Chapter 6: Goodbye, White Socks

Nio was unaware of Erulus’s latest order to ensure the “successful completion of the priority excavation work,” but he noticed the movement of the Dark Hand’s forces. He secretly observed for a while and eventually guessed some of the enemy’s intentions. Centered around the small square and the Manmoris mansion to the south, it was easy to spot wandering zombies, skeletons, and Terrestrian hounds. The Dark Cultists patrolled in groups of five, while no patrols were sent to other parts of the town. Nio knew an opportunity had arisen—the enemy’s new deployment, combined with the fierce winds, was highly favorable for escape. Without hesitation, he rushed back to the McKenn family’s secret cellar, stopping along the way to “plunder” two homes, as both he and Dave, especially Milien, needed new clothes.

When the door to the secret room opened, a blast of cold air rushed in, waking Dave, who was sleeping not far from the door. Clutching his sword, Dave looked nervously toward the door; only upon seeing it was Nio did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“Next time in a situation like this, remember not to rush to open your eyes. If it’s the enemy, they’ll be more alert than you. Keep pretending to sleep—this might make them think to get closer before acting, ensuring a higher chance of success. Suddenly opening your eyes will only provoke them to attack. Also, hide your weapon; if necessary, switch to a dagger.”

“Mm!” Dave replied, thinking to himself, “I’m not going to use a dagger! I’m not a woman!” (Chastity Dagger)

This wasn’t a safe world, and the Dark Forces’ invasion of the Erdrit lands had proven that with bloodshed. Though Dave liked to complain in a rebellious manner, he knew better. He remembered well the details Nio had told him.

“The plan has changed. The Dark Hand has tightened its defenses. We need to take advantage of this to leave.” As he spoke, Nio untied the straps at the door and removed his disguise clothes. Bringing the cold air with him, he didn’t want to come into contact with Milien like that.

“Hm!” Dave quickly got up, looked around, and asked somewhat confusedly, “How?”

“Rip some cloth, put on a coat, and wrap yourself up, including your feet. The wind outside is at least twice as strong as when we hid in here.” Nio was already removing his armor. This was a real escape—wearing those clothes would only be a hindrance.

Speaking of armor, before entering the tunnel, just as Erulus left the Manmoris mansion, Nio had taken the chance to sneak into the woodshed and steal the last of his belongings: a stone lizard scale breastplate, the Glory of the Duelist (belt), a tattered blue short cloak (one of the two items he had carried since childhood), armor racks, a money bag, and enough dried food for one person to last seven days.

The armor rack is a set of foldable wooden components combined with a rainproof tarp, which is exactly what’s needed now. Nio set it up, then placed and secured each piece of armor in it. By making efficient use of space, even sleeping bags and rations could be stored there without shifting around. In the end, all the equipment formed a large sack shaped like a long loaf, which could be slung over the shoulder and carried on the back. With a weight of about 80 pounds, plus items like the blue-steel crosssword, the purple-wood bow, a quiver of 30 arrows, and various small accessories, the total weight exceeded 120 pounds (about 55 kg). With Nio’s strength as a Level 4 warrior, carrying such a load of 150 pounds was barely a problem—so the total weight of the gear hardly affected their ability to travel.

Mielin was awakened not long after Nio took off his armor. She tried to get up drowsily but was stopped by Nio. Of the three, she was the weakest and prone to health issues from sudden changes in temperature, so it was better for her to stay awake and dry off a bit. There was no need to rush—just a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

Nio heated himself thoroughly by the small iron stove, and Mielin had dried off enough as well. Then he personally helped her get dressed, using winter clothes he had taken from a civilian house. Though made of coarse fabric, they fit well and kept her warm, which was better than wearing the remnants of the Dark Cultists.

Looking at Nio carefully dressing and wrapping her up with tenderness, Mielin couldn’t help but shed tears.

“Think positively…” Nio assumed she was thinking of the deceased Lord Manmoris again.

Once all three were ready, Nio extinguished the fire, cleaned up any traces, used sage wood to remove odors, and collected some of the ashes. The rest, along with the bones, was packed up separately to avoid implicating the Mackens. After ensuring there were no remaining clues, they left the cellar and set off on their escape.

As soon as they came up from the cellar, a strong wind nearly knocked Dave off his feet. Even with his head covered by a cotton hood, the howling wind sounded like it was roaring right beside his ears.

