbearable, and even layers of clothes couldn’t keep out the wind cutting into the bone, the biting cold felt like a dagger slashing the body.
But it was better than traveling in a blizzard; although it was cold, it wasn’t suffocating or difficult to move, with snow seeping into the clothes.
Ophelia’s heat brought warmth and melted the snow, revealing an ugly and obvious path.
Katerina felt that Ophelia joining them came just in time. Otherwise, traveling in the ice and snow would have cost them half their lives.
After traveling some distance along the Heath River, Ophelia’s body’s cracks suddenly flickered.
"In the city... pursuit... coming."
Lu Li suddenly stopped and looked behind them.
The castle-like thick stone walls and spires of Reilston City loomed under the clouds, and Lu Li didn’t see the strangeness within the city that Ophelia mentioned, but the path Ophelia melted formed an obvious arrow pointing towards them.
"Hurry up."
Retracting his gaze, Lu Li pulled out his boots that were deep in the snow and ran forward.
"I’ll... hold them off."
Ophelia wanted to block the strangeness, but Lu Li refused.
"You go ahead and help us melt the snow."
In such times, creating distance was more useful than holding them off. Several inches of snow could slow their running speed by half.
Ophelia moved to the front of everyone, emitting heat to bake the snow away.
The running group followed behind, stepping on the ground Ophelia had melted.
The drowsy leader was jolted awake by the bumping, almost thrown off, clutching her cloak tightly to prevent being tossed away.
Soon enough, the runners faintly heard intense, fervent screams approaching from behind.
During this, Lu Li turned back, but still saw nothing, only the approaching roars indicating that something was closing in, getting nearer and nearer.
"We are about to be caught!"
Katerina yelled, clenching her teeth to keep the cold wind out of her mouth.
The roars were nearly upon them; they could almost hear the sound of snow being trampled. The next moment, Ophelia returned, rushing behind the group.
She collided with something, and heat erupted like magma behind.
Ophelia’s shout came.
"Keep... running!"
Everyone ran forward with frenzy, even though the snow couldn’t stop their steps.
The sky flurried down with pieces of snow, and when Reilston City’s shadows no longer appeared, Ophelia returned.
Her surrounding heat flickered with the dark red lines, leaving dim magma-like footprints.
"They... have retreated."
Even the strangeness didn’t want to linger long in the frozen snowy plains.
"Unless necessary, don’t use your power recklessly in the future."
Lu Li said to Ophelia, who was gradually restraining her unstable power.
Ophelia’s rough breath intensified.
"When... will you... get married?"
Before resuming the normal journey, Lu Li had merchants bring several pairs of dry boots to prevent frostbite on their feet.
Everything went smoothly on the return journey, except for the ravaging wind and snow, and a Boyd Village hut seemingly searched through by something. They faced no more troubles.
Two days later in the afternoon, they returned to the South Coast of the Main Affinity Continent, pushed the small boat into the icy, bone-chilling sea with floating ice floes, and returned to the waiting Andrea.
Amid the cold sea breeze, Andrea broke through the waves, sailing back to the Ailen Peninsula.
...
The cold currents had invaded Ailen Peninsula as well.
The sea hadn’t frozen yet, but the moisture-laden sea breeze was harder to endure than on the Main Affinity Continent, making Katerina feel as if her exposed face would be cut open.
Andrea returned to the landing point a few miles from Himfast’s port in the deep night. They set out at dawn.
Fearing once more being enticed by nightmares, Puxiu stayed awake all night, murmuring prayers for the Light Thief or the Mist Tide not to descend at this time.
Prayers worked, as the strange mist quietly faded by dawn, revealing a white land.
Lu Li and the others rowed ashore and headed toward Himfast.
A few hours later, the outline of the continuous log walls appeared at the edge of the snowy expanse.
Returning to the collapsed wooden walls, Katerina asked Lu Li for the Artifact Shard, wanting to enter alone to test if the pollution still existed.
"No need."
Lu Li took out the Artifact Shard, holding it, walking closer to the wooden walls.
The Sanity Value Counter didn’t sound, and Lu Li felt the surroundings being purified—the invisible filth poisoning the land was expelled by the Artifact Shard’s odd power.
Stepping over the horizontal wooden walls entering Himfast, the Sanity Value Counter remained silent.
Katerina tried to follow, also no longer troubled by pollution.
Where Lu Li held the Artifact Shard, pollution disappeared.
Others outside the wooden walls followed Lu Li, gathering behind him, walking into the snow-covered Himfast together.
Himfast perished in sacrifice, leaving residual pollution that even the strangeness dared not step into.
So when they entered the city, they saw only empty streets, silent street corners with standing statues, and ruins burning due to unattended fires.
The snow buried the gloom and grayness, making the clean and peaceful city unlike a terrifying place burying hundreds of thousands.
Sha—sha—
Treading the snow on the empty streets, the black steam car parked by the roadside reflected Katerina’s face glancing around.
Goods and clothes in the store window were intact on shelves; wood frames remained stacked in front of buildings paused in repair moments. As if numerous residents would emerge from corners anytime, clearing snow and bringing bustle back to the streets.
They were searching for anything related to worshippers, trees, and brown cars.
Walking at the front, Lu Li’s steps were firm, heading towards the towering spire visible even from outside the city.
They passed through Himfast without hindrance, witnessing many landmarks marked with patches and snow, including
reaching outside the cemetery of the church in the west of the city, also where the towering spire church was located.
"Why come here?"
Katerina didn’t receive an answer.
Lu Li vaulted over the low fence, entering the cemetery.
They sensed something amiss with Lu Li’s emotions, exchanged glances, then followed him.
The headstones stood along the small paths, silently witnessing all that Himfast experienced. Their presence gave these intruders peace of mind—
At this moment, Lu Li suddenly accelerated his pace, veering off the path.
Katerina wanted to follow, but Ophelia stopped her: "Don’t disturb... him."
Turning her gaze back to Lu Li’s fading silhouette, he stopped silently before a gravestone deep in the cemetery.
[R.I.P]
[Anna Bessie]
They saw a blurry name etched on the tall sharp gravestone.
And the upturned soil at the bottom of a grave, with scattered bone fragments covered in snow around it.