Chapter 156.
A guest in the tiger's den, it turned out that this group of tiger people, as Bayu had surmised, had indeed sought refuge here.
For the frigid snow mountain was one of the few places where they could survive.
They had fled due to racial conflicts, but the tiger guards offered no further explanation, and B did not press for details.
Unfortunately, upon their arrival at the snowcapped peaks, they inadvertently provoked a pack of wewolves residing at the summit.
The very creatures Bayou had encountered deep within the mountain.
This revelation struck Bayou with clarity.
It was no surprise that their misfortunes had compounded, especially since they had allowed one to escape.
This had resulted in the return of a formidable werewolf king.
Now scouring the area in search of the tiger people.
Terrified, the tigers had hidden in this cave, rarely venturing outside, subsisting on the rotting flesh by you had previously discarded.
Consequently, they had become emaciated.
The snow-covered terrain was already sparssely populated, having lost some of its inhabitants to the undead.
And with the arrival of wolves and goblins, competition for sustenance had intensified.
This dire situation left the tiger people struggling to find food.
How pitiable it was.
By you feigned a sigh of sympathy.
Might you share with me the information regarding the world beyond the snowcap mountains? The tiger guard was particularly interested in the outside world, yearning for the possibility of relocating from the snowladen wasteland.
Their queen remained in a deep slumber, the duration of which was uncertain, and the guards could not bear to leave her in such perilous circumstances.
Um, the one pursuing me is a sorcerer, likely affiliated with the Human Mage Association, not a werewolf, but you pondered her uncertainty evident.
She knew only that her pursuer was a sorcerer of human descent, with little else to disclose.
Are you of a different race? The tiger guard blurted out, catching by you offg guard.
She retreated a step, her gaze now weary.
There is no need for alarm.
In our current plight, the trustworthiness of those from other races may be higher than that of our own," the guard reassured her.
Bayou<unk>'s reaction had led the Tiger Guard to conclude that she was indeed of a different lineage, alleviating their concerns regarding her intentions toward their queen.
"How do you deduce that?" Bayou, now somewhat less guarded, inquired with intrigue.
The Human Mage Association is generally benevolent towards outsiders, dedicated to the development and empowerment of their kind.
They seldom attack other humans without provocation, and they often extend protection to ordinary humans, the guard explained.
As one of the continent's formidable powers, the Mage Association's core principles were well known among all races.
Bayou's understanding deepened.
It all made sense now.
Yet the tiger guard fell silent, for the presence of humans on the snowy peaks, coupled with the weirwolves had rendered the situation increasingly precarious, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.
"Ah, indeed, the goblins have also arrived at the snow mountains, led by a goblin shaman, likely of royal caliber," Bayou added.
The Tiger guards were filled with despair, and they learned from Bayou that before their arrival, the frigid snow mountains were almost tranquil, devoid of any disturbances.
How unfortunate.
The Tiger guards could only hope that their queen would awaken soon.
Once she absorbed the bloodline power, her strength would reach royal status, and then their ice field white tigers would no longer have to fear these races of the Snow Mountains, at least having some means of self-preservation.
Not only were the tiger folk unfortunate, but by you himself was also rather ill- fated.
He had initially intended to confront Yilong, only to be interrupted by a rogue mage, forcing him to seek refuge here.
Most critically, his griffin had been slain, leaving Bayou without a mount and significantly increasing the difficulty of escaping the snow mountains.
Who could tell whether that mage outside was lying in wait for him? Uh, I still have some provisions here which I shall bestow upon you, for I may need to linger here for a while longer.
Bayou discovered that his spatial ring contained over a thousand portions of food obtained from slaying beasts in the dark forest the previous day.
The events of yesterday had left him in a state of disarray, resulting in the items within his ring remaining unprocessed.
These provisions were the usual drops from magical beasts, not from the revolting spiders of yesterday, which by you found utterly distasteful.
The tiger folk were astonished, as by you produced the food seemingly from thin air, their mouths watering uncontrollably.
Are you truly certain you wish to gift us this food, my lord? The tiger guard inquired incredulously, aware that their most pressing need at this moment was sustenance.
