Qin Huaibei and Daniel hobbled along beneath the ice cave, not knowing how far they had walked. Their legs were numb and sore, barely able to move forward.
But after walking for so long, they had finally caught up with Chloe. How could they stop and rest now?
So they gritted their teeth and pushed through the pain, pretending to be fine. Otherwise, if Chloe noticed, she would surely ask them to rest before looking for her.
But Qin Huaibei and Daniel could not do that.
They had finally found a lead, and their hearts were burning with impatience.
Time ticked by in the ice cave where no one could tell day from night. They only knew they had walked for a long time - one day, two days, or perhaps three or four days, it was uncertain.
Seeing that they had not rested, Chloe grew concerned and tapped on the ice wall, signaling for them to take a break.
This time, Qin Huaibei and Daniel understood her meaning, but they were still unwilling to stop.
The dark circles under their eyes were so heavy that they looked like two travel-weary pandas.
Unable to persuade them, Chloe eventually fell silent.
Much later, when Qin Huaibei and Daniel reached the edge of the nest, they were rendered speechless by the shock of seeing the multi-story tall monster.
Daniel glanced at the monster's eyes and tentacles covering its body, then looked away in disgust. "What an ugly monster. Was it the one that captured Chloe?"
Chloe, being an ultimate beauty enthusiast, must have had a terrible time.
Qin Huaibei nodded slightly. "It should be. Now it's blocking the entrance to the nest, so we can't get in or find Chloe."
"What should we do?" Daniel asked anxiously. "It's been so long, I don't know if Chloe has had anything to eat. I've heard that Vampires need to drink blood at regular intervals to maintain sustenance, otherwise their bodies will feel extremely uncomfortable."
Upon hearing this, Chloe's stomach immediately started rumbling.
Dang it, if Daniel hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have realized how long it had been since she last drank blood. Now... she was feeling lightheaded from hunger.
Yet on the other side, Qin Huaibei and Daniel were obliviously discussing -
Qin Huaibei: "Where did you hear that? I didn't know."
Daniel looked proud. "We Werewolves and Vampires have been mortal enemies for so long, so of course I'm well-informed about such trivial matters."
Qin Huaibei: "...You seem quite proud of that."
"I've also heard that while Vampires now drink synthetic blood, thousands of years ago they used to keep Blood servants. They especially favored girls aged fifteen or sixteen who were pure maidens, as Vampires claimed their blood was the sweetest."
Chloe couldn't help but swallow her saliva - that was true.
Qin Huaibei and Daniel had finally reached their destination and could relax a bit. As Qin Huaibei sat down to rest, he curiously asked, "Then why don't they keep Blood servants anymore?"
Daniel answered, "It's because there were too many cases of aristocrats falling in love with their Blood servants. For those high and mighty Vampires, it was like their son falling in love with the reserved chicken leg meant for him - a complete embarrassment!"
Qin Huaibei looked shocked. "...That really happened? But it does make sense."
"Exactly! So to completely prevent such incidents from happening again, those Vampire aristocrats proposed to stop keeping Blood servants altogether," Daniel said proudly.
Qin Huaibei clicked his tongue. "How exciting."
Inside the nest, Chloe, whose rumbling stomach was craving blood, also found it reasonable. She was now wondering if she could bite Qin Huaibei or Daniel once she got out.
Chloe had never felt such a thirst for blood before.
As she was lost in thought, the monster at the nest entrance began to stir.
It extended its thick tentacles, pulling its body out of the nest. Countless black eyes on its body started scanning the surroundings, as if searching for something.
...It must have noticed Qin Huaibei and Daniel.
Tsk, that was fast.
On the other side, Qin Huaibei and Daniel held their breaths, not daring to make a sound.
While the previous giant snake could be found in books, Qin Huaibei could not recall any records of a creature like this monster, no matter how hard he tried.
It was truly a rarity.
And even more dangerous.
Was Chloe still okay?
Qin Huaibei's eyes were resolute as he slowly drew the long sword from his back. His body was taut like a drawn bowstring, ready for battle.
Daniel gripped his iron hammer, equally prepared.
A pungent fishy odor lingered in their nostrils, likely emanating from the monster itself.
At this moment, the monster left the nest entrance, its body emitting excited screeches as its tentacles searched the icy ground.
It seemed to... have found the scent of new pets.
To be kept.
With this thought, the monster's tentacles found Qin Huaibei and Daniel's hiding spot behind a massive ice pillar.
The salty, damp, and sticky tentacle touched Daniel's pant leg, sending shivers down his spine. He forcefully swung his hammer down onto the tentacle!
Piercing shrieks erupted from the monster, and in the next instant, its tentacles swept through, instantly slicing the ice pillar they were hiding behind in half.
Fortunately, Qin Huaibei and Daniel reacted swiftly, rolling away just as the ice shards scattered around them, unharmed.
They did not let their guard down, immediately raising their weapons and viciously slashing at the monster's body!
Yet they watched in astonishment as the wounds they inflicted began healing at an incredible speed, regenerating in an instant.
"Damn it," Daniel cursed under his breath. "This monster is practically invincible."
Qin Huaibei said, "Don't talk, flank it!"
With those words, the two shot towards the monster from different directions like arrows, their speed unparalleled. Qin Huaibei's sword sliced through its flesh, and Daniel's hammer shattered its tentacles. Through their coordinated efforts, they managed to inflict some wounds on the monster.
But no matter how fast they were, they could not outpace the monster's regenerative abilities. Those wounds quickly healed over.
Qin Huaibei panted heavily, raising his sword once more. His eyes caught a glimpse of Chloe inside the nest.
The girl's steps were unsteady, as if she had mustered all her strength just to reach the cave entrance, her pale hand resting against the ice wall for support.
The monster immediately sensed something amiss and rushed back towards its nest, fearing its pet would escape.
Chloe's face drained of color.
"Oh no!"
If she was blocked again, the monster, now wary, would never let Chloe out!
Qin Huaibei and Daniel's faces contorted with rage, their bodies covered in countless wounds, but they still charged forward with their weapons, undeterred!
Amidst the chaos, a deafening crash echoed from above as a massive blade descended from the sky, viciously striking down on the monster!
The blade's force was immense, cleaving the monster's viscous body in half!
Everyone present was stunned.
Turning around, they saw Anderson, his eyes glowing crimson, black wings slowly flapping behind him. The massive blade struggled in midair for a moment before returning to his grasp.
This dramatic entrance was over-the-top, as if he was showing off to the heavens. Daniel couldn't help but swallow.
The monster writhed on the ground, seemingly attempting to regenerate, but the blade did not give it a chance.
In an instant, it was flung out again, raining down with unmatched force and speed, turning the monster into a gruesome pulp.
Anderson disregarded the others and, retracting his wings, went straight to Chloe, reaching out to embrace her in his arms, his voice tinged with the sigh of a recovered treasure:
"...Little Miss."
The Little Miss herself, however, was somewhat disoriented. She was nearly starved, her vision now hazy, unable to see anything except the sweet scent of blood lingering near her nostrils.
Chloe licked her lips, and in her dazed state, bared her fangs and bit deep into Anderson's neck.
Searing pain struck him, causing Anderson's entire body to shudder, his crimson eyes narrowing sharply.
