Mark carefully put the slab back into his arms, stood up, and walked to the cave entrance. The biting cold wind, wrapped in snowflakes, blew in his face, making him shiver. The world outside the cave was white, the wind was howling, the snow covered the ground thickly, and the world was in chaos. He squinted his eyes and tried to identify the scene in the distance. He could vaguely see the rolling snow-capped mountains, looming in the wind and snow.
"It seems that the snow has stopped." Mark turned his head and said to the Ice Abyss Beast behind him. The Ice Abyss Beast walked to the cave entrance, moved his nose, sniffed the air outside, and let out a low whimper, as if confirming Mark's words.
Mark retreated from the cave entrance, patted the snow on his body, and said, "Let's go, we have to keep going."
The Ice Abyss Beast roared in agreement. The man and the beast left the cave and stepped onto the vast snowfield.
Although the wind and snow stopped, the snow was still very thick, and it was very difficult to walk. Mark walked in the snow, one foot deep and one foot shallow, and each step took a lot of effort. The Ice Abyss Beast was much more relaxed. Its huge claws walked on the snow as if it were flat ground, and it walked effortlessly. It looked back at Mark from time to time, as if urging him to keep up.
"Wait for me, old friend." Mark said with a smile, speeding up his pace.
They walked along the foot of the mountain, and the Ice Abyss Beast stopped from time to time and sniffed the ground with its nose, as if looking for something.
"What are you looking for?" Mark asked curiously.
The Ice Abyss Beast did not answer, but continued to sniff the ground, and then suddenly ran in one direction. Seeing this, Mark hurried to catch up.
After running for a distance, the Ice Abyss Beast stopped in a place covered with snow. It used its claws to dig through the snow, revealing a hidden cave entrance. The cave entrance was very small, only enough for one person to pass through. A faint warmth emanated from the cave, forming a sharp contrast with the cold outside the cave.
"This... seems to be a hot spring?" Mark walked to the entrance of the cave and carefully observed the interior of the cave. There was a faint smell of water vapor in the cave, and there was a hint of sulfur in the air.
The Ice Abyss Beast looked back at Mark and uttered a low whimper, as if confirming Mark's guess.
Mark was delighted. This was really an unexpected discovery. In such cold weather, it was undoubtedly a great fortune to be able to find a hot spring.
"Go in and take a look." Mark said, bending down and crawling into the cave. The Ice Abyss Beast followed closely behind.
The interior of the cave was much more spacious than the outside and extremely warm. At the end of the cave was a natural hot spring. The hot spring pool was not large, but it was enough for one person to bathe. The warm spring water was steaming, forming a cloud of white mist in the cold air.
Mark and the Ice Abyss Beast both felt comfortable. They took off their equipment and approached the hot spring pool. Mark put his hand into the spring water and felt the temperature of the spring water. "The water temperature is just right." He said with a smile.
The Ice Abyss Beast couldn't wait to jump into the hot spring pool and let out a comfortable growl. It swam a few circles in the water, then lay down by the pool, closed its eyes, and enjoyed the rare warmth.
Mark also took off his coat, walked into the hot spring pool, and soaked in the warm spring water. He felt that all the fatigue in his body was swept away, replaced by a sense of relaxation and comfort. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt the warmth and comfort brought by the hot spring.
"This is a great place." Mark said, opened his eyes, and looked at the Ice Abyss Beast beside him. "We can rest here and recover our strength."
"Woo..." The Ice Abyss Beast growled in agreement.
Mark took out the slate from his arms and placed it by the pool. The runes on the slate appeared clearer in the hot air of the hot spring.
"I have to study this slate carefully." Mark said, picking up the slate and carefully observing the runes on it. He tried to interpret these runes with the knowledge he had gained in the ancient ruins before, hoping to find a way to crack the control of the Ice Abyss Beast by the Rebirth Organization.
Time passed by, and the sky outside the cave gradually darkened. Inside the cave, Mark was still studying the runes on the stone slab wholeheartedly, while the Ice Abyss Beast lay quietly beside him, guarding Mark.
The hot air from the hot spring filled the cave, dispelling the cold and bringing a touch of warmth and comfort. Mark frowned and pondered from time to time, and whispered to himself from time to time, as if immersed in his own world. The Ice Abyss Beast lay there motionless, like a sculpture.
Outside the cave, night fell, and the wind and snow howled again, but the cave was still warm as spring. One man and one beast stayed there quietly, waiting for the arrival of dawn.
"It seems that we have to wait until the right time to find other Ice Abyss Beasts to try." Mark put down the stone slab and stretched.
"Woo..." The Ice Abyss Beast walked to Mark and rubbed his shoulder, as if responding to his words.
Mark stood up, patted the head of the Ice Abyss Beast, and said, "Let's go, let's get something to eat."
Mark looked up at the top of the cave, and a few faint rays of light came out from the cracks in the rocks, barely able to see the scene inside the cave. Some mosses grow on the rock walls of the cave, showing a strange green color in the dim light. Mark picked a handful of plants and put them in his mouth to chew. The green juice flowed from the corners of Mark's mouth, and it looked particularly creepy under the reflection of the water!
