Chapter 43 Wait and Keep Waiting
It was about four hours since Jophiel split up with her master. She went to plunder some treasures, resources, and precious materials from several places.
Whenever she discovered a hidden treasure trove, she plundered it with justification regardless of whose it was.
She had secured quite a lot of treasures in her storage pouch. However, she wished to search for another hidden treasure trove before returning to the rest cave to regroup with her master.
Jophiel took out a silver compass. It was a mid-tier artifact with an ordinary appearance and no impressive special effects. However, it was extremely useful for the Guardian of Dream's members to find precious things within a three-kilometer radius.
"Wow, I'm so lucky. Who would have thought so many kind-hearted experts would leave their hidden treasure troves on this snowy mountain? Thank you for saving me a lot of precious treasures ~" Jophiel looked east because the compass arrow was pointing that way.
It sounds cruel, but the resources and treasures should be utilized rather than buried to deteriorate. No one could even tell whether the original owner was still alive.
Whatever it was, Jophiel would plunder them all for a greater cause. Everything was for her future, her master, and the Guardian of Dream!
Jophiel arrived at a secret underground dungeon under a massive iceberg a few moments later. She entered a remote cave by the icy lake and went through a secret passage.
"!?" Jophiel was pleasantly surprised when she found a pile of shiny treasures and spirit stones of various colours within the ice prison.
Her luck was superb today. She found a treasure trove one after another in no time. That was all thanks to her master. She received a significant luck booster.
However, her attention was immediately drawn to a mysterious ice flower in the ice prison's corner. That flower was brimming with life and sparkling with splendour as if it was the most precious thing in that place.
'Vitality herb! Yes, I shouldn't be wrong again. This way, I can easily secure my top ten positions in the treasure hunter list and receive lots of praise from my master~' With that in mind, Jophiel went to secure that ice flower.
Jophiel brought a mini shovel and secured the flower and the ice around it. She made sure not to cut a single root.
"Grr..." Some growing noises could be heard from the other side of the ice tunnel.
Jophiel's face went pale in an instant. She looked to the side and found a group of furious snow apes. Their eyes were blue as fiery fire, and they even carried heavy ice weapons.
It was like they couldn't wait to tear her to pieces.
Even so, Jophiel first secured the ice flower into her treasure pouch. After that, she turned around and rushed away in the direction she came from.
"Roar!" The snow apes crazily run after the intruder.
The ground shook because of them, but Jophiel smirked as she arrived at a narrow ice passage.
"I'm sorry, big guys. This is the wild world." Jophiel adjusted her veil and then made an abrupt stop. She made a finger gun and aimed it at the berserk snow apes.
"Fall under my enchantment and illusion. Desire Amplifier Bullet, fire!"
*Pew*
Jophiel fired a pink heart-shaped illusory bullet, which exploded amidst the snow apes. It caused no damage, but they were pensive, as if they had suddenly lost their senses for a moment.
Jophiel took advantage of the delay to sneak back into the treasure trove in an ice-coloured cloth disguise.
*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*
Some weird noises could be heard from behind, but Jophiel ignored them. She had to be very careful because if she was discovered, those snow apes would become more frenzy and hunt her like there was no tomorrow.
Jophiel plundered the treasures and spirit stones in that treasure trove. However, she only took half of everything because she didn't have the heart to plunder them all when she knew the rightful original owner existed.
Once her business finished, she fled through the ice passage disguised inside an ice-coloured cloth. She walked near the wall, and those snow apes shouldn't notice her presence because she seemed to be one with the ice.
*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*
Various weird pounding noises grew louder as she approached the 'fight' scene.
Jophiel took a peek to see what those snow apes were up to. She thought they were fighting each other because her charm and illusion amplified their wrath.
However, who would have thought those snow apes did various unspeakable things to their comrades.
"Animals are still animals..." Jophiel felt a little embarrassed, but she quickly ran away from there.
"Hmm-mm- My mood is so good. Master, I'm coming. After this, we can travel together leisurely. Just the two of us, how romantic~" Jophiel hopped on the snow like a happy little rabbit.
*Swoosh!*
A gigantic ice eagle crossed the sky, leaving a gust of violent wind behind. Jophiel fell down, face first. She was buried by the snow too.
"Damn, you, ice eagle. Don't let me find your nest, or I will plunder all your treasures." Jophiel cursed that eagle in annoyance.
After saying that, she found the ice eagle landed on a particular ice cliff and passed through a hole. She used her binoculars to get a better view, and voila, a hidden cave high up on a steep ice cliff could be seen in the distance.
Unfortunately, she had promised to return and regroup with her master before dusk. Therefore, she only recorded that nest's position and location and left that place. Her master and her could always visit that ice eagle's nest tomorrow.
It was nearly six hours since Jophiel parted ways with her master. She still had an hour before dusk, but her master had not yet arrived at their temporary rest cave.
"Master hasn't arrived here yet. She will probably arrive in a few minutes since she is so punctual. This place is also quite secluded and safe from wild animals. Let's cook something nice and warm for dinner." Jophiel made a bonfire and cooked some meat.
It was already past dusk, and the sky was already getting dark. However, her master hasn't come there yet.
Jophiel's worry was growing by the minute, and her imagination kept imagining the worst-case scenario that had happened. They shouldn't split up for the treasure hunt. She should have gone with her master!
The fire was out, and dinner was frozen. Jophiel tried to contact her master via telecommunication talisman, but it couldn't reach her master.
She repeatedly considered going out to find her master, but she put that aside because her master might come here while she was out. It was several hours before midnight. Jophiel was desperate, but she kept waiting because they had promised to meet again there. At that moment, a fleeting thought crossed her mind. She was afraid that her master was injured and couldn't come back soon. However, the thing that scared her the most was her master chose to abandon her. She didn't want her master to leave her behind.
That wouldn't likely happen, considering how well her master treated her and the other disciples. However, her state of mind at that time was so chaotic. She couldn't think straight or stay positive.
She kept waiting and waiting until she unconsciously fell asleep, shivering while muttering incoherently in a semi-conscious state. Her body was losing heat faster than it could produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature.
It was a few minutes after midnight. Ely finally arrived at the secret rest cave. Her complexion paled when she found a pink elf lying in the corner in severe hypothermia.
"Jophi-chan!" Ely rushed to provide emergency aid. Her disciple's condition was so life-threatening.
Jophiel's body was frozen cold and pale like a corpse, making her so scared. She could tell her disciple was almost frozen to death.
Ely used her healing skill regardless of the sacrifices she needed to save Jophiel's life. She took off Jophiel's jacket and outfit.
The ice and any dangerous cold qi were removed. Ely repaired the broken cell as her spiritual energy flowed through Jophiel's body from inside.
After Jophiel was out of her life-threatening state, Ely still couldn't stop her tears. She managed to save her disciple. However, she couldn't help but blame herself.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault..." Tears welled from deep inside and coursed down her cheeks. She hugged her unconscious disciple and wrapped their bodies with a thick blanket.
"..." Yuuki observed everything from the cave entrance. She could feel Ely's grief and guilt for arriving late than the promised time. Not to mention that the pink elf was almost frozen to death.
Well, it was partially also because of her fault.
It was already challenging for the visitor to exit the Frozen Cloud Secret Realm. Ely was losing direction and swallowed up in the blizzard for several hours. And then, they went to the Immortal Palace.
Anyone could quickly lose the sense of time as the Frozen Cloud Secret Realm was forever daylight.
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