"Hey, stop hiding, we can see you. You're shivering all over, even the snow pile is shaking along with you!"
March 7th put her hands on her hips and shouted helplessly at the "little snow mound" ahead that was clearly trembling.
The frequency of the snow mound's shaking was on par with when Stella transformed into Hook just a moment ago.
As soon as she finished speaking, the shaking of the snow mound... suddenly stopped.
Along with it, the faint, chattering sound of teeth clattering inside also vanished instantly, as if everything just now had been an illusion.
"..."
March 7th's mouth twitched.
"No, holding your breath and staying quiet is useless..."
"Step aside."
Dan Heng, who had been silently observing, suddenly spoke, his voice calm and ripple-free.
March 7th subconsciously stepped aside.
Dan Heng stepped forward, gripping the long cloud piercer in his hand steadily.
"To deal with someone trying to muddle through by burying their head in the sand,"
Dan Heng's tone was like stating a law of physics; the tip of his spear dipped slightly, aiming at the now incredibly stiff snow mound.
"The most direct and effective method is—"
With a flick of his wrist, the spear tip, carrying a cold glint, struck like lightning toward a specific, slightly protruding part of the snow mound!
The angle was tricky, the force was precise yet controlled within a range that wouldn't cause serious injury, fully displaying the style of a combat expert.
"—to hit the 'bell' on his head."
"Ouch—!!!"
Dan Heng's words rang out almost simultaneously with a piercing scream! The snow mound exploded violently, like a cat whose Tail had been stepped on!
Amidst the spraying snow, a man wearing a blue fur coat, with slightly messy hair and an expression contorted by pain and shock, clutched a certain unspeakable area and sprang out of the snow like a coiled spring, hopping on one foot several times after landing.
"Hiss—ah! I say, buddy! Isn't that a bit much?!"
The man grimaced in pain, turned to face the group, and tried his best to squeeze out a complex expression that was somewhere between fawning and accusation.
"Digging into a snow mound to keep warm is a bit embarrassing, but it shouldn't be a capital offense, right? In this freezing weather, hiding in the snow is at least a survival skill! That spear of yours... ah no, that poke, almost made me experience the treatment of a 'Rift' creature early!"
As he spoke, he quickly and covertly scanned the four-person team in front of him, his eyes filled with the shrewdness and scrutiny of a cunning merchant.
When his gaze swept over the tall Svarog, and Stella [Clara], who was being steadily held in Svarog's arms and looking at him with curiosity, those eyes that were always somewhat cynical suddenly widened!
"C-Clara?!"
Sampo's voice went up an octave, filled with disbelief.
"You... why are you here?! And with a group of... uh, people who don't look very local?"
He quickly glanced at the attire of Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng, then returned his gaze to Svarog, his brows knitting into a knot.
"That's not right... Svarog watches over you like his own eyes, how could he leave the Lower District with you and run all the way to this wilderness? Could it be..."
He rubbed his chin, his face revealing an expression of extreme existential doubt, muttering to himself: "Were those'shortcut passages' I secretly dug to the Lower District discovered? Impossible! I disguised them so well! Or is it... did Svarog's security program get a bug?"
"You know Clara?"
March 7th looked at Sampo, then at Stella [Clara], who looked innocent (feigned), and asked curiously.
"Of course I know her! In the Lower District of Belobog, who doesn't know the precious darling of the mechanical settlement, and this 'tin-can' by her side?"
Sampo answered without hesitation, but the confusion in his eyes deepened.
"You guys, on the other hand... look very unfamiliar. Not from Belobog, right? Clara, are they new friends of yours?"
He asked "Clara" tentatively.
Stella [Clara] blinked her ruby-like eyes, said nothing, and just silently hugged Svarog's metal finger tighter.
Stelle, beside her, rolled her eyes, suddenly thought of something, and exchanged a "let's cause some trouble" look with Stella.
The next moment, behind Svarog's load-bearing leg, a pale blue data halo quietly appeared and coalesced.
As the light dissipated, a little girl [Hook] wearing a thick Mole Team uniform timidly poked half of her head out from behind Svarog's leg, curiously examining Sampo.
Sampo's gaze just turned over and met [Hook]'s eyes.
"Hook!?!"
This time, Sampo was truly shocked enough to take a half-step back, almost stepping into a snow pit again.
"Why are you here too?! Are the Moles on an outing today?! And you ran all the way to the Upper District wilderness?!"
He felt that the understanding he had built up after struggling and crawling through Belobog was suffering a series of shocks.
"One Clara, one Hook, both children from the Lower District, and both know him..."
March 7th rubbed her chin, making a preliminary judgment.