Mark spit out the moss that he chewed in his mouth, and a bitter taste spread in his mouth. "Pah, it's so disgusting." He frowned, spit out the residue, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Giving up the moss, he began to look around for other edible things. The moist air of the hot spring pool nourishes the life in the cave. On the rock wall near the hot spring pool, he found some fungi that grow in a humid environment. These mushrooms are light yellow, with fine lines on the cap, and look a bit like the edible mushrooms he had seen in wilderness survival training.
Mark carefully picked a few mushrooms and sniffed them. A faint fragrance floated into his nose, without any pungent or corrupt smell. He gently broke off a small piece of the cap and put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly. The mushroom meat was tender and juicy, with a hint of sweetness, which was completely different from the bitter moss he had tasted before. "Well, it tastes good." Mark nodded, and after confirming that it was non-toxic, he put the remaining mushrooms in his mouth and tasted them carefully. A delicious taste bloomed between his taste buds.
The Ice Abyss Beast, who had been lying beside Mark, also came over and smelled the mushrooms in Mark's hand curiously. Its huge nostrils twitched a few times, and it seemed to be very interested in the fragrance. Then, it opened its mouth and swallowed the remaining fungi in Mark's hand in one gulp, making a satisfied roar, "Woo...", and licked its lips with its tongue, as if it was still not satisfied.
Mark looked at the Ice Abyss Beast, smiled, and said, "It seems that you like this taste too." He walked to the rock wall, carefully collected the remaining fungi, and put them in his coat for emergency use. The pocket was bulging, like a pocket full of treasures. He patted his pocket and nodded with satisfaction.
"Let's go, let's go outside and see if we can find more food." Mark said to the Ice Abyss Beast.
The Ice Abyss Beast stood up, shook off the water droplets on his body, and made a low response, "Woo..."
One person and one beast walked out of the cave and stepped into the wind and snow. The outside world was still cold. Although the wind and snow stopped, the air was still filled with a cold breath. The snow covered the ground, and looking around, it was white. The whistling sound of the wind echoed in his ears, like the roar of a wild beast.
Mark narrowed his eyes, and observed the surrounding environment carefully in the wind and snow. On the cliff, covered with snow, some green plants were vaguely visible. He walked closer and found that it was a plant similar to yam, with vines clinging to the cliff, and the rhizomes were thick and looked rich in nutrients.
Mark grabbed the vines with his hands and began to climb the cliff. The cliff was steep and it was very difficult to climb. He moved his body carefully, taking every step very cautiously, for fear that he would slip down if he was not careful. The wind and snow blew on his face, making him feel a sting.
The Ice Abyss Beast was digging in the snow, looking for food. It used its strong claws to dig through the snow, revealing the frozen soil underneath. It sniffed the ground with its nose, looking for plant roots or berries buried by ice and snow.
Finally, Mark climbed to the top of the cliff. He carefully dug out the rhizomes of the plants with a dagger, and then slid down the cliff along the vines. He handed the dug rhizome to the Ice Abyss Beast, who sniffed it, swallowed it in one gulp, and let out a satisfied growl.
At this moment, the Ice Abyss Beast also found food. It dug out some berries buried by ice and snow from the snow. The berries were dark purple and looked plump and juicy. It handed the berries to Mark, who tasted one. It tasted sweet and sour and refreshing.
"Good luck." Mark said with a smile, collecting the remaining berries and putting them in his pocket.
The man and the beast returned to the warm cave with the food they found. They sat down by the hot spring pool and began to enjoy this hard-earned dinner. Mark roasted the yam rhizome and shared it with the Ice Abyss Beast. The roasted yam rhizome exuded an attractive aroma and tasted soft, glutinous and sweet. The Ice Abyss Beast ate the berries with relish, and occasionally let out a satisfied growl.
"Tomorrow, we will continue on our way." Mark said while eating yam.
"Woo..." The Ice Abyss Beast responded and continued to enjoy its berries.
In the cave, the flickering firelight illuminated the figures of a man and a beast, making it particularly warm.
Mark handed the last piece of roasted yam rhizome to the Ice Abyss Beast and patted its head, "Eat it sparingly, I don't know if I can find food tomorrow." The Ice Abyss Beast rubbed Mark's hand with its head and made a low whimper, as if responding to him. Mark stood up from the hot spring pool, walked to the entrance of the cave, and looked at the snowstorm that was still raging outside. Snowflakes danced in the wind, like countless white elves, decorating the whole world into a silver-clad world. The cliffs were covered with thick snow, and the cold wind whistled through the valley, making bursts of whimpering.
"I hope the weather will be better tomorrow." Mark whispered to himself, rubbing his hands that were numb from the cold, then turned back to the depths of the cave, took out a piece of animal skin from his backpack, and spread it on the dry ground next to the hot spring pool. He took off his wet boots and warmed his feet close to the fire. After eating the berries, the Ice Abyss Beast also walked to Mark's side, curled up on the ground, closed his eyes and rested. The firelight shone on the man and the beast, casting long shadows on the cave wall, swaying with the flames. It was snowing outside the cave, but it was warm inside like spring. The man and the beast just snuggled together quietly, enjoying this moment of tranquility.