Bayou nodded affirmatively.
Upon receiving his confirmation, the tiger folk rushed forward, eagerly tearing into the food.
After all, these provisions were of no use to Bayou.
They served perfectly to win the favor of these tigers, as he would need to hide here for a while.
Being scrutinized by this group of tigers was not ideal.
What if their hunger drove them to consider Bayou as their next meal? A confrontation would be inevitable.
Of course, the tiger folk were unaware that Bayou had no need for food.
Nor did they realize that these provisions were nearly useless to him, as he had brought them for Sun Xiao Xiao<unk>s magical beasts and Xiao Liu as dwarfs.
Thank you for your generous gift, my lord.
You are indeed our benefactor.
The tiger guard did not join the others in devouring the food, instead expressing his gratitude to buy you first.
A glance revealed that such a bounty would suffice for 3 days of feasting.
freeing them from the necessity of consuming repugnant rotten flesh.
The tiger guard instructed the others to transport the food deep into their cave and extended an invitation to Bayou.
My lord, please follow me to the interior for some rest.
Bayou hesitated for a moment, but readily agreed.
Lingering at the cave's entrance felt rather unseammly.
He harbored no fears of treachery, for it was his strength that served as his greatest assurance.
And although the den was vast, Bayou considered himself somewhat familiar with its layout.
However, unlike other intelligent species and humans, in their eyes, kindness was kindness, and resentment was resentment.
They would not engage in devious schemes.
Indeed, as it happened, Bayou followed the Tiger Guard deep into the bunker, where she discovered that the remaining Tiger warriors were predominantly aged, frail, or injured, possessing little to no combat capability.
The entirety of their fighting strength was essentially what she had observed at the cave entrance.
These tiger beings were all in slumber until the guard returned, rousing them from their rest and distributing food among the group while also introducing Bayou.
The entire assembly expressed profound gratitude towards this foreign presence.
As Bayou sat to the side, she removed her hood, allowing her long, lustrous white hair to cascade down like a waterfall.
The tiger guard paused for a moment, gazing at Bayou, prompting her to look back in confusion, questioning, "What are you staring at?" Chapter 157.
Sudden mutation.
My apologies.
Your appearance reminds me of the queen of our Icefield White Tiger Clan.
The Tiger Guard remarked with a hint of regret.
Although it did not fully grasp the nature of its own impoliteness.
It was merely abiding by the words of its queen, which it presumed to be correct.
Is your queen in that secret chamber? Upon entering, by you immediately sensed something peculiar.
While the other tigers behaved casually, there were guards stationed at that particular chamber.
and all the tigers seemed to be subtly encircling it.
Indeed, our esteemed queen remains in slumber.
Acknowledging by you's observation, the tiger guard replied truthfully, "So, our esteemed queen bears a resemblance to me? Her fur? No, her hair has the same white hue as yours.
" The tiger guard could hardly comprehend why the humans referred to their fur as hair.
At that moment, Bayou felt a slight tremor coursing through the entire fortress.
The tigers continued their marramment, oblivious to the disturbance.
The tiger guard halted its meal, turning its gaze toward Bayou, who had risen.
My lord, do you sense it? The ground is trembling, albeit faintly.
Perhaps something is occurring outside.
Bayou speculated that the tremors might be the result of a conflict beyond the cave.
Fervently hoping that their location remained undiscovered.
Meanwhile, outside the frost cave, the snowcapped mountains were devoid of any combatants.
Not only the frost cave, but the entire frigid snow mountain was experiencing subtle tremors.
In Yiliang's castle, Count Yuca directed his gaze toward the mountains.
Feeling the vibrations emanating from them, even from his distant location, could the rumors surrounding the Frigid Snow Mountain be true? This elusive phenomenon had only been whispered in the fables of his clan which had brought him here.
Count Yuca had always been skeptical about the existence of such myths.
However, with the tremors now manifesting, he could no longer remain idle.
He swiftly led the vampires toward the snow-covered peaks, taking Yelon along while leaving a few vampires to guard the castle.