Chapter 71: Alpin Forest

"Where is this place?" Moon muttered.

Oshan Dew ruffled his hair and dusted away the snow and leaves.

He looked around and, after a glance, he muttered, "Southern Alpine forest."

"Wah, so far," Nox exclaimed.

"Not so far from the Black Sea Gorge, and we were initially heading to this side through the tunnel," Ugo said as he dusted the snow from his clothes and then he helped Moon to warm up his hand, holding his palm in his.

"We are lucky. The Malong village is nearby, and the Malong city is also open to general people and wolves who don’t have any pack seal."

"Malong village..." Moon found the name quite familiar. Then he remembered Vadira said his daughter was at Malong village, waiting.

So much had happened these days, and he had almost forgotten about his promise.

Regardless of everything, they had come around the same place they wanted to land.

Though they initially were about to land in the Southern Ring River, through that ring river path, if they had survived, they would have come to these woods.

And then their destination was the Malong village, where they might have met some of their men and also Vadira’s daughter.

But the tunnel route changed and threw them into the Black Sea Gorge instead.

Moon felt it was a blessing in disguise.

He searched around his satchel and gave everyone a mid-grade poison-removing pill.

Though they had traveled through the cave path, the air was still corroded, rotten, and unhealthy.

Better not to be affected badly.

After that, they started to go downward again through the alpine forest.

The snow melted in the bright sun here, and the winter’s freezing air had warmed up long ago.

Though the floor was still snowy, Moon felt it was one of the best moments of his life.

The midday sun was blazing overhead, casting a soft light across the snow-covered alpine forest.

As Moon walked through this warm, frozen world, looking at the pine needles and the falling, scattered snow, the Cross bills were flying around, and the Chamois were leaping nearby.

And the mountain hare ran past them as if they were some predators.

He felt he had gone back to his childhood.

A cluster of Snow Fleas was dancing across the ice crust.

Nearby, Winter Stone flies were crawling onto the sunlit rocks.

A tiny colony of Wood Ants poked their heads out of a hidden crevice.

In his sudden sense of freedom and in this sudden tranquility, Moon momentarily forgot all his troubles as he skipped playfully over the crisp ice. He chuckled softly as he threw some snow with his foot.

His laughter echoed softly through the quiet trees.

Behind him, the three men were confused by his sudden, cheerful burst of energy, but they kept silent and just followed behind him with soft, curious eyes.

After a few moments, Nox could not hold back any longer and started to hop through the snow, copying the same rhythm as Moon.

As they were both immersed in their own carefree world, Axe and Ugo exchanged a glance and eagerly joined in, their heavy boots kicking up sprays of snow.

Oshan looked at those young boys sprinting and leaping down through the forest and shook his head helplessly, a rare, fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Forgetting for just a few moments that the Vaelis pack was his blood debt.

After going halfway down, Moon suddenly remembered the two wolf pups and then released them from his Lupine Palace.

As soon as they were brought out, Rio jumped down from Moon’s hand and rolled giddily on the snow, burying his tiny snout into the white softness.

Moon had never seen him so happy.

Though Leo was not so fond of the cold, he still liked the fresh air here. It was so different from the air of the lost realm.

It was something that felt real.

That reminded them they were also part of this world.

And so, the group paused for half an hour just to run around the snowy forest and catch beetles, snow flies, ants, and even a mountain hare.

Moon even trapped a red fox in the Lupine Palace.

Oshan hunted an elk and cut and cleaned it for later use.

After playing enough, Moon sent Rio and Leo to the Lupine Palace, and the group again

descended to the Malong village.

The day was nice, but fate was not.

Just as they were descending and were almost out of the forest range, they heard some other people’s sounds.

The voices were nearby.

Some people were walking this way. They were also walking down to the Malong village, but they had come from another direction.

"Did you hear that? The West Black Wood Pack declared their crown prince the next pack leader?" one female said.

"Isn’t that Harold from their second branch? Such a disgrace, he didn’t even have the Gibbous Spirit level wolf." Another one muttered.

"To say disgrace, the greatest is the Vaelis five twin brothers. They are so utterly shameless. Alpha Vaelis lost the higher position in the Monalis Council because of them."

Moon heard some giggles followed by a snort, "The embarrassment he got. Goddess, his sons not only turned out to be defective, but they also eloped with a traitorous spy."

"Don’t say such things. He still has Silas and Liam. They are not to be trifled with. Be careful once you enter the Zenith Moon Academy."

"Are you sure they are going to be admitted there? They have quite a high standard."

"They should be. I heard Silas’s wolf was very powerful. He can already..."

The chatter slowly faded away as the group became further and further apart.

Moon frowned.

This was bad.

Their names had already spread so much that they would have a hard time staying outside.

Axe snorted but didn’t say anything.

They could only endure such insults from behind, as they really were defective and outcasts.

They moved with practiced agility through the forest, and soon they saw the first village.

The Malong village.