Arnold chuckled softly.

Just then, Gregory awoke too.

He got up, ready to relieve himself.

Seeing Hannah and Arnold holding hands outside, he rubbed his eyes and asked, "What are you two doing out here so late?"

Hannah, holding Arnold’s hand, shook her head with an innocent and pure look on her face, "We didn’t do anything."

"Oh," Gregory nodded, somewhat confused, and after a while looked up.

Pointed at Hannah’s mouth, "Why is your mouth swollen, did you have an allergic reaction?"

The desolation looked over too.

Their attention was all on Hannah’s mouth.

Hannah pursed her lips, covered them with her hand, not letting them see, "It’s nothing."

She said it was nothing, but her eyes kept darting towards Arnold.

Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous and vivid smile, not embarrassed in the least.

Arnold’s gaze fell to the ground and then to the fire on the side, his ears reddening.

Fortunately, Gregory didn’t dwell on the question and rushed out with a cry of pain, holding his stomach.

He had run quite a distance before calling out again, "Desolation, I forgot to bring paper, get me some!"

Since they had teamed up against the black serpent, Desolation stopped wearing his black robe.

So Hannah could clearly see that Desolation’s face looked foul.

Very unpleasant.

He did not want to deliver paper to Gregory.

But Hannah said, "If you don’t bring it to him, he could be out there yelling your name all night."

Desolation had no choice but to compromise.

*

The next day, as soon as it was light, they continued on the originally planned route.

This time, it took little time for them to pass through the white mist and reach the perimeter of the black forest.

Further ahead was the vicinity of Mount Walters.

Mount Walters, a snow mountain that never melts, lacked the distinction of the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

They hadn’t arrived yet when Gregory started discussing all the rumors and legends he knew.

Like Yetis, wild men, and so on.

But rumors are just rumors.

Compared to the black serpent in the mist, Mount Walters was considerably safer.

The only thing they had to worry about on Mount Walters was the frigid air and the many years’ accumulation of snow.

The snow was deep; almost half a person could sink into it with one step.

Just at the foot of the mountain, Gregory couldn’t wait to run over and test the depth of the snow. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

After trying a few times, he found it quite fun, like a fox jumping from hole to hole in the snowfield.

He even called out, "Hannah, come play too!"

After speaking, he plunged his head into the snow, not minding the cold.

Hannah turned away in disdain.

However, a few seconds later, she couldn’t resist and ran over.

She wouldn’t do something as silly as burying her head in the snow.

So she and Gregory started a snowball fight.

Both of them had a blast, their laughter seeming to carry far away.

Arnold and Desolation stood watching them frolic.

Arnold’s gaze on Hannah was indulgent, Desolation’s on Gregory was disdainful.

After a while, Hannah also called out, "You two, don’t just stand there, come over!"

On the snowfield, pure and pristine, her laughter made her look exceptionally bright and cheerful,

Like the sun.

Those crescent eyes were just too infectious.

Gregory also waved, "Come on over!"

As he spoke, he tried to throw a snowball at Hannah’s neck while she wasn’t looking.

But before the snowball could reach her, he stumbled and fell into the snow himself.

Hannah pointed and laughed at him.

Furious, Gregory reached out and dragged Hannah down too.

Both of them lay on their backs in the snow, waving their arms and legs, and the snow was pressed down into two large impressions.