บท 151: Chapter 151: Want Some Candy?
Galantos Snow Mountain, also known as Snowdrop Mountain.
The nearby village, where Mrs. Weiss lived, was named after this very mountain.
The mountainside and higher regions of this mountain are covered in snow year-round, with only the southern foothills briefly thawing during the summer.
It was November now, and even the foot of the mountain was entirely white.
The cold wind blew fiercely, chilling to the bone.
Fine grains of snow were carried by the wind, rolling across the snowy surface like sand on a beach.
Even on clear days, footprints left by those climbing the mountain would soon be covered.
This made it incredibly difficult for anyone on the mountain to find their way back down or for those below to go up to search.
Beyond that, the higher one climbed, the thicker the snow and the stronger the wind.
Walking normally became difficult, and a moment's carelessness could lead to falling, being buried in snow, and resting there forever.
Yet even under such harsh conditions, Jimmy continued moving forward, looking left and right in search of the herb that held hope for her family.
Her small face was flushed from the cold, and even though she wore thick winter clothing with the hood pulled up, it couldn't block the biting wind.
"Devotion... Devotion... The white flower, shaped like a bell..."
She repeated the description of the herb softly, as if cheering herself on, afraid she might overlook the white flower in the snow.
Finding the herb could cure her father, cure him so her mother wouldn't have to work so hard, so her brother wouldn't have to secretly cry.
Children sometimes pursue a goal without considering the consequences, or they believe bad things simply won't happen.
Jimmy was just like that. She only wanted to do her best to make her family as it once was.
Hunter, who followed behind his sister, probably had a similar mindset.
With their father sick, it was his duty to protect his mother and sister and to help heal his father.
The snow mountain was a dangerous place—he couldn't let his sister go alone.
Two small figures trudged along in the snowy mountains, looking for what they hoped to find.
"I found it!" Jimmy's eyes lit up.
Under a rock that protruded slightly, she spotted several green stalks sticking out from the crevices, white bell-shaped flowers swaying in the wind.
Surrounded by snow, they were still full of life.
Jimmy excitedly tried to run over, only to fall in the process.
She didn't care that her clothes got snowy or that she hadn't even stood up—she crawled forward, carefully brushing away the snow and pulling the herbs out, roots and all.
One by one, she put the herbs in her coat, feeling as though she was slowly collecting hope for her father's recovery.
After a while, Jimmy stood up, clutching the herbs, but staggered a little.
She was exhausted but kept trudging forward—she had to bring the herbs back.
"Sis!"
The familiar voice made Jimmy think she was hallucinating from exhaustion.
But the sight of her brother—huddling, hugging his arms, with a red nose and almost-frozen snot—was unmistakable.
"Hunter?! Why are you here?!"
"Of course, I came to find you!" Hunter sniffled, his nose red from the cold. "Mom said the mountain's dangerous. I have to protect you."
Jimmy didn't know if she should be angry or laugh—how could she, having snuck up the mountain herself, scold her brother?
"Idiot... I found the herb. Let's go back and save Dad."
"Si... Sis..." Hunter's eyes widened in terror, staring at something behind Jimmy.
"Wha... What is it?" Jimmy turned around, her body freezing in fear.
A creature as massive as a bear, with a rabbit-like head and glowing red eyes, stood right behind her.
"Labon..."
The Labon swung its huge paw down, intending to kill, stun, or injure its prey—a common hunting tactic for the beast.
Hunter lunged forward, pushing Jimmy out of harm's way. He was grazed by the beast's claws, tearing his coat and sending him tumbling several times across the snow.
Blood splattered across the snow.
"Hunter!" Jimmy lay in the snow, scrambling toward her brother without a care for the Labon behind her.
But she was horrified to see wolves appear behind Hunter!
Jimmy's face turned ashen, her lips trembling—this was the end...
The Labon let out a warning growl, but the three wolves didn't hesitate and lunged forward.
Jimmy watched, stunned, as the wolves leaped over Hunter to attack the Labon. She even failed to notice that one of them had two heads.
The two ordinary wolves bit into the Labon's arms, while the two-headed wolf jumped up, pinning the Labon's shoulders and biting down on its ears.
One wolf got thrown off, but soon the Labon fell to the ground, covered in wounds.
Jimmy carefully crawled towards Hunter, only to see more Labons.
Labons... lived in packs.
Jimmy remembered that—it was common knowledge in the village.
She heard the wolves howling and closed her eyes in despair, waiting for the pain that never came.
Jimmy opened her eyes to see a tall figure in front of her.
The man's arm, monstrous in appearance, blocked the Labon's attack.
"Are you okay?" It was a low, powerful voice—firm, reassuring, like a real hero.
Jimmy hadn't spoken before she heard another voice.
"Not good, the boy's injured and losing blood. You hold on a bit." This time it was a gentler voice.
"It's a lot, but... Manly!" Jimmy watched in astonishment as the bear-like Labon was thrown by the man!
"Crimson Mark Treant!"
"Ashen Crown! The girl you... alright, you get one too, Ashen Crown!"
Jimmy saw red light swirl around Hunter, and his wounds slowly stopped bleeding.
After being pointed at by the older boy, she also emitted red light—it felt warm, even though she had no idea what it was.
"Ashen Crown seems to work well on external injuries."
Rhodes himself hadn't known it could make people feel warm. He didn't waste a second, directing the Treant to attack the Labons.
The Treant swung its forelegs, sending three Labons flying.
The ones Elfman had thrown or hit still struggled, but those hit by the Treant were already limp by the time they hit the ground.
It seemed like a casual strike, but the attack was extremely powerful.
Still, Rhodes reluctantly sent it back to the Summoner's Canyon, replacing it with other creatures.
It was too energy-consuming—he needed to save some magic just in case the boy had further complications.
While the summoned creatures and Elfman tangled with the Labons, Rhodes quickly pulled bandages and medicine from his backpack. He tended to the boy's injuries while calming the girl:
"You're Jimmy and Hunter, right? Don't be scared. We're wizards your mom hired to help—we're taking you back.
The bleeding's stopped; he just needs some sleep. Everything will be alright; we'll go back soon."
Rhodes quickly wrapped Hunter's wounds, bundling him in a spare coat to keep him warm.
Then he reached into his bag, pulling out a piece of chocolate, and gestured to Jimmy. "Want some?"
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ahan5000 Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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