Chapter 250: They Missed Each Other on the Way?

The patrol warriors left after escorting Thorne over.

But they kept looking back, their hearts tight with anxiety. They watched the two brothers—one standing on higher ground, the other below—staring at each other. ’Why has Thorne returned now, of all times,’ they wondered, ’at this critical juncture when the major tribes are all stirring?’

Elias Moretti emerged from a storage cave and looked at Thorne, his crimson Beast Eyes dark and unreadable in the swirling snow.

His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "Why the sudden return? Is something wrong?"

The blizzard fell in a flurry, freezing the air between the two brothers.

Thorne stood motionless in the deep snow. The wind and blizzard swirled around him, but the bitter cold could not pierce his warm, black cloak.

"I’ll only say this once." Thorne raised a hand to brush the snow from his shoulder, his cloak snapping in the wind. He got straight to the point. "Eva sent me to ask if you want to go beyond the Triangle Sea."

Every muscle in Elias Moretti’s body tensed. His blood-red pupils contracted violently, and the face that usually wore a wicked sneer twisted with an almost unhinged expression. His voice was impossibly hoarse as he instinctively shot back, "What did you say?"

Thorne grew impatient, his dark green eyes raking over him coldly. "I’ve delivered the message."

Elias Moretti took a deep breath. His wickedly handsome face first showed a flicker of uncertainty, which was quickly replaced by wariness.

His knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists. "Why?" he asked in a low voice.

His lifelong dream had been to lead the Grymdale Tribe in uniting Norfell. Together, they would venture beyond the Triangle Sea to claim new lands and hunt more plentiful game, ensuring the Beastmen had enough food to last through both the rainy season and the Cold Season.

He had told Evangeline of this ambition once. He just never thought she would remember.

The corner of Thorne’s mouth twitched into a sneer, his slitted pupils cold and indifferent. "I’ve delivered the message. If you want to go, head to Blackwater Swamp."

With that said, he lingered no longer and turned to leave.

Before Elias Moretti could speak, a weak female voice called out from a nearby cave. "Thorne... Brother Thorne..."

Thorne’s brow furrowed. He turned his head and saw a slender figure leaning against the rock wall of the cave, her face pale.

Skyla.

She was much thinner than when she had first sought refuge with the Grymdale Tribe, and she looked especially fragile in the biting wind.

His gaze flickered past her and landed on Elias Moretti. "I would have thought someone with your disposition would have driven out the Beastmen from the Stannar Tribe."

Elias Moretti, having recovered his composure, glanced at Skyla, the corner of his mouth twisting into a mocking smile.

"The Grymdale Tribe lost many warriors after the rainy season. We need new blood. The Beastmen of the Stannar Tribe may be useless, but at least they can gather wild fruit. It’s better than leaving these caves empty."

Thorne raised an eyebrow in a half-smile but offered no sarcastic retort.

"Remember, Blackwater Swamp."

He tossed out the reminder without another glance at Elias Moretti or Skyla, and strode away from the Grymdale Tribe.

"Thorne... Brother Thorne..." Skyla murmured. The moment he turned away, she stumbled forward, her frail body collapsing into the snow like a puppet with its strings cut. The gentle, stream-like aura about her seemed to evaporate completely.

But Thorne didn’t look back. He quickly vanished into the curtain of snow. If not for the footprints he left behind, one might have thought he was never there at all.

"Fool!"

An old female with wrinkled skin and white hair emerged, trembling, from the cave behind Skyla.

Her cloudy eyes stared daggers at Skyla on the ground, her expression one of bitter disappointment. "Useless thing!"

The old female stared at Thorne’s retreating figure, beating her chest and stamping her feet in frustration. Her stooped body trembled violently. "An Eight-Star Pattern..."

’If a Beastman with an Eight-Star Pattern were willing to protect the Stannar Tribe, why would we need to stay here and grovel before the Beastmen of the Grymdale Tribe?’

Suddenly, her claw-like hand seized the young woman’s chin. "And that Elias Moretti is blind, too!"

She had planned to offer Skyla to Elias Moretti, even delivering her to his cave personally in hopes of securing his protection. But who would have thought? Elias Moretti had shown no interest in Skyla at all!

At the thought, the old female was wracked by a violent coughing fit, an unnatural flush rising on her sagging skin.

Elias Moretti didn’t break his stride, not even deigning to spare another glance for Skyla or the old female.

His tall, slender figure moved across the snow, the crisp crunch of his footsteps echoing as he headed for his own cave.

Gable hurried after him, his forehead beaded with sweat. Keeping his voice low, he asked urgently, "Beyond the Triangle Sea? That Evangeline... does she really have a way to cross it?"

Elias Moretti remained silent, his crimson pupils constricting slightly as he became lost in thought.

*

Meanwhile, Evangeline had arrived at the Frost-plain Tribe.

A rainy season and a hunting season had passed since her last visit to the Frost-plain Tribe. She was returning to a familiar place in a different frame of mind. Though Lachlan wasn’t there, she had to help him ensure the tribe was secure and leave no lingering dangers.

While the rumors had only been meant as a wake-up call for the Norfell Beastman Tribes, the frequent disasters were a very real threat.

She didn’t want Lachlan to return one day only to find the Frost-plain Tribe destroyed.

Galen was directing the tribe’s warriors to move firewood.

Although the Snow Leopard Clan wasn’t particularly afraid of the cold, the Cold Season was always difficult to endure, especially since the young cubs needed warmth. With the blizzard just beginning, they could still gather more firewood.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a figure in the snow. Her eyes lit up. ’Could Brother Lachlan be back again?’

She hurried forward to greet them, only to freeze the moment she saw the person’s face. "Evangeline?!" she exclaimed in shock.

Evangeline approached at a slow pace, her entire being spotless, without a single snowflake clinging to her.

She looked at Galen’s slightly tense expression, a faint smile playing on her lips as she asked softly, "What, am I not welcome?"

Galen’s nerves were soothed by her light laugh, and she relaxed considerably. "Of course not!" she said quickly. "You are the Frost-plain Tribe’s most honored guest! It’s just... Brother Lachlan only left a short while ago. Why have you come so suddenly?"

’Did they somehow miss each other on the road?’

Galen couldn’t help but wonder, but she stepped aside to clear the path, welcoming Evangeline into the tribe’s encampment.

The members of the Snow Leopard Clan they passed all recognized Evangeline. They stopped in their tracks and nodded to her in greeting.

Their once-wary gazes had now transformed into genuine friendliness.

They would never forget. When the entire tribe was on the verge of being swallowed by the blizzard, it was Evangeline who had erected a wall of light, keeping death at bay and allowing them to survive. They had all witnessed it.

To say nothing of the fact that she had also sent Lachlan back to help the Frost-plain Tribe hunt and stockpile food as the Cold Season approached.

Inside the cave, Galen stole a glance at Evangeline’s profile, illuminated by the campfire. ’She felt a mix of envy and deep reverence.’

’This beautiful, powerful female was always so dependable.’

A moment later, Galen’s expression froze. She stared at Evangeline in disbelief. "What did you say? Go beyond the Triangle Sea?!"