?Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Aina Likes Brother’s Warmth ~ Sister, You Should Come as Well_1 Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Aina Likes Brother’s Warmth ~ Sister, You Should Come as Well_1 “Ah-choo—”


    “Choo—”


    In the snowy field, two sneezes from different girls rang out in succession.


    Luo Xi shook his head as he climbed out of the snow and said in a low voice, “Wei’er, Aina, are you two okay?”


    Wei’er pulled Aina, who had fallen not far from her, out of the snow and took a handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe the snow off her little sister’s face, saying annoyed:


    “It’s a good thing this is all snow. Those lazy dog guards haven’t had anyone clear it, otherwise, if you tossed Aina on the ground…heh…”


    “Ah-choo—”


    The Little Wolf Girl, holding her nose with both hands, sneezed softly again.


    “Sister, it’s so cold. Let’s quickly find a place to stay,” she said.


    “Mm.”


    Wei’er also knew that they should not linger in this place. Though the weather meant that the guards had all turned into lazy dogs hiding behind the city walls not coming out, if they stayed too long, there would be a risk of being discovered.


    Luo Xi said, “Before we leave, let’s smooth out the snow pit we’ve made. At least it can’t be so easily seen that someone has been here. The footprints shouldn’t be a big problem. If this snow keeps up, it’ll soon be completely covered.”


    Wei’er turned her head to look at you with a face full of surprise and suspicion:


    “You’re actually this smart?”


    [Ding! Traveler, your Anger Value +3]


    After spending a few minutes making the snow look more even, Luo Xi, Wei’er, and Aina headed toward the dark snow forest ahead. Their only source of light was the tea-gold glow from the Divine Tree located in the center of Winter City, which covered the entire sky.


    “Wei’er sister, where are we going?”


    Aina asked softly, “Can we go check out the streets of Winter City?”


    “We can’t just go anywhere crowded. If we get discovered, it’s all over. Let’s find a spot to hide tonight,” Wei’er said slowly. “After the aftermath of the locust plague is gone tomorrow, we’ll cross the city wall and leave the area where Grey Stone Street is, then head for the nearby Coal Mountain Town, and after that, consider where to go next.”


    “Oh.”


    Aina’s head drooped somewhat dejectedly.


    The Little Lolita actually knew it wasn’t time to sightsee; she just felt it was a shame that she had come all the way to Winter City and would have to leave without seeing anything.


    Luo Xi, on the other hand, didn’t speak, just quietly listened to the sounds nearby.


    For some reason, he felt that somewhere in the distance, it was unnaturally quiet.


    Even though the hat on his head kept releasing heat, this subtle feeling made his back, involuntarily, feel bone-chillingly cold.


    Suddenly, on a hill in the distance, a swaying figure appeared.


    All three of them paused.


    Who was it?


    A guard? Or one of Winter City’s residents?


    Wei’er whispered, “Don’t move, let’s squat here for a while, wait for the person ahead to leave, and then we can walk a little further away.”


    Aina nodded slightly.


    Then, the Little Lolita suddenly scrunched her face.


    “Ah—”


    Wei’er instantly covered her little sister’s mouth and nose, forcefully stuffing the ‘choo’ back into the Little Wolf Girl’s body.


    Aina looked at her sister with a resentful gaze, her tea-gold eyes welling up with tears.


    Wei’er: “…”


    Luo Xi: “…”


    He tried to say, “If you’re feeling cold, why don’t you move closer to me?”


    “Mhm, Aina loves the warmth from brother,” she said.


    Aina immediately moved her little feet closer to Luo Xi.


    When she touched the clothes on Luo Xi’s body, her face immediately showed a satisfied smile.


    [Ding! Your Happiness Level +10]


    “It’s so warm, Sister can come too.”


    Wei’er helplessly shook her head.


    “I don’t need to.”


    She wasn’t particularly afraid of the cold.


    “Aina, you yourself…”


    Wei’er’s expression stiffened, her pinkish-red pupils slightly contracting.


    “Ah—”


    The cat-eared girl quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hand, giving a muffled groan and successfully reenacting the moment she covered Aina’s mouth earlier, forcibly holding back the latter part of her sneeze inside her body.


    Aina: “(●′?｀●)?~”


    Luo Xi: “(｀?ω?′)”


    Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks from the odd looks of the two, Wei’er was glad that her hat covered her face, reaching all the way to her warm ears.


    Though she had bought some cold-resistant supplies from the Deep Alley Workshop, those were meant for leaving Winter City, and she was reluctant to use them here.


    The cat-eared girl muttered, “Fine, fine, I get it. After all, the hat was made from the scroll I gave you. I’m just using my own stuff anyway.”


    [Ding! Your Happiness Level +10]


    Luo Xi: “(?′?`?)”


    The tsundere Cat Cat was indescribably cute, a total departure from the Little Wolf Girl’s style.


    Wei’er murmured softly and tiptoed closer to Luo Xi. She paused her hand in mid-air before gently grabbing Luo Xi’s sleeve.


    “Meow~”


    Why was it so warm? Just holding onto the clothes felt warmer than clutching a heating stone. Sear?h the N??elFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though Wei’er was loath to admit it.


    But, in this blizzard with temperatures plummeting into the minus degrees, Luo Xi was equivalent to a portable human-shaped heating stone.


    Wei’er silently screamed in her heart, why did you create such a strange scroll, Mother?


    The three of them maintained this crouched position for a long while, growing impatient as the figure in the forest showed no sign of movement.


    Then, a strong sensation of being pulled away came over them, and when Luo Xi opened his eyes, he found himself back in his rented room.


    Was it over that quickly?


    He continued to look at his phone screen.


    [Traveler, you have been squatting there for almost half an hour now; you decide to go check out what that figure really is]


    [Traveler, you offer to go bravely on your own, but Wei’er tells you to stay put and take care of Aina while she checks it out. With her abilities, she can escape easily even if she encounters danger]


    [Wei’er left your side]


    [···]


    [Cat Cat soon came back with her pinkish-red pupils full of shock and confusion: “Let’s get out of here quickly, something terrible happened; there are bodies hanging in the trees!”]


    …


    ///


    Wei’er gracefully moved through the woods towards where the figure was seen.


    Now, she suspected that the immobile figure might have just been a misperception.


    But, as she got closer, she realized her thoughts couldn’t have been more wrong.


    In the coniferous forest behind this small hill, many corpses hung from the trees, as if strung up by fine threads.


    Is this really Winter City?


    Wei’er found it hard to believe.


    Why would such a horrifying place exist within the walls of Winter City?


    And these people were most likely not Mutant Patients, so why were the city’s inhabitants treated in such a brutal manner?


    The girl took one last look and turned back.


    No, this place was too sinister, they couldn’t stay any longer.