Mark stood beside the beast's body, frowning, full of doubts. The beast's appearance was so similar to the Ice Abyss Beast, but it had completely different colors and auras. He squatted down and carefully examined the beast's body, trying to find some clues.
"This is definitely not an ordinary beast." Mark whispered to himself, and his fingers gently touched the beast's scales. The scales were cold and hard, completely different from the touch of the Ice Abyss Beast. He closed his eyes, feeling the energy fluctuations under the scales, trying to find some clues from it.
"Mark, look at this." Lily's voice interrupted Mark's meditation. She held a broken scale in her hand, with strange patterns on the scales, which were completely different from the scales on the beast.
Mark took the scale and observed it carefully.
"The patterns on this scale... seem to be somewhat similar to the runes I saw in the temple before." A gleam of light flashed in his eyes, "Could this beast be related to the temple?"
Lily's eyes also showed a thoughtful look.
"Perhaps, this beast is controlled by humans." There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Mark stood up and swept his eyes through the surrounding woods, as if looking for an enemy hidden in the dark. "If that's the case, then we have to be more careful." His voice was low and firm, "Our enemies may be much more cunning than we thought."
Lily hugged the little Ice Abyss beast tightly and comforted it softly. The little Ice Abyss beast seemed to feel the tense atmosphere, whimpering softly, and its body trembled slightly.
At this moment, Toby's figure appeared at the corner of the mountain road. His steps were a little hurried, and there was a hint of anxiety on his face.
"Toby, you're finally back." Mark breathed a sigh of relief, but his doubts deepened. Toby's abnormal behavior made him wonder if Toby was hiding something.
Toby ran to Mark and Lily, panting, looking panicked, pointing at the beast's corpse on the ground, and said hurriedly: "Dark beast! This is a dark beast!" He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, as if trying to calm his inner fear.
Mark immediately asked: "Dark beast? What kind of dark beast is this? Do you know it?" He stared at Toby, trying to find the answer from his expression. Toby's panic and fear did not seem to be pretended, which made him more curious about what Toby knew.
Toby took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He glanced at the little ice beast in Lily's arms, and a hint of complex emotions flashed in his eyes. "I... I've heard the legend of the Dark Beast from the elders in the village." He paused, his eyes moved to the distance, as if he was lost in memories.
"Legend has it that the Dark Beast is a mutant of the Ice Abyss Beast. They have great power and a bloodthirsty nature, and are the most terrifying existence in the forest." As he spoke, he subconsciously stroked the dagger at his waist, as if this would give him a sense of security.
The surrounding woods made a rustling sound in the breeze, like the whispers of ghosts, adding a touch of weird atmosphere.
"Mutant?"
Lily tightened her arms around the little Ice Abyss Beast, and the little Ice Abyss Beast twisted restlessly in her arms, making a low whimper, as if it sensed the danger around it. Lily gently stroked the head of the little Ice Abyss Beast, trying to comfort it.
"Yes," Toby nodded, his tone affirmative, "Legend has it that the Dark Beasts are mutated after the Ice Abyss Beasts absorbed some evil energy. They have more powerful power and more brutal nature than ordinary Ice Abyss Beasts, and..."
He hesitated for a moment, his tone became lower,
"And they have a natural hostility to Ice Abyss Beasts."
Lily carefully compared Toby's description with the pattern of the scales in her hand. She held the scales in front of her eyes and observed them carefully in the sunlight. Her slender fingers gently stroked the strange patterns on the scales, and her brows slightly wrinkled, as if trying to identify something.
Mark noticed Lily's expression, walked to her side, patted her shoulder gently, and said in a gentle tone: "Lily, don't worry, we will protect you and Xiaobing." His eyes were firm and full of power, as if to give Lily courage.
"Let's change the original plan," Mark suggested, "Let's investigate the nest of the Dark Beast first." His eyes were firm, and his tone was full of unquestionable determination. His intuition told him that the dark beast was related to the previous temple, and he wanted to figure out the relationship.
"No!" Toby reached out and grabbed Mark's arm, and persuaded anxiously: "Mark, calm down! The most important thing for us now is to escort you to the Holy City. It is too dangerous to investigate the dark beast's lair! What if something unexpected happens? How can we explain to Elder Batu?" He spoke in a hurried tone, frowned, and his eyes were full of worry. The sweat beads on his forehead shone in the sun. He rubbed his hands uneasily, and the dirt and sweat on his hands mixed together to form a thin layer of dirt. The mountain breeze blew, and the leaves rustled, as if echoing his worries.