“The heavens are angry!” Mielin exclaimed.

Led by Nio, the three of them carefully made their way toward the town walls. Passing by a house, Dave saw Nio remove two long wooden planks and two long strips from a shed, carrying them under his arms without seeming bothered.

Since there were stairs and wooden walkways on the inside of the town walls, climbing over from the inside was not difficult. First, the backpacks were lowered down, then Nio went down first to assist the others. Mielin felt a bit uneasy. Seeing Dave jump down and be easily caught by Nio, she mustered the courage to close her eyes and jump, letting out a scream in the process.

Fortunately, it was bitterly cold, and the Dark Cultists had retreated to the center of the town. Even Eirlys, who preferred cold weather, had a brazier lit in the room he was in. Thus, the three of them were able to leave unharmed, and situations that might have caused fatal problems became insignificant.

Once outside the town, Dave quickly figured out what Nio intended to use the wooden planks and strips for—a sled.

Using the cut wooden planks, strips, and ropes, Nio made a simple sled. He placed the gear on it, then had Dave and Mielin sit on it while he took hold of the ropes.

“I can walk!” Dave said.

“Save some strength just in case.” Nio always seemed to have a good reason, even for acts of kindness, he could find a noble justification. The snow on the fields was nearly half a foot thick, and yet it was no easy task for Nio to pull the makeshift sled through the fierce wind. Watching Nio’s back, bent low as he struggled forward, Mellian and Dave’s eyes grew moist. The siblings clearly remembered the hypocritical faces of the people in Carlon over the past two days: “I’ll walk by myself; I need to save my strength for fighting!” “I have to dress warmly. If my limbs go numb and I can’t swing my sword properly, we’re all done!” “Eat less, or skip half a meal—what’s the big deal? If we speak and move less, we’ll use less energy. If I lose my strength and enemies appear, what will I have to fight with?”… Some people cared only about themselves and ignored the lives of the siblings; others, who had been nearly killed by their own family, rushed back at all costs, enduring risks and hardships just so the siblings could survive. That was the difference. As their father said, from a certain perspective, life is a drama. Maybe one day you’ll fall into extreme poverty with no hope ahead, but when you’re desperate and helpless, you’ll find someone who stays by your side, treating you well as always, bringing you comfort and solace. If such a person exists, cherish them—this is true wealth that money cannot buy. Nio, clearly, was such a person to the siblings. Yet, as a poem once said, “Sometimes, it’s so hard to love you!” In Mellian’s heart, there was deep love and guilt, while Dave’s feelings were even more complex—teacher, role model, protector, servant, not accepted in this family, yet truly in love with his sister… All the events triggered by Nio made him realize for the first time that life’s complexities could be so entangled and difficult to handle, causing confusion and distress. Northward, westward—there were caves and some supplies, enough for three people to last seven days. The sled left faint traces, and with the fierce night wind, even Nio’s footprints were quickly buried by snow and wind. The snow was whipped up into a misty white haze more than a meter above the ground, rolling like waves with a rustling sound, as if stones were tumbling across a desert. If one only saw this scene, they might think they were on the Frosty Ice Plains in the northern part of the Aemera continent, but in reality, it was over 10,000 kilometers away in a straight line. During the Year of Frost, after learning the astrologer’s predictions, various places made preparations against the cold. In Tulip Town, after removing the grapevines, they buried them deeper than usual, harvested and stored food early, and prepared plenty of firewood. Other supplies were also stockpiled more than in previous years, in case the weather became too harsh and trade routes became difficult, leading to shortages.

