The cold wind whistled softly as it passed through the gaps between the ice blocks.

An Ice Giant, a being formed by the Cold Spirit, patrolled its territory back and forth.

Though an elemental creature, it had an almost obsessive sense of territory.

When they set out, the Demon Race party was strong and vigorous, with Huo Yan easily shattering the Cold Spirit's icy body with a single blow. Now returned, the Cold Spirit had already reformed its ice form, while the party... was reduced to the incomplete figures of Qiong and Shou.

So they chose to take a detour, relying on the fact that these Cold Spirits do not hold grudges; as long as they kept their distance, they wouldn't trigger an attack.

The Cold Spirit, indeed, did not pay attention to the two distant figures, focusing instead on the sky.

An invisible reconnaissance Puki was flapping laboriously in the cold wind, tailing the Demon Race's tracks from afar.

Hmm? Was it discovered?

Seeing the Cold Spirit's attention concentrated on the reconnaissance Puki, Lin Jun controlled the Puki to fly a bit higher.

[Race: Cold Spirit]

[Level: 39]

[Racial Talent: Elemental Body]

[Skills: Ice Element Control Level 6, Magic Perception Level 4...]

Magic Perception, no wonder it found the reconnaissance Puki.

This was the second Cold Spirit they encountered along the way; maybe they could capture one later to see how it tasted.

Lin Jun easily let the two Demon Race members go, intending to follow them back to their home. Even though Shou was vague about the tribe's situation during their conversation,

Lin Jun inferred from the fresh Demon Race remains found at Chis' territory that they had recently suffered significant losses, which presented an opportune moment to forge an alliance!

In any case, observe first!

Since this Puki was expected to stay outside for a long time, Lin Jun specifically added [Photosynthesis] to it.

But truth be told, the conditions in the Land of the Far North were harsher than expected.

First was the sunlight; weak and pale, it produced pathetically thin magic power through photosynthesis, barely enough to sustain Puki's minimum activity.

This wasn't too big of an issue since it was only needed for reconnaissance Puki's activities.

But... the temperature was too low!

Outside the Underground City, even with [Cold Resistance Level 7], it couldn't quite withstand it.

Lin Jun had to equip it with [High-Temperature Drilling Level 6].

With occasional heating, it barely survived, but consequently, the magic consumption increased.

With the magic power gradually depleting, it might only last three or four days out in the wild before another reconnaissance Puki had to take over.

Fortunately, the Demon Race's tribe wasn't far from the Underground City, just half a day's journey.

-----------------

Upon their return to the tribe, the two were immediately surrounded by their clansmen.

"Shou! Qiong! What happened to you..." The superior warrior Xing Huo who arrived, fixed his gaze on their gruesome severed limbs, his tone heavy, "The others... are they..."

"Annihilated," Shou's voice was dry, "it's just the two of us. Xing Huo, what's with you?" He noticed the bulging hunting pack on Xing Huo's back.

"You were untraceable; I was just about to find out..." Xing Huo explained.

Shou felt a rush of relieved fear; fortunately... they made it back.

"Xing Huo, take us to see the Elder."

"The Elder..." Xing Huo seemed about to speak but then fell silent, leading the two towards the largest tent in the center.

Behind them, whispers among the clansmen were filled with confusion and anxiety.

...

Lifting the heavy fur door curtain, they were greeted by the sight of the Elder leaning against his bedside.

The once glaringly wise and steady old man now seemed like a different person.

The demon patterns on him dull and almost grey, devoid of the protection of his power, he shivered under thick blankets, and those eyes that once saw everything were now murky.

"Elder?!" Shou's voice was trembling with disbelief.

"Shou, Qiong," the Elder looked at them, his voice unexpectedly calm, "it's just my time has come; as a member of the Demon Race, I've lived long enough."

"But... at such a time..." Even the usually composed Shou couldn't hide his unease.

"Fate never chooses its timings, child," the Elder's gaze fell on Shou's severed arm, where the fungi in the demon pattern were unmistakable, "tell me what happened."

Shou did not hide anything, recounting the lethal trap of Chis, the bizarre flesh lump, and those strange mushroom monsters called "Puki" in detail.

Beside them, Xing Huo listened with a face of iron, fists clenched, while the Elder only listened quietly, occasionally nodding his heavy head.

"You've been through a lot," the Elder sighed deeply, his breath weak, "perhaps... all this is my fault."

"Elder!" Xing Huo protested urgently, "The fault lies with Huo Yan's intelligence error! How can it be your fault?"

"Alas..." The Elder shook his head slowly, his eyes showing fatigue and remorse, "it is I who stubbornly refused to migrate south, I who rejected contact with the Empire, I who... couldn't let go of the Lord Demon King of the past. If we had submitted to the Empire earlier, those children... might not have died..."

"This..." Xing Huo wanted to argue, but the Elder's weak yet determined gesture stopped him.

"Xing Huo, take Qiong to rest and comfort the clansmen. I have... words to speak with Shou alone."

"...Understood!" Xing Huo gave Shou a deep look, supporting Qiong out of the tent.

As the curtain fell, the Elder's withered hand suddenly clutched Shou's arm tightly! From his murky eyes shot an unprecedented sharp light, his voice low yet each word striking:

"Shou! This is a 'Fusion Parasite'! Our entire tribe may have already been targeted by those Puki!"

"Fusion... Parasite?" Shou looked at the living fungal threads on his arm; even with prior suspicion, hearing it confirmed by the Elder filled him with instant regret, "so... I shouldn't have come back?"

"No! Coming back was the right thing to do!" The Elder's knuckles whitened with force, yet his eyes held an extraordinary firmness, "I raised Xing Huo myself; I know he can't support the tribe alone! The tribe needs you! Mere parasitic ability, we are life forged by the hands of the Lord Demon King, not mere flesh and blood mortals!"

A peculiar, resolute smile appeared on the Elder's face, "I... can still buy you a chance..."

The demon patterns on the Elder's body flared up, as all his magic power reversed its flow into the demon core.

"But... Shou... the future of the tribe... where does it lie? After I'm gone... don't cling to those old rules anymore... whether to migrate south or not... it's up to you... it's my debt to everyone..."

"Elder?!" Shou's heart sank heavily.

...

When Xing Huo entered again, the Elder's bed was empty.

On the thick blanket lay a slightly dim demon core.

Shou was kneeling by the bedside, his back unmoving like a stone statue.

"...The Elder entrusted the tribe to you." Xing Huo's voice was dry, not surprised, only a bit of understanding.

He gave that demon core and Shou's back a deep look, leaving only one sentence before turning to leave, "...Get it together, the clansmen... are waiting."

Shou slowly extended his severed hand and picked up the demon core.

The Elder had sacrificed his remaining life to offer that opportunity—an opportunity to reshape flesh and escape the parasite using this demon core as a foundation!

No matter how bizarre these fungal threads were, they could not invade the essence of the demon core. This method indeed allowed him to break free from the parasite, perhaps even... regain his hands.

But... the opportunity was singular, saving only him, and the future of the entire tribe remained an unknown...

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