"Doesn't look like a bad guy, right? At least a helpful local citizen?"
"Not necessarily."
Dan Heng's voice remained calm; his hand holding the spear did not relax, and his gaze scrutinized Sampo sharply.
"Knowing children does not equate to being a good person. Identity, purpose, explain clearly."
"Oh my, this cold-faced young man, don't be so vigilant."
Sampo immediately put on his signature smile, which was a bit slick yet seemed very sincere.
"I am Sampo Koski, a small merchant in Belobog, moonlighting in 'information consulting' and'special item circulation' business, nice to meet you!"
He performed an exaggerated bow with his hand over his chest, then changed the subject, his eyes sweeping back and forth between "Clara" and "Hook".
"However, before taking you all to a warm place, shouldn't it be my turn to ask questions? Esteemed guests, can you tell me how you 'kidnapped'... ah no, how you ended up with these two little ones? Do their elders know?"
"Well, this..."
March 7th was stumped, subconsciously scratched her head, leaned over to Dan Heng, and muttered in a voice she thought was very quiet: "What do we do? Teacher Dan Heng, should we tell him about Stella being able to transform? It feels so hard to explain..."
"I don't trust him."
Dan Heng lowered his voice as well, being concise and to the point.
"Find a way to bluff our way through first, we'll talk once we reach a place with more people."
"Hey hey! You two! Whispering in front of the people you're talking about, isn't that a bit impolite?"
Sampo shouted in dissatisfaction, while at the same time, his hand, which had been behind his back the whole time, extremely covertly and skillfully reached for a small pouch at his waist, his fingertips touching a cold metal vial.
"Nothing, nothing!"
March 7th quickly waved her hands, trying to muddle through with a smile.
"Anyway, Mr. Sampo, right? Look at this freezing weather, how about we find a warm place first, have some hot drinks, and chat slowly? You lead the way!"
"Easy, easy!"
Sampo's smile remained unchanged, his steps moving slightly forward, as if he were really going to lead the way.
"Helping lost guests find their way is my honor, Sampo. But before that..."
His voice suddenly became ethereal, and his hand behind his back was pulled out with lightning speed, his thumb flicking open the cap of that metal vial!
"...To ensure our 'frank' exchange, I think everyone might need to 'rest' for a bit first, and cool down."
"Pfft—!"
A colorless, odorless, yet rapidly visible white mist in the cold air erupted violently from the small vial, instantly spreading and enveloping Stelle, March 7th, Stella, and the two clones who were standing quite close together!
"Not good! It's a sedative!"
The moment Dan Heng smelled a faint, sweet, fishy scent, he realized something was wrong and immediately held his breath, but his body had already inhaled a little.
A strong sense of dizziness surged up like a tide; his eyes sharpened, and before his consciousness completely blurred, he used his last bit of strength and aim to throw the cloud piercer in his hand at Sampo's position like a javelin!
"Whoosh!"
cloud piercer pierced the air, aiming straight for Sampo's face!
"Whoa!"
Sampo clearly didn't expect the opponent to have such a fierce counterattack after being drugged, and he was startled, but he was exceptionally agile, performing a clumsy yet effective roll to narrowly dodge the angry strike.
The long spear flew past his hair, thudding deep into the snow behind him, the Tail of the spear still vibrating incessantly.
Sampo got up with lingering fear, brushed the snow off his body, and looked toward the center of the mist.
The effect was immediate.
Stella [Clara] and [Hook], who had the weakest resistance to the drug, lost focus in their eyes almost the moment the mist touched them, their small bodies going limp. [Clara] slipped from Svarog's arms (caught in time by Svarog), and [Hook] simply collapsed onto the snow.
Immediately after, March 7th, having inhaled more mist, swayed and mumbled, "You're so despicable...", before collapsing to the ground.
Stelle only lasted two seconds longer than March 7th, trying to reach for her baseball bat, but her hand fell limply as soon as she raised it, her vision went black, and she fell to the ground with a thud.
Dan Heng held his breath the longest, but eventually inhaled a little; he knelt on one knee, supporting his body with the cloud piercer he had just retrieved, staring sharply at Sampo, wanting to say something more, but a strong drowsiness completely engulfed him, his head lowered, and he also lost consciousness.
Within just a few breaths, on the snowy field that had been quite lively just moments ago, only [Svarog] remained standing firmly, along with Sampo Koski, who stood in place, clapping his hands, his face revealing a hint of triumph mixed with a little confusion.
"Phew... seriously, forcing me to use my stash."
Sampo shook his head and looked at the only one still standing, [Svarog].
"You're not him, he's not this slow."
Sampo took out two short blades and pointed them at Svarog.