But who could have imagined that while natural disasters are fierce, man-made disasters are even more terrifying! This time, suffering from the scourge of dark forces, it will likely take Tures over a decade, or even decades, to recover. At the thought of this, both Div and Milien, and even Neo, felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
Destruction is always much easier than construction!
Such a warning saying is not rare, but its wisdom has been obscured by time, leading many to forget or ignore it.
The Free Alliance—a land of freedom, yet one that worships money and lacks faith; with a fragile and selfish populace, filled with resentment and despair, where darkness thrives and internal decay is rampant. Now, facts prove it to be strong on the surface but weak inside, easily defeated…
Considering all this, Neo reflected that the disaster befalling the Erdrit lands was certainly not by chance. Moreover, he had a vague sense that this invasion by darkness would be hard to contain quickly—like a rotten, damp blanket infested with insects; they survive and multiply far more easily than one can eradicate them.
“If that’s the case, the future of the Manmoris family is truly in jeopardy…” Neo hadn’t expected the Free Alliance to be completely overthrown by dark forces. He thought a great war, or rather, a fierce battle, was inevitable. In such a situation, those who earned military merits would need rewards. Meanwhile, according to the alliance’s laws, those land nobles who failed in their duties and showed no action would be “graciously” compensated with a one-time payment, turning them into title nobles (worse than court nobles, belonging to local circles). Thus, the estates built by their ancestors over generations would be ruined—nothing more than a title nobility, a status even mediocre merchants could attain.
“Maybe we won’t even make it that far!” Neo glanced back at Div and Milien. The eldest daughter was 18, the eldest son 14. The renowned Tures Estate, known for its “Black Iron Tulip” wine—how many people were eyeing that estate!
The sled arrived at the foot of the cliffs west of the North Bayleaf Forest and was abandoned; it couldn’t travel smoothly through the dense woods.
The three spears Neo had carved earlier now served as walking sticks. They used them to trek north through the forest along secret paths.
Div and Milien were humans with poor night vision. In the dim light, Neo’s vision wasn’t much better either, but he could see clearly within 3 to 5 meters. More importantly, his senses were far sharper than Div and Milien’s, plus he had jungle expertise, so he was the undisputed guide. Along the way, he kept reminding or supporting them. Even so, the three of them spent nearly 2 hours just in the western section of the North Bayleaf Forest, stopping as many as 4 times.
In the misty forest, two bright green flames suddenly appeared behind a large tree, drifting and emitting a fierce glow.
Milien was so scared she hid behind Neo. Div was a bit better off; realizing they must be the eyes of some beast, he gripped his spear tighter.
“It’s okay. It’s a wolf. A companion I found from the West Wind Berserkers,” Neo reassured Milien while pulling down the scarf covering his mouth, nose, and cheeks and waving at the wolf.

“Partner…” Dave scoffed at such a term, thinking to himself, “To associate with beasts, one can never shed their wild nature. Only creatures like you still long for that so-called free life of primitive ignorance, even when living in a civilized society!”
One of the reasons Dave didn’t want Neo to be with Melian was Neo’s wild nature. He simply couldn’t imagine what good it would be if his sister followed Neo into the mountains to live a barbaric life of using animal skins and bones, eating wild fruits, and drinking blood.
“Hey, buddy.” Neo had already stepped forward to greet the sitting wolf. After nearly two days apart, the sitting wolf hadn’t changed much; its fur was still as matted as before.
“It seems that even with careful care, it’s hard to cure these sores and scars during this molting period. If only White Sock had stronger vitality!” Neo stroked the sitting wolf’s back, suddenly thinking—could he use his own ‘life absorption’ ability in reverse to help the wolf?
Neo and the sitting wolf were very familiar with each other, which quickly dispelled Melian’s fear. She was afraid of the sitting wolf, but trusted Neo more. Slowly stepping out from behind Neo, Melian took a close look. Though the wolf wasn’t particularly graceful, it had a wild beauty in its eyes and features, prompting her to reach out and touch it just like Neo had.
But the sitting wolf growled.
Neo knew that wolves were wary creatures; even friends of friends needed to be reacquainted.
“Pull down your scarf and don’t avoid eye contact. Come, let me introduce you—this is White Sock, a lady.” Neo then introduced Melian to the wolf, saying, “Melian, the most beautiful tulip in the Erdrit Region, my beloved.”
As the sitting wolf stared at Melian’s kind eyes, its wary gaze gradually faded. Eventually, it sniffed Melian, memorizing her scent, and Melian was able to touch the wolf’s head and neck fur.
Dave glanced at the wolf’s four paws, covered in mud and snow, and twitched his lips. “White Sock, huh…”
The three of them and the wolf continued on their way. When they reached the cave entrance, White Sock growled at Dave, preventing him from entering.
After much coaxing by Neo, the problem was resolved. But not long after, White Sock stopped Dave from approaching the fire and then from eating the roasted meat.
Dave couldn’t take it anymore.
With his blond hair and blue eyes, he was considered the most handsome and charming man in Tulip Town. Who would have thought he’d end up in such a pitiful state, even being treated poorly by an animal?
“What’s going on? It’s deliberately bullying me, showing prejudice against me,” Dave complained to Neo angrily.
“It’s a wild instinct. It knows who is truly kind and who is pretending or looking down on others.” Saying this, Neo soothed White Sock, “Don’t be so stingy. There are no enemies here.”
White Sock grunted twice, gave Dave another disdainful look, ignored him, and focused on watching Neo’s barbecue. It had gone hunting that day, catching two musk deer and a large roe deer, but instead of eating them right away, it brought them back to the cave.