Lily looked down at the little ice beast in her arms, her eyes full of worry. She gently stroked the soft fur of the little ice beast, struggling in her heart. The little ice beast twisted uneasily in her arms, making a low whimper, and seemed to feel the tense atmosphere around him. The whimpering of the little Ice Abyss beast echoed in the valley, and it was particularly clear in the silent forest. Lily's fingers gently stroked the ice-blue fur of the little Ice Abyss beast, feeling its soft touch, and her heart was filled with love.
Mark pried Toby's hand apart and said firmly: "Toby, I know you are worried about our safety, but investigating the nest of the dark beast is to better complete the escort mission, and the two are not contradictory." He paused, looking into the distance with a firm gaze, and his tone was full of unquestionable determination, "Think about it, if the dark beasts are left alone, they will sooner or later pose a threat to the Holy City."
Toby paced back and forth anxiously, rubbing his hands constantly, his eyes wandering back and forth between Mark and Lily. "Have you ever thought about what Elder Batu would think if we acted on our own and something unexpected happened? He would think that we don't trust him and don't respect his arrangements!" He paused, his tone heavier, his expression serious, "We must put the overall situation first, and completing the task assigned by Elder Batu is the most important thing!" He reached out and grabbed Mark's shoulders, shaking them vigorously for a few times, "Mark, listen to me, protecting you to the Holy City is our top priority on this trip, and other things can be discussed later!" Lily gently stroked the back of the little Ice Abyss Beast, looking at Mark with firm eyes, silently expressing her support for him. The little Ice Abyss Beast rubbed against her arms and let out a soft whimper, as if encouraging Lily. The breeze in the mountains blew, and the leaves rustled, as if applauding Lily's courage. Mark took a deep breath. He knew that Toby's worries were not unreasonable, but the feeling of uneasiness in his heart became stronger and stronger. He reiterated his thoughts: "Toby, I know your concerns, and I also understand the importance of escorting me to the Holy City. But I think the appearance of the Dark Beast is not accidental, it is very likely related to me." He pointed to the body of the Dark Beast on the ground, "The scales on this Dark Beast are very similar to the runes I saw in the temple before, there must be some connection between them." Lily also echoed: "And, Toby, think about it, if we don't investigate now, what if the Dark Beast attacks the Holy City? It will be too late for us to regret it then." She took the Little Ice Abyss Beast out of her arms and put it on the ground, "Xiao Bing also thinks we should investigate." The Little Ice Abyss Beast seemed to understand Lily's words, and let out a low roar at the body of the Dark Beast, with a firm light in his eyes. The sun shone on the body of the Little Ice Abyss Beast through the gaps in the leaves, and the ice-blue hair shone, as if covered with a layer of sacred light. Seeing that Lily and the Little Ice Abyss Beast were so determined, Toby's heart began to waver. He took a deep breath, walked to the body of the dark beast, squatted down and carefully observed the lines on the scales. He reached out and touched the scales, which were cold and hard. He stood up and paced back and forth, frowning, as if weighing the pros and cons. The surrounding woods were quiet, with only the rustling of leaves and the sound of birds singing in the distance.
Mark walked to Toby and patted his shoulder gently, "Toby, I know you are worried about the safety of Lily and the little ice beast. I promise that I will protect them first." His tone was sincere and firm, and his eyes were full of trust and encouragement.
Toby raised his head, looked at Mark's firm eyes, and finally made up his mind. He nodded heavily, "Let's do this. Let's keep an eye out for the traces of the dark beasts on the way to the Holy City. If there are any clues about them, we will go over to explore. If not, we will go to the Holy City." There was a hint of determination in his tone, as if he had unloaded the burden in his heart.
Hearing Toby's agreement, Lily smiled with relief. She picked up the little Ice Abyss Beast and gently stroked its head. "Xiaobing, let's go!" The little Ice Abyss Beast excitedly shook its tail and made a cheerful cry.
They walked along a rugged mountain road, surrounded by dense trees that blocked out the sun. From time to time, a few unknown birds flew over the treetops, making crisp calls. The air in the mountains was fresh and cool, with a hint of the fragrance of the soil, which made people feel relaxed and happy.