Chapter 78: That Was a Ray of Light, So Wonderful

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: That Was a Ray of Light, So Wonderful

Liang He found the Little Black Snake’s disappearance a bit strange. However, she felt that he was exceptionally intelligent. Since he had known how to pull a scam by feigning an injury when they first met, he could surely protect himself out there.

Besides, snakes generally found a place to hibernate when winter arrived. Thus, Liang He didn’t take the Little Black Snake’s unannounced departure to heart.

Little did she know, Elias was currently trapped in the snowy forest, completely unable to find his way back!

"Damn it, everywhere here looks exactly the same. Which way should I go?"

Just like before, Elias had sneaked out of the service area in the dead of night to contact his subordinates. Unexpectedly, a sudden blizzard had struck. Since he couldn’t simply walk under the surveillance cameras in his human form, he had no choice but to transform into the Little Black Snake and inch his way forward.

However, the howling wind and snow made every movement a struggle. Finding the correct direction to safely return to the service area was completely impossible.

"Just my luck. This damn snow has been falling all night, and I’m freezing to death."

He finally managed to endure until dawn, only to suffer through to nightfall again. Still unable to find his way, Elias grew angrier by the minute, while his body temperature continued to plummet. Even though he had taken the form of the Little Black Snake, he wasn’t actually a cold-blooded reptile. If he couldn’t get out soon, he would likely perish in this harsh, freezing snow.

Completely oblivious to his plight, Liang He still hadn’t noticed anything amiss by the second night of the Little Black Snake’s disappearance. Instead, she had taken her furry companions to a valley to go sledding.

"ROAR! ROAR!"

The Mojin King Tiger sat on a sled specially crafted by Liang He. With his four paws gripping the board tightly, he slid from the highest peak all the way down to the bottom. His thrilling, exhilarated roars echoed throughout the entire valley.

That is, until the sled hit a snow-covered rock. THUD! The Mojin King Tiger took a magnificent tumble, face-planting directly into the snow.

"Cedriel, are you okay?"

Liang He hurried over to the motionless Mojin King Tiger to see if he was alright. However, the moment she got close, he suddenly jerked his head up, shaking all the snow from his fur straight onto her.

"ROAR~"

Having successfully pulled off his prank, the Mojin King Tiger let out a smug roar. Liang He was so exasperated that she burst into laughter, helplessly pinching his furry cheeks to vent her frustration.

"You big cat! What a little rascal!"

With the first brave pioneer leading the way, the other fluffy animals quickly swarmed Liang He, eager to experience the thrill of speeding down the slopes. Even the Canglan Hunting Eagle was no exception. The motto of the day was to leave no one behind!

"Cyril, look at the camera!"

Ever since Cyril made his sudden appearance, stealing Cedriel’s spotlight by jumping through a ring of fire during the livestream, many netizens had been begging for more videos of the Platinum Giant Lion. Because of this, Liang He made sure to record a solo vlog entirely for him today.

[Fur Raising Officer: Taking everyone on a tour of our new dorms! There’s even a dedicated indoor play area. Isn’t it awesome?! (Video)]

[Fur Raising Officer: Sledding with my fluffy friends! I actually got pranked by the Mojin King Tiger. How infuriating! (Video)]

[Fur Raising Officer: The delicate baby who loves pink is actually super brave! Not only did he jump through a ring of fire, but he also learned how to sled! (Video)]

The Fur Raising Officer either posted nothing or dropped three consecutive videos at once. The moment she came online, she was met with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome from the netizens. The view counts on her videos skyrocketed, quickly pushing them into the top three trending searches.

That’s right—three videos occupying the exact top three spots on the trending list. No more, no less. It was perfect.

[Whoa! You guys actually renovated the dorms?! It looks so spacious!]

[Pfft, combining this with the other video, I already know who the owner of that little pink room is.]

