SWNOVELXO Chapter 11: he was undoubtedly a "young handsome boy"
In the eastern part of White Mist Zone No. 22, the bitter cold wind raged through the sky.
There had been two snowfalls in three days. In such conditions, even the monsters had gone into hiding.
A night of wind and snow had buried the gruesome aftermath of the previous night's battle.
"Caw—Caw..."
Several black Ravens appeared out of nowhere in the sky.
They were not deterred by the bone-chilling cold, circling in the snowstorm, their black eyes scanning the ground below, as if searching for something.
Soon, a few Ravens found the site where Irvin and the monsters had fought the night before. After circling for a while, they flew off.
The flock of Ravens headed east, and finally, they stopped at the place where Angela had Espers her espers abilities the night before.
"Caw, caw..."
The Ravens cawed to each other, looking especially eerie in the desolate snow.
At that moment, an injured flying monster suddenly burst out from a corner, heading straight for the Ravens, clearly seeing them as prey.
The Ravens, however, seemed oblivious to the approaching monster, continuing to circle in the air, refusing to leave.
In the next moment, the flying monster's sharp claws pierced into one of the Ravens. However, as the claws struck, the flock of Ravens suddenly transformed into a flurry of black feathers that scattered into the air.
The flying monster's eyes were filled with confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Before it could react, the feathers floating in the air transformed into sharp blades that instantly pierced into its body.
The flying monster let out a wail and plummeted to the ground, lifeless.
The feathers then regrouped and reformed into Ravens.
"Caw, caw..."
The Ravens continued to call out as if nothing had happened. They began to descend as if they intended to investigate further, but just as they were about to land, they suddenly stopped in midair.
On the ground below, in the pristine snow, a series of footprints had mysteriously appeared. The footprints were crescent-shaped, seemingly left by some creature.
The footprints formed a long trail, stretching from the east all the way to the western edge of the White Mist Zone, disappearing into the distance.
Footprints themselves weren't strange, but what was eerie was that the Ravens hadn't seen them before. It was as if the footprints had appeared out of thin air.
As the Ravens pondered this, they suddenly began to disappear one by one, like ashes burning away and drifting off into the cold wind.
A hundred miles away, in the darkness, a figure in a black robe coughed up a mouthful of blood, shock evident in their eyes.
What had just happened?
However, the figure soon began to laugh. "Heh heh heh... Interesting. To think someone could see through my disguise. But since there's a master present, something significant must have happened there."
In the snow, following the trail of footprints, they eventually stopped at the spot seventeen kilometers from the White Mist Zone. There, a gray-white donkey stood in the wind and snow, occasionally flicking its tail.
"Ugh, ugh..."
The donkey grumbled discontentedly, as if complaining that it was too cold.
Seated on the donkey's back was an old man dressed in white, with white hair and an air of wisdom. He looked like a scholarly Saint from a movie, holding a folding fan in his hand.
Despite the harsh winter, he kept his fan open, gently fanning himself.
"Alright, alright, once we're done here, I'll give you two packs."
The old man in white tapped the donkey's head with his fan and then looked up at the empty sky ahead.
There was nothing there, but the old man could see countless fragments drifting down like snowflakes.
After a long time, the old man smiled slightly, and then both he and the donkey vanished, along with the footprints they had left. It was as if they had never been there.
...
On the road, Iris walked ahead, with Anthony following discreetly behind.
The young woman in front of him looked cute and innocent, but Anthony knew better—she was anything but gentle.
He had seen her punch a monster and send it flying with a single blow.
So, he made sure not to provoke her and avoided initiating conversation.
Midway, Iris suddenly stopped and turned to look at Anthony.
Anthony quickly halted. "Wh-what is it?"
Looking at the dirty, disheveled figure in front of her, Iris frowned. "You look awful. How long has it been since you've had a bath?"
Anthony scratched his head awkwardly. "Over three months, I think."
Iris was dumbfounded. Three months without a bath?
If she didn't go on a mission, she'd feel uncomfortable after three days without one. But someone had actually gone three months without bathing?
Just as she was about to make a snide remark, she recalled what Anthony had said earlier. If he really had been surviving in a danger zone for seven years, three months without a bath was understandable.
Without access to water, electricity, or gas, taking a bath would have been extremely difficult. And in winter, bathing could easily lead to illness, which was practically a death sentence in such conditions.
She had been annoyed about Anthony groping her the previous day, but seeing his bright, helpless eyes, her anger subsided.
"You look terrible. Come on, follow me."
A short while later, in a small hotel, Iris shoved Anthony into a bathroom.
The showerhead sprayed warm water onto Anthony's hands, leaving him momentarily dazed.
He hadn't experienced such comfort in seven years.
Bang, bang, bang!
While he was lost in thought, the bathroom door suddenly banged, startling the naked Anthony. "What now?"
Iris's voice came from outside, "I left new clothes for you out here. Change into them when you're done."
"Got it," Anthony quickly replied.
A moment later, in the living room, Iris was watching TV when Anthony slowly emerged.
She glanced at him instinctively, and her eyes lit up.
The previously dirty and ragged Anthony was now completely transformed after his bath. His skin was surprisingly fair, though something still seemed off. Oh, right—his hair!
"Come on, your hair's too long. Let's get it cut."
Iris completely forgot about the task the captain had assigned her, dragging Anthony off to get a haircut.
Half an hour later, in the barber shop, Iris stared in amazement at the newly transformed Anthony.
Anthony had never been ugly, and his skin was quite fair. Especially after awakening his espers ability, his eyes were bright and clear. Combined with his shy and introverted personality, he was undoubtedly a "young handsome boy."
After seeing so many muscle-bound men in this place, encountering someone like Anthony was a refreshing change.
In fact, she thought, if someone like him groped her, it might not be so bad after all.
The only downside was that he was too skinny—if he were a bit more muscular, he'd be perfect.
When Anthony looked over at her, Iris quickly wiped away her drool:Ugh, what am I thinking? I'm the captain's girl!
"Iris, what's wrong?"
"Huh? Nothing. I have to say, after a little grooming, you look pretty good. But your personality's a bit too shy. Come on, let's go for the test."