It’s common for a dire wolf to form a partnership with a human (or possibly other intelligent beings, but werewolves are the most commonly accepted) and have the dire wolf hunt. This can be seen as both a way to keep watch and a form of martial training and skill development, while the human acts as the cook, roasting or stewing the meat. Dire wolves usually eat both raw and cooked meat—the raw meat makes them stronger, while the cooked meat makes them smarter and satisfies their hunger.

After hunting, White Socks chose to go hungry. It was glad to see Neo return, as finding a true companion isn’t easy. More and more werewolves are abandoning traditions and treating dire wolves as mere tools, while more dire wolves are succumbing to the force of whips and training methods, giving up their pride as wolves and becoming dogs that mimic wolves.

Dave watched the man and the wolf and somehow thought, “These two really belong together…”

Once the meat was cooked, the order of eating was Millien, White Socks, Dave, and finally Neo himself. Millien and Dave had their meat cooked to a higher temperature, thoroughly done, with carefully selected cuts such as back meat and leg meat. Neo and White Socks preferred it tenderer. White Socks wasn’t picky about whether it was head, hooves, ribs, or leg meat, but it rarely ate internal organs—this habit stemmed from the fact that herbivores’ stomachs often contain toxins, and even some animals’ organs are poisonous.

The original werewolf clans had similar eating habits, even eating only raw meat alongside their dire wolves, living a completely savage and bloodthirsty life. Neo wasn’t so particular; he preferred human ways of eating—omnivorous! He ate grains, vegetables, meat, and even some herbs. Internal organs were considered something only the poor and lower classes ate, but in reality, they had good nutritional value and could be made delicious with proper preparation, like in stews, which Neo cooked excellently.

But not tonight. That roe deer weighed over 80 pounds—just it alone was enough that three people and one wolf couldn’t finish in one meal, not to mention two more deer.

After feeding White Socks and eating themselves, they cleaned up the leftovers (mainly cutting, hanging, and freezing the meat to preserve it and bury the bones—since the smell of cooking meat could attract wild animals or enemies with hunting dogs from dozens of kilometers away). By then, it was already past 5 a.m. Dave and Millien had fallen asleep again; they were too tired. After escaping and relaxing by the campfire, they grew sleepy quickly and ate hastily with barely open eyes.

Neo quietly returned to White Socks’ side, lying against White Socks’ chest next to Millien. The wolf showed its belly to show it was unguarded and trusted them completely. Dave didn’t deserve that; he could only sleep in a corner of the cave, with dry grass and a woolen coat as insulation, plus a sleeping bag, so he wouldn’t freeze.

The high-quality sleeping bag was used by Millien. Neo only had a slightly used military blanket, which could still be used as a cover, but thanks to White Socks, as well as the flames and heat from the campfire keeping out the cold from outside, this freezing early morning wasn’t too unbearable.

“Sleep, buddy. We have plenty to do once it gets light.” Neo stroked White Sock’s ears and the fur around its neck. White Sock opened its mouth and gently bit Neo’s hand, then lay down on a rock and closed its eyes.
Neo shifted slightly to find a more comfortable position, then took out from his bosom a flat metal box that was still warm to the touch. This was the secret treasure that Yaheng had obtained with joy, but he hadn’t had time to examine it closely yet.
Under the light of the campfire, Neo studied it carefully. The box was only slightly larger than the palm of his hand, about half the thickness of his thumb. It had no decorations or seams, but based on its weight and the sound it made when tapped lightly, it was clear it was hollow and contained something inside. After pondering for a long time, Neo still couldn’t figure out how to open it.
“Anyway, we won’t give whatever dark forces want to them!” With a smile, Neo stuffed the treasure into his pack. He had no interest in spending time figuring out how to open it. For him, Melian was the real treasure; everything else depended on its usefulness and the situation.
As he thought about how to reverse the “Life Absorption” skill, Neo fell asleep as well. It might have been the most peaceful sleep he’d had in days…