soul stone

On the south coast of Frozen Island, a boy of seventeen or eighteen years old carried a big bag on his back and jumped onto the boat briskly.He turned his dark brown face and waved to the girl on the shore who was completely wrapped up, with only a pair of eyes exposed.

"I will definitely get the hunter's license, wait for me!"

"Well, come on, Yemoza."

On the shore, the girl said goodbye with a smile, and watched the boat leave, reaching the edge of the fishing boat that doubles as a passenger boat in the distance.The boat came back again, and the strong uncle who was paddling patted her on the shoulder and said with a smile: "This kid is a good man, you are so lucky."

Xue Ye smiled slightly, noncommittal.

Back in the stone house where she lived for seven years, she took off her hat, untied her scarf, and took off her coat and gloves, revealing her snow-white young skin that had undergone strict sun protection measures.Sit down in front of the fire.The flame is constantly changing its appearance, but it has been imprisoned in the narrow stove, just like her.

It has been the eighth autumn since I set foot on this frozen soil.She is over 16 years old. 16-year-olds can do many things, many of which they dreamed of when they were young, but they can only watch what adults do.After so many years, the gangsters should have forgotten the existence of Oyagi Yukiyo, or thought she was no longer in this world.He thought it would be good to die, so that he could live with a brand new identity, Xue Ye thought to himself.

After getting dressed again, she easily pushed open the stone door like a sled, and walked into the increasingly pale sunlight.

In the spring seven years ago, after meeting Jin, she began to practice for self-protection.She clearly understood that Jin was willing to be her master not because of Sister Moelle's face.She didn't even bring the nun's souvenir. She didn't intend to use that to win sympathy.At first, when she learned from the nun that Jin was hunting phantom beasts, she was confident that she would arouse his interest and accept him and the island's protection.

Unlike usual, the waves were gentle and the wind gusty.Xue Ye ran to the shore, looked at the sea covered with broken silver, clasped his hands together, and shouted loudly:

"Chunzai - where are you, come out quickly Chunzai -"

There is a desert, only the echo returns with the sound of the waves.She ran forward again, took off her boots and socks, and stepped barefoot into the water just below freezing.

"Chunzi, it's me! Have you gone to the south for the winter? If not, come out, I have something to tell you—"

She squinted her eyes and looked into the distance, as if she didn't notice the coldness under her feet at all.After a while, a series of waves suddenly broke out where the sea and the sky meet, from far to near, like an arrow rushing from the string.The snowy night greeted it, dripping water, and suddenly rose into the air, like raisins embedded in the surface of pudding, deeply embedded in the center of the whale's forehead.

The calf that was unfortunately stranded when returning home for the first time has now grown into a behemoth with a body length of more than ten meters.After letting it go seven years ago, it actually returned to the shore again, and unfortunately ran aground again.

"It likes being with you."

Xue Ye stared at its round eyes as big as her own face: "Is it the one staying?"

"How about adopting it as a pet?"

"Hey?"

Kim scratched his chin.

"Owner of the world's first lava whale. Not a bad title."

So, she adopted a whale as a pet.Because we met in spring, we named it "Chunzai".It sounds a little silly, but it fits its character.Even when talking to it, it often doesn't make sense, and the meaning is fragmented.

Just a little longer, just a little while, just like now...

Lying on the flat head of the lava whale on a snowy night, the body heat of the whale dries the clothes.The sun hanging above the horizon quietly sprinkled on the face.Open your eyes, the sky is vast, and your thoughts are boundless, as if flying to the end of the world.

No... this island was originally at the end of the world.Together with Chunzai, together with herself.This is the end of the world, a corner forgotten by the world.She lived in seclusion here for eight full years, and was also forgotten for eight full years.

[Chun Zai, I'm leaving. 】

Go out into the world.She has something to do, and it is impossible to hide in this unknown place all the time.Man is a creature who needs to know himself through the knowledge of others.Even at the risk of death, she did not want to be forgotten.

Especially him.

When parting, he unexpectedly snatched the soul stone from his right ear, which was not in the original plan.No matter what, she will get the stone back.Xia Tian held it until his death, there was no doubt that his soul resided on it.

"We will meet again." She remembered his words.

Yes, we will meet again.that time……

At this moment, the sunlight cast on the eyelids suddenly dimmed.A whirlwind blew in the air.Xue Ye sat up and looked up.A creature with a head resembling a dinosaur and a tail resembling a lizard, with greenish-brown rough skin covered with tumor-like bumps, waving bat-like wings covering the sky, landed lumberingly on the shore, with only three toed claws crushed The frozen ice surface creaked, just like the shaving ice machine in memory.

"Yo, snowy night, are you basking in the sun again?"

"Master," Xue Ye stood on top of the whale's head and called to the shore, "I'm ready for the final trial."

There is a kind of fish commonly known as "white fire" that grows in the deep sea at the two poles. The whole body of this fish is combustible, and when it is lit, it emits a beautiful white flame. This is a purer white color than everything in the world today.This is the information that Xue Ye learned from Jin Kou.

"Only while alive." Jin emphasized.

Xue Ye clearly knew that the "White Fire", one of the seven beauties in the world, lived in the depths of the boiling vortex in the center of the crater.Seven years ago, the "entrance stone" that the gray spotted seal called was the entrance to the "White Fire" habitat.The temperature of the water there is as high as boiling point, and it is occupied by huge whirlpools all year round.Humans can't get there, only lava whales can.There is their holy place, and "White Fire" is their totem.

