Chapter 135 The Successor of the End (Part 4)

Old Bear Ling lay down near the fire, hearing rustling sounds in the snow as two people walked back and forth in the field.

Tobas frantically piled dry stones and branches into a barbecue grill, while the boy named Mien was already sitting under the grill waiting for food.

Old Bear Spirit tried to take a nap, hoping that when he woke up, Insect Mud would have already returned with bloody food. But as soon as he lay down, his eyes met Tobas's, and this action reminded him of something important.

I have indeed seen this young face somewhere before.

“Come here,” he said in a voice only Tobas could hear, “closer, yes, closer, don’t be afraid.”

It was Tobas who found Old Bear Spirit, meaning that Old Bear Spirit only acknowledges this one person as his savior.

"Are you calling me?" Tobas asked.

Why did you save me?

“I found your wolf buried in the snow, and it led me to you. If you want to thank someone, thank your wolf.”

"Why?"

“If we don’t rescue you, you’ll freeze to death in the pit.”

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to see anyone fall in front of me anymore."

"Why? It was the Podrote who saved me."

Old Bear Spirit would almost always ask "why," and Tobas could only casually reply, "This is probably fate. As for me, I know where you came from and how far away the Ice Wolf Tribe is."

"How far?"

"I'm asking you, how far is your tribe from here?"

Old Xiongling didn't answer directly. Instead, he smeared chunks of snow on his face with his black, dirty hands and continued, "Our village has been attacked."

"Was it also done by the demon legion?"

"Yes."

"So, they kicked you out."

"Yes."

“You were injured, and then your wolves encountered us.”

The breath that Old Bear Spirit exhaled from his nostrils was like gusts of wind and clusters of flames, all rushing towards Tobas's face.

He changed his tone again and asked, "Who are you?"

“You asked the same question repeatedly. I am a Podrolite who is on the run.”

"You are not."

"I am a Podrolite!"

"No, I've seen you before."

"You've seen me before? Where? Here? No, humans don't travel this far alone."

“You were born in the North,” Old Bear Ling tore open his clothes, revealing a fatal wound that stretched from his neck to his chest. “It aches faintly when you come close.”

Tobas suddenly remembered that he was indeed born in the north, and that the Podrolites had found him on a strange cliff, brought him into the palace, and raised him to be a servant of the crown prince.

But how did this old bear spirit know all this? What is the connection between Tobas and the wounds on his body?

Just as Tobas was trying to figure out his origins, Mien called him away because he couldn't get used to the food.

Old Bear Spirit called Ice Wolf to his side and said something only wolves could understand, asking the wolf to deliver a message to the tribe that the Son of Snow Mountain had returned.

At first, the ice wolf was unwilling to leave its master.

The owner sat motionless, as if in a daze, and remained in a state of not eating.

Ice Wolf understood its master's plan and had no choice but to leave.

By the time Tobas returned to Old Bear Spirit's side, Ice Wolf had been gone for quite some time.

"Sir, where is your wolf?"

Old Bear Ling lay there, staring blankly into the ice hole, unmoved. Tobas assumed he was asleep and didn't disturb him further.

This night was a condensation of countless nights, as long as centuries. There was no thought, yet life existed. That life was the most brilliant light encountered in this life. It quickly evolved into an overwhelming hurricane, sweeping across the continent, and was about to break through the cage of the dark night.

Just as the light of hope was about to appear, endless darkness arrived a step earlier.

The next morning, Tobas found that Old Bear Spirit was dead; he had not survived.

Although Mien had seen many dead people, this time was different. When the path of hope was blocked time and time again, despair would come.

Tobas dug a hole and buried Old Bear Spirit.

To cheer up Mien, Tobas made up some more jokes, "They are so tall! An adult male bear spirit can be three to four meters tall and weigh about three times that of a human. It is said that their children are already as tall as you when they are just a month old."

"Those are savage giants too!"

"Yes, yes, when naughty kids can't sleep, we make up stories to scare them: 'If you don't go to sleep, the barbarians will come down the mountain and eat you up!' Like this, open your mouth wide and eat them one by one!"

"You're just making up a story!"

Tobas spoke while making gestures to scare the children.

The two boys got more and more excited as they talked, from human history to the even more distant ancient history.

Mien could hardly tell if the story was true or false, so he just kept listening and unknowingly left the underground.

A stunning snow-capped mountain unfolds before our eyes.

That road leads to the Moli'ai Icefield, the highest point on land, where lush conifers grow year-round, and the sky is calm, seemingly never windy.

A series of snow-white halos appeared overhead, reflecting the brilliant rays of light that shone horizontally across the snow. A powerful eagle circled in the sky, gradually turning into a black dot, and suddenly obscuring the halos under the pure white dome.

Suddenly, a magnificent horn sounded from the mountaintop, piercing the tranquility like a golden blade. The notes, rising and falling, echoed in the vast space, while a series of dazzling lights shone down, illuminating the pulsating shadows in the coniferous forest.

In Mien's experience, it was as if he had participated in a coronation ceremony, and the continuous sounding of horns gave this young soul a new life.

He recalled a story he had heard as a child: how a follower of a kingdom bravely made his way to the Holy Land, eventually becoming the overlord of the ice plains and ascending the throne of the giants.

Just as the story says, a bear spirit appeared on the snow mountain, resembling a statue.

Mien looked at Xiong Ling and found that Xiong Ling was also looking at him. The other's eyes reflected a domineering light and were full of power.

Subsequently, more and more bear spirits appeared on the snow mountain, standing there in a parade formation, with a colonnade behind them set ablaze by a great fire. The incredible halo highlighted the radiant armor on the bear spirits' bodies, which was not only covered in bright colors but also reflected a blood-red light.

The ice wolf that had left Old Bear Spirit reappeared; it was it that brought its people here.

The leader, Xiong Ling, tied his beard into a whip and hung it with bells.

He came down from the snow mountain, and the other bear spirits followed.

Mien looked up and saw a row of humans standing on the snow mountain, all wearing normal cold-resistant leather armor, dark trousers that fit snugly against their skin, and a pair of nice boots that were often worn in the snow.

Some people have very well-maintained thick, blond hair, and even style it into wavy curls like the aristocracy. Their hands are very clean, and their chins are round and plump.

They were all Podrote people who had fled to the snowy mountains!

Mien felt a deep connection to him, as if he were seeing his own subjects.

Just then, the bear spirit who was leading the group reached the foot of the mountain, took off his heavy armor, revealing a long beast coat, and his two eyes were almost like two pieces of obsidian.

A dark purple mane followed behind; its youthful and vibrant fur made it look like a statue covered in flowers.

“We have come to welcome you, Your Majesty King Podrolot, by the order of the King of the North.”

Xiong Ling and Ice Wolf knelt down before Tobas.

Mien looked at Tobas in surprise, and Tobas looked at Mien in equal surprise.

"No, you're kneeling in the wrong place. This is the King of Podrolot," Tobas explained hastily.

Unexpectedly, Xiong Ling said with the pride unique to warriors, "Ice Wolf's eyes cannot be wrong, you are the brave King of Podrolot."