[Help, that gap moe is too adorable! But speaking of which, why is the Breeder’s bed so massive?! (Smirk)]

Everyone unanimously agreed that the new dorm’s renovations were top-notch. Not only did it feature excellent ergonomic designs, but it also completely accommodated the Beast Beasts’ existence. As expected, harmonious coexistence was the eternal theme here.

[Sledding looks so fun! Is this another one of the Breeder’s childhood pastimes?]

[Shocking! Has the Mojin King Tiger actually picked up bad habits?! Who exactly led the big tiger astray?!]

[Say no more! I’m going to find a slope right now and go sledding. I want to experience the exact same game as the fluffies!]

[Hahaha! Why does the Platinum Giant Lion’s roaring sound like an ambulance siren?! Save me!]

Looking at the download metrics in the background, Liang He could tell just how much the netizens loved these videos. She was thrilled to be able to share this joy with them.

"SCREECH!"

Liang He was just about to let the furry group roam freely for a bit before taking them back to the service area. However, the Canglan Hunting Eagle, who had been circling excitedly in the air, suddenly let out a sharp cry.

"Lanton, what’s wrong?"

Liang He looked up in confusion but didn’t spot anything unusual. She then glanced over at the Mengji Snow Leopard and the others rolling around in the snow; they didn’t seem on alert either. If there was a Fierce Beast nearby, they would all have the same reaction. Since that wasn’t the case, why was Lanton calling out to her?

"SCREECH!"

"You want me to ride on your back?"

Liang He hesitantly approached the Canglan Hunting Eagle. To be honest, she wasn’t too keen on the idea. The weather was simply too freezing right now, and she was afraid the wind chill would turn her into an ice sculpture.

"SCREECH?" Seeing that Liang He wasn’t moving, the Canglan Hunting Eagle nudged her gently with his head in confusion.

"Ahem, how about... I ride the Leopard and have him follow you? You fly way too fast, and I’ll freeze." In this kind of weather, the Mengji Snow Leopard was undoubtedly the least affected. Having him track the Canglan Hunting Eagle shouldn’t be an issue.

"SCREECH~"

Understanding her shivering pantomime, Lanton didn’t push the issue. Instead, he took to the sky and waited patiently until Liang He was securely seated on the Mengji Snow Leopard’s back before leading the way.

Even though it seemed like the Canglan Hunting Eagle hadn’t flown far out of sight, the Mengji Snow Leopard actually had to sprint for a solid ten minutes before they finally arrived at the destination.

"SCREECH!"

"I know, I know. I’m right behind you."

Up ahead was a dense mountain forest. While the Mengji Snow Leopard could easily weave through the trees on his own, sprinting with Liang He on his back would likely get her scratched up by the branches. Because of this, she had to dismount and walk the rest of the way.

"What exactly is out here that made Lanton so determined to bring me along?" Liang He muttered to herself as she followed the Canglan Hunting Eagle, completely unafraid of encountering any danger. It was the dead of winter, meaning most animals were hibernating or hunkering down. They rarely ventured out, so the chances of running into anything dangerous were quite slim.

Lying weakly in the snow, Elias felt as though he didn’t even have the strength left to revert to his human form. Yet, through the haze, he could faintly hear the voice of that foolish Breeder.

He let out an imperceptible, soft chuckle.

"Tch, I’ve really gone mad," he muttered. "To actually expect her to descend from the heavens and save me?"

But self-mockery aside, a sliver of unwarranted hope still flickered in the depths of Elias’s heart.

"Liang He, why haven’t you come looking for me yet..."

Lying stiffly in the snowdrift, completely unable to move, the Little Black Snake felt a surge of grievance as his eyes gradually began to slide shut.

He thought that if it had been any of those other idiots who went missing, the foolish Breeder would have been worried sick and searching everywhere by now. Then again... he was a bad guy who had forced his way into her care through a scam. Why would Liang He ever keep him in her heart?

Just as the final sliver of light was about to fade from his vision, Elias faintly made out a familiar silhouette. Before he could even react, his consciousness completely shut down.

His last memory was of a soft sigh.

"How did this little guy end up all the way out here?"