If the totem is moved, Chunzai will be very angry, and maybe he will never talk to me again.As soon as she thought of this, Xue Ye had to close her eyes, calm down, and expel random thoughts from her mind.

Having come this far, there is no reason to turn back.

Everything is for "White Fire".Whether she came to this frozen island at the edge of the world, accepted her as an apprentice, or adopted Chunzai, it was all for "the purer whiteness than everything in the world now".While Kim had his agenda, she also got what she wanted.Equivalent exchange, what you pay, what you get.After spending eight years and hard work unimaginable by ordinary people, he obtained the powerful strength enough to complete the mission.In order to verify whether she is strong enough, she constantly accepts trials.If you can catch one of the seven beauties in the world, you can also go outside.Before she has enough strength, she will never act rashly.Something must be done for her.

"When using it, other parts of the body must be kept in an 'absolute' state...this is a prerequisite."

Jin nodded: "What about the constraints?"

Xue Ye was silent.If you block your own life, you should be able to achieve a satisfactory effect, but I always feel that it is not strict enough.Most importantly, she cannot die.

Subconsciously fiddling with the amethyst in her left ear, she said softly, "Bet on my soul."

Man does not die with the passing of life.Death really comes only when man is forgotten by the world.

It is purer white than everything in the world now.

Is there really such a thing?

In her impression, pure white is everywhere, overwhelming, dazzling, and bitingly cold.I remember my mother said that her name comes from the time of birth - a snowy night.Snow is the purest white in the world.

In winter at the edge of the world, the days are as dark and stagnant as the nights.Coming to the shore fully armed, Xue Ye raised her head and narrowed her eyes.The aurora hung like colorful ribbons in the sky.

"Like a fairy's skirt in a fairy tale," she said to herself.

The young man at the side took out a compass-like instrument from his backpack and pointed it at the front of Xue Ye.The pointer moved wildly on the dial, and soon stabilized at a certain value.

"The strength is fine." He smiled, "Come out immediately after you catch it, and never linger, remember?"

Xue Ye nodded.

"Master, I have a question."

"what?"

"It's more personal, I don't know if I should ask."

"I don't know what you want to ask, just say it first."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Jin opened his eyes wide, scratched his messy hair that had not been washed for a long time, and coughed stiffly.

"Oh, there's a girl I like. But I always break her heart."

"Want to use 'White Fire' to please girls?" Xue Ye giggled, "It's really extravagant and romantic."

"Well... let's not talk about that, Chunzai is here."

The lava whale stopped a hundred meters away.Kim put his hands on her shoulders and looked intently into her eyes.

"Some things, at first I thought I had to do it, but it's not a big deal if I don't do it. Take a step back and see the sea and the sky."

Xue Ye lowered her eyebrows and smiled, slowly but firmly shook her head.

"Where can I... go?"

Leaving these words behind, Xue Ye stepped into the bone-piercing sea, and walked towards Chun Zai's open mouth step by step.He's completely immune to my abilities, she thought.

Chunzai's body was very hot, and his throat burned with every breath, but it was better than being scalded to death by boiling water.

Through talking with Chun Zai, Xue Ye steadily directed it to come to the entrance stone, pushed open the stone door with its powerful head, and swam into a fast-moving dark passage.The surrounding area is getting hotter and hotter. Fortunately, the clothes on the whole body block most of the high temperature.

[It's—it's——] Chunzai's blunt whispers sounded in his head.

Just as he was about to get up, the world suddenly spun.Xue Ye bumped into the inner wall of the whale's mouth, and managed to stabilize her body with great difficulty.

[Break through the vortex, let's go to the deepest place. 】

After a burst of earth-shaking dizziness, a severe sense of weightlessness struck.They are being dragged down by the whirlpool!

The vortex seemed bottomless.The strong pulling force lasted for an unknown amount of time, and suddenly there was a loud bang, as if Chunzai had bumped into something and stopped.Xue Ye took a deep breath of air and checked the fishing equipment again.Out of selfishness, she also carried a waterproof lighter.She wants to see "White Fire" before Master.

There, she saw whiteness that was purer than snow.

Jin, who was waiting by the entrance stone, suddenly heard a rattling sound.His mount—the four-faced giant beast flew here in panic, tugging on his sleeve, creaking and screaming.Even if you call it that, I'm not that kid, and I can't understand what you're saying.Jin stroked the giant beast's head soothingly, but it became more and more frightened, falling down and flying up for a while.

Animals are far more sensitive than humans.Just when I realized something, there was a violent vibration under my feet.After a while, deafening roars hit from far and near, overwhelming.

"Oops, it's a tsunami!"

His first apprentice flashed in his mind, the figure of a girl with an unusually persistent will.However, it was too late, the giant beast picked up his collar, threw him on the uneven back, and flew high into the sky with its wings flapping.The next instant, King heard the crash of waves crashing on the island, followed by an even louder rumble than that.

Sweeping the ground with a searchlight, he was speechless in astonishment.

Countless black ellipses swam frantically from all directions to the center.It's lava whales, dozens of them, no... I'm afraid the whole family has been mobilized.

Are you so angry because someone invaded the holy place and desecrated the totem...?

After an unknown amount of time, the place below gradually calmed down.Looking down again, Jin sighed deeply.

The frozen island disappeared.