The next day.
The snow fell heavily, covering the entire city in a white, pristine blanket, making everything seem exceptionally beautiful.
Singri stood in the courtyard, looking up at the sky with a bewildered and sorrowful expression in her eyes. She was feeling extremely down because of the letter she received last night.
Her fingers caressed the storage ring, the only thing Night White had left for her, and the only connection she had with him.
"Why...why did he leave so silently?" Singri's voice was soft, like a feather floating in the air.
At that moment, Linda appeared with a thick shawl in her hands. She hurriedly ran towards Singri and draped the shawl over her.
"It's so cold outside, don't catch a cold," Linda said with concern, her voice filled with worry.
"Thank you, sis," Singri smiled and thanked her.
Linda patted Singri's head and said, "If Night White were here, he would want to see you smile and not wear this worried expression on your face."
Hearing this, Singri's heart trembled, and her eyes turned red.
"Why cry?" Linda wiped away Singri's tears and said gently, "Night White is gone, but you still have your sister by your side."
Singri sniffled and then revealed a sweet smile. "Yes, I won't cry. I will laugh because Night White hated it when I cried!"
Linda lovingly scratched Singri's nose. "If you get sick, not only Night White and I will worry, but also our parents."
Hearing this, Singri nodded obediently. "I understand."
Linda held Singri's cold little hand and they walked back into the house together.
...
On the other side.
Iris was in Agassus, sitting in a chair and gazing out the window at the gently falling snowflakes, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Blood clan girl, how do you view Singri? As a friend or a lover?" Suddenly, a deep voice sounded in her ear.
"I don't know. I just want to be with Singri, like we were last night. She cooks for me, or I cook for her. When danger arises, I'll protect her with myself as a shield, just like how I protect Ling," Iris whispered, her eyes always fixed on the snow outside the window.
"Is that your answer?" Chaos continued to ask.
"Yes, that's my answer," Iris's gaze softened, as if envisioning some beautiful scenes.
"Heh~" Chaos chuckled deeply, with a tone of nostalgia for watching his own child grow up. "You've grown up!"
Iris bit her lip lightly and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Chaos smiled and said, "Nothing, just thinking that you're no longer the little one you used to be. For everything you care about, you're finding ways to defeat the Ruined Land continent. Even if you can't defeat it, you want to make those barbarians fear you."
After a moment of silence, Iris raised her head and said earnestly, "Defeat? Chaos, are you kidding? Don't you understand the saying that a wildfire cannot be extinguished, and the spring breeze brings it back to life? If you want to completely solve a problem, the simplest way is to let it be completely destroyed. Only then can it be permanently resolved."
After hearing Iris's words, Chaos pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly, "You are right, destruction is indeed the best method, but have you considered how much time and effort it would take to destroy the entire Ruined Land continent? What if we were to enslave them instead?"
Chaos's words made Iris fall into deep thought, but she quickly dismissed the possibility in the next second, "Enslavement would mean they have a chance to rebel and turn the tables. Only destruction would truly end the deadlock between Divinity and Demon's Continent and the Ruined Land, consigning those barbarians to the annals of history."
"Your thoughts align with mine," Chaos said apathetically, "but have you considered that the angels would prevent us from taking such brutal actions?"
Iris pursed her lips, her eyes revealing a determined expression as she replied, "Angels? The Second Ranked Archangel has been obediently trained by me and has become a loyal and obedient hound. The Third Ranked Martial Angel willingly became a maid to serve me for the sake of an unrelated sister. In other words, as long as Lilia is alive, the Martial Angel will always be loyal to me. Although our demon faction has lost the Second Ranked Decaying Demon and the Fourth Ranked Flame Demon, we still hold the upper hand. After all, the Flame Demon still has an heir and will one day regain its peak."
"I will wait and see," Chaos said before his voice disappeared.
After this conversation with Chaos, Iris's heart felt slightly calmer, and she shifted her gaze to the snowy scenery outside the window.
As she watched the snowflakes continuously falling, Iris gradually let go of her feelings for Singri.
"Without a 'family,' how can there be a 'home'?" Her figure was clearly visible in the window, and her eyes grew deeper.
She began contemplating her plans for the future...
...
In a certain magical forest, within a massive cave, a giant black spider lurked. Its body emitted a dark gleam, and its eight crimson eyes locked onto something.
Suddenly, the spider's eyes widened, and it let out a terrified cry.
With a loud bang, the entire cave shook violently, and countless rocks fell from above.
Leaping up, the spider quickly fled from its original cave.
"Boom!"
Accompanied by a thunderous sound, a massive thunderbolt struck the cave directly, causing it to collapse.
In the moment of collapse, a woman wearing tattered clothing appeared in the ruins. Her entire body exuded a bloody aura, and her crimson eyes stared intently at the black spider.
The black spider looked at the woman, trembling all over, seemingly extremely fearful of her.
"You have advanced to an Eighth Order Beast during all these days of hiding and evading, but unfortunately, you still haven't escaped my control. After all, I purposely allowed you to level up," the woman said casually, as if commenting on the nice weather, showing no emotional fluctuations.
Upon hearing the woman's words, the black spider let out a sharp, piercing screech.
It opened its mouth and spat out a green liquid.
Seeing this, the woman swiftly evaded backward, avoiding the liquid's attack.
The black liquid dripped onto the ground, sizzling and corroding the floor and walls.
"The teacher who taught me was an S-class adventurer, and I understand the habits, attack methods, and special abilities of all the monsters. I have a clear understanding," the woman said indifferently, looking at the spider in front of her.
Upon hearing the woman's words, the black spider became even more frightened. It writhed its body frantically, roaring continuously.
"After finishing this mission, I'll go home for the New Year," the woman transformed into a white dragon and charged towards the black spider. Each of her claws tore through the air, creating sonic booms, and every swipe carried immense power.
The spider made a whimpering sound, as if trying to resist, but it was ruthlessly slapped to the ground by the dragon's claws.
A thick lightning bolt descended from the dark clouds and exploded like firecrackers, engulfing the entire forest in a massive roar.
The black spider let out a piercing scream as its massive body was charred by the lightning.
Once the lightning disappeared, the black spider no longer existed.
Baixi looked at the scene in front of her with a disinterested expression on her face. She sneered, "Is that it? Too weak."
After speaking, she took off into the air, ready to return to the Shuowang Empire.
Baixi had dragon scales on her body, so the special attacks of beasts of the same rank were just scratches to her.
Coupled with two advancements, beasts of the same rank posed no threat to her.
It could be said that Iris underestimated Baixi's strength and underestimated the defensive abilities of dragon scales, as well as her ability to manipulate the weather.
Baixi would have to battle a ninth-rank monster to be in a difficult fight. Anything below the ninth rank, Baixi could easily crush and claim victory.
